When tyrants rise, truth is tested. When Fir’aun called others to worship him and they obeyed - Asiya (AS) stood firm in her belief: ‘there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah’. Able to have whatever the world had to offer, she was faced with a choice: the temporary dunya, or the permanent akhirah. She chose the latter - and Allah SWT honoured her mention in the Qur’an till the end of time.
She was among the best of women married to the worst of men, reaching such a perfection in faith that we can only dream to attain. Having no children of her own, Allah SWT gave her Musa AS in a way only Al-Lateef - The Most Subtle - can give. The baby who was washed up on her shore would grow up in her arms - to spread the message of Islam within the very palace built on oppression and suffocated by disbelief, and beyond.
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: "Sufficient for you among the women of mankind are Maryam bint ‘Imran, Khadija bint Khuwailid, Fatimah bint Muhammad and Asiyah the wife of Fir’awn.” [Tirmidhi]
If we look deeper into their lives: Maryam AS - known for her purity, chastity, and piety. Proof that you don’t need to be seen by the world to be chosen by Allah SWT for His cause. Khadija RA - the beloved wife who provided immense financial and emotional assistance to the Prophet (ﷺ). Fatimah RA - known for her shyness, simplicity, and hard work. And Asiya AS - a woman who was surrounded by luxury yet still chose remembrance over heedlessness, and faith over social pressure.
If we want to understand the depth of Sayyida Asiya’s love for Allah SWT, we can look to her du’a that He chose to reveal in the Qur’an:
وَضَرَبَ ٱللَّهُ مَثَلًۭا لِّلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ ٱمْرَأَتَ فِرْعَوْنَ إِذْ قَالَتْ رَبِّ ٱبْنِ لِى عِندَكَ بَيْتًۭا فِى ٱلْجَنَّةِ وَنَجِّنِى مِن فِرْعَوْنَ وَعَمَلِهِۦ وَنَجِّنِى مِنَ ٱلْقَوْمِ ٱلظَّـٰلِمِينَ
‘And Allāh presents an example of those who believed: the wife of Pharaoh, when she said, "My Lord, build for me near You a house in Paradise and save me from Pharaoh and his deeds, and save me from the wrongdoing people." [Surah at-Tahrim, verse 11]
When saying “Rabbibni liy ‘indaka baytan fil jannah” (My Lord! Build for me near You a house in Jannah) - Asiya (AS) asked for the Neighbour before the residence by saying عِندَكَ (near You) before asking for a home. This shows us her heart’s wish wasn’t the luxury of heaven itself, rather it was the closeness to her Rabb that was her primary goal. Her desire was any residence as long as it was with Him. For what value does a palace have if one is distant from Allah? And what hardship truly matters if one is near Him?
In the midst of torture, she made this du’a; and when she looked up to the sky, Al-Mujeeb (The One Who Responds) had answered. She was shown her place in Jannah, resulting in a smile, right before her soul departed this world.
In Tafseer al-Tabari, it is mentioned that she was tortured under the sun and when Fir’awn would finish the torture session, the angels would shade her with their wings. Also, Fir'awn sent his aides to her and said, ‘find the biggest stone. If she insists on keeping her faith, throw the stone on her, otherwise she is my wife’. But when the huge rock fell on her body, it was already lifeless as The Most Merciful had already taken her soul.
In Surah ash-Shuraa [v20] Allah SWT informs us: “Whoever desires the harvest of the Hereafter - We increase for him in his harvest [i.e. reward]. And whoever desires the harvest [i.e. benefits] of this world - We give him thereof, but there is not for him in the Hereafter any share.”
Asiya’s (AS) sincerity was seen by Allah SWT and she was rewarded accordingly. She did not seek the approval of people so long as He was pleased. She welcomed a child who was not her own and remained steadfast before a tyrant who sought to break her. The status of a woman who truly recognised her Creator, not letting her love for anything be greater than her love for Him.
Asiyah’s (AS) story is not simply one to admire; it is one to learn from. Her life leaves us with lessons that are as relevant today as they were thousands of years ago. One of them is that Allah SWT sees not only our actions but also our intentions. In a world where opinions and trends constantly change, do we follow what’s popular or where our loyalty to Allah lies? Trends come and go, but the Deen remains unchanged. Sometimes the easier path is to compromise our values and principles. But the Prophet (ﷺ) said: ‘Islam began as something strange and will go back to being strange, so glad tidings to the strangers.’ [Ibn Majah 3986]
To be among the strangers will not be easy, following the true teachings of Islam may not always be comfortable, but as we see in Asiya’s (AS) example, struggle does not mean something is wrong. Perhaps you are being nurtured for something greater that you do not yet see.
Each person is accountable for their own choices. Difficult circumstances are never a reason to lose hope. No matter what you face, there is a plan unfolding with perfect wisdom…and as long as Allah SWT wakes you each morning, it means He is not finished with His plan for your life. So trust His timing, and never think any du’a is too big for the Creator of the heavens and the earth.
The difference between Asiyah AS and Pharaoh was that she recognised her Creator and turned to Him while he arrogantly turned away. A timeless lesson: whoever humbles himself will be elevated, and whoever exalts himself will be humbled. The same sea that drowned Pharaoh at the height of his power carried baby Musa at the height of his weakness. Whoever is with Allah, his weakness will not harm him; and whoever is distant from Allah, his strength will not benefit him. We may possess every luxury in this world, yet without Allah SWT - our hearts will remain empty.
In the life of Musa AS, we see the significance of his mother, sister, and adoptive mother nurturing him, and later, the support of a righteous wife. Noble women chosen by Allah, each playing a part in the success of his mission. Their stories remind us that true honour does not lie in worldly status or recognition, but in nearness to Him.
So if all the people are pleased with you but Allah is not, what have you gained?
If Allah is pleased with you but no one else is, what have you lost?
May Allah SWT make us among those whose hearts long for Him above all else, and may He build for us - near Him - a house in Jannah.. Ameen.
