Is it permissible to use the title "Sayyidat" (Lady) for Aisha and Fatima - may Allah be pleased with them both -?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner : Some Muslims ... now say they have heard this word, that the term "Sayyidat Aisha" or "Sayyidat so-and-so" for the female Companions is a newly coined term by those who claim to defend women, and the correct thing is to say "Mother of the Believers," which is more honorable for her; so is there a mistake in someone saying "Sayyidat Aisha"?
The Shaykh : As for the fact that the correct term is "Mother of the Believers," there is no doubt about that. However, saying that it is not permissible to say "Sayyidat Aisha" or "Sayyidat Fatima" is a major issue; because she is a lady, each of them is a lady. But this usage; that is, applying the term "Sayyidat" to one of the women among the Mothers of the Believers or the daughter of the Messenger of Allah - peace and blessings be upon him - is not used constantly, but rather it is used occasionally to indicate her status. Likewise, regarding the Messenger of Allah - peace and blessings be upon him and his family - it is permissible for the speaker to say occasionally: "Our Master, the Messenger of Allah - peace and blessings be upon him - said," or "Our Master, the Messenger of Allah - peace and blessings be upon him - used to do such and such," or "he said that." This is permissible occasionally, with clarification - also - as he himself - peace be upon him - said:Jami` at-Tirmidhi 2434Sahih (Darussalam), and in another hadith: Sunan Ibn Majah 4308Sahih (Darussalam). But the Salaf did not use this term except very, very rarely. So if this term is used in some gatherings or in some lands to indicate the supremacy of the Messenger - peace be upon him - which is attested to in the authentic hadiths, or to indicate the supremacy of other individuals whom we mentioned earlier; if that is used occasionally, there is no harm in it. However, mentioning supremacy in the prayer upon the Prophet - peace and blessings be upon him and his family - and especially in the prayer in the tashahhud; this is not prescribed, and it is disliked with a prohibition-level dislike; because the formulas are based on what was taught; meaning, as we were taught, we supplicate and pray upon the Prophet - peace and blessings be upon him and his family - and we do not add a word to it, even if that word is fitting for him - may the prayer and peace of Allah be upon him -; so we do not say in the prayer upon him: "O Allah, send blessings upon our Master Muhammad." Yes.
The questioner : In addition to the question, this.
The Shaykh: Go ahead.
The questioner : I mean, this word seems to have been coined by the advocates of women's liberation; the word "Sayyidat so-and-so" and "Sayyidat so-and-so"?
The Shaykh : No, that is not the case.
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : Yes, you know, I think that the style of some preachers is that they say "My ladies, my gentlemen," they put "My ladies, my gentlemen" first. But this is at the time when we deny it most strongly; because it is an imitation of the Europeans. This results from another open European imitation. For example, if a man is with his wife and they want to enter a place, what does the man do? The wife goes ahead of him. So it is no wonder that in their words they also put women first by saying: "My ladies, my gentlemen." So this is an imitation by the weak and pitiful Muslims in knowledge and material. And although many of them have become aware of this recently, and they reversed it, and said: "My gentlemen, my ladies"; meaning they reversed it. But in any case, I want to draw your attention to the fact that the term of making someone a master or mistress (tasyid or tasywid) in the correct Arabic sense is not exclusive to women in the present age, for they make both women and men masters, but they used to and still do put women first in mention as we mentioned. As for the Muslim, if he mentions Sayyidat Aisha or Fatima with the term of supremacy - this occasionally, as I said earlier -; we see no harm in that. And although for Aisha and her like, it is better to mention her with her legal attribute, which is "Mother of the Believers," and there is no doubt that this is the path and the correct thing.
The questioner : Our Shaykh, did it not come that there are four ladies, the women of the worlds, four, ...?
The Shaykh : Yes, it is the same.
The Shaykh : As for the fact that the correct term is "Mother of the Believers," there is no doubt about that. However, saying that it is not permissible to say "Sayyidat Aisha" or "Sayyidat Fatima" is a major issue; because she is a lady, each of them is a lady. But this usage; that is, applying the term "Sayyidat" to one of the women among the Mothers of the Believers or the daughter of the Messenger of Allah - peace and blessings be upon him - is not used constantly, but rather it is used occasionally to indicate her status. Likewise, regarding the Messenger of Allah - peace and blessings be upon him and his family - it is permissible for the speaker to say occasionally: "Our Master, the Messenger of Allah - peace and blessings be upon him - said," or "Our Master, the Messenger of Allah - peace and blessings be upon him - used to do such and such," or "he said that." This is permissible occasionally, with clarification - also - as he himself - peace be upon him - said:
I will be the 'Leader' of the people on the Day of Resurrection
أنا سيِّد الناس يوم القيامةI am the leader of the sons of Adam, and it is no boast
أنا سيِّد ولد آدم ولا فخرThe questioner : In addition to the question, this.
The Shaykh: Go ahead.
The questioner : I mean, this word seems to have been coined by the advocates of women's liberation; the word "Sayyidat so-and-so" and "Sayyidat so-and-so"?
The Shaykh : No, that is not the case.
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : Yes, you know, I think that the style of some preachers is that they say "My ladies, my gentlemen," they put "My ladies, my gentlemen" first. But this is at the time when we deny it most strongly; because it is an imitation of the Europeans. This results from another open European imitation. For example, if a man is with his wife and they want to enter a place, what does the man do? The wife goes ahead of him. So it is no wonder that in their words they also put women first by saying: "My ladies, my gentlemen." So this is an imitation by the weak and pitiful Muslims in knowledge and material. And although many of them have become aware of this recently, and they reversed it, and said: "My gentlemen, my ladies"; meaning they reversed it. But in any case, I want to draw your attention to the fact that the term of making someone a master or mistress (tasyid or tasywid) in the correct Arabic sense is not exclusive to women in the present age, for they make both women and men masters, but they used to and still do put women first in mention as we mentioned. As for the Muslim, if he mentions Sayyidat Aisha or Fatima with the term of supremacy - this occasionally, as I said earlier -; we see no harm in that. And although for Aisha and her like, it is better to mention her with her legal attribute, which is "Mother of the Believers," and there is no doubt that this is the path and the correct thing.
The questioner : Our Shaykh, did it not come that there are four ladies, the women of the worlds, four, ...?
The Shaykh : Yes, it is the same.
Source
www.al-albany.com
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.