merciful individuals who expressed great sadness over this tradition, and wherever possible, they would save girls from being buried alive. For example, when Zayd bin Amr bin Nufayl, the paternal cousin of Sayyiduna Umar Farooq al-A’zam رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُ and the father of Sayyiduna Sa’eed bin Zayd رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُ, would find out that somebody had a daughter and was intending to bury her, he would rush to them and take on the responsibility for the expenses of their upbringing, marriage, etc. In this way, he would save them from having their lives cut short.

This was also the practice of Sayyiduna Sa’sa’ah bin Naajiyah رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُ, who once said in the court of the Holy Prophet صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم: “O Messenger of Allah صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم! During the age of ignorance, I saved 360 girls from being buried alive, and in place of this, I gave their fathers two pregnant ten-month-old she-camels, and another camel as a form of Fidya. Will I receive any reward for this act?” The Messenger of Allah صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم said: “You have already received reward for that action. Allah Almighty has granted you the ability to accept Islam, and blessed you with faith.”^[1]

Dear Islamic brothers! You have heard about how these poor girls were oppressed before Islam. They were kept restricted to one place, their right to live was snatched from them, and their cold-hearted fathers did not show any reluctance in burying them alive with their own hands in order to preserve their own status in society. In times of ignorance, rather than being considered the honour of one’s family, girls were considered signs of misfortune.

Unfortunately, even in today’s day and age of ‘advancement’, we still find some traits from the age of ignorance among people. There are even some foolish Muslims today who, instead of showing love and compassion to their daughters, despise their very existence. If they do not abort the poor child in the womb of their mother, then at times,