Adapted from Ahmad, September 1993

In ancient times, a tyrant king, one of the famous Egyptian Pharaohs, was ruling Egypt. He used to kill the innocent, imprison women and children, and corrupt them. He even claimed to be a god and asked his people to worship and glorify him.

"I'm your exalted god", he said to them.

The Pharaoh was surrounded with attendants who obeyed all his orders. They also formed the military power that raided the houses of the oppressed believers in the Oneness of Allah Almighty, killed and crucified them on tree trunks.

Meanwhile, Prophet Musa (P.B.U.H.) who was then in Egypt called the people to Allah's Oneness, and to the establishment of justice, and love on earth.

But only oppressed minority followed Musa's new religion, lest Pharaoh's soldiers kill them.

Pharaoh had a very beautiful, gentle and good-hearted wife. She was called Asia bint Muzahem and Pharaoh used to love her dearly; she was so dear to his heart that he always fulfilled all her wishes.

Now, Asia heard about Prophet Musa's religion, and began to pursue its news and that of those who embraced it. But she was very distressed to know that they were punished severely for clinging to it.

Asia liked this new religion, and was convinced by its concepts. She even started to sense the effects of injustice on the pure souls who worshiped Allah Almighty. She felt also that her devotion to her husband was beginning to wither away little by little, as his violence and tyranny grew more and more intolerable.

A big wall of hatred rose between the tyrant Pharaoh and his God-fearing wife, who now spent most of her time worshiping and praying to Allah Almighty.

"Oh Allah, grant me a house in heaven", she used to say.

All the gifts and pleasures of life which her husband laid in front of her, could not change Asia's stern beliefs.

She stood firm in her opposition to tyranny and disbelief, and turned away from Pharaoh's world. She renounced too, her prestige as a queen to all the people, and took the path of Jihad and suffering so as to win Allah's contentment and His eternal heaven.

Pharaoh knew that his beloved wife had abandoned his religion and had adhered to the religion that declared Allah's Oneness. He was very angry indeed, and wondered how his wife had turned away from him. But try as he could with all the power and temptations he possessed, he was unable to dissuade her from her new religion. So, he decided to kill her.

The faithful woman martyred for the sake of her Creator, and in that, she became a great example of the believers' bravery...