All praise is due to Allah. May Allah's peace and blessings be
upon His messenger Muhammad, his companions, his family and
his followers until the day resurrection.
I am very
happy to introduce this book (Women in the Shade of Islam) to
all readers (Muslims and non-Muslims). The subject is very
critical and the time for it is overdue.
For a long
time there has been a misunderstanding of the status of women
in any religion in general and Islam in particular. Throughout
the ages, many nations and cultures have placed women in the
lowest position against men. Men have dominated their lives
and properties. This included the Arabian culture before Islam
known as the Age of Ignorance. In the Greek culture, for
example, women were looked at as an item in the house. She was
subject to buying and selling in the market. She was deprived
from the right of inheritance and was thought of as filth and
a product from the deeds of the Satan. In the Roman society,
the woman used to suffer all worst punishments by men such as
burning her body with hot oil, tying her to posts and polling
her behind speeding horses. All of this took place for no
other reason other than being a woman. According to the
English law, up until 1805 men could sell their wives as they
would with any property!
In Islam,
however, women are respected as partners of men. Their role in
life is complimentary rather than contradictory. The woman in
Islam has all rights of property ownership, business dealings
and choosing her husband. In facing responsibilities and
earning rights she is perfectly as equal as man. Men have even
bigger responsibilities in carrying the burdens of earning for
the family and supporting spouses. Protecting their chastity
and reputation honors women. Unfortunately, many a times, the
Western culture has been degrading the status of women into
the level of mere commodities.
To write a
book on this subject is very much needed, and I am very much
happy to present it to the readers for two reasons: the first
is that I know brother Abd al-Raman al-Shiha for a period of
time. I have dealt with him and found him to be one of the
finest people I have met. By the grace of Allah, he has a good
character and he -as I know it- is dedicated to the cause of
serving Allah. Allah alone knows the best. The second is that
I find this book to be interesting and beneficial. The reader,
whether being a Muslim or not, will find a logical orderly and
supported with evidence presentation. I also find this book to
be easy to read while containing all the necessary information
on such diverse and comprehensive theme.
For a serious
reader this book is a must, so that s/he will know to what
extent women are respected and protected in perfected Islam.
I pray that
Allah would reward my brother Abd al- Raman al-Shiha for
writing this book and for all his effort in the cause of
serving Islam, Muslims and humanity. All praise is due to
Allah the almighty.
Dr. Ahmad Ibn Saifuddin
Institute of Islamic and Arabic Sciences in America
