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Chapter one: Slogans
It has been recorded in recent history that many calls have
been made for women's rights. Calls for women's freedom,
liberation and equal rights with men have been heard all over
the world. Such calls are acceptable in societies and
countries where women are neither given their due rights, nor
are being fairly and justly treated.
It is
stunning and surprising, however, to hear such calls in
Islamic societies where women have been fairly treated and
were given their rights more than fourteen hundred years ago,
and without any calls made by them, or rather by their
advocates.
Close
examination of the slogans announced and called for by the
women's liberation movement shows that they hinge on the
following three elements:
- Calling for women's liberation.
- Calling for women's equal rights with men.
- Demanding for women's rights.
The word "liberation" indicates, first, that there are certain
shackles, limitations, and bonds, restrictions or chains in
place. Thus, we believe that there are many fallacies or
distortions in using the term "women's liberation." The term
"women's liberation" indicates that women are enslaved, and
they must be liberated; that is not the case, indeed.
Absolute
liberty is, rather, impossible. Man is naturally restricted
and has many limitations due to his limited abilities and
capabilities. Man, in general, in any given society, primitive
or civilized, lives under certain laws, rules and regulations
that normally govern his life and organize all various affairs
of life. Does that mean, by any standard, that man is not
sovereign, independent or free?
Freedom or
liberty has, therefore, certain limits which, if exceeded,
will lead to uncivilized activities which do not abide by any
laws, rules, regulations or standards. Islam is the first law,
or system of living, which granted women freedom and
liberation. It granted women the right to deal with the
society directly, rather than dealing via a guardian who is
officially responsible and in charge of running all the
woman's affairs (economically, socially, politically and
otherwise).
Islam has
forbidden women from being publicly indecent, sexually
provocative and acting as a sex agent, subject or any similar
form. This is a freedom from which the male in Islam, equally,
as well, has been stripped.
Allah's
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) clearly
stated:
“The example of a person who keeps the restricted and imposed
laws, restrictions and commands of Allah (subhanahu wa
ta'ala), and the person who breaks them are examples of two
groups of people who were in a ship and decided to divide it
amongst them equally. One group got the upper deck as their
lot, while the other group got the lower part of the ship.
Whenever the people in the lower part of the ship need to get
water they had to pass through the territory of the people on
the upper deck (thus imposing on them and bothering them with
their passage). The people in the lower part thought to
themselves 'If we drill a hole in our portion of the ship, we
can have access to the water without disturbing the party on
the upper deck.' If the group on the upper deck let the group
on the lower part of the ship does what they thought was right
(drill a hole in the lower part of the ship to gain access to
water), all the people on the ship would be destroyed.
However, if they forbid them from doing so, they would all be
safe.”[1]
In fact,
Islam illustrates the concept of freedom and liberty in such a
way that individual behavior and conduct must not, by any
means, be either harmful to the individual himself or
destructive to the society at large.
A well-known
German thinker and philosopher, Schopenhauer said:"Grant woman
total and absolute freedom and liberty for ONE YEAR ONLY, and
check with me after that to see the results of such freedom.
Do not forget that you (all), along with me will inherit
virtues, chastity and good morals. If I die (before then) you
are free to say either: "He was wrong!" or "He hit the heart
of the truth!"[2]
It is
suitable to record here the confession by an American female
reporter who is syndicated in over 250 newspapers, worked in
the area of journalism and broadcasting for over 20 years, and
who has visited numerous Islamic countries, Helesian
Stansbery. She said at the end of one of her visits to an
Islamic country:"The Arab-Islamic society is wholesome and
healthy. This society must continue to protect its traditions
that restrict both its males and females to a certain and
reasonable degree. This society definitely differs from the
European and American societies. The Arab-Islamic society has
its own traditions that impose certain restrictions and
limitations on women, respect and obedience to parents, and
imposes most restrictions. First and foremost, the most strict
restrictions and limitations are on absolute sexual freedom
that truly threatens both the society and the family in Europe
and the United States of America. Therefore, the restrictions
that are imposed by the Arab-Islamic society are valid and
beneficial as well. I strongly recommend that you adhere to
your traditions and code of ethics. Forbid coeducation.
Restrict female freedom, or rather, return back to the full
'purdah' practices. Truly this is better for you than the
sexual freedom of Europe and the United States of America.
Forbid coeducation because we have suffered from it in the
USA. The American society has become sophisticated, full of
all forms and terms of sexual freedom. The victims of sexual
freedom and coeducation are filling the prisons, sidewalks,
bars, taverns and whore houses. The (false) freedom that we
have granted to our young females and daughters has turned
them to drugs, crime and white slavery. Coeducation, sexual
freedom and all other types of "freedom" in the European and
American societies have threatened the family and shaken moral
values and ethics."[3]
The question
that poses itself here to the women's liberation advocates is:
"What is the best, most beneficial and more protecting system
for the honor, dignity and pride of women?"
Woman's equality with men is impossibility. The very nature of
men and women is different in terms of physical, mental and
psychological abilities.
If equality
between all members of the same gender is impossible,
regardless whether the gender is masculine or feminine, due to
natural differences, it is impossible to be equal between two
genders. This is only natural. Allah Almighty, stated in the
Glorious Quran (51:49) which the meaning of is translated as:
“And of everything We have created pairs, that you may
remember (the Grace of Allah).”
Truly, Islam
treats women with fairness and justice and preserves and
protects all the rights, to which she is entitled, as we shall
illustrate throughout this book.
1. Islam requires equal religious duties, requirements
and rituals of the woman, as required of man. Prayer
(Salah), fasting (Sawm), charity (Zakah) and pilgrimage
(Hajj) are equally required of both genders. Islam, however,
considers woman in some cases by making the requirements a
little lighter on her in terms of religious rules and
regulations, such as dropping both the prayers and the
fasting of a menstruating woman or a woman in the state of
after-birth confinement. A woman is required, however to
make up the days of fasting she has missed due to menses.
This has been imposed in such a way only to take the woman's
health and physical situation into consideration during
menses and confinement periods. "From the very beginning of
creation, male has been distinguished and differentiated
from female. Still, one completes the other. Based upon
this, we believe such a precise division in terms of the
sexes does entail two different missions in life, otherwise,
there would be no need for such differences in the sexes.
Moreover, this indicates that each sex has its own merits,
while both are human beings. We can easily recognize the
difference between day and night, although both help us
realize one thing, "TIME". The daytime grants us the ability
to seek our daily provision, while the night grants us the
peace to rest. Man and woman, in this aspect of required
from men ONLY, based on his sex. Similarly, there are
certain things that are required from the woman ONLY, based
on her natural preparation. Yet, both man and woman are
human beings who share many common characteristics."[4]
Allah Almighty, stated in the Glorious Quran (9:71) which
the meaning of is translated as:
“The believers, men and women, are helpers, supporters,
friends and protectors of one another. They enjoin all that
is good, and forbid (people) from all what is evil, they
offer their prayers perfectly, and give the Zakah and obey
Allah and His Messenger. Allah will bestow Mercy on them.
Surely Allah is All-Mighty, All-Wise.”
2. Islam has entitled both males and females to the same
worldly and Hereafter reward and penalty. They both are
equal in terms of reward and punishment as stated in
Glorious Quran (16:97) which the meaning of is translated
as:
“Whoever does righteous acts, whether male or female, while
he (or she) is a true believer (of Islamic Monotheism)
verily, to him We will give a good life (in this world with
respect, contentment and lawful provisions), and We shall
pay them certainly a reward in proportion to the best of
what they are used to (i.e. Paradise in the Hereafter).”
3. Islam made both the male and the female equal in terms of
humanity. Islam does not categorize woman as the source of
"Original Sin" that caused Adam (peace and blessings of
Allah be upon him) to be dismissed from Jannah (paradise),
as other religious teaching dictate. Allah Almighty, stated
in the Glorious Quran (4:1) which the meaning of is
translated as:
“O mankind! Be dutiful to your Lord, Who created you from a
single person (Adam), and from him (Adam) He created his
wife (Eve), and from them both He created many men and
women...” Allah (subhanahu wa ta'ala) stated in the
Glorious Quran (75:36-39) which the meaning of is translated
as:
“Does man think that he will be left neglected without being
punished or rewarded for the obligatory duties enjoined by
his Lord (Allah) on him? Was he not a mixed male and female
discharge of semen pouring forth? Then he became a clot;
then (Allah) shaped and fashioned (him) in due proportion,
and made him into two sexes, male and female.” Allah
illustrated in the quoted verses from Glorious Quran that He
created both sexes from one single source. There is no
difference in creation between both sexes. There is no
difference between both sexes in terms of qualifications as
well. Both are very much alike. Thus, Islam canceled and
abrogated all previous unfair and unjust laws and systems
against women, especially those which considered women of
inferior quality or nature to that of men. Consequently, due
to these misconceptions, women have been deprived of many of
their human rights. Allah's Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allah be upon him) said, as reported by Tirmithee:
“Women are but (equal) brethren for men.”
4. Islam has entitled women to the same rights insofar as
chastity, integrity and personal honor and respect are
concerned. Any person who falsely accuses any chaisty woman
with adultry or fornication shall be publicly punished,
similar to the treatment of man. Allah (subhanahu wa
ta'ala), stated in the Glorious Quran (24:4) which the
meaning of is translated as:
“And those who accuse chaste women, and produce not four
witnesses, flog them with eighty lashes, and reject their
testimony forever, they indeed are the liars, rebellious and
disobedient to Allah.”
5. Islam considers women equally qualified insofar as
financial dealings are concerned. Woman, according to
Islamic rules, regulations and teachings, can own, buy, sell
and undertake any type of financial transaction without the
need for guardianship, restrictions or limitations.
6. Islam indicated that whosoever honors, respects and deals
with women with integrity and respect possesses an integral,
healthy and fully composed personality. On the other hand, a
man who mistreats women, insults them, humiliates them or
subjects them to unnecessary humiliation is a mean,
dishonest and disrespected man. Allah's Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allah be upon him) is reported to have said:
“Only an honorable man treats women with honor and
integrity. And only a mean, deceitful and dishonest man
humiliates and insults women.”[5]
7. Islam entitles women to the same rights in terms of
education. Allah's Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be
upon him) said, as reported by Baihaqee:
“Seeking knowledge is compulsory for each and every Muslim
(i.e., male and female).” Muslim scholars
collectively agreed that the word "Muslim" includes both
male and female, as we indicated between brackets.
Similarly, Islam entitles women to the same equal right to
raise children in the best form, shape and format in
accordance with right Islamic guidance and means of
education. Allah's Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be
upon him) is reported to have said:
“He whosoever has a daughter and he does not bury her alive,
humiliate [insult or degrade] her and does not give
preference to his son over her, such a person will be
granted entry to Paradise by Allah.”[6]
8. Islam places woman in an equal position to that of men in
terms of the responsibility of reforming the society in
general. , male and female, man and woman, equally shoulder
the responsibility of enjoining good and forbidding evil in
society. Allah (subhanahu wa ta'ala), stated in the Glorious
Quran (9:71) which the meaning of is translated as:
“The believers, men and women, are helpers, supporters,
friends and protectors of one another, they enjoin all that
is good, and forbid all that is evil, they offer their
prayers perfectly, and give Zakah and obey Allah and His
Messenger. Allah will bestow Mercy on them. Surely Allah is
All-Mighty, All-Wise.”
The core of our discussion in this book is the demanding of
women's rights. We would like to point out at the very
beginning that there is not a single law, system or regulation
that preserves, maintains and protects woman's rights as much
as Islam does, whether in the past or in modern times. And
this shall be noted in the following discussions throughout
this book.
It is
sufficient, we believe, to quote non-Muslim scholars'
statements in this regard.
Sir Hamilton,
the well-known English thinker and philosopher stated in his
book Islam and Arab Civilization: "The rules, regulations and
verdicts concerning women in Islam are clear, frank and open.
Islam capitalizes on the complete care that should be given to
the protection of woman against anything that may harm her
personally, or causes ill-fame, reputation or character."
Gustave Le
Bond, the well-known French thinker stated in his book The
Arab Civilization (p.488): "Islamic virtuous deeds are not
limited to honoring and respecting women, but rather, we can
add that Islam is the first religion to honor and respect. We
can easily prove this by illustrating that all religions and
nations, prior to the advent of Islam, caused much harm and
insult to women."
He also
pointed out (p.497): "Matrimonial rights which have been
stated and illustrated in the Glorious Quran and by the
interpreters of the meanings of the Glorious Quran are far
better than European matrimonial rights for both husband and
wife."
Over fourteen
hundred years ago, Islam began to spread in the known world
following the commission of Allah's Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allah be upon him) Mohammad bin Abdillah, of
Makkah, spread its light through the teachings that came with
the Glorious Quran, and the traditions of Allah's Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). The Islamic
teachings made a great impact, change and influence on the
lives of the followers of Islam as a religion and a way of
life. Consequently, these changes affected the entire
societies in which Muslims lived, traveled and settled. The
advent of Islam was different in all aspects. It spread very
rapidly in the known world, and was known, and still is, as
the most comprehensive life system. Islam is found to be
exact, accurate and explicit in every point. It addresses
every human need, and does not contradict, clash or reject any
lawful, sound and meaningful requirements of human being's
very existence which are essential to his continuity in life.
We would like
to focus here on the changes that Islam brought in terms of
woman and her rights, with which we are concerned in this
book. It is suggested, therefore, that in order to have a
complete, thorough and clear picture about this subject one
must examine, study and explore the status of women prior to
the advent of Islam and further, compare these facts with the
changes that occurred after the application of Islam in the
lives of people in the Islamic society.
[1] This Hadith is reported by Imam Bukhari.
[2] Ghalayenee, A Word about Women, he quoted from
Schopenhauer book Islam, the Spirit of Civilization, page 224.
[3] Ghalayenee, A Word about Women, he quoted from
Schopenhauer book Islam, the Spirit of Civilization, page 224.
[4] Shaikh Mitwalli Al-Shi'rawee, in his book Fate and
Predestiny.
[5] This Hadith is reported by Ibn 'Asaker.
[6] Reported by al-Hakim and al-Naisaburi.
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