Women's Rights In Islam
The Conditions of Women in Arabia Before Islam
In those days before Islam, women were treated like slaves or property.
Their personal consent
concerning anything related to their well-being was considered
unimportant, to such a degree
that they were never even treated as a party to a marriage contract.
Women were used for one purpose, and then discarded. They had no
independence, could own no
property and were not allowed to inherit. In times of war, women were
treated as part of the
prize. Simply put, their condition was unspeakable.
In addition, the birth of a daughter in a family was not an occasion for
rejoicing, but was
regarded with humiliation. The practice of killing female children was
uncontrolled.
With the advent of Islam came the verse from the Quran condemning those
who practiced female
infanticide:
"And when the news of (the birth of) a female (child) is brought to any of
them, his face
becomes dark, and he is filled with inward grief! He hides himself from
the people because of
the evil of that whereof he has been informed. Shall he keep her with
dishonor or bury her in
the earth? Certainly, evil is their decision."
(An-Nahl 16:58-59)
And as part of a description of various events on the Day of Judgment, the
Quran mentions:
"And when the female (infant) buried alive (as the pagan Arabs used to do)
shall be questioned. For what sin she was killed? (At-Takwir 81:8-9)
Outside Arabia conditions for women were no better. In India, Egypt, and
all European countries
in the Dark Ages, women were treated worse than slaves. They were not
regarded as human beings
but as sort of a sub-species between humans and animals.
Allah (SWT) Gave the Arab Women Their Rights
The rights of Muslim women were given to us by Allah (SWT), who is
All-Compassionate,
All-Merciful, All-Just, All-Unbiased, All-Knowing and Most Wise. These
rights, which were
granted to women more than 1400 years ago, and were taught by the perfect
example of the
Prophet Muhammad (SAW), were given by the one Who created us and Who alone
knows what rights
are best for our female natures. Allah (SWT) says in the Quran:
"O You who believe! You are forbidden to inherit women against their will,
and you should not
treat them with harshness, that you may take away part of the Mahr
(bridal-money given by the
husband to his wife at time of marriage) you have given them, unless they
commit open illegal
sexual intercourse. And live with them honorably. If you dislike them, it
may be that you
dislike a thing and Allah brings
through it a great deal of good." (An-Nisa 4:19)
The most basic right of a woman in Islam is the knowledge and recognition
that she never has to
ask or demand or fight for her rights which are guaranteed to her by Allah
(SWT) Himself.
Rights That Islam Gives to Women
Human Rights
Islam considers a woman to be equal to a man as a human being and as his
partner in this life.
Women have been created with a soul of the same nature as man’s. Allah
(SWT) says in the Quran:
"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 and fear
Allah through Whom you demand your mutual (rights), and (do not cut the
relations of) the wombs
(kinship). Surely, Allah is Ever and All-Watcher over you." (Al-Nisa 4:1)
And in the words of the Prophet Muhammad (SAW),
"Assuredly, women are the twin halves of men." (Sahih reported by
Abu-Dawud (RA)
Islam does not blame Eve alone for the First Sin. The Quran makes it very
clear that both Adam
and Eve were tempted, that they both sinned and were both forgiven after
their repentance.
Allah (SWT) says in the Quran:
"Then Satan whispered suggestions to them both in order to uncover that
which was hidden from
them of their private parts (before); he said: "Your Lord did not forbid
you this tree save you
should become angels or become of the immortals." And he (Satan) swore by
Allah to them both
(saying): "Verily, I am one of the sincere well-wishers for you both." So
he mislead them with
deception. Then when they tasted of the tree, that which was hidden from
them of their shame
(private parts) became manifest to them and they began to stick together
the leaves of Paradise
over themselves (in order to cover their shame). And their Lord called out
to them (saying):
"Did I not forbid you that tree and tell you: Verily, Satan is an open
enemy unto you?" They
said: "Our Lord! We have wronged ourselves. If You forgive us not, and
bestow not upon us Your
Mercy, we shall certainly be of the losers." (Allah) said: "Get down, one
of you an enemy to
the other (i.e. Adam, Eve, and Satan, etc.). On earth will be a
dwelling-place for you and an
enjoyment, - for a time." He said: "Therein you shall live, and therein
you shall die, and from
it you shall be brought out (i.e. resurrected)."(Al-A’raf 7:20-25)
In Islamic law a woman is an independent, unique individual in her own
right. She has the same
responsibilities towards herself, towards Allah (SWT) and towards other
human beings as the
male, and will be punished or rewarded in the Hereafter without
discrimination towards her
female gender.
Civil Rights
There is no compulsion in religion according to the Quran:
"There is no compulsion in religion. Verily, the Right Path has become
distinct from the wrong
path. Whoever disbelieves in Taghut [anything worshipped other then the
Real God (Allah)] and
believes in Allah, then he has grasped the most trustworthy handhold that
will never break. And
Allah is All-Hearer, All-Knower."
(Al-Baqarah 2:256)
A Muslim woman is not permitted to change her family name to her husband’s
name upon marriage.
She is always known by her father’s name, as a mark of her own identity.
In choosing a marriage
partner, her consent to accept or reject any prospective suitor for
marriage must be respected.
A Muslim woman has the right to seek divorce, if necessary within the laws
of Islam.
Muslim Women Have the Right to Go Outside of Her Home
Muslim women are not forbidden from going out in the community, working,
or visiting relatives
and female friends, if there is no objection from their guardian/husband
and they are covered
and behave and speak according to Islamic guidelines and, if necessary,
escorted by their
Mahram (a close male relative). However, a woman’s home should be the main
base that she works
from. Allah (SWT) instructed the wife’s of the Prophet (SAW):
"O wives of the Prophet! You are not like any other women. If you keep
your duty (to Allah),
then be not soft in speech, lest he is whose heart is a disease (of
hypocrisy or evil desire
for adultery, etc.) should be moved with desire, but speak in an honorable
manner. And stay in
your houses, and do not display yourselves like that of the times of
ignorance, and offer
prayers perfectly (Iqamat-as-Salat), and give Zakat and obey Allah and His
Messenger. Allah
wishes only to remove Ar-Rijs (evil deeds and sins, etc.) from you, O
members of the family [of
the Prophet (SAW)], and to purify you with a thorough purification."
(Al-Ahzab 33:32-33)
A Woman in Islam Has the Right to Get an Education
In the words of the Prophet Muhammad (SAW):
"To seek knowledge is obligatory on every Muslim."
(Declared Authentic By Shaikh Muhammad Naasir-ud-Deen Al-Albaani)
Muslim here meaning male and female Muslims, as women are the twin halves
of men. The Prophet
(SAW) also said:
"Whoever follows a way to seek knowledge, Allah will make easy for him a
way to paradise."
(Declared Authentic By Shaikh Muhammad Naasir-ud-Deen Al-Albaani)
A woman in Islam has the right to knowledge and education. Allah (SWT)
encourages women to read
and keep up the learning process. He also bestows His mercy upon all who
seek knowledge, and
gives them high status:
"Is one who is obedient to Allah, prostrating himself or standing (in
prayer) during the hours
of the night, fearing the Hereafter and hoping for the Mercy of his Lord
(like one who
disbelieves)? Say: "Are those who know equal to those who know not?" It is
only men of
understanding who will remember (i.e. get a lesson from Allah’s Signs and
Verses). (Az-Zumar 39:9)
"O you who believe! When you are told to make room in the assemblies,
(spread out and) make
room. Allah will give you (ample) room (from His Mercy). And when you are
told to rise up (for
prayers, Jihad, or for any other good deed), rise up. Allah will exalt in
degree those of you
who believe, and those who have been granted knowledge. And Allah is
Well-Acquainted with what
you do. (Al-Mujadilah 58:11)
This is referring to religious knowledge, in the first place, and to any
other kind of
knowledge, in the second place, where one has the intention of benefiting
herself, her family
and the Islamic society. Additionally, a husband should not forbid his
wife from going out of
the house to seek basic religious knowledge, unless he is teaching her at
home. The Quran
advises mankind to pray:
"Then High above all be Allah, the True King. And be not in haste [O
Muhammad (SAW)] with the
Quran before its revelation is completed to you, and say: My Lord!
Increase me in knowledge."
(Ta-Ha 20:114)
The Right to Go to the Mosque
The Messenger of Allah (SAW) said:
"If someone’s wife asks his permission to go to the mosque, he should not
deny it to her."
Women should be covered Islamically, according to the Muslim woman's dress
requirements (see
Her Dress).
At the same time, a woman’s prayer in her home is better, from the
standpoint of her household
duties and duties as a mother. Also it is better in the sense that it
prevents unnecessary
mixing with men. The Prophet (SAW) also stated on another occasion:
"But their homes are better for them." (Reported by Abu Dawud and Ahmed)
Islam Gives Men and Women Equal Rights
In reality, and in Islam, the rights and responsibilities of a woman are
equal to those of man,
but they are not necessarily identical with them. Equality and sameness
are two very different
things. I think you’ll agree that, for one thing, women and men are
physically very different
from one another, although they are equal to each other in other important
ways.
In the West, women may be doing the same job that men do, but their wages
are often less. The
rights of Western women in modern times were not created voluntarily, or
out of kindness to the
female. The modern Western woman reached her present position by force,
and not through natural
processes or mutual consent of Divine teachings. She had to force her way,
and various
circumstances aided her. Shortage of manpower during wars, pressure of
economic needs and
requirement of industry forced women to leave their homes to work,
struggling for their
livelihood, to appear equal to men. Whether all women are sincerely
pleased with these
circumstances, and whether they are happy and satisfied with the results,
is a different
matter. But the fact remains that whatever rights modern Western women
have, they fall short of
those of her Muslim counterpart! Islam has given woman what duties her
female nature. It gives
her full security and protects her against becoming what Western modern
women themselves
complain against: a "mere sex object."
The Right to Seek Employment
If you take a look at many societies today, a woman is only valued and
considered important if
she performs the functions of a man, (while at the same time displaying
her feminine
attractions to the public). While these women may carry the immense
responsibility of bearing
and rearing children, you have to admit that they may still be at par with
men in nearly every
area of life. The result is the present-day confusion concerning sex role
differentiation,
resulting in very large numbers of divorces and emotionally distraught
children.
In Islam, however, the value and importance of women in society and the
true measure of their
success as human beings, is measured with completely different criteria:
their fear of Allah
(SWT) and obedience to Him, and fulfillment of the duties He has entrusted
them with,
particularly that of bearing, rearing and teaching children.
Nevertheless, Islam is a practical religion, and responds to human needs
and life situations.
Many women need, or wish, to work for various reasons. For example, they
may possess a needed
skill, such as a teacher or a doctor.
While Islam does not prohibit women working outside the home, it does
stipulate that the
following restrictions be followed to safeguard the dignity and honor of
women and the purity
and stability of the Islamic society, (the conduct of women, after all, is
the "backbone" of
any society):
1. Outside employment should not come before, or seriously interfere with
her responsibilities
as wife and mother.
2. Her work should not be a source of friction within the family, and the
husband’s consent is
required in order to eliminate later disagreements. If she is not married,
she must have her
guardian’s consent.
3. Her appearance, manner and tone of speech and overall behavior should
follow Islamic
guidelines. These include: restraining her glances in relation to any men
near the work place,
wearing correct Islamic dress, avoiding men, not walking in a provocative
manner, and not using
make-up or perfume in public.
4. Her job should not be one which causes moral corruption in society, or
involve any
prohibited trade or activity, affect her own religion, morals, dignity and
good behavior, or
subject her to temptations.
5. Her job should not be one which is mixing and associating with men.
6. A woman should try to seek employment in positions which require a
woman’s special skills,
or which relate to the needs of women and children, such as teaching,
nursing other women,
midwifery, medicine with specialization’s like pediatric or
obstetrics-gynecology.
A Muslim Woman is Required to Dress a Certain Way When She Goes Out in
Public
For a Muslim woman, her modest dress is an expression of a universal
sisterhood. An Islamic
dress also liberates the Muslim woman, and she is then automatically
respected for her mind
instead of her body. Simply put, she retains her dignity! It is like
saying: I am a respectful
woman. I am not for every man to look at, touch, or speak to. I am
protected, exactly like a
precious white pearl which, if touched by everyone, will become black and
dirty.
A woman’s modest dress protects society from adultery and other forms of
illegal sexual
relations that lead to the break up of families and corruption of society.
THE RIGHT OF A MUSLIM WOMAN IS TO BE RESPECTED FOR HER MIND AND FOR BEING
HER OWN PERSON
http://www.themuslimwoman.com
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