WOMEN'S LIBERATION THROUGH ISLAM

[Guest guest]

Today people think that women are liberated in the West and that the

women's liberation movement began in the 20th century. Actually, the

women's liberation movement was not begun by women but was revealed

by God to a man in the seventh century by the name of Muhammad (peace

be uponhim), who is known as the last Prophet of Islam. The Qur'an

and theTraditions of the Prophet (Hadith or Sunnah) are the sources

from whichevery Muslim woman derives her rights and duties.

 

 

I. HUMAN RIGHTS

Islam, fourteen centuries ago, made women equally accountable to God

inglorifying and worshipping Him - setting no limits on her moral

progress. Also, Islam established a woman's equality in her humanity

with men.

 

In the Qur'an, in the first verse of the chapter entitled "Women,"

Godsays, "O mankind! Be careful of your duty to your Lord Who created

youfrom a single soul and from it its mate and from them both have

spreadabroad a multitude of men and women. Be careful of your duty

toward Allahin Whom you claim (your rights) of one another, and

towards the wombs (that bore you). Lo! Allah has been a Watcher over

you." (4:1)

 

Since men and women both came from the same essence, they are equal

in their humanity. Women cannot be by nature evil (as some religious

believe) or then men would be evil also. Similarly, neither gender

can be superior because it would be a contradiction of equality.

 

 

II. CIVIL RIGHTS

In Islam, a woman has the basic freedom of choice and expression

based on recognition of her individual personality. First, she is

free to choose her religion. The Qur'an states: "There is no

compulsion in religion. Right has been made distinct from error."

(2:256)

 

Women are encouraged in Islam to contribute their opinions and ideas.

There are many traditions of the Prophet (pbuh) which indicate women

would pose questions directly to him and offer their opinions

concerning religion, economics and social matters.

 

A Muslim woman chooses her husband and keeps her name after marriage.

A Muslim woman's testimony is valid in legal disputes. In fact, in

areas in which women are more familiar, their evidence is conclusive.

 

 

III. SOCIAL RIGHTS

The Prophet (pbuh) said: "Seeking knowledge is a mandate for every

Muslim (male and female)." This includes knowledge of the Qur'an and

the Hadith as well as other knowledge. Men and women both have the

capacity for learning and understanding. Since it is also their

obligation to promote good behavior and condemn bad behavior in all

spheres of life, Muslim women must acquire the appropriate education

to perform this duty in accordance with their own natural talents and

interests.

 

While maintenance of a home, providing support to her husband, and

bearing, raising and teaching of children are among the first and

very highly regarded roles for a woman, if she has the skills to work

outside the home for the good of the community, she may do so as long

as her family obligations are met.

 

Islam recognizes and fosters the natural differences between men and

women despite their equality. Some types of work are more suitable

for men and other types for women. This in no way diminishes either's

effort nor its benefit. God will reward both sexes equally for the

value of their work, though it may not necessarily be the same

activity.

 

Concerning motherhood, the Prophet (pbuh) said: "Heaven lies under

the feet of mothers." This implies that the success of a society can

be traced to the mothers that raised it. The first and greatest

influence on a person comes from the sense of security, affection,

and training received from the mother. Therefore, a woman having

children must be educated and conscientious in order to be a skillful

parent.

 

 

IV. POLITICAL RIGHTS

A right given to Muslim women by God 1400 years ago is the right to

vote. On any public matter, a woman may voice her opinion and

participate in politics. One example, narrated in the Qur'an (60:12),

is that Muhammad (pbuh) is told that when the believing women come to

him and swear their allegiance to Islam, he must accept their oath.

This established the right of women to select their leader and

publicly declare so. Finally, Islam does not forbid a woman from

holding important positions in government. Abdur-Rahman Ibn Auf

consulted many women before he recommended Uthman Ibn Affan to be the

Caliph.

 

 

V. ECONOMIC RIGHTS

The Qur'an states: "By the creation of the male and female; Verily,

(the ends) ye strive for are diverse." (92:3-4)

 

In these verses, God declares that He created men and women to be

different, with unique roles, functions and skills. As in society,

where there is a division of labor, so too in a family; each member

has different responsibilities. Generally, Islam upholds that women

are entrusted with the nurturing role, and men, with the guardian

role. Therefore, women are given the right of financial support.

 

The Qur'an states: "Men are the maintainers of women because Allah

has made some of them to excel others and because they spend of their

wealth (for the support of women)." (4:34)

 

This guardianship and greater financial responsibility is given to

men, requires that they provide women with not only monetary support

but also physical protection and kind and respectful treatment.

 

The Muslim woman has the privilege to earn money, the right to own

property, to enter into legal contracts and to manage all of her

assets in any way she pleases. She can run her own business and no

one has any claim on her earnings including her husband. The Qur'an

states:

 

"And in no wise covet those things in which Allah hath bestowed His

gifts more freely on some of you than on others; to men is allotted

what they earn, and to women, what they earn; but ask Allah of His

bounty, for Allah hath full knowledge of all things." (4:32)

 

A woman inherits from her relatives. The Qur'an states: "For men

there is a share in what parents and relatives leave, and for women

there is a share of what parents and relatives leave, whether it be

little or much - an ordained share." (4:7)

 

 

VI. RIGHTS OF A WIFE

The Qur'an states: "And among His signs is that He created for you

mates from among yourselves that you may live in tranquillity with

them, and He has put love and mercy between you; Verily, in that are

signs for people who reflect." (30:21)

 

Marriage is therefore not just a physical or emotional necessity, but

in fact, a sign from God! It is a relationship of mutual rights and

obligations based on divine guidance. God created men and women with

complimentary natures, and in the Qur'an, He laid out a system of

laws to support harmonious interaction between the sexes.

 

"...They are your garments and you are their garments." (2:187)

 

Clothing provides physical protection and covers the beauty and

faults of the body. Likewise, a spouse is viewed this way. Each

protects the other and hides the faults and compliments the

characteristics of the spouse.

 

To foster the love and security that comes with marriage, Muslim

wives have various rights. The first of the wife's rights is to

receive mahr, a gift from the husband which is part of the marriage

contract and required for the legality of the marriage.

 

The second right of a wife is maintenance. Despite any wealth she may

have, her husband is obligated to provide her with food, shelter and

clothing. He is not forced, however, to spend beyond his capability

and his wife is not entitled to make unreasonable demands. The Qur'an

states: "Let the man of means spend according to his means, and the

man whose resources are restricted, let him spend according to what

Allah has given him. Allah puts no burden on any person beyond what

He has given him." (65:7)

 

God tells us men are guardians over women and are afforded the

leadership in the family. His responsibility for obeying God extends

to guiding his family to obey God at all times.

 

A wife's rights also extend beyond material needs. She has the right

to kind treatment. The Prophet (pbuh) said: "The most perfect

believers are the best in conduct. And the best of you are those who

are best to their wives." God tells us He created mates and put love,

mercy, and tranquillity between them.

 

Both men and women have a need for companionship and sexual needs,

and marriage is designed to fulfill those needs. For one spouse to

deny this satisfaction to the other, temptation exists to seek it

elsewhere.

 

 

VII. DUTIES OF A WIFE

With rights come responsibilities. Therefore, wives have certain

obligations to their husbands. The Qur'an states: "The good women in

the absence of their husbands guard their rights as Allah has

enjoined upon them to be guarded." (4:34)

 

A wife is to keep her husband's secrets and protect their marital

privacy. Issues of intimacy or faults of his that would dishonor him,

are not to be shared by the wife, just as he is expected to guard her

honor.

 

A wife must also guard her husband's property. She must safeguard his

home and possessions, to the best of her ability, from theft or

damage. She should manage the household affairs wisely so as to

prevent loss or waste. She should not allow anyone to enter the house

whom her husband dislikes nor incur any expenses of which her husband

disapproves.

 

A Muslim woman must cooperate and coordinate with her husband. There

cannot, however, be cooperation with a man who is disobedient to God.

She should not fulfill his requests if he wants her to do something

unlawful. A husband also should not take advantage of his wife, but

be considerate of her needs and happiness.

 

 

VIII. CONCLUSION

The Qur'an states: "And it becomes not a believing man or a believing

women, when Allah and His Messenger (Muhammad) have decided on an

affair (for them), that they should (after that) claim any say in

their affair; and whoso is rebellious to Allah and His Messenger, he

verily goes astray in error manifest." (33:36)

 

The Muslim woman was given a role, duties and rights 1400 years ago

that most women do not enjoy today, even in the West. These are from

God and are designed to keep balance in society; what may seem unjust

or missing in one place is compensated for or explained in another

place. Islam is a complete way of life.

 

-- Mary Ali and Anjum Ali