Status of Women in Islam
Written By: Sarah Junejo
Islam has given the highest position
to the womenfolk on earth. It is the
position of love, safety, respect and honor that no one has achieved to this
day, let alone excelled.
Before Islam came into being, the
Middle East lived in a period of Jahiliyya.
Women were mistreated, purchased by men and given no respect at
all. There was no restriction to the
amount of wives a man could have and he could divorce them whenever and under
whatever conditions he wanted. The
darkest part about this time was that when a man died, everything he owned was
inherited by his son, including his father’s wives. When Islam came about, most of these barbaric activities came to
a halt, but still there were brutal acts that remained intact. Infanticide in many Arabian tribes was a
major issue of concern. “And when the
female (infant) buried alive is question, for what crime she was killed.” (Holy
Quran, 81:8-9). The main reason for
infanticide was the fear of poverty, these people failed to realize that ending
womanhood could stop the human race.
Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) always treated his daughter with great
respect. He always preached that Islam
required kind and just treatment for daughters. The right to seek knowledge is not different from that of
males. Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said,
“Seeking knowledge is mandatory for every Muslim.” Muslims are used here
including both males and females.
Marriage is considered a sacred
contract in Islam. According to Islamic
Law, women cannot be forced to marry anyone without their consent. The relationship between a man and a woman
is also that of love and mercy, mutual care, respect and affection. The Quran states, “they are garments for
you, and you are garments for them.”
Just like garments, they provide you with warmth and comfort. Women are not obliged to work around the
house, whatever she does is out of affection and love for her family and
husband. In the earlier years, “talaaq”
or divorce was only the right of a man. Nowadays, women are allowed to state a
clause which gives the woman the right to divorce her husband, along with
amount of money she’ll need for her upkeep incase of a divorce. Besides all other provisions for her protection
at the time of her marriage, it was specifically decreed that a woman has full
right to her mahr, a marriage gift, which is given to her by her husband and
stated in the sacred contract. In
Islam, marriage gives equal rights to husband and wife, except that of
leadership and responsibility. The man
has more right to responsibility just because he is physically strong.
The woman, a mother, is one of the
most respected titles in Islam. One of the Hadiths state, “Paradise lies under
the feet of your mother.” Also, at an
instance, a man came up to the Prophet (PBUH) and asked him “who is worthier of
my good treatment?” To which the prophet replied, “Your mother, (which he
repeated 3 times), then your father.”
This clearly states in a Muslim’s life, the most respected being is the
mother, who should always be respected and cared for, for she is the one who
nurtures you in her womb for 9 months, then feeds you and cares for you more
than anything else in the world.
Islam has made the woman a
shareholder of the wealth of her husband, father, brothers, sons and
daughters. First she is the
responsibility of her father and then that of her husband. Whereas, a man is solely responsible for
himself and this is the prime reason why he gets double the share of a woman’s
inheritance. Also, a woman, as a
daughter gets a share of her father’s wealth, and as a wife gets a share of
husband’s wealth putting herself in a very advantageous position.
Woman is entitled to freedom of
expression as much as a man is. It is
reported in the Quran and history that women not only expressed her opinion
freely but also participated in various discussions with many Muslim scholars
as well as the Prophet himself. (Quran 58:1-4, 60:10-12). They also participated in public life,
helped during wars and other emergencies.
They have been thoroughly involved in running the community. The
Prophet’s wives actively participated as well.
Khadijah (RA) was a businesswoman, Hazrat Aisha (RA) led a few battles
and Hazrat Hafsah (RA) was a model of a scholar.
It is considered that the beauty of
a woman lies in her hair and figure.
The whole concept of a “hijab” is for a woman to hide the contours of
her body so as to not tempt men, along with decent conversations and body
movement. Men should always keep their
gaze down when talking to women so as to show respect towards them and their
hijab, as this Islamic dress does not show oppression of women in any way, all
it shows is how dignified women are in Islam.
The status of women in Islam is
extremely high and suitable to her nature.
She has equal rights as men, and if she’s deprived of some things, she
is equally compensated in others. The
higher degree, a man is given is not higher in character, it is the
distribution of God’s abundance according to the needs for He is the Maker and
the Ruler of all of Mankind.