Islamic Solutions of Injustices to Women and Children
Dr. Syed Hasanuddin Ahmad
In order to understand fully the extent to which women have been awarded rights by Islam, we should first look into the rights given to them by other religions and societies.
In Hindu religion, women have very low status. Girls, in their childhood, are given to the temples. They live there to serve and satisfy the needs, even sexual one, of the priests. Even in this age, widowed women are supposed to burn themselves alive to death along with the dead bodies of their deceased husbands. This process of burning alive (sattee) is not only liked, but encouraged in a Hindu society.
In a Hindu society, eating or drinking in the houses of sisters or daughters are generally disliked and deplored. The wives worship their husbands on special moon nights. The guardians of girls have to pay huge and substantial amount of money to the proposed groom. A widow is regarded as a bearer of misfortune or bad luck. She is not allowed to attend social functions. Even, she is not allowed to remarry.
Even in the western civilization,
women do not have full rights. The nuns in the churches can not marry. They
quite often fall prey to the lusts of their priests. Women are treated as a
commodity. They are made to bare their bodies to win customers for businesses.
They are even employed to seduce men not only by exhibiting their naked bodies,
but also by performing sensual and sexual motions and acts such as kissing,
caressing, etc. Bodies of women are displayed naked in advertisements,
pictures, and movies. They have to adopt husbands’ family names for their
identity. In some western countries and states, women can not own or sell
properties without the consent or partnership of their husbands. In the name of
liberation, women have been dragged to hard work in the offices and different
fronts as well. Now, in the name of liberation and equality, women have to
suffer the hardships of outdoor work, indignity of nakedness and harassment,
along with her natural sufferings of pregnancy, delivery, and suckling babies
as well. Women have become toys of pleasure in the eyes and hands of men. What
type of liberation or equality is this any way, where men do not suffer the indignity
of nakedness and harassment, and the pains of pregnancy, delivery, and
suckling, but the women do? An Urdu couplet beautifully describes this sort of
liberation as “Wisdom is called lunacy, and lunacy is called wisdom. Your
charismatic beauty can do whatever it wants.”
Islamic
Justice:
Religion: Women have rights to go to mosques to offer their obligatory salats. During the times of the Prophet SAW, women used to offer their salats in the mosques of the Prophet SAW. The Prophet SAW ordered the believers, “Do not stop your women from going to mosques” (Abdullah Bin Umar RA, Bukhari). When Hazrat Abdullah Bin Umar RA told this hadith to his son Hazrat Bilal Bin Abdullah RA, he told his father that he would stop his women from going to mosques. Hazrat Abdullah Bin Umar RA became angry, and rebuking his son, said, “I have informed you of the directives of the Prophet SAW, and you dare say that you will stop them” (Bukhari). Hazrat Umar RA wanted to stop his wife Hazrat A’tikah bint Zaid RA from going to mosque, but she refused. She said, “I will continue praying in the mosque till Allah or His Prophet SAW stop me.” And she did continue using her right of going to the mosque to pray. Incidentally, she was present in the mosque when Hazrat Umar RA was fatally attacked during the morning (Fajr) salat (Bukhari). It was much later, due to fear of security and tribulation, that men not only discouraged women but also stopped them from going to mosques
Education: Hazrat Aisha RA was a great scholar of fiqh. She was a physician as well. She told the people that whenever a physician used to prescribe a medicine to a patient, she would memorize it (Ibn Ali Mulaika RA Mustadarak). In those days, that was the method of teaching and education. Even now, the pharmacists do recommend certain medicines to their customers.
Hazrat Umrah bint Abd-ur-Rahman RA, a disciple of Hazrat Aisha RA, was also a scholar of the Traditions of the Prophet SAW. Hazrat Umme Salmah RA and her daughter were also jurists and legal advisors. Hazrat Umme Darda’ RA was a scholar of such a high caliber that Imam Bukhari, a great scholar of Traditions, used to regard her opinions as binding upon Muslims. Similarly, some other Lady Companions of the Prophet SAW, such as Hazrat Fatimah Bint Qais RA, Umme Sulaim RA, Umme Atiah RA, were scholars of very high caliber. Male companions RA of the Prophet SAW used to attend lectures of those lady companions RA, and learn from them.
Social
and civic Rights: A woman has the right to choose her husband. She has a right
to dissolve the marriage, if she does not like her husband. Once a wife of
Hazrat Sabit Ibn Qais RA came to the Prophet SAW, and told him that she did not
like her husband. She also told him that she did not want to act as a
non-believer while she was a Muslim. He asked her if she was ready to
compensate the dissolution of her marriage. She agreed to compensate; and her
marriage was annulled by the Prophet SAW (Abdullah Ibn Abbas RA, Bukhari). After the death of her husband, or divorce,
or dissolution of her marriage, a woman is completely free to remarry a man of
her own choice. She doe not need an advice or concurrence of any one of her
male relatives. Allah says:
You should not prevent them from marrying their prospective husbands, if they mutually agree to marry each other in a lawful way (Al-Baqarah 2: 232).
Women have rights that their lives, wealth, properties, and honor be safeguarded the same way as those of men. Women have rights to be helped in their needs as men have rights of social security and help. If a woman stands in need of physical and body help to save her, such as from fire or accident, she should be helped irrespective of the fact whether she is a mehrem (one whom a man can not marry) or not.
Participation
in State Affaires: Hazrat Aisha RA used to advise and criticize the caliphs of
her time. Similarly, Hazrat A’krasha
Bint Atrash also won concessions for her tribe [J]. Hazrat Aisha RA criticized
Hazrat Muawiyyah RA over his killing of Hijr and his associates [J]. Other than
this, she used to advise and criticize the caliphs of her time in political and
administrative matters; and none disputed her rights. At the time of Agreement
of Hudaibiyyah, the companions of the Prophet SAW were hesitant to slaughter their
animals, and to shave their heads. It was Hazrat Safiah RA, who advised the
Prophet SAW to go ahead and perform the necessary rites, and the companions
then would follow suit. The Prophet SAW did as Hazrat Safiah RA had advised,
and the companions then followed him (Bukhari).
Women can form societies and associations for their collective or social affairs. They can even elect one among themselves to represent them to the authorities. Hazrat Asma’ Bint Yazid once represented women in front of the Prophet SAW (Bukhari).
Economic
Activities: Women have rights of buying, maintaining, and selling their
properties. They can run businesses, and earn money. They have their shares in
their parents and relatives heritage.
The
rights of children: These should be fulfilled even before their parents get
married. The first and foremost right of children is to provide them a family
of love sacrifice, and obedience to God. In other words, children have a right
to have righteous parents i.e. a good practicing father, and a good practicing
mother.
It
is narrated that once a man was rebuking his son as, “You are opposing me, your
father, in favor of your mother” …….
The
Prophet SAW has advised the believers, “Call Adhan (call of salat) in the right
ear of a new born; and then say iqamah (establishment of salat) in his left
ear” (Abu Rafa’y RA, Tirmizi).
The
third right of a new born is tehnik. During the days of the Prophet SAW, every
new born used to be brought to him. He would then chew a date, and then touch
its paste slightly with the tongue of the baby. He would then invoke the
blessings of Allah for him (Abu Musa RA, Bukhari). All this process is known as
tehnik. It is a Sunnah. This process now has become obsolete.
The
fourth right, which is also a Sunnah, is a’qeeqah on the seventh day after the
birth. The Prophet SAW got the head of his grand-son, Hazrat Hasan RA, shaved
on the seventh day after his birth. An amount of silver, equal to the weight of
the shaved hair, was then given to poor in charity. Relatives and friends were
invited to a feast, prepared by slaughtering a goat. A good name should be
assigned to him.
One of the rights of a boy is that he should be circumcised as well. This is an obligatory right.
After the birth, a child has a right of food and dress over his parents. It is a right of a new born that his mother must suckle her baby for two complete years. Allah SWT says:
The mother shall suckle their children for two whole years (Al-Baqarah 2: 233).
When
a baby grows a little bit, it starts walking and then running. It starts
copying the actions of its parents. This age is very critical for the baby and
her parents. In general, parents either
do not themselves fully practice religious norms and duties in their lives, or/
and keep their kids away from religious activities or duties. Both of these
attitudes not only do not help, but are harmful too, in the development of
religious norms and ethics in the behavior of their children. The children, especially
during this age, should be associated with religious norms and activities to
familiarize them with such rites and duties. All these should be done with show
of love and compassion to them. There are quite a good number of examples that
the Prophet SAW used to bring his grand sons.
Showing
Love: The Prophet SAW told him that he
could not help him, if Allah SWT had taken away compassion from his heart
(A’isha RA, Bukhari). In a similar hadith, The Prophet SAW has said, “One who
does not show mercy does not get mercy” (Abu Hurairah RA, Agreed Upon). In
another hadith, the Prophet SAW has said, "“The one, who does not show
mercy to our young ones, and does not show respect to elders, is not one of us”
(Amar Bin Squib RA, Abu Dawood). The Prophet SAW used to greet peace (Salam) to
young people, whenever he used to pass by them (Anas RA, Agreed Upon).
Justice among Children: Hazrat Nauman Bin Basher RA has narrated that his father took one of his sons to the Prophet SAW, and requested him to be a witness that he had gifted a slave to that son. The Prophet SAW inquired if he had other sons as well? His father said yes to the inquiry. The Prophet SAW then said, “Go away. I can not be a witness of wrong-doing (injustice)” (Agreed Upon).
Education: The Prophet SAW has instructed the believers, “Educate your children, and refine their manners” (T, Ibn Maja). In another hadith, the Prophet SAW is quoted to have said, “The best gift, a father can give to his children, is to teach them good manners” (Sa’eed Bin Al-A’as RA, T).
A famous story of a girl of the times of Caliphate of Hazrat Umar RA explains the type of training our children should get. Once the Caliph Hazrat Umar RA issued an order prohibiting mixing of water with milk for business purposes. A milk-maid ordered her daughter to mix water with milk before customers start coming to buy milk. The daughter reminded her mother that the Leader of the Faithful had forbidden mixing water with milk. The mother got annoyed, and rebuked her daughter saying that the Leader of the Faithful was not watching her. The daughter then replied, “But the Lord of the Leader of the Faithful is watching us” [T]. Nonetheless, a believer must be kind to his parents irrespective of their beliefs, and philosophy of their lives.
Tell the children that God is omniscient, and Almighty. Explain to them that Allah knows the where about of even a small particle equivalent to a mustard seed in the heavens and the earth. And on the Day of Resurrection, He will bring forth. Whoever has the knowledge of Allah’s Power and His other attributes is certainly at a very high level of knowledge. His status is far more higher than those who do not have knowledge. Allah says:
And ask,” Can those who know and those who do not know ever be equal?” (Az-Zumar 39: 9).
The believers must teach their children all
that knowledge which is useful for the establishment of the Deen of Allah. The
Prophet SAW has advised, “Learn shooting, and riding. To me learning of
shooting is more desirable than riding” (T, Nasai). Here the Prophet SAW has
encouraged his followers to learn the art and science of
Order
your children to enjoin good, and forbid evil, as these will prevent them from
the Fire” [T]. The following examples show us how it should be done
In another story, Hazrat Sahl Bin Sa’ad RA has narrated that once there were old and young both in the presence of the Prophet SAW. There was a young man sitting on his right hand. The Prophet SAW wanted to serve a drink to the elders first. But the young man sitting on his right insisted that he should be served first. The Prophet SAW started the service with him first.