|
At a time when the rest of the world,
from Greece and Rome to India and China, considered women as no
better than children or even slaves, with no rights whatsoever,
Islam acknowledged women's equality with men in a great many
respects. The Quran states:
"And among His signs is
this: that He created mates for you from yourselves that you may
find rest and peace of mind in them, and He ordained between you
love and mercy. Certainly, herein indeed are signs for people who
reflect." [30:21]
Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said:
"The most perfect in faith amongst believers is he who is best
in manners and kindest to his wife."
Muslims believe that Adam and Eve were created from the same soul.
Both were equally guilty of their sin and fall from grace, and Allah
forgave both. Many women in Islam have had high status; consider the
fact that the first person to convert to Islam was Khadijah, the
wife of Muhammad, whom he both loved and respected. His favorite
wife after Khadijah's death, Ayesha, became renowned as a scholar
and one of the greatest sources of Hadith literature. Many of the
female Companions accomplished great deeds and achieved fame, and
throughout Islamic history there have been famous and influential
scholars and jurists.
We might also mention that while many in the West criticize Islam
with regard to the treatment of women, in fact a number of Muslim
countries have had women rulers and presidents. To name a few:
Turkey; Bangladesh and Pakistan.
With regard to education, both women and men have the same rights
and obligations. This is clear in Prophet Muhammad's (peace be upon
him) saying:
"Seeking knowledge is mandatory for every believer."
This implies men and women.
A woman is to be treated as God has endowed her, with rights, such
as to be treated as an individual, with the right to own and dispose
of her own property and earnings, enter into contracts, even after
marriage. She has the right to be educated and to work outside the
home if she so chooses. She has the right to inherit from her
father, mother, and husband. A very interesting point to note is
that in Islam, unlike any other religion, a woman can be an imam, a
leader of communal prayer, for a group of women.
A Muslim woman also has obligations. All the laws and regulations
pertaining to prayer, fasting, charity, pilgrimage, doing good
deeds, etc., apply to women, albeit with minor differences having
mainly to do with female physiology.
Before marriage, a woman has the right to choose her husband.
Islamic law is very strict regarding the necessity of having the
woman's consent for marriage. The groom gives a marriage dowry to
the bride for her own personal use. She keeps her own family name,
rather than taking her husband's. As a wife, a woman has the right
to be supported by her husband even if she is already rich. She also
has the right to seek divorce and custody of young children. She
does not return the dowry, except in a few unusual situations.
Despite the fact that in many places and times Muslim communities
have not always adhered to all or even many of the foregoing in
practice, the ideal has been there for 1,400 years, while virtually
all other major civilizations did not begin to address these issues
or change their negative attitudes until the 19th and 20th
centuries, and there are still many contemporary civilizations which
have yet to do so.
|
What is Islam
What is Quran
Who is Muhammad
Introduction to
Hajj
Human Rights and
Justice in Islam
What About Those
Muslim Women?
Freedom of
Economic Activity
The Chlorophyll
Life After Death
Neighbors
How can Islam be
the religion of peace?
 |
