Women in Islam:
Before Islam in
Islam put an end to female infanticide
"When news is brought to one of
them of the birth of a female child, his face darkens and he is filled with
inward grief. With shame does he hide himself from his people because of the
bad news he has had! Shall he retain her on contempt or bury her in the dust?
Ah! what an evil they decide on?" (Qur’an 16:59)
Maulana Muhammad Ali says: 59a. The allusion is to the
barbarous custom of burying daughters alive, which was prevalent among the
Arabs, especially among their chiefs. Its abolition was one of the numerous
blessings of Islam. With no physical or administrative power behind it to
ensure its enforcement, the word of Allah swept away this deep-rooted custom as
if by a magician’s wand, so that not a single case of the burial of a living
girl ever occurred after the mandate came.
"To Allah belongs the dominion of
the heavens and the earth. He creates what He wills. He bestows female children
to whomever He wills and bestows male children to whomever He wills"
(Qur’an 42:49)
Sherif Abdel Azim says: In order to wipe out all the traces of
female infanticide in the nascent Muslim society, Prophet Muhammad promised
those who were blessed with daughters of a great reward if they would bring
them up kindly:
"He who is involved in bringing up
daughters, and accords benevolent treatment towards them, they will be
protection for him against Hell-Fire" (Bukhari and Muslim) and:
"Whoever maintains two girls till
they attain maturity, he and I will come on the Resurrection Day like this; and
he joined his fingers" (Muslim)
Women in Islam have
right to inheritance and property
Women generally had absolutely no voice in the selection of
spouses before Islam came to
Maulana
Muhammad Ali says: On the material side, too, we find no
difference, except what nature requires for its own ends. A woman can earn,
inherit and own property and dispose of it just as a man can, and the Holy
Qur’an is explicit on all these points:
“For men is the benefit of what they earn. And for
women is the benefit of what they earn” (
Aishah said: "All of them (the
Mother of the Believers) used to compete in being charitable, but Zaynab
excelled because she used to work (to earn money) and then give it in charity.”
(Muslim)
“For men is a share of what the parents and the near
relatives leave, and for women a share of what the parents and the near
relatives leave” (4:7).
7a. Among the Arabs women
and children had no share in inheritance, for they used to say: “None shall
inherit but he who smites with the spear” (Rz). The reason is to be found in
the fact that the normal condition in
And give women their dowries as a free gift. But if
they of themselves be pleased to give you a portion thereof, consume it with
enjoyment and pleasure (a)
(Qur’an 4:4).
Maulana Muhammad
Ali says: It is necessary that a “dowry” should be given to every woman taken
in marriage. So every woman begins her married life as the owner of some
property, and thus marriage is the means of raising her status, in many
respects elevating her to a plane of equality with her husband. The practice
has, however, become more or less general to recognize dowry as a debt which
the husband owes to the wife and which she can claim when she likes.
Woman, in
Women in Islam have the right to be protected
According to the Qur’an a man who would dare to falsely
accuse a woman of unchastity without any proof would be severely punished, even
if you so as much call a chaste Muslim woman a name, you get whipped which
clearly shows how much Islam respects women. The rights of women in Islam are
sacred and are to be maintained.
"And those who launch a charge
against chaste women, and produce not four witnesses (to support their
allegations)- Flog them with eighty stripes; and reject their evidence ever
after: for such men are wicked transgressors" (Qur’an 24:4)
Rape:
Dr. Zahid
Aziz says: “Since to falsely accuse a woman of illicit sex (fornication or
adultery) is such a serious crime and grave sin in Islam, as indicated in the
above verses, it is quite clear that to force a woman to commit such an act
must be a much more heinous crime, deserving of a much greater penalty. If to
tarnish a woman's honour and character by word of mouth is regarded so
seriously by the Quran then obviously it is much more serious to assault her
bodily and coerce her by physical force to commit that very same act a mere
accusation of which destroys her honour.
Exactly what the punishment for it should be, would be determined by the law of
a Muslim country (assuming that it is a law sanely derived from the Quran and
true Sunna), and then applied in different cases according to the seriousness
of the offence.
There are two Hadith reports in Tirmidhi (under Abwab-ul-hudood)
regarding incidents of rape. In these reports the woman was exonerated and the
man was punished. (The reports mention the man being awarded the "stoning
to death" penalty, but that may be because the incidents occurred before
the revelation of the "flogging" punishment.)
According to the second of these reports, a woman was on her way to prayer when
a man came upon her and raped her and went away. Some people passed by her and
she reported it to them. They went and caught a man and she identified him.
They took him to the Holy Prophet. When the Holy Prophet sentenced him to
stoning, another man confessed to the crime. So the first man was let go, the
woman was told that she was forgiven by Allah (i.e. there was no blame
attaching to her) and the one who confessed was ordered to be stoned.
It can also be seen that there were no eye-witnesses in this case, and
therefore other evidence (e.g. the accuser's report corroborated by other
circumstances) is sufficient to convict the accused.”
Treatment
Before the advent of Islam women were often treated worse
than animals. The Prophet wanted to put a stop to all cruelties to women. He
preached kindness towards them. He told the Muslims: "Fear God in
respect of women."
The Quran lays the greatest possible stress on kindly and
good treatment towards the wife "Keep them in
good fellowship" and "treat
them kindly" is the oft-recurring advice of the Qur'an
(2:229, 231;
O you who believe! You are forbidden to
inherit women against their will. Nor should you treat them with harshness,
that you may take away part of the dowry you have given them - except when they
have become guilty of open lewdness. On the contrary live with them on a
footing of kindness and equity. If you take a dislike to them, it may be that
you dislike something and Allah will bring about through it a great deal of
good. (Qur’an 4:19)
The Prophet laid equally great
stress on the good treatment of a wife. "The most excellent of
you," he is reported to have said, " is he who is best in his
treatment of his wife," And: "The best of you are they who behave
best to their wives." And: "The most perfect in faith amongst believers
is he who is best in manner and kindest to his wife." And: "A Muslim
must not hate his wife, and if he be displeased with one bad quality in her,
let him be pleased with one that is good." And: "The more civil and
kind a Muslim is to his wife, the more perfect in faith he is."
In the Prophet’s famous Farewell
Pilgrimage Address he also stressed this point: "O People, it is true
that you have certain rights with regard to your women, but they also have
right over you. Remember that you have taken them as your wives only under
Allah's trust and with his permission. If they abide by your right then to them
belongs the right to be fed and clothed in kindness. Do treat your women well
and be kind to them for they are your partners and committed helpers. And it is
your right that they do not make friends with any one of whom you do not
approve, as well as never to be unchaste” (Muslim)
Head-covering
“And say to the believing woman they lower their gaze and
restrain their sexual passions and do not display their adornment except what
appears thereof. And let them wear their khumr
(head-covering) over their bosoms…” (Qur’an 24:31)
In pre-Islamic times almost every woman wore a khimar
(head-covering) as a sign of pride. The more wealthy women had longer ones and
the less fortunate women had shorter ones. Even the Bedouin women wore khimars.
The traditional way to wear a khimar was to put the edge of the fabric at the
hair line and then drape the rest of the fabric behind the ears and down the
back, thus partly exposing their breasts, which
made them vulnerable to attacks from malicious men, and as seen from Arabia
before the advent of Islam, helped to reduce their status to mere chattel and
sex objects. Once Islam started to be taught and followed, the women still
wore the khimars like they did before Islam, so the verse in Qur'an was
revealed: "And let them wear their
Khumr (sing. Khimar) over their bosoms." (24:31) [source:
beliefnet.com]
Imam Abu
Abdullah Qurtubi describes the historical circumstances relating to the wearing
of the khimar in pre-Islamic
Thus women
in Islam who cover their head do so out of purposes of modesty and fear and
love of God. In Islam this is not a
sign of denigration or subjugation to men or a sign of male authority, or
whatever misconceived notions westerners have about women in Islam. Rather, it
is a sign of chastity, modesty, and the fear and love of God, such that she
will be dealt with the utmost respect,
and not addressed with vulgarity of speech or obscene gestures as the Qur’an
alludes to.
O Prophet, tell thy
wives and thy daughters and the women of believers to let down upon them their
over-garments. This is more proper, so that they may be known (as free
respectable women), and not be given trouble. And Allah is ever Forgiving,
Merciful (Qur’an 33:59).
Spiritually woman
raised to the position of man
The Qur’an cites two ideal women, Mary, mother of
Jesus, woman above all women, peace be upon her, and the wife of Pharaoh, as
examples for all Muslim believers both men and women.
"And Allah sets forth an example
for those who believe -- the wife of Pharaoh, when she said: My Lord, build for
me a house with Thee in the Garden and deliver me from Pharaoh and his work,
and deliver me from the unjust people, And Mary, the daughter of Imran, who
guarded her chastity, so We breathed into her of Our inspiration and she
accepted the truth of the words of her Lord and His books, and she was of the
obedient ones. " (Qur’an 66:11-12)
Dr. Zahid Aziz states: "Pharaoh’s wife here represents the believer who is not yet
free from the bondage of sin, but prays to be delivered from it. Mary
symbolizes the highest grade of a believer, who guards herself against all low
desires, and therefore receive inspiration from God."
Maulana Muhammad Ali says: This
is another subject on which great misunderstanding prevails. The belief that,
according to the Qur’an, woman has no soul is almost general in the West.
Probably it took
hold of the mind of
revelation came,
spoken of along with men:
“And We revealed to Moses’ mother, saying: Give him
suck; then when thou fearest for him, cast him into the river and fear not, nor
grieve; surely We shall bring him back to thee and make him one of the
messengers” (28:7).
“When We revealed to thy mother that which was
revealed” (
“And when the angels said: O Mary, surely Allah has
chosen thee and purified thee and chosen thee above the women of the world” (
Further, where the
Holy Qur’an speaks of the great prophets of God, saying: “And mention Abraham in the Book” (
The Qur’an makes no
difference between man and woman in the bestowal of reward for the good he or
she does:
“I will not suffer the work of a worker among you be
the lost, whether male or female, the one of you being from the other” (3:195).
“And whoever does good deeds, whether male or female,
and he (or she) is a believer — these will enter the Garden, and they will not
be dealt with a whit unjustly” (4:124).
“Whoever does good, whether male or female, and is a
believer, We shall certainly make him live a good life, and We shall certainly
give them their reward for the best of what they did” (16:97).
“And whoever does good, whether male or female, and he
is a believer, these shall enter the Garden, to be given therein sustenance
without measure” (40:40).
"The believers, men and women, are
protectors, one of another: they enjoin what is just, and forbid what is evil,
they observe regular prayers, practice regular charity, and obey Allah and His
Messenger. On them will Allah pour His Mercy: for Allah is Exalted in power,
Wise" (Qur’an 9:71).
Also, 33:35,
speaking of good women alongside of good men, enumerates every good quality as
being possessed by women exactly as it is possessed by men, and ends with the
words: “Allah has prepared for them forgiveness and a mighty reward”. With God,
therefore, according to the Qur’an, there is no difference between men and
women, and morally and spiritually they can rise to the same eminence.
"For Muslim men and women, for
believing men and women, for devout men and women, for true men and women, for
men and women who are patient, for men and women who humble themselves, for men
and women who give in charity, for men and women who fast, for men and women
who guard their chastity, and for men and women who engage much in Allah's
praise-- For them all has Allah prepared forgiveness and great reward"
(Qur’an 33:35).
This verse
repeats 10 times in the Qur’an women stand on the same spiritual level as men
and states clearly the equal responsibilities and rewards for Muslim men and
women.
Exalted status as wives
The Qur’an never considers any woman to be the possession of
any man. The Quran describes the relationship between the spouses with love,
mercy, and tranquility.
"And among His signs is that He
created for you mates from among yourselves, that you may dwell in tranquility
with them and He has put love and mercy between your hearts: verily in that are
signs for those who reflect" (Qur’an 30:21)
Maulana Muhammad Ali says: The
Qur’an explains itself when it refers to the ties of love and compassion, and
to the quietness of mind which a married person finds in his mate. The verse
gives us the Islamic ideal of marriage which serves the purpose not only of the
increase of the human race but also that of the spiritual advancement of both
the man and the woman by referring to the quietness of mind which they find in
each other.
“They (your wives) are your garment and
you are a garment for them” (Qur’an 2:187)
Maulana Muhammad Ali writes: The mutual relations of husband and wife are here described in
words which could not be surpassed in beauty. They serve as a garment for each
other, i.e. they are a means of protection, comfort and even embellishment for
each other, and the weakness of one is made up by the strength of the other.
See:
Right to Divorce
Polygamy
Maulana
Muhammad Ali says:
Monogamy is the
rule in Islam and polygamy only an exception allowed subject to certain conditions.
The following two verses are the only authority for the sanction of polygamy,
and let us see how far they carry us:
[The following
verse was revealed after a defensive Battle waged on the Muslims – the Battle
of Uhud in the 2nd year of the Hijrah – which had decimated the
population of men greatly, leaving behind many widows with their orphan
children, and thus this verse was revealed as a remedial measure in this
connection to provide for both the widows and the orphans.]
“And if you fear that you cannot do justice to orphans,
marry such women as seem good to you, two, or three, or four; but if you fear
that you will not do justice, then marry only one or what your right hands
possess. This is more proper that you may not do injustice” (4:3).
“And they ask thee a decision about women. Say: Allah
makes known to you His decision concerning them; and that which is recited to
you in the Book is concerning widowed women, whom you give not what is
appointed for them, while you are not inclined to marry them” (4:127).
Now the first of
these verses allows polygamy on the express condition that “you cannot do justice to orphans,”
and what is meant is made clear by the second verse, which contains a clear
reference to the first verse in the words, “that which is
recited to you in the Book is concerning widowed women”.
The Arabs were
guilty of a double injustice to widows: they did not give them and their
children a share in the inheritance of their husbands, nor were they inclined
to marry widows who had children, because the responsibility for the
maintenance of the children would in that case devolve upon them. The Qur’an
remedied both these evils; it gave a share of inheritance to the widow with a
share also for the orphans, and it commended the taking of such widows in
marriage, and allowed polygamy expressly for this purpose. It should,
therefore, be clearly understood that monogamy is the rule in Islam and
polygamy is allowed only as a remedial measure, and that, not for the sake of
the man, but for the sake of the widow and her children. This permission was given at a time when the wars, which were forced on
the Muslims, had decimated the men, so that many widows and orphans were left
for whom it was necessary to provide. A provision was made in the form of
polygamy so that the widow should find a home and protector and the orphans
should have paternal care and affection.
[The
Qur’an in 4:129 discourages polygamy on the grounds of equality, which is
precisely why polygamy in Islam is seen as an exception and not the rule,
subject to strict certain conditions.
“And you cannot do justice between wives, even though
you wish (it), but be not disinclined (from one) with total disinclination, so
that you leave her in suspense. And if you are reconciled and keep your duty,
surely Allah is ever Forgiving, Merciful” (Qur’an 4:129).
Bashir Ahmad writes: “The words, And you
cannot keep perfect balance between wives, however much you may desire it,
mean that it is not humanly possible for a man to keep perfect balance between
his different wives in every respect. For instance, love being an affair of the
heart over which man has no control, a husband cannot be expected to have equal
love for all of his wives. But he can certainly deal by them with equity in
matters of money, time, housing, etc., and this he must do. So acting equitably
between the different wives, which has been laid down by Islam as an essential
condition for polygamy, pertains only to such overt acts over which man has
control. This is the interpretation which the Holy Prophet has put on this verse,
both by his words and example. ‘Aisha reports that the Holy Prophet used to
deal by his wives with equity in all matters over which man can have control,
and having done this, he used to pray to God, saying: “My Lord, these are my
dealings I matters which I have control; so blame me not for that which is not
Thy power and not mine,” meaning feelings of the heart (Dawud, ch. al-Nikah).
The Holy Prophet is also reported to have said: “If a man has two wives and he is inclined to one of them (neglecting
the other), he will rise on the Day of Resurrection with one of his limbs
severed – torn off (Dawud, ch. on al-Nikah). Thus both the example and the
sayings of the Holy Prophet show that though a husband cannot love his wives
equally, he should in his outward treatment i.e. allotment of time, money, etc
be equally just and fair to all of them.”
It may
be noted the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) passed the prime of his life, from the age
of 25-54 in a monogamous state – with one woman. It was in these normal
circumstances of society in his youth that he remained with his only wife
Khadijah until her last breath. It was in the latter part of his life, when the
circumstances of society severely changed, during a time when the Muslims had
to protect themselves against warring tribes, decimating the population of men
– the breadwinners of the family – thus in turn leaving behind their widows and
children, that the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) contracted several marriages, not
for his sensual pleasure, but the sake of the widows and orphan children. In
the last few years of his life, from 60-63, he did not contract any more
marriages, as society had turned back to a state of normalcy, showing that his
intentions were never for his own sake, but indeed for the sake of women whom were
without protectors. See: The Prophet’s Marriages
in detail. ]
Exalted status of
mothers
According to the Qur'an, woman is not blamed for the
"fall of man." Also Pregnancy and childbirth are considered to be
grounds for love and respect due to mothers.
"And We have enjoined on man to be
good to his parents: In travail upon travail did his mother bear him and in two
years was his weaning. Show gratitude to Me and to your parents. To Me is the
eventual coming." (Qur'an 31:14)
"And your Lord has decreed that you
worship none but Him, and do good to parents. If either or both of them reach
old age with thee, say not "Fie" to them, nor chide them, and speak
to them a generous word. And lower to them the wing of humility out of mercy,
and say: My Lord, have mercy on them, as they brought me up (when I was)
little" (Qur'an
Sarah Ahmad says: "Tradition tells us that from among one’s parents, the
mother has three times greater right to kindness from her offspring as compared
to the father.
“A man came to the Prophet Muhammad
asking: O Messenger of Allah, who among the people is the most worthy of my
good companionship? The Prophet replied: 'Your mother'. 'And who comes next?'
asked the man. The Prophet replied: 'Your mother'. 'And who comes next?' asked
the man. The Prophet replied: 'Your mother!'. 'And who comes next?' asked the
man. The Prophet replied: 'Your father'" (Bukhari and Muslim)"
“Heaven lies at the feet of a
mother" is an oft-quoted saying of the Prophet
which is expressive of the exalted status that Islam grants to mothers.
Moreover, the mother has tremendous influence on a society, for she moulds the
character of its future generations. Nations are raised on laps of mothers. Islam sees a woman, whether single or married, as an individual in
her own right. Islam recognizes the position of women to be equal to that of
men, both from a material as well as spiritual point of view. No religion of
the world accords as high a status to women as Islam.
Women as Leaders
Dr Zahid Aziz says: “Women in early Islam corrected men in
matters of religion: It is recorded in Bukhari that, on his death bed, Umar
asserted that the Holy Prophet had said that the "weeping and wailing of
the relatives of a deceased person increases the punishment of that person in
the after-life". Aishah, on being informed of this, said that Umar was
wrong, and that the Holy Prophet had not said this because it contradicts the
teaching of the Quran that a person cannot be punished for what others do.”
“Umar forbade the people from paying excessive dowries and
addressed them, saying: `Don't fix dowries for women over 40 ounces. If ever
that is exceeded I shall deposit the excess amount in the public treasury.' As
he came down from the minbar (platform), a flat-nosed lady stood up from among
the women audience and said: 'It is not within your right.' Umar
asked: `Why should this not be of my right?' She replied, `Because Allah has
proclaimed, "Even if you had given one of them
(wives) a whole treasure for dower, take not the least bit back. Would you take
it by false claim and manifest sin?’ (Qur'an 4:20)
When he heard this, Umar said: `The woman is right, and the man (Umar) is wrong. It seems that the
women have deeper wisdom and insight than Umar.' Then he returned to the
minbar and said, `O people! I had restricted the giving of more than four
hundred dirhams in dower. Whosoever of you wishes to give in dower as much as
he likes and finds satisfaction in so doing, may do so.'” [source]
During the life of the Prophet and early Kaliphate women's
views were listened to, respected, and usually supported, by the Prophet.
According to Ibn Hanbal, founder of one of four sunni schools of law, at least
one woman, Umm Waraqah was appointed as the Imam of her household by the
Prophet. Women contributed significantly to the redaction of the Qur’an and
were instructed with vital secrets affecting the Muslim community. Women were first to learn of the revelation. Upon the Prophet’s
death, women of the community were consulted as to who should succeed him. Women were also involved in transmittal of Hadiths. Ibn Sa’d,
famous early biographer records 700 cases of women who performed this important
function. Women were known to give sanctuary to men. Records demonstrate
woman’s important and respected roles in Muslim life. In regards to public
matters, women owned and disposed of property and engaged in commercial
transactions, women were encouraged to seek knowledge, and women were both
instructors and pupils in the early Islamic period.
Women have the right to vote
“It is recorded in the history of Islam that men and women,
equally, would take bayat (agreement) with the Prophet, voting and choosing him
as political leader. The Qur’an refers to woman who, independently of their
male kin, pledged an oath of allegiance to the Prophet (60:12). Distinguished
women converted to Islam before men did, belying traditional patriarchal view
that women were incapable of independent action. The Caliph Umar
appointed women to serve as officials in the markets of Medina and Hanbali
Jurisprudence upholds that qualifications of women to serve as judges. Women
behaved autonomously in early Islam. Many women took initiatives, sometimes to
directly counter patriarchal authority.” [Encyclopedia of Islam]
Right to be educated
In regards to religious education, women always
played a role in the transmission of religious knowledge. The role of Aishah
as transmitter of Hadith was so important that the Prophet is to have told the
Muslims that they would receive half their religion from a woman.
In the time of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), sometimes when
the Prophet was teaching, the women felt discouraged since the men overpowered
the discussions or took up more of his time, and so he agreed to set time apart
for them to teach them.
Narrated
Abu Said: A woman came to Allah's Apostle and said, "O Allah's Apostle!
Men (only) benefit by your teachings, so please devote to us from (some of)
your time, a day on which we may come to you so that you may teach us of what
Allah has taught you." Allah's Apostle said, "Gather on such-and-such
a day at such-and-such a place." They gathered and Allah's Apostle came to
them and taught them of what Allah had taught him. (Bukhari Volume 9, Book 92,
Number 413)
Narrated
Abu Said Al-Khudri: Some women requested the Prophet
to fix a day for them as the men were taking all his time. On that he promised
them one day for religious lessons and commandments. (Bukhari
Volume 1, Book 3, Number 101)
Dr Zahid Aziz says: “The Prophet’s wives acted as teachers
of religious knowledge to the Muslims, large numbers of men came to them with
questions on various matters. It is estimated that about two-thirds of the
Hadith (sayings of the Prophet) reports relating to matters of the Shariah have
been related by Aishah, wife of the Prophet.” Women were educated by men, and
women taught men too, not only the wives of the Prophet but many others later
were teachers of men.
Summary
In summary, Islam secured the rights of women 1400 years ago
that women were just obtaining in the 20th century. Women in Islam have the
right and duty to obtain education, the right to have their own and dispose of
property, the right to work to earn money if they need it or want it. They have
equality of reward for equal deeds. They have the right to express their
opinion and be heard, the right to provisions from the husband for all her
needs and more, the right to negotiate marriage terms of her choice, the right
to obtain divorce from her husband, the right to keep all her own money, right
to custody of their children after divorce, right to vote, etc. [Women were given rights to Vote less than a 100 years ago in the
(US), while the Qur’an gave women voting rights almost 1,400 years ago.] Islam is the
fastest growing religion in the world, and even more ironic (to the western
thinker) to discover that the majority of converts to Islam are women.
Unfortunately, Muslims of today have confounded cultural
practices with religion, and thus wherever poor treatment of women is to be
found in the Muslim world today, it should be known that it has absolutely
nothing to do with Islam, but with Muslims.
See:
Position of Women by Dr. Zahid Aziz
Verses
in the Qur’an about women – often taken out of context
[2:222-223, 282, 4:3,
WOMEN IN
ISLAM VERSUS WOMEN IN THE JUDAEO-CHRISTIAN TRADITION: THE MYTH & THE
REALITY By Dr. Sherif
Abdel Azeem