Women In Islam - The Muslim world is a vast and varied cultural landscape; the realities of women in Malaysia, for example, are not the same as the realities of women in Saudi Arabia, Bosnia, or Senegal. So to investigate the status of women in Islam, one must start with a look at the realities of Muslim women from a theological perspective.
Gender equality is an intrinsic part of Islamic belief. The Quran says God has "prepared a forgiveness and a great reward" for "the submitting men and women, the believing men and women, the pious men and women, the truthful men and women, the patient men and women, the humble men and women, the charitable men and women, the fasting men and women, the men and women who guard their chastity, the men and women who remember God frequently" (Quran 33:35).
The Quran places equal responsibility on men and women for all religious obligations. Women are equally obliged to pray, to fast, to give charity out of their wealth, to perform the pilgrimage, and so forth.
Islamic theology emphasizes social justice, and this includes justice in domestic affairs. The Quran gave women marriage, divorce, and inheritance rights centuries before women in the West were granted such rights. The Quran says, "Men shall have a share in what parents and kinsfolk leave behind, and women shall have a share in what parents and kinsfolk leave behind, whether it be little or much—a share ordained by God" (Quran 4:7). Although females inherit half of what males do, they are not required to pay out of their wealth for the support of their dependents; males are. The Quran enjoins men to be caring and kind with women, and one chapter even begins by saying, "God has indeed heard the words of her who pleads with thee concerning her husband and complains unto God" (58:1). This verse illustrates that justice between men and women—especially in the domestic context—is a matter of importance to God.
Other rights given to women included abolishing the pre-Islamic habit of female infanticide and emphasizing the respect due to the mother and, by association, to all women. A man once came to the Prophet Muhammad and said, "Messenger of God, I desire to go on a military expedition and I have come to consult you." The Prophet asked the man if he had a mother, and when he replied that he did, the Prophet said, "Stay with her, then, for Paradise is at her feet [meaning is found in serving her]."
The Prophet Muhammad implemented the rights of women, as laid out in the Quran, and worked to level the imbalance between men and women in his society by providing a living, working example: he himself and his own household. Karen Armstrong notes how companionable Muhammad was with his wives, how they stood up to him and answered him back. "Muhammad scrupulously helped with the chores, mended his own clothes and sought out the companionship of his wives." He would consult with them, seek their advice on matters pertaining to the community, and take their words seriously. In his last sermon, Muhammad highlighted the mutual rights due to each between men and women: "O men, it is true that you have certain rights with regard to your women, but they also have right over you. 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."
As one wades through the Quran and sunnah, it becomes clear that there are certain inalienable rights due to women in Islam, and certain women have drawn from these rights to become exemplars and role models for others. Of the host of female saints and scholars, mothers and warriors, businesswomen and performers who parade through Islamic history, the women who stand out in striking detail are the wives of the Prophet. As Muhammad is the exemplar for all Muslims, his wives are also role models for Muslim women.
Khadijah, Muhammad's first wife, was a wealthy, successful, single businesswoman when she commissioned Muhammad to oversee a caravan of goods to Syria in about 605 CE. Upon his return, she offered him her hand in marriage. She was forty and he twenty-five. Muhammad's marriage to Khadijah is considered a turning point in his life, and her support was crucial to the early days of his prophethood. "As is explicitly stated, she supported and encouraged him, fostering his confidence in himself and his mission." They were happily married for twenty-five years before Khadijah's death. Muhammad was devastated, but his life was soon to be filled with other influential women.
Aisha was his youngest wife, known to have been strong-willed and feisty as well as observant and intelligent. Because of her quick mind, her years of intimacy the Prophet, and the fact that she lived for several decades after his death, many of the hadith are attributed to her. When the Prophet knew that his life was coming to an end, it was to Aisha's room that he retreated. There she nursed him for the few days of his illness, and his grave was made in the floor of her chamber. After the Prophet's death, Aisha was active in the political life of the time. She was once among about a thousand men on a mission against the assassination of the third caliph Uthman, and later one of the three leaders in opposition to Ali. Later in her life, she was noted for her piety as well as for her knowledge of poetry, Arab history and other subjects, and her eloquence.
In surveying the women who have been prominent in the history of the Islamic world, it becomes increasingly clear that there is a strong prototype for Muslim women and that women's rights are alive in the very theology of Islam. But, as in most countries the world over, the reality for women does not match the ideals we all know are right and just. As American women are fighting for equal pay for equal work, for reproductive rights and affordable childcare, Muslim women are fighting for compulsory education (in Afghanistan), the right to drive (in Saudi Arabia), and the right to cover their hair (in France and in Turkey). As American women are knocking through glass ceilings to acquire the rights due to them in the Constitution, Muslim women are doing the same to gain full access to their rights as laid out in the Quran and sunnah.
Many of the limits placed on women in Muslim societies are due to custom, and these practices continue because people have a hard time changing their customs. In terms of realizing social rights, the Muslim world is following a similar trajectory as in the West, and changing a society's notions of what is acceptable in gender roles takes generational change. Just as in America roles have changed dramatically, especially in the last hundred years as America has implemented the Abrahamic ethic to a greater degree, it is reasonable to expect that Muslim societies implementing the justice called for in Islamic theology will undergo parallel transformations.
This is why granting political rights is the most effective way to redress legitimate women's grievances. For as a nation becomes increasingly democratized, the ballot box becomes the means by which each constituent group in society attains its objectives.
Gender equality is an intrinsic part of Islamic belief. The Quran says God has "prepared a forgiveness and a great reward" for "the submitting men and women, the believing men and women, the pious men and women, the truthful men and women, the patient men and women, the humble men and women, the charitable men and women, the fasting men and women, the men and women who guard their chastity, the men and women who remember God frequently" (Quran 33:35).
The Quran places equal responsibility on men and women for all religious obligations. Women are equally obliged to pray, to fast, to give charity out of their wealth, to perform the pilgrimage, and so forth.
Islamic theology emphasizes social justice, and this includes justice in domestic affairs. The Quran gave women marriage, divorce, and inheritance rights centuries before women in the West were granted such rights. The Quran says, "Men shall have a share in what parents and kinsfolk leave behind, and women shall have a share in what parents and kinsfolk leave behind, whether it be little or much—a share ordained by God" (Quran 4:7). Although females inherit half of what males do, they are not required to pay out of their wealth for the support of their dependents; males are. The Quran enjoins men to be caring and kind with women, and one chapter even begins by saying, "God has indeed heard the words of her who pleads with thee concerning her husband and complains unto God" (58:1). This verse illustrates that justice between men and women—especially in the domestic context—is a matter of importance to God.
Other rights given to women included abolishing the pre-Islamic habit of female infanticide and emphasizing the respect due to the mother and, by association, to all women. A man once came to the Prophet Muhammad and said, "Messenger of God, I desire to go on a military expedition and I have come to consult you." The Prophet asked the man if he had a mother, and when he replied that he did, the Prophet said, "Stay with her, then, for Paradise is at her feet [meaning is found in serving her]."
The Prophet Muhammad implemented the rights of women, as laid out in the Quran, and worked to level the imbalance between men and women in his society by providing a living, working example: he himself and his own household. Karen Armstrong notes how companionable Muhammad was with his wives, how they stood up to him and answered him back. "Muhammad scrupulously helped with the chores, mended his own clothes and sought out the companionship of his wives." He would consult with them, seek their advice on matters pertaining to the community, and take their words seriously. In his last sermon, Muhammad highlighted the mutual rights due to each between men and women: "O men, it is true that you have certain rights with regard to your women, but they also have right over you. 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."
As one wades through the Quran and sunnah, it becomes clear that there are certain inalienable rights due to women in Islam, and certain women have drawn from these rights to become exemplars and role models for others. Of the host of female saints and scholars, mothers and warriors, businesswomen and performers who parade through Islamic history, the women who stand out in striking detail are the wives of the Prophet. As Muhammad is the exemplar for all Muslims, his wives are also role models for Muslim women.
Khadijah, Muhammad's first wife, was a wealthy, successful, single businesswoman when she commissioned Muhammad to oversee a caravan of goods to Syria in about 605 CE. Upon his return, she offered him her hand in marriage. She was forty and he twenty-five. Muhammad's marriage to Khadijah is considered a turning point in his life, and her support was crucial to the early days of his prophethood. "As is explicitly stated, she supported and encouraged him, fostering his confidence in himself and his mission." They were happily married for twenty-five years before Khadijah's death. Muhammad was devastated, but his life was soon to be filled with other influential women.
Aisha was his youngest wife, known to have been strong-willed and feisty as well as observant and intelligent. Because of her quick mind, her years of intimacy the Prophet, and the fact that she lived for several decades after his death, many of the hadith are attributed to her. When the Prophet knew that his life was coming to an end, it was to Aisha's room that he retreated. There she nursed him for the few days of his illness, and his grave was made in the floor of her chamber. After the Prophet's death, Aisha was active in the political life of the time. She was once among about a thousand men on a mission against the assassination of the third caliph Uthman, and later one of the three leaders in opposition to Ali. Later in her life, she was noted for her piety as well as for her knowledge of poetry, Arab history and other subjects, and her eloquence.
In surveying the women who have been prominent in the history of the Islamic world, it becomes increasingly clear that there is a strong prototype for Muslim women and that women's rights are alive in the very theology of Islam. But, as in most countries the world over, the reality for women does not match the ideals we all know are right and just. As American women are fighting for equal pay for equal work, for reproductive rights and affordable childcare, Muslim women are fighting for compulsory education (in Afghanistan), the right to drive (in Saudi Arabia), and the right to cover their hair (in France and in Turkey). As American women are knocking through glass ceilings to acquire the rights due to them in the Constitution, Muslim women are doing the same to gain full access to their rights as laid out in the Quran and sunnah.
Many of the limits placed on women in Muslim societies are due to custom, and these practices continue because people have a hard time changing their customs. In terms of realizing social rights, the Muslim world is following a similar trajectory as in the West, and changing a society's notions of what is acceptable in gender roles takes generational change. Just as in America roles have changed dramatically, especially in the last hundred years as America has implemented the Abrahamic ethic to a greater degree, it is reasonable to expect that Muslim societies implementing the justice called for in Islamic theology will undergo parallel transformations.
This is why granting political rights is the most effective way to redress legitimate women's grievances. For as a nation becomes increasingly democratized, the ballot box becomes the means by which each constituent group in society attains its objectives.
Women In Islam
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