The Truth About Women’s Rights In Islam
We have all heard the same stereotypical accusations leveled against Muslim women…..- Women in Islam are oppressed and degraded- Muslim women are enslaved and submissive to their male guardians- Women in Islam are second class citizens who are denied rights to employment and education. – Her husband/father forces her to wear the hijab/niqab – She has limited or no freedom of choice – Her opinions and feedback are never valued – She has no place in a male dominated society And the list goes on…. This distorted perception of women in Islam stems not only from ignorance, but from biased media propaganda against Islam which has been perpetuated and fed into the minds of people for many many years. Does this negative portrayal about women in Islam hold any truth? Let’s find out….
Firstly, Islam came to give back women their honor, rights, dignity and freedom. Not only were they given rights that women in 21st century Western countries have only recently benefited from, but they also embody the true meaning of liberation. Women in Islam are honored by God and find their worth with God, not people. They do not need to give in to any societal pressure to feel validated by a community working to slowly dictate her “freedom” “worth” and “rights” according their own subjective standards.Allah created both men and women in their own unique way. Allah says in the Quran : “And the male is not like the female.” [Al-Imran 3:36]They are both structured differently physically, biologically, emotionally and psychologically, thus each have his/her own distinct capacities, roles functions and responsibilities. “Does not the One who created, know? And He is the Most Kind, the All Aware.” Qur’an 67:14
These differences don’t imply that one is inferior or superior to the other, rather, both have equal rights as a general principle, but specific responsibilities and rights which are given to each are not the same. They are both uniquely different and it would be unwise to treat male and females the same and ignore all the mentioned elements that make them different. No doubt, Islam gives justice to both, recognizes their differences and puts it into consideration. “…Women have rights similar to those of men equitably, although men have a degree (of responsibility) above them. And Allah is Almighty, All-Wise.” Qur’an 2:228Let’s take a glimpse of how women are honored in Islam:
WOMEN VALUED & HONORED IN ISLAM a) They are to be protected in society A thing to be protected infers great value. Allah says men are the protectors of women.Whether it’s her husband, father, brother in family or faith, everyone plays his role. Fathers are to care for their daughters, husband their wives, and Muslim men are to protect and care for their sisters in Islam. Anyone who mistreats their women has committed a sin. This is because women are precious and highly valued and respected in Islam.Allah says in the Quran: ” Men are the protectors and maintainers of women, because Allah has made one of them to excel the other, and because they spend (to support them) from their means…..” (An-Nisa’ 4:34)
b) Women should be treated the best Allah and His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) gave importance of taking good care of women. Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “The best of you are those who are best (in treatment) to their women….” (Sunan al-Tirmidhī 1162). And certainly Muhammad our Prophet (peace be upon him) was the best to his women.
c) Wives to be loved, respected and cared for In marriage, Allah gave a higher authority to the husband over his wife, however, this does not give a man leverage whatsoever to do injustice. He is to fear Allah in dealing with his wife. A husband is to love her, respect her, honor her, take care of her needs financially, physically and emotionally. A husband and wife should work together. Allah created both male and female so that they may live in harmony and tranquility with one another. The husband has a greater responsibility as man to be a leader and provider. He also has to love, care for and provide not just for all his wife’s needs, but all the household needs as well. A woman too provides comfort, support, warmth and love to her husband. These differences in responsibilities encourage cooperation rather than create competition (as we see in our present time and age) . By each fulfilling his/her mutual responsibilities, strong families are created and hence we end up with strong societies.
d) The honor that comes with wearing hijabIslam didn’t come to limit women’s freedom, but rather protect her and give her value and respect. The most liberating feeling is submitting to the will of Allah. Wearing hijab doesn’t oppress but rather empower women. Hijab is a symbol of obedience to the Most High, it’s a voice of modesty and true worth. It frees women from the shackles of these unrealistic standards of beauty so that she is judged for who she truly is and is looked beyond the physical.Both men and women are to dress modestly and interact with each other by degree of the minds rather than bodies. Islam is against being exploitative of women and unfortunately that’s what we see today when women can get more attention and can sell products through ads by dressing less. Muslim women are not subjugated to a society that expects them to behave or dress in a certain way or comply to the unrealistic standard of beauty. Rather, women in Islam are liberated from such shackles of society and respected for who they truly are and not for what society makes of them.
e) Mothers have higher status and are the backbones of society Why, because the success of society is the result of mothers. Mothers have a major influence on their children and play a great role in their child’s upbringing through her love, affection and knowledge. A man asked the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, “Who is most deserving of my good company?” The Prophet said, “Your mother.” The man asked, “Then who?” The Prophet said “Your mother.” The man asked again, “Then who?” The Prophet said, “Your mother.” The man asked again, “Then who?” The Prophet said, “Your father. [Al-Bukhārī 5626, Muslim 2548]. That’s why Islam has placed such great value, status and honor in a woman.
2. RIGHTS OF WOMEN
a) Access to knowledge and education Both men and women have equal rights to seek knowledge. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “Seeking knowledge is an obligation upon every Muslim.” [Sunan Ibn Mājah 224]Women in Islam are not discouraged nor deprived from education, but rather encouraged to seek it. During the time of the Prophet (peace be upon him), great female Muslim scholars existed and from the most eminent amongst them was Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) the wife of the Prophet (peace be upon him) whose knowledge surpassed many of the male companions of the Prophet (peace be upon him).
b) Rights to Property, Wealth and inheritance Women in Islam are given their rights to equal pay for equal work, rights to their own income, property, real estate (to buy, sell, rent….her properties) and right to inherit.{…For men is a share of what they have earned, and for women is a share of what they have earned…} (4:32)A woman’s property and income is exclusively her own and her husband has no right over it and she is not obliged to pay any house expenses unless she chooses to out of goodwill and she will be rewarded for it by Allah. In contrast, women in the West are still fighting for equal pay and only recently was the matter of inheritance a win for western women. Whereas in Islam, a women always had her right to inheritance. Women were given their rights in Islam more than 1400 years ago. c) Right to choose potential spouseUnlike what we hear and see in many cultures, Islam gives women their rights to agree to whoever she wants to marry and not be forced into marriage against her will. Such cultural practices not only have nothing to do with Islam, but is completely prohibited in Islam and deems the marriage contract invalid until the sister consents to it. In addition, women in Islam are to keep their original family name once married rather than take her husband’s last name. In conclusion, Islam honors women. Women are regarded as precious and valuable and never to be disgraced, dishonored or disrespected. The mistreatment of women in some Islamic countries or within Muslim families is because of ignorance and due to cultural factors which they wrongly follow. But in no way, shape or form does it have to do with the teachings of Islam. Many women around the world willingly embrace Islam, and no doubt if Islam was oppressive towards women, they would have never entered it.Men and women both have their status and value before Allah in Islam. Both have their responsibilities first to Allah, then to one another. And both are highly rewarded for everything they do. Women are especially emphasized not because they are weak in the sense that they can’t do what a man does or they are less intelligent, but by nature their nature is different, not as firm as a man in many ways. This is how Allah created us. And it’s perfect.
