WOMEN IN ISLAM
The first person to embrace Islam was a woman; Khadija (ra).
The greatest scholar of Islam was a woman; Aisha (ra).
The person who loved the Prophet (saw) the most was a woman; Fatima (ra)
Despite misconceptions, the status of women in Islam is that of a beloved equal. In the midst of a deeply sexist historical context, the Prophet (saw) preached boldly on the importance of women; celebrating their unique contributions to family and society, condemning the ill-treatment of women and campaigning for their rights.
Many of the negative stereotypes around women in Islam arise not from Islamic guidance but from cultural practices, which not only denigrate the rights and experiences of women, but also stand in direct opposition to the teachings of Allah (swt) and His Prophet (saw).
Far from the stereotype of the voiceless and veiled Muslim woman, Shaykh Ibn Baaz argues, “There is no doubt that Islam came to honour to the woman, guard her, protect her from the wolves of mankind, secure her rights and raise her status.”
With all the confusion between history, culture and religion, it’s important to ask ourselves the question; what do the Qur’an and the Ahadith actually teach us about the status of women in Islam?
What Islam teaches us about gender equality
The Qur’an teaches us that Adam and Eve were created from the same soul; both equally guilty, equally responsible and equally valued. As Muslims, we believe that all human beings are born in a pure state – men and women – and that we must strive to preserve this purity through faith, as well as good intentions and deeds.
The theme of equality runs through other Islamic teachings, too. An important verse in the Qur’an reads, “The men believers and the women believers are responsible for each other. They enjoin the good and forbid the evil, they observe prayers and give charitable alms and obey God and his Prophet.” (Qur’an, 9:71).
This verse shows us that men and women have equal responsibilities for observing Islamic teachings; another Quranic verse lays out the status of women and men as equals, stating, “To whoever, male or female, does good deeds and has faith, we shall give a good life and reward them according to the best of their actions.”(16:97)
Today, Islamic legal and social systems around the world approach and fall short of women's rights by varying degrees. Muslims themselves generally view Islam as progressive in these matters. Many Muslim feminists hold the view that the problems presently hindering Muslim women are those that hinder women of all backgrounds worldwide- oppressive cultural practices, poverty, illiteracy, political repression and patriarchy. There is a strong, healthy critique of gender oppression among Muslim feminist authors and activists worldwide.
It would be anachronistic to claim that Muhammad was a feminist in our modern sense. Yet the same present-day barriers to women's equality prevailed in 7th century Arabia, and he opposed them. Because in his own lifetime Muhammad improved women's position in society, many modern Muslims continue to value his example, which they cite when pressing for women's rights.
In the twentieth century, the combined spread of literacy; the availability and promotion of public education for both girls and boys; expansion of job opportunities for women; and the rising number of conversions to Islam from other religious traditions, particularly in the West, have added to the desire of Muslim women for greater empowerment in the practice and interpretation of their faith. As in other areas of life, Muslim women have proven to be resourceful, creative, and dedicated to claiming ownership of and responsibility for their faith lives, both individually and communally. This is in spite of the challenges they have often faced in gaining access to the appropriate religious training facilities and establishing credibility with the male religious establishment, particularly conservatives. Today, Muslim women are active in Qur'an study circles, mosque-based activities, community services sponsored by religious organizations, and Islamic education, as both students and teachers. There are a rising number of female Qur'an reciters, Islamic lawyers, and professors of Islamic studies throughout the world. Women are increasingly present in highly visible positions of religious prominence, although, to date, few have significant positions in the religious establishment and none have achieved the highest positions, such as grand mufti or ayatollah.
Reciting, Teaching, and Interpreting the Qur'an
Contemporary Muslim women's venture into Qur'an interpretation, both in the Muslim world and in the West, dates to the turn of the twentieth century. In 1909, Egyptian activist Malak Hifni al-Nasif, writing under the pen name Bahithat al-Badiya (or Explorer of the Desert) proposed a 10-point program for change that included as its first demand the teaching of the Qur'an and Sunnah to girls, primary and secondary education, and adherence to the shariah in betrothal and marriage. Nasif later requested mosque space for women to permit them to attend public prayer services. In 1937/1938, the Muslim Ladies' Association was formed by Zaynab al-Ghazali to carry out social welfare activities. However, it quickly expanded to train women to perform da'wah (religious exhortation), as well as to teach religious principles to other women. Training sessions were established to provide women with knowledge of exegesis on the Qur'an and hadith. At the same time, the prohibition against women delivering the Friday khutbah (sermon) or serving as imams was not challenged. Al-Ghazali was one of the first contemporary women to publish commentaries on the Qur'an and hadith and remains one of the most respected women interpreters; she died in 2005.
Similarly, in Indonesia, women have been encouraged to study the Qur'an since the turn of the twentieth century. The foundation of 'Aisyiyah in Indonesia in 1917 as the largest national organization for Muslim women combined the study of the Qur'an with programs to improve women's economic conditions and assert their basic human rights. A similar organization, Muslimat Nahdlatul Ulama, was founded in 1946 to improve the condition of women by focusing on legal issues and calling for the reinterpretation of texts that were used to justify a lesser status for women. Today, Indonesia is home to thousands of institutions, including pesantren (Islamic boarding schools), where women can specialize in Islamic studies. The products of these schools include expert Qur'an reciters, like Hajjah Maria 'Ulfah, the first woman to win the International Competition in Qur'anic Recitation in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (1980), as well as female imams, intellectuals, and activists with expertise in Islamic studies and Islamic law and interpretation (shariah and fiqh). Interpretation and the reinterpretation of Qur'anic texts is a critical aspect of social activism because of the powerful role religion plays in Indonesian society. Many pesantren are run and staffed by women for women to assure that Islamic learning, particularly strong knowledge of the Qur'anic texts, is passed on to the next generation, to enable women to engage male interpreters from a position of equal knowledge.
Major steps in asserting women's voices into Qur'an interpretation have been taken by scholars based in the West and this has expanded throughout the Muslim world. For example, the African-American scholar Amina Wadud was one of the first to publish a deliberately female-inclusive exegetical work that asserted female equality with men at the time of creation and in terms of religious obligations, as a framework for challenging gender roles as the product of culture, rather than religion.
This work provided substantial scriptural support for already extant social activism in Malaysia in conjunction with Sisters in Islam, a group of professional Muslim women founded in 1988 and registered as an NGO in 1993 to promote awareness of the principles of dignity, equality, justice, and freedom that they believe are inherent in Islam and to create a society that upholds these principles within a democratic state, particularly through more humane treatment and protection of women. Sisters in Islam carefully constructs its arguments on the basis of the Qur'anic text, highlighting the Qur'an's emphasis on equality and fair treatment for all people. Thus, if the interpretation is not in keeping with the Qur'anic principles, the interpretation, rather than the text, is deemed to be flawed, suggesting the need for reinterpretation. Sisters in Islam has particularly challenged interpretations that endorse the oppression of and violence toward women and interpretations that deny women the basic right to human dignity and equality-because these interpretations violate Qur'anic principles. Sisters in Islam is adamant that the inferior and subordinate status of women to men is not part of the Qur'anic revelation, but is the result of men having had exclusive control over the interpretation of the Qur'anic text.
Subsequent works by other scholars have either built upon Wadud's text or challenged its interpretations, all through the re-examination of the original Arabic text. Pakistani-American Asma Barlas focused on removing patriarchy from interpretational mechanisms in favor of egalitarianism, while Iranian-American scholar Laleh Bakhtiar became the first woman to publish an English translation of the Qur'an in 2007. Syrian-American Nimat Hafez Barazangi has asserted the importance of women, remembering that they are individuals, as well as members of a community, in order to shift the discourse from consideration of women's roles as simply complementary to that of men, to consideration of women as individuals who are to be judged on the basis of their piety (taqwa). This interpretation asserts that the only difference God recognizes between human beings is in the level of taqwa, rather than gender, tribe, or birth (Qur'an 49:13).
Protecting women’s rights
In 610 CE, the Prophet Muhammad (saw) was living in historical context rooted in sexism. From Europe to the Arabic world, women were not treated as equal to men. Islam itself was born in the Arabian Peninsula, now Saudi Arabia, where women did not have businesses, own property or inherit money. What’s more, forced marriage was common, education for girls was rare, and female babies were often abandoned or buried alive
The Prophet (saw), and his businesswoman wife, Khadija (ra), stood against many of these unjust practices, advocating for men to treat women and girls with the utmost respect. According to the laws of Islam, all life is considered sacred, and men and women have the right to choose whom to marry and should never be forced.
Under Islamic laws, women also have the right to sell and buy properties, run businesses, demand her dowry at any point during her marriage, vote and take an active part in all aspects of politics and society. It is notable that many Islamic countries, such as Turkey and Pakistan, have had female Presidents.
The Prophet (saw) also promoted equal access to education, teaching us that, “The pursuit of knowledge is a duty of every Muslim, man and woman.” [Ibn Maja] The Beloved’s (saw) own daughter, Fatima (ra), was highly educated and respected. It is documented that whenever Fatima (ra) entered a room, the Prophet (saw) would stand up, and give his seat to her.
Rights of Women in Islam
1. The proper OF INDEPENDENT OWNERSHIP
This involves the proper to manage for a lady to have money and property independently. She is at liberty to shop for , sell, mortgage, lease, borrow or lend and sign contracts and legal documents. Also, she will donate her money, act as a trustee and found out a business or company. This right can't be altered whether a lady is married or single. When she is married she enjoys a blank check over the dower while she is married or divorced. This independent economic position is predicated on Quranic principles, especially the teaching of Zakat, which inspires women to have , invest, save and distribute their earnings and savings consistent with their discretion. It acknowledges and enforces the proper of girls to participate in various economic activities.
2. The proper TO MARRY BY CHOICE
Islam regards marriage as a union between two consenting adults which aims to perpetuate human life and achieve spiritual and emotional harmony. Islam attaches great importance to the well being of a wedding .
Islam is against the thought of girls being forced to marry against their wishes. On the contrary it encourages women to settle on their spouses. consistent with the prophet, ‘A widow or divorcee isn't to be married unless her consent is sought.’
3. The proper TO DIVORCE
As a lady has the proper to possess a say on the problems of her marriage, she equally features a right to initiate divorce if the partnership proves to be unsuccessful. If the wedding contract states that she has the proper of divorce she will attain one instantaneously otherwise she would need to resort to the court to dissolve the marriage . Overall, Quranic legislation requires a while for reflection and insists on the type treatment of the lady . If the divorce takes place the husband has got to pay back the deferred dowry and an inexpensive amount of cash for maintenance. He has got to support her throughout the idda period (three months and ten days) to work out if she is pregnant. If so he's legally obliged to support her until she delivers and nurses the baby to a particular age.
4. The proper TO EDUCATION
Both Quran and Sunnah advocate the rights of girls and men to achieve knowledge equally. The Quran commands all Muslims to exert effort within the pursuit of data regardless of their sex. It constantly encourages Muslims to read, think, contemplate and learn from the signs of Allah in nature. ‘Are the wise and ignorant equal? Truly none will heed but men of understanding” “Allah will raise to high rank people who have faith and knowledge among you. he's cognizant of all of your actions.” Say: Lord, increase me in knowledge. The prophet also said ‘If a daughter is born to an individual and he brings her up, gives her good education and trains her within the arts of life, I shall myself stand between him and hell fire’
5. The proper to stay HER OWN IDENTITY
A woman in Islam has always been entitled by law to stay her surname and not take her husbands name. Therefore, she is understood by her surname as a sign of her individuality and her own identity. In Islam there's no process of adjusting the names of girls be they married, divorced or widowed.
6. The proper TO INHERITANCE
The Quran has allotted a share for the lady within the inheritance of her parents and kinsmen. Her share is guaranteed by law and it's completely hers. nobody can have a claim thereon . The Quran says ‘Men shall have a share in what their parents and kinsmen leave; whether it's little or much, it's legally theirs’. (An-Nisa 4:7)
7. The proper OF ELECTION AND NOMINATION TO POLITICAL OFFICES AND PARTIPICATION publicly AFFAIRS
Islam encourages women to move politically and to be involved in decision-making. actually Islam is that the only religion which acknowledges a political role of girls . In early Islam women got every opportunity to precise themselves, to argue, and to talk their mind publicly . They led delegations, mediated and granted refuge and protection. Their judgments on political matters were highly valued and revered and that they exercised great influence in shaping their own societies. Umme Salama and Aisha as an example played an important role in compiling the traditions of the Prophet, which are considered one among the most sources of Islamic Jurisprudence.
8. RIGHT to travel TO THE MOSQUE.
“If someone’s wife asks his permission to travel the mosque, he shouldn't deny it to her” Women have the proper to travel to the mosque. they ought to be dressed consistent with the Muslim women’s dress requirements for respect.
9. The proper to figure OPPORTUNITIES
Islam doesn't forbid women to figure and have employment outside the house as long because the external work doesn't interfere together with her home obligations and lower her dignity. On the contrary Islam granted women the proper to carry employment and involve her actively in trade and commerce. During the first Islamic period, women often helped men in their outdoor work and were allowed to maneuver about freely with men. The Prophet himself encouraged his wives and daughters to interact in gainful work. He said ‘the most blessed earning is that which an individual gains from his own labor. Hazrat Khatijah’s astuteness and business acumen made hers the foremost widespread among the Quraish.
Conclusions
Human beings in Islam have the highest rank and are the highest physical creations of God. They have both material and spiritual characteristics. The creation of human beings in Islam is from an original couple by God: Adam and Eve. Islam does not accept the theory of evolution that human beings were created as apes. Apes were created apes and they are still apes. Human beings have two dimensions in Islam; one dimension is the highest one - the soul of God and the other is the lowest one and is mud. Human beings were created free and can decide and act in such a way to stay anywhere within their dimension, between the highest and lowest levels. In general, we can conclude that all men are not equal but they are brothers. Equality and brotherhood are different connotations. Equality is only a civil