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The Status of Woman in Islam
from "Islam in focus" By Hammuda Abdul-Ati, PH.D.
The status of woman in Islam constitutes no problem. The
attitude of the Qur'an and the early Muslims bear witness to
the fact that woman is, at least, as vital to life as man
himself, and that she is not inferior to him nor is she one
of the lower species. Had it not been for the impact of
foreign cultures and alien influences, this question would
have never arisen among the Muslims. The status of woman was
taken for granted to be equal to that of man. It was a
matter of course, a matter of fact, and no one, then,
considered it as a problem at all.
In order to understand what Islam has established for
woman, there is no need to deplore her plight in the
pre-Islamic era or in the modern would of today. Islam has
given woman rights and privileges which she has never
enjoyed under other religious or constitutional systems.
This can be understood when the matter is studied as a whole
in a comparative manner, rather than partially. The rights
and responsibilities of a woman are equal to those of a man
but they are not necessarily identical with them. Equality
and sameness are two quite different things. This difference
is understandable because man and woman are not identical
but they are created equals. With this distinction in mind,
There is no problem. It is almost impossible to find even
two identical men or women.
This distinction between equality and sameness is of
paramount importance. Equality is desirable, just, fair; but
sameness is not. People are not created identical but they
are created equals. With this distinction in mind, there is
no room to imagine that woman is inferior to man. There is
no ground to assume that she is less important than he just
because her rights are not identically the same as his. Had
her status been identical with his, she would have been
simply a duplicate of him, which she is not. The fact that
Islam gives her equal rights - but not identical - shows
that it takes her into due consideration, acknowledges her,
and recognizes her independent personality.
It is not the tone of Islam that brands woman as the
product of the devil or the seed of evil. Nor does the
Qur'an place man as the dominant lord of woman who has no
choice but to surrender to his dominance. Nor was it Islam
that introduced the question of whether or not woman has any
soul in her. Never in the history of Islam has any Muslim
doubted the human status of woman or her possession of soul
and other fine spiritual qualities. Unlike other popular
beliefs, Islam does not blame Eve alone for the First Sin.
The Qur'an makes it very clear that both Adam and Eve were
tempted; that they both sinned; that God's pardon was
granted to both after their repentance; and that God
addressed them jointly. (2:35-36); 7:19, 27; 20:117-123). In
fact the Qur'an gives the impression that Adam was more to
blame for that First Sin from which emerged prejudice
against woman and suspicion of her deeds. But Islam does not
justify such prejudice or suspicion because both Adam and
Eve were equally in error, and if we are to blame Eve we
should blame Adam as much or even more.
The status of woman in Islam is something unique,
something novel, something that has no similarity in any
other system. If we look to the Eastern Communist world or
to the democratic nations, we find that woman is not really
in a happy position. Her status is not enviable. She has to
work so hard to live, and sometimes she may be doing the
same job that a man does but her wage is less than his. She
enjoys a kind of liberty which in some cases amounts to
libertinism. To get to where she is nowadays, woman
struggled hard for decades and centuries. To gain the right
of learning and the freedom of work and earning, she had to
offer painful sacrifices and give up many of her natural
rights. To establish her status as a human being possessing
a soul, she paid heavily. Yet in spite of all these costly
sacrificeqs and painful struggles, she has not acquired what
Islam has established by a Divine decree for the Muslim
woman.
The rights of woman of modern times were not granted
voluntarily or out of kindness to the female. Modern woman
reached her present position by force, and not through
natural processes or mutual consent or Divine teachings. She
had to force her way, and various circumstances came to her
aid. Shortage of manpower during wars, pressure of economic
needs and requirements of industrial developments forced
woman to get out of her home - to work, to learn, to
struggle for her livelihood, to appear as an equal to man,
to run her race in the course of life side by side with him.
She was forced by circumstances and in turn she forced
herself through and acquired her new status. Whether all
women were pleased with these circumstances being on their
side, and whether they are happy and satisfied with the
results of this course is a different matter. But the fact
remains that whatever rights modern woman enjoys fall short
of those of her Muslim counterpart. What Islam has
established for woman is that which suits her nature, gives
her full security and protects her against disgraceful
circum- stances and uncertain channels of life. We do not
need here to elaborate on the status of modern woman and the
risks she runs to make her living or establish herself. We
do not even need to explore the miseries and setbacks that
encircle her as a result of the so-called rights of woman.
Nor do we intend to manipulate the situation of many unhappy
homes which break because of the very "freedom" and "rights"
of which modern woman is proud. Most women today exercise
the right of freedom to go out independently, to work and
earn, to pretend to be equal to man, but this, sadly enough,
is at the expense of their families. This all known and
obvious. What is not known is the status of woman in Islam.
An attempt will be made in the following passages to sum up
the attitude of Islam with regard to woman.
- Woman is recognized by Islam as a full and equal
partner of man in the procreation of humankind. He is the
father; she is the mother, and both are essential for
life. Her role is not less vital than his. By this
partnership she has an equal share in every aspect; she
is entitled to equal rights; she undertakes equal
responsibilities, and in her there are as many qualities
and as much humanity as there are in her partner. To this
equal partner- ship in the reproduction of human kind God
says:
O mankind! Verily We have created your from a single
(pair) of a male and a female,m and made you into nations
and tribes that you may know each other... (Qur'an,
49:13; cf. 4:1).
- She is equal to man in bearing personal and common
responsibilities and in receiving rewards for her deeds.
She is acknowledged as an independent personality, in
possession of human qualities and worthy of spiritual
aspirations. Her human nature is neither inferior to nor
deviant from that of man. Both are members of one
another. God says:
And their Lord has accepted (their prayers) and
answered them (saying): 'Never will I cause to be lost
the work of any of you, be he male or female; you are
members, one of another... (3:195; cf
9:71;33:35-36;66:19-21).
- She is equal to man in the pursuit of education and
knowledge. When Islam enjoins the seeking of knowledge
upon Muslims, it makes no distinction between man and
woman. Almost fourteen centuries ago, Muhammad declared
that the pursuit of knowledge is incumbent on every
Muslim male and female. This declaration was very clear
and was implemented by Muslims throughout history.
- She is entitled to freedom of expression as much as
man is. Her sound opinions are taken into consideration
and cannot be disregarded just because she happen to
belong to the female sex. It is reported in the Qur'an
and history that woman not only expressed her opinion
freely but also argued and participated in serious
discussions with the Prophet himself as well as with
other Muslim leaders (Qur'an, 58:1-4; 60:10-12). Besides
there were occasions when Muslim women expressed their
views on legislative matters of public interest, and
stood in opposition to the Caliphs, who then accepted the
sound arguments of these women. A specific example took
place during the Califate of Umar Ibn al-Khattab.
- Historical records show that women participated in
public life with the early Muslims, especially in times
of emergencies. Women used to accompany the Muslim armies
engaged in battles to nurse the wounded, prepare
supplies, serve the warriors, and so on. They were not
shut behind iron bars or considered worthless creatures
and deprived of souls.
- Islam grants woman equal rights to contract, to
enterprise, to earn and possess independently. Her life,
her property, her honor are as sacred as those of man. If
she commits any offense, her penalty is no less or more
than of man's in a similar case. If she is wronged or
harmed, she gets due compensations equal to what a man in
her position would get (2:178;4:45, 92-93).
- Islam does not state these rights in a statistical
form and then relax. It has taken all measures to
safeguard them and put them into practice as integral
articles of Faith. It never tolerates those who are
inclined to prejudice against woman or discrimination
between man and woman. Time and again, the Qur'an
reproaches those who used to believe woman to be inferior
to man (16:57-59, 62; 42:47-59; 43:15-19; 53:21-23).
- Apart from recognition of woman as an independent
human being acknowledged as equally essential for the
survival of humanity, Islam has given her a share of
inheritance. Before Islam, she was not only deprived of
that share but was herself considered as property to be
inherited by man. Out of that transferable property Islam
made an heir, acknowledging the inherent human qualifies
in woman. Whether she is a wife or mother, a sister or
daughter, she receives a certain share of the deceased
kin's property, a share which depends on her degree of
relationship to the deceased and the number of heirs.
This share is hers, and no one can take it away or
disinherit her. Even if the deceased wishes to deprive
her by making a will to other relations or in favor of
any other cause, the Law will not allow him to do so. Any
proprietor is permitted to make his will within the limit
of one-third of his property, so he may not affect the
rights of his heirs, men and women. In the case of
inheritance, the question of quality and sameness is
fully applicable. In principle, both man and woman are
equally entitled to inherit the property of the deceased
relations but the portions they get may vary. In some
instances man receives two shares whereas woman gets one
only. This no sign of giving preference or supremacy to
man over woman.The reasons why man gets more in these
particular instances may be classified as follows:
First man, is the person solely responsible for the
complete maintenance of his wife, his family and any
other needy relations. It is his duty by Law to assume
all financial responsibilities and maintain his
dependents adequately. It is also his duty to contribute
financially to all good causes in his society. All
financial burdens are borne by him alone.
Secondly, in contrast, woman has no financial
responsibilities whatsoever except very little of her
personal expenses, the high luxurious things that she
likes to have. She is financially secure and provided
for. If she is a wife, her husband is the provider; if
she is a mother, it is the son; if she is a daughter, it
is the father; if she is a sister; it is the brother, and
so on. If she has no relations on whom she can depend,
then there is no question of inheritance because there is
nothing to inherit and there is no one to bequeath
anything to her. However, she will not be left to starve,
maintenance of such a woman is the responsibility of the
society as a whole, the state. She may be given aid or a
job to earn her living, and whatever money she makes will
be hers. She is not responsible for the maintenance of
anybody else besides herself. If there is a man in her
position, he would still be responsible for his family
and possibly any of his relations who need his help. So,
in the hardest situation her financial responsi- bility
is limited, while his is unlimited.
Thirdly, when a woman gets less than a man does, she
is not actually deprived of anything that she has worked
for. The property inherited is not the result of her
earning or her endeavors. It is something coming to them
from a neutral source, something additional or extra. It
is something that neither man or woman struggled for. It
is a sort of aid, and any aid has to be distributed
according to the urgent needs and responsibilities
especially when the distribution is regulated by the Law
of God.
Now, we have a male heir, on one side, burdened with
all kinds of financial responsibilities and liabilities.
We have, on the other side, a female heir with no
financial responsibilities at all or at most with very
little of it. In between we have some property and aid to
redistribute by way of inheritance. If we deprive the
female completely, it would be unjust to her because she
is related to the deceased. Likewise, if we always give
her a share equal to the man's, it would be unjust to
him. So, instead of doing injustice to either side, Islam
gives the man a larger portion of the inherited property
to help him to meet his family needs and social
responsibilities. At the same time, Islam has not
forgotten her altogether, but has given her a portion to
satisfy her very personal needs. In fact, Islam in this
respect is being more kind to her than to him. Here we
can say that when taken as a whole the rights of woman
are equal to those of man although not necessarily
identical (see Qur'an, 4:11-14, 176).
- In some instances of bearing witness to certain civil
con- tracts, two men are required or one man and two
women. Again, this is no indication of the woman being
inferior to man. It is a measure of securing the rights
of the contracting parties, because woman as a rule, is
not so experienced in practical life as man. This lack of
experience may cause a loss to any party in a given
contract. So the Law requires that at least two women
should bear witness with one man. if a woman of the
witness forgets something, the other one would remind
her. Or if she makes an error, due to lack of experience,
the other would help to correct her. This is a
precautionary measure to guarantee honest transactions
and proper dealings between people. In fact, it gives
woman a role to play in civil life and helps to establish
justice. At any rate, lack of experience in civil life
does not necessarily mean that women is inferior to man
in her status. Every human being lacks one thing or
another, yet no one questions their human status (2:282).
- Woman enjoys certain privileges of which man is
deprived. She is exempt from some religious duties, i.e.,
prayers and fasting, in her regular periods and at times
of confinement. She is exempt from all financial
liabilities. As a mother, she enjoys more recognition and
higher honor in the sight of God (31:14-15;46:15). The
Prophet acknowledged this honor when he declared that
Paradise is under the feet of the mothers. She is
entitled to three-fourths of the son's love and kindness
with one-fourth left for their father. As a wife she is
entitled to demand of her prospective husband a suitable
dowry that will be her own. She is entitled to complete
provision and total maintenance by the husband. She does
not have to work or share with her husband the family
expenses. She is free to retain, after marriage, whatever
she possessed before it, and the husband has no right
whatsoever to any of her belongings. As a daughter or
sister she is entitled to security and provision by the
father and brother respectively. That is her privilege.
If she wishes to work or be self-supporting and
participate in handling the family responsibilities, she
is quite free to do so, provided her integrity and honor
are safeguarded.
- The standing of woman in prayers behind man does not
indicate in any sense that she is inferior to him. Woman,
as already mentioned, is exempt from attending
congregational prayers which are obligatory on man. But
if she does attend she stands in separate lines made up
of women exclusively . This is a regulation of discipline
in prayers, and not a classification of importance. In
men's rows the head of state stands shoulder to shoulder
to the pauper. Men of the highest ranks in society stand
in prayer side by side with other men of the lowest
ranks. The order of lines in prayers is introduced to
help every one to concentrate in his meditation. It is
very important because Muslim prayers are not simply
chanting or the sing-a-song type. They involve actions,
motions, standing, bowing, prostration, etc. So if men
mix with women in the same lines, it is possible that
something disturbing or distracting may happen. The mind
will become occupied by something alien to prayer and
derailed from the clear path of mediation. The result
will be a loss of the purpose of prayers, besides an
offense of adultery committed by the eye, because the
eye-by looking at forbidden things - can be guilty of
adultery as much as the heart itself. Moreover, no Muslim
man or woman is allowed during prayers to touch the body
of another person of the opposite sex. If men and women
stand side by side in prayer they cannot avoid touching
each other. Furthermore, when a woman is praying in front
of a man or beside him, it is very likely that any part
of her dressed body may become uncovered after a certain
motion of bowing or prostrating. The man's eye may happen
to be looking at the uncovered part, with the result that
she will be embarrassed and he will be exposed to
distraction or possibly evil thoughts. So, to avoid any
embarrassment and distraction to help concentrate on
mediation and pure thoughts, to maintain harmony and
order among worshippers, to fulfill the true purposes of
prayers, Islam has ordained the organization of rows,
whereby men stand in front lines, and women behind the
children.Anyone with some knowledge of the nature and
purpose of Muslim prayerscan readily understand the
wisdom of organizing the lines of worshippers in this
manner.
- The Muslim woman is always associated with an old
tradition known as the "veil". It is Islamic that the
woman should beautify herself with the veil of honor,
dignity, chastity, purity and integrity. She should
refrain from all deeds and gestures that might stir the
passions of people other than her legitimate husband or
cause evil suspicion of her morality. She is warned not
to display her charms or expose her physical attractions
before strangers. The veil which she must put on is one
that can save her soul from weakness, her mind from
indulgence, her eyes from lustful looks, and her
personality from demoralization. Islam is most concerned
with the integrity of woman, with the safeguarding of her
morals and morale and with the protection of her
character and personality (cf. Qur'an, 24:30-31).
- By now it is clear that the status of woman in Islam
is unprecedentedly high and realistically suitable to her
nature. Her rights and duties are equal to those of man
but not necessarily or absolutely identical with them. If
she is deprived of one thing in some aspect, she is fully
compensated for it with more things in many other
aspects. The fact that she belongs to the female sex has
no bearing on her human status or independent
personality, and it is no basis for justification of
prejudice against her or injustice to her person. Islam
gives her as much as is required of her. Her rights match
beautifully with her duties. The balance between rights
and duties is maintained, and no side overweighs the
other. The whole status of woman is given clearly in the
Qur'anic verse which may be translated as follows:
And women shall have rights similar to the rights
against them, according to what is equitable; but man
have a degree (of advantage as in some cases of
inheritance) over them (2:228).
This degree is not a title of supremacy or an
authorization of dominance over her. It is to correspond
with the extra responsibilities of man and give him some
compensation for his unlimited liabilities. The above
mentioned verse is always interpreted in the light of
another (4:34).
It is these extra responsibilities that give man a
degree over woman in some economic aspects. It is not a
higher degree in humanity or in character. Nor is it a
dominance of one over the other or suppression of one by
the other. It is a distribution of God's abundance
according to the needs of the nature of which God is the
Maker. And He knows best what is good for woman and what
is good for man. God is absolutely true when He declares:
O mankind! reverence your Guardian-Lord, Who created you
from a single person, and created of like nature his mate,
and from them twain scattered (like seeds) countless men and
women (4:1).
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