The position of woman in islam


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The position of woman in islam


In Islaam, the woman is accorded a high position which she was not
accorded in any of the previous religions and which no nation will
accord her but Islaam. This is because, the honour that Islaam
conferred on mankind is shared by both man and woman on equal basis.
Mankind are equal before rules of Allaah in this world as they will be
equal as regards His reward and recompense on the Last Day. Allaah
says, “And indeed, We have honoured the children of Adam.”[1] He also
says, “There is a share for men and a share for women from what is
left by parents and those nearest related.”[2] “And they (women) have
rights (over their husbands as regards living expenses) similar (to
those of their husbands) over them (as regards obedience and respect)
to what is reasonable.”[3] “The believers, men and women are auliya
(helpers, supporters, friends, protectors) of one another.”[4] “And
your Lord has decreed that you worship none but Him. And that you be
dutiful to your parents.

If one of them or both of them attain old age in your life, say not to
them a word of disrespect, nor shout at them but address them in terms
of honour. And lower unto them a wing of submission and humility
through mercy, and say; ‘My Lord! Bestow on them Your Mercy as they
did bring me up when I was young.’[5] “So their Lord accepted their
supplication (saying); ‘Never will I allow to be lost the work of any
of you, be he male or female.’[6] “Whoever works righteousness –
whether male or female – while he or she is a true believer (of
Islaamic monotheism) verily, to him we will give a good life (in this
world with respect, contentment and lawful provision), and we shall
pay them certainly a reward in proportion to the best of what they
used to do.’[7] ‘And whoever does righteous good deeds, male or
female, and is a true believer (in the Oneness of Allaah), such will
enter paradise and not the least injustice, even to the size of a
speck on the back of a date-stone, will be done to them.’[8]This
honour that the woman enjoys in Islaam has no equal in any other
religion, creed or law. Roman civilization had had it established that
woman should be a slave and a subordinate of man and that she should
absolutely has no rights at all. There was even a great conference in
Rome where affairs of the woman were discussed.

The conclusion reached at the conference was that, the woman was a
lifeless being and as such could not have share in the life of the
hereafter and that she was impure.In Athens, woman used to be regarded
as a scraps. She would be sold and bought like any other commodity and
she was being regarded an abomination of Satan's handiwork. According
to the ancient Indian statutes, the plague, death, hell, poison of
serpents and fire are all better than woman. Her right to live used to
end with the death of her husband – who was regarded as her master.
When she saw the corpse of her husband being burnt, she must throw
herself into it and if she did not, she would be accursed. As for
Judaism, the following judgement was passed on her in the Old
Testament. “I moved around with my heart in order to know, search and
look for wisdom and intelligence, and in other to know that evil is
ignorance and that stupidity is madness. And I found that worse than
death is woman who is a snare and her heart is like a shoelace and her
hands are
shackles."[9]
Such was the condition of woman in the ancient times. As for medieval
and contemporary times, the following events explain that.The Danish
writer, Wieth Kordsten explained the position of the Catholic Church
as regards woman when he said, “During the medieval times, the concern
that was had for European woman was very limited and this is in
conformity with the view of the Catholic creed that used to regard
woman as a second-class human being.”

In France, a conference was held in the year 586 A.D. where the issue
of woman was discussed as to whether she should be regarded as a
human being or not. At the end of the discussion, the discussants
concluded that she was a human being but that she was created for the
service of man.In French law, article 217 says; “The married woman-
even if her marriage is based on separation between her right of
ownership and that of her husband- should not give anyone ownership of
anything of her property with or without compensation except with the
participation of her husband in the transaction or his written consent
to that.”In England, Henry the VIII prohibited the English woman from
reading the Holy Book, until 1850, women were not considered citizens
of England and up till 1882, they had no personal rights.[10]As for
the condition of woman in contemporary Europe, America and other
industrial nations, she is regarded as a common creature that should
be utilized for commercial purposes, for she is a part of commercial
advertisement. This has even reached a situation where she is stripped
naked in order to advertise commodities on her body. Her body and
honour have become desecrated based on regulations laid down by men in
order to make her an object of enjoyment everywhere.

The contemporary woman is an abject of care and attention as long as
she is able to give out her wealth, intelligence and body. But when
she becomes old and loses her means of giving, the society
individually and collectively abandons her and she lives lonely in her
house or in the sanatorium.Compare the above – although they cannot be
equal – with what the Noble Qur'aan says, “The believers men and women
are friends of one another.”[11] “And they (woman) have rights (over
their husbands) similar (to those of their husbands) over them.”[12]
“And your Lord has decreed that you worship none but Him. And that you
be dutiful to your parents. If one of them or both of them attain old
age in your life, say not to them a word of disrespect, nor shout at
them but address them in terms of honour. And lower unto them the
wing of submission and humility through mercy, and say: ‘My Lord!
Bestow on them your mercy as they did bring me up when I was
young.’[13]While Allaah honours woman, He makes it clear to all
mankind that He created her to be mother, wife, daughter and sister;
and ordained for these roles, special regulations that are peculiar to
her.

ByDr. Muhammad bin Abdullaah As-SuhaymTranslated byAbdur-Raafi
Adewale Imaam


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[1] Al-Nisaa 17:70.[2] An-Nisaa 4: 7 [3] Al-Baqarah 2: 228[4] At-
Tawbah 9:71[5] Al-Israa 17: 23-24. [6] Aal-Imraan 3:195[7] An-Nahl 16:
97[8] An-Nisaa 4: 124[9] Sifrul jaami 'ah 7:25-26. It is known that
the Old Testament is hallowed and believed in by both the Christians
and the Jews.Note: The two verses were translated directly from Arabic
version quoted by the author because the translator could not find
them in the Biblical version available to him nor could he find the
name of the book in English.=Translator. [10] Silsilatu muqaaranatil
adyaan – Dr. Ahmad Shalaby 3/210-213[11] At-Tawbah 9: 71[12] Al-
Baqarah 2: 229[13] Al-Israa 17: 23-24




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