Women in Islam

Women in Islam

Human being has a close interconnectedness with God, Cosmos and Human being. Human being is a by-product of love; love of God, love of nature and love of human being. God created human being through the instrument of our parents, mother and father. Often times we discussed a lot about male personality or men and we forget the aspects of female or women. Different ethnic groups, societies or religions have their own stand pertaining the role, function and way of going about for women. Islam is one of the religion which holds high respect for women right from the beginning and it’s a matter of fact that it is also one of the religions which oppressed women a lot. The study of women in Islam and Muslim society is complex, reflecting the diverse and varied realities of Muslim women and Muslim societies throughout the ages. It is often said that women and the family are the foundation of the Islamic community, Umma, the heart of Muslim society. Allah is the creator of male and female, Quran said, “O Mankind! Be dutiful to your Lord, who created you from a single person (Adam), and from him (Adam) He created his wife (Eve), and from them both He created many men and women”[1] The Quran clearly gives guidance or norms as how a Muslim women should go about, however in practice some of the norms are twisted by the teaching of the Mullah or scholar of a country or community.

The Status of Women in Pre-Islamic Period

The Social structure was tribal and patriarchal which is known as Period of Ignorance (Jihilliyah). Position of women was considerably low and inferior and women are victims of unjust practices. No norms and laws: marriage, divorce, inheritance and property rights were available for the women. Women are being treated as objects and they are supposed to bow down before the men. Polygamy and divorce was a common scenario.

The Status of Women after the coming of Islam

When Islam came into existence women status in the society is better off. Islam empowered women. Women are treated as independent entities and not mere chattels to be traded or objects of lust. Women in Islam are given definite status but not strictly equal to man. However the Quran has not shield away from pronouncing the doctrine of equality of sexes because Quran said, “If the social context changes and if women also begin to earn and support the family, nothing will prevent them from acquiring either equal status or even a degree of superiority over men”.[2]

The role of women in Islam can be traced back to the time of Muhammad himself. Khadijah, the first wife of the Prophet Muhammad, was a wealthy business woman before and after her marriage. Aisha, a later wife of the Prophet, was an energetic leader and scholar who held educational sessions for both men and women after the Prophet's death. Fatima, the daughter of the Prophet Muhammad, was a humble and devout person who also made her opinions known to those around her. After Muhammad’s death, Aisha defended his teachings with both the pen and the sword. More than 300 hadiths are attributed to Aisha, and she played a vital role in laying out Islamic teachings as we know them today. She also took her place on the battlefield against Muhammad’s son, Ali and the forces she accused of corrupting Muhammad's message. In the early Muslim community, it was not only the Prophet Muhammad’s female family members who were respected as role models. Ash-Shifa bint Abdullah was skilled in medicine and was appointed by Umar to a position of public administration during his caliphate. Samra bint Nuhayk became a market inspector. Rabi'ah bint Mu'awwad was a great scholar of Islamic law who taught even the male scholars of Madinah.

In recent times, women have served in the Muslim world as writers, doctors, scientists, politicians, and even prime ministers. Zaynab al-Ghazali was a twentieth-century Islamic activist and promoter of women's Islamic rights. Sherin Ebadi, a lawyer and judge who fought for human rights and democracy in her native Iran, was honored with the Nobel Prize for Peace in 2003. Dr. Ingrid Mattson, a Canadian convert to Islam, is a professor of Islamic ethics and legal theory and in 2006 became the first female president of the Islamic Society of North America. Muslim women have shown great example to the world. In the past Islamic women have shown great courage, in the present they show their ability of leadership and in the future they will become influential leaders of Islam. It is also a fact that women are being treated like objects in Islam. Women in Muslim societies have been the subject of images and generalizations, romantic orientlist tales and feminist expose.[3] When we talk about women in Islam there are different issues that are to be talked about like the social, political, educational, economical, religious and legal life of women.

1. Social life of Women in Islam

Islam follow a division model of labour in its social life. Men are responsible for their financial support while women take up the responsibility at home. To build a happy family men usually don’t burden women with family and professional works. Women in Islam have a strict social life for the betterment of the umma. The conduct of a Muslim woman is a very important part of observing hijab/purdah. Whether at work or among family and friends, a Muslim woman must conduct herself with great propriety and decorum. It is advisable to avoid idle chitchat with the opposite sex, mixed parties and shaking hands with the opposite sex. Restrictions are not observed at home among close family members, but serve to protect women's honour in public and draw attention to their personal qualities rather than their looks.[4] When we speak about social structure of women let us see some of the aspects like marriage, divorce and dress.

1.1 Marriage

Nikah is the term used in the Quran for the marriage contract. In Islam, the sexual urge is considered to be natural and desirable as long as it is confined to expression within marriage. Marriage, in Islamic law, is not a sacrament but a civil contract regulated under religious jurisdiction in order to give its effects a character of sanctity.[5] In Islam whenever a faithful couple unite in marriage, it is proclaimed from heaven, “Behold so and so has married so and so” and when they separate, it is proclaimed, “Behold, God has permitted so and so to separate from so and so”. In Islam a woman may be married for four reasons; for her wealth, her noble descent, her beauty and her religion. Muhammad said, “Marry virgins for their mouths are the sweetest, their wombs the most prolific, their affection the most firm, and they are quicker in learning. Marry the spouseless amongst you, for verily God will improve their character and increase their livelihood”.[6] The Quran also advice men to inquire about the beauty, feature, character, and even the fortune of women before they get married. A man can marry up to four wives if he is capable of taking care whereas a woman can marry only one husband. In other words polygamy is permitted while polyandry is prohibited in Islam. “Men are in charge of women, because Allah made men to be better than women. Women must obey men, and if they refuse they must be punished. Refuse to have sex with them and beat them into submission”.[7] The Quran also says, “And if you fear that you will not deal justly with the orphan girls, and then marry those that please you of (other) women, two or three or four. But if you fear that you will not be just, then (marry only) one or those right hand possesses. That is more suitable that you may not incline to injustice”.[8] However, according to the modernist, man just cannot take more than one wife simply because he likes some other woman or gets enamored of her beauty. Modernist argued that the Quran norm is monogamy but polygamy is permissible in certain exceptionable circumstances with strict enforceable condition for justice.[9] Polygamy is permitted only for political and humanitarian reasons characterized by love, consideration, kindness and respect. The Prophet granted girls who had been forced into marriages against their will the right to have their marriages annulled. The Quran says, “The relationship between husband and wife in Islam is an interdependent one, based on love and tranquility”. Marital bliss is accorded such importance in Islam that the Quran speaks of gender relations as one of Allah’s signs.[10] Husband and wife have to work together to establish a stable, loving home and they need to have mutual consent in a decision making.

1.2 Divorce

Divorce is part of the social structure that presents in every society. Religion plays pivotal role pertaining divorce of the people. In Islam a man can get divorce to his wife by saying “talak-talak-talak”. Divorce is permissible in Islam as marriage is considered to be a contract, which can be dissolved either by mutual consent or by either party to the contract. Islam also allows women the right to divorce. A woman can repudiate her marriage under a form of divorce known as Khul’a.[11] There are several text from the Quran about divorce some of them are “If you divorce your wife, you must divorce her twice. And she can ransom herself, whatever that might mean. But if you divorce your wife for the third time, you can't have her again until she marries another guy. If you decide to go ahead with the divorce, let your ex-wives get married again. It's cleaner that way. Allah knows; you don't”.[12] Islam gives strict rules for men and women to call for talak.

1.3 Dress

Hijab is the Qur'anic requirement that Muslims, both male and female, dress and behave modestly. The most important Qur'anic verse relating to hijab is sura 24:31, which says, “And tell the believing women to lower their gaze and guard their private parts and not to display their adornment except that which ordinarily appears thereof and to draw their head covers over their chests and not to display their adornment”. Islam stresses the relationship between body and mind and consider that wearing of the outer garments and veiling of the body leads to veiling of the heart and shielding it from impure thoughts.

2. Political life of Women in Islam

In the dawning years of Islam women have got an opportunity to participate in some political affairs, as time passed by women are being restricted to involved in political life and now women are again seen in the front in political life. In the teachings of Islam or into the history of the Islamic civilization there is distinct evidence of woman's equality with manin political affairs. Women participated in serious discussions and argued even with the Prophet. During the Caliphate of Omar Ibn al-Khattab, a woman argued with him in the mosque, proved her point, and caused him to declare in the presence of people: "A woman is right and Omar is wrong". The Quran does not mention anything about the ineligible of a woman for the position of head of state but The Hadith does say, “A people will not prosper if they let a woman be their leader”, and this hindered Islamic women to be head of the state. This limitation, however, has nothing to do with the dignity of woman or with her rights. It is rather, related to the natural differences in the biological and psychological make-up of men and women.

In Islam the head of the state is no mere figurehead but he is a leader who leads people into prayers, he engages in the process of decision-making pertaining to the security and well-being of his people and in protecting the Islamic faith. The task of a leader is challenging and requires courage, strength and emotional stability. The physiological and psychological make-up of woman in general is comparatively low and instable compare to men. It is a medical fact that during their monthly periods and during their pregnancies, women undergo various physiological and psychological changes. Such changes may occur during an emergency situation, thus affecting her decision, without considering the excessive strain which is produced. Moreover, some decisions require a maximum of rationality and a minimum of emotionality a requirement which does not coincide with the instinctive nature of women. The challenging and demanding role of a leader made Islamic women even today to be incapable of becoming a leader. There are women figures in various political bodies, representatives in parliaments, and in religious offices but women cannot become a political head of a state. Throughout time, Muslim women have served actively in their communities and impacted their societies. From the earliest centuries of Islam, women have been scholars, leaders, advisers, and business women. Along with being wives and mothers who are supportive of leaders, Muslim women have been leaders themselves. Some women stand out as exemplary role models of Muslim women are Benazir Bhutto, prime minister of Pakistan, Sheikh Hasina Wajed, prime minister of Bangladesh.

Formal political rights and representation have been gained by women in most Muslim countries but their importance is diminished in some cases by the lack of democratic institution and processes. Women have got their voting rights, quota systems have been introduced, women's organizations are established and they are engaged in welfare issues and women's projects. Informal political activity and participation of women in non-governmental and informal organizations and activities is of considerable importance. Women's organizations have had antagonistic relationships with the state in some periods, and been tolerated or even promoted at other times, depending on the overall project of the government at the time and its pragmatic interests. For example: The Sudanese Women's Union, founded in the 1950s. Elite women have been able to exert some influence over the political system through their privileged access to powerful individuals and structures. Women's activist groups have spearheaded attempts to bring about legal reforms and other oppressions.

3. Educational life of Women in Islam

When we discuss about education of women in Islam we can trace the roots to Muhammad's wives Khadijah and Aisha who help Muhammad to write down what Allah spoke through him. Since the time of Muhammad women have an opportunity to involve in education but mostly with religious educations and teachings. Historically, women played an important role in the foundation of many Islamic educational institutions, such as Fatima al-Fihri's founding of the University of Al Karaouine in 859 CE. During the Ayyubid dynasty in the 12th and 13th centuries, 160 mosques and madrasahs were established in Damascus, 26 of which were funded by women through the Waqf (charitable trust or trust law) system. Half of all the royal patrons for these institutions were also women. In medieval Islamic world women could study, earn ijazahs (academic degrees), and qualify as scholars (ulama) and teachers. It is not common for women to enroll as students in formal classes, but it is common for women to attend informal lectures and study sessions at mosques, madrassas and other public places.[13] Families are reluctant to let the females pursue higher studies they are afraid of looking for educated matches, fear that seeing his wife earning, the husband might leave his job as has happened to many working women and since they are the family keeper its better for girls to concentrate on washing, cleaning, stitching, and other chores.

Policies of free and open access to education have led to increases in female enrollment, but there is still a significant gender gap. Supply and demand are both factors in limiting girls' participation in education. There is a shortage of girls’ schools, women teachers because women are not encouraged toward education. Even where education is free, the indirect costs of schooling and also the opportunity cost of girls’ contribution to household labor may act against their participation. Women attend the Fatimid (sessions of wisdom) in large numbers. Nana Asma’u was one of the leading Islamic scholar, poet, teacher and an exceptionally prolific Muslim female writer who wrote more than 60 works.

4. Economic life of Women in Islam

Women in Pre-Islamic Periodhave have very low status and were being treated badly by men. They do not have right of inheritance to property or wealth. The encounter of Muhammad with Khadijah, Aisha and many other rich and influential women made him to respect women dignity and rights. The Islamic Law gives women, whether single or married the rights to her money, real estate, or other properties. Women share in most cases is one-half the man's share. She retains her full rights to buy, sell, mortgage or lease any or all her properties. Her share is completely hers and no one can make any claim on it, including her father and her husband. The Quran said, “Unto men belongs a share of that which parents and near kindred leave, and unto women a share of that which parents and near kindred leave, whether it a little or much a determinate share”.[14]Women has a complex responsibility to nurture the children and take care of the family and so in Islam women are encourage to stay at home and take care of the family while the husband will earn and look after the material need of the family.

Man in Islam is fully responsible for the maintenance of his wife, his children, and in some cases of his needy relatives, especially the females. This responsibility is neither waived nor reduced because of his wife's wealth or because of her access to any personal income gained from work, rent, profit, and need not be contributed towards family expenses. This is because the financial responsibility for reasonable housing, food and other household expenses for the family, including the spouse, fall entirely on the husband.

5. Religious life of Women in Islam

In Islam men and women have no difference in relationship with God. In early days women were allowed to go to mosques but as Islam spread, it became unusual for women to worship in mosques because of fears of unchastity caused by interaction between sexes and so women have to worship at home or at different places. Women cannot become imams but they can lead prayers for the women. However, they cannot lead prayers for a mixed group in a mosque. Islamic women are encouraged to pray the Islamic prayer or salaat but she must dress modestly, with head, arms and legs covered. But a woman is not permitted to perform Salaat during their monthly period, nor enter the prayer area of a mosque, until she has taken a ritual bath. The Quran affirmed it when it says, “Allah loves those who keep themselves clean”.[15] Women have to take a ritual bath that includes the steps of wudhu after sexual intercourse, at the end of the menstrual period and after stoppage of bleeding after childbirth. The Islamic mystic movement known as Sufism is believed to have been created by a female holy woman, Rabiah al-Basri. She created the doctrine of “disinterested love of God”.[16] Islamic women have contributed a lot to Islam whether through writing, or practices.

6. Legal rights of Women in Islam

Women are respected better after the coming of Islam. Women have the right for mutual consent in a decision making, the right to divorce, right to repudiate her marriage if she was forced, right to vote and participate in political and religious activities, right to establish Women's organizations, and right to education. The Islamic Law gives women, whether single or married the rights to her money, real estate, or other properties. Women share in most cases is one-half the man's share. She retains her full rights to buy, sell, mortgage or lease any or all her properties. A woman’s testimony counts half of a man’s testimony. The legal rights of women differ from one country to another or from one community to another.

It was a ‘natural law’ for women to be inferior to men and must submit to men in a patriarchal society. Women are being treated like objects of men and do not have rights of inheritance, right to vote, right to education, and even cannot prohibited for religious worship. When Islam came into being women were given dignity and respect. Women can participate in the social, political, educational, economical, religious and legal activities. Islam has healed women from the wounds of suppression and submission and led them to a better status in society. Today many of the old social structures are crumbling fast and new social orders, rational and liberal, are emerging on the scene. Women want to be recognized as free women and not harassed. Women are now scholars, leaders, advisers, jurists, and business women. We see many great women Islamic personality around the world. Women compete with men in various fields like education, politics, and bring social transformation. It is important to treat a woman as a wife not as a toy, as a mother not a servant, as a sister not as a prostitute, as a relative not as a stranger, as a friend not as an enemy, as a co-worker not as an object. Women are human being and so they deserve dignity, equality, justice and freedom.

Bibliography

1. Haddad Yazbeck Yvonne & Esposito L. John: Islam, Gender; and Social Change, New York, Oxford University Press, 1998.

2. Fyzee. A. A. Asaf: The Pillars of Islam (Laws pertaining to Human Intercourse), New Delhi, Oxford University Press, 2004.

3. Engineer Ali Asghar: A Modern Approach to Islam, Bangalore, Dharmaram publications, 2003.

4. Engineer Ali Asghar: The Rights of Women in Islam, New Delhi, Sterling Publishers Pvt. Ltd., 1996.

5. Kidwai Raheem Abdur: The Quran Essential Teachings, Mumbai, Jaico Publishing House, 2006.

6. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women_in_Islam accessed on 19/8/2011.

7. http://www.pucl.org/Topics/Gender/2002/muslim-women.htm accessed on 19/8/2011.

FOOTNOTES

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[1]Qur'an 4:1

[2]Qur’an 33:36

[3] Yvonne Yazbeck Haddad & John L. Esposito; Islam, Gender; and Social Change, pg. Xi.

[4] http://www.pucl.org/Topics/Gender/2002/muslim-women.htm

[5]Asaf. A. A. Fyzee; The Pillars of Islam, pg. 173.

[6] Qur’an 24: 32

[7] Qur’an 4:34

[8] Qur’an 4:3

[9] Asghar Ali Engineer; A Modern Approach to Islam, pg. 104.

[10] Abdur Raheem Kidwai; The Quran Essential Teachings, pg. 156.

[11] Asghar Ali Engineer; The Rights of Women in Islam, pg. 121.

[12]Qur’an 2: 229-232

[13] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women_in_Islam

[14]Qur'an 4:7

[15] Qur’an 2:223

[16] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women_in_Islam