Muslim Women Are The Diamonds Of Islam

chapter 5

 Rights of women in Islam

Oppressed, inferior, and unequal, for many people, these are the first words that come to mind when thinking about women in Islam. These stereotypes confuse Islam with cultural practices and fail to recognize that Islam has empowered women with the most open-minded rights since the 7th century. In Islam, women are not inferior or unequal to men.

Before Islam, women were considered shameful, female children were buried alive, prostitution was widespread, divorce was only in the hands of the husband, inheritance was only for the strong, and oppression was widespread. Islam came and eliminated all these practices. Even now, in "developed countries", women are not granted respect, dignity and honour, let alone equal pay for equal work. Islam, however, regards women as precious and valuable, not to be disrespected or disgraced. The mistreatment of women in some Middle-Eastern countries or Muslim families is due to cultural factors that some Muslims wrongly follow, not because of Islam. Why would many women around the world willingly enter Islam if Women in Islam are thought to be dominated, degraded, oppressed but are they really? Are millions of Muslims simply that oppressive or are these misconceptions fabricated by a biased media?

Over fourteen hundred years ago, Islam gave women rights that women in the West have only recently began to enjoy. Men and women worship Allah in the same way, meaning they worship the same God (Allah), perform the same acts of worship, follow the same scripture, and hold the same beliefs. Allah (the Arabic word for the One true God of all creation), judges all human beings fairly and equitably.

Allah emphasises the just treatment and reward due to both men and women in many verses of the Qur'an:

"Allah has promised to the believers, men and women, gardens under which rivers flow, to dwell therein, and beautiful mansions in gardens of everlasting bliss. "Qur'an 9:72

"Never will I allow the loss of the work of any worker amongst you, male or female; you are of one another. "Qur'an 3:195

These verses show that reward is dependent upon one's actions and not one's gender. Gender does not play any part in how a person is rewarded and judged.

While Islam clearly establishes that men and women are equal, it does recognize that they are not identical. God created men and women with unique physical and emotional characteristics. In Islam, these differences are embraced as vital components to a healthy family and community structure with each individual contributing their own distinctive talents to society. Hence, God's rules apply to both genders, but in diverse ways. For example, God commanded women to cover certain parts of their body, including their hair, to preserve their modesty. Men are also required to cover parts of their body out of modesty, but not in the same way as women. Therefore, God commanded both men and women to be modest; yet, the manner in which they observe it is different.

Similarly, the rights, roles, and responsibilities of women are evenly balanced with those of men but are not necessarily the same. As Islam has granted individual identities to men and women, a constant comparison between the two is pointless. Each plays a unique role to mutually uphold social morality and societal balance.

In Islam, God almighty clearly gives mothers a high status and elevates their position in the family. In the Quran, God mentions all the sacrifices mothers make in bearing children to remind people to treat their mothers with love, respect, and care. Emphasizing the importance of mothers, the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said, "Heaven lies under the feet of your mother."

On another occasion, a man repeatedly asked the prophet  Muhammad  peace be upon him, "Who amongst the people is the most worthy of my good companionship?" Each time, the Prophet (pbuh) replied, "Your mother." When the man asked for the fourth time, he replied, "Your father." Islam is the only religion on the face of world which elevated the mothers three times over the fathers, no other religion honoured and elevated the women more than Islam has ever done. The religion that purified Mary the mother of Isa (Jesus) peace be upon him, a woman who was not married but had a child, but some accuse Ayesha wife of the prophet Muhammad peace be upon him, a woman who was married but had no child. Islam is the same religion which purified both great women.

Before Islam, women across the globe were deprived of inheritance and were themselves considered property to be inherited by men. Islam gave women the right to own property and inherit from relatives, which was a revolutionary concept in the seventh century.

In Islam, women are not obligated to earn or spend any money on housing, food, or general expenses. If a woman is married, her husband must fully support her financially and if she's not married, that responsibility belongs to her closest male relative (father, brother, uncle, etc).She also has the right to work and spend the money she earns as she wishes. She has no obligation to share her money with her husband or any other family members, although she may choose to do so out of good will. For example, Khadija, the wife of the Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him was one of the most successful business women of Mecca, and she freely spent from her wealth to support her husband and the cause of Islam.

A woman has the right to accept or reject marriage proposals and her approval is required to complete the marriage contract. She cannot be forced to marry someone against her will and if this happens it's for cultural reasons, which is in direct opposition of Islam. By the same principle, women also have the right to seek divorce if they are dissatisfied with their marriage. In Islam, marriage is based on mutual peace, love, and compassion. God says about Himself, "And of His signs is that He created for you from yourselves mates that you may find tranquility in them; and He placed between you affection and mercy..." (Quran 30:21) Muhammad (pbuh) embodied the best character and is a role model for all Muslims. His example of being helpful around the household and treating his family with compassion and love is a tradition that Muslims strive to implement in their daily lives. Muhammad peace be upon him treated his wives with the utmost respect and honour and was never abusive towards them. One of his traditions(hadith) clearly states, "The best of you are those who are best to their wives."

Whether a woman is a wife, mother, sister, or daughter, she receives a certain share of her deceased relative's property. This share depends on her degree of relationship to the deceased and the number of heirs. While many societies around the world denied women inheritance, Islam assured women this right, illustrating the universal justice of Islam's divine law.

In an environment, which constantly emphasizes the physical form through various media, women are constantly faced with an unachievable standard of beauty. Although Muslim women are falsely classified as oppressed based on their modest dress, they are in fact liberated from such objectification by the society around them. This modest appearance, which includes veiling, highlights a woman's personality and character instead of her physical figure and promotes a deeper appreciation for who she is as a person. In this regard, Muslim women identify with Mary, the mother of Jesus (pbuh), who is known for her piety and modesty. We completely reject the way that western society has almost completely stripped women of their morality and chastity. These ideals are built upon an idea which is in contradiction to the Shari'ah and its morals and values. It is important in our Islamic Society that the Islamic principles, morals and values are upheld with the fullest conviction, honour and seriousness, in obedience to Allah.