cabdirazzaq
05-28-2004, 09:44 PM
I recently got in to a discussion about the position of women in islam, this happend in my school for about 2 days ago. So I thought I might as well post something about it here as most people are of the belief that they are oppressed and just waiting for some liberation. The situation for women before the propheicy of mohammed(peace and blessing of Allah be upon him) was horrible, they[the arabs] used to bury their daughters and consider them useless compared to the man.
81:8: When the female (infant), buried alive, is questioned
81.9: For what crime she was killed;
Allah(may he be exalted) describes men and women as partners in helping each other to do good and to refrain from evel, it says in the quran:
9.71: The Believers, men and women, are protectors one of another: they enjoin what is just, and forbid what is evil: they observe regular prayers, practise regular charity, and obey Allah and His Messenger. On them will Allah pour His mercy: for Allah is Exalted in power, Wise
33.35: Surely for men who surrender to God, and women who surrender
and men who believe and women who believe;
and men who obey and women who obey;
and men who speak the truth and women who speak the truth;
and men who persevere (in righteousness)
and women who persevere;
and men who are humble and women who are humble;
and men who give alms and women who give alms;
and men who fast and women who fast;
and men who guard their modesty and women who guard
(their modesty);and men who remember Allah much and women who remember - Allah has prepared for them forgiveness and a vast reward.
Now look at these verses , does this look like oppression and injustice?
In the chapter called Nisa(Women) Allah says:
4.32: And covet not the thing in which Allah hath made some of you excel others. Unto men a fortune from that which they have earned, and unto women a fortune from that which they have earned. (Envy not one another) but ask Allah of His bounty. Lo! Allah is ever Knower of all things.
And it further says in the quran:
4.19: O you who believe! You are not permitted to inherit women against their will, nor to prevent them from marriage in order to get part of (the dowry) what you have given them, unless they commit open Fahishah(adultury). And live with them honorably. If you dislike them, it may be that you dislike a thing and Allah brings through it a great deal of good.
2.228: 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
The prophet(peace and blessing of Allah be upon him) thought us to treat our women well- note that people back then didn´t give a thought about the treatment of women- and he said:
"Let no Muslim man entertain any bad feeling against a Muslim woman. If he should dislike one quality in her, he will find another that is pleasing."
And he also said: "Be kind to women." And in another statement: "The best of you is the one who is best to his family, and I am the best of you to my family". Family here includes ones wife. These sayings may not be very remarkable today but this was not the case for hundreds of years ago. While muslims had been learned by our dear prophet(peace and blessing of Allah be upon him) to treat their wifes with kindness and that paradise lies under the feet of the mother, people in china were told to obey their fathers then their husbands and if they are both dead finally their own sons. The year 1586, around 1000 thousand years after these sayings of the prophet(peace and blessing of Allah be upon him) christian catholics in France were still debating wether or not women had souls. With islam they were given the right to inherit and to dispose of their property and to reject forced marriages and to obtain an education. The prophets(peace and blessing of Allah be upon him) wife was known for her knowledge of islamic law and medicine. It should also be noted that women here in Europe were not given the rights to even posses a property or the right to have a divorce until the 19th century. Women are the twin halves of men as was said by the prophet(peace and blessing of Allah be upon him) but it should also be noted that the idea of equality between the genders as we often hear westerns talk about does not exist in islam but justice indeed does. Justice and equality is not the same, is it correct that the mother who bore her child for 9 months and then suckled him for a number of years should be treated just like the father in the matter of who the child should treat with the most kindness , my point is the statement of the prophet(peace and blessing of Allah be upon him) a man came to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and said: ‘O Messenger of Allaah, who among the people is most deserving of my good companionship?’ He said, ‘Your mother.’ He asked, ‘Then whom?’ He said, ‘Your mother.’ He asked, ‘Then whom?’ He said, ‘Your mother.’ He asked, ‘Then whom?’ He said, ‘Then your father.’” (Reported by al-Bukhaari, 4/13, and Muslim, 2548).
People usually only speak about some duties that the muslim woman have to encounter without mentioning some things that our lord(may he be exalted) has commanded the man to do or not to do, such as:
A man is not allowed to wear gold a woman may do so
A man is not allowed to wear silk a woman may do so
A man is obligated to pray in the mosque and he is given a reward 25 or 27 times better then praying home while a women can get the same amount of reward praying in her own room.
One of the rights of the women which gives her the right to divorce if not fulfilled is the right that her husband should pay for her clothing and food. Our prophet(peace and blessing of Allah be upon him) said about the women: If a woman prays her five (daily prayers), fasts her month (Ramadaan), guards her chastity and obeys her husband, it will be said to her: ‘Enter Paradise from whichever of the gates of Paradise you wish.
Finally I want to end with a quran verse:
30.21: And among His signs is this that He created for you wives from among yourselves, that you may find repose in them, and He has put between you affection and mercy. Verily, in that are indeed signs for a people who reflect.
And Allah knows best
81:8: When the female (infant), buried alive, is questioned
81.9: For what crime she was killed;
Allah(may he be exalted) describes men and women as partners in helping each other to do good and to refrain from evel, it says in the quran:
9.71: The Believers, men and women, are protectors one of another: they enjoin what is just, and forbid what is evil: they observe regular prayers, practise regular charity, and obey Allah and His Messenger. On them will Allah pour His mercy: for Allah is Exalted in power, Wise
33.35: Surely for men who surrender to God, and women who surrender
and men who believe and women who believe;
and men who obey and women who obey;
and men who speak the truth and women who speak the truth;
and men who persevere (in righteousness)
and women who persevere;
and men who are humble and women who are humble;
and men who give alms and women who give alms;
and men who fast and women who fast;
and men who guard their modesty and women who guard
(their modesty);and men who remember Allah much and women who remember - Allah has prepared for them forgiveness and a vast reward.
Now look at these verses , does this look like oppression and injustice?
In the chapter called Nisa(Women) Allah says:
4.32: And covet not the thing in which Allah hath made some of you excel others. Unto men a fortune from that which they have earned, and unto women a fortune from that which they have earned. (Envy not one another) but ask Allah of His bounty. Lo! Allah is ever Knower of all things.
And it further says in the quran:
4.19: O you who believe! You are not permitted to inherit women against their will, nor to prevent them from marriage in order to get part of (the dowry) what you have given them, unless they commit open Fahishah(adultury). And live with them honorably. If you dislike them, it may be that you dislike a thing and Allah brings through it a great deal of good.
2.228: 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
The prophet(peace and blessing of Allah be upon him) thought us to treat our women well- note that people back then didn´t give a thought about the treatment of women- and he said:
"Let no Muslim man entertain any bad feeling against a Muslim woman. If he should dislike one quality in her, he will find another that is pleasing."
And he also said: "Be kind to women." And in another statement: "The best of you is the one who is best to his family, and I am the best of you to my family". Family here includes ones wife. These sayings may not be very remarkable today but this was not the case for hundreds of years ago. While muslims had been learned by our dear prophet(peace and blessing of Allah be upon him) to treat their wifes with kindness and that paradise lies under the feet of the mother, people in china were told to obey their fathers then their husbands and if they are both dead finally their own sons. The year 1586, around 1000 thousand years after these sayings of the prophet(peace and blessing of Allah be upon him) christian catholics in France were still debating wether or not women had souls. With islam they were given the right to inherit and to dispose of their property and to reject forced marriages and to obtain an education. The prophets(peace and blessing of Allah be upon him) wife was known for her knowledge of islamic law and medicine. It should also be noted that women here in Europe were not given the rights to even posses a property or the right to have a divorce until the 19th century. Women are the twin halves of men as was said by the prophet(peace and blessing of Allah be upon him) but it should also be noted that the idea of equality between the genders as we often hear westerns talk about does not exist in islam but justice indeed does. Justice and equality is not the same, is it correct that the mother who bore her child for 9 months and then suckled him for a number of years should be treated just like the father in the matter of who the child should treat with the most kindness , my point is the statement of the prophet(peace and blessing of Allah be upon him) a man came to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and said: ‘O Messenger of Allaah, who among the people is most deserving of my good companionship?’ He said, ‘Your mother.’ He asked, ‘Then whom?’ He said, ‘Your mother.’ He asked, ‘Then whom?’ He said, ‘Your mother.’ He asked, ‘Then whom?’ He said, ‘Then your father.’” (Reported by al-Bukhaari, 4/13, and Muslim, 2548).
People usually only speak about some duties that the muslim woman have to encounter without mentioning some things that our lord(may he be exalted) has commanded the man to do or not to do, such as:
A man is not allowed to wear gold a woman may do so
A man is not allowed to wear silk a woman may do so
A man is obligated to pray in the mosque and he is given a reward 25 or 27 times better then praying home while a women can get the same amount of reward praying in her own room.
One of the rights of the women which gives her the right to divorce if not fulfilled is the right that her husband should pay for her clothing and food. Our prophet(peace and blessing of Allah be upon him) said about the women: If a woman prays her five (daily prayers), fasts her month (Ramadaan), guards her chastity and obeys her husband, it will be said to her: ‘Enter Paradise from whichever of the gates of Paradise you wish.
Finally I want to end with a quran verse:
30.21: And among His signs is this that He created for you wives from among yourselves, that you may find repose in them, and He has put between you affection and mercy. Verily, in that are indeed signs for a people who reflect.
And Allah knows best