Monster Media 1993 #2/Image.iso/text/islamnfo.zip/WOMISLA

Text File | 1993-04-28 | 22KB | 367 lines

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              The Status of Woman in Islam
      from "Islam in focus" By Hammuda Abdul-Ati, PH.D.
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     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 sacrifices 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 volun-
tarily 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.

1.   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).

2.   She is equal to man in bearing personal and common responsi-
bilities and in receiving rewards for her deeds. She is acknowl-
edged 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).

3.   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.

4.   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.

5.   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.

6.   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).

7.   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).

8.   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 addition-
al 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).

9.   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).

10.  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.

11.  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.

12.  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).

13.  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 responsibil-
ities 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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