In the Name of Allah, the Beneficient, the Most Merciful
"No nation rises higher than its women."
This is a reality for us all with spiritual equality, responsibility and accountability for both men and women is a well-developed theme in the Quran. Spiritual equality between men and women in the sight of Allah is not limited to purely spiritual, religious issues, but is the basis for equality in all temporal aspects of human endeavor. We have to understand that a spiritually evolved woman understands the difference between being a girlfriend to running after boys and choosing a man/husband. This understand can have a play a big difference in her life and make a profound effect on the quality of life for her, her offspring and her community.
Its understood that a strong married couples between a man/woman build wealthy families which, in turn, build affluent communities.
"O mankind! Be conscious of your Sustainer, who has created you out of one living entity (nafs), and out of it created its mate, and out of hte two spread abroad a multitude of men and women. And remain conscious of Allah, in whose name you demand your rights from one another, and of these ties of kinship. Verily, Allah is ever watchful over you! (4:1)"
Unfortunately there are some Quranic translators who disagree on the meaning of "nafs" in the above verse which Muhammad Asad translates as "living entity."
Many claim that "nafs" translates as "person," that is, Adam. But according to another translation of the Qur'an by Asad and other Allah created humankind and its sexual counterpart out of its own kind.
The Arabic word referring to mate (zawj) in the above Quranic verse is grammatically neutral and can be applied both ot male and female interchangeably.
So it is not clear, nor should we conjecture and of course conjecture does not hold any weight over the truth and we can't conjecture that Adam was created first, his wife was created out of Adam, or that woman is innately subservient to Adam/man.
The fact that this Quranic verse does not specify one specific sex over the other is proof of gender non-bias and equality.
It is commonly (and mistakenly) argued that Adam was created first, and that by this gesture Allah finds the male dominant and superior to the female; however, the wording of the Quran in the aforementioned verse does not support this claim. This is non Quranic that Adam or man was created first.
The Quran describes how Adam and and his wife were told to avoid a specific tree, which they both approached. For this act of disobedience to Allah, they were consequently banished from the garden; however, later both repented and were forgiven by Allah.
The Quran does not allude to Adam's wife tempting Adam to eat from the tree and being responsible for their downfall.
In the Quranic version, both were held accountable and both paid the price for their choices, proving that gender equality is an intrinsic part of Islamic belief. (See Quran 2:30-37)
Women are independent individuals, as exemplified by the fact that all human beings will be accountable for their own intentions and deeds on the Day of Judgment when "no human being shall be of the least avail to another human being" (82:19)
If men were ultimately responsibile for women (fathers for their daughters, husbands for their wives, etc.), then this accountability would be solely on men's shoulders to bear until the Day of Judgment.
But this is not the case:
"And whatever wrong any human being commits rests upon himself alone; and no bearer of burdens shall be made to bear another's burden..." (6:165)
Consequently, we cannot be judged according to our own deeds unless we have the freedom of choice to do so. This free choice carries with it the responsibility to make the right choices or paying the consequence for wrong ones, best exemplified by Adam and his wife.
In the Quran, reference to men and women is through attributes and deeds, by which we will be judged.
The most pious of us, or those who follow Allah's commands, are referred to as "believers" or "mu'mineen" (pl.) in the Quran.
In many references, in fact, the Quran resonates this equality by eloquently repeating "men and women" with ethical and practical qualities throughout the verses, and even emphasizes this ten times in the following verse:
"Verily for all men and women who have surrendered themselves unto Allah, and all believing men and believing women, and all truly devout men and truly devout women, and all men and women who are true to their word, and all men and women who are patient in adversity, and all men and women who humble themselves before Allah, and all men and women who give in charity, and all self-denying men and self-denying women, and all men and women who are mindful of their chastity, and all men and women who remember Allah unceasingly: for all of them has Allah readied forgiveness of sins and a mighty reward." (33:35)
It is paramount to understand tha tthe Quran equates being a "mu'min" (sing.) with actual practice, so that it is not enough to just have faith in principle; we must put our faith into practice. The same applies to our belief in the equality of men and women; gender equality as outlined in the Quran must also be put into practice.
Both man and woman have been created from the same single vital principle:
“It is He Who has created you from a single vital principle [NAFS] and then He created from it a sort of being having its like [ZAWJ]…”[7:189].
“O Mankind! Guard yourselves (from the inevitable consequences of violating the commands) of your Guardian-Lord [Rabb] (by carefully abiding by His Guidance) Who created you from a single vital principle [NAFS] and then He created from it a sort of being having its like [ZAWJ]…”[4:1]
“And among His Signs is this, that He created for you sort of beings having your like [AZWAAJ] from your own vital principle [NAFS]…” [30:21]
Male and female are from one another:
“So their Guardian-Lord responded to them: That I will not waste the work of a worker among you, whether male or female, the one of you being from the other;…”[3:195]
All mankind has been created from male and female:
Female plays as vital part in the process of procreation as a male.
“O mankind! We created you all from male and female, and made you into nations and tribes, that you may know each other (not that ye may despise (each other). Verily the most honoured of you in the sight of Allah is (he who is) the most righteous of you. And Allah has full knowledge and is well acquainted (with all things)”. [49:13]
Principle of division of labour:
Men have been blessed with certain qualities which women lack and women are endowed with certain abilities which men do not have. Both men and women can earn and own.
Men shall have what they earn and women shall have whatever they earn [4:32].
Although women can earn but due to biological reasons, they are incapacitated for considerable periods of time, to earn a living. Due to this fact it is obvious and natural that the responsibility for maintaining the family is vested in men. When women are given such protection then they must fulfil their functions as women faithfully and safeguard their potentialities [4:34].
Both men and women are to be rewarded for their actions:
So their Guardian-Lord responded to them: That I will not waste the work of a worker among you, whether male or female, the one of you being from the other;…[3:195]
It was not woman who was deceived by Satan:
Adam and his wife (the representatives of men and women of the human species) have been mentioned in the Quran at various places.
It is incorrect to claim that it was Adam’s wife who was deceived by the Satan. Quran is quite clear in this respect. It says: Satan enticed BOTH of them [2:36].
In the phrase “Faazallahuma alshshaytanu” [2:36], “huma” stands for “both”.
All the qualities that are attributed to Momin men, also belong to Momin women:
Society consists of both men and women, who have to go through life hand in hand. If one of them lags behind, it is bound to hamper the progress of the other. There is no difference in the potentialities of men and women; except certain biological differences which have been retained for the posterity of the human race.
Both are equally capable to submit to the Divine Laws;
Both are equally capable to exhibit complete conviction in them;
Both are equally capable to utilize their developed potentialities according to the Divine Laws; Both are equally capable to be true to the covenant (9:111) which they have made with Allah ; Both are equally capable to be steadfast when facing adversities, troubles or difficulties;
Both are equally capable to be prompt in rendering service to others (like the fruit-laden branch of an easily accessible tree);
Both are equally capable to be ever ready to sacrifice all their assets for the sake of the Divine Order;
Both are equally capable to abstain themselves from all that the Divine Laws prohibit them to do and to bear in mind the restrictions imposed by these Laws;
Both are equally capable to guard their chastity fully; [33:35]
The Quran reveals:
“Let there arise out of you a band of people inviting to all that is good enjoining what is right and forbidding what is wrong: they are the ones to attain felicity.” (3-104)
As Muslims, we try to strive to be close to Allah (become God-conscious) through our daily actions and Allah in turn gives us guidance and outlines how we can become not just Muslims but believers (a higher degree of faith) in the following verses:
He also details our creation in the beginning of men and women by the following verses:
“O Mankind reverence your Guardian Lord, who created you from a single person, created of like nature, his mate and from them twain scattered (like seeds) countless men and women; reverence Allah, through whom ye demand your mutual rights, and reverence the wombs (that bore you): for Allah ever watches over you)" (4:1)
And outlines how men and women should relate to each other in the following verse:
“Allah hath promised to Believers Men and women, Gardens under which rivers flow to dwell therein, and beautiful mansions in gardens of everlasting bliss. But the greatest bliss is the good pleasure of God: that is the supreme felicity” (9: 72)
Diversity began with the creation of gender:
“O human beings! We have created you all out of a male and a female, and made you into (various) peoples and tribes so that you may come to know one another. Surely, the most honored of you in the sight of Allah is the one who is most conscious of Him. Behold, Allah is All-knowing, All-aware” (49:13)………
Yet in this current day and age, women regardless if they are Muslims or not suffer oppression because of cultural restrictions that are not Islamicly justified. This must come to a stop. We must start to dialogue about these oppressions that occur not only around the world but here in our own communities.
Women have suffered for thousands of years even from before the time of the prophet and continue to suffer until today – with female infanticide marking the attitude of Arab society to females which led tribes to treat women as subordinates (like property) to the cruel treatment of women with regards to marriage and divorce etc.
According to history it was not until the Quran was revealed that female infanticide was considered a crime and laws regarding marriage and divorce were outlined to give woman the rights that they had been denied.
But even so, a cultural attitude towards women has persisted throughout the years, we see in practice even here in our own communities in 2011 in some of these so called Muslim countries whereby certain Islamic centers/mosques discourage or even restrict women from attending and some women are intimidated by fear of rejection and humiliation to enter Alah’s house of worship. Some mosques do not allow women to enter the mosque from the front doors etc.
In a 2001 CAIR study of 416 American mosques - 2/3 of mosques women were not allowed to pray in the main hall, 1/4 of the mosques did not offer programs for women, 1/3 did not allow women to sit on the governing
boards.
Women until today still are not educated as to their Islamic rights in marriage (their rights to include various conditions in a marriage contract etc). There have been cases where marriages are not registered with the state and thus denying the woman the legal right of protection in cases of divorce.
Some women are restricted from higher education which is contrary to what the teachings of the Qur'an. Women are discouraged from education because the families fear this will decrease their ability to marry and others who are even less fortunate are restricted from even a basic education in other countries.
Most Muslims are taught that Islam liberated women by giving them rights not previously enjoyed.Some examples include rights of ownership, decision-making in marriage, divorce and so on.
Indeed, when reviewing primary Muslim sources of Qur'an and and not any other book including the so called authentic Hadith (words and deeds allegedly attributed to the Prophet Muhammed),one is impressed by an overall image of men and women as equal partners as those who are expected by Allah to"enjoin the doing of what is right and forbid the doing of what is wrong" (9:71) in all spheres of life, and to act as His vicegerents in ensuring justice, freedom and equality for all.
The importance of developing a strong family as the major building block of a strong society is clearly expressed in Islamic literature. The family unit is solidified by mutual respect, understanding and compassion that applies within the family and among all members of society in general.
Unfortunately, over time, many of the original principles have been abandoned or modified to suit political agendas, thus presenting Muslims with laws and images that hardly resembled the original Islamic community led by Muhammad who brought the Qur'an alone and judged by the Qur'an alone.
Many of these laws were generated between the 10th and 12th centuries from man made guesswork called Hadith and Sunnah books long after the death of Muhammad, and are particularly reflected in legislation today related to marriage and divorce which often place women at a distinct disadvantage.
Muslims who live as minorities in non-Islamic countries are also affected by the sexist and authoritarian attitudes that pervade many communities and impact behavior in terms of marriage, divorce, abuse, exclusion of women from the mosques and decision-making bodies, double standards applied to male and female children and so on.
Because of a belief in a liberated, equitable and dignified position of women outlined in the Qur'an, many Muslims, men and women alike, are calling for reevaluation of attitudes and practices that, although done in the name of Islam, are actually contrary to the basic messages found in the primary source, the Qur'an alone.
To question and possibly oppose entrenched positions that are based on archaic laws, man made books called Hadith and Sunnah, or cultural trends, requires courage and conviction on the part of Muslims today. But this is necessary and worth any risks in order to enable women to achieve liberation through Islam as originally intended.
Major problem areas that need to be addressed include the following:
1) Family laws pertaining to marriage and divorce that reinforce the image of relationships based on a hierarchy with the rights of the husband superseding those of the wife and that prevent women from being in control of their lives.
2) Violence against women which occurs in the home, community, and as a consequence of warfare which is claimed by some to be allowed by Islam when it is not.
3) Abuse of certain Islamic practices that affect women negatively, such as polygamy and temporary marriage, when applied out of context and without abiding by Islamic restrictions.
4) Excluding women from religious activities such as attendance in the mosque which has clearly been established as the Muslim woman's right.
5) Failure to promote the importance of a woman's contribution to society beyond child-bearing.
6) Failure to enable women to take advantage of rights of property ownership and inheritance outlined by Islam. Focusing on the behavior of women as a marker for morality in society and subjecting them to harassment, intimidation or discrimination.
7) Lack of awareness of the important role of men in contributing significantly in sharing household responsibilities and child-rearing as exemplified by Prophet Muhammed through following the Qur'an alone.
According to reports a young woman living in Florida at the time was told she could not pursue a medical education because that would restrict her ability to get married according to man made guesswork called Hadith and miscontrued verses of the Qur'an.
According to Muslims who follow outside teachings of the Qur'an called Hadith some women are restricted to pursue careers as well. This is in contrast to the Prophet himself who married a successful business women and was not known to discourage her from that pursuit according to their own man made guesswork called Hadith.
Some women are beaten in the name of Islam by their male counterparts when we know these were not teachings from the Qur'an.
In some current reports on abuse of women, one woman living in the San Fernando valley was punched in the head causing her to be rushed to the Emergency Room because of blood coming out of her ear.
Another woman was forcefully shoved out of a room while she was instructing her son to work on his homework apparently because her husband wasn't able to listen to his television program. Isn't this oppressive?
In another case, a man used the Qur'an in a court of law to explain to the judge why abusing his wife was a right afforded to him by the deen. Imagine that?
In other scenarios, some religious leaders have advised women not to report the abuse to the authorities or blame the woman for breaking up the family. Islam is often used to justify the abuse or blame the victim.
Allah created mates for the following reason:
“And among His wonders is that He created for you mates from among yourselves that you might find restfulness (and satisfaction), and he has engendered between you affection, and tenderness; surely, in that are signs for people who think….” (30:21)
Let the Qur'an be our guide and all of the Prophet's portrayed in the Qur'an be our example of behavior as detailed in the Qur'an.
All of the Prophet's of Allah were men of character, honesty and integrity – they treated their family with kindness and their wives in specific with justice and wisdom.
Muslim women and non Muslim women around the world are suffering because many are raising children single-handedly in the war torn countries and are struggling to make ends meet.
Others suffer oppression at the hands of the system in cases of rape where there is no just legal recourse to this crime for them or from unjust family laws that leave a woman high and dry without any support.
As believers, men and women, we have a responsibility to counter this oppression and right the wrong. Even the smallest of good deeds will not go unrewarded if we have good intentions.
Greet your sisters in Islam with the best of greetings when they enter the mosque and facilitate the Islamic education starting with your daughters/sisters of their rights especially when it comes to marriage and divorce. The leadership has a responsibility to educate the community about affairs of marriage and divorce and provide access to samples of marriage contracts.
The leadership also should encourage couples to discuss important issues prior to marriage to encourage healthy communication as part of community building process.
The Ummah must realize the importance of brotherhood/sisterhood and support each other especially in the United States where there is a lack of extended family - this will ensure stability of families and provide the necessary psychological/moral support that many families need living in a society as a minority.
Women as well have a duty to educate themselves and their offspring and know that their participation in mosques and Islamic activities is their duty.
We need to combat domestic violence occurring in our communities there is no verse in the Qur'an telling men to 'beat' physically abuse or hit their wives and we need to convey this information by participating in awareness campaigns and advising families to seek professional help to avoid the tragic consequences that result and passing this behavior down from one generation to another.
The Islamic leadership including the Shura council must realize the necessity of professional training by experts re: the handling and recognition of domestic violence in the community. In one of the Los Angeles mosques - two brothers on the religious council doubted the fact that domestic violence exists. We need a public discourse and a forum to hear the concerns of Muslim women and to express our outrage at oppression when we witness it.
If we struggle together, men and women to combat oppression against our fellow believers around the world – internal and external oppression – we will be the victors and our Ummah will be a stronger one for that Allah says:
“And their Lord hath accepted of them, and answered them: “Never will I suffer or be lost the work of any of you be he male or female; ye are members, one of another………” (3:195)
The vision of our Ummah is one of men and women, sisters and brothers, male and female believers side by side, working for the cause of Allah to bring justice and peace to the rest of mankind.
Men and women acting as vicegerents to fulfill our responsibility to Allah in the best possible manner, inviting those to the truth, spreading good and working for justice around the world.
The Qur'an outlines essential components of all relationships between all people. These include, among many others, respect, kindness, honesty, tolerance, self-restraint, patience, forgiveness and compassion.
Such virtues apply between parents and children, spouses, business partners, neighbors and friends, regardless of gender.
The following Qur'anic verses illustrate these ideals:
And as for the believers, both men and women, they are close unto one another: they (all) enjoin the doing of what is right and forbid the doing of what is wrong, and are constant in prayer, and render the purifying dues, and pay heed unto God and His Apostle. (9:71)
And vie with one another to attain your Sustainer's forgiveness and to a paradise as vast as the heavens and the earth which has been readied for the God- conscious who spend (in His way) in time of plenty and in time of hardship, and hold in check their anger, and pardon their fellow men because God loves the doers of good. (3:133-134)
And among his wonders is this: He creates for you mates out of your own kind, so that you might incline towards them, and He engenders love and tenderness between you: in this, behold there are messages indeed for people who think.(30:21)
And do good unto thy parents. Should one of them, or both, attain to old age in thy care, never say (a word of disdain) to them or scold them, but (always) speak unto them with reverent speech, and spread over them humbly the wings of thy tenderness, and say: "O my Sustainer! Bestow Thy grace upon them, even as they cherished and reared me when I was a child!" (17:23-24)
In some communities, social contact between men and women who are not related is completely forbidden because of Muslims following man made books outside of the Qur'an called Hadith and Sunnah books, thus resulting in segregated schools, businesses, government offices, and the virtual exclusion of women from positions of power or control.
The domination and oppression of women has resulted from restrictions on social interactions enabling the leadership in governments to deny basic human rights and use Islam to support their position.
The Quran says about the believers in 22:41:
"When we establish them in the land and give them power and authority, they will establish system of Salat, a system of Zakat (i.e. providing means of development for all), and order what is right and stop others from what is wrong and in the end, all matters will be decided in accordance with the Laws of Allah." [22:41]
According to 22:41, when the believers have their own government (i.e. authority and power), they will do three things:
1. They will establish system of Salat
2. They will establish system of Zakat
3. They will order what is right and forbid what is wrong
In other words, three primarily important tasks of an Islamic government would be to establish systems of Salat and Zakat, order what is right and forbid what is wrong.
According to 9:71, women are to equally participate in the above mentioned three primarily important tasks of an islamic government. See the following verse:
"Men and women are each other's friends and benefactors. Both of them order what is right and stop (others from) what is wrong. They establish the system of Salat and arrange for giving Zakat. They obey Allah and His Messenger. These are the ones who will be blessed with kind protection and growth (like an embryo gets in mother's womb). This will be from Allah, Who is all powerful and His power is based on reason."[9:71]
It is clear from the above that men and women equally participate in the affairs of an Islamic Government.
Women can only be confined in homes as a punishment if they are guilty of lewdness and there are at least four witnesses to prove this charge [4:15].
Otherwise, they can not only go out but can also do job [4:32] to earn a living if they desire to and they can also take part in the government [9:71; 22:41].
4/15 And as for those who are guilty of an indecency from among your women, call to witnesses against them four (witnesses) from among you; then if they bear witness confine them to the houses until death takes them away or Allah opens someway for them.
The punishment for men for the same offence is mentioned in 4:16. However, it is not house arrest but any other physical punishment that is to be decide by the islamic Government because, if men are also kept under house arrest, they will not be able to earn a living for themselves and their family.
The keyword in the above verse (4:15) is "AMSIKOO", with the root M-S-K (meem-seen-kaaf) which means:
To retain, detain, withhold, arrest, restrain, confine or , imprison.
Since women are to be confined in homes only as a punishment, there confinement without any reason would be a crime. Moreover, if the accusation on women is false, the punishment to the accusers is 80 lashes.
24/4 And those who accuse chaste women then do not bring four witnesses, flog them, (giving) eighty stripes, and do not admit any evidence from them ever; and these it is that are the transgressors,
In 33:33, Quran says to women:
Associate yourselves with home...[33:33]
The key word here is "QARN", which is different from "AMSIKOO" used in 4:15 and does not mean to be confined (in homes) but to associate and affiliate (with homes).
The verse, however, was revealed about the worthy wives of the Prophet. Nevertheless, the verse formulates the principle that the centre of woman's duties is her home, which plays a vital role in human life.
Home here does not refer to a house of brick and mortar. But it refers to pleasant and peaceful surroundings which are conducive to the development of finer sentiments and for the rearing, education and training of the coming generations.
While Quran suggests that women are to play a vital role at home, it exempts them from the duties of earning and bearing the expenses of the family, which it lays upon men.
However, in exceptional circumstances, Quran does not forbid women from doing job to earn a living. It just suggests a principle of division of labour between men and women taking into account their biological and psychological differences.
A Muslim woman prays at the Baiturrahman grand mosque in Banda Aceh, Indonesia September 13, 2009. Muslims who commit adultery in Indonesia's Aceh province may be stoned to death under a controversial new sharia law passed by the local parliament on Monday. Aceh is the only province in predominantly Muslim Indonesia to use sharia for its legal code, introduced as part of an autonomy deal in 2002. Picture taken September 13, 2009. REUTERS/Tarmizy Harva (INDONESIA RELIGION IMAGES OF THE DAY CRIME LAW)