Rights of Women in Islam

8/9/2019 Rights of Women in Islam

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Islam believes in and teaches equality of men and women. Equality does not mean that theyare identical. Suppose a thief enters the house will you as a man say that I believe in womensrights so I will let my mother, my sister or my daughter to go and fight the thief?

No, but youll fight him, if required they may interfere but under normal circumstances youhave to go and tackle the thief since Allah has given you more physical strength. So here, inphysical strength, man is one degree higher than the woman.

Let us take another example where it comes to respecting the parents, the children aresupposed to respect the mother 3 times more than the father. Here the women have onedegree higher than the men. Overall both are equal

Let us divide the rights of women in Islam into several categories:

1. Spiritual Rights:a. Both men and women will go to heaven;b. Both men and women have the same spiritual nature;c. Pregnancy and child birth have uplifted the women;d. Sex has got no criteria in Islam. The only criterion is God consciousness;e. The spiritual duties, the moral duties, for the men and women in Islam are the

same.2. Economical Rights:

a. Women can own properties;b. If a Muslim woman wishes to work she can work;c. Many of the jobs which are prohibited for the woman are also prohibited for the

man;d. A Muslim woman has got no financial obligations;e. The financial obligation is put on the shoulder of the man in the family;f. When a Muslim woman gets married, she receives a marital gift;g. If a Woman works, whatever earning she gets, it is absolutely her property;h. Irrespective how rich the wife is, it is the duty of the husband to look after her;i. If a wife gets widowed, she is given financial support.

3. Social Rights:a. In Islam, a daughter should be brought up correctly;

b.

Prophet Muhammad PBUH he did not only speak about justice but practiced it.c. The Quran refers to the woman as fortress against the devil;d. Marriage in Islam is encouraged;e. It is compulsory that the man and woman both should agree to marry. A woman

should not be forced to marry;f. Islam gives equal rights to the man and woman except leadership;g. Even if you dislike your wife you have to treat her kindly and with equity; h. The only thing above respect to Mother, is the worship of Allah; i. Paradise lies at the feet of the mother;

j. Most of the love of children should go to mother as mentioned in a Hadith; k. Men and women are brothers and sisters unto each other, unless otherwise.

4 . Educational Rights: a. The Prophet ordained the parents to give religious education to their daughters;

b. The women were very enthusiastic to acquire knowledge; c. Examples of several Muslim women scholars 1 400 years ago.

5 . Legal Rights: a. In Islam a woman is allowed to give witness; b. In Islam a woman has the option of either keeping her husbands name maintain-

ing her maiden name. 6 . Political Rights:

a. Men and women should support each other even politically;b. Islam gives women the right to vote; c. Women can even take part in law making; d. Women have even taken part in the battle fields.

Now let us discuss them in detail:


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1. SPIRITUAL RIGHTS

a) Both men and women will go to heaven; sex is not the criteria to enter Paradise:

If any of you do deeds of righteousness, whether it be male or a female and has faith, they shall surely enter Paradise and not the least injustice shall be done to them. ( Quran 4:124 )

Also read 1 6 :97.

b) In the 17th century, the Council of wise men gathered at Rome and they unanimouslyagreed that the woman had no soul. In Islam, man and woman have the same spiritual nature:

We have made for you companions and mates of your own nature. (Quran 16:72)

He is the one who has created the heavens and the earth and has made for you pairs fromamong yourselves. (Quran 42:11)

Also read 4 :1.

c) Pregnancy and child birth have uplifted the women:

Respect the womb that bore you. (Quran 4:1)

We have enjoined on the human being to be kind to the parents, in travail upon travail did their mother bore them and in years twain was their weaning. (Quran 31:14)

d) Sex has got no criteria in Islam. The only criterion is God consciousness:

I will never suffer the loss of any of you, be it male or female, you are companions unto eachother. Quran (3:195)

e) The spiritual duties, the moral duties, for the men and women in Islam are the same; bothhave to believe, both have to pray, both have to fast, both have to give zakat, etc. Quran saysin 33:3 5 that:

For Muslim men and Muslim womenFor believing men and womenFor devout men and womenFor true men and womenFor men and women who are patient and constant For men and women who give in charity For men and women who fast and deny themselves For men and women who guard their chastity For men and women who engage much in Allahs praise

That for them Allah has prepared forgiveness and ample of reward

But the women have been given certain concession in Islam. If she is undergoing hermenstrual period or pregnancy, she does not have to fast. She can keep those fasts later on,when she is healthier. In fact, during the menstrual period and during the postnatal period, sheneed not pray also. She has been given the concession, and neither does she have tocompensate it later on.

2 . ECONOMICAL RIGHTS

a) An adult Muslim woman can own, she can dispose or disown any of her property withoutconsulting any one, irrespective whether she is married or she is single.


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b) If a Muslim woman wishes to work she can work. As long as it is not unlawful, as long as it iswithin the preview of the Islamic Shariah, as long as she maintains her Islamic dress code. Shecannot take up jobs, which exhibit her beauty and body. She can be doctor, nurse.

She is also allowed to work in factories and small scale industries in which, which hasbeen designed exclusively for the ladies. She can work in places which have got separatesections of gents and ladies.

She can also do business, and where it comes to doing transactions, where it involvesinteraction with a foreign male, with a stranger, she should do it through her father, brother,husband or son.

c) Many of the jobs which are prohibited for the woman are also prohibited for the man, forexample serving liquor, working in gambling dens, doing any unethical or dishonest business.

d) A Muslim woman has got no financial obligations. The financial obligation is laid on theshoulders of the man in the family. Therefore she need not work for her livelihood.

e) The financial obligation is put on the shoulder of the man in the family. Before marriagefather or the brother; after marriage husband or the son.

f) When a Muslim woman gets married, she receives a marital gift, which is called as Meher and it is compulsory:

Give to the woman in dower, a marital gift. (Quran 4:4)

g) If a Woman works, whatever earning she gets, it is absolutely her property. She does notneed to spend a single penny on the household; if she wants to spend it is her free will.

h) Irrespective how rich the wife is, it is the duty of the husband to give lodging, boarding,clothing and look after the financial aspects of the wife.

i) In case of divorce or if a wife gets widowed, she is given financial support for the period of Iddah, and if she has children, she is also given child support.

3 . SOCIAL RIGHTS

a) In Islam, a daughter should be brought up correctly:

According to a Hadith, Prophet (may peace be upon him) said:

Anyone who brings up two daughters properly, they will be like this to me on the day of judgment. Means, will be very close to me on the day of judgment

Another Hadith says:

Anyone who up brings 2 daughters properly and takes good care and brings them up with loveand affection, they will enter Paradise.

In Islam, there should be no partiality in upbringing of the daughters or the son.

b) Prophet Muhammad (may peace be upon him) he did not only speak about justice, he alsopracticed it. According to a Hadith:

In the presence of the Prophet, once a man kissed his son and placed him on his lap but did not do the same to his daughter. The Prophet immediately objected and said that you areunjust, you should have even kissed your daughter and placed her on the other lap.


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c) The Quran refers to the woman as Mohsana, that is a fortress against the devil.

d) Marriage in Islam is encouraged. Prophet Muhammad PBUH said:

Anyone who marries completes half his deen.

e) It is compulsory that the man and women both should agree to marry. No one, not even thefather can force their daughter to marry against her wishes. Quran clearly says:

O ye who believe! Ye are forbidden to inherit women against their will. Nor should ye treat them with harshness. (Quran 4:19)

A Hadith says

A lady she was forced by her father to marry against her wishes, and she went to the Prophet and the Prophet invalidated the marriage. (Sahih Bukhari, Volume No. 7, Ch. No. 43, HadithNo. 69)

f) Islam gives equal rights to the man and woman except leadership in the family:

The women have been given rights similar against them on equitable terms but the men have

a degree higher . (Quran 2:228)

Most of the Muslims have misunderstood this verse, when it says men have a degreehigher. We should analyze the Quran as a whole. A verse in Quran says:

The men are the protectors and maintainer of the women, for Allah (SWT) has given one of them more strength than the other and they give them their means. (Quran 4:34)

People say the word Kawwam means one degree higher in superiority. But actually theword Kawwam comes from the root word Ikamah which means to stand up. So the word

Kawwam means one degree higher in responsibility, not one degree higher in superiority.

And this responsibility should be carried out by mutual consent of both husband andwife. Quran says:

Your wives are your garments, and you are their garments. (Quran 2:187)

Whats the objective of garments? It is used to conceal and to beautify. The husbandand wife should conceal each others faults, and they should beautify each other. Its arelationship of hands and gloves.

g) Even if you dislike your wife you have to treat her kindly and with equity:

Treat your wives on a footing of equity and kindness even if you dislike her. For you may dislike a thing for which Allah has made good for you. (Quran 4:19)

h) The only thing above respect to Mother, is the worship of Allah:

Allah has ordained for you - that Allah has ordained for you, that you worship none but Him,and to be kind to our parents. And if any one or both of them reach old age do not say a word of contempt or repel them but address them with honour, and speak to them with kindness,and lower your wing of humility and pray to Allah (SWT) -My Lord, bless them as they havecherished me in childhood. (Quran 17:28-29)

Respect the womb that bore you. (Quran 4:1)


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i) If you respect your mother, if you are kind to your mother, after you fulfill your basic duties,if you are honorable to your mother, you will enter Paradise as mentioned in a Hadith:

Paradise lies at the feet of the mother.

j) Most of the love of children should go to mother as mentioned in a Hadith:

A man asked the Prophet, Who requires the maximum love and respect and my companionship in this world?

The Prophet replied, Your mother.

The man asked again, who is next? Prophet replied, Your mother.

The man asked the third time, who is next? The Prophet PBUH again said, Your mother.

The man asked for the fourth time, Who is next?

The Prophet replied, Your father.

7 5% of the love and respect goes to the father, sorry goes to the mother and 2 5% of the love and respect goes to the father.

k) The men and the women they are maintainers and supporters of each other. (Quran 9:71).

The word Auliya here means supporters and maintainers. They are supporters andmaintainers of each other. In short they are brothers and sisters unto each other, unlessotherwise. Prophet Muhammed (may peace be upon him) said:

The women are the Shakat.

Shakat means sister. It also means half, as humankind has been divided into two

halves: men and women. It refers to as half, also as sisters.

4 . EDUCATIONAL RIGHTS

a) The Prophet ordained the parents that they give religious education to their daughters. Andafter a lady is married, it was the duty of the husband to provide her with the religiouseducation. If he couldnt do it himself, and if she wanted, he should allow her to go somewhereelse to acquire the education.

b) According to Sahih Bukhari, the women were very enthusiastic to acquire knowledge, andthey once told the Prophet, You are usually surrounded by men, why do not you give us oneparticular day so that we too can ask you questions. And the Prophet agreed.

Beside he himself going, he sent many other of his Companions to the women, to givethem education. Imagine, 1 400 years ago, when the women were ill treated and were onlyused as chattels, leave aside being educated, Islam asked the women to be educated

c) We have examples of several Muslim women who are scholars.

The best example I can give you is of Bibi Ayaisha (may Allah be pleased with her), who wasthe daughter of Hazrat Abu baker, the first Khalifa of Islam, (may Allah be pleased with him),and the wife of our beloved Prophet Muhammad (may peace be upon him). She gave guidanceeven to the Companions and to the Khalifas. One of her famous student Urwah-Ibn-Zubair


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She said that I have not seen a greater scholar than Ayaisha in the field of learning of theQuran, in obligatory duties, in lawful and unlawful matters, in literature and poetry, in Arabhistory

She was not only expert in the religious field; she had profound knowledge of medicine.Whenever the foreign delegates came to the Prophet and discussed, she used to memorize theremedies.

She was well versed in the field of math, and many times the companions came to her to askproblems of inheritance and how much share could be divide how much share should be givento the each individual.

She is said to have guided all the four Khalifas, including the companions. And she also gaveguidance, many a times to Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him) and she herself hasnarrated 221 0 Hadiths.

According to AbuUmm, according to Abu Moosa, who was a famous Jurist, whenever wecompanions had lack of knowledge on a matter, we went to Hazrat Ayaisha (May Allah bepleased with her), and definitely she had knowledge about it.

One more example is Hazrat Safiya (may Allah be pleased with her) who was the wife of theProphet, who was an expert on Fiqah Islamic Jurisprudence. According to Imam an Nouvi Shewas the most intellectual women of that time.

Another example is Umme Salma (may Allah be pleased with her) who was the wife of thebeloved Prophet. According to Ibn Hajar she has taught 32 different scholars.

Fatima-Binte-Kais , she is said to have a discussion on Fiqh, for a full day with Hazrat Ayaishaand Hazrat Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both), and still they could not prove herwrong. According to Imam an Nauvi, she migrated in the early days and she had profoundknowledge

Umme Salim , who was the mother of Anas - she is said to be very well versed in the field of

Dawah.

Saeeda Nafisa , who was the granddaughter of Hasan and she also said to have taught ImamShafi, who was the founder of the one of schools of thought.

Umme-Ad-darda , who was the wife of Abul -Ad-darda, she is said be an expert in science

At the time when the women were ill treated, at the time when women were buried alive, whenthey were born, at that time Islam had women scholars, in the field of medicine, in the field of science, in the field of Religion. Because Islam tells that every woman should be educated.

5. LEGAL RIGHTS

a) In Islam a woman is allowed to give witness. Imagine, Islam gave right to a woman to be awitness, 1 4 centuries ago. Even now in as late as 198 0 , the Jewish Rabai were considering thatwhether the women should be given a right to act as a witness or not - And Islam gave thatright 1 400 years ago. Quran says:

If any of you put a charge against the chastity of a woman, produce 4 witnesses, and if they falter, flog them with 80 stripes. (Quran 24:4)

In Islam for a small crime, you require 2 witness, for a big crime you require 4 witnessesAccusing a woman falsely is a big crime in Islam, therefore you require 4 witnesses. In aIslamic State, if a man calls a woman a prostitute in public or anywhere else, and if she takes


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that man to court, and if that man cannot produce 4 witnesses or even if he produces 4 witnesses and any one of them falter, all of them will receive 8 0 lashes each.

b) When a lady marries, she normally adopts the name of her husband. In Islam she has theoption of either keeping her husbands name or maintaining her maiden name. And maintainingthe maiden name is recommended in Islam and we find in several Muslim societies that women,even after they get married they maintain their maiden name, because according to the Islamiclaw men and women are equal.

6 . POLITICAL RIGHTS

a) The men and the women they are supporters of each other. (Quran 9:71)

Supporters not only Socially - even Politically Politically, men and women shouldsupport each other.

b) Islam gives women the right to vote:

O Prophet when the believing women come to thee with an oath of fealty. (Quran 60:12)

Here, the Arabic word is Bayan which means much more than our modern, present day elec-

tion, - because Prophet Muhammed (may peace be upon him), he was not only the messengerof Allah, but he was also the head of the state

And women came to the Prophet and they agreed with him being the head of the state.

c) Women can even take part in law making. According to the famous Hadith in which HazratUmar (may Allah be pleased with him) was discussing with the Companions and consideringputting an upper limit on the Meher (Marital gift), since young men were discouraged fromgetting married. A lady from the back seat objected and said When the Quran says in SurahNisa Ch. 4 , Verse No.2 0 that you can even give a heap of treasure, a heap of gold in Meher,when Quran puts no limit on Meher, who is Umar to put a limit (may Allah be pleased withhim). And immediately Hazrat Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said Umar is wrong and

the lady is right

Imagine, she was a common lad. If it would have been a famous lady, the name of thelady would be mentioned in the Hadith. Since the Hadith does not mention the name of thelady, we can understand that the lady was a common lady. Means, even a common lady canobject to the Khalifa, the head of the state.

And in technical terms it would be called that she is objecting to the breach of theconstitution because Quran is the constitution of the Muslims. That means a woman can eventake part in law making

d) Women have even taken part in the battle fields

There is a full chapter in the Sahih Bukhari mentioning women in the battle field, women gavewater and they give first aid to the soldiers. And there is a particular mention of a woman bythe name of Nasiba, who were among the few, who protected our beloved Prophet during thebattle of Ohud.

Because the Quran says Man is the protector of the Woman. Under normal circumstances, thewomen should not go to the battle field. It is the duty of the man. Only when required, undernecessity women are allowed. But there also they should maintain their Islamic Hijab and theIslamic ethics, and their modesty.

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Rights of Women in Islam