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The issue of women in Islām has been subjected to all kinds of
controversies, misunderstandings and especially misinformation. To
begin with, the most important aspect of this issue is the spiritual
aspect. Muslims must accept that the main purpose behind the creation
of Jinn and humans is that they should worship none other than Allāh,
for Allāh mentions in His Qur’ān:
“That I have created the Jinn and
Human only for My worship.”
From this we can see that in this
spiritual matter Islām makes no distinction between men and women.
Both have a duty to fulfil their religious obligations, both will be
judged by Allāh and both will be rewarded or punished according to
their individual actions.
At this point a question might
arise that if such a complete and comprehensive spiritual equality
exists between these two sexes, then why is this identical treatment
not found in other rights, duties and privileges. Muslims and
especially non-Muslims question why men go out to work while women are
encouraged to stay at home, why women have to wear hijāb. Why does a
brother receive a larger share of inheritance, why can a man be a
ruler over a woman etc. these non-Muslims conclude that Islām treats
women as inferior beings.
Before these questions are
explained, one must understand that laws can never be discussed
without being explained, so we must firstly consider the fundamental
Islāmic ethos that men and women are two different yet complementary
sexes. It is an established medical fact that men and women have
different biological compositions and temperaments. Allāh
U
created us and knows this biological difference better than we do. He
has thus assigned to men and women the roles that each excels in due
to its nature.
Neither gender is inferior or
superior to the other. Instead they complement each other like two
halves of a whole. A simple example is that in everyday life we see
that society consists of many different kinds of people, all of whom
pay a particular role to keep the society intact. The farmer and the
doctor make different contributions to society, but both are equally
important, each one excels in his own field and each provides a
service for the other.
Similarly, men and women are
different sexes but they play vital roles in their own areas of
excellence. The hadīth of Rasūlullāh
e
speaks of women with praise and respect. Nabī
e
says, “The world and all the things in it are precious, but the most
precious thing in the world is a virtuous woman.” (Musnad Ahmad, Sahīh
Muslim)
While men are the physically
strong sex, the woman’s biological make up has made her excel as a
home maker. She alone can be impregnated, carry and deliver the child
and then suckle the baby. Her gentle, caring and self sacrificing
temperament is best suited to bringing up children and looking after a
home.
So, O Mothers and Sisters in
Islām, don’t feel that Allāh
U
has made you inferior. Rather Allāh
U
has honoured you and given you an important role in your society and
in Islām, for it is you who will bring forth leaders in the form of
Huffāz, Ulamā, doctors, lawyers, etc. Those women w+ho are in hijāb
should not feel that Allāh has ostracized them by covering them up.
Rather Allāh U
has protected them just like how an oyster protects its beautiful
pearl.
You, O believing Mother and
Sister in the eyes of Islām, are those beautiful pearls.
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