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The Condition of Women before Islam
Islam came at a time when
women all over the world were being oppressed and exploited. The most any
society would accord the woman was to admit that she was part of the human
race. They never admitted her dignity or gave her rights and
responsibilities equal to those of men. The Greeks considered her to be an
object of pleasure and amusement. This view was articulated in the
classical texts most unambiguously:
We take prostitutes for
pleasure, lovers to care for our daily health, and wives to give us
legitimate children.
The Romans gave the father
and husband the right to sell her to whomever they pleased.
The Arabs gave the son the
right to inherit the wife of his father (not his own mother) just like he
would inherit his father’s wealth and his steed! That is if she were lucky
enough not to have been buried alive at birth.
This was the case with the
rest of the world’s societies at that time, like those of the Persians and
the Hindus.
Women remained in this
horrible state without protesting or rebelling against it. No one else was
to do so either. Nor were there any social or economic developments that
would require a betterment of her status.
Then Islam came,
proclaiming her rights and her equality with men. It established for her
all of her rights to bring her out of the miserable state that she was in
and elevate her to the noble status that she deserves.
How did this happen?
Equality Between Men and Women in Islam
Islam establishes the
principle of equality between men and women in all aspects of life that
they are equal in, because both of them are equally human. It does however
distinguishes between them in some areas, taking into consideration the
natural differences between them and the special qualities that each of
them has.
Equality between men and
women in Islam is derived from the following considerations:
1. Equality in their human origins:
Islam conclusively
establishes that all human beings have a common origin.
This fact is mentioned in
many verses of the Qur’ân:
- O Mankind, fear your Lord who created you from a single
soul and created from it its mate and brought forth from the two of them
many men and women.
- O Mankind, verily we created you from a male and a female
and made you into nations and tribes so you may know one another. Verily
the most honorable of you with Allah are the most righteous.
2. Equality in their common destiny:
Islam also establishes that
all of mankind is going to return to Allah who created them, and everyone –
male and female – is going to be recompensed for his or her worldly deeds.
They will receive well if they did good and they will be requited with evil
if they did evil.
Allah says:
- And every one of you will come to Him alone on the Day of
Resurrection.
- A human being will have nothing except for what he does.
And his deeds will be seen. Then he will be recompensed fully.
- So their Lord accepted of them their supplication and
answered them: ‘I will never allow the work of any of you to be lost, male
or female. You are from each other.
- Whoever works righteousness as a believer, whether male or
female, we will truly give a good life and We shall pay them a reward in
proportion to the best of what they used to do.
Women's Rights in Islam
We should point out that
human rights in Islam are not merely rights but are religious obligations.
This means that it is obligatory for every person to protect them and
restore them if they are taken away. It is equally obligatory upon society
to make sure that every individual can enjoy his or her rights to the
fullest.
Islam has secured for the
woman every human right. This includes her intellectual, religious, social,
economic and political rights.
Intellectual and Religious Rights
Islam has guaranteed every
man and woman the right to think and believe as they choose. It considers
thinking and investigating to be an obligation upon every human being.
There are numerous verses in the Qur’ân that encourage people to think
about and investigate the phenomena both in the world around them and in
the wonder of life itself.
Allah says:
- Do they not look in the dominion of the heavens and the
Earth and all the things that Allah has created?”
- Say (O Muhammad): “Behold all that is in the Heavens and
the Earth.’ But neither signs nor warners benefit those who do not
believe.”
- Say: “‘Travel in the land and see how Allah originated
Creation.”
- Say (O Muhammad): “I exhort you to one thing only: that
you stand up for Allah’s sake together and individually and reflect: there
is no madness in your companion (Muhammad).”
As for the right to one’s
own belief, Islam has guaranteed it and forbidden anyone to compel another
to change his or her belief. Allah says:
- There is no compulsion in religion. Verily, the true path
is clearly distinct from error.
- So, will you (O Muhammad) then compel mankind so they will
become believers?
- You (O Muhammad) are merely a warner. You are not a
dictator over them.
The Qur’ân threatens those
who persecute believing men and women in order to turn them from their
faith:
Verily those who persecute
the believing men and women and then do not turn to Allah in repentance,
they will have the punishment of Hell, and they will have the punishment of
the Fire.
From all of these texts,
the independent religious identity of the woman becomes quite clear. No one
else can impose upon her what she should believe. She must, of her own free
will, decide what to believe.
Allah says:
- O you who believe, if believing women come to you as
emigrants, examine them. Allah knows best their faith. Then, if you
ascertain that they are true believers, do not send them back to the
disbelievers.
- O Prophet, if believing women come to you to give you
their pledge that they will not associate anything in worship with Allah,
nor steal, nor commit fornication, nor kill their children, nor commit
slander, nor forge falsehood (to making illegitimate children belong to
their husbands), nor disobey you in goodness, then accept their pledge and
ask Allah to forgive them. Verily, Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.
- O wives of the Prophet! Whoever of you commits manifest
lewdness will have a double punishment. This is easy for Allah. And whoever
of you is obedient to Allah and His Messenger and works righteous deeds
will be given a double reward.
When Islam came, women
accepted Islam and made the emigration to Madinah, even though their
fathers, husbands, and the rest of their male relatives remained
disbelievers. Umm Habîbah, the daughter of Abû Sufyân, accepted Islam and
emigrated in spite of the fact that her father was one of the leaders of
the disbelievers. Even when her husband abandoned Islam, she remained
steadfast in her belief.
Fâtimah, the daughter of
al-Khattâb, became Muslim before her brother `Umar did and was the cause
for him accepting Islam, because of her faith and because she stood up to
him when he found out about her becoming a Muslim and wanted to abuse her.
Umm Kulthûm, the daughter
of `Uqbah b. Abî Mu`ît, accepted Islam and emigrated in spite of the fact
that every member of her family remained polytheists.
There were many women who
accepted Islam and were the reasons for their husbands accepting Islam. Umm
Sulaym – the wife of Abû Talhah al-Ansârî – and Umm Hakîm bint Huzâm – the
wife of `Ikrimah b. Abî Jahl – were among these women.
Social and Economic Rights
Not only does Islam
recognize her right to think and believe as she likes, it considers her to
be an active member of society who can make a valuable contribution. Islam,
therefore, secures for her many rights, including the right to an
education, the right to own property and to use it at her own discretion,
and the right to work.
1. The right to an education:
In Islam, seeking knowledge
is a religious duty upon every man and woman. This is because knowledge is
integral to Islamic life. In the light of knowledge, a person’s eyes are
opened. This person can then worship the Lord with proper insight and
understanding. Allah says:
Read in the name of your
Lord who created. Who created the human being from a clot. Read, and your
Lord is the Most Generous. Who taught by the pen. Who taught the human
being what he knew not.
Knowledge is a gift from
Allah to every human being. Consequently, it is a right granted to all. No
man or woman may be barred from it. The woman’s right to knowledge is
exactly the same as a man’s. She must know the teachings of her religion
and may acquire a deep understanding thereof. The verse mentioned above is
addressed to all humanity, ordering them to read and to learn. It was the
first verse of the Qur’ân to be revealed. It does not differentiate between
men and women.
This is what the woman
enjoyed since the first days of Islam’s history. Women used to compete with
men in attaining knowledge at the mosque and at the houses of Allah’s
Messenger (peace be upon him). Their strong desire for knowledge made the
women ask the Messenger (peace be upon him) to set aside a special day for
teaching them, above and beyond the general lessons that were open to women
and men alike. Allah’s Messenger did, in fact, set aside a special day to
remind them and to teach them.
Due to the care given by
the women and the attention to knowledge given by Islam, many great
scholars, jurists, writers, and poets appeared among the women during the
era of the Companions and the Successors, and during every era of Islamic
history.
2. The right to own and dispose of property:
This is established by the
Qur’ân in many of its verses.
Allah says:
- Men have a share of what they earn and women have a share
of what they earn.
- Men have a share of what their parents and relatives leave
behind, and women have a share of what their parents and relatives leave
behind, whether the estate be small or large – a legal share.
- And give to the women their dowries with a good heart; but
if they, of their own good pleasure, remit any part of it to you, take it
and enjoy it without fear.
There is consensus among
the scholars of Islam that all economic activities of a woman, like buying,
selling, leasing, giving gifts, and giving collateral, are legally valid
and that she has a completely independent economic existence.
3. The right to work:
In Islam, a woman can
practice any occupation that she chooses, as long as that occupation is
lawfully permitted for men and women to engage in. There is no restriction
placed upon her in this. From the dawn of Islam, women engaged in many
occupations such as commerce, agriculture, and manufacturing.
A woman came to Allah’s
Messenger (peace be upon him) and said to him: “I am a woman who engages in
buying and selling.” She then asked him for the legal rulings pertaining to
some of the commercial transactions that she used to engage in.
Another woman came to him
complaining that one of the men forbade her from working on her farm.
Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) said: “Go work your date palms; for
perhaps you might give some charity or do acts of righteousness.”
4. The right to inheritance:
When Islam established
inheritance for the woman, it was the first time in history that women were
able to enjoy this right. The Qur’ân establishes for her this right in a
number of its texts.
Allah says:
- Men have a share of what their parents and relatives leave
behind, and women have a share of what their parents and relatives leave
behind, whether the estate be small or large – a legal share.
- Allah commands you regarding your children’s
(inheritance): to the male a portion equal to that of two females; if there
are only daughters, two or more, their share is two-thirds of the
inheritance; if only one, her share is half. For parents, a sixth share for
each if the deceased left children. If there are no children and they are
the only heirs, the mother has a third…
- You have half of what your wives leave if they have no
children, but if they leave a child, then you receive a fourth of that
which they leave after payment of legacies that they may have bequeathed or
debts. They have a fourth of what you leave behind if you leave no child,
but if you leave a child, they receive an eighth of that which you leave
after payment of legacies that you may have bequeathed or debts. If the man
or woman whose inheritance is in question has left no other heirs, but has
left a brother or a sister, each one (if no more than two) gets a sixth,
but if they are more than two, they share in a third.
- If a man dies leaving a sister but no child, she shall
have half the inheritance. If the deceased is a woman who left no child,
then her brother inherits from her. If they are two sisters, they shall
have two-thirds of the inheritance.
5. The right to marry:
Islam establishes for the
woman the right to have a choice as to whom she will share her life with.
Allah says:
- And do not prevent them
from marrying their (former) husbands if they mutually agree on a
reasonable basis.
- When have fulfilled their term (of waiting after the death
of their husbands), there is no sin on you if they if they dispose of
themselves in a reasonable manner.
Allah’s Messenger (peace be
upon him) said: “A previously married woman has more rights over herself,
and a virgin must have her permission sought.”
There are cases where
Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) annulled the marriages of women who
were married against their will.
Political Rights
In spite of the newness of
this terminology, we find, if we review the Islamic texts and look back on
the experience of the early Muslim societies, that Islam has established
for the woman rights that can be labeled political rights. Among these are
the following:
1. The right to give
consultation: There
are many verses in the Qur’ân that establish the principle that Muslim
affairs, in general, are to be based on mutual consultation. It is the
business of the Muslims to exchange opinions and consult each other on
these matters.
Allah says:
- And consult them in the affairs.
- And their affairs are by mutual consultation.
These general texts pertain
equally to both men and women.
We find that Allah’s
Messenger (peace be upon him) would consult his wives on issues of general
import. For example, he consulted with Umm Salamah on the occasion where he
had ordered his Companions to shave their heads and come out of their
pilgrim state at Hudaybiyah. They did not do so, because they hated turning
away from Mecca without making pilgrimage to it. She advised him to shave
his own head and sacrifice, so he did so and all the others hurried to
follow suit. He then praised her and commended her for her keen intellect.
We find that the group of
people led by `Abd al-Rahman b. `Awf who were active in selecting `Uthmân
as Caliph was comprised of both men and women, whereby “they came to the
ladies in their private rooms to seek their consultation with regards to
selecting `Uthmân.” This is what we find in the historical source works. It
indicates to us that even those women who remained concealed in their
dwellings were consulted on the matter.
2. Emigration and giving allegiance:
Muslim women emigrated to
Abyssinia and to Madinah. This emigration was equivalent to what we refer
to today as seeking political asylum.
This was a time when the
Muslims were being oppressed in Mecca and were forbidden from expressing
their views and calling to their faith. They emigrated, seeking a place
where they would be afforded the opportunity to practice their rites and
express their beliefs. The first place the Muslims chose to go to was
Abyssinia, because at that time it was ruled by a king who never oppressed anyone
in his domain.
Muslim women emigrated
during this time, sometimes unaccompanied, like Umm Kulthûm bint `Uqbah b.
Abî Mu`ît and Umm Salamah (may Allah be pleased with them both) did during
the women’s emigration.
This is mentioned in the
Qur’ân:
O you who believe, if
believing women come to you as emigrants, test them.
As for the oath of
allegiance, it is a political and religious pact between the Muslims and
Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) that is an expression of their faith
in the Messenger and their political affiliation with his cause. The
following verse talks about the oath of allegiance given by women:
O Prophet, if believing
women come to you to give you their pledge that they will not associate
anything in worship with Allah, nor steal, nor commit fornication, nor kill
their children, nor commit slander, nor forge falsehood (to make
illegitimate children belong to their husbands), nor disobey you in
goodness, then accept their pledge and ask Allah to forgive them. Verily,
Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.
This list includes a clause
of political significance: “nor disobey you in goodness...”
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