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Today
people think that women are liberated in the West and that the Women's
liberation movement began in the 20th century. Actually, the women's
liberation movement was not begun by women but was revealed by God to
a man in the seventh century by the name of Muhammad (Peace be upon
him), who is known as the last Prophet of Islam. The Qur'an and the
Traditions of the Prophet (Hadith or Sunnah) are the sources from
which every Muslim woman derives her rights and duties.
I.
HUMAN RIGHTS
Islam, fourteen centuries ago, made women equally accountable to God
in glorifying and worshipping Him - setting no limits on her moral
progress. Also, Islam established a woman's equality in her humanity
with men, In the Qur'an, in the first verse of the chapter entitled
"Women", God says, “
O mankind! Be careful of your duty toward your Lord who created you
from a single soul and from it its mate and from them both have spread
abroad a multitude of men and women. Be careful of your duty toward
Allah in Whom you claim (your rights) of one another, and towards the
wombs (that bore you). Lo! Allah has been a Watcher over you”
(Qur'an 4:1).
Since men and women both came from the same essence, they are equal in
their humanity. Women cannot be by nature evil (as some religions
believe) or then men would be evil, also. Similarly, neither gender
can be superior because it would be a contradiction to equality.
II. CIVIL RIGHTS
In Islam, a woman has the basic freedoms of choice and expression
based on recognition of her individual personality. First, she is free
to choose her religion. The Qur'an states:“
There is no compulsion in religion. Right has been made distinct from
error” (Qur'an 2:256).
Women are encouraged in Islam to contribute their opinions and ideas.
There are many traditions of the Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allah be upon him) which indicate women would pose questions directly
to him and offer their opinions concerning religion, economics and
social matters.
A
Muslim woman chooses her husband and keeps her name after marriage. A
Muslim woman's testimony is valid in legal disputes. In fact, where
women are more familiar, their evidence is conclusive.
III. SOCIAL RIGHTS
The Prophet (peace and pleasing of Allah be upon him) said, “
seeking knowledge is a mandate for every Muslim (male and female)”.
This includes knowledge of the Qur'an and the Hadith as well as other
knowledge. Men and women both have the capacity for learning and
understanding. Since it is also their obligation to promote good
behaviour and condemn bad behaviour in all spheres of life, Muslim
women must acquire the appropriate education to perform this duty in
accordance with their own natural talents and interests.
While bearing, raising and teaching of children, providing support to
her husband, and maintenance of a home are among the first and very
highly regarded roles for a woman, if she has the skills to work
outside the home for the good of the community, she may do so as long
as her family obligations are met.
Islam recognizes and fosters the natural differences between men and
women despite their equality. Some types of work are more suitable for
men and other types for women. This in no way diminishes either's
efforts or benefits. God will reward both sexes equally for the value
of their work, through, it may not necessarily be the same activity.
Concerning motherhood, the Prophet (peace and pleasing of Allah be
upon him) said, "Heaven lies under the feet of mothers".
This implies that the success of a society can be traced to the
mothers who raised it. The first and greatest influence on a person
comes from the sense of security, affection, and training received
from the mother. Therefore, a woman having children must be educated
and conscientious in order to be a skilful parent.
IV. POLITICAL RIGHTS
A right given to Muslim women by God 1400 years ago is the right to
vote. On any public matter, a woman may voice her opinion and
participate in politics. One example, as narrated in the Qur'an
(60:12), Muhammad (peace and pleasing of Allah be upon him) is told
that when the believing women come to him and swear their allegiance
to Islam, he must accept their oath. This established the right of
women to select their leader and publicly declare so. Finally, Islam
does not forbid a woman from holding important positions in
government. Abdurrahman Ibn Affan consulted many women before he
recommended Uthman Ibn Affan to be the Caliph.
V. ECONOMIC RIGHTS
The Qur'an states:“
By the creation of the male and female; Verily, (the ends) ye strive
for are diverse” (Qur'an 92:3-4).
In
these verses, God declares that He created men and women to be
different, with unique roles, functions and skills. As in society,
where there is a division of labour, so too in a family, each member
has different responsibilities. Generally, Islam upholds that women
are entrusted with the nurturing role, and men, with the guardian
role. Therefore, women are given the right of financial support.
The
Qur'an an states:“
Men are the maintainers of women because Allah has made some of them
to excel others and because they spend of their wealth (for the
support of women)” (Qur'an 4:34).
This guardianship and greater financial responsibility given to men,
requires that they provide women with not only monetary support but
also physical protection and kind respectful treatment.
Muslim women have the privilege to earn money, the right to own
property, to enter into legal contracts and to mange all of her assets
in any way she pleases. She can run her own business and no one has
any claim on her earnings, including her husband.
The
Qur'an states:“
And in no wise covet those things in which Allah hath bestowed His
gifts more freely on some of you than on others; to men is allotted
what they earn, and to women, what they earn; but ask Allah of His
bounty for Allah hath full knowledge of all things” (Qur'an
4:32).
A
woman inherits from her relatives. The Qur'an states:“
For men there is a share in what parents and relatives leave, and for
women there is a share of what parents and relatives leave, whether it
be little or much - an ordained share” (Qur'an 4:7).
VI. RIGHTS OF A WIFE
The Qur'an states:“
And among His signs is that He created for you mates from among
yourselves that you may live in tranquillity with them, and He has put
love and mercy between you; Verily, in that are signs for people who
reflect” (Qur'an 30:21).
Marriage is therefore not just a physical or emotional necessity but,
in fact, a sign from God! It is a relationship of mutual rights and
obligations based on divine guidance. God created men and women with
complimentary natures and, in the Qur'an, He laid out a system of laws
to support harmonious interaction between the sexes.
“
…They are your garments and you are their garments”
(Qur'an 2:187).
Clothing provides physical protection and covers the beauty and faults
of the body. Likewise, a spouse is viewed this way. Each protects the
other and hides the faults and compliments the characteristics of the
spouse. To foster the love and security that comes with marriage,
Muslim wives have various rights. The first of the wife's rights is to
receive Mahr, a gift from the husband, which is part of the marriage
contract and required for the legality of the marriage.
The
second right of a wife is maintenance. Despite any wealth she may
have, her husband is obligated to provide her with food, shelter and
clothing. He is not forced, however, to spend beyond his capability
and his wife is not entitled to make unreasonable demands. The Qur'an
states: “
Let the man of means spend according to his means, and the man whose
resources are restricted, let him spend according to what Allah has
given him. Allah puts no burden on any person beyond what He has given
him” (Qur'an 65:7).
God
tells us men are guardians over women and are afforded the leadership
in the family. His responsibility for obeying God extends to guiding
his family to obey God at all times.
A
wife's rights also extend beyond material needs. She has the right to
kind treatment. The Prophet (peace and pleasing of Allah be upon him)
said, “
The most perfect believers are the best in conduct. And the best of
you are those who are the best to their wives” God
tells us He created mates and put love, mercy and tranquillity between
them.
Both men and women have a need for companionship and sexual needs and
marriage is designed to fulfil those needs. For one spouse to deny
this satisfaction to the other, the temptation exists to seek it
elsewhere.
VII. DUTIES OF WIFE
With rights come responsibilities. Therefore, wives have certain
obligations to their husbands. The Qur'an states:“
The good women in the absence of their husbands guard their rights as
Allah has enjoined upon them to be guarded” (Qur'an 4:34).
A
wife is to keep her husband's secrets and protect their marital
privacy. Issues of intimacy of faults of his that would dishonour him,
are not to be shared by the wife, just as he is expected to guard her
honour.
A
wife must also guard her husband's property. She must safeguard his
home and possessions, to the best of her ability, from theft or
damage. She should manage the household affairs wisely so as to
prevent loss or waste. She should not allow anyone to enter the house
whom her husband dislikes nor incur any expenses of which her husband
disapproves.
A
Muslim woman must cooperate and coordinate with her husband. There
cannot, however, be cooperation with a man who is disobedient to God.
She should not fulfil his requests if he wants her to do something
unlawful. A husband also should not take advantage of his wife, but be
considerate of her needs and happiness.
VIII. CONCLUSION
The Qur'an states:“
And it becomes not a believing man or a believing woman, when Allah
and His Messenger, Muhammad (peace and pleasing of Allah be upon him)
have decided on an affair (for them), that they should (after that)
claim any say in their affair; and whoso is rebellious to Allah and
His Messenger, he verily goes astray in error manifest”
(Qur'an 33:36).
The
Muslim woman was given a role, duties and rights 1400 years ago that
most women do not enjoy today, even in the West. These are from God
and are designed to keep balance in society; what may seem unjust or
missing in one place is compensated for or explained in another place.
Islam is a complete way of life.
Mary
Ali & Anjum Ali
Jazakum
Allah Khair
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