Women in Islam

University Degree Historical and Philosophical studies

Women in Islam

Islam has often been stereotyped as a “sexist” religion, that it is “oppressive to women, that the veil and segregation epitomised that oppression, and that these customs were fundamental reasons for the general backwardness of many Muslim nations”. Provide a critique of these assumptions, using relevant examples.

This essay will discuss the notion that Islam is a sexist and oppressive religion. It will include a brief explanation of the Qur’an and Hadith’s and how interpretations of these writing’s have led to varied practices of the faith among the vast Muslim populations. The essay will touch on the many inconsistencies in the equality of men and women. Particular attention will be given to the traditions of marriage, the veil and segregation as well as the varying views on theses practices. Ultimately, this essay will attempt to offer differing attitudes on the oppressiveness of women in the Islamic faith.

The Islamic faith is based on the Qur’an which is the sum total of God’s revelations to the Prophet Muhammad. According to Muslim belief, the Qur’an is the primary source of Islamic jurisprudence and theological interpretation (El Saadawi, N., 1982, pg 198). The hadith (or traditions) are narratives collected into written form in the three or four centuries after Muhammad died, which encompassed the revered precedent of the Prophet and his Companions and what he or they said, did and tolerated (Stowasser, B. F., 1984, pg 13). The hadith works alongside the Qur’an as a source from which to derive acceptable social practices and the law (Ahmed, L., 1992, pg 73). As the Islamic community grew, Qur’an commentators made interpretations of the Holy book to legitimise and accommodate changes in the Islamic Empire (Stowasser, B. F., 1984, pg 13). Then and now the interpretations, particularly in regard to women, vary widely among the many cultures and societies that practice the Islamic faith.

An aspect of the Islamic faith that causes much contention are the many inconsistencies in the Qur’an in relation to the equality of men and women. For example in Surah 33, v 35 it states that men who believe and women who believe god, and men who obey and women who obey…Allah hath prepared for them forgiveness and a vast reward or Surah 9, v 72, Allah promises to the believers, men and women, acceptance from Allah (Stowasser, B. F., 1984 pg 21). Form these verses, it seems that men and women are equal in the humanity and spirituality and must bear equal burden of moral responsibility (Stowasser, B. F., 1984, pg 21). And yet in other verse it appears the opposite is being presented. As illustrated by Surah 2 v 228, Men are a degree above women or Surah 4 v 34, Men are in charge of women, because Allah hath made one of them excel to the other and Surah 4 v 11, to the male the equivalent of the portion of two females (Stowasser, B. F., 1984, pg 25). Each of these verses show the view that women are beneath men, that the sexes are not equal. Not only these verses but many other examples, such as men’s and women's differing rights in marriage and divorce, polygamy, women’s duty to be obedient to her husband, inheritance rights, the inequality in rape and adultery charges and too many other examples to mention. In equality discourse, all humans are supposed to have equal roles in all areas of life. And yet in gender discourse, women’s inequality is emphasised emphatically (Nayyar, J., 1994). It could be argued then that women are not human, and thus not equal to men or that there is a problem with gender discourse (Nayyar, J., 1994). It is due to inconsistencies such as these that the Islamic faith is view as backward and sexist by other societies and religions.

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In pre-Islamic Arabia research shows that there was a wide and diverse range of marriage customs and matrilineal customs were present (Ahmed, L., 1992, pg 41). Arabia was the last country in the Middle East that did not maintain patriarchal, patrilineal marriages as the solely legitimate form of marriage (Ahmed, L.,, 1992, pg 41). Women were active participants in social life, taking part in warfare and religion for example as well as enjoying greater sexual independence. Early Muslim women preceded the women of the world in resisting a religious system dominated by men ( El Saadawi, N., 1982, pg 195). Khadijah, for instance, was married to Muhammad during the Jahilia period and as a result she was active in social life, had economic independence, was monogamously married and had no male guardian ( El Saadawi, N., 1982, pg 194). By contrast, Muhammad’s later wife ‘Aisha was married in a time of transition. Her life reflects the changes from Jahilia to Islamic practices. It was during ‘Aisha’s time that Muhammad practiced polygamy and that she and Muhammad’s other wives began the new customs of veiling and seclusion (Stowasser, B. F., 1984, pg 43). And yet, her Jahilia roots were evident when she briefly became a political leader after Muhammad’s death (Stowasser, B. F., 1984, pg 43). The participation and autonomy of women steadily declined after this period. With the introduction of Islam came the curtailing of their participation and autonomy. The establishment of Islam saw the control of women by male guardians and polygyny as permanent features of Islamic marriage (Ahmed, L., 1992, pg 43). Exposure to the social organisation of gender, the importance of paternity, patrilineal marriage and monotheism in the surrounding regions of Iran, Syria and the Byzantine Empire in the north and Yemen and Ethiopia in the south had an increasing influence on Arabia as Islam grew (Ahmed, L., 1992, pg 45). The changes to marriage practices played a fundamental role in changing women’s position in society and to the devastating limitations imposed on them under Islam (Ahmed, L., 1992, pg 47).

The issue of the veil has caused widespread debate both by those who practice the faith and by those who observe the religion from the exterior. It is understood that veiling was already present in Arabia before Muhammad began preaching Islam. In that time the veil was connected with social status. It was the middle and upper class women afforded the luxury of not having to work, who would wear the veils (Ahmed, L., 1992, pg 55). Many nomadic and rural women did not wear the veil as it was impractical to wear one when working in the fields (Sanders, E., 2001). There is actually no specific verse in the Qur’an or the Hadith’s which states all women must wear a veil nor what form it should take (Sanders, E., 2001). There are only verses dealing with women’s clothing including “cover their ornaments” , “draw their veils over their persons” and “instruct women to guard their private parts and throw a scarf over their bosom” (Ahmed, L 1992; El Saadawi, 1982; El Sohl & Malbro 1995). Yet during Muhammad’s life time veiling was only observed by his wives (El Sohl & Mabro, 1995, pg 8). It is not known how the practice became commonplace (Ahmed L., 1992, pg 56). The veil has many different meanings for many different people. In Saudi Arabia and Afghanistan, the veil is mandatory under the threat of arrest. For Muslim women in Africa, Indonesia, Egypt and Malaysia, the choice to wear the veil is given to the woman herself. While in contrast, the veil is banned in Turkey. In each of these countries, the veil will vary in size, shape, colour, style to express regional differences and individuality (Sanders, E., 2001).

From a western point of view, the veil is a symbol of women’s oppression and a symbol that Islam is a sexist religion. It is considered to be evidence of the subordination of women under Islam, a way of men controlling women, particularly when in contact with men not of their kin ( El Sohl & Mabro, 1995, pg 8). Many western observers believe that if Muslim women abandon the veil, it will show their progress in becoming modernised. Yet often western observers do not make the differentiation between modernisation and westernisation, while the Muslim community strongly make that separation. Modern Muslim feminists also have differing views on the veil. Freida Hussein and Azizah Al-Hibri regard the veil as a manifestation of the way in which patriarchy has circumvented the essential message of Islam regarding equality between the sexes (El Sohl & Mabro, 1995, pg 8) Fatima Mernissi thinks the veil is a means of male domination with roots in the patriarchal system “making them disappear, eliminating them from social life...and to highlight their illegal position on male territory” (El Sohl & Mabro, 1995, pg 8). Many women view the veil, not as a symbol of subservience to men but as a symbol o the allegiance to god and their faith (Smucker, P., 1998). They wear it because it is an equaliser, a source of freedom from male advances and allows them to be viewed for their personality that for their looks. In Egypt, one family may have very differing opinions of the veil. For instance, the grandmother may wear a full length black covering out of tradition, the mother, a professional, may not wear a head covering at all as a sign that she is a modern woman and the daughter, a university graduate may wear a headscarf out of respect fro her culture and resentment towards the countries increased Westernisation (Sanders, E., 2001). These are just a few of the many differing views on the veil and shows that the veil represents many things for the women of Islam. While many have strong opinions on the veil, in today’s society it should be up to the individual to determine the meaning of the veil to them, whether that meaning be based on religion, socialism or otherwise.

Another issue that has created much discussion is the segregation of the sexes. There are a few accounts that suggest how seclusion became part of the faith. At one of Muhammad’s weddings, the guest stayed too long which annoyed Muhammad and led to a verse on seclusion which reads as follows: “…When you ask any of the wives of the Prophet for something, ask from behind a curtain. That is purer for your heart and for their hearts” (Ahmed, L., 1992, pg 54). Another account reveals that as Muhammad was becoming more and more successful, more and more visitors were coming to the Mosque. Muhammad wanted to seclude his wives to the home, the proper place for the woman in the new order and guard them against the advancements of men he did not know (Ahmed, L.,1992, pg 61). As a result, Muhammad introduced seclusion, but as with veiling, seclusion was only performed by his wives. It is unknown what Muhammad’s wives reactions were to this features of the faith, which is unusual because of their outspokenness on other topics (Ahmed, L., 1992, pg 56). It has been suggested that their reaction to the imposed seclusion resulted in Muhammad’s threat of mass divorce and as a result a domestic disagreement arose among Muhammad and his wives. It is also suggested that from this disagreement came the verse on the importance of being an obedient wife (Ahmed, L., 1992, pg 56). In pre-Islamic times, there is much evidence to suggest that women were highly involved in public life and did pray in the mosques together with men. With the progression of time and influence from surrounding cultures, the learned men’s disapproval of women being seen in public succeed in pushing women out of public prayer and ultimately, out of public life (Stowasser, B. F., 1984, pg 34). Segregation has also been legitimised by the notion of fitna, female sexuality, which is seen as provocation. Some Muslim men believe that if their wives are allowed in public, their fitna will lead to fornication or adultery which creates a necessity for restraint to protect society (Nayyar, FJ., 1994).

Interpretations of the Qur’an have led to the notion that women are inferior to men and therefore need men’s protection to live their lives (Nayyar, J., 1994). Islam deems women’s role in society as mother and social provider and thus, she should not participate in public life as it takes away from her primary role. This is the ideal of social solidarity. The private life is non-political and thus the realm of women as family care giver. While the public life is the realm of politics and formal institutions, and thus the realm for men. It is due to these ideals that women have been isolated to the home (Nayyar, J., 1994).Yet differences do occur within Muslim countries as to the degree of segregation of the sexes. For example, women in Afghanistan are discouraged to leave the house, while it is acceptable for women in Malaysia and Iran, for instance, to work in mixed offices and play sport (Gaoutte, N., 2001). For much of the Muslim world, women are still excluded from public space. This inequality not only denies women of opportunity but inhibits the meritocratic spirit of men and makes these countries much less productive (Landes, D. & Landes, R., 2001). An example of why many other non-Muslim nations, in today’s capitalist world, find the Muslim faith to be backward. On the other hand, some Muslim women have not been hindered by segregation and the stigma attached to it. Pakistan, Bangladesh and Indonesia have all been ruled by women in recent years (Landes, D. & Landes, R., 2001). As with the veil, there are many degree’s of segregation within the multitude of Muslim societies. Much of the debate revolves around the consequences of segregation. The subjugation of women under their husband or male relatives leaves them with little options in life. For those in strict traditionalist states, the opportunities for education are desolate. This segregation of the sexes in the more fundamentalist states has kept many women illiterate and powerless (Nayyar, J., 1994). They are taught by men who have censored history, and the endeavours of Islamic women that would be a force of inspiration, to keep control of women. These noteworthy women could be role models for others to gain education and employment aspirations and yet due to this censorship, they are victims of the male agenda to remain dominant (Nayyar, J., 1994). And yet, Muhammad said “education is obligatory on both Muslim women and men, even if they have to go to China to seek it” (Bhutto, B., 1995). And yet, segregation and the inequality of women that prohibit many women from accessing education. From a western perspective, it is these ideals and practices, that give the impression of Islam’s backwardness and sexist nature.

There are a wide range of opinions on the oppression of women in Islam. Many traditional fundamentalists believe that the veil and segregation, as with many other practices, were delivered to the Prophet as the word of God and should be followed without debate. While many modern secularists believe that the religion is oppressive to women. They feel that the Islamic authorities need to hear “the ethical and egalitarian voice of Islam”, rather than the legalistic establishment version of Islam which largely bypasses the ethical elements in the Islamic message”. In some countries, Muslim women are viewed as equal to men and have been able to participate in public life without denying their faith so these modernists believe there is a need for the fundamental states to adjust their practices to align with the widely held social ideals of equality between men and women. Ultimately, the key to breaking the pattern of oppression and sexism is education because education equals power. Women must be taught to read and write so they can learn about the women before them and their experiences. With this knowledge, they will have the opportunity to form their own opinions about their religion and their role in Islamic society.

References

1. Ahmed, L., 1992, Women and Gender in Islam: Roots of a Modern Debate. New York Haven: Yale University Press

2. Bhutto, B., 1995, “Women and Islam”, Asiaweek, August 25.

3. El Saadawi, N.,1982, “Women and Islam”. Women’s Studies International Forum, Vol 5(2)

4. El Sohl, C.F. & Mabro, J., 1995, Introduction to Islam and Muslim Women” in El Sohl, C.F. & Mabro, J., (eds.) Muslim Women’s Choices: Religious Belief and Social Reality. Oxford: Berg, pp. 1-32

5. Gaoutte, N., 2001, “Muhammad’s instructions liberated women of the day”, Christian Science Monitor, December 19, Vol. 94, Iss. 19, pp. 12.

Landes, D & Landes, R, 2001, “Girl Power”, New Republic, October 8, Vol. 255, iss. 4525, pp.20
Nayyar, J., 1994, “Gender Identity and Muslim Women: Tool of Oppression turned into Empowerment”, Convergence, Vol. 27, Iss. 2/3, pp. 58

8. Sanders, E., 2001, “Interpreting Veils: Meaning have changed with politics and history”, The Seattle Times, October 22

9. Smucker, P., 1998, “The Meaning of a Scarf”, US News and World Report, March 16, Vol 124, Iss. 10, pp. 31

10. Stowasser, B.F., 1984, “The status of Women in Early Islam” in Hussain, F. (ed.), Muslim Women, London: Croom Helm, pp. 11-43