The issue of women in Islam is highly controversial. On the one hand, it is generally agreed that the rights granted to women in the Quran and by the profit Mohamed were a vast improvement in comparison to the situation of women in the Arabia prior to the advent of Islam. On the other hand, after the Prophet’s death, the conditions of women in Islam began to decline and reverted back to the pre-Islamic times. Feminists in the Muslim world, between the 20th Century until the 1980th , were generally upper class women whose feminism was modelled after feminists in the West (Women in Islam: Muslim Women).
Women were often humiliated and disgraced before the advent of Islam. As a result, prophet Mohamed emphasised on the importance of ending all the cruelties faced by women during the ignorance era “Jahiliyya”. Prophet Mohamed preached kindness toward Muslims. He told Muslims: “Fear Allah in respect of women”, “A Muslim must not hate his, and if he be displeased with one bad quality in her, let him be pleased with one that is good.” and “The more civil and kind a Muslim is to his wife, the more perfect in faith he is.” The prophet (peace be upon him) was most emphatic in enjoining upon Muslim to be kind and to treat their women adequately (Women in the Quran and the Sunnah).
Islam has also changed the mentality of both men and women by creating a new relationship between them based on respect and mutual understanding. The status of women was also raise in Islam by granting her the legal right to enter into contracts, to run a business and to possess properly independently from her husband and any kinsmen (A.Jawad). Islam entitled women with the following rights:
- The right of independent ownership
- The right to marry whom she likes, and to end an unsuccessful marriage
- The right to keep her own identity
- The right for education
- The right to sexual pleasure but within marriage relationship only
- The right of inheritance
- The right of election and nomination to political affairs and participation in public affairs
- The right to be respected within her society
The Shari’ah regards women as the spiritual and intellectual equals of men. The main distinction it makes between them is the physical realm based on equitable principle of fair division of labor. It allots men to do the hard work and make him responsible for the family. It allots the work of home and bringing up children to the women, work which has the greatest importance in the task of building a healthy and prosperous society. Women as the mother commands great respect in Islam. The Quran speaks of the rights of the mother in a number of verses. It enjoins Muslims to show respect to their mothers and serve them well even if they are still believes. Abu Hurairah reported that a man came to the Messenger of Allah (peace upon him) and asked: “O messenger of Allah, who is the person who has the greatest right on me with regards to kindness and attention?” He replied, “Your mother.” “then who?” He replied, “Your father.” (Women in the Quran and the Sunna) That shows that mothers are a very important person and for that they should be highly respected. “Heaven is at the feet of mothers,” is a basic Islamic teaching (To separate fact from fiction)
Violence against women is forbidden. Violence against women is not a martial issue, although it occurs within marriages. Abuse against women is not a family issue, although it occurs within the family. Violence against women is not a religions issue, although religion is abused as a means of perpetuating it. Abuse of women in general is a human rights issue. A woman is a human being just like men. The integrity of her mental, emotional, and physical being is of equal significance and value. Women have a right to their person and property, the freedom to choose for themselves and the right to better their life, and non of these are any different from those of men. Muslim men must stand up for justice and support women’s rights within the framework of the Quran and Sunnah. Thereofre eliminating the oppression of women should be of concern to all Muslims. Women are worthy of respect like any other human being. Learn to respect women. No where in the Quran does it allow or say to disrespect women. Some men respect their mothers but do not extend that same respect to other women in the family. All women are to be respected in all times (Muslim Men’s responsibility in eliminating oppression of women)
The Islamic Emirates of Afghanistan, being highly concerned about the well-being of its female citizens, soon introduced measures to put a stop to the miserable living conditions under which the women lived in Kabul. After the communists took over in Kabul, they began to exploit women for the purpose of advancing their political and social agendas. Under the Rabbani regime, women were raped, kidnapped or looted. Even sometimes they would get their breasts cut. Education was also not available to women after a certain age. Women were not allowed to be outside their home. Therefore women in Afghanistan were denied basic human rights. However, the situation has changed now. The Islamic Emirates of Afghanistan is determined to provide educational and employment opportunities for the women of Afghanistan, as soon as the security and financial circumstances under which the Islamic Emirates operates allow such a step to be taken (The Taliban and Women).
Men and women are to be treated equally. However, Islamic men have more privileges than women. For example, men can be married four times at which can be at the same times. In other words a man can have four wives at the same time, and that was written in the Quran. On the other hand women were only allowed one man at a time. She can be married twice, but had to be divorced from the first. Another example is that a man can marry a Christian woman, but a woman could not be married to a Christian man. These examples show that men have more rights than women. That shows that men are always at first and women in families should always obey the men’s rules.
Not only have women been suffering during the Jahiliyya time also currently Muslim women are being humiliated and denied their rights with the implication of the new French law. The law came about after President Jacques Chirac and 70% of the electorate supported the ban of religious symbols in school resulting in the subsequent law. This new law states that students are prohibited from wearing any form of religious symbols in French state schools. This has affected many people in varied degrees. Women of Islam are examples of people who have been greatly affected by the new law. Despite the secular nature of the new French law, women should not be banned from practicing the Islamic Faith by wearing the hijab. This is because, in the eyes of an Islamic woman, the veil is not just a religious symbol, but a requirement of a woman of strong Islamic faith. This law has meant similar suffering to women like that of the Jahiliyya times. Since, Muslim women are denied their rights to wear hijab to schools. A good example associated with this, is the Algerian-born student, Samira Makhlouf, who was forced to remove her veil every day before entering her school in the south eastern French city of Lyon. Miss Makhlouf found that removing her hijab was like tearing something away. While, other groups like satanic sectors were left free to practice their beliefs (Brynat). As a result, Samira dropped out of school at age 16 to finish her high school by correspondence. Such humiliation of Samira’s rights shows how the French Law will create smilliar suffering to women like that of the Jahiliyya times.
While the spread of Islam extended, in theory the rights of women should have as well. However, Islam has not been able to protect global women from their governments. The new French law is an clear example of this. The Islamic governments have to stop the implication of the new law in France since the new law will affect the respect of women in the Islamic society. All that was done under the Prophet Mohamed. The Quran said that women are to be treated equally to men and that is the way it should be, as we are all human beings. The Quran gave women many rights as to be equal to men. A mother should be treated in a respected way by her son and her family. So basically Islam gave women rights that were denied from them and as seen, are currently being denied. We can see that women have lived a very difficult times. In the middle east and Islamic nations women have right to a limit that protect then from being exploited. The Quran stated that if women committed adultery her parents or husband have the right to punish her heavily. Nevertheless the Islamic women are still having a hard time in secular nations such as France, and that be put to an end.
Works Cited
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