http://www.islamfortoday.com/turabi01.htm
On the Position of Women in Islam
and in Islamic Society
By Dr. Hassan al-Turabi.
Dr
Hassan al-Turabi from Sudan is one of the world's leading living
scholars of Islam. In addition to a traditional Islamic education,
he holds a Bachelors degree in Law from the University of
Khartoum, a Masters from the University of London and a PhD from
the Sorbonne, Paris. He has served Sudan as Speaker of parliament,
Attorney General, Minister of Justice, Minister of Foreign Affairs
and Deputy Prime Minister and is currently the opposition leader.
"Muslims who advance conservative views on female affairs...are
normally very literal in their understanding of texts; but they
tendentiously opt for an understanding that suits their
prejudice." - Dr. Hassan Al-Turabi
Read
an introduction to this seminal work
here.
CHAPTER I: THE VERDICT OF FAITH
In
the religion of Islam, a woman is an independent entity, and thus
a fully responsible human being. Islam addresses her directly and
does not approach her through the agency of Muslim males. A woman
would assume full capacity and liability once she has attained
maturity and has received the message of Islam.
Moreover no woman is said to have truly accepted the message of
Islam unless she does so out of original and independent will.
Admission to faith is entirely a personal matter; indeed, faith
cannot be adopted by proxy. Nor does a woman become a Muslim
merely because of her relationship to father, husband or any other
male. All Muslims used to present their oath of allegiance to the
Prophet Muhammed (peace be upon him) personally and independently.
Women, just like men, would come to the Prophet (peace be upon
him) and pledge their own allegiance to Islam and the Prophet.
God Almighty commanded the Prophet (peace be upon him) in the
following words: "O Prophet! when women believers come to you to
make a covenant with you that they will not associate anything
with God, nor steal, nor fornicate, nor kill their own children,
nor slander anyone, nor disobey you in any fair matter, then make
a covenant with them and seek God's forgiveness in their favour.
Indeed God is extremely Forgiving and most Merciful". (Al-Mumtainah,
12).
Male and female relatives may assume different stands over the
religious option. For instance, a woman like Fatima the daughter
of Al Khattab, embraced Islam although her brother Umar was still
an unbeliever. Ibn Abbas is reported to have asked Umar about the
manner in which he embraced Islam. Umar said, "three days after
Hamza had embraced Islam, I went out of my house, to meet by
chance a man of the Makhzumi tribe whom I asked: "Do you prefer
Muhammad's faith over that of your own forefathers?" The Makhzumi
said: "One who is more closely related to you than myself has also
done so". I asked him, who it was. Your sister and your
brother-in-law, replied the Makhzumi. I hurried back and found the
door of my sister's house bolted from within; and I heard some
humming inside. Later, when the door was opened, I entered the
house and asked: What is it that I am hearing? My sister replied:
"You heard nothing". We were exchanging words when I struck her on
the head, whereupon she stated defiantly: "We do that whether you
like it or not". I was filled with remorse when I saw her
bleeding, and said to her: "Show me the scripture". Umar narrated
the whole incident. (Al-Isabah Fi Tamyeez Al Sahaba, by Ibn-Hajar
Al Asqalani, hereafter cited
as Al-Isabah).
Similarly a woman, like Umm-Habiba, the daughter of Abu Sufiyan,
embraced Islam, though her father was still a pagan. When Sufiyan
went to Madina, he visited his daughter, Umm-habiba, then wife of
the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). He was about to sit on
the Prophet's bed but his daughter did not allow him to do so and
rolled up the mattress. Abu Sufiyan, who felt grieved at her
attitude, said to her, "Was it that the mattress is not worthy of
me or that I am not worthy thereof"? Umm-Habiba curtly replied to
her father, Abu Sufiyan, "But this is the Prophet's mattress, and
you are an impure polytheist, I did not want you to sit on it."
When he heard that, Abu Sufiyan felt annoyed and reprimanded her,
"During my absence something has gone wrong with you." (Tabaqat,
Ibn-i-Saad).
A Muslim woman might have a husband who was still an atheist.
Take, for instance, Zainab, the daughter of the Prophet himself
(peace be upon him). She was married to her maternal cousin Abu
Al-A's bin Al Rabee. She entered the fold of Islam though her
husband held on to his original religion. In the battle of Badr,
he fell prisoner of war. Zainab, however, offered a ransom for his
release. He was, therefore, allowed to go free on the engagement
that on his return he would let her free. Consequently, when he
returned to Mecca, Zainab migrated to Madina. Her husband, Abu
Al-A's, however, once again fell in the hands of Muslims as a
prisoner of war. On this occasion Zainab provided him with asylum,
and took him under her own protection. He finally returned to
Mecca to settle his business and then embraced Islam.
Umm-Saleem bint Mahan was another such lady. She married Malik bin
Al Nadir before the advent of Islam but was among the earliest
converts to Islam. Her husband, Malik disapproved of that rather
furiously and went to Syria to die there. (Al-Isabah)
Umm-Hani bint Abi Talib was married to Hubairah bin Amr. She was
the daughter of the Prophet's uncle, Abu Talib, and embraced Islam
on the occasion of the conquest of Mecca. This change of religion
separated her from her husband, Hubairah, who fled to Najran. (Al-Isabah)
Hawa bint Yazeed was yet another woman who acceded to Islam and
patiently endured distress and torture at the hands of her
husband, Qays bin Al Hateem, who was also a well-known poet. The
Prophet (peace be upon him) happened to meet him in the market (Souq
dhi'l-Majaz) and asked him to embrace Islam. He claimed that since
he was too busy with war, he had little time to consider the
proposal. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said to him, "I have
been told that you are not treating your wife, Hawa, nicely ever
since she renounced your religion. So fear God and in this matter
keep me too in regard, don't bother her." He promised to oblige;
then went to his wife and said to her, "O Hawa, I met your fellow
Muhammad, who asked me to bear him in mind in matters concerning
you. I swear by God I shall do so, I would leave you alone and do
you no harm." She, then, declared her faith which she had so far
kept secret. People talked to him about the matter, but he refused
to do her any wrong. (Tabqat).
Another woman, Umm-kulthoom bint Ugba bin Abi Mait embraced Islam,
though her whole family were still holding on to their original
polytheistic religion. She migrated to Madina. Ibn Ishaq, a
well-known historian, said that Umm-kulthoom migrated to the
Prophet at Madina while the peace settlement of Hudaibia was still
operative. In fact she was the first lady to follow the Prophet
(peace be upon him) to Madina. She left Mecca unaccompanied by any
one. Her brothers, Amara and al Waleed went to the Prophet (peace
be upon him) and asked him for her repatriation as provided in the
agreement between the Prophet and Quraish at Hudiabiya. But the
Prophet refused to extend the terms of the agreement to women. (Tabqat).
A woman could singly adopt Islam and suffer from torture for that.
Harithah bint Al Muammil, the sister of Umm-Ubais who was known as
Zunairah Al Romiyah, was a slave girl. She was among the earliest
believers in Islam and was one of those women who were tortured
for their faith. Abu Jahal used to beat her severely; so did Umar
before he embraced Islam. After embracing Islam the poor woman
suffered so much torture that she lost her sight. The Meccan
polytheists used that misfortune as an excuse for stigmatizing her
for embracing Islam. They, used to say, "al Lat and Al Uzza (two
deities which the Meccans used to worship in the holy Kaba) have
rendered you blind". But she would always say, "They are lying, by
the truth of God these idols bring no benefit nor harm." She
ultimately recovered her sight.
Sumayah bint Khubat, a martyr, was the mother of Ammar bin Yasir,
and was the seventh person to embrace Islam. The Al Mughira clan
used to torture her. People used to pass by and witness her being
tortured by the side of her son and husband in the hot sands of
Mecca. The Prophet (peace be upon him) would console her by
saying, "O the Yasirs, bear this suffering patiently, for God has
given you the promise of heaven". She was aged, and weak too. Abu
Jahl was also among those who used to torture her. She succumbed
to the excessive torture and died to become the first person ever
to suffer martyrdom in Islam. (Al Isabah)
Umm-habibah, the daughter of Abu Sufiyan was a lady who in exile
firmly held on to Islam while her husband had converted to
Christianity. Her husband Ubaid-ullah bin Jahash migrated to
Abyssinia, along with his wife to escape persecution for their
Islam. But there he renounced Islam and adopted Christianity, the
religion of the Abyssinians. He tried to persuade her to do the
same, but she steadfastly held on to Islam on top of all the
suffering which as an exile she had to bear. (Tareekh Al Tabari)
Muslim women, on the strength of their unshakable personal faith,
used to work for the propagation of Islam. many of them helped to
promote the cause of Islam within their respective family circles,
through discussion and debate. Arwa bint Abdul Muttalib was one
such lady who used to support the Prophet (peace be upon him) and
to argue in his favour. She always urged her son to help the
Prophet (peace be upon him) and to do whatever he asked him to do.
Another such lady was Um Shuraik who used to move secretly among
the ladies of Quraish to solicit and convert them to Islam. She
had converted many before she was exposed. The people of Mecca
warned her that she would have suffered but for her kin. (Al
Isabah)
Among Muslim ladies were some who invited their suitors to embrace
Islam and made that a precondition for marriage. Umm-Saleem was
one such lady. She said to Abu Talha, who asked her hand in
marriage, "By God one like you can not be rejected, but you are a
polytheist and I am a Muslim Woman. It is not at all lawful for me
to marry you. If you embrace Islam, I would take that as my dowry
from you". Anas bin Malik is reported to have said that Abu Talha
had proposed to Umm-Saleem before embracing Islam. So she said to
him, "Abu Talha don't you know that the God you worship grew from
the earth"? Abu Talha replied, "Yes, indeed". She would then say:
"Don't you feel ashamed to worship them? but if you embrace Islam
I won't ask you anything else in dowry". Abu Talha asked her to
wait till he looked into the matter, and went away. Later he
returned and proclaimed, "There is no deity but God and Mohammad
is his messenger". Thereupon Umm-Saleem cried out, "O Annas
arrange the marriage of Abu Talha". And he married her. (Al Isabah)
If embracing Islam by a woman is an entirely personal matter in
the Islamic tradition and can not be done through proxy, so are
all obligations and duties which Islam enjoins on her. No one else
can do them on her behalf. She performs her acts of worship purely
on the basis of her own intention; and as such these are treated
in Islam as her personal achievements. For God has proclaimed, "I
do not allow the achievement of a worker, from amongst you,
whether he be male or female, to go to waste. You all belong to
one another". (Al-Imran 195). "A male or female, who is a believer
and performs good deeds, we shall give him a goodly life. And
ultimately a fine reward for what they had been doing". (Al Nahal
97)
On the basis of her own action, a woman earns reward or
punishment. No man is allowed to plead or intercede for a woman,
nor is he held responsible for her actions and their consequences.
The doctrine of ultimate accountability does not take the family
as a unit for collective responsibility; rather, each individual
male or female, is an autonomous unit of reckoning in front of
God, and is held directly responsible for his or her actions or
his or her share in joint acts. "For, on the Day of Judgement,
every one of them will come to Him singly". (Maryam, 96)
The judgement in the hereafter may not necessarily bracket husband
and wife together; neither could relieve the other of his charge
or appropriate his due. Nor will a believer be treated unfairly
merely for his sex. God treats all mankind on an equal basis. "The
Day a man will run away from his own brother, his own father, his
own wife and his children. On that day every one will be in a
state which will engross him completely". (Abasa, [35-38])
The individuality of a woman is a principle of religion, "For the
disbelievers, God gave the example of Noah's wife and Lot's wife.
Both of them were under two of our righteous bondmen. Both acted
disloyally towards them, but (their esteemed husbands) could in no
way protect them from God. And both were commanded to enter the
fire (of hell) along with all others following the same course.
And for those who believed, God gave the example of Pharaoh's
wife, when she prayed: "O Lord, put up for me a home in heaven,
and save me from the Pharaoh and his practices and save me from
the transgressing people". And Mary the daughter of Imran who
guarded her chastity, wherein we breathed of our Spirit. And she
attested to the commandments of her Lord as well as his
scriptures, and was one of the truly devout. (Al Tahreem, 10-12)
CHAPTER II: THE VERDICT OF JURISPRUDENCE
The
verdict of Islamic jurisprudence is just the practical expression
of the dictates of the faith. Women, according to Sharia, are
counterparts of men. And in Islamic jurisprudence, there is no
separate order of regulations for them. There are, however, few
limited secondary regulations where a distinction is drawn between
the two sexes. But these are intended purely to enable both of
them to give a genuine expression of their faith in accordance
with their respective human nature. But the Sharia (or Islamic
law) is essentially the same, and its general rules are common for
both the sexes; it is addressed to both without any distinction.
The underlying presumption in the Sharia is that sex is
immaterial, except where the text makes the distinction or where
proof can be adduced to that effect. Thus personal religious
services for a woman in Islam, for instance, are the same as for a
man. She has to perform her prayer, fasting, pilgrimage to the
Holy Kaaba and remember God.
Just like men, women have to observe the general religious
standards relating to personal conduct, social dealings and moral
behaviour - like being truthful, fair altruistic, beneficent,
righteous and well-mannered. Islam does not provide different
moral codes for men and women. Even in matters of public life
they, too, are expected to do their part and endure the sufferings
of life as patiently as men are supposed to do. They too are
expected to show solidarity with the community of believers and to
forsake the comforts of their home and hearth to migrate to the
state of the Muslims, to wage jihad with them, and to promote the
well-being of their society. In all these matters there is no
distinction between Muslim men and women. For God has proclaimed,
"And the believers, men and women, are allies, of each other,
enjoining the right and forbidding the wrong, establishing prayer,
giving alms and obeying God and his messenger. As for these God
will have mercy on them, God is Mighty and Wise". (Tawba, 71)
Women have an equal opportunity and incentive to share in every
aspect of religious virtue: "God has got ready forgiveness and
tremendous rewards for the Muslim men and women; the believing men
and women; the devout men and women; the truthful men and women;
the patiently suffering men and women; the humble men and women;
the almsgiving men and women; the fasting men and women, the men
and women who guard their chastity; and the men and women who are
exceedingly mindful of God". (Al Ahzab, 35)
Tradition has it that Umm-Salmah said to the Prophet, "O Messenger
of God! The Quran speaks of men but does not speak of us, women".
As a consequence, the above-cited verses of the Quran were
revealed.
Islam assigns a Muslim woman a due role to play in discharging
collective responsibilities which preserve the essence of the
religious society in general. She must, therefore, assiduously
apply herself to fulfil her part; for if all Muslims neglect to
discharge these collective responsibilities, she would have to
answer for that default like every man. Some special obligations
like maintenance of the family, attendance of group prayers, and
the levy or mass general conscription for war are too onerous for
the ordinary female. Islam has relieved women from attending to
these as a matter of original, personal responsibility, if Muslim
men can sufficiently attend to them. That does not mean that a
woman is barred from doing any of these things. She may very well
participate in all such activities even when there is no dearth of
men to do them. However if men are not fulfilling their due
obligations in this regard, it would be her duty to compensate
their default or complement their effort.
None and nothing in Islam may stand in the way of a woman
contributing to the general good and competing for religious
achievement. The equal personal responsibilities of women in Islam
are evident and clearly established. That collective duties are
commonly borne by men and women is shown in the practice of the
Prophet (peace be upon him), who commanded women to act charitably
and give for the sake of God, and in that women used to respond.
In his collection of authentic traditions, Al-Bukhari narrates on
the authority of Ibn-Abbas, who said: "I attended the prayer of
Eid-ul-Fitr along with the Prophet, (peace be upon him) and Abu
Bakr and Uthman. They offered the prayer before the sermon. Later
the Prophet (peace be upon him) delivered his Eid address and then
moved ahead making his way through the people, till he reached the
ladies, accompanied by Bilal. The Prophet (peace be upon him) read
out the following verse from the Holy Quran: 'O Prophet, when
believing women come to you to offer their oath of allegiance that
they will not associate any thing with God, nor will they commit
theft, nor indulge in fornication, nor murder their children, nor
slander any one, nor disobey you in whatever that is fair, do
accept their oath of allegiance and beseech God to forgive them.
Indeed God is the most Forgiving and most Kind'". [Al Mumtahinah,
12]
"When the Prophet had finished with these verses, he said to them:
'Are you all committed to that? One of the ladies replied, (while
others kept silent), 'yes'. The Prophet (peace be upon him) did
not, at that time. know which of them did so! The Prophet (peace
be upon him) went on to ask them to make their donations. Bilal
spread out his shirt and said: 'Donate, my parents be sacrificed
for you ladies'. And they all dropped their rings, studded with
precious or ordinary stone)".
Throughout the period of the Prophet's ministry, women used to
offer their prayers, even the early morning and late evening ones,
along with the congregation of Muslims in general. In his
collection of authentic traditions Bukhari narrated: "I (the
Prophet) like to prolong the prayer but when I hear a child
weeping I make it shorter for I loathe to make any inconvenience
to the child's mother". Similarly, Muslim, another prominent
authority on traditions, narrated in his own collection of
authentic traditions: "If your women ask for permission to visit
the mosques, do allow them to do so". On the authority of a report
by the Prophet's wife, Sayiadh Aishah, it is stated that the
Prophet (peace be upon him) used to offer the morning prayer
whence the ladies would disperse completely covered in their
dresses and they could not be recognised in the darkness. (Bukhari)
Muslim Women used also to participate in military expeditions
bringing water to the thirsty combatants, treating the wounded,
and carrying them to safety, and sometimes engaging in active
warfare. The Quran refers to this and other exploits of men and
women, "And their lord responded to them: I suffer not the work of
any worker male or female to be lost. You proceed one from
another. So those who fled and were driven forth from their homes
and suffered harm for my cause and fought or where slain, verily I
shall remit their evil deeds and shall bring them into gardens
underneath which rivers flow as a reward from God, and God offers
the fairest of rewards". (All-Imran, 195)
Even the Prophet's own wife, Sayidah Aishah, actively participated
in such military services. Anas stated, "In the Battle of Uhud
when the Muslims were routed and were put to flight from the
Prophet, I saw how Aisha bint Abu Bakr and Umm-Saleem were
extremely busy carrying waterskins on their backs and emptying
them into the mouths of the Muslims". (Bukhari)
There were other prominent ladies who equally participated in the
war effort: Umm-Sinan Al Aslamyiah, and Ummyah bint Qais (as
reported by Tabaqat). Hamnah bint Jahash was one of those ladies
who pledged allegiance to Islam and participated in the battle of
Uhud, bringing water to the thirsty, transporting the wounded to
safety and giving them the necessary treatment. (Al Isabah). Al
Rabee bint Mua'weth, also known as Laila al-Ghifariah, used to
accompany the Prophet (peace be upon him) in his military
campaigns, treating the wounded and looking after the sick. (Al-Isabah).
Bukhari gives the following report from her: "We were with the
Prophet (peace be upon him), giving water to the thirsty, treating
the wounded and bringing the dead bodies of the Muslims to Madina".
Umm-Dhahhak bint Masoud also accompanied the Prophet in his
military campaign of Khaiber. The Prophet gave her the same share
of spoils there as he gave to man. (Al-Isabah)
Safyiah bint Abdul Mattalib, too, was one of those women who
actively participated in the battles: "When the people took off
for the military campaign of Al Khandaq, the Prophet (peace be
upon him) placed his women in a small fortress called Fari, and
Hassan bin Thabit was also left with them. Later a Jew came and
climbed up the fortress till he was in a position to command a
full view of all. Saifyah belted herself around the waist, took a
pole and descended upon him striking him with the pole till he
died". (Al-Isabah)
Nusaybah bint Ka'b is another lady who witnessed the battle of
Uhud. She intended to bring water to the wounded, but she in fact
took an active part in the fighting, and on that day brought great
havoc to the enemy and wounded twelve of them severely. When the
Muslims pulled back and exposed the Prophet, she stood her ground
firmly in his defence. (Tabaqat). The Prophet (peace be upon him)
appreciated her much and praised her. When she heard the news that
her son Habib was killed in battle, she swore either she would die
in front of Musailamah, or kill him. She participated in the
battle of Al Yamamah along with Khalid bin Al Waleed. Her son
Abdullah, too, was with her. He was killed in battle while she as
well lost one of her arms. (Al-Isabah)
Another case is Umm-Haran bint-Malhan. The Prophet (peace be upon
him) went to the daughter of Malhan and stood by her side and then
laughed. She said to him: "Why are you laughing, O Messenger of
God?" The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "Some of my people
would sail on the Green Sea (the Mediterranean) for God's sake".
She said to him: "Please pray that God may include me with them".
The Prophet (peace be upon him) prayed for her. (Bukhari). About
Umm-Saleem bint Malhan, Sahih Muslim reports that, in the battle
of Junain, she had a dagger which she carried about.
From the preceding exposition, it is evident that in defence and
other collective duties and obligations of public life Muslim
women may participate. But they are not duty-bound to do so,
except when the urgency is such that their participation becomes
mandatory. The Mother of Believers, A'yishah, is reported to have
requested the Prophet (peace be upon him) for permission to
participate in Jihad (fighting). The Prophet (peace be upon him)
said to her, "Haj is your Jihad".
According to Ibn-Batal, a commentator, the tradition of A'yishah
mentioned above proves that participation in fighting is not
binding on women, but the statement that Haj is their Jihad does
not bar them from volunteering for Jihad. Bukhari seems to express
the same opinion.
On the basis of the uniform principles of Islamic jurisprudence, a
Muslim Woman enjoys the same capacity and freedom enjoyed by a
man. She too can propose to a man for marriage, orally or in
writing, she can freely choose her spouse, reject a suitor she
does not like or obtain divorce from an estranged husband against
his will. But a male relative normally formalises the marriage
contract, and marriage dissolution or divorce on a woman's
initiative is only granted by a judge.
Umamah bint Abi'l-As was one lady companion of the Prophet (peace
be upon him) who proposed for marriage in writing. She sent a
message to Al Mugheerah bin Naufal saying: "If you feel you stand
in need of us then proceed forth". He then sought her hand in
marriage from Al Hasan, her cousin, who duly solemnised the
marriage. (Al-lsabah)
An account about Sahal bin Saad Al Saidi in the books of authentic
traditions tells about a Muslim woman who proposed verbally to the
Prophet (peace be upon him) himself. She told him: "I present
myself to you". She then waited for quite some time while the
Prophet kept looking at her. A man said to the Prophet: "If you
don't need her please marry me to her". The Prophet (peace be upon
him) asked him: "Do you have anything to offer as dowry?" The man
replied: "I don't have anything except this loin cloth". The
Prophet (peace be upon him) said to him: "If you give her your
loin cloth you will remain without one, look for something else".
The man said: "I can't find any". The Prophet (peace be upon him)
then advised him, "Try to find even an iron ring". He tried in
vain. The Prophet (peace be upon him) finally asked him: "Do you
know anything from the Quran (learnt by heart)?" The man replied:
"Yes, such and such Surah of the Quran", and he named the Surahs.
The Prophet (peace be upon him) then declared: "I solemnize your
marriage with her with whatever verses of the Quran you have as
dowry". (All Six Reporters of Tradition)
Regarding the making of marriage proposals to women, one may read
the provisions of the Quran about proposing to a woman whose
husband has died, while she is spending the period of transition,
"Iddah". God says, "There is no harm to you if you make a hint of
an offer of betrothal to women or hold it in your hearts; God
knows that you cherish them in your hearts. But don't make a
secret engagement with them, except in terms indirect and
honourable, nor resolve the bond of marriage till the term
prescribed is fulfilled. And know that God knows what is in your
hearts. So take heed of Him. And know that God is most forgiving
and most forbearing". (Al Baqarah, 235).
Regarding the freedom of marital choice of a woman, one may read
the provisions of the Quran about not preventing a woman, by
force, from marrying: "And when you divorce women, and they fulfil
the term of their Iddat, either take them back on equitable terms
or set them free on equitable terms. But do not take them back to
prejudice them or to take undue advantage thereof. Whosoever does
that, indeed, he harms his own self". (Al Bagarah, 232).
The Prophet (peace be upon him) ordered that a woman should not be
married but with her own authority and consent. The Prophet (peace
be upon him) ordered: "Do not marry a non-virgin except on her
instruction, nor marry a virgin except with her permission; and
her silence may go for permission". (Bukhari). Whether a girl is a
virgin or not, the Prophet (peace be upon him) would not allow
their marriage under compulsion. Ibn-Abbas stated that a virgin
girl came to the Prophet (peace be upon him) and told him that her
father had got her married without her approval. The Prophet
(peace be upon him) gave her complete freedom to choose whichever
course that pleased her. (Reported by Abu Dawoud, Ahmed, and
Ibn-Majah). Another girl came to the Prophet (peace be upon him)
and complained that her father had married her to his nephew
against her wish, the Prophet gave her the choice of rejecting the
marriage. But she said to the Prophet (peace be upon him), "I
endorse what my father did, but I wanted to show women that
parents have nothing to do in the matter". (Ibn-Majah).
The dissolution of marriage and the grant of divorce by the judge
on the wife's application is normal practice in personal law. A
wife can have whatever creed of scriptural religion at variance
with her Muslim Husband without any compulsion. She can and should
acquire any education without any limit or hindrance. It is
reported that Prophet (peace be upon him) strongly recommended the
good education of girls. Abu Bardah Ibn-Abi Musa quoted his father
as saying that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, three people
will be doubly rewarded by God. Any one from among the people of
the scriptures who believed in his own Prophet as well as in
Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), a slave who endeavours to
meet his obligation towards God as well his masters and anyone who
has a slave girl and strove to educate her and teach her well and
then gives her freedom and marries her. (All the six reporters of
tradition). It is worthy of note that women have been attending
the general assemblies for learning held by the Prophet (peace be
upon him).
Women are entitled to full freedom of expression of their proper
views. Sayidah Ayishah is famous for going all-out to advance her
juristic opinions. Muslim ladies used to venture their views in
the presence of the Prophet (peace be upon him) as well his
successors, the Caliphs. Ibn Al-Jauzi narrated the virtues and
merits of Umar bin Al-Khattab (God bless him) in the following
words: Umar forbade the people from paying excessive dowries and
addressed them saying: "Don't fix the dowries for women over forty
ounces. If ever that is exceeded I shall deposit the excess amount
in the public treasury". As he descended from the pulpit, a
flat-nosed lady stood up from among the women audience, and said:
"It is not within your right". Umar asked: "Why should this not be
of my right?" she replied: "Because God has proclaimed: 'even if
you had given one of them (wives) a whole treasure for dowry take
not the least bit back. Would you take it by false claim and a
manifest sin'". (Al Nisa, 20). When he heard this, Umar said: "The
woman is right and the man (Umar) is wrong. It seems that all
people have deeper insight and wisdom than Umar". Then he returned
to the pulpit and declared: "O people, I had restricted the giving
of more than four hundred dirhams in dowry. Whosoever of you
wishes to give in dowry as much as he likes and finds satisfaction
in so doing may do so".
According to Islamic jurisprudence a woman is competent to own
property and dispose of it in any manner. The Sharia generally
provides for an equitable and fair role for women in the economic
life of Muslim society. Just as much as they share in the
management of family affairs, they can contribute to the support
of the family, although they are not legally bound to provide
maintenance. A woman can share outdoor work with the man to earn a
common living. Asma bint Abu Bakr is said to have narrated that
when Al Zubair married her, he had no land property, nor a slave,
nor anything else, except a camel for * lmgation * and a horse.
She said: "I would give fodder to his horse, draw the water, patch
his water skin, knead the flour. I was not good at baking and
preparing bread; but I had some sincere Ansar neighbour ladies who
used to help me with the baking. I used to bring, on my head,
fruit kernels from the land which the Prophet (peace be upon him)
had given to Al Zubair. That land was at a distance of three
farsakhs (about ten miles). One day I was on my way home with a
load on my head when I met the Prophet with a number of Ansar. the
Prophet (peace be upon him) asked me to ride, behind him on the
camel, but I felt shy of joining the company of men. The Prophet
(peace be upon him) realised that I was feeling shy and,
therefore, continued his journey without me. Later I came to Al
Zubair and told him how I met the Prophet (peace be upon him) with
a company of Ansars, and how I declined his offer when he bade the
camel to kneel so that I might ride behind him. I told Al Zubair I
felt shy and remembered your jealousy over your self-respect and
honour. On hearing that account Al Zubar said, 'By God your
carrying fruit kernels is far more distressing for me than riding
the camel with the Prophet'. Later Abu Bakr sent me a servant to
save me the trouble of looking after the horse and I felt as if I
had been relieved of the bondage of slavery". (Bukhari).
Muslim couples are supposed to cooperate and consult over matters
relating to their family, even after divorce. The Quran so
provides that "Mothers shall breastfeed their babies for two
complete years, if a father desires that the term be completed.
The father of the baby shall provide them food and clothes in the
established manner. None shall be charged more than his capacity.
No mother shall be prejudiced with respect to her child, nor
father with respect to his. The same is the responsibility of
them. If both spouses decide, by mutual consent and consultation,
on weaning, there is no blame on either. If you want to have your
babies breastfed by a foster mother you are not doing anything
blame-worthy provided you pay to the fostermother what you had
agreed to offer, in accordance with the established manner. Fear
God and know that God is aware it what you are doing". (Al-Baqarah,
233).
In an Islamic Society women also take part in the appointment of
counselling and control officers responsible for the public
affairs of society. This may be done either through the process of
election or consultation. The account of the Shura process
following Umar's death firmly establishes this matter. Muslim
ladies did actually participate in that general consultation. Ibn
Katheer, the historian, told, "then Abdur Rahman bin Auf undertook
to consult the people about (the candidates) Uthman bin Affan and
Ali bin Abi Talib. He was collecting and collating the general
opinion of the Muslims through their leaders. he consulted them
singly as well as collectively; privately as well as publicly. He
even reached to the Muslim ladies in their privacy". (Al Bidayah
Wa-'Nihayah).
The tradition of early Muslim Society was for women to attend all
public meetings and festivals. Authentic reports about life with
Prophet (peace be upon him) give account of women going to attend
the two Eid (festive days) prayers. Even those who were excused
from prayer, would also come to attend the congregation. Hafsah,
the Prophet's wife (God bless her) is reported to have said: "We
used to forbid young girls to go out to attend the Eid prayers.
But a woman came to visit and stayed in Qasr Bani Khelf, and told
about her sister, whose husband had participated in twelve
military campaigns of the Prophet (peace be upon him), her sister
took part in six thereof". She said: "We treated the wounded and
looked after the sick. I asked the Prophet (peace be upon him):
would there be any harm in not going out if we do not have julbabs
(wide loose gowns)?" The Prophet (peace be upon him) replied, "Let
her friend lend her a julbab so that she may attend the blessed
occasion and the preaching of Islam". Hafsah went on: "when Umm
Salma came I asked her (to confirm): 'Did you hear the Prophet
(peace be upon him)?' she replied, 'Yes indeed I heard him say:
all girls, young, screened or in their monthly periods should go
out to attend the Eid congregation and witness the blessedness and
publicity of social Islam. The menstruating ladies should however
stand by during the prayer'". Hafsa asked: "The menstruating
ladies too?" she replied: "Don't you see that they attend the
congregation in Arafa for pilgrimage?". (Bukhari).
Another aspect of women in Apostolic society was revealed by an
account of Sayidah Ayishah about how she attended a spectacle of
the Ethiopians: "By God the Prophet was by my chamber's door while
the Ethiopians were showing their spear games in Al Haram. The
Prophet (peace be upon him) covered me with his shawl so that I
may too watch their feats. I was watching them from behind his
shoulder. He would pose there for my sake till I choose to break
off". Ayishah suggests: "you should fully appreciate a young
girl's interest in fun". (Bukhari).
Excepting those specific tasks of public life which are obligatory
on men and only voluntary to women, male Muslims in an Islamic
Society have no exclusive prerogative or specialisation.
They have no power or authority over women except in the context
of conjugal relationship. That relationship itself is established
and dissolved with the consent of the female party, and should be
conducted in a spirit of mutual respect, consultation and
conciliation. The man is in charge of the family, but that amounts
only to responsibility for financial maintenance and authority for
direction and discipline exercised in a reasonable manner. Both
spouses should share in the management of family affairs, and have
equal authority over their sons and daughters.
Public life is no stage where men alone can play. There is no
segregation of sexes in public domains which call for joint
efforts. Thus both men and women are supposed to participate in
congregational prayers. The Prophet, (peace be upon him) is
reported to have said: "Don't stop women form going to mosques at
night". A son of Abdullab bin Umar, on hearing this statement,
said to his father: "We would not allow women to go out of the
house at night for fear of any abuses". * Ibn-Umar * reprimanded
his son: "I say the prophet (peace he upon him) said so, and you
still say you won't allow it". (Muslim).
From the foregoing, it is clear that the Prophet's directive is
for women to go out publicly to frequent mosques even at night,
and to attend and offer Eid prayers. It is also recognised that
pilgrimage (Haj), despite its displacements and thick crowds, is a
function performed in common by men and women. Some
over-scrupulous Muslim rulers endeavoured to introduce some
modification in this respect with a view of segregating men and
women in the Tawaf (going round the holy Kabah). But scholars who
upheld the Sunna and favour strict adherence to Tradition, opposed
any change in the practice current in the Prophet's own times.
Consequently, the traditional practice of Tawaf in common remained
established and the change fell through. That was when Muhammed
bin Hisham, the governor of Mecca, stopped ladies performing tawaf
alongside men. Ata, the famous scholar of tradition objected: "How
do you stop them when the Prophet's own wives did Tawaf of Kaba
alongside men?" The practice had continued without any change even
after the introduction of the restrictive regime imposed on the
Prophet's wives, although they used to steer clear of the men
around them, while all other women used to mix with men and huddle
to touch and kiss the Black Stone in the wall of Kabah (Bukhari).
Educational assemblies, too were attended by men and women
jointly. The Prophet (peace be upon him), in teaching the Muslims,
used to address men and women together even where he was giving
instruction, relating to conjugal matters. Once he was lecturing
muslims after prayer about tales they would tell the morning
following their conjugal activities. Abu Hurrairah is quoted to
have reported this as follows: "The Prophet (peace be upon him)
had just finished his prayer with us, when he directly turned and
asked us to keep sitting, and then asked: 'Is there amongst you
any who would shut doors and draw curtains when he approaches his
wife, but would later go out and tell every body how he did so and
so?' all men present kept silent. Then the Prophet (peace be upon
him) turned to the ladies and said: "Does any one of you openly
discuss her conjugal matters with other women?" A young lady in
the audience, when she heard this, knelt up on one knee and craned
her neck so that the Prophet (peace be upon him) might see her and
hear her speak. She said: 'Yes by God, all men discuss these
matters among themselves and so do all women, too'. The Prophet
(peace be upon him) said: 'Do you know whom does one doing that
compare to?' 'Indeed it is like two satanic couples who meet on a
high street and indulge their sexual desire in full view of the
people'". (reported by Ahmed, Abu Dawwod, and Albazar).
In another mixed audience, a woman intervened during a sermon the
Prophet (peace be upon him) was delivering to a congregation of
Muslims by publicly asking: "Why do you reckon most women would go
to hell?". This was reported by Ibn-Umar who quoted the Prophet
(peace be upon him) saying: "O women! Give alms, and beseech God
excessively for his forgiveness, for I see that most of the
inmates of hell will be from amongst you". Some of the ladies
present in the congregation asked: "What it was that made women
outnumber the male inmates of hell?". The Prophet (peace be upon
him) replied: "Because you curse excessively and are ungrateful to
your partners. I haven't seen anything so deficient in wisdom and
religion". The Prophet (peace be upon him) replied: "The testimony
of two women equals that of one man; further, she has to abstain
from the prayer for days" (Meaning that limited experience and
abstinence from prayer during her period may impinge on her proper
conduct and judgement). (Muslim).
Separate meetings exclusively for ladies were sometimes convened,
but that was for practical reasons, mostly the dominance of men,
sitting close to the Prophet (peace be upon him) after prayer and
the inability of women sitting behind to hear him well. Bukhari
narrated, in a chapter titled, 'Is a day set aside exclusively for
the education of women?', that women told the Prophet, "men have
dominated us around you", the Prophet (peace be upon him) promised
to give them a separate day. He would meet them on the scheduled
day and deliver his lecture and instruction. It is in such a
session that he once told them: "Any woman who loses three
children would find it a barrier from hell". A woman said, "and
what about two?" The Prophet (peace he upon him) replied, "even
two". (Bukhair).
On the authority of Ibn Abbas, Bukhari stated that the Prophet
(peace be upon him) was on his way after delivering his Eid
address and Bilal was with him. He felt that the ladies attending
the congregation did not hear his lecture. He therefore went to
preach to them especially and to ask them to give alms.
A woman is quite entitled to go out for any need. She may go to
the market to do business or otherwise; even though this may
entail someone inconveniencing her. After the Prophet's wives were
curtained away and segregated, the Prophet (peace be upon him)
would still permit them to go out of their houses for their needs.
Sayyidah Ayishah is quoted as saying that after the introduction
of segregation "Saudah went out of her house to pursue some need.
She was a bulky lady and anyone who knew her could easily
recognise her. Umar bin Alkhatab saw her once and said, 'O Saudah
you are not unrecognisable to us. Just see how you have come out?'
when she heard that, she withdrew and returned. The Prophet (peace
be upon him) was at that time in my (Ayishah's) house for his
dinner. Sauda entered and said to him, 'O Prophet of God, I went
out of my house for some need and Umar said to me so and so'"
Sayyedah Ayishah Said, "Then revelation came from God and later,
when it was over, the Prophet (peace be upon him) regained his
hand and said to Sauda, 'God has permitted you to go out of your
house for your needs'". (Bukhari).
The following verse of the Quran clearly bears out that ladies can
go out of their houses: "O Prophet! tell your wives and daughters
and the women of the believers to lower their outer garments on
their persons. That is likely to allow them to be recognised and
by consequence, not be molested, and God is most Forgiving and
most kind". (Al Ahzab, 59). The occasion for the revelation of
these verses of the Quran was the fact that some rogue individuals
would inconvenience ladies in the streets of Madinah. Explaining
the meaning of: "To lower their outer garments on their person",
Mujahid (a famous early authority on the exegesis of the Quran)
said, "they covered themselves with their outer garments so that
it is known that they are free-born women of good social standing
and no depraved person may level at them undue words or
suspicions".
The Prophet (peace be upon him) taught Muslims, if they had to sit
by the road, to lower their gaze as women pass by. Abu Saeed Al-khudri
quoted the Prophet (peace be upon him) as saying, "try to avoid
sitting by the roads and paths". The Muslims said, "O Prophet!
sitting by the roads is unavoidable for us". The Prophet (peace be
upon him) then said, "If you insist on sitting there, then give
the highway its due". The Muslims asked, "what is that?" the
Prophet (peace be upon him) said, "lowering of your gaze,
desisting from hurting any one, exchange of greetings, asking
others to do good, and warning others off anything foul".
(Muslim).
Women can engage in business and commerce. Take the case of Qailah
Umm-Bani Atmar, one of the merchant ladies. She said, "I am a
woman who buys and sells". (Al Isabah). Umar Ibn Al Khattab
entrusted the supervision of administrative market affairs to
Shaff'a bint Abdullah bin Abd Shams. Umar used to seek her
counsel, pay due regard to her and hold her in high esteem. (Al-Isabah).
In this regard the dialogue between Abu Al-Yasar and a woman who
came to purchase dates from him, is also significant to show how
women went about shopping (Trimithi).
Islam does not call for segregation between men and women. A woman
may, therefore, receive the family guests, serve and entertain
them. Consider the story of Ibraheem (Abraham) (peace be upon
him), when he received the angels in the guise of (human) guests
who told him, "We were sent to the folk of Lot". And his wife,
standing by, laughed. They gave her good tidings of the birth of
Isaac and after Isaac of Jacob. She said, "O woe to me, shall I
bear a child when l am an old woman and this is my husband an old
man? This is a strange thing?" (Hud, 70-72)
There were some elderly ladies whom the Prophet
(peace be upon him) used to visit, regularly. He might take meals
in their places and pray there, and when they fell sick he would
call upon them to console them. Take, for instance, Umm-Aiman. She
migrated from Mekkah to Madinah walking all the way on foot with
none to keep her company and in extremely hot weather. The prophet
(peace be upon him) used to honour her with his social visits (Seerat
Ibn-Hisham).
Khaulah bint Qais is another such lady. According to Al Tabrani,
Ibn-Harith heard Khaula hint Qais say: "the Prophet (peace be upon
him) and I took meals in the same dish". (AI-Isabah). Al-Shaffa
bint Abdullah was one of the wise and prominent ladies of Madinah.
The Prophet (peace be upon him) used to visit her and took his
mid-day nap in her house. She arranged a bed and a sheet for him
to sleep in. (Al-Isabah)
Al-Shaykhan (i.e Bukkari and Muslim) give an account of Maleekah
Al Ansariah on the authority of Anas who said that his grandmother
Maleekah invited the Prophet to meals which she herself had
prepared. The same tradition relates how the Prophet (peace be
upon him) offered his prayers in their houses: Anas said, "An
orphan and I would stand behind him, and the old lady behind us".
(Al-Isabah)
Lubabah bint Al-Harith, it is stated, was one of the first ladies
after Sayyedah Khadijah, to embrace Islam. The Prophet (peace be
upon him) used to visit her and take his mid-day nap in her house.
Umm-Waraga was a lady that the Prophet (peace be upon him) used to
visit. The Prophet (peace be upon him) allowed her to pray at home
and to lead her staff, male and female, in prayer (Abu Dawoud). It
was she who, when the Prophet (peace be upon him) conducted the
battle of Badr, requested him to allow her to accompany him so
that she might treat the patients and that perhaps God might bless
her with martyrdom. (Al-Isabah). Fatimah bint Asad bin Hashim was
a very pious lady. The Prophet (peace be upon him) used to visit
her and take his mid-day nap in her house. (Tabaqat)
Umm al Fadhl bint Al-Harith was the first woman to embrace Islam
after Sayyedah Khadijah. The Prophet (peace be upon him) used to
visit her and take his mid-day nap in her house. (Tabqat). All
these were women of social distinction worthy of the Prophet's
consideration.
Even a bride may undertake to serve guests personally. Sahal bin
S'ad Al Ansari stated that Abu Saeed invited the Prophet (peace be
upon him) to his wedding feast. His bride Umm-Saeed was the one
who prepared the meals and served the guests too. She put some
dates in a stone vessel to soak in water. When the Prophet (peace
be upon him) had finished the meal she crushed the dates with her
own hand and gave the prophet (peace be upon him) to drink, as a
special favour. (The Shaikhan, Bukhari and Muslim).
The practice of family visits was also common in the early period
of Islam. For instance, the visits of the Prophet (peace be upon
him) to Al Rabee bint Muawiz and her husband Ilyas bin Al Kabeer,
were well-known. Abu Dawoud, At-Tirmithy and Ibn-Majah quoted a
number of traditions on the authority of Ibn-Aqeel. Al Rabee bint
Muawiz gives a description of the Prophet's ablution. She said
that the Prophet (peace be upon him) used to come to them and say,
"please pour water so that I may do the ablution (wadu)". (Al-Isabah)
So far as the familiar Hijab is concerned, it refers to the
special regulation pertaining to the Prophet's wives due to their
status and situations. They occupied a position different from all
other women, their responsibility is thereby stiffened. God has
ordained that their reward as well as punishment be double that
for any other woman. "O wives of the Prophet whoever of you
commits a vile deed will have her punishment doubled. And that,
for God, is quite easy. And whosoever of you serves God and his
Prophet devoutly and acts righteously, we shall give her double
reward. And we have prepared for her honourable sustenance in the
hereafter". (Al-Ahzab, 30-31).
The verses of the same Sura ordained that the wives of the Prophet
(peace upon him) draw a curtain (to ensure privacy in the
Prophet's room which naturally attracted many visitors of all
sorts), and that they dress up completely without showing any part
of their bodies including face and hands to any man; though all
other Muslim women were exempted from these restrictions. Thus the
Quran goes: "O you who believe don't enter the Prophet's homes
except when you are invited for a meal and don't come too early
awaiting its preparation. But when you are invited, do enter (the
prophet's home). When you have finished the meal, disperse,
without (lingering) for familiar talk. Such behaviour used to
inconvenience the Prophet who was too embarrassed shy (to ask you
to disperse). But God is not embarrassed to say the truth. And
when you ask the Prophet's women something ask, them from behind a
curtain. This is purer for your hearts as well as for theirs. It
is not proper for you to annoy the Prophet. None of you will at
all marry the Prophet's wives after his death. God considers that
an enormously great sin". (Al-Ahzab, 53).
The text of this commandment is evidently restricted to the
Prophet's house, dialogue with his wives, and impermissibility of
their remarriage after his death. The circumstances surrounding
the revelation of the commandment confirm that the provisions of
the commandment are so confined. An authentic tradition
demonstrates that this commandment vindicated a specific
suggestion advanced by Umar bin al Khattab. Sayyedha Aishah is
quoted as saying that Umar bin Al Khattab asked the Prophet (peace
be upon him) to confine his wives. She said, "but the Prophet
(peace he upon him) did not do so. Then God sent down the verses
relating to confinement". (Bukhari). Anas reported that Umar said:
"My Lord granted me three wishes: I asked the Prophet (peace be
upon him), 'how about adopting the spot of Prophet Ibraheem for
prayer?' and later the verse, 'Adopt the spot of Ibraheem for
prayer' was sent down. I said to the Prophet (peace be upon him),
'O Prophet the pious as well as the dissolute enter your house to
meet your wives. How about ordering them to withdraw themselves?'
Subsequently the verses of confinement were sent down. Similarly
the wives of the Prophet (peace be upon him) conspired, out of
jealousy, against the Prophet (peace be upon him), and I said to
them what was later sent down the verse, 'God may, if he divorced
you, give him in exchange wives better than you'". (Al Tahreem, 5)
(Musand Al-Imam Ahmed Ibn-Hambal).
The verses may directly concern the prolonged stay of the guests
who came to attend the wedding to Zainab bint Jahash. Ibn-shihab
reports that Anas bin Malik gave him the following account: "When
the Prophet (peace be upon him) arrived in Madinah, I was a boy of
ten. And I spent 10 years serving him. None knows more than myself
about the revelation related to the confinement of his wives. Ubai
bin K'ab used to ask me about the Prophet's marriage to Zainab
bint Jahash. The Prophet (peace be upon him), as bridegroom,
invited the people in the morning to feast. Most took the meal and
went away. A group of them, however, remained with the Prophet
(peace be upon him) and stayed rather long. The Prophet (peace be
upon him) stood up and went out. I followed him out so that they
might likewise go. The Prophet (peace be upon him) walked up to
the threshold of Sayyedah Ayishah's room, and thought that by that
time they might have left. But when he returned, with me after
him, to Zainab's, that group was still sitting and had not
dispersed. The Prophet (peace be upon him) returned, and again I
followed, till he reached threshold of Sayyedah Aiashah's room
that they might go. It was only when we returned that they had
just gone out. As a consequence the verses relating to confinement
were revealed. A curtain was then lowered between me and the
Prophet's private quarters". (Bukhari).
A further confirmation of the foregoing conclusion in respect of
the scope of the confinement rule is that those women who were
separated from the Prophet (peace be upon him) before consummation
of marriage, were not given the title of Mothers of the Believers
nor was confinement imposed on them. Some did, in fact, remarry
after the Prophet's death. Take, for instance, Asma bint Al Numan.
There is consensus over the fact that the Prophet (peace be upon
him) did marry her; but there is some controversy about the
circumstances surrounding his separation from her. Some said that
she remarked, "I seek refuge in God from you". The prophet (peace
be upon him) said, "You sought sure refuge and God has granted you
protection from me". He, therefore, divorced her. (Al-Isabah).
Another example is the case of Qeelah bint Qais whom the Prophet
(peace be upon him) married in the tenth year A.H., shortly before
his death,and died soon after. He did not receive her; and the
marriage was not consummated. It is also said that he married her
only two months before his death. It is said that he married her
during the illness that led to his death. It is reported that the
Prophet's instructions were that if she liked she might be
confined and abstain from remarriage. Otherwise she might marry
whomsoever she liked. She opted to marry Ikrimah in Hadramaut.
When the news of the remarriage reached Abu Bakr, he threatened to
burn their house. but Umar told him that she was not reckoned
among the Mothers of the Believers, and that the Prophet (peace be
upon him) did not consummate his marriage with her, nor was she
confined. (AI-Isabah).
The commandments regarding confinement were sent down in the month
of Dhul-Qaidah of the fifth year of Hijrah. It did not affect the
position of the generality of Muslim ladies.
Life in Islam is oriented towards God. If it allows men to come
into contact with women that is indeed a test. A Muslim should
make such association an opportunity for furthering the aims of
worship and gratitude to God. At least he should observe the
limits of what is permissible in that association. There can be no
legitimacy in exploiting the relations between persons of opposite
sexes as an occasion for illicit sexual enjoyment in contravention
of God's commands and in deviation from the proper system for
conjugal relations. There is no scope in religion for licentious
sexual pleasure, which reduces man to a situation of slavery to
passions, instead of to God, or to which man dedicated his time
and exploits his total energies as ultimate purpose in life. There
is no room for unbridled and uncontrolled passions outside the
bounds of marriage.
Fornication, therefore is strictly forbidden; and as commanded by
the Quran, no man is allowed to approach a woman with that
intention. "Don't get close to fornication. it is indeed atrocious
and a bad way". (Al-Isra, 32).
One should even avoid any perverse sight or touch that may excite
sex. Abu Saeed Al-Khudri reported that the Prophet (peace be upon
him) said, "No man should look at another man's private parts, nor
a woman at another woman's. No man or woman shall rub skin with
another in the same dress". (Abu Dawoud, At-Tirmithy, Muslim).
It is not permissible for a man and a woman not tied by marriage
to seek privacy - the two of them alone hidden from the view of
other people. Indeed in such a situation the temptation of sex
would be dominant and would engross one's thoughts, whereas in
larger company one is more likely to be oblivious of sex and
preoccupied by the pursuits and affairs of the community.
Ibn-Abbas says that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, "Keep it
in mind that in the absence of a mahram (real father, real
brothers, real uncles, etc. to whom a women can not be lawfully
married) no man shall be alone with a woman". (Bukhari and
Muslim). Abduallah bin Amr bin Al-A'as said a number of men of the
tribe of Bani Hashim came to see Asma bint Amees. In the meantime
Abu Bakr Also came. She was at that time his wife. When Abu Bakr
saw those people, he did not approve of their being in his house.
He told the Prophet (peace be upon him) about it and said, "I did
not see anything wrong", the Prophet said, "God has acquitted her
of that suspicion". Then the Prophet ascended the pulpit and said,
"In the absence of her man, no woman shall meet a man but in the
presence of another man or two". (Muslim)
In public, however, man and woman can confer privately at a
distance from others. Anas reports that a woman who was slightly
abnormal said to the Prophet (peace be upon him) "O Messenger of
God! I need you for something". The prophet said, "O mother of
such and such, look which way you want to go, that I may arrange
your need". He went with her along some path till all what she
required was over. (Bukhari, Muslim, Abu Dawoud)
The story of Moses (peace be upon him) and the two daughters of
Shuaib, as narrated by the Quran, is very instructive: "and when
he came onto the water of Madian, he found there a group of people
watering, and he found apart of them two women holding back. He
said: 'what is the matter?' They said: 'we cannot water until all
the shepherds leave, and our father is an old man.' He watered for
them and withdrew to the shade... shortly afterwards, one of the
two maidens came to him and said: 'my father calls you that he
might reward you for watering for us....' One said, 'O my father,
hire him, for the best you can hire is one who is strong and
trustworthy'". (Al-Qasas, 22-28)
A man should not gaze at a women nor a woman at a man so fixedly
that temptation is stimulated. Instead, whenever any such thing
strikes the mind, one must desist from looking on. "Tell the
believers to lower their looks and guard their private organs.
This is purer for them. God is fully aware of what they are doing.
And ask believing women to lower their looks and to guard their
private organs...." (An Nur, 30-31)
In the traditions, Jabir bin Abduallah is reported to have said,
"I asked the Prophet (peace be upon him) about looking at some
woman by chance, the Prophet (peace be upon him) told me to divert
my looks".
The Prophet (peace be upon him) advised Ali, "O Ali, you must not
gaze at a woman. You are allowed the first look but not the
subsequent". But Ali's report does not mean that looking at a
person of the opposite sex is absolutely forbidden. It is only
when one seeks sexual pleasure or finds and relishes it. Indeed,
in the model society of Islam, Muslims used to assemble freely and
frequently; they were mostly acquainted with each other, men and
women; they conversed and interacted intensively. But all those
activities, were undertaken in a spirit of innocence and in the
context of a virtuous society.
The meaning behind the prohibition of some looks at women is borne
out by the correlation between such looks and sexual intercourse:
"Allah decreed for every human being his unavoidable share of
sexual intercourse. The eye partakes of that by looks, the tongue
by speech the soul aspires and craves, and the genital organs
fulfil or deny the final act". (Bukhari and Abu Dawooed).
Similarly Abdullah bin Abbas reports that the Prophet was riding a
camel with Al-Fadhl, Abdullah's brother, behind him. A beautiful
woman came to ask the Prophet about the Haj of her father. Al
Fadhl began to stare at her; her beauty impressed him a lot. The
Prophet (peace be upon him) having noticed this while Al Fadhl was
busy looking, put his hand behind and turned his face away from
her hither and thither as she went along with them. Al Abbas said
to the Prophet, "you are twisting the neck of your nephew!" The
Prophet replied, "I noticed that both the boy and the girl were
young; and I feared that Satan may intervene". (At-Tirmithy and
Bukhari).
When assembled men and women must not be crammed in such a manner
that breaths and bodies are very close to each other. If the
practical exigencies demand, they may, however, get closer, as for
instance during Haj. And wherever there are men and women in
homes, streets, meetings or public occasions, it is advisable that
some distance between the two sexes be maintained. It is on the
basis of the same principle that men and women occupy
conspicuously separate rows in prayers. During the prayer, sitting
or standing, people take up their position in a very compact
manner; and while praying one should be completely detached from
everything that may divert one from attending fully to God. The
Prophet (peace be upon him) designated a door exclusively for
ladies to enter and leave the mosque. Ibn-Umar reports that the
Prophet (peace be upon him) said, "may we restrict this door for
ladies only". (Abu Dawoud).
Similarly, on the highway, men and women must maintain some
distance. Hamza bin Sayyed Al Ansari cited his father as saying
that he heard the Prophet (peace be upon him) ask the ladies, "you
stay apart, for you can not walk in the middle of the road; you
bear to the sides of the road". "A Lady", he added, "would walk so
close to the walls along the road that her clothes would touch the
walls". (Abu Dawoud). The Prophet (peace be upon him) used to
defer his departure so that the ladies might leave the mosque
first. (Bukhair). Umm-Salama reported that when the Prophet (peace
be upon him) finished with his prayer, the women would immediately
get up from their places to leave, while he would remain in his
place for a short while, and then would rise to go.
The dress of a man or a woman should be modest. By no gesture,
word or appearance should man or woman deliberately tempt the
other. God says: women shall not show their adornment except what
is naturally visible. They should draw their scares on their
bosoms. And they must not show their adornment except to their
husbands, or their fathers or the fathers of their husbands, or
their sons or the sons of their husbands, or their brothers or the
sons of their brothers or the sons of their sisters or their women
slaves, or male servants uninterested in physical needs, or small
children who are not sexually aware. Nor will they kick with their
feet, to announce whatever is invisible of their adornment. (An-Nur,
31). "0 Prophet tell your wives and your daughters and wives of
the believers to lower their outer garments on their persons. That
is likely to make them known, and, as a consequence, not be
molested. And God is Most Forgiving and Most Merciful". (Al-Ahaab,
59).
The Prophet (peace be upon him) directed that excepting face and
hands no other part of a woman's body should be exhibited.
Sayyedah Ayishah is said to have reported that Asma bint Abu Bakr
came to the Prophet (peace be upon him) wearing a dress made of
thin cloth. The Prophet (peace be upon him) turned his face away
and said to her: "when a girl matures it is not appropriate for
her to show but such and such", pointing towards his face and
hands. Abu Dawoud quoted this tradition, And the majority of
Muslims have accepted it in practice.
Thus temptation is the basic criterion on which these rulings
rest. "For women of advanced age who do not expect to be married,
there is no harm if they set aside their outer garments provided
they do not play up their charms. But it is better for them if
they abstain from doing so. And God is All-seeing and
All-knowing". (An-Nor 60). The Prophet (peace be upon him)
prohibited women from passing by men after perfuming themselves.
he warned women in these words: "after using scents no lady should
attend Isha prayer with us" (Muslim). Abu Musa Al Ashari reports
that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, "any woman who, after
perfuming herself, passes by the people so that they may find her
smell, is a fallen woman". (Musnad Imam Ahmed). The Prophet (peace
be upon him) warned against women who walk swinging ostentatiously
and temptingly: "two categories of the inmates of hell I did not
see before: a group of people holding whips resembling cow tails
lashing at people, and women, half dressed and half naked, walking
swingingly to all allure, with their heads like inclined humps of
camels. They shall never enter Heaven nor get the inclined nor get
the smell thereof, even though its smell can be felt from such and
such distance". (Muslim)
Any relationship or situation which may be instrumental to
temptation or illegal sexual contact between men and women, is
thus not permissible. God says, "don't approach fornication. It is
indeed a vile deed and what an evil practice it is". (Al Isra 32)
That is the standard which determines cases which we did not
mention. Thus Islam tolerates that one may greet women or talk to
them in decent and chaste language and with good intent. The
Prophet used to do so. Asma bint-Yazeed reported that one day the
Prophet (peace be upon him) passed through the mosque where a
group of women were sitting. He greeted them by waving his hand.
(At-Tirmithy). In the chapter Kitab ul-adab of his collection of
traditions, Abu Dawoud gave the following account on the authority
of Asma: "the Prophet (peace be upon him) passed by us and greeted
us". Imam Bukhari has given a chapter in his collection of
authentic traditions under the title, "Greeting Women by Men".
Ibn-Hazim reported that his father cited Sahal, why so? he said,
an aged lady used to send me some goods. She would take the roots
of salaq (a salad) and put them in a pan, and then prepare some
barley bread. After offering Juma prayer we would go and greet her
and she would serve us those dishes, which gave us a lot of joy.
On Fridays we always took our meal and mid-day nap after offering
Juma prayer. (Bukhari)
Asma bint-Yazeed narrated that, "the Prophet (peace be upon him)
passed by us, the women, and greeted us". (Al-Tirimizy)
When greeting a lady, shaking hands in a spontaneous manner may be
permissible, especially if it is a customary practice in a chaste
setting. One may find in Islamic texts strong admonition against
touching strange women. But the word "touch" or the like is, in
this context, a euphemism for sexual intercourse.
Whenever women came to the Prophet (peace be upon him) for the
oath of allegiance, it is reported that he would not shake hands
with them. This is obviously a reservation unique to him. It is
quoted by Al Bukhari that the Prophet (peace by upon him) said: "I
don't shake hands with women". Other reports say that the Prophet
(peace be upon him) did shake hands with the ladies covering the
hand with a garment. (Abu Dawoud cited that on the authority of Al
Shaabi and Abdul Razzaq). Sometimes the Prophet (peace be upon
him) would deputise Umar for that function (Al Tabrani).
So long as the conditions already mentioned are observed, family
gatherings and joint meals, both at home or elsewhere are
permissible. Abu Hurairah (may God be bless him) narrated that a
man came to the Prophet (peace be upon him) and said, "I am
completely exhausted with hunger". The Prophet (peace be upon him)
sent a message to one of his wives. She told him, "by God, who
sent you with the truth, I don't have anything except water". The
Prophet (peace be upon him) then sent the message to another of
his wives. She, too, told the same thing. It was the same with all
the rest of his wives: "By God, who sent you with the truth, I
don't have anything except water". "By God, who sent you with the
truth, I don't have anything except water". The Prophet (peace be
upon him) then said, "whosoever takes this man as his guest God
will grant him mercy". An Ansari of Medina stood up and said, "O
Messenger of God, I shall take him as my guest". He, then took him
to his dwelling, and said to his wife, "Do you have something?"
"Nothing except the meal for my children", she replied. He said to
her, "you distract them with something: when our guest arrives,
put out the lamp, and show him that we. too, are eating". He
narrated how they all sat down and the guest took his meal. Next
day when the Ansari went to the Prophet (peace be upon him) the
latter said to him, "God appreciated so much the treatment you
extended to your guest last night". (Muslim)
More than anybody else, it is permissible for those who are
seeking each other's hand in marriage or are divorced, to see or
talk to each other. Mughirah bin Shubah stated that he proposed to
a woman for marriage. The Prophet (peace be upon him) told him,
"Have a look at her. that some affection might develop between you
two". Mughirah went to the girl's parents and told them about the
Prophet's instruction. It was as if they were reluctant. The lady,
who was in her private room. having overheard this, called out,
"If the Prophet has ordered you to see me, then do so". Mughirah
said: "I saw her and married her". (Ahmed, Ibn-Majah, At-Tirmithy,
Ibn-Habban and Al-Darimi).
A case in point is the famous story of Mughith who used to go
after his ex-wife Burairah through the streets of Madinah. He
would try to appease her with tears flowing from his eyes in order
to bring her back; but she would refuse to do so. When Burairah
was set free, her husband, a negro, was a slave of Bani al
Mughirah. "By God" Ibn Abbas said, "I still recall how he followed
her all over the streets of Madinah with his beard bathed in tears
trying to please her in vain". The prophet (peace be upon him)
himself tried to intercede but the girl declined as long as the
Prophet (peace be upon him) did not order her to reconcile (At-Tirmithy).
The application of the standard of temptation depends subjectively
on what a person finds in his soul - that is what he experiences
by way of feeling in the case. This is naturally a function of his
religious education and integrity. Objectively, it would depend on
the seriousness of the affair in any association of men and women
such as would distract them from thinking of sex, and partly on
the innocence of the particular social context.
The juridical principle is sound: that the avenues and approaches
of wrong-doing should be closed by barring acts innocent in
themselves for fear of what might ensue. But over-caution may
inhibit legitimate conduct on the pretext that it exposes to the
risk of temptation and vice. This may lead to the distortion of
the general social system of Islam which is based on the full
participation of men and women in everyday life with piety and
chastity. Indeed, segregation and isolation may well protect a
woman from temptation, but it essentially denies her the benefits
of the communal life of Muslims.
It denies and abrogates her legitimate role in the social process
of cooperation in the promotion of knowledge and good work, in the
mutual counselling of Muslims to do all that is beneficial and
avoid all that is objectionable, in their solidarity for the
maintenance of their well-being and the defence of their
establishment. God says, "The believing men and women, are
associates and helpers of each other. They (collaborate) to
promote all that is beneficial and discourage all that is evil; to
establish prayers and give alms, and to obey God and his
Messenger. Those are the people whom God would grant mercy. Indeed
God is Mighty and Wise". (Al-Taubah, 71) The benefits drawn from
that communal life of Muslims more than outweigh any preventive
considerations in the segregation of sexes in ways not ordained or
clearly implied in the formal text of the Sharia.
CHAPTER III: WOMEN IN MUSLIM SOCIETY
The
Muslims in history have experienced a significant deisation from
the general ideals of life as taught by Islam. It is, therefore,
not at all surprising that their loss is equally great in the area
of social guidance which Islam offered regarding women. Whenever
weakness creeps into the faith of Muslim men they tend to treat
women oppressively and seek to exploit them. This is natural and
is amply demonstrated by the fact that most of the rulings of the
Quran regarding women were sent down as restrictions on at men
with a view to preventing them from transgressing against women,
as is their natural disposition and their actual practice in many
societies. Only a few of the Quranic injunctions impose
restrictions on women.
We here quote some of those rulings that guarantee a fair deal for
women. "When you divorce women and they fulfil the term of their
Iddat, then retain them in kindness or release them in kindness.
But do not retain them to prejudice them or to take undue
advantage. Do not take the revelations of God as a laughing
matter. Remember God's grace upon you and that which he has
revealed upon you of the scripture and of wisdom to exhort your.
be pious and know that God is aware of all things. When you
divorce women and they fulfil their term do not prevent them from
marrying their former husbands, if they agree on equitable terms.
That is an admonition for him among you who believes in God and
the day of judgement and God knows, but you do not know". (Al-Bagarah,
231). "O you who believe, it is not lawful for you to inherit
women against their will [by maliciously retaining them captive in
formal marriage till death], nor to put constraint upon them to
take away part of what you have given them unless they be guilty
of flagrant lewdness. Consort with them in kindness for if you
hate them it may happen that you hate something wherein God has
placed much good". (Al-Nisa, 19). "When they have fulfilled their
term, there is no blame on you if they [women] dispose of
themselves in a decent and reasonable manner. And God is well
aware of what you do" (Al-Bagarah, 234)
Most if not all of the verses of the Quran regarding oath (of
abstinence from sex), divorce and Iddat (term of transition) were
revealed to bring an end to the oppressive traditions and customs
according to which a woman was retained in formal marital
captivity and for long periods of time while her fate remained in
suspense. The same is true of the verses concerning inheritance
which restored rights which had been denied to her by guaranteeing
her a definite share. Other verses were revealed which criticized
the pessimism and dejection that used to attend a female birth and
the abominable practices of female infanticide. The Quran says,
"When any of them receives the tidings of the birth of a female
his face becomes dark and he is filled with sulkiness. He keeps
hiding from people because of the unfortunate news, [wondering]
whether to hold on to it as a contemptible thing or just bury it
in the soil. O! what a foul judgement". (Al-Nahal, 58-59). "When
the [female] buried alive will be questioned: for what fault was
she murdered?" (Al-Takwir, 8-9).
There are furthermore, many traditions of the Prophet (peace be
upon him) which warn menfolk against meting out an ill-treatment
to women, beating or detaining them. The Prophet said, "None of
you will flog his wife like a donkey and later towards the end of
the day have intercourse with her". (Bukhari). He once warned: "A
large number of women have come to the Muhammad complaining about
their husbands. Those husbands are not the best amongst you". (Riad
Us-Saliheen). The Prophet's traditions encourage the Muslim to
care for the good upbringing and education of women, and for their
well-being in general: "The best of you is one who is best towards
his family and I am best towards the family". (At-Tirmithy. "None
but a noble man treats women in an honourable manner. And none but
an ignoble treats women disgracefully". (At-Tirmithy).
Weak commitment to religion tends to cultivate unjust and hostile
treatment of women. For unlike man, a woman is created and brought
up gentle and delicate. Performance of her natural functions keeps
her away from the toughening experience of everyday public life.
Man, uncultured by religion, tends to oppress her as is common in
many a human society. Men normally purposefully keep women weak,
and the jealousy which they entertain in respect of women induces
them to multiply the means for restraining and monopolising them.
They like to dominate the property and life of the female with a
view to assert their vanity and arrogance.
Male jealousy is but one aspect of masculine capricious tendencies
which only godly men are immune from and which inculcated the myth
that women, by nature, suffer from excessive incapacity. Men use
that fantasy as an excuse to ban women from active participation
in the broad spectrum of human life and to deprive them of
experience and training - thereby devitalizing and debilitating
them in fact. and finding reason for further ill-treatment and
prejudice. These male tendencies and the appending customs and
ways are manifest in many societies where male arbitrariness runs
amok with no religious or human limitation.
Take, for instance, the Arab, Persian and Indian Societies.
Although the message of Islam has spread in these societies from
early times, the teaching and inculcation of Islamic cultural
values was not coextensive with the horizontal expansion.
Consequently some pre-Islamic values and prejudices have continued
to persist, despite the domination of Islamic forms. In some cases
there was manifest historical religious decline and a relapse to
anterior social ethos and mores.
This phenomenon has sometimes occasioned an even more serious
development. New or degenerate Muslim societies would sometimes,
out of ignorance, attribute their un-Islamic legacy or custom to
Islam itself. By attaching an Islamic value to these practices
they seek to give them legitimacy and sanctity, the values of
Islam being accepted as sacred and supreme. This explains the
unabated influence on the minds of many otherwise good Muslims of
attitudes abhorrent to Islam, especially in the sensitive area of
sex relations where passion is strong and custom is sacrosanct.
Many latterly juristic rules and stratagems have been adopted to
qualify the Sharia to suit cherished customs and traditions. For
instance, with a view to do this, express provisions of the Sharia
are sometimes compared and contrasted, not to give relative effect
to all, but to claim the abrogation of provisions purporting to
extend rights, immunities or liberties to women; or to restrict
their general scope almost to a vanishing point. Another tricky
approach is to read liberally and broaden the scope of rules
granting authority to men, while reading literally and strictly
those imposing limitations on women. This discriminatory attitude
of interpretation is very widespread. Yet another aspect of this
tendentious jurisprudence is to generalise the provisions of the
Quran and the Sunna that were meant to apply exclusively to the
Prophet or his wives due to their unique position.
But the most popular anti-feminist argument derives from the abuse
of the juristic principle that means and preliminaries assume the
value of their ends and results. Thus the maximum precautionary
prohibitions have to be observed to bar approaches to sexual
temptation and avoid its undesired consequences. But the proper
jurisprudential judgement in the absence of an express provision
is to balance in consideration the risks of temptation with the
positive merits of the integration of men and women in Muslim
society, and not to forfeit all freedom for some necessary reserve
in social intercourse.
The traditional Muslim Society, which is over-impressed by its
historical decline, had developed a general preference for
circumspection and cautiousness over the demands of positive
pursuits. It has become unduly conservative for fear that freedom
of thought would lead astray and divide the community; and that
freedom of women would degenerate into licentious promiscuity - so
much that the basic religious rights and duties of women have been
forsaken and the fundamentals of equality and fairness in the
structure of Muslim Society, as enshrined in the Sharia, have been
completely overlooked.
Pseudo-religious arguments have been advanced for justifying a
complete metamorphosis of the patterns of social life initiated by
the Prophet (peace be upon him) himself under the guidance of the
Quran. The most popular is the claim that the magnificent Quranic
and Sunnic regulations had relevance for the virtuous society
which prevailed during the Prophet's own life. Later however, it
is argued that people have changed and corruption became the order
or succeeding societies and latter days. Hence the necessity to
correct this degenerative tendency by adjusting the norms of
social conduct in the sense of greater circumspection. This would
be a liberal manner of interpretation that underlines the spirit
and purpose rather than the letter of the law, in order to allow
for a progressive application thereof. But this is not the
prevailing manner of thinking among Muslims who advance
conservative views on female affairs. They are normally very
literal in their understanding of texts; but they tendentiously
opt for an understanding that suits their prejudice. Islam is not
a matter of a single rule that can be flexibly understood; it is a
whole order of norms that establish the entire way of life or
social structure of Islam, and is not liable to variation.
Furthermore, the claim is based on a pious but excessive
overvaluation of the society of Madinah. In fact not all its
members were like the rightly-guided companion of the Prophet;
some elements were hypocrites or new converts not yet free of
Jewish or pre-Islamic Arabic influences and manners. The very
verses of the Quran that prescribe proper dress for ladies refer
to the presence of hypocrites and rumour-mongers (Al-Ahzab 59-60).
Whatever the comparative character of our present-day society the
proper reform policy is to reshape it after the example of the
Sunni society by changing its deviant ways and re-establishing
Islamic Social practices and institutions now in disuse. It is not
sound social policy to submit to the dominant ways of the de facto
historical society and then either to forsake Islamic institutions
in an attempt to save some of the ideals in that alien social
context.
The thought and practice of Muslims have come lately to
misrepresent most of the doctrinal and normative teachings of
Islam on female affairs. The female is hardly ever religiously
addressed except through the mediation of the male and as an
addendum to him. In the fallen society of Muslims, women have
little freedom to marry the person she likes, or to separate from
a husband she loathes. Nor is she, as wife, entitled to full
consultation and gracious companionship by her husband. In many
cases she hardly enjoys an equal opportunity to earn and own
property, or the full capacity to manage her property or to
dispose thereof. All sorts of subterfuges are employed to deny her
inheritance. Her role in private life has been reduced to that of
a housewife chosen not for her personal merit, for she was denied
the education or the opportunity to acquire merit, but for the
merit of her menfolk.
In the domain of public life she is not allowed to make any
original contribution to the promotion of the religious quality of
life. Whenever she was allowed to work towards the material
development of life that was likely to be in a context of
exploitation or as mundane work with little spiritual satisfaction
or significance.
The greatest injustice visited upon women is their segregation and
isolation from the general society. Sometimes the slightest aspect
of her public appearance would be considered a form of obscene
exhibitionism. Even her voice was bracketed in the same category.
Her mere presence at a place where men are also present was
considered shameful promiscuity. She was confined to her home in a
manner prescribed in Islam only as a penal sanction for an act of
adultery. She was so isolated on the pretext that she might devote
herself exclusively to the care of her children and the service of
her husband. But how could she qualify for attending to domestic
family affairs or to the rearing of children in a satisfactory
manner without being herself versed through education or
experience, in the moral and functional culture of the wider
society?
CHAPTER IV: THE RESURGENCE OF WOMEN
The
traditional customs and practices of the historical Muslim Society
could not have endured long in the face of challenges posed by
alien cultures and unconventional patterns of life. The external
influences are represented mainly in the ideological inroads of
western civilization which have swept the whole of Muslim World.
The Cultural domination of Muslims by the West has shattered their
confidence in almost the whole legacy of ideas, Islamic and
traditional. Furthermore Muslims have imbibed and assimilated
cultural attitudes and modes which are very liberal with regard to
women. This trend of women's liberation constituted a serious
temptation for the downtrodden Muslim women.
The western liberal tendency has itself been a revolt against a
sickly religious tradition which maltreated women in ways which
closely resembled the aberrant traditional ways of the Muslims. In
early European Society women were not equated with men in humanity
or religion, in fundamental rights or obligations, nor in legal
capacity or social consideration. The revolt of the new European
society against religion and convention was universal. It was in
particular a complete departure from the absolute homogeneous and
monotheist order that once prevailed under the authority of the
Church. Society became secular and humanistic in its values and
therefore heterogeneous and free, pursuing no single ultimate end
in life and tending to nonconformism and libertarianism. Thus,
politics, economics, science and arts - all became free and
autonomous. Likewise the petrified traditional forms of social
life relating to sex relations and conduct broke down towards
promiscuity, permissiveness and sexual indulgence. Like power,
pleasure, knowledge and beauty, sex almost became an object of
total uninhibited devotion. As a consequence the woman, once
again, began to lose her primacy and autonomy as a human being, to
become an object for physical pleasure and commercial promotion.
Her purpose in life became more to realize her femininity than to
fulfil her humanity. She would fake her natural physical aspect by
all sorts of artificiality and cosmetic treatment or surgery: and
waste her energy, wealth and time simply to maximize her
seductiveness in the eyes of men. She would dress up, adorn
herself and go out simply to attract, charm and excite, by her
tempting nudity, beautiful form, sweet scent, delightful colours
and sex appeal. This she would do to invite the fixed attention of
men, to entice some to seek her privacy. Similarly the man, when
overcome by the wanton pursuit of carnal pleasure would relate to
women only as male, and would affect looks and conduct simply to
attract them. He might waste all energy and wealth in satisfaction
of his base desires. The privacy of sex is thereby shattered in
society, matrimonial relations are subverted and the institution
of family is undermined as the special stable milieu for nursing,
rearing, and educating the child.
This way of life has become universal in the West; but some
aspects of it have swept over most of the modern sectors of our
Islamic societies, just as much as economic materialism and
political secularism have spread to break some Muslims loose of
their solid religious moorings and thereby to weaken the norms of
social control in their life. This was brought about by the
dominance of western culture and the debility of the Muslim
society that has become prone to adulteration and blind imitation.
On the other hand, economic and social developments in Muslim
lands have precipitated the destruction of the old social order.
That order, with all its conventions and traditions was rooted in
the past and could not withstand the change of circumstances.
Neither man nor woman was holding on to the values of the past
consciously, it was merely a legacy received from historical
custom giving way to practices and developments of new times.
Religion was hardly present in people's minds, and then only as a
cultural value to sanctify custom. Anyway, religious values were
waning as religious institutions which used to promote them date
and die away.
As consciousness of the growing economic needs spread in the
impoverished society of Muslims, and as they became less resistant
to material temptation and more deprived of the close social ties
of economic solidarity, the strong pressures for a better life
swept away the reservations of the past. Fathers and husbands came
to encourage daughters and spouses to go out, not in pursuit of
knowledge or good works, but to earn a living and supplement the
family income. Women took advantage of this new-found experience
and power to assert their freedom from the vanity and authority of
men. This was not so much a full choice of a new and better way of
life, but a liberation from the old order: a revolt against
control and a fancy of the permissive model of the West.
Furthermore, increased urbanisation brought more people into a new
and impersonal social context with little of the close community
ties of acquaintance, kinship and solidarity, that used to
cultivate regard for the norms of public decency or for family
honour, and that was a deterrent to acts of indecency and
ignominy. The crowded urban conditions brought about much more
direct contact and, as a result, many occasions for temptation
between men and women. The old-time institution of 'harem', the
barrier of female privacy, was dismantled for practical
considerations, with no compensating development of personal piety
or moral barriers. The new urban attitude was one of indifference
and emancipation. in lieu of the considerate, reserved attitude of
before. Under the impact of cultural change and alien domination,
the traditional society of Muslims is falling apart. No
lamentations by conservatives over the changing times or tenacious
clinging to the past would save much. The fate of the traditional
way of Muslims would not be different from that of the European
old orders when its theoretical and material foundations collapsed
and new social values and structures were ushered in by the
revolution. If conservatives hold on to rigid customary forms of
the past and fail to direct the process of change according to
Islamic guidance, the change will come to pass all the same; and
even faster and more tragic than in the case of Europe, if only
because the European example has become so compelling.
A revolution against the condition of women in the traditional
Muslim societies is inevitable. The Islamists are urged by their
own ideals to reform the traditional society and to close the gap
between the fallen historical reality and the desired model of
ideal Islam. This is even more urgent with respect to the present
state of women. Contemporary social trends in an ever closer world
require an early initiative to take the direction of change in
hand before it takes its free course, when the alien trends take
root and are assimilated, and it becomes too late to undertake
right-guided Islamic reform. The Islamists should beware of an
attitude that seeks refuge from the invading liberating western
culture in the indigenous past as a lesser evil that should be
preserved with some accommodation. Conservation is a wasted
effort. The Islamists are worthy of the leadership of the movement
of women's liberation from the traditional quagmire of historical
Islam, and that of their resurgence towards the heights of ideal
Islam. They should not leave their society at the mercy of the
advocates of westernization who exploit the urgency of reform to
deform society and lead it astray. The teachings of their own
religion call upon Islamists to be the right-guided leaders for
the salvation of men and women, emancipating them from the
shackles of history and convention, and steering their life clear
of the aberrations of mutative change.
SOURCES
1)
Tafseer Ibn-Katheer
2) Tafseer Al-Tabari
3) Fath Al-Bari, By Ibn-Hajar Al-Asqalani Commentary on Sahih Al-Bukari
4) Al Jami Al Saheeh By Al-Tirmithy
5) Saheeh Muslim
6) Sunan Abu Dawoud
7) Sunan Ibn-Maja
8) Al Isabah Fi Tamyeez Al Sahabah By Ibn-Hajar
9) Tabaqat By Ibn-Saad
10) Tareekh By Tabari
11) Sunan By Al Nisai