WOMAN IN ISLAM - By Shaykh Ashraf Salah
WOMAN IN ISLAM
By Shaykh Ashraf Salah
Dear Muslims:
In the midst of the darkness that engulfed the world, the divine
revelation echoed in the wide desert of Arabia with a fresh, noble, and
universal message to humanity: "O Mankind, keep your duty to your Lord who
has created you from a single soul and from it has created its mate (of same
kind) and from them twain has spread a multitude of men and women" (4: 1).
Stressing this noble and natural conception, the Qur'an states:
"It is He has created you from a single person (Adam) and then He has
created from him his wife (Eve), that he might enjoy the pleasure of living
with her" (7:189). Allah (SWT) also says: "The Creator of heavens and
earth. He has made for you pairs from yourselves" (42:11).
Dear Brothers And Sisters In Islam:
Woman has a high status as a wife. Among the most impressive verses in
the Qur'an about marriage is the following: "And among His signs is this:
That He created wives for you from yourselves that you may find repose in them,
and He has put between you affection and mercy. Verily, in that are indeed are
signs for a people who reflect." (30:2 1).
According to Islamic Law, women cannot be forced to marry anyone
without their consent.
Ibn Abbas reported that a girl came to the Messenger of Allah, Muhammad
(PBUH), and she reported that her father had forced her to marry without her
consent. The Messenger of God gave her the choice . . . (between accepting the
marriage or invalidating it). (Ahmed). In another version, the girl said:
"Actually I accept this marriage but I wanted to let women know that
parents have no right (to force a husband on them)" (Ibn Maja).
Dear Muslims:
The Holy Qur'an thus states that wives have the same rights as they
have to fulfil certain duties towards their husbands. Allah (SWT) says:
"And they (women) have rights similar to those (of men) over them, and men
are a degree above them." (2:228). Such degree is Quiwama (maintenance and
protection). This refers to that natural difference between the sexes which
entitles the weaker sex to protection. It implies no superiority or advantage
before the law. Yet, man's role of leadership in relation to his family does
not mean the husband's dictatorship over his wife.
Islam emphasizes the importance of taking counsel and mutual agreement
in family decisions. The Qur'an gives us an example: "...If they (husband
wife) desire to wean the child by mutual consent and (after) consultation,
there is no blame on them..." (Qur'an 2: 233).
Over and above woman’s basic rights as a wife comes the right which is
emphasized by the Qur'an and is strongly recommended by the Prophet (PBUH);
kind treatment and companionship. Allah (SWT) says: "...But consort with
them in kindness, for if you hate them it may happen that you hate a thing
wherein God has placed much good." (4: l9).
Moreover, Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said: The best of you is the best to
his family and I am the best among you to my family. Also: "The most
perfect believers are the best in conduct and best of you are those who are
best to their wives". (Ahmed)
Dear Brothers And Sisters In Islam:
The Holy Qur'an has a special recommendation for the good treatment of
mothers. Allah (SWT) says: "And we have enjoined upon man (to be good) to
his parents: His mother bears him in weakness upon weakness..." (31:14).
In fact, Islam consides kindness to parents next to the worship of God:
"Your Lord has decreed that you worship none save Him, and that you be
kind to your parents. . ." (17:23 ).
A man came to Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)
asking: O Messenger of God, who among the people is the most worthy of my good
company? The Prophet (PBUH) said, Your mother. The man said then who else: The
Prophet (PBUH) said, Your mother. The man asked, Then who else? Only then did
the Prophet (PBUH) say, Your father. "
Furthermore, a famous saying of The Prophet is "Paradise
is at the feet of mothers." (In Al'Nisa'I, Ibn Majah and Ahmad).
Dear Muslims:
Islam also gives woman her much care as a daughter and as a sister.
Among the sayings of Prophet: “Whosoever supports two daughters till they
mature, he and I will come in the day of judgment as this (and he pointed with
his two fingers held together)”. A similar Hadeeth deals in like manner with
one who supports two sisters. (Ahmed).
Dear Muslims:
As far as the commands of the Holy Qur’an are concerned, there is no
difference between man and woman. The phrase: “O believers” or “O you who
believe” is always used in the Holy Qur’an to include both males and females.
Some verses explain literally that the same command given to men is also given
to women. An example for this is verses No. 30 and 31 in Surat An-Nur (24). The
two verses can be translated as: “Tell the believing men to lower their gazes
(from looking at forbidden things), and protect their private parts” (24:30),
and, “And tell the believing women to lower their gazes (from looking at
forbidden things), and protect their private parts”. (24:31). Another example is
the verse: “It is not for a believer, man or woman, when Allah and His
Messenger have decreed a matter that they should have any option in their
decision. And whoever disobeys Allah and His Messenger, he has indeed strayed
into a plain error”. (33:36).
Dear Brothers
And Sisters In Islam:
The verse quoted
above (33:36) teaches all Muslims, males and females, the importance of
yielding to Allah’s will. Submission to Allah’s commands gives life to our
hearts and souls. The Holy Qur’an says: “O you who believe! Answer Allah (by
obeying Him) and (His) Messenger when he calls you to that which will give you
life”. Muslims thus cannot neglect answering the commands of Allah (SWT) and
His Messenger (PBUH). This is more stressed with regard to the ordinances of Islam.
For women, one of these religious duties is putting on the Hijab (veil).
This is the explicit instruction of the Holy Quran: “O Prophet! Tell your wives
and your daughters and the women of the believers to draw their cloaks (veils)
all over their bodies (to cover all their bodies except their faces and the two
hands up to the wrists)”. (33:59). Moreover, Allah (SWT) says: “And (tell the
believing women) to draw their veils all over their bodies (except the faces
and two hands aup to the wrists)”. (24:31). Hijab is thus a religious
obligation that a Muslim woman cannot miss. All Muslim Mathahib (schools
of thought) agree on this. It hurts and pains Muslims severely if they are
deprived from fulfilling any one of the precepts (fra’id) of their religion. Thus,
we hope that people in power all over the world guarantee the religious freedom
of Muslim women to practise the obligation of Hijab.
May Allah (SWT)
forgive, guide and bless us all (Ameen)
