THE POSITION OF WOMEN IN ISLAM

Allah Subhaanahu wa Ta'ala has showered His creatures with innumerable favours. All these favours are aimed at the well-being of man. As long as they are used wisely, that is, in the manner prescribed by Allah Ta'ala, they will be a source of blessing and happiness. On the other hand, if they are misused, they will become a source of problems and misfortune. A drug, for example, must be used as prescribed by the doctor. If they are not complied with and one takes a higher dose than prescribed, one runs great risks. The favours of Allah Ta'ala should also be used as He has prescribed them.

Woman is one of the great favours that Allah has bestowed on men. It brings some balance in the life of a man and makes his life pleasant and charming. The Prophet Muhammad (Sallallaahu A'laihi Wasallam) said in a Hadith:

"Three things in this world are particularly pleasing to me - perfume, women and the Salah."

THE FATE OF WOMEN - ANCIENT "CIVILIZATIONS"

Unfortunately, the men of ancient civilizations did not know how to appreciate women at their true value and inflicted inhuman treatment on them.

Woman was once considered a non-entity. She had no rights to property and inheritance. She had no say in the choice of her husband. She could not dispose of her personal belongings without the consent of her husband. All this took place in the nineteenth century! (See American Encyclopedia, Vol. 29, page 108)

Anyone found guilty of a crime was liable to a ransom, but in the case of a crime committed against a woman, there was no ransom.

Some will be surprised to learn that at one time, European society did not consider women to be human beings. She was taken for an incarnation of sin and misfortune. Her prayer was considered null.

In Rome, women were thought of as a dirty animal. In some cases, the wife, on the death of her husband, had to commit suicide by throwing herself into the fire in order to prove her fidelity to the deceased husband. In other cases, the younger brother of the deceased husband became the master of the widow if she had no children. And if she later managed to give birth to a child, the child was considered to belong to the deceased's brother in order to perpetuate his name.

The Greeks, on the other hand, considered the woman to belong to the third category (last category). They killed infertile women and those who gave birth to a disabled child. (See "Civilization of Arabia" by Dr. Gustav Le Bon)

The French, however, were somewhat more moderate and still had a less unfavourable opinion of women. Indeed, they had agreed, after a tenuous debate on women in 586 A.D. that the role of women consisted only in serving men.

These men, in reality, did not know the value of the woman. They didn't know how much happiness a woman can bring to a home. They did not know the charm that she can give to life. It was the time of 'Jaahiliyyah' (of ignorance - version number one). It was an extreme.

THE FATE OF WOMEN-"MODERN CIVILIZATIONS"

Woman remain an element of charm and balance as long as she occupies her real place in society and as long as she confines herself to her role. From the moment she stands out from her role, she becomes a source of 'fitnah'. 

This may be one of the reasons why Rasulullah (Sallallaahu A'laihi Wasallam) said:

"I have not left a more pernicious (detrimental) fitnah (after me) than the woman."

It is therefore necessary, if she is to preserve her element of balance and charm, to remain within certain limits. This does not mean that she should remain a prisoner. Far from it. She simply must not exceed certain limits.

In all areas, there are limits to be respected. Eating, for example, is a necessity, but eating in excess is detrimental to health. The sea must not go beyond its shores. If it crosses these limits, the earth will be submerged and everyone will be drowned. In the same way, a planet must follow its trajectory and rotate around its orbit. If it leaves its trajectory, it will leave its orbit and we can easily guess the disasters that will follow.

Woman is no exception to this rule and, by reason of her nature, must necessarily remain within the prescribed limit.

But alas, man has never understood this! He has never been able to situate the role of women in the family and in society. Ignoring the true nature of women and without taking into account their biological and physical differences, he spoke out for the "liberation" of women. And what do we see today?

Nowadays, women say that they are free. They don't have to stay at home and take care of their home and their children. As a result, they do not find enough time to raise and educate their children and take care of their husband. This has brought a severe blow to family life.

With such a conception of freedom, it is clear that women have indeed crossed the limits. The opposite would be very strange. As soon as they crossed their limits, the wave of immorality invaded the world. As soon as she abandoned her trajectory in the name of 'freedom' and 'equality', she was thrown out of her orbit, thus causing a multitude of damages in the family and society.

It is not surprising, then, that the number of unfaithful couples is countless, that the rate of broken marriages and divorces continues to rise, that sexual perversion, debauchery and adultery are trivialized, and that venereal diseases are constantly on the rise.

It is also not surprising that qualities such as modesty, chastity and fidelity are becoming increasingly rare, that women are not ashamed to expose themselves naked in public, that the number of rapes and crimes continues to increase, and that abortion is legalized in many countries.

Are women really free, when we are faced with such a situation, when they are exploited in the office, factories, for advertising purposes by producers of movies, publishers of pornographic magazines and promoters of beauty contests? What freedom!

We are facing an extremely deplorable situation. We have gone from one extreme to another. The era of Jaahiliyyah, version number one, is over. The era of Jaahiliyyah, version number two, is at play!

THE FATE OF WOMEN AND ISLAM

For the well-being of women, for the well-being of humanity itself, a solution must be found. Between these two extremes, we must strike a balance and find a middle ground. Philosophers, 'sages' and 'intellectuals' have struggled in this direction. But this is not an easy task. A just and equitable solution to this problem cannot be expected without a complete idea of human nature in general and that of women in particular. However, this is not an easy task, for man, being in himself a world, is a very complex being. This is what explains why many have committed and are still committing more errors and monumental blunders on this subject; The last one dates back only a few weeks (Wednesday morning, November 11, 1987 at 00:25 to be more precise) and is still fresh in the memory of Muslims and whose wounds are still very raw.

Given the complexity of this machine that is the human being, especially the woman, there is only one sure way to find the solution. It is that of having recourse to the instructions of his Designer, his Creator, Allah Rabbul Aalameen (Creator/Master of all worlds), instructions found in the Manual - Al Qur'an. But before seeing, very briefly, some of its instructions, it would be good to see what status the Arab woman enjoyed before the advent of Islam.

The life of the Arab woman, before the Islamic era, was a real ordeal, a horrible nightmare. Her situation was not much better than that of women in other societies of the time. On the contrary, it was worse. She suffered more humiliation, torture and cruelty. She was the object of outrageous oppression. She was sold as an object at the market. In addition, the birth of a daughter plunged the whole family into mourning. The Arabs considered this to be the height of disgrace, a shameful event, and they buried alive these innocent girls, who were undesirable to them, in order to get rid of them. While the father, on the occasion of such an event, sought refuge somewhere to hide his shame, the mother wept for her fate and the loss of her poor child whom she carried in her womb for nine months. It was a cruel experience that no mother worth her name would have liked to have.

No one dared to denounce these monstrosities. The literature and especially Arabic poetry was, at that time, at its peak and yet not a single book, not a single poet or writer spoke out against these crimes, especially against the practice of burying girls alive.

However, suddenly, from this darkness, a light springs forth. From this complete silence a voice was heard. It was the light of Islam. It was the voice of the Qur'an, the Book of Allah, revealed to the Prophet Hadhrat Muhammad (Sallallaahu A'laihi Wasallam), a verse of which reads as follows:

"Killing them is indeed a grave sin." (17:31)

At last, woman was to free herself from the yoke of oppression and injustice. Indeed, the following lines will demonstrate how Islam, fifteen centuries ago, raised the status of women.

ISLAM AND THE MOTHER

The position of the mother is so great in Islam that it is even forbidden to raise one's voice when addressing one's mother, and one's father also. The Qur'an says in this regard:

"Your Lord has commanded that you worship only Him and that you treat your parents kindly. If anyone of the two or both of them reaches old age with you, then do not even tell them "Oof!" and do not rebuke them. Speak gently to them." (17:23)

In another verse, Allah Ta'ala says:

"We have given man instructions concerning his parents. His mother carried him in weakness upon weakness and his weaning is in two years. Express gratitude to Me and to your parents." (31:14)

Moreover, the following Hadith is narrated in Bukhari Sharif:

"A companion came to Rasulullah (Sallallaahu A'laihi Wasallam) and asked him: 'O Rasulullah (Sallallaahu A'laihi Wasallam), who has more right to my best considerations? The Prophet (Sallallaahu A'laihi Wasallam) replied, "Your mother!" "Then who?" he asked. The Prophet (Sallallaahu A'laihi Wasallam) replied, "Your mother." "Who next?" he asked again. The Prophet (Sallallaahu A'laihi Wasallam) replied, "Your father."

In another Hadith, it is said:

"Paradise is under the feet of the mother."

These verses and Ahaadith say a lot about the position of the mother in Islam and do not need to be explained.

ISLAM AND THE WIFE

Islam commands its adherents to be just to their wives. It is even said in Durr-e-Mukhtar that it is not advisable for one who fears to be unjust to marry. In addition, one should not have more than one wife if one fears to be unjust to the other wives.

"If you fear that you will not be just, then (marry) just one." (4:3)

In a Hadith, Hadhrat Abu Hurairah (Radiyallahu anhu) reports that Rasulullah (Sallallaahu A'laihi Wasallam) said that spending on one's wife has more merit than giving charity to slaves and beggars.

In some societies, the woman, or her parents, must give a dowry to the husband or her parents at the time of marriage. In Islam it is quite the opposite. It is the boy's responsibility (Waajib) to pay the dowry, called Mahr, to the girl. And once received, the dowry becomes the exclusive property of the woman. The husband cannot use it without his wife's consent.

It is also said in Durr-e-Mukhtar that if the wife manages to accumulate savings with the money of the household, this money becomes her property and the husband has no right to this money.

To act well with one's wife, said the Prophet (Sallallaahu A'laihi Wasallam) is the sign of perfect faith (Imaan).

ISLAM AND THE DAUGHTER AND THE SISTER

Hadhrat Abdullah Ibn-e-Abbaas (Radiyallahu anhuma) reported that Rasulullah (Sallallaahu A'laihi Wasallam) said:

"He who has a daughter and he did not kill her (bury her alive) nor disrespected her and did not consider his sons superior to her, Allah Ta'ala will make him enter Paradise."

It is narrated in Abu Dawud that the Prophet (Sallallaahu A'laihi Wasallam) said that whoever does not torture, humiliate or give preference to his son over his daughter will enter Paradise.

Hadhrat Anas (Radiyallahu anhu) reported that Rasulullah (Sallallaahu A'laihi Wasallam) said:

"Whoever feeds two or three daughters or two sisters until they grow up or die, I will accompany him to Paradise and I will be close to him as two fingers are close to each other."

EQUALITY

Man and woman complement each other. Allah Ta'ala has bestowed upon each of them certain abilities and faculties. In most cases, the two are equal. However, considering their respective natures, Allah Ta'ala, the One who created man and who knows perfectly well what is good for him, gave a slight advantage to man. He says in His Holy Book, the Qur'an-e-Majid:

"And they (women) have rights similar to those over them in kindness. Men have a degree above them. Allah is Mighty, Wise." (2:228)

Anyone who dares to contest this fact behaves like a fool and makes a fool of himself. Can we know man better than his Creator? Can one be more just than the One who is the Just of the Just?

If a country that includes hundreds or thousands of square kilometres cannot have two heads of government (prime ministers), so how can one design a house, of only a few hundred square meters, with two leaders? You cannot have two captains in a boat. Don't we say "Too many cooks spoil the broth!"?

FREEDOM

At the time of Jaahiliyyah, version number one, women were deprived of their freedom. And the era of Jaahiliyyah version number two, there is, as we have seen above, an abuse of freedom. In both cases, man is to be blamed. In the first case, because he had taken away all freedom from the woman, and in the second case, because he had removed all restrictions.

An unrestricted, unlimited freedom is not a freedom in fact. In Mauritius, for example, we drive on the left. But if some drivers say that they are in a 'democracy' and are free to drive wherever they want - to the left, to the right or in the middle of the road - what would we say about them? How crazy are they! And if they do, it would be a disaster. No one will be free to drive or ride on the road, and why is that? Because they have a false conception of freedom and have consequently abused this freedom by exceeding the limits.

The woman in Islam is therefore not a prisoner. Islam freed her from the yoke of domination and injustice and gave her, her true value and dignity. A value and dignity that she does not have elsewhere, despite everything that can be said. Elsewhere, she is worse than a slave. She is only an object that is spread out before the scrutinizing eyes of man. An object of sensuality exploited to the fullest by men to fill their pockets.

If for others, the woman has the 'freedom' to behave as she wants, to dress as she wants, thus arousing the sexual appetite of any man who manages to look at her, in Islam, it is quite different. Islam, while giving women the freedoms they deserve, has also limited this freedom in order to preserve their element of charm, dignity and honour. Islam has erected a protective wall around her so that she will remain one of Allah's great favours. Water, for example, is a very great favour of Allah Ta'ala. It is so important that it must be collected and preserved like wall around which a dam is built, which will prevent it from going downhill. Thus, it can be used to supply the city or to irrigate crops. But if the dam is broken, the water will rush down to the city, submerge the surrounding areas, causing countless losses of human life, soil erosion and immense harm to the plantations. This water, which was a source of life, which supplied the population, has become a source of problem and misfortune. This is because the dam was broken, which was the last thing to do. This roadblock, therefore, is a wall of protection for people, just as the limit prescribed by Allah Rabbul Aalameen is a protection for women in particular and for everyone in general. She will thus remain a source of happiness, a favour of Allah Ta'ala. The Prophet (Sallallaahu A'laihi Wasallam) said:

"The whole world is a provision and the best provision is a virtuous woman."

In Islam, therefore, woman is a dignified, noble, respectable being. She is the queen of her home. She is a gentle and fragile being towards whom we must act with delicacy and love.

The Qur'an Sharif is the Book of Allah Ta'ala. Its laws are programmed to exist until the end of the world because they were promulgated by the All-Knower, not by men. If the Napoleonic Code lasted more than a century despite its imperfections, can't Allah's law, which is perfect, exist until the end of the world? One must be ignorant to say that the laws of Islam, and therefore of Allah, are "feudal." It must also be said that Muslim women are sufficiently protected and better than women elsewhere. One only has to compare the number of divorces, suicides, and cases of torture to be convinced. We affirm this without any fear of contradiction. The Muslim woman therefore does not need a 'Rambo' or a 'Super Jaimie' to protect her.

It is more than obvious that the amendments to the Civil Status Act, which at the same time abrogating the Muslim Personal Law, are not intended to give "increased protection to Muslim women, in their rights as well as in their dignity." This is just a banal pretext, a facade to conceal dark and sinister designs - perhaps to uproot date palms (date tree) that still remain.

Whoever claims to protect the Muslim woman is insinuating that Allah has not given her enough protection, that the Qur'an is an outdated feudal book and that he can protect her better than Allah. (Nauzubillah). This was prejudicial to our religion - Al Islam - and has hurt the Muslim community deeply. All this has gone on for too long!

"They try to blow out the light of Allah with their mouths but Allah refuses except that his light be completed even though the Kaafirun detest it." (9:32)

[English version of "La position de la femme en islâm" – Al Haadi – Vol. 1 No. 3]