April 6, 2018 at 1:53 p.m.
OUR NEIGHBORS' FAITH
Women in Islam and Muslim beliefs
An understanding of this must begin with a knowledge of the basic beliefs of Muslims. Muslims believe in only one God (called "Allah" in Arabic), without any partners. They also believe in all the prophets - and the revelations and scriptures given to any of them - including Abraham, Moses, Jesus and Muhammed, the last messenger in the continuity of revelation from God. Jesus occupies a high position in Islam, but is not considered divine.
Muslim customs and traditions are based on two basic texts: the revealed text of the Qur'an, and a compilation of the sayings and actions of the Prophet Muhammed called the Hadith or the Sunnah.
The status and position of women is discussed in both of these texts, and disregarding these texts may lead to errors in interpretation.
Here is an example: "Oh mankind! We created you from a single pair, male and female, and made you into nations and tribes, that ye may know one another. Verily, the most honored of you in the sight of God is the one who is the most righteous" (Qur'an 49:13). This verse clearly shows the equality of males and females in the sight of God, and the equality of all races and nations.
The most honored are those that are most God-conscious. From this important starting point, I will discuss the equity of the sexes in Islam with respect to creation; religious, spiritual and intellectual status; and legal, civil, and economic rights.
In spiritual and intellectual matters, men and women are equal. In societal matters and marriage, men and women have rights and responsibilities that are equitable.
At the time of creation, the burden of the sin of disobeying God was not on Eve alone. The Qur'an tells us that both Adam and Eve disobeyed God in eating from the tree of knowledge and, thus, that both of them were equally responsible. God taught both to ask for forgiveness and both were forgiven.
Thus, the daughters of Eve alone do not carry the burden of the original sin as in other traditions. Indeed, in the Islamic tradition, no other human carries the burden of this original sin - all humans are born in a state of purity, or "fitra."
With respect to religious status, God says in the Qur'an, "Whosoever does righteous deeds, whether male or female, while being a believer, will enter paradise and will not be wronged in the least" (Qur'an 4:124).
Many other verses in the Qur'an have a similar message. Both men and women are required to pray, fast, make pilgrimage and give charity, and they are rewarded equally for those acts of worship and other acts of kindness to others.
Indeed, the Qur'an makes repeated reference to one of the most pious women ever to walk this earth: Mary, the mother of Jesus. She is the only woman mentioned by name in the Qur'an, which contains an entire chapter named after her and extols her virtue and righteousness. Several other righteous women are also referred to in the Qur'an, although not by name, including Moses' mother and sister, and the wife of the Pharaoh at that time.
In addition, in Islam the education of both sexes is highly encouraged. A prophetic saying states, "The search of knowledge is a duty of every Muslim." Notably, more than 1,000 sayings of the Prophet Mohammed have been transmitted through his wife, Aisha.
There have been many Muslim women scholars and teachers, and they are permitted to be teachers of both men and women. A woman, however, may not lead a congregational prayer because of the nature of the prayer.
Women also maintain their individual identities throughout their lives. For example, they do not change their names when they marry. They are equally treated in the eyes of the law, and punished or rewarded according to their actions. They have the right to contract, own property and have a share in inheritance. They have a right to earn a living and keep the proceeds for themselves.
In addition, Muslim women have the right to vote and hold political office. The first person to become a Muslim was a woman, Khadija, Prophet Mohammed's first wife, and his later wife, Aisha, was a scholar and political activist.
An Islamic marriage provides women with protection and support and makes men fully responsible for women and children. Women in Islam are entitled to full financial support during marriage, and do not have to spend their own money on any family or household expenses, which is solely the husband's responsibility.
Male relatives will usually support widowed or divorced or other unmarried women relatives. This is why the husband is considered the head of the family in Islam, but the woman is considered the family's heart.
Muslim women may only marry Muslim men. Although Muslim men can marry Christian or Jewish women (considered in Islam as "people of the Book") and can marry up to four wives, in our day and age, this is less common. But the concept of polygamy in Islam was used to limit the abuse of women in the pre-Islamic era and may also be a beneficial arrangement for women in certain circumstances.
For example, it may be useful to provide a continuity of support where a wife may be in poor health or is unable to have children. In the early years of the Islamic era, it was also useful when a large discrepancy in the ratio of males to females existed, for example after major wars.
However, forced marriage or forced polygamy is not allowed. Prenuptial marriage contracts are written. Divorce is permitted, but considered the most disliked of permissible acts, in order to encourage reconciliation. Divorce proceedings may be initiated by the husband, the wife or a judge.
Muslim women must maintain a dress code of completely covering, loosely-fitted clothing, including a head scarf. Contrary to popular view, this dress code does not signify oppression; rather, it is meant to elevate women and give them dignity.
More revealing clothing objectifies women as sexual objects. But the Islamic dress code offers her emancipation from this objectification, and is a vehicle by which to be known and valued for her character, intellect and actions. In terms of clothing, a variety of practices are evident as each Muslim country and community is very diverse.
Unfortunately, Islam - and, in particular, the status of Muslim women - has been long misunderstood because of ignorance of the Islamic system and the misrepresentation of Islam by the media. This may be partially due to the fact that, even in many "so-called" Islamic countries, educational, socio-economic and political factors may often lead to the apparent abuse of women's rights, which is compounded by many Muslims' own ignorance of the principles and guidelines of their faith.
But this abuse is attributable not to the principles of Islam, but to otherwise predominant local cultures in impoverished parts of the world. This certainly does reinforce the erroneous perceptions of the status and rights of women in Islam. But Islam provides men and women with equal rights and equitable social roles that are complementary and cooperative rather than competitive.
(Dr. Chaudry is from the Islamic Center of the Capital District.)[[In-content Ad]]
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