The Sunday Mail
Umari Stambuli Holy Qur’aan Speaks
THE status and role of women in Islam has been misunderstood in non-Muslim circles because of general ignorance of the Islamic system and way of life, and also because of media distortions.
First of all, we should understand that Muslims firmly believe that God knows best that which He has created. He created human beings, He is a God of wisdom and a God of all knowledge therefore He knows what is best. He decrees that which is best for humanity, His creatures.
Therefore, Muslims try to live by a code of law which is an expression of that belief.
A single humanity
Islam is based on the Divine Revelation known as the Holy Qur’aan, states very clearly that men and women share a single humanity: they are equal in their humanity and that there is no difference in the amount of human nature in them.
The Holy Qur’aan in describing the origins of human beings declares, “O mankind! Verily we have created you from a single male and a single female, and have made you into tribes and peoples so that you may know one another. Verily the most honourable of you are those who are most God-conscious.” (Ch 49:13)
The indication here is that the male and female in terms of their human nature are at an equal level.
Likewise another verse, from a chapter which is known in the Holy Qur’aan as the chapter of “Women” because most of the issues discussed there are laws dealing with women – starts off with the verse, “O mankind! Be conscious of your duty to your Lord who created you from a single soul, and created there from, its mate” – this is a reference to Adam and Eve – “And from the two of them, gave rise to a multitude of men and women, scattered throughout the earth.” (Ch 4:1)
So here again is the issue of men and women and all human beings coming from a single source, a single family, a single set of parents. This shows that women share in full, humanity with men. Likewise in the traditions of the Prophet Muhammad we find that the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said that, “Indeed verily women are the twin halves of men.” The understanding is that there is a single humanity, a single essence which is shared, and there are twin halves of that – one is man and one is women. This is repeated often in the Qur’aan.
Women on equal level
The truth is, Islam brought sweeping changes of a truly revolutionary nature to women’s rights. For the first time, the souls of women were explicitly declared in a sacred book to be equal to those of men. Reward and obligations were equally bestowed on both.
“Whosoever does right, whether male or female, and is a believer, for them verily we shall grant a good life, and we shall give them recompense in proportion to the best of what they used to do.” (Ch 16 :97)
The Muslim woman is accorded full spiritual and intellectual equality with man, and is encouraged to practice her religion and develop her intellectual faculties throughout her life. In her relations with men, both are to observe modesty of behaviour and dress and a strict code of morality which discourages unnecessary mixing of the sexes.
Her relations with her husband should be based on mutual love and compassion. He is responsible for the maintenance of the wife and children, and she is to give him the respect due to the head of the family. She is responsible for the care of the home and the children’s early training.
Thus, we find that men and women share in the same aim and are expected to have the same responsibilities, in that men and women are both required or obligated to adhere to and fulfill the laws and commandments of The Almighty, in terms of worship, duty, morality, and so forth.
It must be remembered, however, that in Islam, the basis of submission is not that women are submitting to men, but that men and women together submit to God.
Misunderstandings
Perhaps one of the most misunderstood concepts of Islam today is that of the status and role of women in the religion. This is in large part due to people’s failure to distinguish between religion and tradition.
Many practices and custom’s existing in the Muslim world today are just that customs and have nothing to do with Islam.
Another very important factor is that modern culture teaches that, for things to be fair between the two sexes, they must be identical and “equal”. Little do the people of such “modern” culture realise that although the two are identical in the eyes of The Almighty, there is a need to acknowledge that the two are somewhat physically, biologically and emotionally different, and therefore, some lifestyle details must be are different.
(to be continued next week)
For further information on Islam or a free copy of the Holy Qur’aan, please contact:
Majlisul Ulama Zimbabwe, Council of Islamic Scholars
Publications Department
PO Box W93, Waterfalls, Harare
Tel: 04-614078/614004, Fax: 04-614003
e-mail: [email protected]
