Daily Times

Focusing on the current scenario of the world, it has become very important rather compulsory for every Muslim to enhance the main features of Islam particularly and its usual teachings generally. So that increased criticism about it throughout the world may become less. It is the need of the hour to eliminate such concepts from their minds and present a real picture of Islam.

Western mind has been associated with false convictions about Islam. Western media is presenting Islam as a conservative religion where strictness and prejudice prevails everywhere. However the reality is contrary to it. Women’s liberation movements in the world, particularly in the western countries during the past several decades have taken a turn which shows that meanings of female emancipation are being totally misconstrued. It is being advocated that the only way women can be free is to break all moral and social constraints, which are so essential to determine the role of men and women in a society which is dynamic and progressive. Shameless nudity is portrayed as a sign of woman’s liberation, and the selling of sex as a marketable commodity is shown as a symbol of female freedom, and living without marriage and family is considered an honorable existence. To call these developments women’s liberation is a disagreement, and sooner or later social system which believes in this is bound to decay socially and morally—Liberty without moral and spiritual discipline is apotential dynamite.

Now, before discussing the rights, which Islam has allocated the woman, we will take a glimpse, some other religions of world think about it. Strict orthodox Hinduism has assigned a very low position to women. Manu, ancient India’s greatest lawgiver says, “In childhood must a female be dependent on her father, in youth on her husband, her lord being dead, on her sons, a woman must never seek independence.”

According to Buddhism Nirana(Salvation) which is the ultimate goal of human life cannot be attained in that company of woman. In Judaism the Hebrew scriptures have condemned women to an eternal Divine curse.Ir says, “of the women came the beginning of sin and through her will die.” The entire Christian religion’s philosophy is based on the concept of Original Sin which it attributes to woman.

But Islam reshaped all the geography of human relationships, and in doing so, one of the most significant contribution that it made was that it gave the woman a vast amount of freedom and social status that within the boundaries laid down by the Sharia, she could live with dignity and could play a very constructive role in the welfare of society.

Islam is generally criticized for having been very unfair to women—the veil, polygamy and divorce and numerous other inadequacies her status are mentioned as an evidence of that. The truth of the matter is that all this criticism is based on gross misunderstandings, ignorance, or deliberate effort to malign the Islamic religion doctrine.

Islam considers the question of the status of woman on society to be a very vital dimension of the society. This is amply testified by the fact that Quran has devoted a complete chapter to women. Similarly in the books of Hadith hundreds of them are devoted to this issue.

The Quran has provided enough evidence to believe that men and women are equal in all respects. For instance, whenever an injunction is issued it is addressed to both men and women. This is fully illustrated by the following verse.

“For Muslim men and women, for believing men and women, for devout men and women, for men and women who humble themselves, for men and women who give in charity, for men and women who guard their chastity, and for men and women who engage much in God’s praise, for them has God prepared forgiveness and great reward.

As in the Quran so in the Traditions of the Holy Prophet there is enough material to believe that the Islamic doctrine gives women numerous rights and privileges, which had been denied to them for centuries.

The Prophet said:

“God commands is to treat women nobly.”

“The world and all things in the world are precious but the most precious thing in the world is a virtuous woman.”

Islam has left not a single aspect of life in which it has not endeavored the rights to the women. For instance Islam has been very liberal in giving women their property and inheritance rights. The other religions of the world are completely silent about this vital aspect of the woman’s life.

The Quran says:

“From what is left by parents and those nearest related, there is share for men, and a share for women, whether the property be small or large, a determinate share.”

Similarly in marriage, it is considered that a Muslim woman has no say in matrimonial affairs. This is a totally wrong impression. In Islam, marriage is a contract and not sacrament and in deliberating this contract, consent of both the man and woman is very important.

The Quran says:

“Do not prevent them (women) from marrying their husbands if they are mutually on equitable terms.”

No other institution in Islam has been so badly criticized by non-Muslims as polygamy. But it is also a result of the wrong interpretation of the Quranic verses.

A correct understanding of the revealed word will show that Islam in essence preaches monogamy and allows polygamy only under special circumstances.

The Quran has laid down:

“Marry woman of your choice, two, three or four, but if you fear that you shall not be able to deal justly (with them) then only one.”

No discussion of marriage would be complete without reference to divorce, but the permission has been granted with great reluctance.

The Quran says:

“If a wife fears cruelty or desertion on her husband part, there is no blame on them if they disagree and must part, God will provide abundance for all from His All-reaching bounty”

The Holy Prophet once remarked:

“With Allah (God) the most detestable of all things permitted in divorce.”

A husband has been given the rights to divorce but a woman is also granted the right to stipulate her right to divorce in the marriage contract.

As far as education is concerned Islam is among the earliest heralds of female education. Seeking knowledge is obligatory for every Muslim, men and women.

A Quranic verse says:

“Believers(including women) God will raise up to ranks those of you who believe and who have been granted knowledge and God is well acquainted with all you do.”

Maulana Abul Ala Maudoodi quoting Bukhari has drawn the conclusion that the Prorhet was so earnest about female education that he instructed his followers to educate even their slave girls. According the equal rights Islam gives permission to women to join each and every field of life. These are just misconceptions and misunderstandings, which is employing such conservative effect on the minds of modern western world.

In short, the place, which Islam accorded to women in society, was one of the most revolutionary contributions of the new faith to world civilization.

It is a position in which most of the psychological, social, and economic attributes of her nature were kept in mind. It is a role constructive, progressive and dynamic. Unfortunately, later developments in Islamic history, allowed her role and status to degenerate considerably.

She became a victim of numerous social and economic disabilities and thus become a symbol of seclusion, segregation and backwardness.

The writer is a free-lance writer, working/ teaching as “Assistant Professor” at COMSATS, Lahore.

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