These days it looks like the media and the whole world are only concerned about the women and their rights in the Islamic community. The people and the media seem to attack Islam with vicious vocabulary and ferocious attention about how they think Muslims treat their females. Not giving attention to other communities that mistreat the female gender. Before judging the Islamic community about how they treat their women, everyone needs to separate the religion from the cultural. Culture and religion are two different subjects. Culture is the way people saw their granddads live life and do certain things in a certain ways.
Some people and countries misinterpreted what Islam came with, and they mix it with the cultural of the country. For instance Islam is the first religion to lay down the rights of women and equally for the rights of men. The media does not report or do the proper research about the rights of women in Islam because the media is only interested in the controversial events. Who wants to hear cheerful news? Why would someone care about a man buying a house or a car for his wife on her birthday? What some of the things people care about these days? They care about how couple of uptight people mistreated their wives, daughters, female relatives, and their women in general. The embarrassing part of the media’s reports is that most of it if not all is a lie and made up.
In “The CIA World's Facts Book” the number of Muslims increased by 235% in the last fifty years up to nearly 1.6 billion. The number of Muslims increased more than any other religions. For example Hinduism has increased by 117%, Buddhism by 63%, and Christians have increased by only 47% (page #17). Would the number of Muslims increase if Islam came with no rights for women and told men to mistreat them? I think the number would have declined and Islam would became a minority and at some point vanish. What if 1% to 5% uptight people that misinterpreted Islam’s message treated their women bad? Does that make all of the 1.6 billion Muslims brutal and vicious people? Not a chance. But the media wants to show Muslims in a bad view, as in savages. Communities that do not have any respect to the female gender, that stole all their rights and required them to stay home and not go to school, work, or even own property.
But to show that the media is wrong, let us take Dr. Saqqaf as an example. She is a known Saudi Arabian writer. She started writing in a column in a newspaper when she was ten years old. A funny story also happened when Dr. Saqqaf’s husband told his friends that he went to Dr. Saqqaf's parents to get their permission if she can marry him, his friends all look at him in a shocking way and told him “But she is so old” (Hanley #3). They thought she was old because they have been reading her columns and short stories since they were small kids. How come the media never talked about her in their news? See what I mean? The media never talks about the famous Muslim women that have their print in the Islamic community because then they can not say that Muslims are savages and so on because they forced them women to stay home and not work. Dr. Saqqaf is just one example of many famous Islamic writers. Another example is Dr. Hend M. Ben Khuthaila. If Islam as a religion taught men to force their women to say home, would she been voted one of the top influential women in the Arab world? I guess not. Other women that are icons are Dr.Sarah Al-Oraini, Dr. Munaira Eid, and Dr. Wafa M. just to name a few those famous women all taught in the College of Education in King Saud University.
Another reason why people and countries around the world think that Islam is a demanding religion is because it tells their women to wear hijab and have to cover most of their body parts. It’s unusual look for women when they cover their arms, legs, back, front, and their head except for their faces. People cannot help to look away. They have to ask questions on why they wear it, but the sad part is they ask the wrong people. The hijab, which is the cover on the head, and the abayah, which is more like a long dress that has long sleeves, is to protect women from the seducing they might cause without them knowing.
Islam has two sources for guidance: first, the Qur'an, the revealed word of Allah and secondly, the Hadith or the traditions of the Prophet Muhammad who was chosen by Allah to be the role model for mankind. The question now, why do Muslim women wear it? Muslims women observe hijab simply because Allah has told them to do so. They also think it is truest test of being a Muslim. Allah even told women to wear hijab in the Holy Qur'an "O Prophet, tell your wives and daughters and the believing women to draw their outer garments around them (when they go out or are among men). That is better in order that they may be known (to be Muslims) and not annoyed..." (Qur'an 33:59).
Of course there are other secondary reasons. One of these reasons is to give women and men an equal evaluation for intelligence and skills instead of looks and sexuality. Most guys around the world think of females as sex objects. There are also requirements that women and men should be met. I will not go into the men’s requirements only because the topic is about female. There was an incident that was reported by Abu Dawood, one of the believers that collected the Hadith of the Prophet. Abu Dawood said: “Ayesha, The Prophet’s wife, , reported that Asmaa the daughter of Abu Bakr came to the Messenger of Allah while wearing thin clothing. He approached her and said: 'O Asmaa! When a girl reaches the menstrual age, it is not proper that anything should remain exposed except this and this. He pointed to the face and hands.”
That Hadith talks about looseness in the clothing. The clothing should be loose enough so it will not describe the shape of the woman's body. Another requirement is that the clothing needs to be thick enough so it will not show the color of the skin or the parts of the body. Hijab is not purely a covering dress for women but it is more like a behavior, dialogue, and appearance in public. As it was stated before men also have requirements they need to live up to when they dress. Clothing was not meant to be limitations but rather a way in which society will function in an appropriate, Islamic approach.
"And they (women) have rights similar to those (of men) over them, and men are a degree above them." (Qur'an 2:228). If that verse was to be read out loud to people and ask them what does it mean to you? Almost all the answers will be close to that men are better than women and they own them. However; that is not what this verse means. That’s why people need to go and ask scholars that studied and spent time researching the Hadith of the Prophet Muhammad. The degree in that verse means maintenance and protection. That verse also refers to the natural difference among sexes, which gives the right to the stronger sex to protect the weaker one. That however, does not imply superiority or advantages before the law.
One of the second largest debates about the women’s rights in the Islamic community is if they are forced to get married to someone they do not agree on marrying, and if still have rights. Women when they get married their rights do not vanish they still have all their rights in addition for the kind treatment and companionship. That was mentioned in the Holy Qur'an: "...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." (Qur'an 4: l9), and was strongly recommended by the prophet Muhammad: “The best of you is the best to his family and I am the best among you to my family. The most perfect believers are the best in conduct and best of you are those who are best to their wives.” It was narrated by Ibn-Hanbal, No. 7396. When the marriage is not working either the husband or the wife can ask for a divorce; nevertheless, there are certain steps and waiting periods should be followed by both men and women requesting divorce. Someone might ask why are there steps and periods? Well divorces sometimes are quick decisions because of all the stress that is happening in the family and because of the break down in emotions. The women are naturally more emotional then the men, the divorce should be brought up in front of a judge. The women have the same right plus they can divorce their husbands without the court option, only if that was allowed or mentioned in the married contract. In some aspects of the Islamic law marriage and divorce are interesting and both situations are handled in an equal treatment. When the marriage is not going great and it is impassible men are taught in Islam to find a cordial way to end that marriage. “When you divorce women, and they reach their prescribed term, then retain them in kindness and retain them not for injury so that you transgress (the limits).” (Qur'an 2:231).
Mothers also have rights no different from solitary women. In fact the kindness to the parents was considered in Islam and in the holy Qur'an to be next to the worship of Allah: "And we have enjoined upon man (to be good) to his parents: His mother bears him in weakness upon weakness..." (Qur'an 31:14) and the Qur’an recommended special treatment of mothers: "Your Lord has decreed that you worship none save Him, and that you be kind to your parents . . ." (Qur'an 17:23). An incident happened in the Prophet Muhammad’s time where a man came to him and asked him: “O Messenger of God, who among the people is the most worthy of my good company? The Prophet said, Your mother. The man said then who else: The Prophet said, Your mother. The man asked, Then who else? Only then did the Prophet say, Your father.” It was narrated in Al-Bukhari and Muslim. The Prophet Muhammad had a famous saying that is still being used in Islam. The Prophet says:"Paradise is at the feet of mothers." It’s narrated in Al'Nisa'I, Ibn Majah, and Ahmad. As you can see, mothers and women do not lose their rights when they get married rather they increase.
Islam also talked about the economic feature for women. In the Islamic law the woman’s right to have and make her own money, real estate, or other properties is fully recognized. These rights go through no change whether the women are single or married, and they still can sell or buy any mortgage or even lease or sell her property at once. As for the women’s employment Islam stated first the role of the mother or the wife in society. Neither aunt nor baby-sitters can possibly take the role of the mother. The mother is more than a female giving birth to children, a mother is like a school where children can be taught. She is like educators that have more patience than any other person on the world to teach her children and when they mess up she tell them how to do it the right way. A gracious and vital role like that, which for the most part shapes the future of nations, cannot be look upon as "idleness". Islam does not disagree with women searching for employments whenever there is a necessity for it, particularly in positions which fit her nature and in which society needs her most. Even early Muslim scholars like Abu-Hanifa and Al-Tabary did not hold anything against women looking for employment. Also Islam talked about the women’s share and how no person can claim it but her even if that person was her father of husband: "Unto men (of the family) belongs a share of that which Parents and near kindred leave, and unto women a share of that which parents and near kindred leave, whether it be a little or much - a determinate share.” (Qur'an 4:7). That verse from the Holy Qur'an states that the women’s share in most cases is one-half the man’s share but that does not mean that the woman is worth half what is a man worth. It would be hideously not in agreement with the overwhelming evidence of woman's evenhanded treatment in Islam. The share was made that way is because in Islam a man is fully responsible for the maintenance of his wife, his children, and in some cases of his needy relatives, particularly the females, and that responsible is not reduced even if his wife had enough money or had more wealth than her husband. Plus when a woman gets married her wealth will not be transferred to her husband. Whatever she had before she got married will stay for her and under her name until she willingly wants to help her husband financially.
Women in Islam were never treated unfairly or had their right suspended. Their rights were always there and they were given their rights before the women’s rights movement in 1848 Seneca Falls, NY. In fact, women had and still have rights no matter what their stats is. If a woman gets married her rights increases because of the kindness treatment will be added. It does not mean that when they are not married men can abuse them or not treat them kindly. Also when a wife becomes a mother then every person in that household should respect her even more. As the Prophet Muhammad said: "Paradise is at the feet of mothers." That implies making sure the mother is treated kindly to the level of when the mother is treated right that person will have like a half free pass to enter Heaven. Women in the Islamic society are like big diamonds. If someone had a big diamond what would he or she do? Would they leave it out there without care and letting anyone to touch it and take a look at it? No one would. What the person would do is make sure it’s clean and shiny everyday and keep it in a safe place so it will not get rusty or old. I just hope people stop listening to the wrong sources and pay attention to the real truth so the truth can be discovered and we all can live in harmony and happily ever after.
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Work Cited and the Sources
1- Hanley, Delinda C. “Saudi Arabian Women Dispel Myths and Stereotypes”. Accomplishment of Saudi Arabian women in the society.
2- Al-Aziz, Ahmad T. “Saudi Arabian women in the Arabian community”. Trans. Hussan Al-Shumary. Saudi Arabia: Al-Jareer.
3- Al-Humad, Abdullah. “Women rights in Islam”. Trans. Abdullah Al-Humad. Saudi Arabia: Dar Al-Hikmah.
In that article, Abdullah writes about few of the many rights that the women have in Islam. How they have the right to buy and sell land, own a successful business, and many other rights. That article is another good mark to the Arab or in general the Islam community because if people or the news want to show something different we as proud Arabs and Muslims can prove them wrong.
4- Najem, Salha. Personal interview. 01 Jan 2003.
Salha is a Saudi Arabian woman and I interviewed her on Jan. the first in 2003 to ask her what she thinks about the Hejab. She said: “Hejab is one of the great things that Islam taught us” She also added “Hejab is like a body-guard in a way, it protects us as women and make us feel more safe and covered rather than going out to the markets with clothes that does not cover some part of our bodies.”
5- The Holy, Qur'an: Translation of verses is heavily based on A. Yusuf Ali's translation, The Glorious Qur'an, text translation, and Commentary, The American Trust Publication, Plainfield, IN 46168, 1979.
6-Abd Al-Ati, Hammudah, Islam in Focus, The American Trust Publications, Plainfield, IN 46168, 1977.
7-Allen, E. A., History of Civilization, General Publishing House, Cincinnati, Ohio, 1889, Vol. 3.
8-Al Siba'i, Mustafa, Al-Alar'ah Baynal Fiqh Walqanoon (in Arabic), 2nd. ea., Al-Maktabah Al-Arabiah, Halab, Syria, 1966.
9-El-Khouli, Al-Bahiy, "Min Usus Kadiat Al-Mara'ah" (in Arabic), A 1- Waay A l-lslami, Ministry of Walcf, Kuwait, Vol.3 (No. 27), June 9, 1967, p.17
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