Women's Rights In Islam: They Are Not Oppressed
Candy K Alkaabi
December 10th, 2010
Abstract
Women in Islam are not oppressed, they are given a wide variety of rights that allow them the freedom to function in society without harassment. There are critics that would say they are oppressed and they bring up verses that they have altered for their own agenda by cutting out words and rearranging them. The following paper will address a few of the issues and explain the rights of women in Islam in certain areas that are under scrutiny.
Women Are Not Oppressed In Islam
There are many things within Islam that are misunderstood or misinterpreted. One of the main things that is more often used as an argument against Islam is the rights of women within Islam. In Islam, women have more rights than they are believed to have. One right is the right to ask for compensation for taking care of the household or to ask for a servant, which, the husband must provide for her if she asks directly for one. Women in Islam may keep all of their income, no matter where and when she gets this income, and still ask the husband to pay for the needs of the household and for her needs without drawing compensation from her own assets. Hijab is not just a women's issue in Islam it is for both men and women. The rights of women in Islam are not diminished, in the Qur'an women are given many more freedoms than in any other holy book and these rights are explained in detail within the sections devoted to the rights of women within the Qur'an.
The right to ask for compensation comes both from the Qur'an and Islamic law. There are provisions that say a woman may ask to be paid to clean. Cook, and raise the children that are born in the marriage. She can also ask for a servant and a nursemaid to take care of these duties. She can even go so far as to ask for a wet-nurse to nurse her child for her for the two years that is recommended. If the woman is not up to cooking and asks her husband to bring home food, he has to do so out of love and respect for his wife. There is a narrative where Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) was visiting the house of his daughter Fatimah (peace and blessings be upon her) and was said to have told her to leave the housework to him and take care of her husband Ali (peace and blessings be upon him). In this narrative it is clearly shown that it is not the woman's duty to clean the house and cook the food for her husband. She is to be helped in these matters and be able to have free time with her husband. Cleaning the house and cooking the food is done out of respect and love for the husband, and if the wife is tired or ill or just overwhelmed with the duties within the household, the husband is to help her with these duties. Taking care of the household, on the wife's part, is done out of love and respect. The financial aspect where the man must give the wife compensation for her needs and caring for the needs of the household, is done because it was made a law by Allah for him to do so.
Women in Islam may make their own money and own their own property and not give one bit of it to their husbands or the men of their families. Upon the marriage the woman still retains all of her assets and may demand that her husband pay for all of her needs and not give one part of her assets into this regardless of how much more she may have than him. When inheritance comes into play in these matters the women only get one third of what the men get, this is due to the fact that, the men then have to turn around and give two thirds of what they inherit towards the upkeep of the needs of the women. There are special provisions within the Qur'an that say that if the men that are inheriting are richer than the women that are inheriting then a special will may be drawn up to give a larger portion to the women to compensate for the difference. Women do not have to stay at home and forgo an education, they may actually seek an education and get a job outside of the household. Even when the women have jobs and can contribute to the household, they do not have to. This is considered the mans duty, he can never make the woman give him any of her assets he can, however, ask her if she can help. If she does help him out it is done out of mutual love and respect, and not, coercion on the part of the husband. If a man makes his wife give up all of her assets to him this is not Islamic and the wife can actually cite this in a divorce if she chooses to ask for one as the major reason that she does not feel right staying with this man.
The reason why women are told to cover in Islam is so that they are not harassed for their beauty, the next part of the verse says “and not expose their adornment except to their husbands, their fathers, their husbands' fathers, their sons, their husbands' sons, their brothers, their brothers' sons, their sisters' sons, their women, that which their right hands possess, or those male attendants having no physical desire, or children who are not yet aware of the private aspects of women”(An-Nur, 24:31). Covering also makes their beauty special to the few men that are allowed to see it. The father may look at his daughter and be happy that Allah gave him such a wonderful, bright and beautiful daughter. The brothers may look upon her and thank Allah for such a wonderful sister with such beauty that they are happy to help protect her from the advances of men that she does not want to bother her. The uncles may look upon her and know that such beauty is of their family and be happy that Allah gave their brother such a wonderful daughter and be happy to extend a helping hand to her in her time of need if she needs them to. The grandfather looks upon her and thanks Allah that she is such a beauty an dis the daughter of his son and have joy at watching her grow up and helping to guide her (with the help of the other men and the women of the family) on the right path. All other men (including her cousins) may not look upon her. This keeps her beauty special for her future husband, and it forces men outside her immediate family to look at her mind and not her body. The Qur'an does mention that women should cover their beauty and the hair is one of the most beautiful parts of a woman, as well as, other parts that are apparent. The men also have dress code, yet, they don't have as much to look at as the women do.
Hijab is not just a women's issue in Islam, and yet, there are many out there that believe this is the case. Hijab actually refers more to the whole appearance and attitude of both sexes. For women it is covering of the body in the prescribed way, as well as, the way they interact with people of the opposite sex. This is done in such a way that the men of her society and any other society she encounters are actually forced to respect her for her mind and not to look at the shape of her body.
The clothing does not have to be all black all the time, she can actually wear nice clothing that are feminine of nature, so long as, it conforms to what is considered modest within Islamic standards. In Islam the hair is considered one of the most beautiful aspects of a woman, when she covers she is actually keeping this beauty special for her husband and the men of her family that she cannot marry, such as, uncles, grandfathers on both sides, her father the father of her husband and any males that have not reached puberty. Women were made beautiful to attract the men they marry. It shows respect for a woman to dress in loose modest clothing, as apposed to, wearing tight clothing that shows the shape of the body and certain parts of it that are meant to be special for her husbands eyes only. This respect is not just for the men it is for the woman herself as well. A woman that respects her body and knows that it is special is more inclined to dress a bit more modestly than a woman that feels she has to wear clothing that show off her body for others to ogle because, she does not feel that she is attractive unless someone else tells her she is.
Modesty in Islam is for both the men and women, just as the women have certain criteria to follow on what is and is not modest the men have criteria as well. In this the men and women are considered equally treated, the only reason why women cover more than the men do is that they have more qualities of attraction than the men do, in a way, this actually shows more respect for the women. In its full form Hijab frees the women to walk among mixed society and not be looked upon for her beauty but for her mind. As for the Niqaab (face covering) that many mention it is not obligatory it is for those among the women that find that they are being sought out for the beauty of their faces or that they just do not feel right going out with their face to be seen by any man that may find her attractive and make advances towards her based on the beauty of her face.
A Walk Through History
It is known that, in the time before Islam was introduced, that women were bought and sold as if they were objects. They also were made to wear veils on their heads that covered only a portion of their hair leaving parts of it exposed. This veil was only on the hair, the neck, ears, a portion of the hair, and the bosom were visible. The women also wore a large number of bangles and necklaces, this was to make them more visible to the men around them. They also wore a large amount of perfume to attract the men and so that their husbands could show them off. If a man got tired of a woman he just sold her to another man or traded her for another woman. This was until it was revealed in the Qur'an that the women cannot be compelled to marry the men, they have a choice in the matter. This can be found in An-Nisa in the following verse,“O you who have believed, it is not lawful for you to inherit women by compulsion. And do not make difficulties for them in order to take [back] part of what you gave them unless they commit a clear immorality. And live with them in kindness. For if you dislike them - perhaps you dislike a thing and Allah makes therein much good.”(An-Nisa,4:19) It was also revealed that the women should draw their veils to cover their bosoms, and other things other than that which is apparent, all but the hands and face. This was so that they would not be harassed by the men of their society.
As for the proper terms for the clothing of the women, the hair covering that can be from just below the shoulders to the ankle or ground are called Khimars, the dresses that the women wear are called Abayas or Jilbabs. An Abaya can be a wrap that has sleeves and usually doubles in the front for more coverage, it can also be open in the front and go over the head with sleeves that are actual sleeves or a butterfly style over the head Abaya, they can also be closed with a tie to secure it to the head or to cover from below the neck down in a loose manner. A Jilbab is a button or snap down the front style dress. The Jilbabs are ankle to floor length and usually have cuffs and a collar, where as, the Abayas do not. The men are also given a dress code they are to cover from the navel to the knee and keep the same attitude as the women when in mixed company, so, when Islam came about it evened the balance of rights between the men and women. Islam made it so that the women could feel good about being women and not fear being traded off or harassed for their beauty. In a way, modesty on both parts actually evens the field and makes it so that the men value the women for their minds and not their beauty.
Many critics believe that in, Islam women are not allowed to go out of the house without their husbands permission and they are told to submit to their husbands in all matters no matter what they feel in the matter. If they want to go out even to a friends house or a family members house they must have expressed permission of their husbands to do so. They must also have permission to work outside the house. They are told to do so or suffer the consequences.
It is best that women in Islam ask before leaving the house, this is out of respect for their husband, whom are their protectors.. This does not mean they are not allowed to ever leave the house without asking first. It is that the Muslim women tell their husbands they are going out so that, they know where their wives are in case of an emergency. It is also suggested to the men that they should tell their wives where they are going for the same reason. Marriage is to be built on mutual respect. In the Quran it mentions that the men and women are as garments unto each other (Al-Baqarah, 2:187), this means that they are as protectors to each other. When a man marries a woman in Islam it is a completion of himself not receiving a slave. A man may not treat a woman as beneath him for they are for each other and protectors of each other.
The critics say that men in Islam are given permission to beat their women and it is in the Qur'an. In surah An-Nisa it says, “As to those women on whose part you see ill-conduct, admonish them (first), (next), refuse to share their beds, (and last) beat them” (An-Nisa, 4:34) They can beat them over trivial matters and use a rod to do so as many scholars say. The men are even told to hit her on the chest back thighs and backside with this thin rod. This is cruel and unusual treatment, and is, in most countries, illegal. A woman is not an animal or a child to be disciplined in such a matter. They are forced to cover their bodies while, the men are aloud to wear what they please. There is no direct evidence in the Qur'an that the women have to cover. There are acts committed against women in Islam that choose not to cover themselves. Said acts include, beating them, whipping them in public, and honor killings.
The verse in the Qur'an mentioning beating is one of the most misquoted verses, it is taken out of context when arguing whether or not Islam oppresses women. This verse has three steps to it, the first step is to talk to her and tell her what she is doing that is wrong, the second is to leave her be to figure out that she still hasn't done what she should (this is mainly pertaining to Islamic matters and her duties in the household) and the third step is to beat her lightly. This is seen in the very same verse as an explanation, because it is hard to translate it fully this is in parenthesis as seen here,“As to those women on whose part you see ill-conduct, admonish them (first), (next), refuse to share their beds, (and last) beat them (lightly, if it is useful), but if they return to obedience, seek not against them means (of annoyance).”(An-Nisa, 4:34) This is actually more of a spanking or a light tap and not a full out haul back and smack her silly provision. There are hadiths that mention as if with mishwakh (a thin fibrous root that is peeled and chewed to make a tool to clean the teeth) and others say as if with a feather. There are also other hadiths that say the best of men are the ones that treat their wives the kindest. It has never been ok to hit a woman with a rod and anyone that says differently is not following true Islam. If it is illegal in the place they are living in to even spank her or tap her lightly, then the men are told not to do it. Two sayings of Muhammad are “He is the most perfect Muslim whose disposition is best; and the best of you are they who behave best to their wives.” (www.guidetosalvation.com) and “Verily a great number of women are assembled near my family, complaining of their husbands; and those men who ill-treat their wives do not behave well. He is not of my way who teaches a woman to stray.” (www.guidetosalvation.com). In other words a man cannot lay harm upon his wife in such a way that she has hardships that make her dislike him.
Critics say, in an Islamic society women are brought up from birth being told they cannot do certain things. As it was told by Eve Ahmed, there are many petty rules, she listed them as being that of not chewing gum, not wearing revealing clothing and makeup and not shaking hands of men, looking them in the eyes or even sitting with them. (Eve Ahmed, Daily Mail, p38.) In free society women should be able to do these things. How is a woman going to function if she cant even shake the hands of men she does business with or make herself look presentable? A woman that refuses to keep eye contact and is plane of appearance without much work to make herself look presentable, is just not a good fit for our society.
The lowering of the gaze is out of respect and it is for both men and women. Muslims lower the gaze so that they are not staring at the person they are talking to. When one stares too long they tend to start looking at the features of the person, this leads to appreciation or revulsion depending on who they are looking at. This is not an acceptable thing for either sex to do in Islam. The proof can be found in An-Nur verses 30 and 31, “Tell the believing men to lower their gaze (from looking at forbidden things), and protect their private parts...And tell the believing women to lower their gaze (from looking at forbidden things), and protect their private parts”(An-Nur, 30-31) In these verses it proves that both men and women are told to lower their gaze. As for the modest dress, no makeup and shaking of hands rules, it also goes for both sides in the guarding of the private parts. The private parts may be seen as any part of the body that can be seen as attractive to the opposite sex. In instances of business they may shake hands and hold eye contact for a few seconds at a time to show they are listening. Part of guarding the private parts is also refraining from enhancing them or adorning them to show them off, so, the no makeup or tight clothing rule would apply to both sexes as well.
One of the biggest arguments used by the critics is that, two women equal the witness of one man when a contract is to be drawn up. In the real world it should only be two witnesses needed minimum no matter the gender. This is proof that Muslims believe women to be stupid and lower than men in status. Many Muslims say this is so that the other woman may remind her of the event they witnessed, this makes it worse by saying she has little or no brain to even remember what she witnessed during the event she was to be a witness to. “And if there are not two men [available], then a man and two women from those whom you accept as witnesses” (Al-Baqarah,2:82) this proves that women are considered inferior to men.
The two women witnesses to one man is only in certain circumstances, the main one being that of a financial transaction of any kind. This is mainly so that one woman may remind the other of what went on if she should forget it, as seen in this part of the verse “O you who have believed, when you contract a debt for a specified term, write it down” (Al-Baqarah,2:82). The main reason women are given this provision is that the men are the ones that are responsible for the finances. The men are the ones obligated to bring in the money and other assets to sustain the household and the needs of the women. The women in Islam have other duties that might distract them from remembering the event, this is where the other woman comes in. She is there to help her remember and the same goes for her if she forgets for any reason. This does not mean they are dumb, it just means that women have other things going on in their lives that may make them forget some of the details of the event. Women are allowed to witness other events on their own, for example, a contract that deals with who is teaching their kids, or who is going to clean their house if they are able to get a servant. In this instance one woman equals one man. So, if it deals with finances, which are the responsibility of the men two women equal one man so that they are not burdened with remembering on their own the financial duties of the men and if it deals with the household in a manner other than finances one woman equals that of one man.
Conclusion
Women in Islam are not oppressed. The rules and regulations placed on women in Islam are to protect them from harassment. These same rules are placed on the men. They are not forced to do anything for there is no compulsion in religion. In a way women in Islam are actually valued more than women in other societies. It is the hope of many women in Islam that the critics will read the information presented above, as well as, other information outlining the truth of the rights afforded to women in Islam, so that, they will be enlightened.
References
The Holy Qur'an, Al-Baqarah, verse 187, www.Quran.com
The Holy Qur'an, An-Nisa, verse 34, www.Quran.com
The Holy Qur'an,Al-Baqarah, verse 82,web site: www.Quran.com
The Holy Qur'an,An-Nur, verse 30-31,web site: www.Quran.com
The Holy Qur'an, An-Nisa, verse 19, web site: www.Quran.com
Women In Islam, Sayings Of the Prophet, web page
Why are so many modern British career women converting to Islam?, Eve Ahmed, Daily Mail, Pg 38
Web Page http://wf2dnvr16.webfeat.org/
