The position of ladies in Islam

As history recommends the ladies are the disasters. For case, Pandora in Greek mythology could be a source of all fiendish. In Christianity, ladies are evil that opened the entryway to Satan for Adam and so are found within the contemplations of Western logicians like Aristotle, Nietzsche and others. Hindu myths and mythologies of Indian ladies are the vehicles for the debasement of Indian ladies to an extraordinary degree.

For Muslim ladies, the most thought is of abused ladies denied of intellectual and spiritual abilities. This can be due to one-sided media but too since the esteem of Muslim ladies is generally distorted by numerous (not all) Muslim male researchers in an insulting way. Clarified out of the setting, ladies are named ‘temptations’ and ‘crooked’. The obligation of ‘guardianship’ of ladies is confused to ‘repression’. The subject of ‘chastity’ and ‘hijab’ is regularly managed with a predisposition, greatly focused on at ladies, when chastity and exemplary nature are a sincere obligation for both devotees. In Islamic talk, the personality of Muslim ladies by numerous devout researchers in India is either overlooked with no deceivability or is ‘submissive’ and ‘voiceless’. With such a prohibitive approach, religion is abused by a few to legitimize separation against Muslim ladies and abuse her principal rights.

The daybreak of Islam protected her from human right infringement of pre-Islamic Middle eastern custom wherein she was fair men’s individual property. Islam liberated ladies and allowed her human rights. Allah commands accepting men, ‘Live with them on the balance of thoughtfulness and equity’. She has the proper to instruction, legacy, marriage, partition, property, sex equity, value, nobility and security

Islamic law guarantees sexual orientation equity and value based on contrasts and uniqueness of both sexes. In a marriage, both male and female have rights over each other. Men are the gatekeepers of ladies, and ladies are the husband’s trustee. Marriage is to be based on strong establishments, striking a adjust between physical, mental and otherworldly needs of accomplices to maintain a strategic distance from identity clashes. Guardianship of ladies may be a matter of duty and obligation, not that of support. ‘It is an extra, not a predominant quality considering men’s physical quality and quality of protectiveness’ says Maulana Wahiduddin. He encourages states, ‘Man and lady within the eyes of Islam are not the copies of one another, but the complements, there being in each indisputable, natural contrasts which lead to the characteristic division of circle and occupation. This division of work grants the deficiencies of one sex to be compensated for by the qualities of the other.’ In any case, the basics of confidence, human burrow.

Muhammad (pbuh) empowered women to take an active role in society without ‘overlapping men’s role’. He urged them to participate in Islamic events and prayers and allocated certain days in a week for women education. Women could meet Muhammad, to talk and seek help and advice. He also asked women to do a formal pledge (as men did) for they were responsible for the Islamic law. Although priority was given to the task of raising children, women worked and participated in religious, social, and political life.

Quran mentions of women of faith in an honourable way. Women have played tremendous roles in the lives of the Prophets and fulfilment of the divine plan. Maryam (mother of Jesus), known for religiosity, chastity and sincerity, underwent an extraordinary divine plan of pregnancy against intense societal pressures just to fulfil Allah’s commandments. Allah’s grace and protection through her solitary labour pangs and delivery are remarkable. And a whole chapter in the Quran is named Maryam. The extraordinary willpower of Hajar and her desperate run for rescue from Safaa to Marwa is a mandatory pilgrim ritual in Umrah and Hajj. The heavenly gift of Zamzam is the upshot of her remarkable courage and fortified faith. The mention of Queen Bilqis of Sheba’shows intelligence and democratic governance. The four women in Musa’s life (mother, sister, wife and queen Asiya) tell inspiring stories of women’s faith to trust Allah’s plan; courage at the face of threat; sincerity of love of Allah; the wisdom of judgement; the power of decision making; and, resistance to tyranny. The stern address of Allah against the slanderers of Aisha (RA) is a message of women’s dignity and honour of one’s spouse, and the redressal of ‘The Pleading Woman’ against marital abuse ‘zihar’; condemns abuse against women. Surah Nisa is a detailed chapter on women status and rights dealing with marriage, divorce, inheritance, mahr, and other issues. Quran encourages superiority of mother because of her suffering through pregnancy and breastfeeding ‘and (reverence) the wombs (that bore you)’. These are subtle yet powerful mentions in the Quran pointing on how precious women of faith are to Allah.

Prophet’s wives, the Mother of Believers, were women of great honour and scholarly knowledge. Aisha(RA) for 44 years contributed to the spread of Muhammad’s message. She narrated 2,210 hadith on topics such as Muhammad’s private life, inheritance, pilgrimage and eschatology.Hafsa(RA) had authority in Islamic knowledge; she narrated 60 hadith and was given the custody of the first original hand-written copy of the Holy Quran. And when Uthman became leader he used Hafsah’s copy to standardize the text of the Quran. Khadija(ra) was a woman, independent and honourable, then a wife, strong and faithful, and a pious Muslim, sincere, determined, and enduring.

Professor Tariq Ramadan, in Messenger, recounts how when Mohammad received the first Revelation, troubled and fearful, he immediately turned to his wife and she was the first human to meet, console and stand by him. She answered God’s call with him and followed the path of spiritual initiation. Her presence alone protected the Prophet but who also underwent his trials of rejection by kin, persecution, and isolation. Umm Salama was in political activism, law-making and narrated 378 hadith.  We have warriors like Nusaybah, Safia, Khawlah and humanitarian services of Fatimah and Umm Atiya in battlefields.

Thus, to overcome the preconditioned mindset, Muslim women should own the Quran and Prophetic traditions to recognize their honourable status given by Allah.

References

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