Woman, Before & After The Advent of Islam
As a matter of fact, it's a commonly held belief that Islam oppresses women, treats them unjustly and deprives them of their rights. Yet, In order to provide a fair evaluation of women status in Islam and of what Islam contributed (or failed to contribute) toward the restoration of woman's dignity and rights, it may be useful to review briefly how women were treated before the advent of Islam.
Before the advent of Islam, the status of woman was miserable; women suffered great injustices in the pagan Arab society and were exposed to diverse kinds of humiliation. They were treated like material property to be disposed of at the whim of the male guardian. They were not entitled to inherit from their parents or husbands and what's more they were themselves inherited like any moveable commodity. As a general practice, men had the freedom to acquire as many wives as they desired with no set limits. There was no system of law and justice that would forbid a man from committing any injustice towards his wives. Women had no right to choose, or even consent to being chosen as a partner for marriage; they were simply given away. Women were forbidden to remarry if a husband divorced them. It was the idea of treating daughters as sources of shame that led the pagan Arabs to practice female infanticide. Women were not even able to practice some of the most natural of rights. For instance eating certain types of foods was allowed only for males.
Women in the Pre-Islamic era lived in servility and misery. They had no rights whatsoever until the advent of Islam, which liberated them and delivered them from the injustice which they had suffered for a long time. This situation of women in the Arab society led Umar ibn al-Khattab, the second Caliph of the Muslims (may Allah exalt their mention) to say, as reported by Muslim:
"By Allah, we didn't use to think that women had anything until Allah revealed about them what He revealed in the Qur'an, and distributed to them what He distributed..."
It is interesting to note that the rights granted to women by Islam more than fourteen hundred years ago are the very same rights granted to women by the United Nations in the 1948 Declaration of Human Rights. Islam elevated the status of women and granted them all the rights of which they had hitherto been deprived and granted them the rights accorded to men.
Moreover, Islam proved Eve’s innocence of tempting Adam to disobey God’s Command, and being the cause of banishment from Paradise. Islam also refutes the myth that Eve was the origin of evil in the world, stating that it was Satan who tempted both Adam and Eve. The story is found in several places in the Quran, for example in (Quran19:23).
In fact , Islam grants women a status never known before. Islam deals with women in a comprehensive way in the context of her relationship with God (Allah), her Creator and Lord, with herself as a part of humanity, and with man, her partner and natural spouse in the family. It has honored women greatly; as daughters, mothers and wives. Moreover it gives those rights and virtues, and enjoins good treatment in ways that are not shared by men in many cases. .Islam entitles women to the same rights as men in terms of ; education , humanity , social responsibilities , independent property , working , Equality of reward for equal deeds , advocate opinion to be heard , voting , marriage in terms of choice , getting sexual satisfaction from marriage , divorce and , re-marring after divorce , and so on . In Islam, men and women are different from each other and each has their respective roles. Honoring and respecting women in Islam is a sign of a good, wholesome character and an unadulterated nature.
If we now turn our attention to what the Quran has to say about women, we will soon realize how Islam appreciates women and put them on equal footing with men. Let the Quran speak for itself:
"For Muslim men and women, for believing men and women, for devout men and women, for true men and women, for men and women who are patient, for men and women who humble themselves, for men and women who give in charity, for men and women who fast, for men and women who guard their chastity, and for men and women who engage much in Allah's praise-- For them all has Allah prepared forgiveness and great reward" (33:35).
"Whoever works righteousness, man or woman, and has faith, verily to him/her we will give a new life that is good and pure, and we will bestow on such their reward according to the best of their actions" (16:97).
It is clear that the Quranic view of women is no different than that of men. They, both, are God's creatures whose sublime goal on earth is to worship their Lord, do righteous deeds, and avoid evil and they, both, will be assessed accordingly. The Quran never mentions that the woman is the devil's gateway or that she is a deceiver by nature. The Quran, also, never mentions that man is God's image; all men and all women are his creatures, that is all. According to the Quran, a woman's role on earth is not limited only to childbirth. She is required to do as many good deeds as any other man is required to do. The Quran never says that no upright women have ever existed. To the contrary, the Quran has instructed all the believers, women as well as men, to follow the example of those ideal women such as the Virgin Mary and the Pharoah's wife:
"And Allah sets forth, As an example to those who believe, the wife of Pharaoh: Behold she said: 'O my lord build for me, in nearness to you, a mansion in the Garden, and save me from Pharaoh and his doings and save me from those who do wrong.' And Mary the daughter of Imran who guarded her chastity and We breathed into her body of Our spirit; and she testified to the truth of the words of her Lord and of His revelations and was one of the devout" (66:11-13).
It's worth mentioning that the Prophet ( Peace be upon him ) ,in his last sermon in the Farewell Pilgrimage, said :" “O People! it is true that you have certain rights with regard to your women but they also have rights over you. Remember that you have taken them as your wives only under Allah's trust and with His permission. If they abide by your right then to them belongs the right to be fed and clothed in kindness. Do treat your women well and be kind to them for they are your partners and committed helpers. And it is your right that they do not make friends with anyone of whom you do not approve, as well as never to be unchaste."
To sum up, Muslim women enjoy rights never granted to them before. Such rights highlight the difference between Muslim and Western Women. This is crystal clear in this video:
Bibliography :
Websites :
* http://www.islam4theworld.net/eBooks...Fact/index.htm
* http://womeninislam.ws/en/status-of-women.aspx
* http://www.cyberistan.org/islamic/sermon.html
Books :
* The Status of Women in Islam
By Jamal A. Badawi
* Women in Islam
By Muhammad Zafrulla Khan