Women Position in Islam

God created both females and males from one origin, and one soul. {It is He Who created you from a single person and made his mate of like nature in order that he might dwell with her (in love)} (A’raf 189)

Adam appreciated Eve’s worth and they lived together practicing all the meanings of love, kindness, respect, and appreciation. Then as years passed new generations were brought up away from God’s Law, not guided by Him and their lives not brightened by His message, which led to recurring disasters. For a long time, women have suffered disrespect to the extent that in some religions, parents have prayed to be blessed with male children. Then if a girl was born, this meant shame, misery and bitterness for the parents which could only be taken away by burying the daughter alive. If she survived, then the misery survived with her and she lived as a negligible object which could be owned and never own, with no freedom in her actions, hopeless and dispirited.& Some religions even allowed her to be sold like a cow is sold, or if they were kind to her, they rented her for a limited period.

In societies where statues were worshipped, if many girls had been borne to a family and they couldn’t support them, they would leave them in fields to be killed by wild animals or die from the night frost without feeling any regret or remorse. With all of that in mind, what would you expect about educating and culturing them?

Even when it was time for her to be married, she was married to someone she didn’t want, and by the form of Shughar Marriage (which is a form of marriage without a dowry) or exchanged or traded (where a husband may send his wife to another man for the purpose of having a male child) or sold.& Then what would the price of the woman be in these societies?& It would be the number of bulls being given to her dad.

Then how can she live with the man who bought her for the price of bulls? She has to work as a servant, fetching water from the rivers, carrying out the house keeping and with no objections to also helping her husband in his trade. Then if he gets angry for any reason and leaves her, she becomes suspended, neither a wife nor able to remarry. What a bitter life she’s living, away from God’s Law following human decreed laws such as the one written by one of those who had gone astray “The man is the lord, he has to order. The woman is the follower, she has to obey”.

What an unfair judgment.

And if this is the situation of married women, then what about those who are forced into prostitution? Your forgiveness God, for those who have no respect for God. And you can imagine a woman from one of the societies sitting and waiting to be burned alive and the crime that she committed is nothing but that her husband has died and she has to follow him with dutiful acceptance, until they buried around 6000 women in 10 years.

All these wrongdoings were asked to be stopped by God’s messengers whenever they were sent because God doesn’t like wrongdoers.& And those wicked people who changed God’s Law, did not stop sullying the women with their dirty tricks but also changed the first testimony, adding in that women were something to be ashamed of, all of which God’s Law is totally innocent of.& The same thing also happened in changing the bible and even in the 5th Century when the Makony Group, whom Christians believe are holy, gathered to discuss the origin of the Woman.& They discussed whether she is a body with no soul, or whether she has a soul just like men, and the decision was that she does have a soul. Thank God for that, but the matter hadn’t finished yet! They decided that she had a wicked soul which will not escape punishment with the exception of Jesus’ mother for she is the only woman whom they believed would escape Hell-fire. O how much suffering have women had to bear?!& Until God permitted Islam’s light to brighten the earth by God’s Law and His light and His guidance. Look and you will see believers (both men and women), and Muslims ( both men and women), near Al Kaaba facing it and prostrating towards it, all together. {And their Lord hath accepted of them, and answered them: “Never will I suffer to be lost the work of any of you, be he male or female: ye are members, one of another”} (Al-i-‘Imran 195)

Yes, duties to God are for both men and women, with the reward of Heaven, and so men and women are equal. {The Believers, men and women, are protectors, one of another: they enjoin what is just, and forbid what is evil: they observe regular prayers, practice regular charity, and obey God and his Apostle.& On them will God pour his mercy: for God is exalted in power, Wise. * God hath promised to his Believers, men and women, Gardens under which rivers flow, to dwell therein, and beautiful mansions in Gardens of everlasting bliss.& But the greatest bliss is the Good Pleasure of God: that is the supreme felicity.} (Tauba 71/72) God is great, His Law which he layed down to people is all light and all goodness. {Should He not know, -He that created? And He is the One that understands the finest mysteries (and) is well acquainted (with them)} (Mulk 14) God’s Law made man and his sister, the woman, equal in many duties and responsibilities for you are all carers and you are all responsible for those in your care. And also, God’s Law makes the woman and her brother, the man, completely equal in both rewards and punishments {whoever works evil will be requited accordingly.& Nor will he find, besides God, any protector or helper* If any do deeds of righteousness, - be they male or female - and have faith, they will enter Heaven and not the least injustice will be done to them.}(Nisaa 123/124). Islam gave women rights in this life: human; social; economic and legal rights.