This past one year has seen the global rise of the “me too” movement, primarily arising out of the West. This ‘Me too’ concept has gained a steady uprising across the world and has highlighted two very important facts:
1. Firstly, there is undeniably a presence of many monstrous individuals in various societies who have the tendency to harm and molest vulnerable women and children
2. Secondly, the fact that those residing in supposedly liberalized societies that claim to be an embodiment of civilization and modernity are statistically more vulnerable in many cases.
Concurrently, what we have witnessed in Pakistan over the past few months is a concoction of the “me too” and the liberal feminist driven “Apna khana khud garam kar lo,” and “Mera jism meri marzi” movements. Starting off as a protest against abuse and violence it quickly added multifaceted dimensions of promoting liberty and equality for women.
Undoubtedly, the past few years have seen many horrific cases of abuse and violence being committed against women and children in Pakistan with no end in sight due to a decadent system of justice and accountability. Yet, the lasting impression from these protests was their effort to mock of the values of modesty and decency and to critique household responsibilities as a belittling activity.
There is clearly an inherent flaw in the logic behind conjoining these two issues because even if a clear premise and the extent of female equality and liberty is established than how will it in any way, shape or form eliminate violence and harassment from the society?
Blaming Islam for most of Pakistan’s woes is a favorite pastime of the liberal and the secular minded faction in our society. Perhaps one reason for that is their lack of understanding of the teachings of Islam and their preconceived biases about it. Secondly, it might also be due to the fact that many of the devoutly Islamic people in the country are not performing their duty of conducting Dawah to those who are distant from the teachings of Islam.
A very crucial role is also played by the psychological impact resulting from an incessantly negative portrayal of Islam in both the international and local media that builds up a narrative of generalizing devout Muslims as violent and ill-mannered beings who are a threat to the safety and well-being of the wider community including womenfolk.
The purpose of this write-up is not to belittle the liberals or the protesting NGO’s. Rather the aim is to clarify misconceptions and identify solutions to the grave issues including violence and deprivation of women’s rights in the light of Islamic teachings. Some of the most pressing arguments in countering this misinformation war include clarifying the Islamic viewpoint on the rights of women and the modern day ‘gender-equality’ phenomenon as well as its prescribed ways in dealing with cases of violence and abuse against the weak and the indefensible.
Over fourteen hundred years ago, Islam gave women rights that women in the West have only recently began to enjoy. In the 1930’s, Annie Besant observed, “It is only in the last twenty years that Christian England has recognized the right of woman to property, while Islam has allowed this right from all times. It is a slander to say that Islam preaches that women have no souls.” (The Life and Teachings of Mohammed: 1932).
Whether in the role of a mother, a daughter, a wife, a sister or an aunt Islam has accorded women with great honor and dignity. For instance, we have been told that paradise lies under the feet of the mother and it is forbidden for an individual to disobey his/her mother or make her angry. Islam has also granted a mother more rights than a father. , according to the National Community Pharmacists Association. drugstore-onlinecatalog.com
عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ قَالَ جَاءَ رَجُلٌ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ مَنْ أَحَقُّ بِحُسْنِ صَحَابَتِي قَالَ ” أُمُّكَ ”. قَالَ ثُمَّ مَنْ قَالَ ” أُمُّكَ ”. قَالَ ثُمَّ مَنْ قَالَ ” أُمُّكَ ”. قَالَ ثُمَّ مَنْ قَالَ ” ثُمَّ أَبُوكَ ”. وَقَالَ ابْنُ شُبْرُمَةَ وَيَحْيَى بْنُ أَيُّوبَ حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو زُرْعَةَ مِثْلَهُ.
In a hadith narrated by Al-Bukhari Hazrat Abu Huraira (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) said:
A man came to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and said: “O Messenger of Allah, who is most deserving of my good company?” He said: “Your mother.” He said: “Then who?” He said: “Your mother.” He said: “Then who?” He said: “Your mother.” He said: “Then who?” He said: “Then your father.”
(Sahih Bukhari: 5971)
Furthermore, with regards to the rights of women as wives, the Prophet ﷺ said:
عَنْ عَائِشَةَ، قَالَتْ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «خَيْرُكُمْ خَيْرُكُمْ لِأَهْلِهِ وَأَنَا خَيْرُكُمْ لِأَهْلِي، وَإِذَا مَاتَ صَاحِبُكُمْ فَدَعُوهُ
“The best of you are those who are the best to their wives, and I am the best of you to my wives.”
Narrated by Al-Tirmidhi, 3895; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Tirmidhi”.
Likewise in the Noble Quran it is clearly explained that wives have got rights over their husbands, just as their husbands have rights over them. Allah (عَزَّوَجَلَّ) says:
” وَلَهُنَّ مِثْلُ الَّذِي عَلَيْهِنَّ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَلِلرِّجَالِ عَلَيْهِنَّ دَرَجَةٌ وَاللَّهُ عَزِيزٌ حَكِيمٌ”
“And they (women) have rights (over their husbands as regards living expenses) similar (to those of their husbands) over them (as regards obedience and respect) to what is reasonable, but men have a degree (of responsibility) over them. And Allah is All-Mighty, All-Wise”
[Al-Baqarah: 228]
Similar is the stature of a daughter and a sister and an aunt. In a hadith the beloved Prophet ﷺ said:
وَاسْتَوْصُوا بِالنِّسَاءِ خَيْرًا
“I urge you to treat women well.”
(Sahih Bukhari, 331)
While even in this seemingly modern day and age the birth of a daughter is considered undesirable in many societies and countries, Islam honored the role of women as daughters 1400 years ago, and has encouraged us to raise them well and educate them. As mentioned in a hadith where the Prophet ﷺ said:
قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ :”مَنْ عَالَ جَارِيَتَيْنِ حَتَّى تَبْلُغَا، جَاءَ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ أَنَا وَهُو َ” . وَضَمَّ أَصَابِعَهُ
“Whoever takes care of two girls until they reach adulthood, he and I will come like this on the Day of Resurrection,” and he held his fingers together.(Sahih Muslim : 2631)
With regards to the gender-equality debate and the Islamic perspective on it, there are certain areas where Islam has granted equality to women with men. However, there are other matters in which Islam does not consider them equal as doing so would result in injustice to one of them.
Aside from external and internal anatomical differences, scientists know today that there are many other subtle differences in the way the brains of men and women process language, information and emotion, just to mention a few.
A socio-biology expert, Edward O. Wilson of Harvard University, said that females tend to be higher than males in verbal skills, empathy and social skills, among other things, while men tend to be higher in independence, dominance, spatial and mathematical skills, rank-related aggression, and other characteristics.
It would be foolish to treat both genders the same and to ignore their differences. Islam teaches that men and women have complementary, yet different, roles because it is best suited to their nature. Allah (عَزَّوَجَلَّ) says:
وَلَيْسَ الذَّكَرُ كَالْأُنْثَى
“And the male is not like the female. “
[Al-i-Imran : 36]
Allah (عَزَّوَجَلَّ) created men and women to be different, with unique roles, skills and responsibilities. These differences are not viewed as evidences of superiority or inferiority, but of specialization. In Islam, the family is of central importance. The man is responsible for the financial well-being of the family while the woman contributes to the family’s physical, educational and emotional well-being. This encourages cooperation rather than competition. By fulfilling their mutual responsibilities, strong families are created and hence stronger societies.
Allah (عَزَّوَجَلَّ) says in the Noble Quran:
الرِّجَالُ قَوَّامُونَ عَلَى النِّسَاءِ بِمَا فَضَّلَ اللَّهُ بَعْضَهُمْ عَلَى بَعْضٍ وَبِمَا أَنْفَقُوا مِنْ أَمْوَالِهِمْ
“Men are the protectors and maintainers of women, because Allah has made one of them to excel the other, and because they spend (to support them) from their means”
[An-Nisa : 34]
Regarding this verse Ibn Katheer رحمه الله said: “Allah (عَزَّوَجَلَّ) says ‘Men are the protectors and maintainers of women’ meaning that the man is in charge of the woman, i.e., he is the leader and head of the household, the one who disciplines her if she goes astray.
The Islamic Shariah treats men and women differently in certain matters, some of these include being in charge of the household, in terms of bearing testimony, share in inheritance and clothing. There is inherent wisdom in this decision of Allah (عَزَّوَجَلَّ) as a man is obliged to spend more than the woman and is endowed with a greater power of reasoning that is less susceptible to emotion. Likewise in terms of clothing the temptation posed by men is less than the temptation posed by women, so the clothes that women should wear are different than the clothes that men wear. As Allah (عَزَّوَجَلَّ) says in the Noble Quran:
أَلَا يَعْلَمُ مَنْ خَلَقَ وَهُوَ اللَّطِيفُ الْخَبِيرُ
“Should not He Who has created know? And He is the Most Kind and Courteous (to His slaves) All-Aware (of everything)”
[Al-Mulk : 14]
On the other hand the Islamic Shariah has treated women equally in terms of reward in the hereafter, having a right to express themselves, giving sincere advice, enjoining good and forbidding evil, calling people to Allah, having the right to own property, to buy and sell, to inherit, to give charity and to give gifts. It is not permissible for anyone to take a woman’s wealth without her consent. Women have the right to a decent life, without facing aggression or being wronged. Women have the right to be educated; in fact it is obligatory to teach them what they need to know about their religion. Therefore how can any liberal individual compare the rights of women in Islam with the rights accorded to them in other civilizations? Indeed, Islam has accorded the greatest honor to women.
Likewise Islam has also proposed an implementation of practical deterrents as well as stringent punishments to eradicate crime from the society. Today the ever increasing lawlessness in our communities which has exposed women and particularly children to sexual abuse and gruesome murder is a result of a total disregard in implementing the teachings of the Islamic Sharee’ah in a country that is allegedly an Islamic republic. According to Islamic Law, a rapist who is married must be stoned to death and if he is unmarried than he must be lashed one hundred times and banished for one year.
While the punishment for one who commits murder is that he/she shall be killed in retaliation (qisaas) unless the victim’s next of kin let him off or agree to accept the diyah (blood money). As Allah (عَزَّوَجَلَّ) says in the Noble Quran:
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمُ الْقِصَاصُ فِي الْقَتْلَى الْحُرُّ بِالْحُرِّ وَالْعَبْدُ بِالْعَبْدِ وَالْأُنْثَى بِالْأُنْثَى فَمَنْ عُفِيَ لَهُ مِنْ أَخِيهِ شَيْءٌ فَاتِّبَاعٌ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَأَدَاءٌ إِلَيْهِ بِإِحْسَانٍ ذَلِكَ تَخْفِيفٌ مِنْ رَبِّكُمْ وَرَحْمَةٌ فَمَنِ اعْتَدَى بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ فَلَهُ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ
“O you who believe! Al-Qisaas (the Law of Equality in punishment) is prescribed for you in case of murder: the free for the free, the slave for the slave, and the female for the female. But if the killer is forgiven by the brother (or the relatives) of the killed against blood money, then adhering to it with fairness and payment of the blood money to the heir should be made in fairness. This is alleviation and a mercy from your Lord. So after this whoever transgresses the limits (i.e. kills the killer after taking the blood money), he shall have a painful torment”
[Al-Baqarah : 178]
In an increasingly chaotic world where a plethora of humanity is seeking answers to try and make a sense of its surroundings, many individuals in the allegedly civilized first world are turning to Islam as a solution and means for solace. Interestingly a majority of them are women, which literally throws the baseless allegation of Islam oppressing women out of the window. In America for instance, number of female converts to Islam outnumber men by a 4 to 1 ratio.
In 2006, a research study titled “Women and Conversion: The American Women’s Experience. Study-Women Converts to Islam” was conducted by ‘Elkoubaiti Naoual’ to gauge the reasons why American women were converting to Islam in such large numbers. One of the reasons cited was the increased interest in the Islamic faith post 9/11 which resulted in women reading about Islam and the Qur’an and discovering that that Muslim women were treated the complete opposite of how they were portrayed by the media–as oppressed, controlled and submissive. One respondent in this study revealed that the ‘freedom’ accorded by Islam was one of the main reasons for her conversion. She says: “In Islam, we have the right to have property, we inherit, we keep our last names, and we don’t have to take our husbands identities”.
Hence, we learn that Islam preserves the right of women in all ways. It is just a matter of understanding it and learning more about the subject.