CRITERION (3) "CONTAINS ABSOLUTE PRINCIPLES"

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[C] Status of women

It was only in recent times that a concern for issues related to women’s rights has been advocated, especially in the west, whereas the special position of women has already been addressed in the Qur’an and seriously implemented within the lifetime of Muhammad s.a.w. 1400 years ago. Yet at that time then women were not accorded any status at all in Arab society in Makkah, except as chattels that could be exchanged; as though they were created as objects to satisfy the lust of man and for procreation only. Generally, women then [1] could not own any property but yet they themselves were regarded as property and could be owned and inherited by the man.

Then at that time, these womenwere deprived of any learning and did not have any social standing at all as humans – in fact girls were regarded as an embarrassment, such that Arab fathers would rather bury their daughters alive than bringing them up.

Yet, from this background, and regarding such matters concerning the status of women, the Qur’anic revelations came to challenge and reform that society - from the very beginning of its revelation. It even contains chapters which directly touch on women, family, marriage, divorce, inheritance and other issues specific to women. It accords equitable rights for women, without inclining towards the present extreme feminist view which seems to demand equal rights (i.e. to be given same right as men) forgetting the intrinsic differences that will always exist in the nature and role of man and woman. Although not every view on women taught by Islam may be totally shared by modern advocates of feminism, the point relevant to note is that the Qur’an preceded them in championing the rights of woman by over a thousand years. In raising the status of women, and having laid down important guidelines and principle for a perennial programme to be undertaken towards its achievement, the Qur'an indeed was very much ahead of its time and thus showed that it could not have been the work of mere mortals.

‘Equitable’ versus ‘equal’

The current critique towards Islam with regard to women’s issues by feminist groups is due to their refusal to accept firstly, the fundamental intrinsic difference in the nature of man and woman, which therefore implies inevitably distinct gender roles. Yet these feminist’s demand for equal (i.e. same) treatment for woman as that for man, would have to be moderated when they have to face the reality that these natural differences cannot be easily ignored and that they must consider fully all its implications towards (not merely economical, but also) the social, educational, moral and spiritual well-being and survival of the whole human existence – which is the Qur’anic position when it discusses the status of woman. Equitable rights rather than equal rights. For example, the drastic drop in birth rate and realization of importance of the role of motherhood in nurturing future generations, forces many countries to review their policy regarding terms of employment for the career woman. In many countries, when planning their socio-economic policy in the past, a woman’s crucial role as a wife and in motherhood with which nature has endowed them, has been very much under-rated, only to the detriment of their country’s overall future. By trying to moderate now towards finding an equitable solution, they are in fact beginning to agree with the Qur’anic proposition – Al-Hamdulillaah (“Praise be to God”)

Muslim practices not always equal to Islam’s pristine teachings, which should be the norm. Don't judge Islam by what Muslims do.

Muslims are never perfect but are to be judged by the Qur'an an As-Sunnah. Some people may raise the issue of unfair treatment or they may highlight problems regarding the abuse of women in certain Muslim countries. We have to distinguish between the teachings of Islam and the practices of Muslims. Although the Qur’anic teachings may be clear in themselves yet it does not necessarily mean that every Muslim today is therefore applying these teachings in practise. Regarding the treatment of women in some Muslim countries, it must be admitted that they may have been discriminated against and their rights abused even by so-called “learned Muslims”, who simply accept the pre-existing discriminatory customs and gender bias rather than bravely enforce the Islamic (Qur’anic) reform upon their society and restore to women their rightful status accordingly. "Allah doth command you to render back your Trusts to those to whom they are due." [2]

This reform is termed as “IslaH” and is enjoined in the Qur’an upon Muslims in every age to render justice:

يَـٰٓأَيُّہَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ كُونُواْ قَوَّٲمِينَ بِٱلۡقِسۡطِ شُہَدَآءَ لِلَّهِ وَلَوۡ

عَلَىٰٓ أَنفُسِكُمۡ أَوِ ٱلۡوَٲلِدَيۡنِ وَٱلۡأَقۡرَبِينَ‌ۚ إِن يَكُنۡ غَنِيًّا أَوۡ فَقِيرً۬ا

فَٱللَّهُ أَوۡلَىٰ بِہِمَا‌ۖ فَلَا تَتَّبِعُواْ ٱلۡهَوَىٰٓ أَن تَعۡدِلُواْ‌ۚ

وَإِن تَلۡوُ ۥۤاْ أَوۡ تُعۡرِضُواْ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ كَانَ بِمَا تَعۡمَلُونَ خَبِيرً۬ا

"O ye who believe! stand out firmly for justice, as witnesses to Allah, even as against yourselves, or your parents, or your kin, and whether it be (against) rich or poor: for Allah can best protect both. Follow not the lusts (of your hearts) lest ye swerve and if ye distort (justice) or decline to do justice, verily Allah is well-acquainted with all that ye do."

(Qur'an: An-Nisa: 4:135)

The ignorance amongst many Muslim women of their rights accorded by Islam should be eradicated because without knowledge there would not be any impetus towards empowerment and change. This shows that it is the deviation from the Qur’anic principles which is the cause of the problem and not its teachings which have perennial relevance, ever since it was revealed more than 1400 years ago.

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Footnotes:

[1] Apart from the exceptionally privileged few who were protected by their affiliation to tribes that had the strength; that commanded respect of the people and had the political will to safeguard their own womenfolk.

[2] An interesting co-incidence that in the Qur’an: An-Nisa which means (Chapter Women)’: 4:58, this was the verse which Allah s.w.t. emphatically demands that Muslims must strive to be just - as though knowing it would be neglected. Thus Islam cannot be blamed for any shortcoming on the part of the Muslims, but we must continually empower our women and true Muslims to restore every rights of the women which the Qur'an commands:

إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَأۡمُرُكُمۡ أَن تُؤَدُّواْ ٱلۡأَمَـٰنَـٰتِ إِلَىٰٓ أَهۡلِهَا

“Allah doth command you to render back
your Trusts to those to whom they are due”

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