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“Allah SWT does not do wrong even the weight of an atom.” (Al-Qur’an, 4:40)
In one Hadith-e-Qudsi, it is reported that Allah SWT said: “O my servants! I have forbidden injustice for Myself and forbade it also for you. So avoid being unjust to one another.” (Mishkat, vol.2, hadith no. 2325) Nevertheless, it is true that some Muslim men have interpreted the Qur’anic text to mean that man is inherently superior to woman. This notion (which is absolutely wrong) is still existent in many Muslim societies and cultures and is adamantly defended in the name of religion. Confronting these misgivings is thus a big challenge, and a necessity, for enlightened Muslims everywhere.
The Qur’anic verse that is frequently cited to justify man’s superiority over woman actually reads: “Men are the protectors and maintainers of (qawwamun ala) women, because God has given the one more (strength) than the other, and because they support them from their means.” (Al-Qur’an, 4:34) Jamal Badawi pointed out that “some interpreters of the Qur’an mistakenly translate the Arabic word qiwama (responsibility for the family) with the English word ‘superiority.’ The Qur’an makes it clear that the sole basis for the superiority of any person over another is piety and righteousness, not gender, color or nationality.” (Gender Equity in Islam, p.13)
The Qur’an, explicitly and repeatedly, states that all human beings were created from the same nafs: “O mankind, fear your Lord who has created you from a single soul and from it created its mate, from the pair of them scattered abroad many men and women.” (Al-Qur’an, 4:1) The Qur’anic viewpoint on the equal status of man and woman is further elaborated in many other verses. For instance, in Surah Al-Ahzab, Allah SWT says: “ Men and women who have surrendered (unto Allah), believing men and believing women, obedient men and women, truthful men and truthful women, enduring men and enduring women, humble men and humble women who give in charity, men who fast and women who fast, men and women who guard their private parts, men and women who remember God much; for them God has prepared forgiveness and a mighty reward.” (Al-Qur’an, 33:35)
One wonders how is it possible for some Muslims to ignore the clear proofs of the Qur’an and to transgress against women in the name of Islam! The Sunnah (Prophetic traditions) and seerah (biography of the Prophet) testify that “(Prophet Muhammad) gave women rights and respect in a culture that treated them as inferior. He made a deliberate move toward eliminating the practice of female infanticide. He considered women as equals and freely supported their independent voice. He encouraged their debates and asked for their opinions. He had no qualms about men seeking advice from wives or daughters. He had no qualms about his wives and daughters joining in conversation to debate political and social issues in the company of other men. It’s a surprise that in the face of such a legacy, how some Muslims justify their intolerance for women’s education, independence, and free speech, and how violence and misogynistic practices against women have come to be associated with Islam today.” (Leila Dabbagh, “Muhammad’s Legacy for Women” in Michael Wolfe ed. Taking Back Islam, p.106)
There is no doubt that, according to Islam, men are solely responsible for the financial support of the family, and women are asked to fulfill other roles and duties, including the natural, maternal role. This is rational and just from any point of view. Islam does not want women to be forced to undertake any burden that may harm her or her family. Furthermore, happiness and fulfillment of life is not possible without a sound family; “family first” and “not at the cost of the family” is the Islamic approach. Men and women have vital roles to play in ensuring this. As one sister rightly pointed out: “For a woman to be able to do that perfectly, the worry of the economy and the burden of supporting the family are taken away from her as a sign of mercy and love from God.”
This, however, does not mean that Islam has negated woman’s societal role, nor prohibited women from pursuing suitable careers. Professor Anne Sophie Roald wrote, after scrutinizing scholarly opinions of the Islamic jurists, on this subject: “there are no specific, limited roles for women in society, but rather there is flexibility such that various roles are open to a women according to what is appropriate for her life cycle and what the needs of particular societies are in particular times. The various cultural base patterns together with the scholar’s personal background and characteristics seem to play a role in the selection from the sources and the texts of Islamic law and subsequent interpretation of them.” (Anne Sophie Roald, Women in Islam: The Western Experience, p. 297) Late Egyptian scholar Abu Shaqqa, also, echoed the same sentiment when he wrote: “Verily, Islam lays down general comprehensive rules for different times, circumstances, and for a variety of personalities. These (rules) differ also when it comes to levels of culture and civilization. The practices are linked to their appropriateness to the situation on the one side and to the moral and intellectual levels of the individual on the other side. Maybe a (specific) practice is proper in a certain situation and with a certain individual and produces useful results, whereas it is not proper in another situation and not with another individual where it could lead to harmful results.” (Abu Shaqqa, Liberation of Women at the Time of the Prophet, quoted in Anne Roald, op. cit., p.168)
It is incumbent upon Muslims to make sure they have proper understanding of the text before presenting anything as “Islamic” or “divine.” Indeed, lack of understanding creates misapprehension and causes injustice to other human beings. May Allah SWT protect us all and grant us understanding.
Mahbubur Rahman
Editor-in-Chief
August / September 2003
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