STATUS OF WOMEN VIS-A-VIS MEN
Equal in Respect Different in Role
THERE is a common belief that Islam gives a higher status to men in comparison to women. This is a misconception in the truest sense of the word. Contrary to the common misconception cited above, Islam actually gives equal status to women as that of men. The Quran says:
“You are members, one of another.” (3:195)
There are many Hadith of the Prophet regarding women:
Fear God in respect of women. Men and women are two equal halves of a single unit. (Al Tirmizi) The most perfect man of religion is one who excels in character and the best among you is he who gives the best treatment to his womenfolk.
However, studies in biology and psychology show that the two genders are different in nature, each being designed for a different purpose. So, the Islamic maxim runs: Equal in respect, but different in role. Each being equal has a different sphere of action. That is, in making their contribution to social activity, the men undertake whatever is physically harder, while the women deal with whatever is physically lighter.
Although males and females differ from one another biologically, they are equal in terms of human status. No distinction is made between women and men as regards their respective rights. Man and woman in the eyes of Islam complement each other. This concept permits the shortcomings of one gender to be compensated for by the strengths of the other. This is all for the good if they are to be lifetime companions. It is a fact that women in general are not physically as strong as men, but their physical weakness in no way implies their inferiority to men. The eyes are the most delicate parts of our body, while the nails by comparison are extremely hard. That does not mean that the nails are superior to the eyes.
Just as two different kinds of fruits will differ in colour, taste, shape and texture, without one being superior or inferior to the other, so also do men and women have their different qualities which distinguish the male from the female without there being any question of superiority or inferiority. They are endowed by nature with different capacities so that they may play their respective roles in life with greater ease and effectiveness.
However, in respect of innate talents, all individuals, be they men or women, differ from one another. Yet their need for each other is equal. All are of equal value. One is not more important or less important than the other. Similarly when it comes to the establishment of a home and raising of a family, men and women have their separate roles to play. But each is vital. Each is indispensable to the other. And for them to come together, function in unison and live in harmony, there must be mutual respect and a prevailing sense that a woman enjoys the same status as that of a man.
In ancient times, women had come to be considered inferior and were deprived, among other things, of the right to inherit property. Islam for the first time in human history gave them their due legal rights over property. Neither did it distinguish between men and women as regards status, rights and blessings, both in this world and the Hereafter. Both were considered equal participants in the carrying out of the functions of daily living.
Islam sets great value on the proper management of home. It is because home is the most important unit of any society. Home is the centre of preparing succeeding generations.
Since the earliest ideal phase of Islam, Muslim women have successfully used their talents in the field of education in particular. Homes had become centres of learning. As women performed their role without going outdoors, there is a general impression that Islam has restricted women’s workplace to performing only domestic chores. But this is not the truth.
Islam first encouraged them to receive education, and then enthused them with a new zeal. Subsequently, they went out to impart this learning to the next generation. Let’s take the instance of the Prophet’s wives, held up as role models for women in Islam.
Preserving their femininity, they participated in all kinds of religious and worldly activities. For instance, the Prophet’s wife Aisha, having gained full knowledge of Islam from the Prophet, was able, after the death of the Prophet, to perform the task of teacher and guide to the Muslim community for a period of about fifty years. Abdullah ibn Abbas, a Companion of great stature, and one of the best commentators of the Quran, was one of Aisha’s pupils.
As modern day research tells us, women are better with words than men. It is perhaps this reason why they are able to run educational institutions successfully. Besides this there may be many such workplaces where women are able to use their full potential. Since earliest days of Islam we find Muslim women working outdoors. Umme Dahdah, wife of a Companion of the Prophet worked in her orchard. Khadija, the Prophet’s wife conducted business, to cite only a few of such examples. However, Islam sets great value on the proper management of a home. It is because a home is the most important unit of any society. Home is the centre of preparing succeeding generations. Thus neglecting the home front will amount to neglecting the next generation, which in turn will result in a great national loss.
Islam grants even more respect to women than to men. According to one Hadith a man once came to the Prophet and asked him, who rightfully deserved the best treatment from him.
“Your mother,” said the Prophet. “Who’s next?” asked the man. “Your mother.” “Who comes next?” the man asked again. The Prophet again replied, “Your mother.” “Who is after that?” insisted the man. “Your father,” said the Prophet.
When it comes to the establishment of a home and raising of a family, men and women have their separate roles to play. But each is vital. Each is indispensable to the other.
Another example concerns Hajra, the Prophet Abraham’s wife. Hajj, regarded as the greatest form of worship in Islam, entails the performance of Sai, one of the main rites of the Hajj. This is accomplished by running back and forth seven times between Safa and Marwah, two hillocks near the Kabah.
This running, enjoined upon every pilgrim, be they rich or poor, literate or illiterate, kings or commoners, is in imitation of the desperate quest of Hajra, Abraham’s wife, for water to quench the thirst of her crying infant, four thousand years ago. The performance of this rite is a lesson in struggling for the cause of God. It is of the utmost significance that this was an act performed by a woman. Perhaps there could be no better demonstration of a woman’s greatness than God’s command to all men, literally to follow in her footsteps.
The Quran says that men are in charge of—that is, they are ‘maintainers’ of women (4: 34). This leads to a common misconception that Islam gives a higher status to men than women. According to this verse of the Quran, it does not mean that men have a distinctive status over women. Being maintainers of women has never been intended as a form of discriminatory treatment, it rather concerns the practical management of the home, for which the man is held responsible. However, this does not mean that a woman will never be allowed to shoulder these responsibilities. If she finds that she can bear this burden, no objection will be raised from any quarter.
In fact, in the early period of Islam, both men and women were fully active in different fields of life, from housework to agriculture and horticulture; and worship in the mosque. Everywhere women were visible and active. Gradually there came about a division of labour, which is justifiable not only biologically and physiologically, but also in terms of the ensuing social benefits. One such important benefit is that they can see each other’s lives objectively, without that personal involvement which tends to cloud their judgment and lead to a damaging emotionalism. They are better able to counsel each other coolly and wisely, to give moral support at critical moments, and to offer the daily encouragement with which every successful union should be marked.
Difference of biological function does not imply inequality. For the biological division of human beings into male and female is the result of the purposeful planning of our Creator.
In Islamic history, there are many examples of women giving invaluable help to their husbands in critical situations. One of the most notable was Khadijah, the wife of the Prophet of Islam who successfully brought the Prophet back from a state of fear and trembling to a state of normalcy after his receiving the first divine revelation in the solitude of the Cave of Hira from the Archangel Gabriel. She was able to reassure him that his life was not, as he feared, in danger, as she herself was emotionally detached from the incident. She observed: “God will surely never forsake you. You are kind to your kin; you always help the weak; you take care of whoever crosses your threshold; you solace the weary; you speak the truth.” The reassurance that Khadijah gave to the Prophet of Islam on this occasion was one of the most significant contributions to the furtherance of Islam.
We see that the sacred scriptures of Islam make it clear that neither gender is inferior or superior to the other. Difference of biological function does not imply inequality. For the biological division of human beings into male and female is the result of the purposeful planning of our Creator.