WOMEN IN ISLAM
As per Nature
Treat women well, for they have been created from a rib.
(Prophet Muhammad)
IT is very important to understand the above saying of the Prophet in the right perspective. This saying does not refer to the creation of Adam and Eve, rather it is about women in general. It is the manner of every woman’s creation that is referred to here and not specifically that of Eve. The first important thing to know is that this statement is meant in the metaphorical sense and so it should not be taken literally.
The words ‘they have been created from a rib’ have no connection with the point conveyed in the rest of the sentence which says women should be treated well. The correct interpretation of the word ‘rib’ would be one which is in accordance with the underlying purpose of the Prophet’s statement. The Prophet had wished to convey: “Women are akin to a rib and should be treated with due consideration.” There is another saying which explains what this means. “A woman is like a rib”, said the Prophet, “if you try to straighten it, it will break.”
The teachings of Islam with respect to women are in accordance with nature. The nature of womanhood as fashioned by the Creator, for the special contribution they have to make to society, demands that their true nature be appreciated.
The above saying of the Prophet related in Al-Bukhari and Muslim—the most authentic collections of Prophet’s teachings—makes it clear that women are like ribs; they are not actually created from ribs. The allusion is figurative not literal. Light is also cast on the meaning of the metaphor. Ribs break when one tries to reshape them. Hence they should be allowed to remain as they are. The same holds true of women: it is wise to let them be on their true nature.
“Women have been created from ribs”, and “Women are like ribs”, are just two different ways of saying the same thing. There is a difference in the mode of expression of the two statements, but there is no difference in meaning. It is common in every language for metaphors to be expressed directly, without the use of the words “like” or “as”. For instance, if one wishes to pay tribute to a person’s bravery, one can say that he is like a lion. But there is not much force in saying that a person is ‘like a lion’ as there is in saying that ‘he is a lion’.
The Prophet used a parable to explain the delicateness of women’s nature, pointing out that they should be treated in accordance with their nature. Their delicate emotional constitution should always be borne in mind. God has created them that way, and He has done so for a good reason. They should be treated kindly. If they have to be told something, it should be done tactfully, in a gentle tone. Abruptness and severity will break them, as a rib is broken by any attempt to change its shape. Once, when the Prophet was on a journey, he saw some women riding on a camel. The man leading the camel made the animal to drive on faster, forgetting that this would cause undue discomfort to his passengers. So the Prophet said to the camel driver: “You have glass cases there. Be gentle with them.”
Modern research has further helped us with scientific studies on the differences between males and females. Scientific researchers almost unanimously agree that hormones help determine how people feel and act. Thus the male-female differences are entirely genetic in nature.
The passivity found in women is due to the particular nature of the female hormones. Differences between male and female hormones exist from birth; they are not acquired later on, as would be the case if they had stemmed from differences in environment.
Islam is a religion of nature. The principles Islam requires us to follow are in fact our own instinctive human requirements expressed in words. The teachings of Islam with respect to women are in accordance with nature. The nature of womanhood as fashioned by the Creator, for the special contribution they have to make to society, demands that their true nature be appreciated.
Due to their delicate nature Islam teaches men to be gentle with women. That way they will not lose heart or become too despondent to perform their special duties in life. It is best to let them be, in their natural state. If one treats them as though they were tough metal, one would break them.
God has made difficulties the ladders
to our success provided we give a
positive response to them.