Women's Right in Islam - Essay Example

Women's Right in Islam Introduction The women rights issue is an important question among all the cultures in the recent times. Throughout the world every community is now pondering about the rights it endows to a women to live a peaceful life in the society. The reason for this stand is obvious. It is because for years women have been kept under pressure and subjugation where she was suffocated and frustrated. If we question about the same issue of women’s right in Islam, then we may get skeptical about the topic. People have a notion that women are suffering under the Islamic laws as it is with strict boundaries. However, it is not the case always; women do have equal rights under the Sharia like men. For centuries women were treated inferior and this also reflected in the Islamic ruling of women in their society. Islamic law treats men and women alike but it keeps a thin line of conditions on women’s rights and freedom for the protection of women. According to Islamic law, women need to be kept under authority for the smooth running of the family. Every religious scripture hold on to this attitude to create peace and harmony in the society. Same is the case with Islam where women have certain rules to obey to .In the original form, the Quran or the Sharia law does not subjugate women. But the Quran treats women same like man and both are equal in the eyes of God, Almighty. It is the dominating attitude of men which declare strict norms and laws upon women which she cannot undertake. According to Engineer(2004)“The Quran which is comparatively liberal in its treatment of women, also suffered the same fate” Status of women in Islam The status of women in Islam is not different from any women in any other community. Within her community she has all the freedom to enjoy life and join with others to experience the joy of life. It is a fact that Muslim women do wear hijab, but this does not steal any human right and freedom from them. In fact, the wearing of hijab for women is to protect them from evil of the society. So here it can be seen that women apart from human right and freedom, she is also getting a privilege from her religion to protect herself. This gives a right kind of morality aspect to the personality of women. Dagher(1995)“Woman's status in Islam is one of the most controversial and serious issues of our time, not only among Muslim women and those who represent them in the area of women's rights in the Islamic world, but also among fundamentalist Muslims”. In Quran, females are urged to pull their upper garment above head to show their elegance, ethical value and morality. However what freedom and rights Islam has given its women has always been a question raised by fundamentalist all over the world. The Islam is creating boundaries for women to live in with a concern to protect her but not to suffocate or torture her. As people think ,Islamic women is not treated harshly in the family but she enjoys all the events in the community. As per Green(2005) they claim that Islam brings light into the world and leads humanity out of ignorance, especially in the area of the treatment of women. Women’s right in Islam The Islamic Sharia law does not exhibit partiality to gender like the world thinks. According to Islamic Sharia law Muslim women are given proper protection and freedom before and after marriage. The Muslim women are even given the freedom to keep their maiden name. Women is also given financial security at all costs under Islamic law. Women are also allowed to keep marital gifts and propertied which are under her name after marriage. As per Badawi(2001)“Women also need not spend any money on their wedding. She is entitled to full financial support during marriage and during the waiting period ('iddah) in case of divorce”. People think that Muslim women live life in an alien way than normal people .However this is a wrong way of perceiving Islam and Muslim women’s life. A woman in Islam is given support for child and financial security in every stage of their life. She is protected as a daughter, sister, and wife and as a mother. This is one of the main highlight of Islamic religion and this is why Muslim women are proud of their religion. Only disadvantageous point for women in Islam is ,where inheritance of property to male is twice the amount of female. But this fact is compensated by the fact that men are responsible to take care of their daughter, sister, wife and mother. Also marriage in Islam is considered to be of high value and regarded with happiness, peace, harmony and compassion. Gender Equality in Islam Even though Islamic world is considered to be undemocratic and homogenous in civilization, there is a presence of gender equality in them. It is a fact that Muslim countries show variation in cultural, economical, political and social dimension,but they do provide freedom which is needed for women in a society. The Islam does not allow women much to enter into economical or political field. The men domination had led to the up rise of males into these fields. Even women do not participate in labor market, which pin points that women need not work to maintain a family. This shows that women are given more comfort and enjoyment in Islam. In his journal Spierings(2009) writes that “Women’s absolute labor market participation is higher in Muslim countries with higher levels of economic development and oil exporting”. In Quran, spiritual equality is given importance where men and women have same kind of responsibility and accountability in life. According to Islamic law, Spiritual equality does not tether women only into spiritual background but into every walk of human life. According to Muslim Women League (1995)“Spiritual equality between men and women in the sight of God is not limited to purely spiritual, religious issues, but is the basis for equality in all temporal aspects of human endeavor”. In Quran there is no mention of Eve being created from the ribs of Adam but was a deliberate and independent creation of God. This shows how much importance is given to women in Islam from creation to current era. Attitude of Muslim Men towards women In pre- Islamic period the rights of Muslim women were determined by the tribal heads and communities. These laws were distinctive among different classes of tribe. Some women were bestowed with absolute power and freedom while others were treated worse than slaves. Islamic law allowed Muslim men to control their women with the assistance of Quranic principles and Islamic laws. In Islam men were considered superior in taking care of women who is considered needed as women are weaker sex by nature. In the article Mkhantar(2007) mentions that “The Qur'an teaches Muslims that men and women are created equal and that the only authority is Allah”. The sharia is particular on the point that women need to be protected not enslaved by men in Islam. Nowadays women are given more importance in a Muslim world and she is given opportunity to educate herself and come up in the society. Today the life of Muslim women is same like any other women and not different from them in any aspect. She is treated as an asset and allowed to contribute to society on all terms. Her contribution and decisions are valued and respected by the men dominated society equally well. Nowadays many Muslim men do not marry four times but value the one wife they have married. Now men do not divorce their wife without any genuine reason and give them more respect than before. Since their partners are educated the men and women stand in the same position in every sphere of life. Rights of Marriage for women in Islam In Context of marriage there are many misconception surrounding the Islamic world relative to women. It needs to be understood that in Islam the cultural practice and religious beliefs take different roles. Here the cultural traditions and religious beliefs are seen as two different issues. People think that all the cultural practice and Muslim manners are part of Islamic law. As pre Mitchell(2011)“Many attorneys make the major mistake of assuming that all of a Muslim’s manners and practices are related to Islam”. This is a totally wrong concept, as mannerism of Muslims is evolved from a continuous practice of them without any basic principle .The impartiality one saw of Islamic world towards the Muslim women has got nothing to do with Quran and Islamic Sharia law. In Islam women can marry with all freedom, but the men have the right to divorce them and marry four times other women. Here there is disadvantage women as once divorced she has problem in finding new man for courtship. However, the Quran suggest that Muslim men can divorce instantly the women only with her permission. Nowadays many of the Muslims all around the world are educated and modern and do not go by the law of multiple marriages. According to Jones(2006) “Indeed, the motivation behind Muslim men’s decision to marry multiple women is not necessarily self-evident either”. Marriage in Islamic world is considered as the sacred union between man and women. The marriage in Islam promotes, love, mercy, compassion and commitment among wife and husband. Individual Dignity of Muslim Women Unlike people think, Quran does not promote suffering and injustice to women. The Quran bestow equal rights to men and women. Just like men, women also have basic rights and duties in a family. Quran propagates that men and women are equal in the eyes of Almighty and none is superior to one another. The Islamic world does not allow the oppression of women, if at all it happens; it is from the hands of people who are illiterate about the verses of Quran. The outside world has a notion that Muslim women live in chains in their community. This is not a fact, the women in Islamic world has all the comforts and rights like any other women in any community. Muslim world obviously understand the value of dignity and what need to be offered to their women. As per Kamali (2007)“ Broadly speaking, from a legal perspective, human dignity connotes inviolability of the human person, recognition of a set of rights and obligations and guarantee of safe conduct by others, including the society and state”. In Quran, the suggestion is that no one should bias people on the basis of sex, race, color and creed. It is the people or men in Islam subjugate women due to the superior quality they nurture. Many portions of Islamic men are illiterate about the real message of Quran and practice subjugation and suppression in underdeveloped areas of developing countries. The New Move of Muslim Women The modern Muslim women comment that veil is about expression and not about suppression. They view it as a modest expression of Muslim women. The “hijab” is a sign of modesty and piety among Muslim women, than subjugation and suppression. It is the outside world which is viewing veil in a different perspective. The new Muslim women also know to interpret her religion and culture well. They know their religious values and beliefs and can express about it to the outside world without hesitation. The outside world overstates the veil which is a religious symbol. According to Carpenter(2001)“And while Muslim men also are required to dress modestly -- with a turban or a cap, and flowing garments -- women's dress is seen as symbol of the greater restrictions they labor under in some Muslim countries”. However, new Muslim women view their “hijab” as a privacy and not enslavement. The life of Muslim women is not like the world think, as she has much respect and value in her family. She is part of every celebration in the family and also is highly regarded as daughter, sister, wife and mother. Now world can also see many feminist who are Muslims who fight for their right like another female in any other community. This is because the females in Muslim religion have been given freedom enough for women to speak out. They are no more suffocated or enslaved for asking about her rights. A Muslim woman is born with their religious etiquettes and she is proud of it. Because they drape themselves up, they don’t feel suffocated or suppressed. They understand these are the principles of their religion and follow it. As per Mohamed(2011)“Women drape themselves in cloaks and headscarves in a display of modesty and humility”. Muslim women in 21st century Historically, the Islam was deemed to be recognized as a male dominated religion. When people look from outside, they find veiled women and obedient wives who follow their husband. But the women in reality were not that much suppressed as world perceived. Nowadays a Muslim woman is same like any other women. She maintains a family, get education and build a career, everything just like any other women in a society. In today’s time women play an important role in molding a family as she is educated and capable of standing on her own feet. In the 20th century education to boys and girls alike and expansion of opportunity in jobs has led to more empowerment among Muslim women. Women also proved to be capable and creative in other fields of life. According to De Long Bas(2007)“As in other areas of life, Muslim women have proven to be resourceful, creative, and dedicated to claiming ownership of and responsibility for their faith lives, both individually and communally”. Today the Muslim world is no more male centered but a community which gives equal right and opportunity to everyone in the religious boundary. The current moment gives much freedom to women and she has a challenging role to play. She like any other women in society live a life with enough freedom and rights their religion offers. Now we can see that , Muslim women have got employment in many fields where men were dominant. This is the changing phase of Muslim world and Muslim women. Conclusion Since ages there had been thinking among people that Islam enslaved women and put them under veil. This is a very wrong conception which outside world nurtured for long time. Draping themselves up is nothing oppressive for Muslim women, as they understand their religion deeply. It is said in Quran, that draping their head reflected modesty and piety among women which is an ornament to them. Women never felt oppressed but they understood how well their religion is protecting them. Even though they drape their head, the life they enjoy is equal to other women in the society. According to Childs(2006)”Many people don't believe that the women of Islam are free”. Since people go by their own perception of Islam they don’t understand the reality. There is a little restriction in the Muslim world on women in order to protect her from evils of the modern world. This era is a time when everybody is exploiting each other for their own benefit. In such a circumstance, Muslim women are protected by the religion with a positive view of her personality development. Every woman in other religion looks down upon Muslim women for being enslaved by Muslim men and their religion. But this is not a fact but an altered view of public who are illiterate about Muslim religious concepts. According to Fox News (2009)“While Muslim leaders caution against stereotypes and point out that domestic violence happens in all cultures, some women's rights leaders worry that Islam is being used to justify violence against women”. Here we can conclude that Muslim women are free as any other women and lead a life similar to them. Bibliography A.Engineer, 'Introduction' in (eds), The Rights of Women in Islam (2nd, Sterling Publishers, New Delhi 2004). 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