Ordog wrote:
=AAk=BD=FC=A4j=AAk=A6n wrote:
Women's liberation through Islam
Islam was the most revolutionary liberalization of women's rights the
civilized world has ever seen.
What a joke! I am yet to see a religion, specially Islam that truly
liberates women! LOL
The operative word is "was". At it's creation, Islam did in fact
generally
promote women's rights over what they were before. For example the
fact that the Koran *limits* a man to four wives, and specifies that
he must be able to support them, was very progressive for its day.
The effect, though, was fairly local. It's a stetch to say it
was the most revoultionary "the world has ever seen".
-jc
Unlike feminism movements, women's liberation in Islam wasn't started by
women but was revealed by Allah to Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) in the seven=
th
century.
The Qur'an and the Hadith or Sunnah of the Prophet
(PBUH) are the sources from which every Muslim woman derives her rights,
responsibilities and duties.
Men and women are equaled in front of Allah; this is in terms of worshi=
ping,
obeying, and glorifying Him.
Nevertheless they're equally punished when committing any sin. For inst=
ance
when committing adultery, the man and the woman share the same punishme=
nt.
Allah says in the Qur'an:
"O mankind! Be careful of your duty to your Lord who created you from a
single soul and from it its mate and from them both have spread abroad a
multitude of men and women. Be careful of your duty toward Allah in
whom you claim (your rights) of one another, and towards the wombs (that
bore you)! Allah has been a Watcher over you." Qur'an (4:1)
Since men and women both came from the same essence, they are equal
regarding their human rights. Women cannot be considered evil by nature=
(as
some people may think) or then men would be evil also.
Similarly, neither gender can be superior because it would be a
contradiction of equality.
Islam also granted women many civil rights; a Muslim woman has the basic
freedom of choice and expression based on recognition of her individual
personality. First, she is free to choose her religion. The Qur'an stat=
es:
"There is no compulsion in religion. Right has been made distinct from
error."Qur'an (2:256)
In Islam, women's role is balanced but fair. She has been removed from =
the
burden of supporting herself. Instead men take this responsibility, a
woman's father and or brother and even the government, if the other two=
are
not available a responsible to take care of the woman and support her
financially. If she does not want to work, she does not have to. She ha=
s the
freedom to decide to stay at home and spend her time raising her childr=
en
and tending to her family, social and religious life. However, if she w=
ants
to work, she is not forbidden to do so. Actually Islam has encouraged t=
he
woman to educate herself and to know Allah and know her duties, so that=
she
can educate her children. She is discouraged from leaving her children
without guidance and example.
Moreover she is given the most honorable and important job in the unive=
rse,
she is more encouraged to be a mother.
Muslim women have the right to choose their husbands and keep their nam=
es
after marriage. Islam also encourages women to contribute their opinion=
s and
ideas; there are many examples of women who offered their opinions
concerning religion, economics and social matters to Prophet Mohammad
(PBUH). Also, a Muslim woman's testimony is valid in legal disputes.
Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) said:
"Seeking knowledge is a mandate for every Muslim (male and female)."
This includes learning the Qur'an and the Hadith as well gaining knowle=
dge
in science and many other fields. Since both men and women have the cap=
acity
for learning and understanding, Muslim women must
acquire the appropriate education in order to promote good behavior and
condemn bad behavior in all spheres of life.
While maintenance of a home, supporting husbands, breading and teaching
children are regarded as the priorities for a woman, if she has the ski=
lls
to work outside her house for the good of the family, then she
may do so as long as she doesn't ignore her main family duties.
Moreover Islam gives high respect to motherhood, Prophet Mohammad (PBUH)
said:
"Heaven lies under the feet of mothers."
This implies that the success of a society is traced to good mothers.
Therefore, a woman must be educated and conscientious in order to be a
skillful parent.
Fourteen hundred years ago, Islam started giving women the right to vot=
e .On
any public matter; Muslim women may vote their opinion and participate =
in
politics. This established the right of women to select their leader and
publicly declare so.
For example, Abdurrahman Ibn Auf consulted many women before he recomme=
nded
Othman Ibn Affan to be the Caliph.
While guardianship and greater financial responsibility is given to men=
in
Islam, a Muslim woman has the privilege to earn money, the right to own
property, to enter into legal contracts and to manage all of her assets=
in
any way she pleases. She can run her own business and no one has any cl=
aim
on her earnings including her husband.
Allah says in the Holy Qur'an:
"And in no wise covet those things in which Allah hath bestowed His gif=
ts
more freely on some of you than on others; to men is allotted what they
earn, and to women, what they earn; but ask Allah of His bounty, for Al=
lah
hath full knowledge of all things." Qur'an (4:32)
Islam liberated women by giving them rights and duties 1400 years ago t=
hat
most women do not enjoy up till now, even in the West. These duties and
rights were given by Allah and are designed to keep balance
in society; what may seem unjust or missing in one place is compensated=
for
or explained in another place because Islam as is a complete way of li=
fe.
Allah says:
"And it not of a believing man or a women, when Allah and His Messenger
(Muhammad) have declared a matter, for them to have any choice in that
matter. And anyone who disobeys God and His Messenger has indeed gone a=
stray
into open error." Qur'an (33:36)
http://islamonline.com/cgi-bin/news_service/spot_full_story.asp?servi...
How about proving that your god actually exists? Once you did that we
can go on talking about human social issues including giving equal
rights to women!
In the mean time Islam is one of the most patriarchal religions on this
planet. As far as I can sunderstand the continuing patriarchal
traditions promoted by Islam and womens' liberation are antagonists not
protagonists!
=20
Ordog
"Beware of the man whose God is in the skies." Bernard Shaw
.
