Woman in Islam

Many a Western author took it upon himself to criticize Islam and to attack it through its view of the woman and her role in society, and through the rights she has been granted in comparison to those of man and to the rights of other women in other non-Muslim societies.

Therefore, what is the real image of the woman in Islam ? If we turn to the Quranic texts, we will find that :

- Like the man, the woman is entitled to recompense in the Hereafter for the good she does in this world : "If any do deeds of righteousness, - be they male or female - and have faith, they will enter Heaven, and not the least injustice will be done to them", [Women : 124]. Likewise, the repetition of the words "male" and "female" in the following verse is there for a good reason : "For Muslim men and women, for believing men and women, for devout men and women, for true men and women, for men and women who are patient and constant, for men and women who humble themselves, for men and women who give in charity, for men and women who fast (and deny themselves), for men and women who guard their chastity, and for men and women who engage much in Allah's praise, for them has Allah prepared forgiveness and great reward", [The Clans : 35].

- The woman, like the man, is entitled to the right of fealty (to enter into a covenant with the Prophet). The Prophet used to make a covenant with men, as well as women, whereby they pledged to listen and obey him and observe the Sharia : "O Prophet! When believing women come to thee to take the oath of fealty to thee, that they will not associate in worship any other thing whatsoever with Allah, that they will not steal, that they will not commit adultery (or fornication) that they will not kill their children, that they will not utter slander … then do thou receive their fealty, and pray to Allah for the forgiveness (of their sins) : for Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful", [She That Is To Be Examined : 12].

- Like the man, the woman participates in social activities : "The Believers men and women, are protectors, one of the other, they enjoin what is just, and forbid what is evil : they observe regular prayers, practise regular charity and obey Allah and His Messenger. On them will Allah pour His Mercy", [Repentance : 71].

Therefore, the man and the woman assist each other in realizing their own good and that of society. Like the man,  the woman has the right to enjoin what is good and forbid what is evil, which means that she can run and manage peoples' affairs, so that they may continue along the straight path and do good deeds. The woman is not a neglected individual or a low member of society; she is at the core of society, and, like the man, she is also present in the arena.

Before the advent of Islam, and for more than one reason, some Arab tribes used to bury girls alive, as if the female had no right to live like the male. Islam came to ban such a criminal act :

"When news is brought to one of them, of (the birth of) a female (child), his face darkens, and he is filled with grief. With shame does he hide himself from his people, because of the bad news he has had! Shall he retain it (on the sufferance and ) contempt, or bury it in the dust ? Ah! What an evil (choice) they decided on ?", [The Bee : 58-59].

Sometimes, poverty was the reason behind burying girls alive, for parents were unable to feed their children, if these were too many. Islam came to remind those parents that it is Allah Who provides sustenance for their children :

"Kill not your children for fear of want : we shall provide sustenance for them as well as for you; verily the killing of them is a great sin", [The Night Journey : 31].

- The Arabs did not bequeath women personal property. When Islam came, it did not only decree that the woman had a share of the inheritance, it determined her part in it, as a wife, a mother, a sister and a daughter :  "From what is left by parents and those nearest related there is a share for men and a share for women, whether the property be small or large, a determinate share", [Women : 7].

- The Arabs used to inherit from women by force. The inheritor would inherit the wife of a testator as he would his own wealth, for she was his property which he "managed" as he pleased : he would marry her if he so wished or marry her off to someone else and keep the dowry for himself; or he would prevent her from marrying, "in the hope that she would free herself in exchange for a ransom or that he would inherit her if she passed away".

Islam proscribed all this as the following verse shows : "O ye who believe! Ye are forbidden to inherit women against their will. Nor should ye treat them with harshness, that ye may take away part of the dower ye have given them", (Women : 19).

- Some Arabs used to inherit the wives of their fathers as part of the effects. These women would then become their wives. When Islam came, it prohibited this abominable practice altogether : "And marry not women whom your fathers married - except what is past : it was shameful and odious - an abominable custom indeed", [Women : 22].

- Islam's view of the husband and the wife is one of equality before Allah Who has put love and mercy between them : "And among His Signs is this, that He created for you mates from among yourselves, that ye may dwell in tranquility with them, and He has put love and mercy between your (hearts): verily in that are signs for those who reflect", [The Romans : 21].

In Islam, the relationship holding between the married couple emanates not from worldly and materialistic interests or from carnal desires - all of which fade away with time - but from love and mercy which make this relationship grow stronger throughout the years, exactly like any thing that is precious and valuable.

The greatness of this love and mercy lies in the fact that they are a gift from Allah - the Gracious, the Merciful - Who "has put love and mercy between your (hearts)", not from the mortal humans.

Allah - to Whom be ascribed all perfection and glory - has created for the man, of himself, a spouse so that he may repose in her; that is, he finds in her peace of the mind, and serenity of the soul and the heart. She is for him a safe ground on which he stands when the tempest unleashes its wrath and the storm lets out its ire.

In Verse 187 of The Cow, Allah puts the husband and the wife on an equal footing, using simple but beautiful symbolic language, as He says : "They are your garments and ye are their garments". A garment covers and protects the body, and bestows on it beauty and embellishment, in addition to staving off all kinds of sufferable pains.

The word "garment" has a wide and profound meaning, indeed; for it also represents a shield, or armor, on which the arrows of time and those of man go to pieces.

The view that is commonly held in human societies is that man is the woman's shield and protector. However, in this and other contexts, Islam has put the woman on an equal footing with the man.

In Islam, the overriding principle is equality between the spouses in terms of obligations and duties but at the same time, Islam acknowledges the husband as the head of the family, which is only natural : "And women shall have rights similar to those against them, according to what is equitable; but men have a degree (of advantage) over them", [The Cow : 228].

It is clear that the woman has her own rights, as does the man, and that she has the same obligations as he; therefore, he cannot impose on her something that is advantageous for him, and which he himself cannot do for her.

With regard to the "degree" (of advantage) that the husband has over the wife, that is so because he is rabu al-caila "paterfamilias," as is customary to call him, because, being the provider for his household, he is responsible for raising his family. As the provider for his family, he is entitled to supervision and management : "Men are the protectors and maintainers of women, because Allah has given the one more (strength) than the other, and because they support them from their means", [Women : 34].

Furthermore, the woman's physiological constitution is different from the man's : she bears, delivers, and suckles children, all of which takes up some of her time; there is also the physiological disorder she experiences every month during the menstruation period and until a relatively advanced age.

From an Islamic perspective, the man is not superior to the woman mentally, intellectually or physically. But social realities the world over, or rather throughout history - ever since man became conscious of history and began to record it - are proof that there are tasks which only the man - not the woman - can do, with some exceptions which do not really affect the validity of the principle.

A look at the most developed countries in the world, such as those of  Europe and North America, for example, where women and men are equal in number, will reveal the following :

- Parliaments and congresses count more men, the number of whom sometimes exceeds 90% of the total number. In the last French parliament which was elected in April 1993, there were 35 women members of a total of 577; that is, 7%.

- In the army, 90% at least of the military are men, from the top to the bottom of the pyramid.

- So is the case with the forces of national security, the police force, the gendarmes and the fire-fighters.

- So is the case with the judiciary and public administration(*).

- The number of women is growing; it even far exceeds that of men - in the relatively easy jobs which do not require great physical effort, such as supermarket and department-store vendors, company and institution secretaries, bank clerks, typists and telephone operators.

This is an indirect recognition on the part of those "developed" countries of the woman's being not so competent as the man in many matters and fields, such as those we have mentioned earlier by way of example.

Islam, both Quran and Sunna, enjoins kindness and equity towards women : "Live with them on an equal footing of kindness and equity", (Women : 19).

Whether in the Quran or in the Sunna, Islam urges men to take good care of women : "When ye divorce women, and they fulfil their term of (Iddat), either take them back on equitable terms or set them free on equitable terms”, [The Cow : 231].

Islam enjoins upon the Muslim to expend upon his wife and children amply, but not miserly or extravagantly : "Let the man of means spend according to his means: and the man whose resources are restricted, let him spend according to what Allah has given him. Allah puts no burden on any person beyond what He has given him", [Divorce : 7].

In the Holy Quran, there is a verse which permits the husband to beat the wife lightly, but only in exceptional cases : "As to those women on whose part ye fear disloyalty and ill-conduct, admonish them (first), (next) refuse to share their beds, (and last) beat them lightly; but if they return to obedience, seek not against them means of (annoyance) : for Allah is Most High, Great above ye all", [Women : 34].

Naturally, this verse raised many a question and drew a great deal of criticism; some went as far as to slander Islam and to portray it as a backward, ossified religion.

Having noted that the legislation of many "developed" countries did permit such beating for a long time, but banned it later in conformity with the social development which had imposed itself by itself, we feel obligated to point out the following :

- The verse began with an admonition. "Admonish them", it says; that is, a man who fears his wife's rebellion must first start with "admonishing" his wife with the idea of convincing her to abandon her rebellion and to return to the straight path.

- Next to admonition comes banishing the woman to her bed apart, which is too severe a punishment for her, seeing that this retribution hurts her in one of the most lethal weapons in her possession, namely her charm, seduction and seducement. Banishing a woman to her couch is not only a sexual retribution which prevents her from enjoying sexual pleasure, it is mostly a psychological and psychical punishment which impacts the woman in her femininity, pride and amour-propre.

After this punishment, which no doubt has a tremendous impact on the woman who still keeps some of her charm powers, comes the punishment of beating.

The woman who is not affected by admonition, or by her husband's banishing her to a bed apart, is surely a burden that weighs heavily upon the husband. He must in this case take a deterrent measure : either he will beat his wife in the hope that their marriage will be saved, because after all a light beating is better - or at least a lesser evil - than divorce, or he will resort to divorce.

However, the reader must not think that Islam permits beating as a lawful measure. The Prophet censured beating and abhorred it; he had never resorted to it with his wives. He taught Muslims that, like divorce, beating is the most loathsome lawful act for Allah. The Prophet said : "The cream amongst you will not be beaten. … Isn't one of you ashamed to beat his wife, as he does a slave; he beats her early in the day and goes to bed with her at the end of it ?"

In early 1993, one specialized institution published the findings of a general study conducted in France over a long period; the objective of this study was to determine approximately the number of women who receive a beating from their husbands one or more times a year. The number was above two million! Officials in this institution hold that this figure is not realistic, and that the real number cannot be less than three million women, because many refuse to acknowledge the fact that their husbands beat them up, either because they are too embarrassed or they want to save face.

The laws in force in France, Europe and America forbid the couple from beating one another, but natural law differs from positive law, because the former takes into consideration human nature and its complexities.

It may be for the wife's own good to know that, in some exceptional cases, the law permits the husband to beat her. If she is aware of this, she will abstain from rebelling and from any act the husband cannot cope with, for fear that he might exercise his right and beat her without her being able to take action against him.

The situation will be different if the wife knows that she is not to be beaten and that if the husband beats her, he is to be punished. If he beats her, she will take legal action against him and have him indicted.

As a counter-argument, it may be said that banning beating will make the husband think twice before he lays his hand on his wife for fear that he might be taken to court and be punished. That is true in theory; in reality, however, the law banning the beating of the wife has not saved the three million women battered every year from their husbands' thong, even though beating in France is forbidden by law.

In Sharia, the beating of the wife by the husband is a weapon of deterrence, not repression. The wisdom of Allah - the Wise , Acquainted with all things - lies in permitting beating, as has been said in the above-mentioned verse.

In Great Britain, only one woman was at the head of the government to date, and that was only once. She is Mrs. Thatcher, who is well-known around the world. Similarly, in France - the land of "equality" - it was only once that a woman headed the government since the Revolution of 1789; she was J. Carson. In Islamic countries, two women were at the head of their governments : one in Pakistan, the other in Turkey.