Social Role of Muslim Women in Islam

The Holy Book Quran declares that men and women are created from one soul to be partners to each other, that male and female have the same religious responsibilities, and both genders will receive like rewards on the Day of Judgment. There is a difference between Islam and tradition. Some Muslim countries or societies may be seen as oppressive to women but if you take a closer look, it is their traditions and culture rather than Islam that suppresses and deprives women of their rights. Islam, on the other hand, liberates women and gives them rightful standing in society, unlike any religion or race.

When we talk about the role of women in Islam then we have to discuss it in detail which we are going to discuss in this article about women and Islam and her role in Islam and society in which she is living as a Muslim woman. Islam has given dignity and respect to Muslim women in society and in religion Islam that didn’t give in any other religion.

Role of Muslim women in Islam:

There have been many misconceptions about the real role of Muslim women in Islam. Many people view Islam as a religion that oppresses and suppress women but they are wrong. Most non-Muslims who are completely unfamiliar with the teachings and belief of Islam turn to paint Islam with a brutal brush. From the beginning, Islam worked on creating equality among people and tried to eliminate the different barriers created by people that distinguished them from one another and let them feel superior or inferior.

Allah (SWT) stated many times in the Holy Book Quran about the role of women and even dedicated a whole Surah to them (Surah An-Nisa). Clearly Allah does not make any distinguishing about the importance of men and women, to Allah both men and women are equal as he stated in the Quran “To whomever, male or female, does good deeds and has faith, We shall give a good life and reward them according to the best of their actions.” (Quran, 16:97). From this ayah, it can be clearly proved that in the eyes of Allah both men and women are equal.

Islam considered to give women an equal entity and declared their status as a beneficial and important part of the society and did whatever possible to ensure that women experienced and enjoyed the same respect in the society like men. Women make up half of society and they are responsible for the nurturing, guidance and transformation of the successive generations. It is the woman who pervades principles and faith into the souls of the nation.

The Prophet (SAW) said. “The pursuit of knowledge is a duty of every Muslim, man, and woman.”From this saying of Prophet Muhammad (SAW), we can say that education is compulsory for both men and women and Islam gave an equal right to women to get the education but also opened the door to a better understanding. When a woman will be educated then she can up bring her children in a good and an Islamic way according to the teachings of Allah Almighty.

The biggest example of the rising of women can be seen in the Quran, where Allah Almighty addresses both men and women alike related to the giving of commandments. Allah Almighty says in the Holy Quran:

“The Muslim men and Muslim women, the believing men and believing women, the worshipping men and worshipping women, the truthful men and truthful women, the pious men and pious women, the alms-giving men and the alms-giving women, the fasting men and fasting women, the men who are chaste and the women who are chaste, the men who remember Allah much and the women who do likewise, Allah has prepared forgiveness and a great reward for all.” (Quran, 33:35)

From above ayah, we can conclude that Allah Almighty has associated the same qualities of dignity and piety with women the same as He has associated with men. Allah Almighty said women are equal to men and women must also possess the same level and kind of dignity as men must.

Social Role of Muslim Women

Now we will discuss the role of Muslim women in different areas of life in a society which gave her by Almighty Allah. At a social level, Islam recognizes the different roles that women have in society and makes sure that women receive respect and devotion for their place in the society. In Islam, women are great mothers, obedient daughters, caring wives and equal sisters. We will discuss these roles of women in light of some verses and hadiths:

• Women as Mother: Islam holds great respect for mother and endorses the followers to respect their mothers. “Paradise is at the feet of the mother.” Islam recognizes the great role that women play in the upbringing of the children and that the future of mankind and of societies depends on mothers. The paradise mentioned by the Holy Prophet (SAW) refers to both the social paradise that can be achieved in Islam and the heavenly paradise. Therefore, mothers have been placed in a position of the highest respect. Referring to respecting the parents in their old age, Allah Almighty says in Quran: “Your Lord has decreed that you worship none but Him and that you be kind to parents. When one or both of them attain old age in your life, say not to them a word of disrespect, nor repel them but address them in terms of honor.”(Quran, 17:23). From an ayah, we can conclude that the mother has the same rights in old age on children as the father. No Muslim is allowed to discriminate between father and mother.

• Women as Sister and Daughter: Women as a daughter, her importance is such that the Holy Prophet (SAW) tells us: “He who brings up his daughters well, and makes no distinction between them and his sons, will be close to me in Paradise.” Islam ensures that in both these roles sister and daughter women enjoy absolute respect, care, and protection. In Islam both male child and female child are equal and a parent is as responsible for the education and upbringing of female children as they are responsible for the male. Moreover, as far as the brother-sister relation is concerned, it is respected in Islam and brothers and sisters are to respect and treat each other well. In the Quran, Allah Almighty says: “He bestows female (offspring) upon whom He wills, and bestows male (offspring) upon whom He wills.”(Quran, 42:49). In Islam, there is no discrimination between male and female children and they both should get an equal education.

• Women as Wife: The character of men in an Islamic society is established in relation to their treatment of women. As our beloved Prophet (SAW) mentioned: “The best from among you is one who behaves best towards his wife.” Islam is the first religion that settled the rights of women as wives and associated the element of giving respect to them. Allah says in Holy Quran: “And among His signs is this that He created wives from among yourselves, that you may dwell in tranquility, with them, and He put love and mercy between your (hearts).”(Quran, 30:21). Therefore, the love that produces tranquility is put in the heart of both the partners; hence, husband and wife both have the duty of caring and loving each other for a healthy relationship. Also, women are the caretakers of men in the same way men are the caretakers of women.

Muslim women should understand the rights and roles that Islam has given to her and then in the light of those rights and roles, she must perform all the social and Islamic roles with absolute dedication and commitment. Islam is really the complete way of life and a divine religion that is not lacking in any sense, let alone upholding women’s right.

source: quranreading.com

Islam and women rights

God instructs men to be nice to their wives and to treat them well to the best of their ability: "And live with them in kindness..." (Quran 4:19)

The Messenger of God said The most perfect of believers in belief is the best of them in character. The best of you are those who are the best to their women. The Prophet of Mercy tells us that a husband's treatment of his wife reflects a Muslim's good character, which in turn is a reflection of the man's faith.

Women in Islam are thought to be subjugated, degraded, oppressed - but are they really?
Are millions of Muslims simply that oppressive or are these misconceptions fabricated by a biased media? 

"And for women are rights over men, similar to those of men over women."Qur'an 2:228
Over fourteen hundred years ago, Islam gave women rights that women in the West have only recently begun to enjoy. In the 1930's, Annie Besant observed, "It is only in the last twenty years that Christian England has recognized the right of a woman to property, while Islam has allowed this right from all times. It is a slander to say that Islam preaches that women have no souls." (The Life and Teachings of Mohammed, 1932).

Men and women all descended from a single person - the Prophet Adam (peace be upon him). Islam does not accept for either of them anything but justice and kind treatment.

Equal Reward & Equal Accountability

Men and women worship Allah in the same way, meaning they worship the same God (Allah), perform the same acts of worship, follow the same scripture, and hold the same beliefs. Allah (the Arabic word for the One true God of all creation), judges all human beings fairly and equitably. Allah emphasizes the just treatment and reward due to both men and women in many verses of the Qur'an:

"Allah has promised to the believers, men, and women, gardens under which rivers flow, to dwell therein, and beautiful mansions in gardens of everlasting bliss."Qur'an 9:72

"Never will I allow the loss of the work of any worker amongst you, male or female; you are of one another."Qur'an 3:195

These verses show that reward is dependent upon one's actions and not one's gender. Gender does not play any part in how a person is rewarded and judged.

If we compare Islam to other religions, we see that it offers justice between the sexes. For example, Islam dismisses the idea that Eve is more to blame than Adam for eating from the forbidden tree. According to Islam, Adam and Eve both sinned, they both repented and God forgave them both.

Equal Right to Knowledge

Both men and women are equally encouraged to seek knowledge. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, "Education is compulsory for every Muslim."

Also, great female Muslim Scholars existed at and around the time of the Prophet (peace be upon him). Some were from his family and others were his companions or their daughters. Prominent amongst them was Aisha, the wife of the Prophet (peace be upon him) through whom a quarter of the Islamic law has been transmitted.

Other females were great scholars of jurisprudence and had famous male scholars as their students.

Equal Right to Choose a Spouse

Islam has honored women by giving them the right to choose a spouse and keep their original family name once married. Additionally, many have the impression that parents force their daughters into marriage. This is a cultural practice and has no basis in Islam. In fact, it is prohibited.

At the time of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), a woman came to him and said, "My father has married me to my cousin to raise his social standing and I was forced into it." The Prophet sent for the girl's father and then in his presence gave the girl the option of remaining married or nullifying the marriage. She responded, "O Messenger of Allah, I have accepted what my father did, but I wanted to show other women (that they could not be forced into a marriage)."

Equal yet Different

While men and women have equal rights as a general principle, the specific rights and responsibilities granted to them are not identical. Men and women have complementary rights and responsibilities.

Aside from external and internal anatomical differences, scientists know there are many other subtle differences in the way the brains of men and women process language, information and emotion, just to mention a few.

A socio-biology expert, Edward O. Wilson of Harvard University, said that females tend to be higher than males in verbal skills, empathy, and social skills, among other things, while men tend to be higher in independence, dominance, spatial and mathematical skills, rank-related aggression, and other characteristics.

It would be foolish to treat both genders the same and to ignore their differences. Islam teaches that men and women have complementary, yet different, roles because it is best suited to their nature. God says:

"And the male is not like the female."Qur'an 3:36

"Does not the One who created, know? And He is the Most Kind, the All-Aware."Qur'an 67:14

The Family Unit

God created men and women to be different, with unique roles, skills, and responsibilities. These differences are not viewed as evidence of superiority or inferiority but of specialization. In Islam, the family is of central importance. The man is responsible for the financial well being of the family while the woman contributes to the family's physical, educational and emotional well being. This encourages cooperation, rather than competition. By fulfilling their mutual responsibilities, strong families are created and hence strong societies.

Also, emotionally, neither men nor women live a happy life without one another. Allah describes this beautifully by saying:

"They are clothing for you and you are clothing for them."Qur'an 2:187

Clothing provides comfort, warmth, and security as well as making one look good - this is how the relationship between the husband and wife is defined in Islam.

Love & Mercy in Spousal Relations

The Prophet (peace be upon him) also encouraged men to treat their spouses in the best way, "The best of you are those who are best (in treatment) to their wives."

"And among His signs is that He created or you wives amongst yourselves that you may dwell in tranquillity with them, and He has put love and mercy between your (hearts). Surely in this are Signs for people who reflect."Qur'an 30:21

Aisha (the Prophet's wife) was once asked how the Prophet's conduct was in his home. She said, "He was like one of you at home, yet he was most lenient and most generous ... He was ready to give a helping hand to his wives in the ordinary work of the house, [he] sewed his own clothes and mended his own shoes." In general, he helped in whatever work his wives did.

Lofty Positions of Mothers & Daughters

A mother has the greatest influence on a child especially in the earlier years through her affection, care, and love. Undoubtedly, the success of a society is due to mothers. Therefore, it is only right for Islam to honor and raise their status.

Allah says in the Qur'an:

"And we have enjoined on man to be dutiful and kind to his Parents, His mother bears him with hardship and she brings him forth with hardship."Qur'an 46:15

The Prophet (peace be upon him) was once asked, "O Messenger of Allah, who among people is most deserving of my good treatment?" He said, "Your mother." The man asked twice more, "Then who?" and was given the same response. Only until the fourth time did the Prophet respond, "Then your father." The reward is not only given to the good and kind treatment towards mothers. In fact, Islam has designated a special reward for raising daughters that are not granted for raising sons.

The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said, "Whoever Allah has given two daughters and is kind towards them, they will be a reason for him entering Paradise."

Conclusion

Before Islam, women were considered shameful, female children were buried alive, prostitution was rampant, divorce was only in the hands of the husband, inheritance was only for the strong, and oppression was widespread. Islam came and abolished these practices. Even now, in "developed countries", women are not granted respect, dignity, and honor, let alone equal pay for equal work. Islam, however, regards women as precious and valuable, not to be disrespected or disgraced. The mistreatment of women in some Middle-Eastern countries or Muslim families is due to cultural factors that some Muslims wrongly follow, not because of Islam. Why would many women around the world enter Islam if it is an oppressive religion?

We end with the words of our Lord and your Lord, the Creator, and Sustainer of all men and women:

"Surely the men who submit and the women who submit, and the believing men and the believing women, and the obedient men and the obedient women, and the truthful men and the truthful women, and the patient men and the patient women, and the humble men and the humble women - Allah has prepared for them forgiveness and a great reward."Qur'an 33:35

source: allahsword.com