m

Group members names

Muhammad Abdullah Ansari (Group Leader),

Zain Abbas, Anooshgul and Raiyan Bin Atique
What Islam says about Feminism?
The core idea of Islamic feminism is the full equality of all Muslims, male and female alike, in both
the public and private spheres. Islamic feminism is more radical than secular feminism which
called for equal rights in the public sphere but complimentary rights in the private sphere.

Status of women in Islam

In Islam there is absolutely no
difference between men and
women as far as their relationship
with God is concerned, as both are
promised the same reward for
good conduct and the same
punishment for evil conduct. The
Qur’an, in addressing the
believers, often uses the
expression ‘believing men and
women’ to emphasize the equality
of men and women regarding
their respective duties, rights,
virtues and merits. It says:
“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,-except
where they have been guilty of open lewdness; on the contrary live with them on a footing of
kindness and equity. If ye take a dislike to them it may be that ye dislike a thing, and God brings
about through it a great deal of good”.
Surah 4 Verse 19 The Prophet of Islam, peace be upon him, said:
‘Women are the twin halves of men.’ “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 God’s praise,- for them has
God prepared forgiveness and great reward”.
Surah 33 Verse 35 This clearly contradicts the assertion of some of the Christian Fathers that
women do not possess souls and that they will exist as sexless beings in the next life! The Qur’an
says that women have souls in the same way as men and will enter Paradise if they simply do
good:
“Whoever works righteousness, man or woman, and has Faith, verily, to him will We give a
new Life, a life that is good and pure and We will bestow on such their reward according to
the best of their actions”
. Surah 16 Verse 97 Women – before and after Islam as a matter of fact, before the advent of
Islam, women were often treated worse than animals! Pagan Arabs used to bury their female
children alive, make women dance naked in the vicinity of the Ka’ba during their annual fairs, and
treat women as mere chattels and objects of sexual pleasure – possessing no rights or position
whatsoever, these teachings of the Noble Qur’an were revolutionary. Unlike other religions,
which regarded women as being possessed of inherent sin and wickedness, and men as being
possessed of inherent virtue and nobility, Islam regards men and women as being of the same
essence created from a single soul.
“O mankind! revere your Guardian-Lord, who created you from a single soul, created, of like
nature, its mate, and from the two, scattered (like seeds) countless men and women; - revere
God, through whom ye demand your mutual (rights), and (revere) the wombs (That bore you):
for God ever watches over you”.
Surah 4 Verse 1 Marriage: uniting the two souls The Qur’an emphasizes the essential unity of
men and women in a most beautiful metaphor: …They (Your wives) are your garments and ye are
their garments …. Surah 2 Verse 187 Just as a garment hides our nakedness, so do husband and
wife, by entering the relationship of marriage, secure each other’s chastity.
The garment gives comfort to the body; so, does the husband find
comfort in his wife’s company and she in his. A garment is the
grace, the beauty, the embellishment of the body, so too are wives
to their husbands as their husbands are to them. Islam does not
consider woman “an instrument of the devil”, but rather the
Qur’an calls her muhsana, a fortress against Satan. This is because
a good woman, by marrying a man, helps him keep to the path of
rectitude in his life. It is for this reason that Prophet Muhammad
(pbuh) considered marriage as a most virtuous act. The Qur’an has
given the raison d’etre of marriage in the following words:
“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”.
Surah 30 Verse 21 Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) always praised virtuous and chaste women. He
said: ‘The world and all things in the world are precious, but the most precious thing in the world
is a virtuous woman.’ He (pbuh) was also most emphatic in enjoining upon Muslims, to be kind
to their women, when he delivered his famous sermon, khutbat al-wada’ on the Mount of Mercy,
at Arafat. This was in the presence of one hundred and twenty-four thousand of his Companions.
who had gathered there forhajjat al-wada’ (farewell pilgrimage). It was in this famous Farewell
Sermon that he ordered Muslim men to be respectful and kind towards women. He said:
‘Fear God regarding women. Verily you have married them with the trust of God, and made
their bodies lawful with the word of God. You have got (rights) over them, and they have got
(rights) over you …’
An Independent Personality in Islam a woman is a completely independent personality. She can
make any contract or bequest in her own name. She
is entitled to inherit in her position as mother, as
wife, as sister and as daughter. She has perfect
liberty to choose her husband. Thus, after the
advent of Islam, the Prophet’s followers accepted
his teachings and brought about a revolution in
their social attitude towards women. They no longer
considered women as mere chattels, but as an
integral part of society. For the first time, women were given the right to have a share in
inheritance. In the new social climate, women rediscovered themselves and became highly active
members of society, rendering useful service, even during wars, which the pagan Arabs forced
on the emerging Muslim umma.

They carried provisions for the soldiers, nursed them, and even fought alongside them if it was
necessary. It became a common sight to see women helping their husbands in the fields, carrying
on trade and business independently, and going out of their homes to satisfy their needs. A full-
fledged partner the predominant idea in the teachings of Islam with regard to men and women
is that a husband and wife should be full-fledged partners in making their home a happy and
prosperous place. They should also be loyal and faithful to one another, genuinely interested in
each other’s welfare and the welfare of their children. A woman is expected to exercise a
humanizing influence over her husband and to soften the sternness inherent in his nature. Once
a woman came to the Prophet (pbuh), with a complaint against her husband. He told her:
‘There is no woman who removes something to replace it in its proper place, with a view to
tidying her husband’s house, but that God sets it down as a virtue for her. Nor is there a man
who walks with his wife hand-in-hand, but that God sets it down as a virtue for him; and if he
puts his arm round her shoulder in love, his virtue is increased tenfold.’

The shari’a (Islamic Law) regards women as the spiritual and intellectual equals of men. The main
distinction it makes between them is in the physical realm based on the equitable principle of
fair division of labor. It allots the more strenuous work to man and makes him responsible for the
maintenance of the family. It allots the work of managing the home and the upbringing and
training of children to woman – a mission, which has the greatest importance in the task of
building a healthy and prosperous society. It is a fact, however, that sound administration within
the domestic field is impossible without a unified policy. For this reason shari’a requires man, as
head of the family, to consult with his family and then to have the final say in decisions concerning
it. In doing so, he must not abuse his prerogative to cause any injury to his wife. Any transgression
of this principle involves for him the risk of losing the favor of God. That is because his wife is not
his subordinate, but she is, the queen of her house, and this is the position a true believer is
expected to give his wife. In contrast to these enlightened teachings of Islam in respect of women,
the Western talk of women’s liberation or emancipation, is actually a disguised form of
exploitation of her body, deprivation of her honor, and degradation of her soul!

Domestic responsibilities of women Islam

Marital life is a mutual and cooperative relationship between two spouses, in order to achieve
tranquility and happiness in this life and the life to come. In addition, both spouses have rights
and obligations towards each other. Almighty Allah says in the Qur’an
( And they (women) have rights similar to those (of men) over them in kindness…)
(Al-Baqarah 2: 228) In his explanation on this issue, a great scholar, Mufti Muhammad Taqi
Usmani stated that ‘One should clearly distinguish between Islamic teachings and the general
practice of Muslims. Unfortunately, we are
living in an age when the majority of
Muslims are not aware of the noble
teachings of Islam and they do not practice
these teachings in their daily lives. Instead,
they are mostly influenced by the different
cultures in which they live. Therefore, not
everything the Muslims practice on the
ground can be attributed to Islam. Moreover, while evaluating the merits of Islam, one should
not refer to the practice of Muslims today; rather, he should turn to the Islamic principles laid
down in the Noble Qur’an and the Sunnah.

Obviously, if the Muslims have abandoned the guidance of the sharia, it cannot and should not
be taken in any way as a defect in the Sharia itself, rather, it is the fault of those who have
deprived themselves of this guidance. Keeping this basic point in view, here are some guidelines
regarding this issue: It is evident from studying the relevant materials found in the Noble Qur’an
and the Sunnah that Islam treats the relationship of marriage as a bilateral contract between a
husband and wife, each of them having some rights and obligations. The Noble Qur’an is very
clear on this point when it says:
(And the women have rights similar to their obligations…)
(Al-Baqarah 2: 228). It is clear from this verse that the obligations of a wife towards her husband
are no less than the rights she enjoys. The Noble Qur’an has summarized.
the obligations of a husband towards his wife in a short phrase where it has made it mandatory
for a husband to keep her with fairness.
(Al-Baqarah 2: 229). In another place, the Noble Qur’an instructs husband in the following
words:
( And live with them (wives) in fairness.)
(An-Nisaa’ 4: 19).

Therefore, it is not correct that Islam has laid more emphasis

on the obligations of a wife than on the obligations of a
husband. Conversely, the Prophet (peace and blessings be
upon him) emphasized the rights of women in many of his
sayings which are probably more than the sayings
emphasizing the rights of a husband. To prove this fact,
below are some evidences: 1) The Prophet (peace and
blessings be upon him) said: “The best people from among
you are those who are best to their wives.”(At-Tirmidhi) 2)
Also, he said, “No Muslim should hate his Muslim wife. If he
dislikes some of her qualities, he may find some other
qualities that are pleasurable.” (Muslim) 3) And, he said, “Adhere to my advice about woman
that you should treat them fairly.” (At-Tirmidhi).
These texts are sufficient to reveal the great concern the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon
him) had for the rights of women, so much so that he dedicated a substantial portion of his last
sermon at the time of the Farewell Pilgrimage to explain, elaborate and emphasize the
obligations of a man towards his wife. It is worth mentioning that in some regions today, women
are burdened with the housework like cooking meals, cleaning the house and raising children
while their husbands seldom assist them in these matters. Here I would like to mention the
correct Islamic standpoint with regard to the obligations of a woman concerning housework. First
of all, according to Islamic teachings, it is not a legal obligation of a wife to cook the meals or take
care of the house, and if a woman chooses to refuse to undertake such work, the husband cannot
compel her to do so. However, apart from the legal injunctions, Islam has laid down some moral
instructions for both husband and wife according to which they are treated as life-companions
who should not restrict themselves to legal requirements alone, but should join hands to develop
a mutual life that is as comfortable and peaceful as possible.

They are invited to cooperate with each other in solving the problems they face day to day. For
this purpose, it is advisable that as cooperating friends, they should divide the necessary work
between them according to their mutual convenience. The woman should look after the
management of the house while the man should be responsible for outdoor economic activities.
This division of work was the practice of the Muslims in the days of the Prophet (peace and
blessings be upon him). Even lady
Fatimah, the beloved daughter of the
Prophet (peace and blessings be upon
him) used to perform all the housework
with her own hands, while `Ali, her noble
husband, carried out the economic
activities. The Prophet (peace and
blessings be upon him) never objected to
this; rather, he encouraged his daughter
to perform all these tasks. It is true that
from a pure legal point of view, a wife may
refuse to cook meals or do other
housework, but on the other hand, the
husband may refuse to give her
permission to meet her relatives. And if
both of them are restricted to such a crude
legal relationship, an atmosphere of
mutual understanding and bilateral
cooperation cannot develop between them. Therefore, a wife should not consider the
housework to be a disgrace to her. In fact, her active contribution to her own housework is the
basic source of strength for the family system within the society.

It is a great service, not only to her family but also to the nation as a whole, because the
betterment of the nation depends on a smooth family system. It is strange that when an air
hostess serves meals to hundreds of strangers in an airplane, it has been taken today as a symbol
of liberalism, progress and emancipation, but when a housewife renders much lighter services to
her own family, it is considered a disgrace or sign of backwardness. Today Western countries are
facing the terrible situation of family breakdown. Their leaders are greatly disturbed because of
this drawback, which is caused by the lack of mutual cooperation between husband and wife and
their failure to determine the functions of the spouses according to their natural, biological and
religious requirements. In short, a wife is not legally bound to render the household services,
however, it is advisable that she performs these functions as a means of cooperation with her
family and an honorary service to the society as a whole, for which she deserves great reward in
the Hereafter. At the same time, the husband should always remember that the housework
undertaken by his wife is not a legal duty obliged on her; rather, it is a voluntary service she is
rendering for the benefit of the family. Therefore, a husband must always appreciate the goodwill
of his wife and should not treat it as a legal claim against her. Moreover, he should not leave all
the housework to her alone. The husband should provide her with servants wherever possible,
and should himself assist her in performing these functions.

It is reported in a number of authentic hadiths that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon
him), despite his great responsibilities, used to render many domestic services with his own
hands, like milking goats and washing his clothes. We do not find anywhere in his Sunnah that he
ever ordered any of his wives to do such work. However, his noble wives used to do these services
voluntarily without any specific command from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him).
It is not correct that all the books or literatures written on this subject only stress the obligations
of a wife. In fact, all the books of Islamic jurisprudence discuss the rights and obligations of both
spouses simultaneously. The husband is required not only to provide maintenance, but he is also
required to treat his wife “fairly” as the Noble Qur’an mentioned, so much so that Muslim jurists
have observed that a husband cannot travel for more than four months at one time without the
permission of his wife. However, unfortunately many Muslims are not aware of the teachings of
their religion and due to their ignorance; they commit errors in their behavior towards their
wives.

Is Hijab a Qur’anic Commandment?

The Holy Qur’an speaks of the hijab. The verses 30-31 in Surah 24 of the Holy Qur’an, which give
the meaning of:
{Tell the believing men to lower their gaze and be
modest. That is purer for them. Lo! Allah is Aware of
what they do. And tell the believing women to lower
their gaze and be modest, and to display of their
adornment only that which is apparent, and to draw
their veils over their bosoms, and not to reveal their
adornment save to their own husbands or fathers or
husbands’ fathers, or their sons or their husbands’ sons,
or their brothers or their brothers’ sons or sisters’ sons,
or their women, or their slaves, or male attendants who lack vigor, or children who know naught
of women’s nakedness. And let them not stamp their feet so as to reveal what they hide of their
adornment. And turn unto Allah together, O believers, in order that ye may succeed.}
Also verse 59 in Surah, which give the meaning of:
 *{O Prophet! Tell thy wives and thy daughters and the women of the believers to draw their
cloaks close round them [when they go abroad]. That will be better, that so they may be
recognized and not annoyed. Allah is ever Forgiving, Merciful.}*
The above verses very clearly show that it is Allah Almighty
Himself, Who commands the women to wear hijab, though
that word is not used in the above verses. In fact, the term
hijab means much more than the covering of the body; it
refers to the code of modesty outlined in the verses quoted
above. The expressions used: “Lower their gaze”, “be
modest”, “not to display their adornment”, “draw the veils
over their bosoms” “not to stamp their feet” etc. It must be
clear to any thinking person what is meant by all the above
expressions in the Holy Qur’an. Women in the Prophet’s
time used to wear a kind of dress that covered the head, but
not the bosom properly. So when they are asked to draw
their veils over their bosoms so as not to reveal their beauty, it is clear that the dress must cover
the head as well as the body. And hair is considered by people in most cultures of the world –
not only in the Arab culture – as an attractive part of a woman’s beauty. Until the end of the
nineteenth century, ladies in the west used to put on some kind of head gear, if not a cover for
the whole hair. This is quite in conformity with the Biblical injunction for the women to cover
their heads. Even in these degenerate times, people pay more respect to the more modestly
dressed ladies, than to the scantily clad ones. Imagine a lady prime minister or a queen wearing
a low-cut blouse or a miniskirt in an international conference! Can she command as much respect
there as she would get if she were in a more modest attire? For the above reasons, the scholars
of Islam are unanimous that the Qur’anic verses quoted above clearly mean that women must
cover the head and the whole body except for the face and the hands. Does the hijab prevent a
woman from performing her day-to-day duties? A woman does not normally wear hijab in her
own house, so it shouldn’t get in the way when she’s doing housework. If she is working in a
factory close to machinery or in a laboratory, for example—she can wear a different style of hijab
that doesn’t have dragging ends. Actually loose trousers and a long shirt for instance lets her to
bend, lift, or climb steps or ladders more easily, if her work allows that. Such a dress would
certainly give her more freedom of movement while protecting her modesty at the same time.
However it is interesting to note that the very same people who find fault with the Islamic dress
code for women do not find anything improper in the dress of nuns. It is evident that the “hijab”
of Mother Teresa did not prevent her from social work! And the western world honored her with
the Nobel Prize! But the same people would argue that the hijab is a hindrance for a Muslim girl
in a school or for a Muslim lady working as a cashier in a supermarket! This is the kind of hypocrisy
or double standards which paradoxically some “sophisticated” people find fashionable! Is hijab
an oppression? It could certainly be so, if someone forces a woman to wear it. But for that matter,
semi-nudity also can be an oppression, if someone forces a woman to adopt that style. If women
in the west – or east – have the freedom to dress as they please, why not allow the Muslim
women to prefer a more modest dress?