Women In Islam

This week, our theme is going to be Women in Islam. We picked this, because as we start off this new group Inshallah, we want to promote awareness for women in Islam, we want to help clear the facts on what’s true and what’s not, and we want to help get rid of stereotypes and misunderstandings.

The status of women in Islam has always been a topic of much regard. Because of the media and government, people around the world have begun to concoct their own views of how a Muslim women’s life/status/treatment really is.

But putting the media, government and extremist’s aside. Islam has great respect for women, their rights, treatment and equality. And all of this is in the Quran, which had been sent down to the Prophet (pbuh) over 1400 years ago.

O you who believe! You are forbidden to inherit women against their will . Nor should you treat them with harshness, that you may take away part of the dower you 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 you take a dislike to them, it may be that you dislike a thing, and Allah brings about through it a great deal of good...(4:19) - Surat an Nisaa'

Whoever does right, whether male or female, (all) such will enter the garden. The works of male and female are of equal value and each will receive the due reward for what they do:Never will I suffer to be lost the work of any one of you, male or female...Qur'an 3:195

Along with misconceptions are the many stereo types about Muslim women. This comes from a lack of knowledge and false information. Alhamdulillah though, because Islam is such a controversial religion, people around the world are starting to take the initiative to do research on it. Therefore, some people are getting correct interpretations of the Quran and Hadith. But for many people, the media is their only source of knowledge.. And what the media feeds them is not even close to what Islam is all about.

The media portrays an image of terrorism upon Islam -the men are the terrorists and the women are oppressed slaves- Terrorism has no religion or culture!! And not all the things Muslims do are Islamic. There are extremists in every religion..But that doesn’t make them correct.

Going back to women in Islam; they have been the given freedom and rights, 1400 years ago, for which many European women had to fight, struggle and even die for not many years back; such as freedom and rights to literacy, education, property, careers, wealth etc.

Literacy and education is stressed in Islam for both sexes:

"Acquire knowledge, for he who acquires it in the way of Allah performs an act of piety; he who speaks of it, praises the Lord; he who seeks it, adores Allah; he who dispenses instruction in it, bestows alms; and he who imparts it to others, performs an act of devotion to Allah."

(Bukhari, Muslim)

In Islam a women has rights to her own property and wealth and does not have to give any of it to her husband after marriage unless she wants to:

If you did not make any conditions, then the household expenses are all the responsibility of the husband, and the wife does not have to pay any of the household expenses; he is the one who has to pay them.

"but if they, of their own good pleasure, remit any part of it to you, take it, and enjoy it without fear of any harm (as Allah has made it lawful)" [Al- Nissa' (4:4)]

Women in Islam are far from the images portrayed of them on TV. It is surprising how much they blow up the minority to make it seem like the majority. Muslim women now days have reached many great achievements, they work side by side other non Muslims and Muslims in the fields of medicine, law and politics. They are independent, intelligent individuals, and if the world began to get past the false images and stereo types, they would see that too.

Salam,

MYGA