A Look At Muslim Women Religion Essay

We hear every twenty-four hours of how Moslem adult females are oppressed, taken advantage of, and given no rights. Some people think Islam restricts adult females ‘s sentiments and is ever prefering work forces over adult females. However, that is non true. Before the outgrowth of Islam, adult females ‘s position was really low. Womans were non respected in any manner. Abushaqa, writer of the book Fring the Woman, describes how adult females were treated before Islam. He says that adult females were treated like objects that could be inherited by work forces ( 73 ) . Peoples at that clip preferred holding newborn male childs over misss. In certain folks, female babies were buried in order to acquire rid of them to avoid the shame and poorness that they may convey to the folk ( Abushaqa, 72 ) . After the outgrowth of Islam, life in the part wholly changed to the better drastically. Women played an of import function. As stated by Moghissi, “ General history book, family trees and histories identified adult females as active participants and to the full involved spouses in historical events, including the important outgrowth of Islam ” ( 37 ) . Aicha, Prophet Mohammed ‘s 3rd married woman, had a critical function in documenting the prophesier ‘s expressions that represented portion of the Chari’a. The definition of Chari’a, taken from thefreedictionary.com, is “ the codification of jurisprudence derived from the Koran and from the instructions and illustration of Mohammed. ” As Moghissi provinces, “ Aicha entirely contributed more than 15 per cent of the bases of the Chari’a ” ( 38 ) . Another illustration of a adult female who played a important function in Islam is Prophet Mohamed ‘s first married woman Khadija. Frederick Mathewson Denny, writer of the book An Introduction to Islam, says that “ Khadija was the first to go a Muslim, and her support and comfort of Muhammad during these seeking times were of critical importance ” ( 52 ) . Peoples looking from the exterior on the Islamic universe misjudge the people and the beliefs that this faith tries to transfuse. They do n’t cognize much about Islam and how it helped promote adult females ‘s position. One might inquire the undermentioned inquiry: What is the position of adult females under Islam? Under the faith of Islam, adult females are honored, protected by jurisprudence, respected, and given many rights like: human rights, societal rights, political rights, educational rights, and fiscal rights.

In add-on, some people that do n’t cognize much about Islam think that adult females under Islam are non provided with societal rights. I think that Women are given legion societal rights under Islam. Women were given of import rights when it comes to marriage. Bawadi describes the province of Athenian adult females before Islam in his article “ The Status of Women in Islam ” . He says, “ Her consent in matrimony was non by and large thought to be necessary and ‘she was obliged to subject to the wants of her parents, and receive from them her hubby and her Godhead, even though he were alien to her ‘ ” ( Bawadi,4 ) . Islam arrived and provided adult females matrimonial rights. When a adult male wants to get married a adult female that adult female must give her blessing. Harmonizing to Bawadi, adult females are allowed to acquire married merely if they give their blessing, otherwise with coercion there is no matrimony ( 11 ) . In matrimony, work forces and adult females portion equal rights. However, work forces have the right of leading in the matrimony ( Bawadi, 11 ) . This leading is in the signifier of protection. The adult male is responsible for protecting his married woman and being the leader of his household but without implementing his sole regulation ( Bawadi, 12 ) . I agree that the adult male should be the leader that protects his household, but the adult female ‘s sentiment should ever be taken in every affair in order to hold a good well-balanced relationship. Harmonizing to Holm and Bowker, Islam besides gave the adult females the right to maintain her household name after she gets married ( 102 ) . I think it ‘s really of import for the adult female to hold the right to maintain her household name because she is who she is and she should maintain her individuality. She does non belong to her hubby. Women ‘s rights in divorce are besides recognized under Islam. A adult female has the right to divide from her hubby by either inquiring him to disassociate her or by a justice ‘s opinion ( Abushaqa, 303 ) . When a adult female becomes a female parent she additions a certain particular position in Islam. Bawadi mentions a well-known expression by Prophet Mohammed, “ Eden is at the pess of female parents ” ( 14 ) . This stating means that boies and girls should esteem their female parents and obey them. When they obey and respect their female parents they will be granted Eden and that is heaven. This stating elevates the position of adult females greatly particularly after they become female parents. Bing a female parent is a tough occupation ; nevertheless, it is one of the most honest occupations. Mothers should be thanked and their difficult work should be acknowledged. This stating besides helps female parents because Muslims will concentrate on esteeming their female parents, non merely their male parents, because they know if they do they will make that Eden.

Furthermore, some people believe that adult females in Islam do n’t hold political rights and functions. On the other manus, I believe under the faith of Islam, adult females are given really of import political rights. When Islam foremost emerged, adult females played an of import function in assisting dispersed Islam. One of the best illustrations of adult females taking portion in widening Islam ‘s message is Prophet Mohammed ‘s 3rd married woman Aicha. She non merely contributed to the Chari’a, but she besides had a political function. Moghissi said that Aicha was in charge of taking military personnels, which fought in resistance to Ali, who was the 4th Khalif ( 9 ) . Womans were besides able to voice their sentiments on general issues. Harmonizing to Al Hawwal, “ The adult female has the right in giving her sentiment and confer withing the swayer in the general jobs of the state ” ( 283 ) . She was ne’er forbidden from stating her sentiment like people on the outside might believe. She was allowed to rede her leader and what she said was taken into consideration. Womans were besides able to take the individual they wanted to take them. Al Hawwal says, “ the political activities practiced by adult female below presidential term are included in the general jurisprudence of permission aˆ¦ the right of the adult female in elections, we consider this right lawful ” ( 285 ) . Islam gave the adult female many political rights. However, some people today choose to forestall her from making what Islam gave her the right to make. For illustration, some Muslim states till this twenty-four hours make non let adult females to elect their leaders. Work force in control of those states are moving egotistically for their ain benefit by non giving the adult female her political rights. Peoples under other faiths perceive Islam as the oppressor when clearly it is non. Work force in those states believe that adult females will non be able to take the right people to stand for their states and that adult females ‘s sentiments are non of import.

Additionally, some people think that adult females in Islam are non allowed to seek instruction. I know that adult females are allowed to seek different degrees of instruction every bit much as they please. Harmonizing to Abushaqa, God obligates every Muslim to seek cognition that can take them in the proper way to a good life. That applies to adult females every bit good as work forces ( 41 ) . He besides quotes one of Prophet Mohamed ‘s expression, “ Seeking cognition is an duty on every Moslem ” ( 41 ) . Women non merely can seek instruction but they themselves can be the pedagogues. Abushaqa says that Muslim adult females and work forces must seek the best beginnings of cognition no affair if those pedagogues were work forces or adult females. Womans should non avoid acquiring cognition from the best of male pedagogues and work forces should non avoid acquiring cognition from female pedagogues every bit good ( 42 ) . Today, all Muslim states concentrate on supplying work forces and adult females every bit with a proper instruction. Education is really of import to them because it is required by God. However, there are some Muslim extremists that try to forestall adult females from acquiring educated and acquiring respectable occupations outside of their places. I think the worst thing a individual can make is forestalling another individual from acquiring educated. By acquiring an instruction people can better their economic state of affairs, their positions on life, and discover new things that they ne’er knew existed. One of the most celebrated Muslim adult females that achieved a high degree of instruction, by analyzing in Harvard University, and subsequently became the Prime Minister of Pakistan was Benazir Bhutto. She is one of the best illustrations of what adult females are capable of accomplishing when they are given the chance.

Furthermore, some people think that adult females in Islam do n’t hold fiscal rights like the right to inherit or ain belongingss. I think Islam have given adult females plentifulness of fiscal rights. Womans before the outgrowth of Islam were non allowed to inherit merely work forces were able to. Harmonizing to Smith, “ While instantly before the coming of Islam merely male relations could inherit, the Qur’an assured this right for adult females ” ( 520 ) . After the outgrowth of Islam, adult females were able to inherit from their hubbies, and their relations. Womans were besides allowed to have belongingss. They non merely owned belongingss but they besides were allowed to command all facets of those belongingss ( Moghissi, 366 ) . When a adult female gets married, she remains in charge of everything she owns. Harmonizing to Holm and Bowker, “ all schools of thought agree that there is no community of belongings between partners and that a married woman ‘s belongings, and income, is under her control and for her usage entirely, and that it may non lawfully be acquired by her hubby ” ( 102 ) . When a adult male wants to acquire married to a adult female he had to pay a mahr, which is a nuptials nowadays, to her defender. After Islam, adult females gained the right of full control of the mahr given by the adult male ( Holm, Bowker, 102 ) . She could make whatever she wanted to make with that mahr. This gift is given to the adult female so that she could observe and acquire ready for her nuptials. A adult female is besides free to work in any occupation she wants peculiarly if she is needed in that occupation ( Bawadi, 15 ) . That occupation has to be a respectful occupation that she and her household can be proud of. That occupation must non be against what Islam approves of. For illustration, working as a instructor is a respectable occupation, but working as a public terpsichorean and demoing off her organic structure is perfectly non. Peoples on the outside think that Muslim adult females are forced to remain at place and are non allowed to work. Some adult females choose to concentrate on taking attention of their households instead than working and there is nil incorrect with that. However, if a adult female wanted to assist her hubby financially she can acquire a occupation and back up her household every bit good.

When Islam emerged it changed the adult female ‘s position. Women under Islam are privileged, and given many critical rights. Peoples from different faiths ask: what is the place of adult females in the faith of Islam? Muslim adult females are given many rights that look after them like: human rights, societal rights, political rights, educational rights, and fiscal rights. Peoples that are non portion of this faith misunderstand it because they are misinformed. They do n’t cognize how Islam protects adult females. They think that Islam oppresses adult females. However, if they read about Islam and visit Muslim states they will cognize that the negative thought they have is non true and that the extremists are the 1s who are aching the Muslim ‘s adult female ‘s image.