The Rights of Women in Islam

The status of women in Islam, a topic many people associate with oppression, inequality and general misconduct. Nothing is more disconcerting to people than that which they do not know. This unknown feeling best represents itself in the silent portrayal of the hijab, or headscarves, and the nikab, veil. I have seen a number of publications about Islam and women’s issues within it where the cover shows a Muslim woman wearing both. Couple with this the horror stories from distant, “barbaric” lands, and the feeling of something not being quite right grows within. I will concede that there are some truly horrible things that happen to women in all parts of the world. No land on earth is exempt from this truth. There is however a difference between things that are done culturally, and things that are done within the religion of Islam. The Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, said “Seeking knowledge is mandatory for every Muslim.” It is that knowledge that is needed greatly for the Muslim community but also for the non-Muslim community so that the community can no longer be vilified in general.

In Islam there is no spiritual difference between men and women. Both are responsible for the same religious duties; the only spiritual difference between genders or different tribes, (races), of people is their faith and good deeds. There are of course physical differences between men and women and Islam addresses these differences in ways that more than adequately give equal rights to both so long as they are followed.

Women have full property rights both before and after marriage. In fact women are given more in the way of financial security than men. Everything that a married man earns must go to the benefit of his family, while anything that a married woman earns is hers to keep and use in whatever way she would like. Because of this a man is entitled to more inheritance than a woman; he is simply responsible for more people, while she can use her money for herself.

The issue of household chores is another issue that can be pointed to as unfair. There is a stereotype within our society that housework is for women. This is not the case within Islam. A Muslim should strive to follow the example of Prophet Muhammad, and he did all of the household chores.

An extremely flammable issue that many people frown upon is the practice of polygamy. To begin polygamy is not the standard practice of the Muslim, nor is it encouraged. If this is the case why is it even included. The only verse within the Qur’an that discusses polygamy was revealed after the Battle of Uhud. Many of the Muslim men were killed and there were many widows and orphans. Remember that each wife would have equal financial shares and that the man would be responsible for them both. This solution is much more humane than similar situations that have happened in other places. Such as the woman being accused of being witches and burned at the stake simply for surviving the bubonic plague. Coincidentally it has been scientifically proven that women survive the outbreak of an infectious disease in greater numbers than men.

The most misunderstood aspect of women’s rights in Islam is the hijab and nikab. A woman’s attire his her own choice and no man is allowed to force a woman into doing something she does not want to. Both are worn for modesty and not to attract the attention of men. Most women these days will tell you that men are dogs. It is strange to witness negative reactions to a way of life that takes this into consideration.

Truth is a shining light that dispels the darkness of falsehood and ignorance. This darkness represents the biggest problem both within and outside of Islam. However knowledge is readily available to anyone who is willing to look and learn. It can be acquired from primary texts, not watered down commentaries on, or even commentaries on commentaries. Also remember that things can easily be taken out of context and used to mislead people into thinking in a certain way. Complete understanding of the subject is the only way to combat misleading information.