Women in Islam

Women in Islam

Women play a very vital role in Islam. Muslim women have been privileged with great honor and dignity. These days the condition and status of Muslim women is the most debated topic but unfortunately associated with cynical perspectives. But this March as we celebrate Women’s History Month and International Women’s Day it might be worthwhile to really look into what rights Muslim women have been enjoying for the last fourteen centuries.

Before the advent of Islam, there was a practice of burying baby girls alive in the Arabian society. When God made Prophet Muhammad the Messenger for all of mankind, he conferred upon women an exalted status. Women, who were considered as property and chattel themselves, were given the rights to inherit property from their parents and relatives in the same manner as men. Not only were they able to inherit property the women had all rights to manage their finances without any interference from their husbands. Muslim women were given this right more than 1400 years ago. On the contrary, in Europe and America women had no right to hold and inherit property till the 19th century.

Islam bestows on a woman the highest honor when she becomes a mother. Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be on him) said, “Paradise lies under the feet of mothers.” A mother is the one responsible for the proper upbringing of her children and enables them to become useful and decent members of the society. Just imagine if all mothers took this task sincerely and help raise outstanding humans, then our societies would not be riddled with problems such as, violence, drug and alcohol addiction, and teen pregnancies.

Perhaps one of the greatest misconceptions regarding Muslim women is the observance of hijab or veil. The Western thinking is that the hijab restricts women from everything happening in the world. This indeed is a false perception whereas in reality the essence of Islamic veil is to let a women enjoy her freedom. I am a member of a women’s health club where I meet women from different faiths. When I asked them why they have chosen to come to a women’s gym, they replied, “We don’t want men watching us while we are in funny postures.” These women felt more comfortable to exercise among women than being in a mixed crowd.

The founder of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, the Promised Messiah, Mirza Ghulam Ahmad highlighted the rights of women as follows:

“Women are the first witnesses of your relationship towards God Almighty. If you are not on good terms with them, how is it possible to have a good relationship with their God?”

He further said, “A man should think all the time that his wife is a special guest that God has given to him and He is watching if a man is fulfilling the standards of the best hospitality.”

No religion has raised the voice for women’s right more than Islam. All these rights were given to women in Islam more than 1400 years ago. I hope that this month of March our non-Muslim friends would take the time to study what the Qur’an really says about Muslim women so that any misconceptions about them are dispelled.