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Sheikh Abdullah Makwinja Correspondent
Islam declares gender equality to be an intrinsic part of the Islamic faith.

It also affirms that a woman is worthy of respect and dignity, that as a legal individual, spiritual being, social person, responsible agent, free citizen, and servant of God, she holds fundamental equal rights to exercise her abilities and talents in all areas of human activity.

After a quick historical survey, one is safely justified to believe that throughout history and in different societies and cultures, women have been looked upon as second-class human beings, a view that entails tangible practical consequences even to this very day and even in modern societies.

“Women in Islam” is among topics that have been approached by mixed attitudes, from some Muslims who whitewash their local/cultural discriminative practices against women under the label of Islam, to the non-Muslim outsiders who don’t bother to analyse and distinguish different cultural and religious elements in the various Muslim societies.

All of these compel us to refer to the primary teachings of Islam and the historical and socio-political context within which Islam was born, to find out more about “Women in Islam”.

Islam emerged as a religion and also a socio-political revolution in the Arabian Peninsula, in the 7th century AD.

Different dimensions and multitudes of such a social revolution with regards to women’s conditions can better be appreciated only if the pre-existing social status of women is depicted realistically.

Islam’s reactions to such practices and views were in two domains: to change mentalities and to reshape practical norms.

The following are some important rights in Islam meant to reshape the social status of women as manifested in the verses of Islamic scriptures, The Holy Qur’an or the quotations from Prophet Muhammad:

Great spiritual significance has always been attached to woman, as a female infant is spiritually believed to bring Angels home, whilst daughters are manifestations of divine mercy and that the raising of female children is rewarded by Paradise.

It is the bliss and fortunate fate of a family to have a daughter, thus abortion and infanticide, whether male or female is regarded a heinous crime with serious penalties. A Muslim man is encouraged to consider his wife as a flower, not a housemaid, with Muslim women not having to carry out household duties.

Consent of the bride is a necessary condition for marriage in Islam, where the woman is entitled to keep the dowry paid for her, as it is not for her father or her family’s use.

In addition to limited number of wives, a man in polygamous marriage can have four at a time, he is required to maintain financial justice to all his wives.

Women are prohibited from shaving their heads following the death of their husbands, while daughters have inheritance rights.

Lineage can be preserved through female children, with the lineage of Prophet Muhammad being preserved through his only daughter, Fatima.

In Islamic spiritual teachings, righteous human beings are like mirrors as they reflect and manifest the divine attributes like mercy and care.

These attributes can only best be mirrored and manifested in women.

Such is the basis of spiritual equality between man and woman in Islam. For a typical reader today, these views and rights seem very natural and common.

The article was provided by the Embassy of Iran