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Islam, Women and Feminism ( 28 Aug 2021, NewAgeIslam.Com)

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Muslim Women Revered by Shari’ah – Degraded by Terrorists and Militants

By Arman Neyazi, New Age Islam

28 August 2021

Terrorists Have Nothing To Do With Shari’ah In Implementation Of Women's Right In The Society

Main Points:

1.    It is Islamic terrorism and militancy that has become the source of the fall of Islam, Prophetic traditions, Quran and Islamic ethics.

2.    Before the advent of terrorism and militancy, Islam was revered with its due respect and acceptability among all who matter.

3.    Terrorists’ inhuman acts, their beheading mentality, their hypocritical behaviour, and their resurgences that precede their psyche is the mirror of their personality.

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Terrorists’ Brutal Psyche

Terrorists’ inhuman acts, their beheading mentality, their hypocritical behaviour, and their resurgences that precede their psyche is the mirror of their personality. They have been demeaning Islam through their acts of brutality and inhuman behaviour with the people under their control. The Internet world is full of stories of their heinous crimes against humanity. They have shot and beheaded men and women with such an air of ease that it has a frightening effect on the minds of the beholders.

There has to be a reason behind every act good or bad of a human being. Most of the condemning acts are the reaction of past happenings. The world has witnessed terrorists from almost all the nooks and corners of the world. The terrorists belong to both developed and underdeveloped countries, rich and poor and educated to illiterate persons. The similarities that they may be carrying is that they all belong to Islam and have a killing instinct for the sake of their psychic hatred instinct that is seen only in wild animals.

Militancy and terrorism have ruined almost two generations of Muslims all over the world.

The downfall of Islamic Essence

It is Islamic terrorism and militancy that has become the source of the fall of Islam, Prophetic traditions, Quran and Islamic ethics. Before the advent of terrorism and militancy, Islam was revered with its due respect and acceptability among all who matter. World-renowned religious scholars, exegesis of the religious epics, philosophers of different schools had high regard for the Holy Quran and Prophet Muhammad Pbuh. Scholarly books and research papers were written on all the aspects of Islam and its implications in human life. All upheld the human rights bestowed by Islam during its primitive years, upon the men, women and children, in great esteem. Various human rights organisations complimented the Islamic essence of rights for women in furthering their advocacy of human rights in western countries.

 

Shari‘ah law, according to Muslim jurists, fulfils the criteria of justice and legitimacy and binds governed and governor alike.

(Photo courtesy: Boston Review, A Political and Literary Forum)

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Islam and Women Empowerment

Islam has been put to test of all the socially accepted angels, especially regarding women empowerment and human rights by its adversaries.  Islam has been accused of suppression of women rights of education, free will, free speech and marriage. Triple Talaq has always been a sore point that has been exploited by the Islam bashers for their social benefit.

Islam is the most modern of all the world religions has since its advent been mindful of the human rights of all in general and women, children and destitute in particular. World human rights organisations have based their basics on the teachings of Islam towards women. The verse - 35 of Surah Al-Ahzab - Indeed, the Muslim men and Muslim women, the believing men and believing women, the obedient men and obedient women, the truthful men and truthful women, the patient men and patient women, the humble men and humble women, the charitable men and charitable women, the fasting men and fasting women, the men who guard their private parts and the women who do so, and the men who remember Allah often and the women who do so - for them Allah has prepared forgiveness and a great reward. -  is a universal example of equality bestowed upon women viz a viz their men counterparts. Allah the Most Gracious mentioned women along with men with all those adjectives that are used for men.

Islam till date won all the religious and spiritual tests conducted on its essence and ethics by world civilisations with flying colours but now it is on the verge of getting defamed and denounced by the Islamic terrorists’ and the militant’s hypocrisy that they have practised in its name.

Women and Shari’ah

Shari’ah is Islam's legal system. As far as Muslim women are concerned, Shari’ah is governed under the umbrella of the Holy Quran, Sunnah and the Prophetic traditions along with Ijma (consensus) and Qiyas (analogy).  Seventh-century Arabia, called the age of Jahiliya, bestowed upon women all the rights a human being could talk of. Before this women were treated as property with no freedom of speech and choice in the matters of marriage and divorce. Prophets Muhammad Pbuh fought for women rights Allah the Most Gracious commanded to him through the Qur’anic verses revealed to solve the problems of the time. Muslim women got the right to inherit property centuries before their European counterparts could do.

There are various verses in the Holy Quran and there are various Prophetic traditions to support women’s rights bestowed upon them by Allah the Almighty and the life and sayings of Prophet Muhammad Pbuh is an automatically accepted norm towards granting basic human rights to women under the Islamic law.

The first-generation Muslim women served the community in diverse roles ranging from medicine to wars. Islamic history has a mention of Rudaida Al-Aslamia as a surgeon. Prophet Muhammad Pbuh has recognised her services for her care of the wounded soldiers, the establishment of war-field hospitals and the training of nurses. We find another woman, Nusaybah bint Ka'ab who is known as ‘Prophet’s Shield'. She defended Prophet Muhammad Pbuh on the battlefield when many men fled.

Consider the following verses from the Holy Quran and Prophetic traditions that highlight women right under Sharia bestowed upon them since the first chapter of the advent of Islam.

Quranic Verses on the Women Rights Accorded by Allah

And for women are rights over men similar to those of men over women. (2:226)

Enter into Paradise, you and your wives, with delight. (43:70)

Who so does that which is right, and believes, whether male or female, him or her will We quicken to happy life. (16:97)

Whoever does good deed, - male or female- and he is believer, he will enter Heaven, and not the least injustice will be done to him. (Qur’an 4:124)

The woman and the man guilty of adultery or fornication, - flog each of them with a hundred stripes - (Qur’an 24:2)

O mankind! Reverence your Guardian-Lord, who created you from a single person, created, of like nature, his mate, and from this pair scattered (like seeds) countless men and women. Reverence Allah, through whom you demand your mutual (rights), and reverence the wombs (that bore you); for Allah ever watches over you. (4:1)

Prophetic Traditions on Importance and Rights of Women

According to the following Hadees narrated by Mu'awiyah bin Jahima al-Sulami and reported by Imam ibn Hanbal son’s heaven is under the feet of their mothers:

Al-Sulami went to the Prophet Muhammad and said, "O Messenger of Allah, I desire to go on the military expedition and I have come to consult you." The Prophet responded by asking, "Do you have a mother?" Al-Sulami replied, "Yes." The Prophet told him, "Stay with her because paradise lies beneath her feet."

`A’isha said: the Messenger of Allah (Pbuh) never struck a servant or a woman. - (Sunan Abu Dawood, 4786 / Book 43)

'A'isha reported that Saudah bint Zam'ah went out one night. 'Umar saw her and recognized her and said, "By God, O Saudah, why do you not hide yourself from us?" She went back to the Prophet (peace be upon him) and told him about it while he was having supper in her room, and he said, "It is permitted by Allah for you to go out for your needs."

Prophet Muhammad Pbuh preached kindness towards women to stop every kind of cruelties, if any, to women, He addressed Muslims in his last address on the Mount of Mercy at Arafat as follows:

"Fear Allah regarding women. Verily you have married them with the trust of Allah and made their bodies lawful with the word of Allah. You have got (rights) over them, and they have got (rights) over you in respect of their food and clothing according to your means."

Prophet Muhammad (SAW) has lived all his life according to the guidance of the Holy Quran. His sayings and acts are a part of Sharia, the Islamic law. Prophet Muhammad (SAW)'s traditions and his good behaviour ('Husn e Sulook’ حسن سلوک) towards women are perfect examples of the importance of women in Islam.

Terrorists have nothing to do with Shari’ah in the implementation of women right in society otherwise women in their domain would not have been brutally beheaded and shot for no fault of theirs, because of the rights given to them through Shari’ah law.

Muslims all over the world has been a witness to the downfall of the Islamic essence and the ethics of Islamic spiritualism that has guided the Sufis and saints, Rishis and Munis developing the universal social environment. Muslims have braved the unethical behaviour of their fellow beings because of the hatred generated by the militancy and terrorism in the name of establishing Sharī’ah rule.

Had the terrorists adhered to the Shariah law, they would never have disrespected their modesty never had prohibited them from taking part in the upbringing of the society and never had questioned their ability in the field of education. But it is crystal clear that terrorist mentality is not what they show but it is what they do not show, that is a nature of hypocrisy, hate and a supremacist attitude.

In the super-advanced age of the 21st century, the stories coming out of Afghanistan is a shame for the whole of humanity. The state in which women in Afghanistan,  Pakistan and all terror-stricken countries should be enough for the human world to hang its head in shame. The humane world’s accusations and blames on each other is of no use either to the world’s humane ethics or the survivors of terror brutalities. If the civilized world will not come to the rescue of the brothers and sisters in humanity today, then when.

Terrorist and militant organisations should also study the following to help them understand the righteous path of Islam.

“All this talk about jihad, that’s not what the Quran says!” - (Sheikh Mohammad Akram Nadwi, Islamic scholar)

“I know of no other religion in which women were so central in its formative history” - (Sheikh Mohammad Akram Nadwi, Islamic scholar)

Islam has a tradition of protecting the rights of women and children. Islam has specific provisions which define the rights of women in areas such as marriage, divorce, and property rights. The Taliban's version of Islam is not supported by the world's Muslims. Although the Taliban claimed that it was acting in the best interests of women, the truth is that the Taliban regime cruelly reduced women and girls to poverty, worsened their health, and deprived them of their right to an education, and many times the right to practice their religion. The Taliban is out of step with the Muslim world and with Islam.

(Report on the Taliban's War against Women - Released by the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labour/ November 17, 2001)

The fate of women in Afghanistan is infamous and intolerable. The Burqa that imprisons them is a cloth prison, but it is above all a moral prison. The torture imposed on little girls who dare to show their ankles or their polished nails is appalling. It is unacceptable and insupportable. -- King Mohammed VI of Morocco

And Allah Knows the Best.

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Arman Neyazi is a columnist with NewAgeIslam.com.

URL:     https://www.newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/muslim-women-shariah-terrorists-militants/d/125293


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