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A huge misunderstanding regarding Islam are Women's rights. Hopefully this thread will dispell some of those misconceptions, not only for Non-Muslims but also for some Muslims. While sometimes national culture seems to over fide Islam, that is not Islamic.
To begin with I am going to address just Education.
women are not only guaranteed the right to seek an education, like all Muslims they are obligated to do so. It is a grave sin to hinder a woman from getting an education.
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Let us start with the first Quranic revelation:
Read in the name of your Lord who created, created man from a clinging form. Read! Your Lord is the Most Generous, who taught by means of the pen; taught man what he did not know. (96:1-5)
These verses address humankind to seek knowledge and delve in critical thinking. The emphasis laid in the acquisition of knowledge, in the above verses, surpasses any statement or action denying girls’ the right to education. Had these verses only been for men, it would be inconceivable to imagine the extent of progression that the society made in a mere twenty-three years — the entire duration of the revelation of the Quran.
In another verse in the Quran, God says:
(This is) a Book (the Quran) which We have sent down to you, full of blessings that they may ponder over its Verses, and that men of understanding may remember. (38:29)
It is important to mention that the word “men” in the above verse refers to humankind as it does so in several other places in the Quran when God addresses humanity. These and other verses inform the readers that engaging in critical thinking is a moral obligation on both men and women. The Quran repetitively reminds people to ponder, think, analyze, thus using their mind power to contemplate and understand, whilst making no distinction between men and women.
Let us now examine some hadith, authentic sayings of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh).
“Seeking knowledge is mandatory for every Muslim.”
“He who has a slave-girl and teaches her good manners and improves her education and then manumits and marries her, will get a double reward; and any slave who observes God’s right and his master’s right will get a double reward.” (emphasis added)
“If anyone travels on a road in search of knowledge, Allah will cause him to travel on one of the roads of Paradise. The angels will lower their wings in their great pleasure with one who seeks knowledge, the inhabitants of the heavens and the Earth and the fish in the deep waters will ask forgiveness for the learned man. The superiority of the learned man over the devout is like that of the moon, on the night when it is full, over the rest of the stars. The learned are the heirs of the Prophets, and the Prophets leave neither dinar nor dirham, leaving only knowledge, and he who takes it takes an abundant portion.” (emphasis added)
Three important themes around education are emerging in the above traditions. From the first Hadith we infer that education is not a right but a responsibility on every Muslim, male or female. In the second Hadith, emphasis is laid on the quality of education imparted to the girl slave and the latter part deals with the encouragement to free slaves (Islam denounced and later abolished slavery). The third Hadith speaks volumes about the superiority of the person who seeks knowledge over the one who does not. The reference here to superiority is to the person who seeks knowledge, man or woman.
Not only is it permissible for a Muslim woman to work outside the home, her income is hers to use as she desires. She has no obligation to use any of it for household expenses and is permitted to spend it as she desires, as long as it is not used to buy forbidden products, No one except she alone as any right to dictate how the income is used.
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4037: Ruling on women spending of their own wealth without their husbands’ permission
I am a working woman, and I have a salary from which I spend on myself and my home, I give some to my family and I give some in charity, and so on. Many of the arguments that I have with my husband arise because of the way I spend my money. Does my husband have the right to object to the way I spend my money? Do I have to ask for his permission when I want to spend any of my money?
Praise be to Allaah.
Undoubtedly the free adult person who is of sound mind and discernment is permitted to dispose of his own wealth with no restrictions as long as he is alive, whether he is buying, renting, giving a gift, establishing a waqf (endowment) or any other kind of transaction. There is no dispute among the scholars on this point.
There is also no dispute among the scholars concerning the fact that the husband does not have the right to object to the way his wife handles her wealth in transactions such as buying, renting, etc., if the woman is of sound mind and there is no reason why she should not handle her own money and she is not one of those who may be tricked. (Muraatib al-Ijmaa’ li Ibn Hazm, 162; al-Ijmaa’ fi’l-Fiqh al-Islami, Abu Habeeb, 2/566).
another thing also, people always talk about women rights without knowing the opinion of a Muslim women, if they are oppressed!
Quite true.
Being a Muslim Husband I sometimes feel I am oppressed
People that think Muslim women are oppressed because of Islam need to talk to these young ladies.
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Aisha bint Abu Bakr (614-678):
Aisha bint Abu Bakr, wife of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), is known for her extensive knowledge in medicine, poetry, Arab literature, history, geneaology, and knowledge of the Quran and Islamic jurisprudence. Highly intelligent and widely respected as a voice of authority in Islamic law and hadith (statements of the Prophet Muhammad), Aisha is credited with the transmission of thousands of hadith which are relied upon for derivation of Islamic principles and laws. The Prophet (PBUH) indicated that Muslims should take half of their faith from her teachings.
After the death of the Prophet (PBUH), Aisha rose as a social and religious leader for the Muslim community. She later became an Islamic advisor and teacher in her community for many years for both male and female students, many of whom became significant authorities in Islamic law. Her influence in jurisprudence extends to several of the Sunni schools of thought. Today, Aisha is one of the most revered figures in Islamic history.
Princess Nana Asma'u (1793-1864):
Nana Asma’u was the daughter of the founder of the Sokoto Caliphate in northern Africa, Usman dan Fodio. Highly educated and esteemed as a leading scholar of Nigeria in the early to mid 1800s, Asma’u exercised her influence over politics, acting as an advisor to Caliphs and engaging in debates with princes, governors, and scholars. Asma’u also became a pioneer in women’s education, founding a group of female teachers in 1830 who traveled across the Sokoto Caliphate, training and educating women living in both poor and wealthy regions. Fluent in Arabic, Fulfulde, Hausa and Tamacheq, and well-versed in Latin, Greek and Arabic classics, Asma’u herself produced extensive poetry, which was later used to teach others. Today, many organizations in Nigeria, such as schools and meeting halls, are named in Asma’u’s honor.
Zaynab Al-Ghazali (1917 – 2005):
A religious and political activist from Egypt, Zaynab Al-Ghazali founded the Muslim Women’s Association (MWA) at the age of eighteen with the mission of inspiring a religious revival within Muslim women. Prior to forming the MWA, Al-Ghazali had joined the Egyptian Feminist Union, but exited when she came to the conclusion that, “Islam gave women rights in the family granted by no other society.” Al-Ghazali believed firmly that Islam enabled women’s empowerment and secured women’s participation in society. She lectured regularly to crowds of 3,000 to 5,000 women and wrote extensively, publishing books as well as articles in Islamic magazines and journals. Al-Ghazali’s MWA, besides offering classes for women, also ran an orphanage, provided assistance to needy families, published a magazine, and held the political position that the government of Egypt ought to be directed by the rulings in the Quran. Al-Ghazali was imprisoned and subject to hard labor for her beliefs for six years. During that time, she experienced extensive torture, which she discussed in her book “Ayyam min hayyati”, titled “Return of the Pharaoh” in English.
Tawakul Karman (1979 – ):
Karman is the co-recipient of the 2011 Nobel Peace Prize and the first Arab and Yemeni for her leadership during the 2011 Yemeni uprising. She is the second Muslim woman to win a Nobel Prize, and is the youngest Nobel Peace Laureate to date. She is known in Yemen as the “Mother of the Revolution” and the “Iron Woman” for her work as a journalist, politician, and high-ranking member of the Al-Islah party, and human rights activist. In 2005, Karman began to lead protests for press freedom after gaining prominence as a journalist and advocate for a mobile news service that was denied a license in 2007. After years of organizing and protest, Karman redirected the protests to join the Arab Spring, or what she calls, the “Jasmine Revolution.” Her work helped lead to the ousting of former Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh in February of 2012.
Muslim women as political leaders.
Islam has always had political equality for women. Long before many Nations even allowed women to even vote there have men Female political leaders among Muslims.
A few examples:
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Abida Sultan
Known For: Crown Princess of Bhopal
Dates: 1913 – 2002 CE
Country: India
About
Princess Abida Sultan was the eldest daughter of Hamidullah Khan, the last Nawab of Bhopal. She was also the heiress to the throne of Bhopal. However, she renounced her rights to the throne in 1950 to become a resident of Pakistan. As a result, she was removed from the line of succession in favor of a younger sister. Her son Shaharyar Khan later became the Foreign Secretary of Pakistan.1
Nur Jahan
Known For: Empress of the Mughal India
Dates: Hijri: 985-1055 (AH)
Common Era: 1577 – 1645 (CE)
Country: India
About
Empress Nur Jahan was responsible for the many artistic, architectural, and cultural achievements of the Mughal Dynasty’s Jahangir Era (1013-1037 (AH), 1605-1627 (CE)). She was of Persian origin, born on a caravan traveling from Tehran to India.
Nur Jahan’s husband, Emperor Jahangir, was rendered powerless at decision-making because of dependency on opium. He relegated all state affairs to her. She controlled all promotions and demotions within the royal government, and even had coins struck in her name, an honor usually reserved for men.
She took special interest in the affairs of women, by providing land for women and opportunities for orphan girls. Nur came from a line of poets, and she encouraged the women of the court to write and share their poetry.
Judge Kholoud Al-Faqih
Known For: Judge, Sharia Court of Ramallah
Country: Palestine
About
Kholoud Faqih made history in 2009 as the first female Shariah judge in Palestine.
Judge Kholoud graduated with honors with a law degree from University of Jerusalem in 1999. She received a Master’s degree in private law from the same university in 2005. In 2001, she received her license to practice law and worked as a lawyer at the Women’s Center for Legal Aid and Counseling, an organization dedicated to assisting battered women. From 2003 to 2008, she worked for the Defense of Battered Women where she gained extensive litigation experience. In 2008, she passed two competitive judicial exams in Ramallah, excelling in the Islamic law portions. Judge Kholoud beat out dozens of her male colleagues in the process. One year later, she was appointed as a judge in the Sharia Court of Ramallah, making her the first female Sharia judge in Palestine.
Asma bint Shihab al-Sulayhiyya
Known For: Queen of Yemen
Dates: Hijri 437 – 460 (AH)
Common Era Co-ruler from: 1047-1067(CE)
Country: Yemen
About
Asma bint Shihab was the wife of Ali bin Muhammad al-Sulayhi, the King of Yemen, who reigned from 1047-1067. A notable woman, she was independent and took an active role in the affairs of the state. Because of the Fatimid endorsement of equal education for both women and men, Ali entrusted her with care of the realm and she attended state councils with her face unveiled. Her name was declared alongside her husband’s from the mosque pulpits during Friday khutbas.
Queen Asma was also an active influence on the life of the future Queen Arwa for whom she acted as a teacher, and doubtlessly, an admirable role model. She also taught her son, ensuring that both he and his wife were equipped with the necessary tools to be successful rulers. Commentaries of the time indicate intelligence, the breadth of her knowledge, and her role in promoting the arts and acting as a patron for poets.
Throughout the Centuries women have played an important role as Islamic Leaders. Women have been and continue to be active leaders of Islam
WOMAN MUSLIM LEADERS
and
FEMALE LEADERS IN MUSLIM COUNTRIES
throughout the times
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624 Opposition Leader Hind al-Hunnud, Arab World
A member of the Quaish Tribe in the Kingdom of Kindah, she was one of the leaders of the opposition to Muhammed. She led a battle against him in 624, where her father and brother were killed and she then led a battle of vengeance against Muhammed. In the end she submitted to him and became a Muslim convert.
631-56 Politically Influential 'A'ishah Bint Abi Bakr, Arab World
Aishah was a powerful force in the political turmoil that followed the death of her husband, the Prophet Muhammed. She became very important for her role in the civil war, where she was defeated and captured in a battle in 656 and only released on promising to abandon political life. Her religious teachings became important for the Shiite branch of the Muslim faith. She lived (613-78).
681 Khanum Pisutu of Uighuristan (Central Asia)
The Uighur Khans governed portions of Central Asia in the centuries immediately following the Muslim expansion, and then fade from view. It is not entirely clear that the Turkic people called Uighurs who now dwell mostly in Western China are the same folk; the name is the same, but it could have been adopted by later-arriving tribes. The country was invaded by the Got Turks in 681.
Ca 690-701 Queen Dahlia al-Chain of the Moors (Berbian tribe in Tunisia)
Her name means the "priestess" or the "prophetess", and she assumed personal command of the Barbarian forces, and under her leadership, the Arabs were briefly forced to retreat, but since the Arabs were relentless, she ordered a scorched earth policy. After her defeat, Dahia al-Kahina took her own life, and sent her sons to the Arab camp with instructions that they adopt Islam and make common cause with the Arabs. Ultimately, these men participated in invading Europe and the subjugation of Spain and Portugal.
720-.. De facto Joint Ruler Hababa of Bagdad (Iraq)
She was slave singer of the 9th Ummayyad Caliph, Yarzid II Ibn 'Abd al-Malik who was hostage to her carm. She choked on a pomegranate seed and he died of grief a few weeks later. Later historians stigmatized him and held him in contempt for letting himself be infatuated by a slave.
734-41 Khatun and Regent Mo-ki-lien of Mong (Mongolia)
Is known as Khatun Mo-ki-lien, which was the name of her husband. He was poisoned by his minister, and she acted as regent for their son, Yu-jan, who was again succeeded by her minor brother, Tängri Khagan, who died in 741.
Ca. 774 Governor Cara Zon of Carcasson (Spain)
A Marurian-Arab Princess. She defended the city-state against Charles the Great.
775-809 Politically Influential Caliph-Consort Al-Haizuran of Bagdad (Iraq)
Also known as Khayzuran (literally, Bamboo) she was a slave, born most likely in Yemen, and gained substantial influence during the reigns of her husband, al-Mahdi (775-785), who allowed her to make many important royal decisions. After his death, it was Khayzuran who kept the peace by paying off the Caliph's army in order to maintain order. She arranged for the accession of her son, al-Hadi, even when he was away from the capitol. When al-Hadi proved less tolerant of Khayzuran's political maneuverings than had al-Mahdi, it was speculated that it was Khayzuran who arranged his murder in favour of her second, more tolerant son, Harun. Whatever the truth, Khayzuran is more fondly remembered than many of the caliphs themselves.
908-32 Politically Influential Shaghab of Baghdad (Iraq)
Succeeded in maneuvering the religious and military elite into recognizing her only 13 year old son, Muqtadir, as caliph. She had origially been a slave.
Empress Wei Shi
926 Regent Dowager Empress Shulü Hatun of Qidan (China and of Mongolia)
Also known as Khatun Shu-lü Shih of Purtmish, she was regent after the death of her husband Abaoji until her son Yaoku was elected as his successor as ruler of The Qidan nationality, which originally dwelt in the upper reaches of the mountains. It was nomadic and its main activities were fishing and hunting.
Around 950 Queen Yehudit of the Falasha Agaw (Ethiopia)
Also known as Yodit, Esato or Judith, she attacked the Christian southern provinces of Ethopia as far as the mountains of Tigre around 975. The Ethiopians saw her invasion as a punishment for having failed to be obedient to their Coptic patriarch. While the Agaw held power, the Amhara and Tegre culture entered a "dark age" about which little is known, and a large part of the Ethiopian civilization was lost or destroyed during this time.
Around 976 Politically Influential Dowager Queen of Persia (Iran)
Together with vizier Abu'l-Husain 'Abd-Allah ibn Ahmad 'Utbi, she assisted her son, Nuh II ibn Mansur, of the Samanid Dynasty (d. 997) who ascended to the throne as a youth.
Does Islam demean women and limit their potential? How many female Presidents have we had in the USA?
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10 Muslim Women Every Person Should Know
Contrary to popular belief, Muslim women have served as revolutionary and heroic leaders. However, in recent years, due to the global socio-political climate, the phrase "Muslim woman" might conjure an image of a demure un-empowered woman sheltered by her burqa. Yet this image is not what our history records or what our present reflects. For example, the current Prime Ministers of Bangladesh (Sheikh Hasina Wazed) and Mali (Cissé Mariam Kaïdama Sidibé) are Muslim women. Similarly, the current President of Kosovo, Atife Jahjaga, is the world's youngest female president, as well as her country's first female Muslim president.
Since 1988, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Mali, Pakistan, Kosovo, Kyrgyzstan, Senegal and Turkey have been led, at some point, by a Muslim woman president or prime minister.
Woman have long been Scholars and educators of Islam. In many ways they are the guiding lights that spread Islam. Women have been and continue to be strong Islamic leaders. What many Westerners see as "Oppressions" of Muslim women is often open defience of Western standards by Muslim women.
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The spread of female Islamic leadership
As increasing numbers of articulate women use Islamic sources to defend varying ways of life, they are challenging western feminist models, at least in name and quite often in substance, making detailed study of the full range of female Islamic leadership crucial, say Masooda Bano and Hilary Kalmbach
Aisha Rafea
Known For: Co-leader, The Egyptian Society for Spiritual and Cultural Research (ESSCR), Shura Council Member
Country: Egypt
About
Aisha Rafea is co-leader of the women’s group at The Egyptian Society for Spiritual and Cultural Research (ESSCR). Ms. Rafea is the daughter of the prominent Egyptian spiritual teacher, Master Rafea Muhammad Rafea. She is a devoted writer, researcher and teacher of spirituality. She has a vision that without spiritual awareness, people turn the most precious divine guidance into dogma and stagnant tradition.
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Aziza Abdel-Halim
Known For: Currently President of the Muslim Women’s National Network Australia
Country: Australia
About
Aziza Abdel-Halim is currently the Chairperson of the Women Movement South-East Asia and the Pacific; Vice President of the Regional Islamic Dawah Council of South-East Asia and the Pacific (RISEAP); and President of the Muslim Women’s National Network Australia.
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Khalilah Karim-Rushdan
Known For: Chaplain- Smith College
Country: United States
About
Al-Hajjah Khalilah Karim-Rushdan is the former Chaplain to Smith College and its Muslim student advisor. Ms. Karim-Rushdan divided her time at Smith between the Chapel and counseling center where she was a Psychotherapist. In 2006 she founded Alasto Women’s Collabortive which brought together both women of faith and secular women to identity common ground.
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Magda Amer
Known For: Biochemist, Naturopath, and Caller of Islam
Country: Egypt
About
Dr. Magda Amer is a Biochemist, Naturopath, and Caller of Islam. Dr. Amer has also written many books in Arabic, English, and French. Among these books is a series named The Miraculous Nature of Human Creation, which highlights the interpretation of Islamic teachings from the naturopathic perspective and includes, the secrets of ablution, the wisdom behind lowering the gaze, and a farewell to stress welcome tranquility. Her books also deal with tolerance in Islam, Islamic perspectives on legislation for women, etiquette in Islam, inheritance in Islamic legislature, and an encyclopedia of Islamic “Fikh.” She has dedicated her knowledge to the service of Da’wah.
Woman have probably played a more active women in Religious leadership than in any other Religion. there are no restrictions that prevent a woman from assuming the same roles as men in Religious leadership.
While there are Muslim woman who are oppressed this is not because of Islam. Islam has always guaranteed women equality and has never prohibited them from doing what ever they are capable of doing. Muslim woman have always taken on roles that woman of other faiths are just now attempting. Historically Muslim woman have been Active in all facets of life from Religion to Politics to education to the sciences. Today's Muslim woman has the same Strengths and characteristics of her forerunners.
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SPECIAL REPORT VOLUME. 6 ISSUE. 2
Muslim Women Scholars and Religious Authority
by Zahra Ayubi, Nimat Hafez Barazangi & Tayyibah Taylor
Muslim women who are scholars of Islamic studies are helping to shape the Islamic discourse in America and around the world. As more Muslim women produce scholarship, especially in the field of Islamic theology, we are witnessing a subtle change in the face of Islamic religious authority. While this may present challenges within the Muslim community for those who still equate religious authority with maleness, and may be problematic for those outside our community who equate Islam with misogyny, this change is not only providing the potential for expanding jurisprudential constructs, but it is giving us a platform for greater adoption of the egalitarian principles of Islam and creating a heightened gender consciousness.
A huge misunderstanding regarding Islam are Women's rights.
Why does it matter what Islam says about women's rights?
People do not use religious teachings to determine their behavior. They behave the way they want to, and then use religion to justify that behavior.
We all live a societies that have customs and rules that determine how people are treated. It seems to me that societies with a lot of Muslims often treat women in ways we think are bad.
To be specific, do you know of a majority Muslim society that treats women in a way that you approve?
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