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From: [email protected] (Asim Mughal)
Newsgroups: alt.religion.islam,bit.listserv.muslims,alt.answers,news.answers
Subject: Islam FAQ (Part 7/15): Women In Islam
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Summary: This posting contains Frequently Asked Questions for
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Last-modified: 1995/3/27
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Organization: Alumni Association, Caltech, Pasadena, California

Copyright 1993,1994,1995 Asim Mughal ([email protected])

Redistribution for profit, or in altered content/format
prohibited without explicit written permission of the author.
Any other redistribution must include this copyright notice and
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Frequently Asked Questions: Part 7
__________________________________

This message is automatically posted to 'soc.religion.islam'
every month and when updated. This lists answers to most
commonly asked questions on the forum. Contributions & changes
are requested and should be directed to: [email protected]

OVERVIEW: The Frequently Asked Questions document for
Islam has been divided in parts. Below is the index.

Part 1 - Welcome & Index
Part 2 - Info on Islamic News Groups
Part 3 - Introduction to Islam
Part 4 - God & Worship
Part 5 - Islam, Quran & Muhammad (PBUH)
Part 6 - Marriage Laws in Islam
Part 7 - Women In Islam
Part 8 - Life after Death, Moral System & Human rights in Islam
Part 9 - Islam: Prophethood, Jesus & Trinity
Part 10 - Islam: Farrakhism & Malcom X
Part 11 - Islamic Internet Guide: Islamic Resources on Internet
Part 12 - Other Islamic Resource Guides on Internet
Part 13 - Islamic Literature: Books & Video
Part 14 - Islamic Calendar & Prayer Time Table for 1994
Part 15 - Misc: List of Halal Foods

________________________________________________________

PART 7: Women In Islam

Contents

--Articles--
1. Hijab (Veil) and Muslim Women ...................... from Ms.Naheed Mustafa
2. Women In Islam .................................................. from IINN
3. Women's Liberation through Islam ............................... from III&E
4. Human Rights - Equality ........................................ from III&E
5. Civil Rights - Freedom of Choice & ............................. from III&E
6. Social Rights .................................................. from III&E
7. Political Rights ............................................... from III&E
8. Economic Rightrs ............................................... from III&E
9. Rights of a Wife ............................................... from III&E
10. Duties of a Wife ............................................... from III&E
11. Conclusion - Rights of Women ................................... from III&E
12. Who Practices Polygamy? ........................................ from III&E
--Announcements--
13. Archive Info ..............................................................
14. Credits ...................................................................

Articles .....................................................................

1. Hijab (Veil) and Muslim Women ...................... from Ms.Naheed Mustafa

"My body is my own business" by Naheed in The Globe

>Dated: 25 Sep 1993 16:35:02 -0500

MULTICULTURAL VOICES: A Canadian-born Muslim woman has taken to wearing
the traditional hijab scarf. It tends to make people see her as either a
terrorist or a symbol of oppressed womanhood, but she finds the
experience LIBERATING.

I OFTEN wonder whether people see me as a radical, fundamentalist Muslim
terrorist packing an AK-47 assault rifle inside my jean jacket. Or may
be they see me as the poster girl for oppressed womanhood everywhere.
I'm not sure which it is.

I get the whole gamut of strange looks, stares, and covert glances. You
see, I wear the hijab, a scarf that covers my head, neck, and throat. I
do this because I am a Muslim woman who believes her body is her own
private concern.

Young Muslim women are reclaiming the hijab, reinterpreting it in light
of its original purpose -- to give back to women ultimate control of
their own bodies.

The Qur'an teaches us that men and women are equal, that individuals
should not be judged according to gender, beauty, wealth, or privilege.
The only thing that makes one person better than another is her or his
character.

Nonetheless, people have a difficult time relating to me. After all, I'm
young, Canadian born and raised, university-educated -- why would I do
this to myself, they ask.

Strangers speak to me in loud, slow English and often appear to be
playing charades. They politely inquire how I like living in Canada and
whether or not the cold bothers me. If I'm in the right mood, it can be
very amusing.

But, why would I, a woman with all the advantages of a North American
upbringing, suddenly, at 21, want to cover myself so that with the hijab
and the other clothes I choose to wear, only my face and hands show?

Because it gives me freedom.

-o-o-o-

WOMEN are taught from early childhood that their worth is proportional
to their attractiveness. We feel compelled to pursue abstract notions of
beauty, half realizing that such a pursuit is futile.

When women reject this form of oppression, they face ridicule and
contempt. Whether it's women who refuse to wear makeup or to shave their
legs, or to expose their bodies, society, both men and women, have
trouble dealing with them.

In the Western world, the hijab has come to symbolize either forced
silence or radical, unconscionable militancy. Actually, it's neither. It
is simply a woman's assertion that judgment of her physical person is to
play no role whatsoever in social interaction.

Wearing the hijab has given me freedom from constant attention to my
physical self. Because my appearance is not subjected to public
scrutiny, my beauty, or perhaps lack of it, has been removed from the
realm of what can legitimately be discussed.

No one knows whether my hair looks as if I just stepped out of a salon,
whether or not I can pinch an inch, or even if I have unsightly stretch
marks. And because no one knows, no one cares.

Feeling that one has to meet the impossible male standards of beauty is
tiring and often humiliating. I should know, I spent my entire teen-age
years trying to do it. It was a borderline bulimic and spent a lot of
money I didn't have on potions and lotions in hopes of becoming the next
Cindy Crawford.

The definition of beauty is ever-changing; waifish is good, waifish is
bad, athletic is good -- sorry, athletic is bad. Narrow hips? Great.
Narrow hips? Too bad.

Women are not going to achieve equality with the right to bear their
breasts in public, as some people would like to have you believe. That
would only make us party to our own objectification. True equality will
be had only when women don't need to display themselves to get attention
and won't need to defend their decision to keep their bodies to
themselves.

Naheed Mustafa graduated from the University of Toronto last year with
an honours degree in political and history. She is currently studying
journalism at Ryerson Polytechnic University

NOTE:

This article appeared in IINN (Islamic Information & News Network)
publications. The Permission of Reprinting granted by "Islamic
Information & News Network" (Muslims @ Asuacad.Bitnet).

2. Women In Islam .................................................. from IINN

Source: Islamic Center of Southern California

Typed in by: Ms.Iraj Ali

SEPARATING FACTS FROM FICTION

o Islam gave woman the right to reject a marriage proposal free from
pressure and by mutual agreement to specify in the marriage contract
that she has the right to divorce. If she deems the marriage to have
failed beyond repair.

o Islam does not require woman to change her name at marriage.

o Islam protects the family and condemns the betrayal of marital
fidelity. It recognize only one type of family, husband and wife united
by authentic marriage contract.

o "Heaven is at the feet of mothers" is a basic Islamic teachings.

This article appeared in IINN (Islamic Information & News Network)
publications. The Permission of Reprinting granted by "Islamic
Information & News Network" (Muslims @ Asuacad.Bitnet).

3. Women's Liberation through Islam ............................... from III&E

Today people think that women are liberated in the West and that the
women's liberation movement began in the 20th century. Actually, the
women's liberation movement was not begun by women but was revealed by
God to a man in the seventh century by the name of Muhammad (peace be
upon him), who is known as the last Prophet of Islam. The Qur'an and the
Traditions of the Prophet (Hadith or Sunnah) are the sources from which
every Muslim woman derives her rights and duties.

4. Human Rights - Equality ........................................ from III&E

Islam, fourteen centuries ago, made women equally accountable to God in
glorifying and worshipping Him - setting no limits on her moral
progress. Also, Islam established a woman's equality in her humanity
with men.

In the Qur'an, in the first verse of the chapter entitled "Women," God
says, "O mankind! Be careful of your duty to your Lord Who created you
from a single soul and from it its mate and from them both have spread
abroad a multitude of men and women. Be careful of your duty toward
Allah in Whom you claim (your rights) of one another, and towards the
wombs (that bore you). Lo! Allah has been a Watcher over you." (4:1)

Since men and women both came from the same essence, they are equal in
their humanity. Women cannot be by nature evil (as some religious
believe) or then men would be evil also. Similarly, neither gender can
be superior because it would be a contradiction of equality.

5. Civil Rights - Freedom of Choice & ............................. from III&E

In Islam, a woman has the basic freedom of choice and expression based
on recognition of her individual personality. First, she is free to
choose her religion. The Qur'an states: "There is no compulsion in
religion. Right has been made distinct from error." (2:256)

Women are encouraged in Islam to contribute their opinions and ideas.
There are many traditions of the Prophet (pbuh) which indicate women
would pose questions directly to him and offer their opinions concerning
religion, economics and social matters.

A Muslim woman chooses her husband and keeps her name after marriage. A
Muslim woman's testimony is valid in legal disputes. In fact, in areas
in which women are more familiar, their evidence is conclusive.

6. Social Rights .................................................. from III&E

The Prophet (pbuh) said: "Seeking knowledge is a mandate for every
Muslim (male and female)." This includes knowledge of the Qur'an and the
Hadith as well as other knowledge. Men and women both have the capacity
for learning and understanding. Since it is also their obligation to
promote good behavior and condemn bad behavior in all spheres of life,
Muslim women must acquire the appropriate education to perform this duty
in accordance with their own natural talents and interests.

While maintenance of a home, providing support to her husband, and
bearing, raising and teaching of children are among the first and very
highly regarded roles for a woman, if she has the skills to work outside
the home for the good of the community, she may do so as long as her
family obligations are met.

Islam recognizes and fosters the natural differences between men and
women despite their equality. Some types of work are more suitable for
men and other types for women. This in no way diminishes either's effort
nor its benefit. God will reward both sexes equally for the value of
their work, though it may not necessarily be the same activity.

Concerning motherhood, the Prophet (pbuh) said: "Heaven lies under the
feet of mothers." This implies that the success of a society can be
traced to the mothers that raised it. The first and greatest influence
on a person comes from the sense of security, affection, and training
received from the mother. Therefore, a woman having children must be
educated and conscientious in order to be a skillful parent.

7. Political Rights ............................................... from III&E

A right given to Muslim women by God 1400 years ago is the right to
vote. On any public matter, a woman may voice her opinion and
participate in politics. One example, narrated in the Qur'an (60:12), is
that Muhammad (pbuh) is told that when the believing women come to him
and swear their allegiance to Islam, he must accept their oath. This
established the right of women to select their leader and publicly
declare so. Finally, Islam does not forbid a woman from holding
important positions in government. Abdur-Rahman Ibn Auf consulted many
women before he recommended Uthman Ibn Affan to be the Caliph.

8. Economic Rights ................................................ from III&E

The Qur'an states: "By the creation of the male and female; Verily, (the
ends) ye strive for are diverse." (92:3-4)

In these verses, God declares that He created men and women to be
different, with unique roles, functions and skills. As in society, where
there is a division of labor, so too in a family; each member has
different responsibilities. Generally, Islam upholds that women are
entrusted with the nurturing role, and men, with the guardian role.
Therefore, women are given the right of financial support.

The Qur'an states: "Men are the maintainers of women because Allah has
made some of them to excel others and because they spend of their wealth
(for the support of women)." (4:34)

This guardianship and greater financial responsibility is given to men,
requires that they provide women with not only monetary support but also
physical protection and kind and respectful treatment.

The Muslim woman has the privilege to earn money, the right to own
property, to enter into legal contracts and to manage all of her assets
in any way she pleases. She can run her own business and no one has any
claim on her earnings including her husband. The Qur'an states:

"And in no wise covet those things in which Allah hath bestowed His
gifts more freely on some of you than on others; to men is allotted what
they earn, and to women, what they earn; but ask Allah of His bounty,
for Allah hath full knowledge of all things." (4:32)

A woman inherits from her relatives. The Qur'an states: "For men there
is a share in what parents and relatives leave, and for women there is a
share of what parents and relatives leave, whether it be little or much
- an ordained share." (4:7)

9. Rights of a Wife ............................................... from III&E

The Qur'an states: "And among His signs is that He created for you mates
from among yourselves that you may live in tranquillity with them, and
He has put love and mercy between you; Verily, in that are signs for
people who reflect." (30:21)

Marriage is therefore not just a physical or emotional necessity, but in
fact, a sign from God! It is a relationship of mutual rights and
obligations based on divine guidance. God created men and women with
complimentary natures, and in the Qur'an, He laid out a system of laws
to support harmonious interaction between the sexes.

"...They are your garments and you are their garments." (2:187)

Clothing provides physical protection and covers the beauty and faults
of the body. Likewise, a spouse is viewed this way. Each protects the
other and hides the faults and compliments the characteristics of the
spouse.

To foster the love and security that comes with marriage, Muslim wives
have various rights. The first of the wife's rights is to receive mahr,
a gift from the husband which is part of the marriage contract and
required for the legality of the marriage.

The second right of a wife is maintenance. Despite any wealth she may
have, her husband is obligated to provide her with food, shelter and
clothing. He is not forced, however, to spend beyond his capability and
his wife is not entitled to make unreasonable demands. The Qur'an
states: "Let the man of means spend according to his means, and the man
whose resources are restricted, let him spend according to what Allah
has given him. Allah puts no burden on any person beyond what He has
given him." (65:7)

God tells us men are guardians over women and are afforded the
leadership in the family. His responsibility for obeying God extends to
guiding his family to obey God at all times.

A wife's rights also extend beyond material needs. She has the right to
kind treatment. The Prophet (pbuh) said: "The most perfect believers are
the best in conduct. And the best of you are those who are best to their
wives." God tells us He created mates and put love, mercy, and
tranquillity between them.

Both men and women have a need for companionship and sexual needs, and
marriage is designed to fulfill those needs. For one spouse to deny this
satisfaction to the other, temptation exists to seek it elsewhere.

10. Duties of a Wife ............................................... from III&E

With rights come responsibilities. Therefore, wives have certain
obligations to their husbands. The Qur'an states: "The good women in the
absence of their husbands guard their rights as Allah has enjoined upon
them to be guarded." (4:34)

A wife is to keep her husband's secrets and protect their marital
privacy. Issues of intimacy or faults of his that would dishonor him,
are not to be shared by the wife, just as he is expected to guard her
honor.

A wife must also guard her husband's property. She must safeguard his
home and possessions, to the best of her ability, from theft or damage.
She should manage the household affairs wisely so as to prevent loss or
waste. She should not allow anyone to enter the house whom her husband
dislikes nor incur any expenses of which her husband disapproves.

A Muslim woman must cooperate and coordinate with her husband. There
cannot, however, be cooperation with a man who is disobedient to God.
She should not fulfill his requests if he wants her to do something
unlawful. A husband also should not take advantage of his wife, but be
considerate of her needs and happiness.

11. Conclusion - Rights of Women ................................... from III&E

The Qur'an states: "And it becomes not a believing man or a believing
women, when Allah and His Messenger (Muhammad) have decided on an affair
(for them), that they should (after that) claim any say in their affair;
and whoso is rebellious to Allah and His Messenger, he verily goes
astray in error manifest." (33:36)

The Muslim woman was given a role, duties and rights 1400 years ago that
most women do not enjoy today, even in the West. These are from God and
are designed to keep balance in society; what may seem unjust or missing
in one place is compensated for or explained in another place. Islam is
a complete way of life.

-- Mary Ali and Anjum Ali

12. Who Practices Polygamy? ........................................ from III&E

Polygamy has been practiced by mankind for thousands of years. Many of
the ancient Israelites were polygamous, some having hundreds of wives.
King Solomon (peace be upon him) is said to have had seven hundred wives
and three hundred concubines. David (Dawood) had ninety-nine and Jacob
(Yacub, peace be upon them both) had four. Advice given by some Jewish
wise men state that no man should marry more than four wives. No early
society put any restrictions on the number of wives or put any
conditions about how they were to be treated. Jesus was not known to
have spoken against polygamy. As recently as the seventeenth century,
polygamy was practiced and accepted by the Christian Church. The Mormons
(Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints) has allowed and practiced
polygamy in the United States.

Monogamy was introduced into Christianity at the time of Paul when many
revisions took place in Christianity. This was done in order for the
church to conform to the Greco-Roman culture where men were monogamous
but owned many slaves who were free for them to use: in other words,
unrestricted polygamy.

Early Christians invented ideas that women were "full of sin" and man
was better off to "never marry." Since this would be the end of mankind
these same people compromised and said "marry only one."

In the American society many times when relations are strained, the
husband simply deserts his wife. The he cohabits with a prostitute or
other immoral woman without marriage. Actually there are three kinds of
polygamy practiced in Western societies: (1) serial polygamy, that is,
marriage, divorce, marriage, divorce, and so on any number of times; (2)
a man married to one woman but having and supporting one or more
mistresses; (3) an unmarried man having a number of mistresses. Islam
condones but discourages the first and forbids the other two.

Wars cause the number of women to greatly exceed the number of men. In a
monogamous society these women, left without husbands or support, resort
to prostitution, illicit relationships with married men resulting in
illegitimate children with no responsibility on the part of the father,
or lonely spinsterhood or widowhood.

Some Western men take the position that monogamy protects the rights of
women. But are these men really concerned about the rights of women? The
society has so many practices which exploit and suppress women, leading
to women's liberation movements from the suffragettes of the early
twentieth century to the feminists of today.

The truth of the matter is that monogamy protects men, allowing them to
"play around" without responsibility. Easy birth control and easy legal
abortion has opened the door of illicit sex to woman and she has been
lured into the so-called sexual revolution. But she is still the one who
suffers the trauma of abortion and the side effects of the birth control
methods. Taking aside the plagues of venereal disease, herpes and AIDS,
the male continues to enjoy himself free of worry. Men are the ones
protected by monogamy while women continue to be victims of men's
desires. Polygamy is very much opposed by the male dominated society
because it would force men to face up to responsibility and fidelity. It
would force them to take responsibility for their polygamous
inclinations and would protect and provide for women and children.

Among all the polygamous societies in history there were none which
limited the number of wives. All of the relationships were unrestricted.
In Islam, the regulations concerning polygamy limit the number of wives
a man can have while making him responsible for all of the women
involved.

"Marry women of your choice, two or three or four; but if you fear that
you shall not be able to deal justly with them, then only one or one
that your right hands possess. That will be more suitable, to prevent
you from doing injustice." (Qur'an 4:3)

This verse from the Qur'an allows a man to marry more than one woman but
only if he can deal justly with them. Another verse says that a person
is unable to deal justly between wives, thus giving permission but
discouraging.

"You will never be able to deal justly between wives however much you
desire (to do so). But (if you have more than one wife) do not turn
altogether away (from one), leaving her in suspense..." (Qur'an 4:129)

While the provision for polygamy makes the social system flexible enough
to deal with all kinds of conditions, it is not necessarily recommended
or preferred by Islam. Taking the example of the Prophet Muhammad (peace
be upon him) is instructive. He was married to one woman, Khadijah, for
twenty-five years. It was only after her death when he had reached the
age of fifty that he entered into other marriages to promote
friendships, create alliances or to be an example of some lesson to the
community; also to show the Muslims how to treat their spouses under
different conditions of life.

The Prophet (peace be upon him) was given inspiration from Allah about
how to deal with multiple marriages and the difficulties encountered
therein. It is not an easy matter for a man to handle two wives, two
families, and two households and still be just between the two. No man
of reasonable intelligence would enter into this situation without a
great deal of thought and very compelling reasons (other than sexual).

Some people have said that the first wife must agree to the second
marriage. Others have said that the couple can put it into the marriage
contract that the man will not marry a second wife. First of all,
neither the Qur'an nor Hadith state that the first wife need be
consulted at all concerning a second marriage let alone gain her
approval. Consideration and compassion on the part of the man for his
first wife should prompt him to discuss the matter with her but he is
not required to do so or to gain her approval. Secondly, the Qur'an has
explicitly given permission for a man to marry "two or three or four."
No one has the authority to make a contract forbidding something that
has been granted by Allah.

The bottom line in the marriage relationship is good morality and
happiness, creating a just and cohesive society where the needs of men
and women are well taken care of. The present Western society, which
permits free sex between consenting adults, has given rise to an
abundance of irresponsible sexual relationships, an abundance of
"fatherless" children, many unmarried teenage mothers; all becoming a
burden on the country's welfare system. In part, such an undesirable
welfare burden has given rise to bloated budget deficits which even an
economically powerful country like the United States cannot accommodate.
Bloated budget deficits have become a political football which is
affecting the political system of the United States.

In short, we find that artificially created monogamy has become a factor
in ruining the family structure, and the social, economic and political
systems of the country.

It must be a prophet, and indeed it was Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon
him) who directed Muslims to get married or observe patience until one
gets married. 'Abdullah b. Mas'ud reported Allah's messenger as saying,
"Young man, those of you who can support a wife should marry, for it
keeps you from looking at strange women and preserves you from
immorality; but those who cannot should devote themselves to fasting,
for it is a means of suppressing sexual desire." (Bukhari and Muslim)

Islam wants people to be married and to develop a good family structure.
Also Islam realizes the requirements of the society and the individual
in special circumstances where polygamy can be the solution to problems.
Therefore, Islam has allowed polygamy, limiting the number of wives to
four, but does not require or even recommend polygamy.

In the Muslim societies of our times, polygamy is not frequently
practiced despite legal permission in many countries. It appears that
the American male is very polygamous, getting away with not taking
responsibility for the families he should be responsible for.

--Mary Ali

(NOTE: In this article polygamy has been used to mean polygyny meaning
having two or more wives. Islam forbids polyandry meaning having two or
more husbands.)

Announcements ................................................................

13. Archive Info ..............................................................

This FAQ is archived at several sites and is available for public
retrieval thru anonymous FTP, E-MAIL, Gopher & World Wide Web.

-- Anonymous FTP --

Login: anonymous
Password: Your e-mail address

Site: rtfm.mit.edu
Dir: /pub/usenet/news.answers/islam-faq/

Site: ftp.uu.net
Dir: /pub/usenet/news.answers/islam-faq/

Site: ftp.cco.caltech.edu
Dir: /pub/calmsa/islam-faq/

-- E-MAIL --

Send E-mail to: [email protected]

Text of E-mail Message:

send usenet/news.answers/islam-faq/part7
quit

-- GOPHER --

Site: gopher.caltech.edu 70
Path: Computing Information/
CCO anonymous ftp archive/
pub/
calmsa/
islam-faq/

Site: latif.com 70
Path: Resources relating to Islam/
Soc.Religion.Islam

-- World-Wide-Web (WWW) --

One recommended interface is 'mosaic,' below are mosaic 'home pages.'

URL at USENET Archive site:
http://www.cis.ohio-state.edu/hypertext/faq/usenet/islam-faq/faq.html

URL at Caltech MSA site:
http://www.cco.caltech.edu/~calmsa/links.html

14. Credits ...................................................................

The author wishes to thank all those who contributed in any capacity for
the original one part FAQ or this multi-part FAQ.

-- SOURCES --

The basic introduction and literature presented in the FAQ is from
brochures on Islam distributed by Institute of Islamic Information &
Education (III&E). These brochures were typed in electronic form by
Ms.M.Ahmed.

The information on soc.religion.islam forum (in Part 2) has been
compiled from USENET archives and administrative logs of
Soc.Religion.Islam moderator panel.

What is III&E?

III&E is an acronym for the Institute of Islamic Information & Education
which was established in Chicago, Illinois in 1985. The III&E is
registered in the State of Illinois and recognized by the Internal
Revenue Service (IRS) as a not-for-profit religious organization.

More information can be obtained by contacting Dr. M. Amir, III&E, P.O.
Box 41129, Chicago, IL 60641-0129, U.S.A.; Tel: (312) 777-7443 Fax:
(312) 777-7199.

-- FORMAT --

The format of the FAQ series has been done by utilizing resources of
Islamic Information & News Network (IINN). A custom program, Nebula,
written by editors of IINN for generating newsletters has been used.

What is IINN?

Islamic Information & News Network is a forum dedicated to educate the
network community on issues relating to Islam and Muslims in an academic
& non-political environment. Weekly digest is available on internet by
subscribing to [email protected] (A Bitnet listserv list) and on
USENET: bit.listserv.muslims.

-- Permissions --

Permission to post this multi-part FAQ has been obtained by the
following:

o Institute of Islamic Information & Education (III&E)
o Islamic Information & News Network ([email protected])
o Moderator(s) of News.Answers (Thomas Khoenig & P.Huang)

# End of Islam FAQ Part 7 #