Social Rights Of Women In Islam

STUDY ISLAM - Social rights of women in Islam can be categorized into four sub-headings. Social rights given to a daughter, to a wife, to a mother and to a sister.

Social Rights to a Daughter
Islam prohibits, female infanticide. The killing of female children is forbidden in Islam.
It is mentioned in Surah Taqveem,

"when the female child is buried alive and when she questions you, for what crime was she killed". [QS. At-Taqveem 81:8-9]

Not only female infanticide has been prohibited, all sorts of infanticides has been prohibited in Islam, whether it be a male child or a female child. It is mentioned in several places in Qur’an,

"Kill not your children for want of sustenance for it is God that will provide sustenance for you and for children." [QS. Al-An'am 6:151]

"Kill not your children for want of sustenance, for it is God that will provide sustenance to you and your children, for killing of children is a major sin." [QS. Al-Isra 17:31]

In the pre-Islamic Arabia, whenever a female child was born mostly she was buried alive. Alhamdulillah, after the spread of Islam this evil practice has been discontinued.

But unfortunately it still continues in India. According to a BBC report, in the program assignment the title of which was ‘Let Her Die’, there was a British reporter by the name of Emily Beckenen, who came all the way from Britain to India to give us the statistics of the female infanticide.

In that programe, it gives the statistics, that every day more than 3,000 fetuses are being aborted on being identified that they are females. If you multiply this figure by the number of days, that is multiplied by 365, you get a figure of more than one million female fetuses are being aborted every year in our country.

And there are big hoarding and posters in states like Tamil Nadu and Rajasthan, which says "spend 500 Rupees and save 5 lakh Rupees". What does it mean? That mean is spend Rupees 500 on medical examination like Aminocententus or Ultra Sonography, and identify the gender of child. If it is a female you can abort it and you’ll save 5 lakh Rupees - How?
The couple of lakhs you spend on upbringing her and the remaining lakhs of Rupees you spend on giving dowry to the man who will marry her (a custom in India).

According to the report of the Government Hospital of Tamil Nadu, ‘out of every 10 female children that are born, four are put to death’. No wonder the female population in India is less than the male population.

Female infanticide was continuing in India since centuries. If you analyze the statistics of the 1901 census, for every 1000 males there were 972 females. According to the 1981 statistics and census, it tells you for every 1000 males you have 934 females. And the latest statistics of 1991 tells you that for every 1000 males you have 927 females. You can analyze that the female ratio is dropping every year. And since science and medicine has advanced, it has helped in this evil practice.

Qur’an not only prohibits female infanticide, it rebukes at the thought of you rejoicing at the birth of a male child and getting saddened at the birth of a female child. In Islam, a daughter should be brought up correctly. In Islam, there should be no partiality in upbringing of the daughter or the son. According to a Hadith,

"In the presence of the Prophet Muhammad, once a man kissed his son and placed him on his lap but did not do the same to his daughter. The Prophet immediately objected and said that you are unjust. You should have even kissed your daughter and placed her on the other lap".

Social Rights to Wife
All the previous civilizations, they have considered the women to be an ‘instrument of the devil’. The Qur’an refers to the women as ‘Mohsana’, that is a ‘fortress against the devil’. And if a woman, who’s good, marries a man, she prevents him from going on the wrong path.
There’s a Hadith in which Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) he said that,

‘there is no monasticism in Islam’ .

And again according to Sahih Bukhari, Volume No. 7, Ch. No. 3 Hadith No 4 it says that

"the Prophet Muhammad ordained the young men, all those who have the means to marry, they should marry. For it will help them to guard their gaze and guard their modesty."

If you read Surah Rum, Ch. 30, Verse No. 21 it says that,

"And amongst our signs We have created for you mates or companions, so that you may dwell in them in tranquillity and we have put love and mercy between your hearts". [QS. Ar-Rum 30:21]

According to Surah Nisa, Ch.4, Verse No.21, marriage is considered as a strong agreement, a strong contract.
According to Surah Nisa, Ch.4, Verse No.19, it says, "You are prohibited to inherit women against their will" Means, to marry the permission of both the parties are required.

It is compulsory that the man and women both should agree to marry. No one - not even the father can force their daughter to marry against her wishes.
There’s a Hadith in Sahih Bukhari, Volume 7, Book 62, Number 69, which says

"that a lady she was forced by her father to marry against her wishes. And she went to the Prophet and the Prophet invalidated the marriage".

Another Hadith in Ibn-e-Humbal, Hadith No. 2469, it says

"that a daughter was forced by her father to get married. And when the daughter approached the Prophet, the Prophet said you can either continue, or if you wish you can invalidate the marriage."

That means, the consent of both the male and the female is required.

In Islam, a women is considered as a homemaker. She is not considered as a housewife, because she is not married to the house. Many people use terminology, without understanding what it means ‘Housewife’ means ‘you are the wife of the house’. So I believe, from now onwards the sisters would prefer calling themselves ‘homemakers’, than ‘house wives’, if they are occupied more in the home.

In Islam, a woman, she is not married to a master that she should be treated like a slave. She is married to it is equal. And there is a Hadith which says in Ibn-Hambal - Hadith No 736, 7396. It says that,

"the most perfect of the believers are those that are best in character and behavior, and those that are best to their family and their wives".

Islam gives equal rights to the man and woman. Qur’an clearly mentions that men and women, husband and wife have equal rights in all aspects, except leadership in the family.
It is mentioned in the Qur’an in Surah Baqarah. It says that,

"...the women have been given rights similar against them (men) on equitable terms but the men have a degree higher..." [QS. Al-Baqarah 2:228]

Most of the Muslims have misunderstood this verse, when it says ‘a men have a degree higher’. As I said we should analyze the Qur’an as a whole. And its mentioned in Surah Nisa, which says,

"The men are the protectors and maintainers of the women, for God has given one of them more strength than the other and they give them their means." [QS. An-Nisaa 4:34]

People say the word ‘Kawwam’ means, ‘one degree higher in superiority’. But actually the word ‘Kawwam’ comes from the root word ‘Ikamah’. ‘Ikamah’ means for example ‘when you give the Ikamah before prayers. You stand up’. So ‘Ikamah’ means to standup, so the word ‘Kawwam’ means one degree higher in responsibility, not one degree higher in superiority.

Even if you read the commentary of ‘Ibne-Kathir’. He says that the word ‘Kawwam’ means one degree higher in responsibility, not one degree higher in superiority. And this responsibility, should be carried out by mutual consent of both husband and wife. It is mentioned in Surah Baqarah, Ch.2, Verse No.187, which says, Which means…

‘Your wives are your garments, and you are their garments’. [QS. Al-Baqarah 2:187]

What’s the objective of garments? It is used to conceal and to beautify. The husband and wife, should conceal each others faults, and they should beautify each other. Its a relationship of hands and gloves.

The Qur’an mentions that, ‘even if you do not like your wife, you should treat her kindly’. It is mentioned in Surah Nisa, that,

"...consort with them (your wives) in kindness, for if you hate them it may happen that you hate a thing wherein God has placed much good." [QS. An-Nisaa 4:19]

Even if you dislike your wife you have to treat her kindly and with equity

Social Rights to a Mother
The only thing above respect to Mother, is the worship of God, It is mentioned in many places in Qur'an:

"God has ordained for you, that you worship none but Him, and to be kind to your parents. And if any one or both of them reach old age do not say a word of contempt or repel them but address them with honour, and speak to them with kindness, and lower your wing of humility and pray to God - ‘My Lord! bless them as they have cherished me in childhood".

"Respect the womb that bore you". [QS. An-Nisaa 4:1]

"You have to be kind to your parents". [QS. Al-An'am 6:151]

"We have enjoined on the human beings to be kind to his parents. In travail upon travail, did their mother bore them and in years twain was their weaning". [QS. Al-Luqman 31:14]

"We have enjoined on the human beings to be kind to his parents. In pain did their mother bore them and in pain did she give them birth". [QS. Al-Ahqaf 46:15]

Another Hadith related in Sahih Bukhari in Volume 8, Ch. No. 2 Hadith No. 2, as well as in Sahih-Muslim. It says that a man asked the Prophet Muhammad…

"Who requires the maximum love and respect and my companionship in this world?
The Prophet replied, ‘your mother’
‘Who is next’? ‘your mother’
‘Who is next'? ‘your mother’
The man asked for the fourth time, ‘Who is next?’
The Prophet replied ‘your father’."

So 75% of the love and respect goes to the mother and 25% of the love and respect goes to the father. Three fourth of the better part of the love and respect goes to the mother. One fourth of the remaining part of the love and respect goes to the father.

If you look at these facts, rather than questioning the women's rights, it should questioned the men's rights (ha ha ha... just kidding). Because women can earn the highest degree, even beyond the degree of a man, if he had become a mother.

Social Rights to a Sister

According to Surah Tawbah, it says that,