is a serious social issue posing major problems. In many countries
around the world, women are often treated as second-class citizens and
even outcasts.Perceived as weak and protection-seeking beings,they are
often abused. For the same reason, they do not hold a role in society
that commands respect or authority.
In societies where such prejudices prevail, a woman with a
remarkablecareer in business life hardly finds acceptance. Generally,
women are regarded as people who lack self-confidence and
determination, and who have poor intellectual faculties. This
rationalization of a"woman-stereotype" in society wrongly serves as an
explanation for every mistake a woman makes. In reality, such mistakes
are not peculiar to womenbut are universal among human beings.
Among candidates applying for job vacancies,men are usually favored
over women, even if they possess exactly the same backgrounds,
intelligence and skills. This tendency explains why there are limited
opportunities available to women in business life.
On the other hand, the majority of women identify with this image
attributed to them. This identification makes them readily assume the
inferiorroles assigned to them in many societies.
Prejudices in social life towards gender differences have striking
consequences in underdeveloped countries.Let alone their entitlementto
education and work, they are even deprived of making their own
decisions about marriage. All sorts of women's personal decisions rest
either with their fathers orhusbands.
There is an on-going effortto provide solutions to these flawed
implementations only a few of which have been included here.
Associationsfounded to protect women's rights, concepts such as
freedom and equality or the feminist movement or seminars, panels and
discussions have not contributed much towards a workable solution. All
these efforts prove that these solutions inherently breed more
complications. This is a natural consequence since the real solution,
as in all other domains, is unique: adherence to the Qur'an.
In a society adhering to the Qur'an and the Sunnah, no prejudicial
distinction is made between the individuals ofa society whether
women,men, wealthy, poor, youngor old. Social standing, profession,
wealth, or gender do not make people enjoy particular privileges. The
good deedsone engages in and one's fear of Allah distinguish one, as
is alluded to in the verse "Take provision, but the best provision is
fear of Allah." (Surat al-Baqara: 197) In the Qur'an, people are not
classified prejudicially as men or women. Allah addresses both men and
women having faith in Him and engaging in gooddeeds. Allah stresses
the importance of living by the values He commands. In that respect,
being maleor female has no significance. Some of the verses stressing
this are asfollows:
The men and women of the believers are friends of one another. They
command what is right and forbid what is wrong and perform prayer and
give the alms, and obey Allah andHis Messenger. They are the people on
whom Allah will have mercy. Allah is Almighty, All-Wise. Allah has
promised the men and women of the believers Gardens with rivers
flowing under them, remaining in them timelessly, for ever, and fine
dwellings in the Gardens of Eden. And Allah's good pleasure is even
greater. That is the great victory. (Surat at-Tawba: 71-72)
Men and women who are Muslims, men and women who are believers, men
and women who are obedient, men and women who are truthful,men and
women who are steadfast, men and women who are humble, men and women
who give in charity, men and womenwho fast, men and women who guard
their private parts, men and women who remember Allah much: Allah has
prepared forgiveness for them and an immense reward. (Surat al-Ahzab:
35)
Anyone, male or female, who does right actions and is a believer, will
enter the Garden. They will not be wronged by so much as the tiniest
speck. (Surat an-Nisa': 124)
The Trouble Women Suffer in Social Life
In societies distant from religion, women encounter many difficulties,
and, in particular, those experienced after a divorce deserve special
mention. A divorce createsmany problems for a woman who has been
prevented from working by her husband and hencehas come to depend
economically upon him.
That the majority of women do not have a profession, that they are not
young enough to go to work or that they are not entitled to any social
rights make conditions hard for divorced women.
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