Today people think that women are liberated in thewest and that the
woman'sliberation movement began in the 20 th century.Actually, the
women's liberation movement was not begun by women but women but was
revealed buy 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 ofthe prophet (Hadith or Sunnah)
are the sources from which every Muslim women derives her rights and
duties.
I. HUMAN RIGHTS:
Islam, fourteen centuries ago, made women equally accountable to God
in glorifying and worshippingHim 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
broad a multitude of men and women. Be careful of your duty toward
Allah in whomyou 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 come from the same essence, they are equal in
their humanity. Women cannot be by nature evil (as some religions
believe) or them men would be evil, also. Similarly, neither gender
can be superior because it would be a contradiction of equality.
II. CIVIL RIGHTS:
In Islam, a woman has the basic freedoms 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 (p) 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 to keep her name after
marriage. A Muslim woman's testimonyis valid in legal disputes. In
fact, where women are more familiar, their evidence is conclusive.
III. SOCIAL RIGHTS:
The Prophet (s) 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 havethe capacity
for learning and understanding. Since itis also their obligation to
promote good behavior and condemn bad behaviorin all spheres of life
Muslim women must acquire the oppropriate education to perform this
duty in accordance with their own natural talents and interests.
While maintenance of a home, providing support toher husband and
bearing, raising and teaching of children are among the first and very
highly regarded roles for a women, if she has the skillsto 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
feetof mothers" this implies that the success of a society can be
traced to themothers 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.
IV. POLITICAL RIGHTS:
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)
MUHAMMAD [Pbuh] is told that when the believing women come to him and
swear their allegiance to Islam he mustaccept their oath. This
established the right of women to select their leader and publicly
declare so.
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'' Our Lord ! grant us good in this world and good in the hereafter and save us from the torment of the Fire '' [Ameen]
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{in Arab} :->
Rabbanaa aatinaa fid-dunyaa hasanatan wafil aakhirati hasanatan waqinaa 'athaaban-naar/-
(Surah Al-Baqarah ,verse 201)
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