Women's liberation through Islam -II

Economic Rights:
Allaah Says )what means(:"By Him Who created male and female; Verily,
your efforts and deeds are diverse."]Quran 92:3-4[
In these verses, Allaah declares that He created men and women to be
different, with unique roles, functions and skills.As in society,
where thereis 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.
Allaah Says )what means(:"Men are the protectors and maintainers of
women, because Allaah has made one of them to excel the other, and
because theyspend )to support them( from their means..."]Quran 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 rightto own
property, to enter into legal contracts and to manage allof 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. Allaah Says )what
means(: "And wish not for the things in which Allaah has made some of
you to excel others. For men there is reward for what they have
earned, )and likewise( for women there is reward for what they have
earned, and ask Allaah of His bounty. Surely, Allaah is Ever
All-Knower of everything."]Quran 4:32[
Furthermore, a woman inherits from her relatives. Allaah Says)what
means(:"There is a share for men and a share for women from what is
left by parents and those nearest related, whether, the property be
small or large – alegal share."]Quran 4:7[
Rights of a Wife:
Allaah Says )what means(:"And among His signs is this, that He
created for you wives from among yourselves, that you may find repose
in them, and He has put affection and mercy between you; Verily,
inthat are signs for people who reflect."]Quran 30:21[
Marriage is therefore not just a physical or emotional necessity, but
in fact it is a relationship of mutual rights and obligations based on
divine guidance. Allaah created men and women with complimentary
natures, and in the Quran, He laid out a system of laws to
supportharmonious interaction between the sexes. AllaahSays )what
means(:"...They are your garments and you are their garments."]Quran
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 come with marriage, Muslimwives
have various rights. The first of the wife's rights is to receive Mahr
)marriage dowry(, a gift from the husband, which is part of the
marriage contract andrequired for the legality and validity 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 wifeis not entitled to make unreasonable demands. Allaah Says
)what means(:"Let the rich man spend according to his means, and the
man whose resources are restricted, let him spend according to what
Allaah has given him. Allah puts no burden on any person beyond what
He has given him. Allaah will grant after hardship, ease."]Quran
65:7[
Allaah tells us in the Quran that men are guardians over women and are
afforded the leadership in the family. His responsibility for obeying
Allaah extends to guiding his family to obey Allaah at all times.
A wife's rights also extend beyond material needs, as she has the
right to kind treatment. The Prophetsaid:"…The best of you are those
who are best )in treatment( to their wives."]At-Tirmithi, Ibn Maajah
and Al-Bayhaqi[
Allaah tells us that 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
fulfillthose needs. For one spouse to deny this satisfaction to the
other, temptation will rise to seek satisfying it elsewhere.
Duties of a Wife:
With rights come responsibilities. Therefore, wives have certain
obligations towards their husbands. Allaah Says )what means(:"…The
righteous women are devoutly obedient )toAllaah and their husbands(,
and guard in the husband's absence what Allaah orders them to guard
)i.e. their chastity, their husband's property, etc.(."]Quran 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 spread 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. Sheshould 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 cooperateand coordinate with her husband. There
cannot, however,be cooperation with a man who is disobedient to
Allaah. She should not fulfill his requests if he wants her to do
something Islamicaly unlawful. A husband also should not take
advantage of his wife, but rather he should consider her needs and
happiness.
Conclusion:
Allaah Says )what means(:"It is not for a believer,man or woman, when
Allaah and His Messenger )Muhammad( have decreed a matter that they
should have any option in their decision. And whoever disobeys Allaah
and His Messenger, he has strayed in a plain error."]Quran33:36[
The Muslim woman was given a role, duties and rights more than 1400
years ago that most womendo not enjoy today, even in the West. These
are rights granted byAllaah and are designed to keep balance in the
society; what may seem unjust or missing in one place is compensated
for or explained in another place.
Indeed Islam is a complete way of life.

Dought & clear, - She is confused about the answer to a questionconcerning women talking to men.

In a Question , regarding gender relations, you said: [[["
Conversation – whether verbally or in writing – between men and women
is permissible inand of itself, but it may be a way of falling into
the traps of the Shaytaan. Whoever knows that he is somewhat weak, and
is afraid that he may fall into the traps of the Shaytaan, has to
refrain from such conversations, in order to save himself. Whoever is
sure that he will be able to remain steadfast, then we thinkthat it is
permissible in his case, but there are certain conditions: "]]] And
Alhamdulillah, I understand up until this part, but I became a little
confused at the next part: [[[" 1. The conversation should notbe
allowed to wander too far from the topic being discussed; or it should
be for the purposes of calling others to Islam. "]]] So my question
regarding this is: In Sharee'ah, what can be considered a permissable
topic to discuss in the first place?For example, we know that Islaam
is a permissable topic, but what other things can we discuss, if
anything?.
Praise be to Allaah.
This has been discussed in the answer to question no. 1497where it says:
Speaking with a woman to whom one is not related (i.e., not mahram)
should only be for a specific need, such as asking a question, buying
or selling, asking about the head of the household, and so on. Such
conversations should be brief, with nothing doubtful in either what is
said or how it is said.
The idea of limiting speech with women to the five instances mentioned
in the question – which are: to ask how her family is, for medical
purposes, forfinancial purposes (e.g. in a shop), to find out about
her personality for marriage suitability and to give her dawah
(Islamic knowledge) – needs to be approached with caution, because
they could be taken as examples instead of limits. One must also
adhere to the conditionsset out by the Sharee'ah even in instances
where such conversations are necessary, such as in da'wah, giving
fatwas, buying or selling, etc. And Allaah knows best.
In the answer to question no. 1121it says:
Women are not prevented from talking to non-mahram men when it is
necessary to do so, such as dealing directly with them whenbuying
things or conducting any other financial transaction, because in such
cases it is necessary for both parties to speak. A woman may also ask
a scholar about some legalIslamic matter, or a man may ask a woman
such questions, as is proven in various texts of the Qur'aan and
Sunnah. Within the guidelines described above, there isnothing wrong
with a woman speaking to a non-mahram man. It is also permissible for
men to greet women with salaam and vice versa, according to the most
correct opinion, but this greeting must be free of anything that may
provoke desire in the person in whose heart isa disease, so as to be
safe from fitnah and payattention to the regulations outlined above.
If there is fear of fitnah being provoked by this greeting, then the
woman should refrain from either initiating or returning the greeting,
because warding off fitnah by neglecting the greeting is warding off
mischief, and warding off mischief takes precedence over doing
something useful. (See al-Mufassal fi Ahkaam al-Mar'ah by 'Abd
al-Kareem Zaydaan, vol. 3/276). And Allaah knows best.
Thus it is known that we do not mean general talk for no need, or a
great deal of private talk. Rather it should be just as much as is
needed in order to reply.
Going into detail in permissible talk or in shar'i matters when there
is no need for that leads to removal of barriers between the two
parties, which may lead to negative consequences.
And Allaah knows best.

Dought & clear, - Relationship of Sin and Attitude to Aqeedah.

Does falling into sin indicate that there is something wrong with
one's 'aqeedah (belief system)?
Praise be to Allaah.
Good attitudes - which are those that are obedience in and of
themselves or lead to obedience - are part of Islam, in fact they are
Islam. Allaah praised His Prophet Muhammad(peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) for being "on an exalted standard of character"
and Ibn 'Abbas interpretedkhuluq(translated here as "character") as
meaning Islam.
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"And verily, you (O Muhammad) are on an exalted (standard of) character"
[al-Qalam 68:4]
Ibn 'Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: You are on an
exalted standard of religion, which is Islam. Narrated by
al-Tabaraaniin hisTafseer(12/179).
The correct view is that character cannot be separated from religion.
Al-Fayroozabaadi said in his book Basaa'ir Dhawi'l-Tamyeez (2/568): It
should be noted that religion is all character. Whoever excels over
you in character will excel over you in religious commitment. End
quote.
Undoubtedly 'aqeedah (belief) has a strong connection to one's conduct
and character, negative or positive. That is clear from a number of
things, including the following:
1 - The Muslim who believes that Allaah can hear him and see him and
knows his secrets, and that belief is very strong in him, will be
affected by this and will not do anything that a person whose belief
in these matters is weak might do.
Among the evidence for this is the following:
(a)The verse in which Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"But if you do good and keep away from evil, verily, Allaah is Ever
Well-Acquainted with what you do"
[al-Nisa' 4:128]
(b)The verse in which Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"O you who believe! Stand out firmly for justice, as witnesses to
Allaah, even though it beagainst yourselves, or your parents, or your
kin, be he rich or poor, Allaah is a Better Protector to both (than
you). So follow not the lusts (of your hearts), lestyou avoid justice;
and if you distort your witness or refuse to give it, verily, Allaah
is Ever Well-Acquainted with what you do"
[al-Nisa' 4:135]
(c)The verse in which Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"Verily, Allaah commandsthat you should render back the trusts to
those, to whom they are due; and that when you judge between men,
youjudge with justice. Verily, how excellent is the teaching which He
(Allaah) gives you! Truly, Allaah is Ever All-Hearer, All-Seer"
[al-Nisa' 4:58]
2 - The Muslim who believes in the promises and warnings of Allaah
will be motivated by thatbelief to do that which isbeloved to Allaah,
and tokeep away from everything that is hated by Him.
It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah said: The Messenger of Allaah(peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "The most perfect of the
believers in faith is the one who is best in attitude." Narrated by
al-Tirmidhi (1162) and he said: it is hasan saheeh. Also narrated by
Abu Dawood (4682).
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
It is well known that the most beloved of His creation to Him are the
believers, and if the most perfect of them in faith are those who are
best in attitude, then themost beloved to him are those who are best
in attitude, andkhuluq(character, attitude) is religion as Allaah says
(interpretation of the meaning):"And verily, you (O Muhammad) are on
an exalted (standard of) character" [al-Qalam 68:4]. Ibn 'Abbaas said:
On a high standard of religion. It was also interpreted thus by
Sufyaan ibn 'Uyaynah, Ahmad ibn Hanbal and others, as we have
explained elsewhere.Al-Istiqaamah(p. 442).
Al-Mubaarakfoori (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: He said, "The
most perfect of the believers in faith is the one who is best in
attitude" because perfection of faith implies a good characterand good
treatment towards all people.
Tuhfat al-Ahwadhi(4/273).
3 - Strength of faith motivates one to do righteous deeds, and
prevents one from indulging in sin.
This is indicated by the following:
(a)It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah that the Prophet(peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "No adulterer is a believer at
the time when he is committing adultery; no thief is a believer at the
time when he is stealing;no drinker of wine is a believer at the time
when he is drinking it." Narrated by al-Bukhaari (2334) and Muslim
(57).
(b)It was narrated from Abu Shurayh that the Prophet(peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "By Allaah he does not believe,
by Allaah he does not believe, by Allaah he does not believe." It was
said: Who, O Messenger of Allaah? He said: "The onefrom whose harm his
neighbour is not safe." Narrated by al-Bukhaari (5670).
(c)It was narrated from 'Abd-Allaah ibn 'Umar that the Messenger of
Allaah(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) passed by an Ansaari
man who was exhorting his brother to be modest. The Messenger of
Allaah(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Let him be,
for modesty is part of faith."Narrated by al-Bukhaari (24) and Muslim
(36).
Maalik ibn Dinar (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: Faith starts in
the heart weak and feeble like a plant. If its owner takes care of it
and nourishes it with beneficial knowledge and righteous deeds, and
keeps away from it weeds and things that will make it weak, then soon
it will grow and increase and will develop roots and branches, and
will bear fruit and provide shade endlessly, until it becomes like a
mountain. But if its owner neglects it and does not take care of it, a
goat will come and eatit, or a child will come and take it, and the
weeds will grow and overshadow it and destroy it. The same applies to
faith.
Khaythamah ibn 'Abd al-Rahmaan said: Faith grows strong in fertile
soil and grows weak in arid soil. Its fertile soil is righteous deeds
and its arid soil is sin and disobedience. Quoted byIbn Taymiyah
inal-Eemaan, p. 213.
4 - By the will and decree of Allaah, faith prevents many bad
attitudes and sins against which Islam issues stern warnings, such as
getting angry, rending one's garment, tearing out one's hair and
wailing. Faith also calls a person to acquire the best of attitudes,
such as patience, acceptance and seeking reward. It was narrated that
Suhayb al-Roomi (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger
of Allaah(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "How
wonderful is the situation of the believer, for all his affairs are
good. If something good happens to him, he givesthanks for it and that
is good for him; if something bad happens to him, he bears it with
patience, and that is good for him. This does not apply to anyone but
the believer." Narrated by Muslim (2999).
InSunan Abi Dawood(4700) it says: 'Ubaadah ibn al-Saamit said to his
son: You will never taste the reality of faith until you understand
that whatever befalls you would never have missed you, and whatever
misses you would never have befallen you. I heard the Messenger of
Allaah(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) say: "The first
thing that Allaah created was the Pen, and he said to it: 'Write.'
It said: 'O Lord, what should I write?'
He said: 'Write the decrees of all things until the Hour begins.'"
O my son, I heard the Messenger of Allaah(peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) say: "Whoever dies believing in something other
than this does not belong to me." Classed as saheeh (authentic) by
al-Albaani.
5 - Islam urges us to do agreat deal of good deeds, confirming their
connection to belief in Allaah and the Last Day, and it forbids sins
and deeds that incur punishment by reminding us of belief inAllaah and
the Last Day.
This is indicated by the following:
(a)It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah said: The Messenger of
Allaah(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Whoever
believes in Allaah and the Last Day, let him honour his neighbour;
whoever believes in Allaah and the Last Day, let him honour his guest;
whoever believes in Allaah and the Last Day, let him speak good or
else remain silent." Narrated by al-Bukhaari (5672) and Muslim (47).
(b)It was narrated from 'Abd-Allah ibn 'Umar thatthe Prophet(peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "It is notpermissible for a
womanwho believes in Allaah and the Last Day to travel for a distance
of three nights, unless she has a mahram (close male relative whom she
can never marry) with her." Narrated by al-Bukhaari (1036)and Muslim
(1338).
(c)It was narrated that Umm Habeebah said: I heard the Messenger of
Allaah(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) say: "It is not
permissible for a womenwho believes in Allaah and the Last Day to
mourn for more than three days for anyone who dies, except for a
husband, four months and ten days." Narrated by al-Bukhaari (1221) and
Muslim (1486).
6 -The Prophet(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) explained in
his Sunnah (propheticteachings) that false belief, such as
hypocrisy,leads to bad attitudes and bad deeds.
It was narrated from AbuHurayrah that the Prophet(peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him) said: "The signs of the hypocrite are three:
when he speaks he lies, when he makes a promise he breaks it, and when
he isentrusted with something he betrays that trust." Narrated by
al-Bukhaari (33) and Muslim (59).
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:Those
who go against the people of hadeeth (ahl al-sunnah-followers of the
Prophet) are those who are likely to have bad deeds, either because of
corrupt beliefs and hypocrisy, or because of a sickness in the heart
and weakness of faith. Among them arethose who neglect obligatory
duties, transgress the limits, take rights and duties lightly and are
hard hearted, as is clear to everyone. Most of their Shaykhs are
accused of major sins even if there are among them some who are known
for asceticism and worship. The asceticism and worship of some of the
common folk of Ahl al-Sunnah are better than what they do.
It is well known that knowledge is the basis of action, and sound
roots produce sound branches. A man does not do evil actions except
for two reasons, either need or ignorance. The one who is aware of the
abhorrence of a thing that he has no need of will not do it, unless
his whims and desires have overpowered his reason and led him to
commit sin, which is another matter altogether.Majmoo'
al-Fataawa(4/53).
We ask Allaah to set all our affairs straight and to guide us to the
best ofwords, deeds and attitudes.
And Allaah knows best.

Dought & clear, - Enthusiasm when one first repents, followed byslackening off.

When a person repents, he makes a vigorous start and says, "The
Shaytaan is telling me toslow down," so he does more acts of worship.
Then his enthusiasm cools down, and he says,"Allaah does not burdenany
person beyond his scope," and his acts of worship become less until he
goes back to the way he was.
My question: What advice can you give? Should he make a vigorous
start, or take a gradual approach until itis established and then add
more after a while, or should he follow the saying, "When your wind
blows, then make the most of it"?.
Praise be to Allaah.
The blessing of guidanceand repentance is one ofthe greatest blessings
that Allaah can bestow upon the Muslim, whereby he changes himself for
the better in ways that will bring him closer to Allaah, may He be
exalted. Usually the person who has repented starts to do acts of
worship in an enthusiastic manner, seeking thereby to makeup for what
he missed out on during the time that he spent in sin and misguidance.
This is something naturalthat happens to everyone who is sincere in
his repentance. This was mentioned by our Prophet(peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him), who also described the cooling offand
reduction of enthusiasm that comes after that. This is also something
natural, but the danger in the case ofone who has repented isthat this
loss of enthusiasm may lead to him going back to the way he was. Hence
it is essential to pay attention to this matter. If the one who
repents finds his enthusiasm waning, he must adopt amoderate approach
and adhere to the Sunnah so that he can preserve his capital, then he
can startagain with energy and strength, because starting from the
middle is better than starting from zero.
It was narrated that 'Abd-Allaah ibn 'Amr (may Allaah be pleased with
him) said: The Messenger of Allaah(peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) said: "Every deed has a period of enthusiasm, and every
period of enthusiasm is followed by a slackening off. If a person's
enthusiasm is for my Sunnah, then he has succeeded, but whoever
chooses something else when he slackens off is doomed."
Narrated by Ibn Hibbaanin hisSaheeh(1/187); classed as saheeh by
al-Albaani inSaheeh al-Targheeb, 56.
It was narrated from AbuHurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) that
the Prophet(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Every
deed has a period of enthusiasm, and every period of enthusiasm is
followed by a slackeningoff. If a person is moderate and avoids
extremes, then you may have hope for him, but iffingers are pointed at
him, then do not count him as anything."
Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 2453; classed as hasan byal-Albaani inSaheeh
al-Targheeb, 57.
Al-Mubaarakfoori (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
"Every deed has a periodof enthusiasm" means, enthusiasm and energy
for doing a thing, whether it is for good orevil.
"and every period of enthusiasm is followed by a slackening off"
means, one becomes tired, weak and lethargic
"If a person is moderate and avoids extremes" means, if he controls
his enthusiasm and avoids the extremes of excess and negligence when
his enthusiasm wanes.
"then you may have hope for him" means, there is the hope that hewill
succeed, for he can continue to adhere to something moderate, and the
most beloved of deeds to Allaah are thosewhich are done consistently.
"but if fingers are pointed at him" means, he is striving hard in
order to become famousfor his worship and asceticism, so that he will
be famous and people will point at him.
"then do not count him as anything" means, do not think of him as
special or regard him as one of the righteous, forhe is showing off.
He didnot say, "Do not have any hope for him," because he has already
fallen and he cannot catch up with what he has missed.
Tuhfat al-Ahwadhi, 7/126
In order for the Muslim to avoid either extreme, he must be moderate
and not go to extremes in doing acts of worship and obedience lest he
get bored and give it up,and he should not refrain from doing them out
of laziness and carelessness lest he gets used to that and never goes
back to worship. Both attitudes are wrong, but the one who follows a
middle path is following the right path,and whoever follows theright
path will attain that which Allaah loves and is pleased with.
It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him)
said: The Messenger of Allaah(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) said: "No one of you will be saved by his deeds." They said: Not
even you, O Messenger of Allaah? He said: "Not even me, unless Allaah
bestows mercy upon me. So do good deeds properly, sincerely and
moderately, and worship Allaah in the forenoon and in the afternoon
and during a part of the night, and always adopt a moderate course
whereby you will reach your target (Paradise)."
Narrated by al-Bukhaari,6098
Al-Haafiz ibn Hajar (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
"So do good deeds" means, strive to do whatis right.
"moderately" means, do not go to extremes in worship, lest you become
tired and give up, and thus fall short.
This hadeeth indicates that we are encouraged to be gentle and
moderate in worship; the words used liken worship to walking at
various times of day and night, with the aim of reaching one's abode,
namely Paradise.
"Always adopt a moderate course" meansadhere to the middle way. The
literal translation would be, "Moderation, moderation"; the word is
repeated for emphasis.
Fath al-Baari, 11/297
Conclusion: We invite you to ponder the ahaadeeth quoted above and
think about what they mean. Remember that the one who repents should
be grateful, and the best way of showing gratitude is to persist in
repentance, which means persisting in worship. Remember that"The
dearest of actions to Allaah is that which is done regularly, even if
itis small." Narrated by al-Bukhaari and Muslim. So do not start in an
overenthusiastic way and then stop completely; rather be moderate in
worship. This is something that it is possible for you to do. Whenever
you feel moreenergetic, then focus on obeying and worshipping Allaah,
and whenever you feel tired than go back to the moderate way. We ask
Allaah to make things easy for you, and to guide you to the best of
words, deeds and attitudes.
And Allaah knows best.