The Prophets, Messengers sent by Allah, are the true source of democracy

Liberty, an important component of human life and one that greatly
enhances its quality, is only possible when the idea of democracy
prevails. Because democracy is a form of government under which
everyone enjoys social justice, equality, rights and freedoms, it is
a blessing that Almighty Allah has revealed to His servants in the
Divine Books by way of the prophets. A climate of liberty, love,
compassion and justice, in which everyone can live freely and speak
their own minds and live together in peace, is commanded in all the
Divine Books. That is why ancient Greece, regarded as the
birthplace of democracy, or Europe, regarded as the center of
democracy today, learned about it from the true faiths. However,
the most highly developed form of democracy will come with the
global dominion of Islamic moral values.
Some people who are unacquainted with Islamic moral values, or have
only just begun learning about it, may harbor false opinions and
prejudices about it because they have turned to incorrect sources
of information. These people fall prey to an error of thinking,
despite the fact that it is completelyuntrue, that Islam will
restrict their living space, obstruct their freedoms, control their
thoughts and put limitations on art and science. The truth is that
Islam is a faith that provides for freedom of worship and
expression, places rights of all kinds under protection and offers
people true liberty. In the Qur'an, verse 41 of Surah Yunus, "If
they deny you, say, ' I have my actions and you have your actions.
You are not responsible for what I do and I am not responsible for
what you do' ," is one of those verses in which Almighty Allah
enjoins democracy for His servants. In this verse Allah clearly
reveals the importance of everyone enjoying freedom of ideas and
belief, free of any pressure or compulsion.
All the Conditions of Democracy Can Only Be Met When People Live by
Islamic Moral Values
1-SOCIAL JUSTICE: Almighty Allah Commands Social Justice and Sharing
Social justice is one of the basic principles of democracy in true
democracies. People learned social justice from the Prophet Noah
(pbuh) and the Prophet Abraham (pbuh). According to religious
sources, when the Ark came to dry land after the flood, the Prophet
Noah (pbuh) boiled together the small quantities of remaining
chickpeas, lentils, raisins, figs, wheat and the like to make a kind
of sweet broth. Everyone on the Ark then ate it together. That is
social justice, because by this example Prophet Noah (pbuh) teaches
everyone equality, solidarity and generosity and the importance of
distributing food to all:
As revealed in verse 69 of Surah Hud, "Our messengers brought the
good news to Abraham. They said, 'Peace!' and he too said, 'Peace!'
and brought in a roasted calf without delay" the Prophet Abraham
(pbuh) immediately killed a calf when guests arrived and had it
prepared for them to eat. Almighty Allah notes that by offering food
to people whom he had never met, the Prophet Abraham (pbuh) was
behaving in the best way, and wisely stresses the importance of
feeding the poor and of social justice.
2-EQUALITY: Almighty Allah Reveals in the Qur'an That No Race Is
Superior to Any Other
As Almighty Allah reveals in one verse of the Qur'an, superiority
lies in piety alone. In this verse Allah tells us:
Mankind! We created you from a male and female, and made you into
peoples and tribes so that you might come to know each other. The
noblest among you in Allah's Sight is the one with the most piety.
Allah is All-Knowing, All-Aware. (Surat al-Hujurat, 13)
Our Prophet (saas) expresses this truth commanded by Allah as
follows in the hadiths:
"You are sons of Adam, and Adam came from dust. Let the people
cease to boast about their ancestors." (Sunan Abu Dawud, Book 41,
Number 5097)
"These genealogies of yours are not a reason to revile anyone. You
are all children of Adam. No one has any superiority over another
except in religion and taqwa (godliness)." (Ahmad, 158/4)
During his final sermon, the Prophet (saas) called on Muslims in these terms:
"There is no superiority for an Arab over a non-Arab and for a
non-Arab over an Arab; nor for white over the black nor for the
black over the white except in piety. Verily the noblest among you
is he who is the most pious." (The Prophet Muhammad's Last Sermon;
http://www.stanford.ed u/~jamila/Sermon.html)
3-JUSTICE: Almighty Allah Commands Justice
Allah issues this commandment to believers in the Qur'an: "... You
who have faith! Be upholders of justice, bearing witness for Allah
alone, even against yourselves or your parents and relatives.
Whether they are rich or poor, Allah is well able to look after them.
Do not follow your own desires and deviate from the truth. If you
twist or turn away, Allah is aware of what you do." (Surat al-Nisa',
135)
The commands that our Prophet (saas) issued among Muslims and his
just and affectionate attitude toward people of different religions,
languages, races and tribes, as well as the way he treated everyone
equally, making no distinction between rich and poor as Allah
revealed in the Qur'an, represents an excellent example of the
conception of democracy.
In one verse, Allah tells our Prophet (saas):
They are people who listen to lies and consume ill-gotten gains. If
they come to you, you can either judge between them or turn away
from them. If you turn away from them, they cannot harm you in any
way. But if you do judge, judge between them justly. Allah loves
the just. (Surat al-Ma'ida, 42)
Our Prophet (saas) adhered to Allah's commandment, even among
difficult people, and never made any concessions on justice. As
revealed, he always said, "My Lord has commanded justice..." (Surat
al-A'raf, 29), thus serving as a role model for all times.
Democracy Will Come about When People Are Living by the Moral
Values Commanded by Allah
As we have seen, in the essence of Islam, there is intellectual
freedom, freedom of faith and expression. Some people assume that
democracy entered the history of humanity with the ancient Greeks.
However, it is Allah Who teaches democracy to people. From the time
of the Prophet Adam (pbuh), all prophets have been the genuine
representatives of intellectual freedom and respect to views. The
essence of all the primary concepts – freedom of justice, not
putting any pressure upon anyone, treating everyone as a first class
citizens, respecting and trusting people, not judging anyone due to
his views- which are associated with democracy are present in the
morality of religion. Throughout history, people have learned these
concepts from the righteous religions revealed by Allah and
witnessed its most beautiful examples during the times when people
lived by the righteous religions.
When we look at the times when people were oppressed due to their
opinions and their different ideologies, members of various
religions were humiliated, while the arts, science and architecture
died out; times when people lost their joy in living and almost
turned into robots, or when book burnings, murders, massacres,
genocides became widespread, we see the influence of irreligious,
atheist ideologies or those who misinterpreted religious morality
with a radical mindset by distancing it from its essence.
Once Allah's righteous religion is lived in the form it is commanded
by Allah, the true justice, democracy, respect and love, that people
have been longing for, can be experienced. Very soon, democracy,
brotherhood, love, friendship and peace will, by Allah's leave,
dominate the world and people will experience the joy, bliss and
abundance of faith as much as they can. As one can clearly see from
the signs of the verses, hadiths of our Prophet (saas) and words of
great Islamic scholars, the time in which we live is the End Times.
The difficult and troublesome days of the End Times will, in this
century, come to end with the Prophet Jesus' (pbuh) and Hazrat
Mahdi's (pbuh) being instrumental, and the world will enter a brand
new, bright era. Communicating the Oneness and Unity of Allah in
the most beautiful and wise manner, and introducing people to
Islam as described in the Qur'an and lived in Age of Felicity lays a
very important foundation for the bright days that we will attain
in the near future. Our wish is that Allah will also render this
article instrumental in attaining the beauties in question. We
sincerely hope that the days when we see "people entering Allah's
religion in droves" come at once. Allah reveals these glad tidings as
follows in the Qur'an:
When Allah's help and victory have arrived and you have seen people
entering Allah's religion in droves, then glorify your Lord's praise
and ask His forgiveness. He is the Ever-Returning. (Surat an-Nasr,
1-3)
Freedom Is Important in Islam, and Compulsion and Pressure Are Prohibited
Every Muslim, as a requisite of the morality of the Qur'an, is
responsible for showing people the true path, enjoining the good and
forbidding that which is evil. But this never means to oblige
others to think, live, act and dress like oneself. A Muslim shows
the truth and leaves the choice to the person himself. This is the
commandment Allah informs us in the Qur'an in the verse, "There is
no compulsion in the religion..." (Surat al-Baqara: 256).
In line with Almighty Allah's commandment, our Prophet (saas) made
a contract with the Christians of Najran, who lived in the south of
Arabia. This makes it clear that Islam is the true source of freedom
of thought and belief in democracies. The contract included the
following article:
"The lives of the people of Najran and its surrounding area, their
religion, their land, property, cattle and those of them who are
present or absent, their messengers and their places of worship are
under the protection of Allah and guardianship of His Prophet." (The
Pact of Najran, Article 6, http://www.islamicreso urces.com
/Pact_of_Najran.htm.)
The Compact of Medina, signed by the Muslim immigrants from Mecca,
the indigenous Muslims of Medina, the Christians and the Jews of
Medina is one of the finest examples of the conception of
democracy in Islam. As a result of this constitution, which
established justice between communities with differing beliefs and
ensured the protection of their various interests, long years of
enmity were brought to an end. One of the most outstanding features
of the treaty is the freedom of belief it established. The relevant
article reads:
"The Jews of Banu 'Awf are one nation with the Muslims; the Jews
have their religion and the Muslims have theirs…" (The Constitution
of Madina, http://www.islamic- study.org/jews-prophet- p.-2.htm)
Article 16 of the treaty reads: "The Jew who follows us is surely
entitled to our support and the same equal rights as any one of us.
He shall not be wronged nor his enemy be assisted." (The
Constitution of Madina, http://www.islamic- study.org/jews-prophet-
p.-2.htm)
The Prophet's (saas) companions remained true to that article in the
treaty, even after his death, and even practiced it with regard to
Berbers, Buddhists, Brahmans and people of other beliefs.
Like all the other prophets, many events took place during the
course of Rasulullah's (saas) prophethood that manifested his
conception of democracy. Peoples of various races, religions,
languages and tribes lived together in the lands in which our
Prophet (saas) lived. It was not easy for these communities to live
together in peace and harmony and for those who wished to create
strife to be neutralized. One group could be angered and attack
another as the result of the slightest word or action. But our
Prophet's (saas) conception of justice, his just rule, represented a
source of peace and security for these communities as much as for
Muslims. During the Age of Felicity, everyone on the Arabian
Peninsula, Christians, Jews, pagans and everyone, without
distinction, was treated justly. In line with Almighty Allah's
commandment, "there is no compulsion in the religion..." our Prophet
(saas) told everyone of true religious moral values but left the
final decision up to them.

Women - Women's Scholarship: Remembering a ..

Women have had a strong presence in society since the beginning of
Islam. Khadeejah bint Khuwaylid, may Allaah be pleased with her,
wasthe first person ever to believe in the Prophet,...Women have had a
strong presence in society since the beginning of Islam. Khadeejah
bint Khuwaylid, may Allaah be pleased with her, was the first person
ever to believe in the Prophet,sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam. She was
a great support for theDa'wah)Islamic propagation( until her demise in
the tenth year after theBi'thah)the beginning of the mission of the
Prophet,sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam, as a prophet and messenger sent
by Allaah The Almighty to convey His message(. The Prophet,sallallaahu
'alayhi wa sallam, called that year "The Year of Grief".
The first person to sacrifice her soul in the cause of Allaah The
Almighty was a woman. She was the first martyr in Islam: Sumayyah bint
Khabbaat, may Allaah be pleased with her.
The first one to emigrate in the cause of Allaah The Almighty was a
woman: Ruqayyah, may Allaah be pleased with her, the daughter of the
Prophet,sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam.It is said that she and her
husband, 'Uthmaan bin 'Affaan, may Allaah be pleased with him, were
the first people to emigrate in the cause of Allaah after Prophet
Loote )Lot(, may Allaah exalt his mention. She emigrated to Abyssinia
to escape persecution in Makkah.
Muslim women did not only achieve great feats in terms of faith,
emigration and sacrifice. Rather, their achievements cover the fields
of scholarship and education as well. There were among them scholars
ofFiqh)Islamic jurisprudence(,Hadeeth)narration( andMuftis)scholars
entitled to issue religious verdicts( who were the center of
attraction for seekers of knowledge and some great and prominent
Muslim scholars. They were even consulted about publicaffairs. There
were women scholars who held assemblies of knowledge in the largest
Islamic mosques and who attracted students from all over the world.
There were some women scholars ofFiqhand narrators ofHadeethwho
traveled a great deal in pursuit of knowledge, to many of the centers
of knowledge in Egypt, Ash-Shaam)the Levant( and Al-Hijaaz)Western
Arabia( such that they became well-versed in knowledge and the
narration ofHadeeths. Many of them wrote books and contributed to
literature.
Their rooms were beacons of light
During the early stage of Islam, the Mothers of the Believers and a
number of women Companionswere the pioneers of women's education and
scholarship. The rooms ofthevirtuous Mothers of the Believers were
beacons for knowledge, culture and literature. 'Aa'ishah, may Allaah
be pleased with her, was the greatest in this regard. She was
eloquent, well-versed in genealogy and poetry. The Prophet,sallallaahu
'alayhi wa sallam, himself would listen to some of the poems that she
narrated.
In the field of narrating the PropheticHadeeths, she occupiesthe third
rank amongHadeethnarrators, for she narrated 2210Hadeeths. Some
reported citations stated that she alone was the repository of half of
the religious knowledge. Hence, the Companions used to refer to her to
find an answer for some difficult issues of knowledge andFiqh,
especially those which are relevant to the life of the
Prophet,sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam. She used to urge her questioner
not to be bashful by saying,"Ask! I am your mother."About 299 of the
Companions andtheTaabi'oon)successors of the Companions(,including 67
women, were taught by her.
Umm Salamah, may Allaah be pleased with her
Ath-Thahabi, may Allaah have mercy upon him, described her saying that
she was one of the scholars ofFiqhamong the women Companions. She
narrated manyHadeethson the authority of the Prophet,sallallaahu
'alayhi wa sallam. About 101 Companions andTaabi'oon, including 23
women, narratedHadeeths on her authority.
There were many women Companions andTaabi'oonrenowned for their
knowledge and narration ofHadeeths. The books ofHadeeth, narration and
biographies abound with the names of women who narratedHadeeths and on
whose authorityHadeeths were narrated; such as Asmaa' bint Abu Bakr,
Asmaa' bint 'Umays, Juwayriyah bint Al-Haarith, Hafsahbint 'Umar and
Zaynab bint Jahsh,may Allaah be pleased with them all.
Producing scholars
Great writers of biographies did not overlook the biographies of
Muslim women especially in the field of narratingHadeeth. Muhammad ibn
Sa'd, may Allaah have mercy upon him, mentionedmany of the female
Companions andTaabi'oonwho narratedHadeeths in his
bookAt-Tabaqaat-ul-Kubra. In his bookAsad Al-Ghaabah, Ibn Al-Atheer,
may Allaah have mercy upon him, specified one whole volume for the
biographies of women. InTaqreeb At-Tahtheeb,Ibn Hajar Al-'Asqalaani,
may Allaah have mercy upon him, mentioned the names of 824 women who
were known for narratingHadeeths at the beginning of the
thirdHijricentury.
Women participated in raising and bringing up great scholars. The
celebrated scholar ofHadeethand historian, Al-Khateeb Al-Baghdaadi,
may Allaah have mercy upon him, the compiler ofTaareekh Baghdadstudied
under Taahirah bint Ahmad ibn Yoosuf At-Tanookhiyyah, may Allaah
havemercy upon her, )d. 436 A.H.(. She was a scholar ofFiqhandHadeeth.
Amat Al-Waahid bint Al-Husayn ibn Ismaa'eel, may Allaah have mercy
upon her, )d. 377 A.H.( was among the most knowledgeable scholars
about the Shaafi'i schoolofFiqh. She was well-acquainted with the
knowledge of distributing the shares of inheritance, mathematics and
Arabic grammar )Nahw(. She used to issueFatwas )religious verdicts(
and her narrations ofHadeethwere written down by her students.
Jaleelah bint 'Ali ibn Al-Hasan Ash-Shajari, may Allaah have mercy
upon her, lived in the fifth century ofHijrah. She traveled seeking
the knowledge ofHadeethin Iraq and Ash-Shaam. Some of the great
scholars; such as As-Sam'aani, may Allaah have mercy upon him, studied
under her. She used to teach Quran to the children.
Zaynab bint Makki ibn 'Ali ibn Kaamil Al-Harraani, may Allaah have
mercy upon her, )d. 688 A.H.( was among the female scholars who spent
their whole life seeking the knowledge ofHadeethand narrating it.
Students gathered at the door of her home at foot of the Mount
Qasiyoun in the city of Damascus. They heardHadeeths from her and read
before her many books.
Zaynab bint Yahya ibn Al-'Izz ibn 'Abdul-Salaam, may Allaah have mercy
upon her, )d. 735 A.H.( was the only person to narrate the Hadeeths
ofAl-Mu'jam As-Sagheerthrough an uninterrupted chain of narrators. The
celebrated Muslim historian, Shams Ad-Deen Ath-Thahabi, may Allaah
have mercy upon him, said about her that there was goodness in her,
love of worship and of narrating theHadeeths. Many parts
ofHadeethcompilations were read before her on the day of her demise.
Zaynab bint Ahmad ibn 'Umar Ad-Dimishqiyyah, may Allaah havemercy upon
her, )d. 722( was among the remarkable narrators ofHadeeth, such that
many students headed for her in pursuit of knowledge.
Female scholars earning their living by sewing
The great traveler Ibn Battootah mentioned that he visited Al-Masjid
Al-Umawi in Damascus and heardHadeeths from some of the female
scholars ofHadeethin that age; such as Zaynab bint Ahmad ibn
'Abdul-Raheem, may Allaah have mercy upon her. She was well-versed in
knowledge andHadeeth. 'Aa'ishah bint Muhammad ibn Al-Muslim
Al-Harraaniyyah, may Allaah have mercy upon her, held a session for
teaching knowledge at theMasjid. She used to earn her living by
sewing. Ibn Battootah read before her some books.
Some women, who were narrators ofHadeeth, were the only persons to
narrate certain versions ofHadeeths; such as Zaynab bint Sulaymaan ibn
Ibraaheem, may Allaah have mercy upon her, )d. 705 A.H.(.
Taqiyy-ud-Deen As-Subki was one of her students.
Some female scholars in the field of narratingHadeeths
gaveIjaazah)licence( to a number of great scholars. Zaynab bint
'Abdullaah ibn 'Abdul-Haleem ibn Taymiyyah, may Allaah have mercy upon
her, )d. 725 A.H.( gaveIjaazahto Ibn Hajar Al-'Asqalaani, may Allaah
have mercy upon him.He also narrated on the authority 'Aa'ishah bint
Muhammad ibn 'Abdul-Haadi, may Allaah have mercy upon her. She had a
sound uninterrupted chain of narrators and many people narrated on
herauthority. She never prevented anyone from listening to theHadeeths
from her and she was kind. She narratedHadeeths on the authority of
two female narrators: Sitt Al-Fuqahaa' bint Al-Waasiti and Zaynab bint
Al-Kamaal, may Allaah have mercyupon them.
In his book,Al-Mu'jam Al-Mu'assas lil-Mu'jam Al-Mufahras, Ibn Hajar,
may Allaah have mercy upon him, mentioned many of the women teachers
under whom he studied,and those who learned with him under the
sameShaykhs)teachers(. He described one of them
asMusannifah)compiler(; she was 'Aa'ishah bint
'AbdullaahAl-Halabiyyah, may Allaah have mercy upon her.
Imaam Ath-Thahabi, may Allaah have mercy upon him, also mentioned many
of his women teachers in his book,Mu'jam Shuyookh Ath-Thahabi.
Women played a prominent role in teaching and raising the great
scholar ofFiqh,Ibn Hazm Al-Andalusi, may Allaah have mercy upon him.
They taught him the Noble Quran, reading, writing, poetry and he
remained under their care until the age of puberty. He related his
experience, saying, "I was brought up by women and I did not know
other than them or sit with men until I reached the age of my youth.
They taught me the Quran and many poems. They taught me writing."This
upbringing and education had a great effect on his taste and
personality.
Qualified forFatwaand wife of a scholar ofFiqh
The respected scholar, Faatimah bint Muhammad ibn Ahmad As-Samarqandi,
may Allaah have mercy upon her, assumed a high rank in the fields
ofFiqhandFatwa. She used to teach and compiled many books. The just
king, Noor Ad-Deen Mahmood, used to consult her on some domestic
affairs of the state and some issues that were related toFiqh. Her
husband, the renownedscholar ofFiqh, Al-Kaasaani, may Allaah have
mercy upon him, the author ofAl-Badaai,'used to listen to her
corrections when he fell short to reach the right opinion. She used to
issueFatwas and her husband used to respect herFatwas. The
issuedFatwaused to be signed in her name, and that of her father or
husband. When her father died, she and her husband used to
signtheFatwabecause of the broad and reliable scope of her knowledge.
In his large encyclopedia,Adh-Dhaw' Al-Laami' li-Ahl il-Qarn
At-Taasi', As-Sakhaawi, may Allaah have mercy upon him, mentioned the
biographies of more than 1070 women who were prominent in that
century; most of them were scholars ofFiqhand narrators ofHadeeth.
The encyclopedic scholar, Jalaal ud-Deen As-Suyooti, may Allaah have
mercy upon him, said his women teachers played a prominent role in his
acquiring knowledge. He learned from Umm Haani' bint Al-Hooreeni, may
Allaah have mercy upon her. He called her 'Al-Musnad'; she was also a
scholar ofNahw)Arabic grammar( and he put her biography among the
scholars ofNahwin his bookBughyat Al-Wu'aah fee Akhbaar An-Nuhaah. He
also learned from Umm Al-Fadhl bint Muhammad Al-Maqdisi, Khadeejah
bint Abu Al-Hasan Al-Mulaqqin, Nashwaan bint 'Abdullaah Al-Kanaani,
Haajarbint Muhammad Al-Misriyyah, Amat Al-Khaaliq bint 'Abdul-Lateef
Al-'Uqbi and many other female scholars, may Allaah have mercy upon
them.
Some of these female scholars assumed charge of some centers of
knowledge such as Zayn Al-'Arab bint 'Abdul-Rahmaan ibn 'Umar, may
Allaah have mercy upon her, )d. 704 A.H.(. She assumed charge of
Ribaat As-Saqlaatooni and then Ribaat Al-Haramayn.
The women Muslim scholars did not stop at imparting knowledgeand
teaching during times of peace and welfare. Rather, she played a
prominent academic role during the hardest times of crises. When the
forts of Islam fell in Andalusia and the Muslims were forced to become
Christiansand there were the worst ever Inquisitions and torture
against Muslims; some Muslims had to show that they were Christians
and practiced Islam in secrecy. Despite coercive Spanish policies,
Muslims continued their pursuit of knowledge. There were two women
scholars who were the highest referential authorities forMuslims in
the knowledge ofSharee'ah)Islamic legislation(. They taught many
Muslim scholars who bore the flag of Islam for years. Those two women
were Muslimah Abdah and Muslimah Ablah. The Morisco scholar ofFiqh'the
Young Man from Arévalo' )Mancebo de Arevalo( compiled many books
ofTafseer)exegesis( andSunnah)tradition( in the Aljamiado language
which was invented by Muslims there.
To conclude, Muslim women had a prominent presence in the Islamic
scholarly society. They used to learn, teach and travel seeking
knowledge. They were sought by knowledge seekers, compiled books,
issuedFatwas and were consulted on public affairs. Women were not
confined to their homes or restricted to certain professions. They had
a broad field of activity and achievement under the aegis of the true
spirit of IslamicSharee'ahwhich protected their chastity and modesty
while enabling them to achieve great feats of scholarship.

Women - Claims about woman in Islam

Question
There is a new group which has come recently to my city and claim that
they are addressing common misconceptions about Islam by Muslims
themselves.
These are a few of their teachings:
- looking at a woman in her eye while addressing her is a cultural
thing andhas nothing to do with Islam.
- women are highly encouraged to work)even outside homes, i.e. offices, etc.(.
- the public is Mahram fora woman.
- women only need husband's permission to go out only if the travel or
period of absence is more than 3 days.
-the voice of a woman is not Awrah.
- males are allowed to attend and listen to Qur'an recitation
competitions involving women.
- the seating arrangements which seek to segregate man and women is a
cultural thing.
- Islam does not preach strict segregation of the sexes )they used
Hajj as an example(.
- women are allowed to give Adhan )without any specifications(.
However there would be grave consequences and that is why they don't
do so.
- Sahabah used to sit in a big room with man facing women )more of
amixed seating but women with women andman with man, however in an
open manner(.
- if they sat together)manand woman(, every woman sat with her Mahram
in a big circle.
Please tell me if these things are right as I have had a different
upbringing )different teachings(. If they are, give me a few evidence
and if they aren't, again give me some evidences.
Answer
Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the World; and may His blessings and
peace be upon our Prophet Muhammad and upon all his Family and
Companions.
Men should not look at alien women nor should women look at alien
menas this is forbidden by the clear texts of the Qur'an and Hadith.
Allah Says )interpretation of meaning(:}Tell the believing men to
lower their gaze )from looking at forbidden things(, … And tell the
believing women to lower their gaze )from looking at forbidden
things(, …{]24:30-31[.
The Prophet )Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam( said:"Allah has written
forAdam's son his share of Zina which he commits inevitably. The Zina
of the eyes is the sight)looking at an alien woman("]Reported by
Imamsal-BukhariandMuslim[.
The Prophet )Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam( said toAli:"OAli! Do not
follow an unintentional look )at alien women( with another look. The
first glance is for you)pardonable( whereas theother glance is not for
you )that is a sin(". Transmitted byal-Tirmiziwho considered it as
good. There are many Ahadith proving this ruling.
So, whoever claims that lowering gaze from looking at alien women is
merely a cultural matter and not a religious act should recheck his
religion, Islam.
2( Working is permissiblefor the woman as long asthe following
conditions are met:
a( When the Muslim community needs her services such as a lady doctor,
lady teacher, etc.
b( Working in a non-mixed environment.
c( Observing the rulings of Sharia as for as the matter of Hijab is concerned.
Yet it is more suitable for her to stay in her house taking care of
her children, the future generation, which is, indeed, best for her
and for the community as well.
Allah Says )interpretationof meaning(:}And stay in your houses, and do
not display yourselves like that of the times of ignorance, …{]33:
33[.
3( Jurists have different opinions concerning the matter of presence
of a woman among a great number of men, is it permissible or not? The
preponderant opinion is that it is permissible provided there is no
temptation; otherwise, it is forbidden as agreed byall jurists.
However, traveling of a woman in public withoutbeing accompanied by a
Mahram is not permitted with the exception of thedire necessity. Some
jurists permitted her onlyto travel to perform obligatory Umrah and
Hajj with the company of trustworthy group of women.
4( Going out without having husband's permission is not permissible,
let alone traveling, which is strictlyforbidden with a greater reason.
5( Is the voice of a woman Awrah )must be covered( or not? This is a
matter of discussion among scholars. The preponderant opinion is that
it is not Awrah except if there is a chance of temptation.
6( There is no harm if a man attends the Qur'an recitation competition
of women provided the women are in complete Hijab fulfilling the
rulingsof Sharia and provided he is certain to not to be tempted on
hearing theirrecitation.
However, it is better that only women attend in such competition in
order to block the ways that could lead to evil.
7( Islam urges that there be separate places for men and women at
gatherings since mixing of both sexes leads to many evil and shameful
acts. There are many evidence proving this fact.
Allah Says )interpretationof meaning(:}And stay in your houses, …{]33: 33[.
The Prophet )Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam( said:"The best rows for men
are the first rows, and the worst one are the lastones, and the best
rows for women are the last ones and the worst ones for them are the
first ones".
This is because the first row of women is closer to the men's ranks
and the last rank is farther from them.
The Prophet )Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam( used to order men to delay
leaving of mosque till thewomen left. This rule wasonly to prevent
them from mixing with women. If it is undesirable for men and women to
be close at the time of worshipping Allah, remembering Him, how much
more so in a place full of doubts and temptations. The
Prophet)Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam( said toUmm Salamah:"Perform the
Tawaf while riding from behind the people"]Reported by
Imamal-Bukhari[.
Hafiz Ibn Hajarhighlighted the reason and said:'The Prophet)Sallallahu
Alaihi wa Sallam( ordered her to make Tawaf from behindthe people
since it wouldprovide more cover for her from being seen by men'.
In short, we mentioned but a few evidences here;otherwise, the
evidence is too much to be covered in this Fatwa.
8( Taking Hajj as an example for the permissibility of mixing men and
women is totally baseless. Is it correct to say that wine
ispermissible since some Muslims drink it? It is not sound to take the
example of Hajj to allow the mixing of both sexes since a mistake can
neverbe an excuse for another mistake.
9( Women can call for Azan but without raising their voice.
Imanal-Shafi'esaid:'Calling Azan and Iqama is permitted for women
butit is better not to raise their voice'. The reason isthat her voice
may cause seduction to others.
10( As for their claim that the companions of the Prophet )Sallallahu
Alaihi wa Sallam( used to sit in a big room facing women … we ask them
toproduce the evidence forthis claim. This claim is full of ambiguity
and is beyond the reality.
No doubt, some companions of the Prophet )Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam(
used to visit other companions and sometimes some of them visit some
women for some legal purpose but itwas totally free from being alone
with them, unveiled and free from any kind of suspicion, which is
common now.
In short, their claims consist of true and false. It is apparent that
they are keen to encourage men to mix with the opposite sex and
socializing with alien women. Indeed, this practice will open many
doors to seduction. Therefore, it is better for men to avoid being
seen by women and it is bettertoo for women to be far from the eyes of
men as reported from Ayisha)Radiya Allahu Anha(.
We ask Allah to make us steadfast on right path.
Allah knows best.

Women - Freedom of women in Islam

Question
Why in Islam women do not have their freedom?
Answer
Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the World; and may His blessings and
peace be upon our Prophet Muhammad and upon all his Family and
Companions.
A woman was in a miserable state before Islam. She was subject to
humiliation, injustice andoppression. She was buried alive for fear of
poverty. Also, because women were used as a means for gaining moneyand
for prostitution, which is a source of disgrace.
By the advent of Islam Shari'a honors the woman, gives her
naturalposition in life and returns her freedom. In general, she is
like a man except in some rulings and regulations that befither
physiologically.
The woman in Islam ranks high as a daughter,sister, wife and mother.
Islam grants the woman her personal and financial freedom as well as
independence to behave within the Shari'a limits and good customs that
Islam sanctions, i.e. without committing what is Haram such as
displaying her charm, misdeeds and uncovering her body. At the same
time, man has freedom, but within Shari'a limitations and good and
useful customs that Islam sanctions.
So, it is not true to say that women do not rank high in Islam.
Whoever wants Muslim women to be free from her modesty, morals, honor
and religion wants misery for her, to overburden her and to ask her to
do what she naturally cannot.
Allah knows best.