Islamic Articles, - The girl is like the boy: A slogan often raised but not applied - I

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work or to get something for the house, she directs her advice to her daughter, or perhaps even commands her, to prepare the breakfast for her brothers, tidy up the house, and look after the young siblings, in addition to a list of commands. The mother never thinks of directing even a single command to her son. She continues to do so and the boy grows up with this incorrect concept in his mind; that he is not responsible for anything, whether inside or outside the house. Afterwards, the suffering of the mother starts; however, neither advice nor guidance can be of any benefit at this time because it will be too late. This is because whoever grows up on something will continue to have it all his life.
Mothers: We made a mistake from the outset by not accustoming our sons to depend on themselves and help their sisters with the housework.
Wives: Pampering the boy during his childhood makes him grow into a husband who is unable to shoulder the responsibilities of his house and children.
Dr. Nasr Ad-Deen Shihaab says that dividing the upbringing of children into three stages is an educational philosophy, while Dr. ‘Arafah ‘Aamir says that if the children are not brought up to bear responsibility, this will make them unable to deal with the trials and experiences of life.
The result of indulgence
A. A., an employee in a company, complains about her 25-year-old son whom she used to spoil excessively and respond to all his requests. She did not accustom him to depend upon himself until he got used to this treatment and now, as a result, he has no desire to work. Although he was offered suitable opportunities to work, he refused them all. Now she has become old and she needs rest, care and help because she is no longer able to do everything; however, he does not even fetch himself a glass of water. She says that she is extremely regretful that she did not accustom him to work and depend on himself. He also prefers relaxation and laziness to the extent that he does not search for work, despite his high skills and qualifications. He is used to comfort and is not accustomed to enduring hardships. Hence, he is waiting for work that does not have any hardship and does not require any effort. However, where will he find such work?
F.M., a housewife, says: Unfortunately, it is wrong to make the boy accustomed to being obeyed by his sisters, who fulfill all his requests even if they are older than him; and it is also wrong to entrust all the housework to the girl without asking the boy to help her, for that is a great pressure on her. This custom is not found in the countryside because the boy there gets used to hard work from his young age, and depends upon himself so that he grows up as an assistant to his father on the farm or in his profession. Unfortunately, we teach our sons that this is their right and that they should only command while we have to obey. Hence, the husband depends on his wife in all affairs. If she gets tired or needs some rest, everything in the family life changes and there is no one who can do her job. This is a grave mistake in upbringing that we should avoid in the forthcoming generations.
Sheereen Kamaal, a wife who works as a social specialist in a school, says, “Normall, the wife should do the housework and the day-long hardship is enough for the husband. Sometimes, he also works at night to provide for his family. However, because of my work, I need my husband’s help at home sometimes. Unfortunately, he insists that he does not have the time to help me. The husband always feels that his wife is responsible for all the housework even if she is a working woman because he had been accustomed to this in his parents’ house before marriage. He would see his mother and sisters doing all the housework.”
Her mother confirms this saying: From the outset, the mother is responsible for this. My son, Muhammad, used to do some simple tasks like preparing breakfast or dinner because he used to do so from the time he was young. On the other hand, my other son, Ahmad, does not even tidy up his room and throws his belongings all over the house. I admit that this is my fault. Had I accustomed them to help with the housework from their childhood, this would not have happened. They also used to see me and their sisters doing all the housework. Now, their sisters are married, I have become old and need their help. However, they leave everything to me.
A society that prefers males
Shaadiyah Sa‘d, a newly-married housewife, says: The girl is like the boy in everything. Both of them have duties that they should fulfill and rights that they should have. However, in our eastern society, we discriminate between the boy and the girl. The boy, from a young age, dominates his sister and believes that she has to do all the housework and fulfill his requests. We live in a society that prefers males and recognizes them before the females. If we overburden the girl with tasks that she can not do, we are unfair to her. Had the mother distributed the responsibilities between the boy and the girl from their young age, the boy would have grown up depending on himself and able to bear







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Islamic Articles, - Women's Rights of Inheritance in Islam - II

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that are granted by the IslamicSharee‘ah)Islamic legislation( to women in all fields of life and despite the fact that most of these rights were not granted to women all over the world except after great efforts exerted globally, many of those whoare prejudiced againstIslam use the rule of inheritance“for the male, what is equal to the share of two females”to criticize Islam.
They say:This rule boosts the idea of discrimination against women and it oppresses women and harms them as the male inherits what is equal to the share of two females.
One such oft-repeated criticism is, “The issue of inheritance and the share of females that is half of what the male takes is undoubtedly the reason for the inferiority of Muslim women.”
Such criticism is leveled by non-Muslims and some groups of Muslims who are ignorant of the rulings of the religion and its honorable purposes. Such groups ask for this rule to be amended so that both males and females receive an equal share in inheritance.
To those people we say:
The rule of inheriting what is equal to half a male’s share is not an invariable rule in all cases that pertain to women. There are different cases where males and females take an equal share of the inheritance.
For instance, both the father and the mother take the same share of their son’s inheritance. Also, the share of the brother and the sister whena man or woman leaves neither ascendants nor descendants, both the sister and brother would take one sixth.
·The ruling of inheriting a share that is equal to half a male’s share only applies to the shares of inheritance and not to all the property that is inherited. The amount taken by women from the entire estate may be more than that taken by men. For instance, if a man died and left a wife, three daughters and a son, the portion inherited by women is larger than what the son inherits.
·This rule does not apply to gifted property, as it is permissible for the father to gift his daughter an equal share to what he gifts to his son during the father’s lifetime. It is prohibited to favor a son over a daughter. The Prophet,sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said:“Treat yourchildren fairly regarding gifts. If I were to favor someone, I would have favored women.”]Baihaqi[
·Moreover, it is permissible for a person to write a will to bequeath equal shares to their heirs )males and females(, or to bequeath to a female heir a share that is equal to half a male’s share, if he/she wishes to.
·The rule of giving females half of what a male takes does not apply when distributingstate landsas these lands are divided equally between men and women.
The wisdom of theSharee‘ahbehind this rule:
Differentiating between sons and daughters is not meant to humiliate women or belittle them as what some people claim. This share was determined by the IslamicSharee‘ahaccording to the responsibilities and economic burdens that each one of them has to shoulder.
Islamic scholars believe that giving women half of the share that is given to men should be seen along with theSharee’ah-stipulated responsibilities of men; such as their obligation to provide for the women for whom they are responsible, whether she is a wife, a daughter, a mother, a sister or a relative. Thus, differences of financial responsibilities lead to differences in inheritance shares.
The fact that men are obliged to abide by their responsibilities, and fulfill them as duties, not as acts of courtesy, is what made IslamicSharee‘ahprescribe for a woman to inherit what is equal to half a man’s share. If we consider the financial support that men are obliged to provide, we would realize that women are the beneficiaries as a man is required to provide for his mother, father, sisters and younger brothers and his close relatives if they are insolvent. Women are exempted from such responsibility. Allaah The Almighty Says )what means(:}They ask you, ]O Muhammad[, what they should spend. Say, "Whatever you spend of good is ]to be[ for parents and relatives and orphans and the needy and the traveler. And whatever you do of good - indeed, Allaah is Knowing of it."{]Quran 2:215[
It is worth mentioning that the IslamicSharee‘ahwas the first to institute rights of inheritance for women fourteen centuries ago. Islam also took many steps to eliminate all forms of discrimination against women as it granted them many financial rights that are more than whatwomenworldwide aspire for, even today, in the fields of finance and family rights. This is what is stated in Article 13 and Section H of Article 16 in theConvention on the Eliminationof all Forms of Discrimination Against Women )CEDAW(.
Moreover, the Muslim woman can save her inheritance so that she can live off it if she does not get married, or if her husband dies and does not leave ]an inheritance[ what would suffice for her and her children. Thus, the money that women inherit is just a reserve and she can use it to support herself or her family.
It is noteworthy that a woman can support her husband financially if he is insolvent or if the standards of living increase or for any other reason, but she does so voluntarily and seeks the reward from Allaah The Almighty for what she does. Umm Salamah, may Allaah be pleased with her,said,“O Messenger of Allaah! Shall I receive a reward )in the Hereafter( if I spend on the children of Abu Salamah and do not leave them like this and like this )go here and there to earn their bread(, for indeed they are my sons after all?”The Prophet,sallallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam, said:“Yes, you will be rewarded for that which you spend on them.”
Besides, a man has to provide for his wife and children and secure for them a house, food, drink, clothing and all other needs such as medication, education and means of recreation, but women are not bound by such responsibilities.
A man also provides financial maintenance for the divorced wife during her ‘Iddah)waiting period( and this‘Iddahmay be longer if the wife was pregnant as the husband provides for her until she delivers the child. The husband is also asked to provide the fees for nursing if the wife refrains from nursing the child. Women are also free from such responsibilities. Allaah The Almighty Says )what means(:
§}Upon the father is the mothers' provision and their clothing according to what is acceptable. No person is charged with more than his capacity.{]Quran 2:233[
§}And if they should be pregnant, then spend on them until they give birth.{]Quran 65:6[
§}…but if you are in discord, then there may breastfeed for the father another woman.{]Quran 65:6[
A man also pays dowry to his bride whether this amount is large or small, but women do not have to pay anything. Allaah The Almighty Says )what means(:}And give the women ]upon marriage[ their ]bridal[ gifts graciously.{]Quran 4:4[
Thus, the financial burdens that are incurred by men according toSharee‘ahare the reason behind differences in inheritance. It could be said that men and women are different regarding ]in their capacity to[ maintaining property and expenditure. Thus, it is clear that there is no oppression against women regarding inheritance as is claimed by biased people.
When comparing what Muslim women can own by virtue of inheritance with what non-Muslim women have, according to what was mentioned in the report of the Program of Action for the Second Half of the United Nations Decade for Women, in the 1980s,we realize the falsehood of such claims. The report states that although women represent 50 percent of the adults and one- third of the official labor force, they work nearly two-thirds of the working hours and receive one-tenth of the international income; they own only one percent of property all over the







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Dought & clear, - Ruling on one who kills another in self-defence and dies – does he have to pay blood-money or offer expiation?.

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My father died and he had killed someone in self defence, and the family of the one who was killed had accepted the diyah (blood money). What is the expiation? Please note that he did not fast for two months or free a slave or feed the poor, and he had children. What is required of them?.
Praise be to Allaah.
The Muslim is obliged to defend himself and his family from any aggressor. He should ward him off with the slightest means, but if the assailant cannot be warded off except by killing, then it is permissible for the one who is being attacked to kill him, and he is not subject to retaliation (qisaas) and he does not have to pay any blood money (diyah) or offer any expiation (kafaarah), because sharee’ah has given him permission to kill in this case, and the slain aggressor is threatened with Hell, whereas the victim of aggression, if he is killed, is a martyr (shaheed) in sha Allaah. It makes no difference whether the aggressor is a Muslim or a kaafir.
It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: A man came to the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and said: O Messenger of Allaah, what do you think if a man comes wanting to take my property? He said: “Do not give him your property.” He said: What if he fights me? He said: “Fight him.” He said: What if he kills me? He said: “Then you will be a martyr.” He said: What if I kill him? He said: “He will be in Hell.” Narrated by Muslim (140).
It was narrated that Sa’eed ibn Zayd (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The one who is killed defending his wealth is a martyr, the one who is killed defending his family is a martyr, the one who is killed defending his religion is a martyr, and the one who is killed defending his life is a martyr.” Narrated by al-Tirmidhi (1421), al-Nasaa’i (4095), Abu Dawood (4772); classed as saheeh by al-Albaani inIrwa’ al-Ghaleel(708).
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
The Sunnah and scholarly consensus are agreed that if a Muslim assailant cannot be warded off except by killing him, then he may be killed, even if the wealth that he wants to take is a small amount, as the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said in the saheeh hadeeth: “The one who is killed defending his wealth is a martyr, the one who is killed defending his life is a martyr, and the one who is killed defending his womenfolk is a martyr…” Fighting off an assailant is established in the Sunnah and by scholarly consensus. End quote.
Majmoo’ al-Fataawa(28/540, 541).
Inal-Rawd al-Murabbi’(p. 677) it says:
If a person or one of his womenfolk, such as his mother, daughter, sister or wife, is attacked, or his property, whether a slave or an animal, is attacked, then he has the right to defend that by the least means that he thinks will ward off the attack. If he is able to ward it off with the least means then it is haraam for him to do more than that because there is no need for it.
If he cannot ward off the attacker except by killing him, then he may do that, i.e., kill the assailant, and he is not liable for that, because he killed him to ward off his evil. End quote.
Shaykh Saalih al-Fawzaan (may Allaah preserve him) said:
The one who is attacked by someone who wants to kill him or attack his womenfolk such as his mother, daughter, sister or wife and violate their honour, or is attacked by someone who wants to take or destroy his property, has the right to defend himself against that, whether the attacker is a human or an animal. He should ward it off with the least that he thinks most likely will be able to ward it off, because if he is not allowed to defend himself that will lead to destruction and harm against himself or his womenfolk or his wealth, and because if he did not do that, people would overpower one another. If he cannot ward off the assailant except by killing him, then he has the right to do that, and he is not liable, because he killed him in order to ward off his evil. If the victim is killed then he is a martyr because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “If a person’s wealth is sought unlawfully and he fights and is killed, then he is a martyr.” Narrated by Muslim and others from Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him). And he said: A man came and said: O Messenger of Allaah, what do you think if a man comes wanting to take my property? … and he narrated the hadeeth quoted above.
Al-Mulakhkhas al-Fiqhi(2/443).
The person who is attacked should not hasten to kill the assailant until after he has exhausted other means of warding him off, such as reminding him of Allaah, scaring him and threatening him, seeking help from other people, or seeking the help of the police. But he may hasten to kill him if he fears that the aggressor is about to kill him.
It was narrated from Qaboos ibn Mukhaariq that his father said: A man came to the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and said: What if a man comes to me wanting to take my wealth? He said: “Remind him of Allaah.” He said: What is he pays no heed? He said: “Seek help against him from those who are around you of the Muslims.” He said: What if there are no Muslims around me? He said: “Then seek help against him from the ruler.” He said: What if the ruler is faraway from me? He said: Then fight him to defend your wealth, until you become one of the martyrs in the Hereafter or you protect your wealth.” Narrated by al-Nasaa’i (4081) and classed as saheeh by al-Albaani inSaheeh al-Nasaa’i.
Secondly:
This applies if it is proven that he killed him in self-defence with evidence such as the testimony of witnesses, or if the heirs of the slain person believe that he killed him in self-defence, or if there is strong circumstantial evidence to indicate that, such as if the slain person was known for evil and corruption, and he threatened to kill him – for example – in front of other people and so on.
Shaykh Muhammad ibn Ibraaheem (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
If this person admits to killing him and claims that he did it in self-defence but the heir of the slain person does not believe him, then qisaas (retaliation) must be carried out. It says inal-Insaaf: this is our view, and the view of our companions. But if the slain person was known for aggression and evildoing, and there is circumstantial evidence that points to what the killer is saying, then it says inal-Insaaf: it says inal-Furoo’: No qisaas is required if he is known for evildoing. I say: This is the correct view, and circumstantial evidence should be taken into account. End quote.
Majmoo’ Fataawa Ibn Ibraaheem(11/255, 256)
Based on that, if your father killed this man in self-defence, then he does not have to do anything, whether that is offering expiation or paying blood money.
And Allaah knows best








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