Discrimination against women and its solution: Adherence to the Qur'an and the Sunnah

In societies devoid of real justice, the inequality of women and men
is a serious social issue posing majorproblems. 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
societythat commands respect or authority.
In societies where such prejudices prevail, a woman with a remarkable
career in business life hardly findsacceptance. Generally, women are
regarded as people who lack self-confidence and determination, and who
have poor intellectual faculties. This rationalisation 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 women but are universal among human beings.
Among candidates applying for job vacancies, men are usually favoured
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
inferior roles assigned tothem in many societies.
Prejudices in social life towards gender differences have
strikingconsequences in underdeveloped countries. Let alone
theirentitlement to educationand work, they are even deprived of
making their own decisions about marriage. All sorts of women's
personal decisions rest either with their fathers or husbands.
There is an on-going effort to provide solutions to these
flawedimplementations only a few of which have been included here.
Associations founded 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 effortsprove 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 of a society whether
women, men, wealthy, poor, young or old. Social standing, profession,
wealth, or gender do not make people enjoy particular privileges. The
good deeds one engages in and one's fear of Allah distinguish one, as
is alluded to in the verse "Take provision, but the best provision is
taqwa of Allah." (Surat al-Baqara: 197) In the Qur'an, people are not
classified prejudicially asmen or women. Allah addresses both men and
women having faith in Him and engaging in good deeds. Allah stresses
the importance of living by the values Hecommands. In that respect,
being male or female has no significance. Some of theverses stressing
this are as follows:
The men and women of the believers are friends of one another. They
command what is right and forbid what is wrong and establish salat and
pay zakat (regular charity), and obey Allah and His 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 themtimelessly,
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
theirprivate parts, men and women who remember Allah much: Allah has
prepared forgiveness forthem 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)
In societies distant from religion, women encounter many difficulties,
and, in particular, those experienced after a divorce deserve special
mention. A divorce creates many problems for a woman who has been
prevented from working by her husbandand hence has 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
socialrights make conditions hard for divorced women. The additional
benefits divorcing parties demand from each other and their insistence
on pursuing their own interests contribute to conflicts between the
parties andmake the situation even worse.
In a society of believers, however, people do not go through such
trouble when they adhere to theQur'an and the Sunnah. The respect and
love felt at the beginning of a marriage is not lost when the parties
decide to terminate their marriage since it is doneby mutual consent.
This attitude is consequent upon the rationale that parties do not
perceive each another merely as aman or a woman but as human beings
having faith in Allah, and thus Allah's most elevated creation. This
attitude maintains courtesy after a divorce.
There are many measures taken in the Qur'an securing a woman's rights
after divorce. The ones pertaining to her economic situation maintain
the welfare of a divorced woman. The following verses inform us about
the benefits and monetary assistancespecified by the mutual consent of
both parties as well as the treatment due a woman after separation:
Divorced women should receive maintenance given with correctness and
courtesy: a duty for all who are righteous. (Surat al-Baqara: 241)
… Give them a gift – he who is wealthy according to his means and he
who is less well off according to his means – a gift to be given with
correctness and courtesy: a duty for all good-doers. If you divorce
them before youhave touched them but have already allotted them a
dowry, they should have half the amount which you allotted, unless
they forgo it or the one in charge of the marriage contract forgoes
it. To forgo it is closer to taqwa. Do not forget to show generosity
to one another. Allah sees what you do. (Surat al-Baqara:236-237)
He who has plenty should spend out from his plenty, but he whose
provision is restricted should spend from what Allah has given him.
Allah does not demand from any self more than He has given it. Allah
willappoint after difficulty, ease. (Surat at-Talaq: 7)
Again from the verses, we know that, after the divorce, it is not
lawful for a man to keep anything he had given to his wife during the
marriage. All needs of a divorced woman relatedto housing are also
guaranteed during the 'iddah period after the divorce. According to
theQur'an, it is also unlawful to inherit women by force. What has
been related so far reveals that adhering to the Qur'an brings
solutions. In a society where people live by theQur'an, women are not
subjected to maltreatment and dishonoured as in other societies.