Fathwa, - 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 and oppression. She was buried alive for fear
of poverty. Also, because women were used as a means for gaining money
and for prostitution, which is a source of disgrace.
By the advent of Islam Shari'a honors the woman, gives her natural
position in life and returns her freedom. In general, she is like a
man except in some rulings and regulations that befit her
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.

Fathwa, - 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 and has nothing to do with Islam.
- women are highly encouraged to work )even outside homes, i.e. offices, etc.(.
- the public is Mahram for a 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 a
mixed seating but women with women and man with man, however in an
open manner(.
- if they sat together)man and 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 men
as 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 the other 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 permissible for the woman as long as the 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 )interpretation of 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 by all jurists.
However, traveling of a woman in public without being accompanied by a
Mahram is not permitted with the exception of the dire necessity. Some
jurists permitted her only to 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 strictly forbidden 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
rulings of Sharia and provided he is certain to not to be tempted on
hearing their recitation.
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 )interpretation of 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 last ones, 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 the women left. This rule was only 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 behind
the people since it would provide 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 is
permissible 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
never be 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 but
it is better not to raise their voice'. The reason is that 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
to produce the evidence for this 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 it was 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 better too 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.

Fathwa, - Certain women's rights and responsibilities in Islam

Question
1(Why in Islam girls cannot go out alone , but here in Europe is it
possible to go out alone ?
2(What is the problem when girl has a boyfriend, before they get married?
3(What are the problems bad effects of freedom of Europe on and
American women )Like sex,bad clothes, etc.(
4( Men in Islam can have many wives, why can't women have many husbands?
Please I want full answers .
5(How can I invite non-Muslim people to be Muslims?
Answer
Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds; and may His blessings and
peace be upon our Prophet Muhammad and upon all his Family and
Companions.
It is unlawful for the woman to travel alone without a Mahram )a
non-marriageable man )brother, father, uncle etc.(. This prohibition
is due to the fact that a woman traveling without Mahram can encounter
a lot of difficulties, including being raped or tempted to commit
Haram acts.
It is lawful for the woman to leave her house for some need provided
she is certain that she will not be tempted or her going out will not
cause her some misfortune.
So, she can go alone to schools, hospitals or to any other place if
there is a legal purpose for going there and provided she respects all
the Shari'a conditions related to this.
For the Fatwa about boyfriends and fiancé, please read 81356.
There are many bad consequences that result from libertinism of women.
These include sexual anarchy, mixing up progenity, spreading sexually
transmitted diseases, etc.
We do not call this freedom, it is rather worshipping Satan and being
inclined to his whispers. It also makes real the bad ideas of the
ill-informed people who take every opportunity to influence women by
beautifying to them to perform bad acts and calling that freedom.
Allah knows best.

Stories of Prophets, - Prophet Aziz (PBUH)

The lineage genealogy of the Prophet 'Aziz (peace be upon him) linked
with that of Harun bin 'Umran. The name of his father was Khalqiyah.
The Holy Quran has made mention of him in theSurah Tawbah (Immunity).
The Jews regarded him as the son of Allah as the Christians thought
'Esa (peace be upon him) as His son. The Holy Quran affirms:
"The Jews say: 'Aziz is the son of Allah and the Christians say: The
Messiah is the son of Allah. Such they say in their mouth! These
resemble the sayings of the infidels of old. Allah do battle with
them. How are they misguided?" ( Surah 9: Verse 29)
He was the son of Sharahya, the Scribe. He was in his teens when
Nebuchadnezzar attacked Jerusalem and put it to rout. When he attained
the age offorty yearsthecrown of Prophet hoodwas conferred upon his
head. He began to perform the duty of showing the path of
righteousness to the depraved humanity. He was held in high esteem
among his followers. When the Israelites planned to reconstruct
theBait-ul-Muqaddis, he exercised his influence to gain co-operation
of the Government officials. He assisted the Jews to carry out their
plan.
Al-Baizawi says: During the Babylonish captivity theTorahwas lost and
there was none who remembered it. Allah raised up Aziz (peace be upon
him) from the dead one century after his burial. He dictated to the
scribes from his memory the whole Jewish law (Torah). He would have
been fully worthy of having been the law-giver ifMusa(peace be upon
him) had not preceded him. History bears testimony to this fact that
the Prophet 'Aziz (peace be upon him) guided the Israelites during the
period which lasted from the destruction of Jerusalem to the
reconstruction of Bait-ul-Muqadis.
It has been narrated that a person rode upon an ass and passed near a
city calledJerusalem. He possessed a basket of figs and a vessel of
the juice of grapes. He wondered at the power of Allah and said: How
will Allah re-build and populate it again?
Aziz (peace be upon him) was much shocked at the sight of dilapidated
dwellings. When he was under the sway of utter disappointment, Allah
caused him todie for a hundred years. Then He raised him to life and
said: "How long have you tarried here?"
He replied: I have tarried for a day or a part of it. He slept in the
first part of the day and was deprived of his life. He was reanimated
at sunset.
Allah, the Exalted said: "You have tarried a hundred years. Look at
your food and drink. They are as fresh as you have left them. They
have remained unchanged even after the passage of century. Look at the
ass. It has been decomposed and reduced to skeleton of bones. I have
wrought this miracle to make manifest to you that I have the power to
immune or destroy anything." The Holy Qurannarrates this miracle in
the following Verses:
"And how He demeaned him who passed by a city which had been laid in
ruins. He said: How shall Allah give life to this city after it had
been destroyed. And Allah caused him to die for a hundred years and
then raised him to life. He said: How long have you waited? He said: I
have waited a day or part of a day. Allah said: look on your food and
your drink; they are not corrupted. Look on your ass, We would make
you a sign for men and look on the bones of your ass, how We will
raise them, then clothe them with flesh and when this was shown to
him, he said: I acknowledge that Allah has power to do all things." (
Surah 2: Verse 259)
Allah commanded the Prophet 'Aziz (peace be upon him) to go to
Jerusalem torender services to the cause of religion. He passed away
atSa'irabad near 'Iraq. He was buried there. Some historians say that
his grave is inDamascus.