Salam, i am writing an article about women's rights for my website, and i think it needs some work before i put it up. If you can give me quranic verses that apply or any other type of feedback that will make this better, i would love to know! thank you and salam =]
Women's Rights in Islam
In today’s western societies, the rights and status of Muslim women are often misconceived. Many people believe that Islamic law oppresses women, or that Muslim women wear the veal, or head covering, against their will. This is far from truth, and these false beliefs stem from ignorance of Islam. In fact, Muslim women received more rights than the Arabian women that preceded them. In times before the prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), women had no independence, could not own property, were not allowed to inherit, and were treated as spoils of war. The inception of Islam gave women a considerable amount of freedom that put them on an equal level with men.
In order for people to understand the rights and freedoms of women under Islamic law, they must first separate Islam from the cultural norms and styles of societies that people often confuse with it. In many countries, the laws of the land and the laws of Islam do not coincide. A woman in Saudi Arabia, for example, is not allowed to drive, get an education, or get a job without the written consent of a man. Americans exposed to these unjust treatments generalize about the whole religion despite obvious contradictions. Islam imposes no such restrictions on females, and firmly urges equality amongst men and women.
Islam came about 1428 years ago, and introduced rights that even American women did not have until recently. One example is the right to vote. Muslim women have been voting for more than 1400 years while American women gained this right in 1920. Some of the basic rights that a Muslim woman has includes:
• The right to an education
• The right to own independent property (of which no one has a right to use without her permission)
• The right to work as long as the children are cared for
• The right to keep any money she earns to herself
• The right to express her opinions and be heard
• The right to get financial support and all necessary provisions from her husband
• The right to negotiate marriage terms of her choice (forcing an arranged marriage is wrong)
• The right to divorce for any reason
• The right to keep any assets she had before marriage
• and many more rights
Some of the confusion on this matter traces back to the way Muslim women dress. Some people believe that the dress code that Muslim women observe is imprisoning them, or is an infringement upon their freedoms. In Islam, dressing modestly is important because it protects a woman’s most important asset - her mind. Allah says,
“O children of Adam, we have provided you with garments to cover your bodies, as well as for luxury. But the best garment is the garment of righteousness. These are some of God’s signs, that they may take heed. (7:26)
Thus, the primary purpose of the Islamic dress code is for modesty and righteousness. Muslim women are identified by the integrity of their minds and not by their appearances. Dressing modestly allows them to protect their dignity and prevents them from being seen as sex objects. Most importantly, Muslim women dress the way they do because they choose to willingly. It does not make sense when people claim unfairness towards the treatment of women in Islam, especially when the "po rnography" industry exploits women’s bodies and makes more than ten billion dollars a year. The degradation of women is something that passes by unnoticed by some societies because they portray the illusion of “freedom”. Freedom is not the right to be able to go out in public half-naked, but the right to hold your own beliefs and speak your mind without worrying about unjust repercussions.
Women's Rights in Islam
In today’s western societies, the rights and status of Muslim women are often misconceived. Many people believe that Islamic law oppresses women, or that Muslim women wear the veal, or head covering, against their will. This is far from truth, and these false beliefs stem from ignorance of Islam. In fact, Muslim women received more rights than the Arabian women that preceded them. In times before the prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), women had no independence, could not own property, were not allowed to inherit, and were treated as spoils of war. The inception of Islam gave women a considerable amount of freedom that put them on an equal level with men.
In order for people to understand the rights and freedoms of women under Islamic law, they must first separate Islam from the cultural norms and styles of societies that people often confuse with it. In many countries, the laws of the land and the laws of Islam do not coincide. A woman in Saudi Arabia, for example, is not allowed to drive, get an education, or get a job without the written consent of a man. Americans exposed to these unjust treatments generalize about the whole religion despite obvious contradictions. Islam imposes no such restrictions on females, and firmly urges equality amongst men and women.
Islam came about 1428 years ago, and introduced rights that even American women did not have until recently. One example is the right to vote. Muslim women have been voting for more than 1400 years while American women gained this right in 1920. Some of the basic rights that a Muslim woman has includes:
• The right to an education
• The right to own independent property (of which no one has a right to use without her permission)
• The right to work as long as the children are cared for
• The right to keep any money she earns to herself
• The right to express her opinions and be heard
• The right to get financial support and all necessary provisions from her husband
• The right to negotiate marriage terms of her choice (forcing an arranged marriage is wrong)
• The right to divorce for any reason
• The right to keep any assets she had before marriage
• and many more rights
Some of the confusion on this matter traces back to the way Muslim women dress. Some people believe that the dress code that Muslim women observe is imprisoning them, or is an infringement upon their freedoms. In Islam, dressing modestly is important because it protects a woman’s most important asset - her mind. Allah says,
“O children of Adam, we have provided you with garments to cover your bodies, as well as for luxury. But the best garment is the garment of righteousness. These are some of God’s signs, that they may take heed. (7:26)
Thus, the primary purpose of the Islamic dress code is for modesty and righteousness. Muslim women are identified by the integrity of their minds and not by their appearances. Dressing modestly allows them to protect their dignity and prevents them from being seen as sex objects. Most importantly, Muslim women dress the way they do because they choose to willingly. It does not make sense when people claim unfairness towards the treatment of women in Islam, especially when the "po rnography" industry exploits women’s bodies and makes more than ten billion dollars a year. The degradation of women is something that passes by unnoticed by some societies because they portray the illusion of “freedom”. Freedom is not the right to be able to go out in public half-naked, but the right to hold your own beliefs and speak your mind without worrying about unjust repercussions.
