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dr israr ahmad religious obligations of muslim women, islam women, purdah, islamic law for women, dr israr ahmad book online
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RELIGIOUS OBLIGATIONS OF MUSLIM WOMEN by Dr Israr Ahmad |
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The Importance of Religious Obligations
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It is essential for every individual to acquire a
comprehensive understanding of his religious obligations.
If a person is ignorant of the duties assigned to him by
Allah (SWT) through His Deen (the comprehensive code of
life), he will be unable to perform his obligations in true
spirit. Similarly, if one's concept of the duties incumbent
upon him is deficient in any way, he can only partially
carry out his religious responsibilities. In such a case he is
likely to meet with failure on the Day of Judgment no
matter how sincerely committed he might have been to his
religion in his opinion.
Another aspect of this problem is equally important
that concerns women in special. There is a possibility that
a person might take upon himself certain responsibilities
that his religion has not imposed on him. This is bound to
lead to disastrous consequences because even the desire to
do good, when it exceeds the prescribed boundaries, gets
channelized to completely undesirable directions.
Monasticism, for instance, is the result of human
extremism in trying to be pious. It was the desire to do
good that led to the concept of celibacy in Christianity
which later became the breeding ground for vice and
immorality. Hence, negative and undesirable
consequences are bound to follow if anyone overburdens
his responsibilities. Therefore we must learn and
understand our true relipous duties and must not burden
ourselves with the duties that have not been imposed
upon us. When an individual b e p s to assign certain
duties to himself other than the ones Allah (SWT) has
imposed on him, he exposes himself to the danger of the
Qur'anic indictment stated in Surah Al-Nisa:
"We appoint for him that unto which he himself has
turned and expose him unto Hell, a hapless journey's
end. " [al-Qur'an 4:115]
In other words Allah (SWT) lets him opt for the way he
himself has chosen and withdraws His support and help.
Therefore, with respect to the obligations we owe
to Allah (SWT), we must have a comprehensive
consciousness regarding the rights of Allah (SWT) that we
have to fulfill, the rights of our 'self upon us and the rights
regarding our fellow human beings. We have to learn to
distinguish between legitimate and illegitimate, legal and
illegal as ordained by Allah (SWT). If we blindly follow
our wayward desires, we are bound to cross our limits into
the forbidden (Haram). Similarly we have to perform our
duty towards people, and mankind in general, according
to the tenets set by Allah (SWT). If this principle is duly
followed, our vision will remain clear and our target
defined. If, on the other hand, we follow our own whims
and desires, we will deviate from the divinely prescribed
path.
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The Three Levels of Our Religious Duties: An
Analogy of a Building.
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In order to understand the true nature of our
religious obligations, it will be helpful to use the analogy
of a building with three floors'. With the help of this
analogy, the duties that are particular to men will be
explained first. Then, the duties that are equally applicable
to women and men and duties with disparities between
the two genders will be pointed out.
As mentioned, the building comprises of three
floors, standing on four pillars. On the ground floor all
you can see are the pillars, as there are no walls, but of
course there is the foundation beneath the pillars that
supports them. Higher floors are dependent on the floors
below them. In that respect, top floor is the highest but not
the most important part of the building. Most important
part is the foundation, while the pillars become the second
most important, for they carry the weight of whole the
structure. If the foundation or the pillars are weak, the
whole structure would collapse. It is important to note
that on the second and third floors, the pillars, hidden
behind walls, though still present, become invisible.
The building accurately represents our religious
obligations. The foundation of this building is Faith
(Iman),o n which depends the strength of the structure. I f
the foundation is deep and firmly entrenched in the
ground, the above lying structure will be unshakable. On
the other hand, if the foundation itself is weak and
unstable, the building can come crashing down any
moment. The pillars are the four obligatory forms of
worship, Salah, Saum, Zakah4, and Hajj. In the Holy
Qur'an, Salah is always preceded by Zakah, however, in the
building, Salah is placed adjacent to Saum as both forms of
worship are obligatory for all Muslims. Whereas Zakah
and Hajj are binding upon only those Muslims who
possess physical and financial capacity to perform them.
The roof of the first level can be referred to as
Islam, Ita’a, Taqwa, and Ibadah. The basic demand
conveyed through these four terms is for the individual to
submit and surrender wholeheartedly to the commands of
Allah (SWT) and His messenger (SAW), becoming in the
truest sense of the word, an 'Abd' - 'slave', thereby
fulfilling the very purpose of her creation. As Allah (SWT)
says:
"I created the 'jinn' and humankind only that they
might worship Me." [al-Qur'an 51:56]
When this submission, obedience, and piety reaches its
climax, Islam becomes Ihsan -- the level of consciousness
characterized by the feeling that one is in constant
presence of Allah (SWT). This is the ground floor of the
edifice we are describing.
At the second level, the person invites others
towards the message of Islam, striving to the best of his
ability to spread and propagate 10 it. He enjoins good and
forbids evil 11 and performs the sublime duty of being
witness-bearer against mankind 12 so that on the Day of
Judgment mankind would not be able to proclaim their
ignorance regarding the message of Islam.
The third floor of the building is representative of
the establishment of the just social, economic and political
system of Islam 13. Terms such as Islamic Revolution and
Takbeer ar-Rabb 14 are employed at this level. The goal is to
implement Islam in its totality so that the Word of Allah
(SWT) reigns supreme as stated in a Hadith:
"So that the word of Allah become Supreme” (Bukhari, Muslim)
The intended objective is that the "Word of Allah"
becomes the law of the land taking precedence over
everything else until the whole social structure including
the parliament and judiciary are subordinate to it. To
work towards this end by utilizing all of one's material
and mental resources, to live for this cause and be ready to
die for it, is what constitutes the third and the highest level
of our religious responsibilities.
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The Difference Between Men and Women's Obligations
The Ground Level: Nearly Similar Obligations
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There is a minute difference between the
obligations of the two genders as far as the obligations of
the ground floor are concerned. Faith is an essential prerequisite
for the salvation of all human beings irrespective
of their gender. The words occurring & Surah Al-'Asr and
Surah Al-Teen:
"save those who believe and do good works"
are general in nature applying to both men and women.
Furthermore, it is categorically stated in the Ayah 124 of
Surah Al-Nisa that those who act righteously, be they male
or female, will surely enter Paradise.
The foremost duty of every Muslim, man or
woman is to attain firmness of Faith. Then daily prayers
and fasting in the month of Ramadan, both being equally
compulsory for men and women. Zakah and Hajj are the
duties to be fulfilled by both men and women, who have
the ability (physical and financial) to perform them. In
addition, women cannot perform Hajj unless and until
there is a Mahraml7 to escort them. Similarly all the
restrictions regarding Halal and Haram are the same for
both genders. In short, obedience to Allah (SWT) and His
Prophet (SAW) in all spheres of life is meant for the whole
mankind, irrespective of any difference in gender.
The slight difference between the obligations of
men and women at the ground level can be understood via
the example of Salah. Women are exempted from the
congregational prayers and encouraged to pray at home.
At home, it is preferred that they pray in a room instead of
the lawn. If the room happens to have a small chamber in
it, then the chamber is preferred over the room.
Exceptional has been the case of the congregational Friday
and 'Eid prayers. Women were encouraged by the Prophet
(SAW) to attend these two prayers. This was due to the
fact that no communication media and other means of
propagation (books, magazines or audio/visual facilities)
were available in those days. The sermons of Friday and
'Eid prayers were the sole source of education and
information for them. However, these are two exceptions
and the overriding rule is that it is better for ladies to offer
their prayers privately in their homes rather than at public
places.
Mahram refers to the male with whom a woman can directly
interact without having to completely cover herself.
Besides these and other negligible differences, the
duties of Muslim men and women at the first stage are
similar in nature. It will be pertinent here to discuss three
important verses (34-36) of Surah Al-Ahzab. Although the
direct addressees of these Ayahs are the wives of the
Prophet (SAW), all Muslin1 women have been indirectly
addressed through them. The first of these Ayahs deals
with the acquisition of real and conscious faith, the
primary source of which is the Qur'an itself. lndeed it is
reading the Holy Qur'an, learning and teaching it and
pondering over it that gives rise to faith and strengthens
our conviction. The Ayah reads:
"And bear in mind that which is recited in your
houses of the revelations of Allah and wisdom. Lo,
Allah is Subtle, Aware." [a1-Quran 33 :34]
The wives of the Prophet (SAW) are being
addressed here. It was in their houses that the Prophet
(SAW) received the Divine revelation (Wahi), recited its
verses, and preached the words of wisdom (Hikmah). The
word Hikmah here refers to the Holy Qur'an, the
fountainhead of knowledge and wisdom. Moreover, he
(SAW) used to explain the Holy Qur'an in the form of
Hadith which also reflected the wisdom of Qur'an. The
first and foremost lesson that is evident from the verse is
that we are being told to engage ourselves in reading and
comprehending the Holy Qur'an and Hadith, and in
learning and teaching them. For this is what will sustain
and enrich our belief in Allah (SWT) as well as bolster and
reinforce it. If we hasten to the stage of preaching without
first sufficiently strengthening and entrenching our own
belief, we will be putting the cart before the horse.
Let us now reflect on the next Ayah. In the Holy
Qur'an, usually the grammatical tense of the male gender
is used while discussing the desirable traits of both men
and women. Therefore whenever men are addressed it is
understood that women are also being spoken to. The
following Ayah, however, is an exception in the sense that
both genders are mentioned here separately. This signifies
that the qualities that Islam expects of its followers are the
same for men and women. The Ayah states:
Indeed, the Muslim men and Muslim women, the believing men and believing women, the obedient men and obedient women, the truthful men and truthful women, the patient men and patient women, the humble men and humble women, the charitable men and charitable women, the fasting men and fasting women, the men who guard their private parts and the women who do so, and the men who remember Allah often and the women who do so - for them Allah has prepared forgiveness and a great reward.[al Quran 33:35]
In the next Ayah, the essence and the sum up of the
first level is stated in a very explicit manner.
"And it is not befitting for a believing man or a
believing women, when Allah and His messenger
have decided an affair (for them), that they should
have any option about their decision; and whosoever
is rebellious to Allah and His messenger, verily goes
astray in error manifest. " [al-Qur'an 33:36]
This means that there is no room whatsoever for any
believing man or woman to act according to their personal
preferences once Allah (SWT) and His messenger (SAW)
have passed their verdict regarding a matter.
The only option open to them is to listen and obey. And if
one chooses to differ from the decision of Allah (SWT) and
His messenger (SAW), be they men or women, it would be
plain disobedience and infidelity; they are the ones who
have definitely gone astray. This is the essence of Islam,
Ita'a, and Ibadah. For what is Islam? It is total submission
to commands of Allah (SWT) and His Prophet (SAW).
What is lta'a? Obedience to Allah and His Prophet. What
is 'lbadah? To become a slave of Allah in all aspects and at
all times. The most important factor in this regard is that
we are devoid of authority and choice where there is a
clear order from Allah (SWT) and His Prophet (SAW). If
authority is exercised against the Will of Allah (SWT) and
His Prophet (SAW), it will be against the tenets of Islam.
We are only free to act according to our will and
understanding if there is no explicit ruling about an issue.
As said earlier there is a minimal difference
between the responsibilities of men and women as far as
the ground floor of religious obligations is concerned. The
disparity gradually becomes more and more pronounced
as we advance to the higher levels. It is vital to understand
the basis for this disparity in Islam. Islam lays great
emphasis on modesty and chastity and aspires to uphold
and preserve these values in a Muslim society. That is
why there is a separate dress code for men and women
and the segregation of genders. The injunctions regarding
the dress code (Satr and Hijab) are more strict for women
and the conditions vary from Mahram to non-Mahram.
What we need to understand here is that the difference in
the nature of the duties assigned to men and women is in
order to maintain an atmosphere of modesty, decency and
purity in the society.
Non-Mahrams to women are those men with whom
women cannot interact.
Islam discourages unnecessary intermingling of
men and women i d determines separate spheres of
activity for them. In this context, we can easily understand
why a woman's prayer is best in the most secluded part of
the house, and why her presence is discouraged in the
mosque (though not forbidden). In short, the rationale
behind the dissimilarity between men and women's
obligations, whether slight or pronounced, is to close all
avenues that may lead to indecency and immorality.
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The Second Level: The Three Circles Of Da'wah
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The second level deals with spreading the message
of Islam to others. A general principle of Tableegh and
Da’wah, proposed by Islam, is that we should begin by
first reforming our own selves. Next, we should focus on
those who are closest to us - our immediate family
members. Only then we may approach other people.
Contrary to this, preaching Islam in foreign lands while
the religious condition of one's own house is
unsatisfactory, indicates that the process of Da’wah has
been inversely prioritized. Such practice can never bring
about the desired results as were seen as a consequence of
Da’wah carried out by the Prophet (SAW) and his
companions.
Tableegh and Da’wah are terms used for spreading and
propagating Islam.
If we keep the proper sequence in mind, we can
conclude that, for the Muslim woman, the highest priority
should be her home. The propagation of Islam is
simultaneously carried out in three integrated circles. In
the first circle she should bring up her children as Muslims
in the true sense of the word. The second circle of Da’wah
includes .Muslim women and the third consists of Mahram
males. These three circles and domains are the premises in
which the Muslim woman is required to perform Da'wah.
Concerning the first circle, Surah Tahreem states:
"Save yourself and your families from the fire. "
[al-Qur'an 66:6]
In the same context, we should also consider the following
Haditlz narrated by 'Abdullah bin 'Omar (RA) :
"Everyone of you is a shepherd and every one of you
is accountable for his herd. "
[Bukhari, Muslim, Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud]
Just as a shepherd is responsible for his herd, everyone is
responsible and accountable for the people he is in charge
of. Then the Prophet (SAW) added,
"a man is LT custodian of his home and he will be held
accountable for his family. "
Meaning, everyone will be asked about the duties which
he had to perform concerning his family and household,
He will be asked about whether he carried out his duties of
educating them and fulfilling their rights. Then the
Prophet (SAW) said,
"And a women is responsible for her husband’s home and she will be held accountable for whatever and whoever she is given charge of"
Naturally her children are the most vital part of her
husband's home. In another narration, the word 'children'
is mentioned separately:
" a women is responsible for her husband’s household and his children and she is accountable for them."
She is accountable for the servants as well but her main
responsibility is with respect to the children.
It goes without saying that the future of a nation
depends, to a great extent, on its coming generation and
the tremendous task of bearing and rearing it has been
placed squarely on the shoulders of the mother. It is the
mother who acts as the very embodiment of selflessness,
sacrificing her own comfort for the sake of her children. It
is the mother who acts as the first school that the child
comes in contact with. The poet-philosopher lqbal says
about a Muslim mother:
"O Woman! Grind grain while Quran is on your
Lips"
In our childhood we had the privilege of
witnessing with our own eyes such mothers who used to
recite the Qur'an while nursing their child and grinding
grain. Something of value must transfer from the mother
to the child in a subtle and imperceptible manner during
this process. After all, we are asked to say Adhan and
Iqamah in the newborn's ears. There has to be some logic
behind this ritual. The infant is obviously not capable of
making sense of the words but all of us know that a tape recorder
is also a senseless device that efficiently records
voice impressions and reproduces them. Therefore, it
would not be too far fetched to assume that some
meaningful impressions are conveyed to the child's
subconscious that leave a lasting impact on his personality.
Hence, the command from the Prophet (SAW):
"Seek knowledge from the cradle of grave.”
The major responsibility entrusted to the mother is
imparting purposeful education and moral values in her
children. To seek other avenues at the cost of this major
responsibility is certainly not admissible. If, however, her
circumstances are such that she can spare some time, she
should definitely do Daw’ah work outside her home.
What actually is happening in our society is that we
tend to preach in the remote comers of the world but
overlook our homes. We should remember the Qur'anic
admonition :
"Do you enjoin righteousness upon mankind and you
yourself forget (to practice it)?" [al-Qur'an 2:44]
We cannot go on a mission to save the world unless
we save ourselves first. Our younger generation is at the
receiving end of the most vicious onslaught of western
cultural influences. Our youngsters today are exposed to
the pernicious effects of media like newspapers,
magazines, television and the Internet. In ths scenario, if
the responsibility of bringing up a child is set aside and
women spend more time in preaching outside their homes,
then this is an adulteration of the priorities of their
responsibilities.
As for stepping out of the home to preach other
women, surely this needs to be done in a very organized
manner. In this endeavor, middle-aged women are best
suited for the task as the restrictions of Islamic dress code
are relaxed to a great extent in their case. Surah Al-Noor
states regarding the aged women:
"It is alright for them if they put aside their
coverings."
They certainly will continue to follow the orders of Satr,
but the orders of Hijab will now be relaxed in comparison
to a young woman. However, what happens in our
society is that the ladies who have always been observing
Satr and Hijab and staying at home become so accustomed
to it that they are reluctant to go out even in their old age.
This attitude needs to be changed. They should not
hesitate to participate in the activities that involve
studying and teaching of the Holy Qur'an in their own
cities, even if they are not accompanied by their Mahrams.
As far as young women are concerned it is extremely
inappropriate for them to go out alone. If they can afford
to devote time to the propagation of their Deen, they
should cover themselves properly and a Mahram should
accompany them. Keeping these general guidelines in
mind, Qur'anic study circles must be arranged and there
should be a systematic and intensive effort to organize
women’s gatherings on a regular basis for the purpose of
effectively propagating the message of the Holy Qur'an to
the masses. This is the most-pressing need of the time.
Satar refers to the parts of body which, in normal conditions,
must be covered at all times and may not be displayed to anyone
but one's spouse. The whole of a woman's body is considered
Satr except hands, feet, and face excluding ears and hair.
Hijab refers to the parts of body which, in normal conditions,
must be hidden from non-Mahrams. Hijab refers to Satr plus face
excluding the eyes.
The third circle of women's efforts in this regard is
that of the Mahram men i.e., husband, brothers, father,
uncles and nephews, etcetera (please note that the
husband's nephews are not Mahram). You must have
noticed that under the influence of various Islamic
movements,
more and more young men and women belonging to the
middle class are choosing to adopt the Islamic way of life.
We see many bearded young men and veiled young
women whose parents and other family members are
oblivious of Islamic values. In this scenario, the younger
generation needs to reach out to the older one to invite
them to the right path of Islam. The third circle for
Muslim women, therefore, involves their Mahram men.
In Pakistan we see that a particular Islamic group
sends its female members from door-to-door canvassing
prior to elections. As this group aspires to bring about
change through the ballot box, naturally they need to get
in touch with the masses for large scale campaigning
which probably leaves them no choice but to send the
women door to door. But whatever their compulsions are,
this practice is highly inappropriate. Even though these
women follow the lslamic dress code, which in itself is
commendable, nonetheless, they, go to houses of people
who are completely alien to them. Islam does not allow
Muslim women to freely mingle even with unfamiliar
women. The list of Mahrams given in Surall Al-Noor
includes "their women" -- meaning familiar women who
are known to .be of decent, righteous character. Hence,
Islam does not allow strange women into homes and it
certainly does not allow women to go into strange houses.
We believe that the real change in the existing
secular system can never be brought about through the
prevailing election process. This change calls for a moral,
ideological, and intellectual revolution that permeates all
the spheres (i.e. political, social and economic) of life. We
need to work towards forming a "Hizbullah", and for that,
women should ideally be working within the three circles
that have been discussed above. In exceptional situations,
their duties may exceed the ones already mentioned.
However under the present conditions, working within the
three spheres mentioned is all that they are required to do
in the realm of Da'wah and Tableegh.
"Hizbullah" is an organized and disciplined party working for
the ascendancy of Islam.
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The Third Level: Women and the Struggle for the
Establishment of Islam
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The third level involves the struggle for an Islamic
Revolution, the peak of all obligations, for bringing about
an Islamic Order "so that Allaah's Word reigns supreme"
At this stage the formation of an organized and dedicated
group of individuals becomes inevitable. Such a group
will consist of committed individuals who will stand
united for a single purpose: abolishing tyranny of the
status quo, to set up in its place, the ideal Islamic System of
Social Justice. These individuals will be ready to lay down
their lives for this cause. This is the responsibility 'that
women have been exempted from except in certain
extreme cases.
Some people falsely assume that women too are
required to participate in this highest level in the hierarchy
of our responsibilities. They argue that in the glorious
history of Islam, women did leave their homes and
sacrifice their lives. Sumayyiah (RA) was martyred along
with her husband Yasir (RA). Ruqayyiah (RA) migrated to
Madinah just as her husband Usman (RA) did. However,
the people who quote these instances fail to realize that the
migration- and martyrdom of these women represent the
essence and apex of the first level (not the third) of our
building. It was for the sake of her staunch belief in
Tauheed - the oneness of Allah (SWT) - that Sumayyiah
(RA) did not yield before Abu Jahal. A woman giving her
life in order to keep her faith is the foundation
(representing Iman), in relation to our building, where
there is no difference in men's and women's
responsibilities. It was a matter of standing up for what
one believes in and remaining steadfast even if one's life is
at stake. It was not a matter of encountering the
disbelievers on the battlefield. Even today, if a believing
woman is faced with a choice between her faith and her
life, the best and the most honorable thing is to remain
firm on her faith and not to care for her life. It is,,however,
permissible in Islam to profess disbelief verbally in such a
life threatening situation. Sumayyah (RA) and Yassir (RA)
sacrificed their lives to uphold their faith, whereas their
son 'Ammar (RA) saved his life by orally claiming
faithlessness.
Similarly, when practicing Islam becomes
impossible in a land then the Muslims should migrate in
the way of Allah (SWT). Ruqayyah (RA) and Umm
Habibah (RA) with few other women migrated with their
Mahrams because life in Makkah became unbearable.
Migration for keeping the Divine message alive while
abandoning homeland and belongings is actually holding
on to faith, the foundation of the building of Islam. In
short, remaining loyal to Faith is something that applies to
both men and women as does migrating in the way of
Allah (SWT). In this connection, please note the following
verse of Surah Ah al-e-Imran:
"And their Lord hath heard from them (and He says)
Lo! I suffer not the work of any worker, male or
female, to be lost. You are one and the same. So those
who fled and were driven forth from their homes and
suffer damage for My cause, and fought and were
slain, verily 1 shall remit their evil deeds from them
and verily I shall bring them unto gardens
underneath which rivers flow" [al-Quran 3:195]
Men and women were all put through the same
ordeals during the thirteen-years stay of the Prophet
(SAW) in Makkah. They were the victims of the same
hatred and persecution. And they were all forced to leave
their beloved homes. They also sacrificed their lives for
the noble cause of defending their faith. On the other
hand, we do not find any instance of female participation
in the armed conflicts in which Prophet Muhammad
(SAW) and his valiant companions raised the flag of the
Revolutionary Movement in Arabia.
The Prophet (SAW) sent eight expeditions
immediately after the migration to Medina and there is no
mention of any women being sent. The first real battle
fought in the way of Allah (SWT) in Islamic history was
the battle of Badr and the books of Seerah make no mention
that Muslim women took part in it. On the basis of this,
we can easily determine what our religion requires from
us. Instead of inventing fictitious duties for us, we should
objectively understand our actual responsibilities.
Uhad is the only battle where we find, as an
exception, when women participated in the battle but this
was an emergency situation. The news that seventy
Muslims were martyred had reached Medina. There was
the rumor that the Prophet (SAW) himself had been
martyred. - Naturally there was a state of extreme panic in
the city. Moreover, Uhad was only two and a half miles
away . from Madinah. Therefore, the muslim women
rushed to the scene of the battle to tend the wounded and
supply water. In addition, we must keep in mind that the
commands regarding Hijab had, not been revealed at that
time. It is important for us to keep in mind the
chronological sequence of the events. The orders of Hijab
were introduced for the first time in Surah Al-Ahzab,
which was revealed following the battle of Ahzab after the
fifth year of Hijrah. Suralz Al-Noor was revealed in 6th year
after Hijrah and contains explicit commands about Hijab.
Afterwards in the battle of Ahzab, which was the
toughest battle of all, the Muslims fought while their
women stayed inside a fortress. There is no evidence of
any woman taking part in this battle. Only Safiya (RA) is
said to have killed a Jew in self-defense. In 7th year after
Hijrah, the battle of Khyber was fought. The following
incident, narrated in the books of Hadith and Seerah,
throws light on the role of women in this battle:
"Hashraj bin Ziyad narrates from his grand mother
that she and five other women left for Khyber along
with the Prophet (SAW). She says, 'When the
Prophet (SAW) learned of our presence, he called for
us. When we came to him, he was furious and said,
'With whom have you come and with whose
permission?' We said, 'We will make wool and work
in the cause of Allah (SWT). We have some bandages
for the wounded; we will hand arrows to the fighters
and give them water. ' The Prophet (SAW) said, 'Get
zip and go back. When Khyber was conquered the
Prophet (SAW) gave us a share from the spoils of the
battle. 'Hashraj says he asked his grandmother about
what she received as share. She replied, 'Some
dates."
There are lessons to be learnt from this story. The
Prophet's query: "With whom have you come and with
whose permission" is very important. Whenever a woman
comes out of her house she should see to it that she is
accompanied by a Mahrams. Sometimes women who want
to work for their religion become over-zealous and cross
certain limits that they are supposed to stay within. For
example, they begin to neglect their household duties and
their children. It will be useful for such ladies to bear in
mind a certain incident from Seerah:
Asma bint al-Yazeed (RA) was an Ansari women.
She once come to the Prophet (SAW) and said,
"Women have sent me to you as their representative.
What all of them are saying is similar to what I will
say and they have the same point of view as I. Allah
(SWT) sent yon as a Prophet (SAW) to both men and
women. Therefore ripe believed in you and obeyed
you. However, as women, we are supposed to observe
veil and remain inside our homes. Our duty is to
keep our men satisfied and to look after their children.
Men outdo us in matters such as the Friday
congregational and funeral prayers and also in jihad
in the way of Allah (SWT). When they go to war, we
protect their houses and tend their children. Will we
get the same reward as them?" When the Prophet
(SAW) hear this eloquent speech, he turned to his
cornpanions and asked them, "Have you ever. heard a
women give a more excellent speech about her
religion than this one?" All the companions of the
Prophet (SAW) swore that they had not. Then the
Prophet (SAW) turned to Asma (RA) and said, "O
Asma, help me in conveying my answer to the
women who sent you as their representative.
Fulfilling your housekeeping responsibilities, keeping
your husbands happy and co-operating with them, is
equal to all those acts of the me11 that you have
described. " Asma (RA) returned happily after
listening to this answer and did not raise any
objection.
What we must learn from this incident is
that our actual aim is to carry out the tasks
that Allah (SWT) has assigned to us. If we
assume certain duties that were never
meant for us, it will be totally unfair to our
own selves. Whenever an individual takes
on unnecessary, self-assigned duties Allah
(SWT) lets him carry them out but
withdraws His help and support. And if, in
the process, he happens to exceed Divinely
ordained limits, he may end up among the
unfortunate lot in the Hell according to the
Qur'anic words:
"We appoint for him that unto which he himself has
turned and expose him unto Hell, u hapless journeys
end" [al-Quran 4 :115]
In short, women are exempted from any direct
participation in the duty of establishing the Deen. They are
indirectly involved, by taking care of the household and
children in order to provide a harmonized and congenial
atmosphere for the men, who are directly involved in this
struggle. They should focus on fulfilling the responsibility
of bringing up the children and of their education and
moral guidance. In this way, men will have ample free
time to devote themselves to the cause of Islam. Women
should facilitate their husbands' participation in the
struggle for the supremacy of Islam by relieving them of
unnecessary burdens and by not being over-demanding.
By doing this, they would be making the most valuable
and a substantial contribution to this noble cause. After all
why should they bother to come out if they can earn the
same reward inside their homes!
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Difference Between Bai'yah of Men and Women
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Regarding the differences between men and
women, a significant difference exists in the Bai’yah (A Pledge of allegiance) of the
two genders. Just before the Hijrah, the Prophet (SAW)
took the pledge for Iqamah al-Deen, also known as the
Second Pledge of 'Aqabah, only from his male
companions. The terms of this oath were very strict and
demanded the obedience to the Ameer - leader - under all
circumstances, even if one has to force himself against his
will. It also required one to obey all the persons in the
hierarchy of authority other than the Ameer. Without
doubt the terms and conditions of this oath are very strict,
but the formation of an organized and dedicated group of
people who are ready to make any kind of sacrifice to
bring about an Islamic revolution, cannot be achieved
without such discipline. In the oath, therefore, the whole
emphasis is on discipline and maintenance of this
discipline is guaranteed positively by stressing the right
attitude of "listen and obey" and negatively by sealing off
all doors that might lead to disobedience or disorder in the
ranks of the revolutionary group.
As far as the Bai'yah of women is concerned, at the
occasion of the Second Pledge of 'Aqabah, there is no
mention of either women not taking part in it, nor any
mention of a separate Bai'yah for them (even though the
presence of at least two women, at this occasion, is
confirmed). However, the oath administered to women, as
can be proved by the Qur'an and Sunnah, is basically an
oath of piety and righteousness: to denounce all gods but
Allah, to give up bad deeds - harming, lying, stealing,
adultery, fabricating falsehoods and finally not to go
against any order of Allah (SWT) and His Prophet (SAW).
The words used, in this Bai'yall are same as those of the
First Pledge of Aqabah, which took place a year before the
second pledge, taken 'from twelve men from Yathrib
(Madinah). This proves that the strict discipline, required
of men, as members of a disciplined organization, is not
required of women. This can be naturally exp1ained':by the
fact that women are not supposed to directly participate in
the highest stage of religious responsibilities. Their
participation is more of an indirect nature.
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Organization - Compulsory for Both Men and
Women
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Nonetheless, I believe that Jama’ah (organization) is
necessary for both men and women. It provides a positive
environment in which we take inspiration from others. It
is on the account of being a part of this collective existence
that we find motivation to do more and more good deeds
and the courage to abandon the Nawahi (the forbidden
things). Therefore, Allah (SWT) has not deprived women
of the blessings and spiritual benefits of belonging to an
organization. Allah (SWT) says in Surah Al-Taubah :
"And the believers, men and momen, are protecting
friends of one another; they enjoin the right and
forbid the wrong, and they establish worship and they
pay ,the poor-due and they obey Allah and His
messenger (SAW). As for these, Allah will have
mercy on them. Lo! Allah is Mighty, Wise. "
[al-Qur'an 9:71]
It was due to the blessings and benefits of the
organizational environment that the Prophet (SAW) took
Bai'yah from Muslim women as well. As a result, women
felt that they were also part of an organization, that they
too had allegiance to a leader, that they also had to listen
and obey the commands of the Prophet (SAW), that they
also had to do good deeds, and that they were under an
oath. This gave rise to the spirit of self-criticism, that if
they deviated from their oath, then they would be
breaching the covenant and held responsible for it.
Consequently, we have a women's wing in
Tanzeem-e-Islami and they also take Bai’yah. Our highest
priority is to emulate, in all matters and as closely as
humanly possible, the example set by our Prophet (SAW).
Consequently, in the Tanzeem that we have formed for the
purpose of bringing about an Islamic Revolution, we
expect both men and women to refrain from evil and to
struggle for making Allah's Word supreme and we
consider both men and women as being bound by the
pledge of allegiance occurring in the 111th verse of Surah
Al-Taubah. [al-Quran 9:111] .
However, the more stricter Bai'yah of
"listening and obeying fee al-Ma'roof
fee al-Ma'roof refers to obeying someone as long as the
orders are within the bounds of Shari'ah. In case of the
Prophet (SAW), such condition need not exist, however, for
any other leader it is necessary to enforce this condition.
which we find in an agreed-upon Hadith, has been exclusively reserved for
men only. The oath administered to women is the one
found in the 12th verse of Surah Mumtahanah.
“O Prophet! when believing women come to the to take the oath of
allegiance to you that they will not associate in worship any other
thing with Allah that they wil1 not steal that they will not commit
adultery (or fornication) that they will not kill their children that
they will not utter slander intentionally forging falsehood and that
that will not disobey you in any just matter, then you should receive
their allegiance and pray to Allah for the forgiveness (of their sins):
for Allah is Oft-Forgiving Most Merciful." [al-Qur'an 60:12]
In the said verse, instead of positive demand of "listen and obey",
women are asked "not to disobey" the messenger of Allah
(SWT). It is easy to note that the pledge of allegiance for
women is much more lenient as compared to men. This is
further supported by the fact that the above Ayah includes
the wording of Fee Ma'roof even in the obedience to the
Prophet (SAW).
In conclusion, women need to belong to a Jama’ah
and to pledge allegiance to an Ameer so that they can have
constant self-censor and a consciousness of being an active
participant in the struggle for the establishment of Deen.
However, they are not entrusted with the responsibility of
directly taking part in this struggle. They have a
comparatively more passive, but equally vital, role to play.
Hence, the best course of action for them is to stick to their
Divinely-prescribed role. May Allah (SWT) prevent us
from taking on unnecessary burdens and May He (SWT)
help us in performing our duties in the best possible
manner. Aameen!
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