Women In Islam

Women In Islam: Cramped in a life of being a DAUGHTER, a SISTER

2011-01-27T04:06:00.000-08:00

Women In Islam: Cramped in a life of being a DAUGHTER, a SISTER: "Cramped in a life of being a DAUGHTER, a SISTER, endless COLLEGE assignments and the exam cycles, job STRESS, dealing with 1001 characters ..."

Cramped in a life of being a DAUGHTER, a SISTER

2011-01-27T04:04:00.001-08:00

Cramped in a life of being a DAUGHTER, a SISTER, endless COLLEGE assignments and the exam cycles, job STRESS, dealing with 1001 characters for friends and balancing my SOCIAL LIFE, the world of MARRIAGE, to be a MOTHER, finding aspirations to raise a NATION and doing everything for the sake of ALLAH (S.W.T) and for HIS (S.W.T.) Pleasures...while trying to figure out WHO AM I??

WHAT'S MY ROLE?

HOW do I deal with all of this?

Am I prepared for it?

Eternal Love. A 'happily ever after' ending. Do such things EXIST?

Who are we to LOVE, and Whose LOVE are we seeking for?

Discover the answers on.......

SATURDAY,12th FEBRUARY 2011 (MARK your CALENDAR) in

FOSIS IRELAND's One Day Womens Conference,

(In Collaboration with PPIMI, MSM UKEIRE, IMAM UKEIRE, KUD, ISMA IRELAND)

To LOVE & Be LOVED, in Room 3074, Arts Building, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland

Registration starts at 9.30am.

2 Euro Admission Fee in Aid of Irish Cancer Society

Speakers coming all the way from the UK, Sheikha Selina Begum Ali ( BA in Usul-Ad-Din & Usul- Al- FIqh, Founding Directors of Beacon Institute, UK) & Dr Abida Malik (Ex Officio FOSIS UK & Head of Sisters of Al Maghrib Institute Scotland)

Lectures , Interactive Workshops & Challenges, FREE FOOD AND LOTS MORE SURPRISES!

Book your place and register NOW! PLACES ARE LIMITED!

CLICK on this link NOW!

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Cinema of migration film festival

2010-12-08T15:26:00.000-08:00

The Roman who claimed to be a Christian.

2010-12-08T15:24:00.001-08:00

There is nothing new in it . There are just too many people in our world who claim to belong to the religion, their deeds do not testify to be true.

Such occasions do surface from time to time in our daily life as it surfaced when the news came not long ago, of a heated and ferocious argument, that a small hotel owner in Britain, initiated with his client. What did his client, a European woman do, to merit the discomfort of entering and ensuing such a heated argument with an ungrateful person to whom she had brought her clientele which means that she was paying his wages?

The rule book of many a trade and business is “Customer is always right”.
By initiating a heated and ferocious argument on utterly mind boggling ground, this man was seen to be throwing out of the window, the edicts of Christianity and the rule book of business.

So what was the reason of such a heated argument that this man calling himself a Christian initiated?

He objected to the way this woman had dressed up. Was she scantily or improperly dressed that would arouse the morals of a Christian to be offended? No. This woman had dressed up very modestly and gracefully. She had dressed up very much in the likeness of the holy mother of Jesus (pbot). Many nuns, more so in Eastern Europe are seen to be dressed up likewise covering themselves gracefully, from head to toe. The Palestinian women continue to keep alive the tradition of adorning themselves with such a graceful attire of their holy ancestors i.e. the holy Muryum(pboh) and other holy female mothers and wives of holy men.

In Britain only over 100 years ago every woman would dress herself like this.

So what went wrong with this man claiming to be a Christian. What depressed him, what possessed him? One can only speculate that the Roman arrogance took control of this man. His arrogance and utter contempt for a woman, who had dressed up very modestly and gracefully very much like the mother of Jesus (pbot), confirmed most certainly, of his declaration through his attitude and deeds, that he indeed was a Roman claiming to be a Christian. One is expected to come across such people in our everyday life whereas on the other hand one is more likely to come across people showing the beauty of their religion, belief and conviction in their totally compassionate, kind, heart warming and heart winning behaviour.

This incidence proves the point that there are just too many people in our world who go round claiming to belong to the religion, their deeds do not testify to be true.

S Wasty

Martyrdom of Marwa El Sherbiny in German court استشهاد مروة الشربيني

2010-09-11T02:01:00.000-07:00

Millions of women and children can be saved from death

2010-09-11T01:42:00.001-07:00

Dear friends, Millions of women and children can be saved from death in pregnancy or childbirth, if world leaders, who are about to meet in New York, meet their promises and step up their aid commitments for maternal health. Let's call on them to act now! Millions of pregnant women and children die every year because of malnutrition or inadequate health services. It's shocking, but if our governments meet aid promises to women and children at the poverty summit later this month, it is avoidable. Ten years ago world leaders committed to drastically reduce the disgraceful number of maternal deaths by 2015, but in fact aid levels remain shamefully low. Now, some governments could be prepared to boost aid for mothers and babies, but they need massive public support to get all governments to step up. In days our leaders meet in New York. Let's build a global outcry against needless deaths. Sign the petition below to double aid for maternal and child health -- it will be delivered to key government leaders at the New York meeting. https://secure.avaaz.org/en/save_children_and_mothers/?vl In the last 10 years, since the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) were set, significant advances have been made to tackle poverty -- one-third fewer mothers have died during childbirth due to increased aid and investment in maternal health care. But millions of pregnant mothers are still dying needlessly and every year 9 million children die before their 5th birthday. There is already a specific mechanism to deliver aid for HIV/AIDS, Malaria and Tuberculosis, but no similar system exists to support health for mothers and children. Experts feel one of the best ways to have an immediate impact is to ensure that aid is doubled and coordinated to effectively bring health care to the mothers and children who need it the most. But with only 5 years left to meet MDG targets, there’s a danger that our leaders use the recession to shirk responsibilities to help the world’s poorest. It has always been the world's citizens that have led the fight against poverty and pushed our leaders to take critical action, and now it is up to us again. Sign the petition to save mothers and children:

EID-UL-FITR – DUTIES AND OBLIGATIONS

2010-09-09T18:03:00.000-07:00

Written by hassancdz on

Sep-7-10 8:56am

From: quranreading.com

Anas (RA), a companion of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) reported that when the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) migrated from Makkah to Madinah, the people of Madinah used to have two festivals. On those two days they had carnivals and festivity. Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) asked the Ansaar (the Muslims of Madinah) about it.
They replied that before Islam they used to have carnivals on those two joyous days. The Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) told them: ‘Instead of those two days, Allah has appointed two other days which are better, the days of Eid-al-Fitr and Eid-al-Adha.’ (Hadith)
END OF RAMADAN – EID-UL-FITR
Ramadan the very special month from all the other months is the ninth month and to the very end of its blessings and mercy the next very first day of the Islamic month is Shawwal and this is precisely where you are to know that this is the day of EID, EID-UL-FITR. This is the day of joy and success and peace and happiness which Muslims are awarded on the very day.
Thus this is the true Thanksgiving Day in all sense where Muslims celebrate the joy and thanks ALLAH (SWT) to make it worth the month in their life time and bless them with the opportunity to take advantage of such a divine holy month.
SUNNAH OF EID
Wake up early in the morning
Prepare your clothes and other aspects related to cleanliness
Have a shower before wearing new clothes.
Take special measures for the cleanliness such as brushing your teeth.
Put on those clothes which are the best you have, new are not necessary (should be clean)
Use perfume (used by men only).
Have breakfast before leaving for EID-UL-FITR.
On Eid-al-Adha, eat breakfast after Salaat or after sacrifice (if you are doing a sacrifice).
Pay Zakaat-al-Fitr before Salaat-al-Eid (on Eid-al-Fitr).
Try to reach the prayer ground early.
Offer Salaat-al-Eid in congregation in an open place except when whether is not permitting like rain, snow, etc.
Recite the following Takbir on the way to Salaat and until the beginning of Salaat-al-Eid: Allaho-Akber, Allaho-Akber. La ila-ha ill-lal-lah. Allaho-Akber, Allaho-Akber. Wa-lilahill hamd.
Meaning in English: (Allah is great, Allah is great. There is no god but Allah. Allah is great, Allah is great. And all praises are for Allah).
OFFERING EID PRAYER
Ibn Abbass (RA) reported: “I participated in the Eid-ul-Fitr prayer with the Messenger of Allah (saw), Abu Bakr (RA), Umar (RA) and Uthman (RA), and all of them held Eid prayer before Khutbah, and then the Prophet Muhammad (saw) delivered the Khutbah (sermon).” (Muslim)
WHO IS WITH AN OBLIGATION TO PRAY
Umm Atiyah (RA) reported: “The Messenger of Allah (saw) commanded us to bring out on Eid-al-Fitr and Eid-al-Adha, young women, hijab-observing adult women and the menstruating women. The menstruating women stayed out of actual Salaat but participated in good deeds and Duaa (supplication). I (Umm Atiyah) said to the Holy Prophet (saw): Oh! Messenger of Allah, one does not have an outer garment. He replied: Let her sister cover her with her garment.”( Muslim )

Muslim Sisters of Eire

2010-07-19T11:38:00.000-07:00

Muslim Sisters of Eire would like to invite you the following event:

Open Day

(Women Only)
Monday 19 July, 2010

12-2pm

Venue: 17 Synge Street, Dublin 8

This will be a great opportunity for you to meet Muslim women, have a chat and enjoy some great food.

For further information, please feel free to contact
Khadija - 0879468862

Interview with Ida Lichter By Ulara Nakagawa

2010-06-25T02:31:00.000-07:00

Today is a continuation of my recent interview with Ida Lichter, Australian author of Muslim Women Reformers: Inspiring Voices Against Oppression, a ground-breaking book about female (and male) Muslim reformers from around the world who are prepared to challenge institutionalized persecution against women.

We know that women need to be given higher social status in struggling nations in order to build liveable societies for all citizens. But do you find it frustrating to deal with those who can’t or refuse to try to accept this?
Ida Lichter: I do find it frustrating, but I try to understand the mindset of others in an alien culture, something I find natural from my training and work as a psychiatrist. However, I can’t excuse those who want to subjugate women in the name of religion, the tribe the umma or whatever.
I also have difficulty accepting the view that culture should not and cannot be changed. As Afghan reformer, Sima Samar asserts, ‘We must respect the traditions and culture and religion…. But we do not have to respect traditions that oppress women and violate human rights.’
In regard to Western feminists, they’ve allied themselves with radical Muslims (who stone women, hang homosexuals and deny free speech) at the expense of Muslim women’s human rights. I find this sad and troubling.
So where does your hope then lie?
IL: Muslim women reformers are very determined because they have everything to gain if they succeed and everything to lose if the extremists take over.
More women in Muslim societies are becoming educated, forming NGOs, working as journalists with access to world media and developing a more sophisticated understanding of politics….more men in their societies are supporting women’s rights.
Also, individual women and their NGOs are developing the scholarship to reinterpret the holy texts in favour of gender equality. Some are demanding changes to discriminatory Sharia-based laws whilst others campaign for political and educational reforms.
Are there any specific examples you can share?
IL: There are many examples of their achievements. In Iran, the women’s movement is focused on changing discriminatory Sharia law, whilst avoiding religious debate or political upheaval. There has been rapid growth of various women’s groups at universities and colleges, and despite ideological differences, new national networks of feminists based on common objectives. Women are mastering the Internet to build communication within and outside the country.
In Kuwait and Afghanistan, much progress has been made in women’s political participation. Saudi Arabian King Abdullah appointed the first woman minister as deputy minister for girls' education and removed the hardliner chief of the mutaween (religious police). These reforms came after years of campaigning by Wajeha Al-Huwaider and other women activists.
Muslim women reformers are living in a historic period, defining themselves outside the dominant male paradigm and hoping to unlock the potential of half their populations.
Do you plan to write more books in the future?
IL: I would like to update my book, using new information about the reformers and their achievements. Other goals include more research about women reformers in South East Asia, and the psychological impacts of Sharia law and cultural practice on women. I am also working on various other projects.

She was just 18!

2010-03-10T16:49:00.000-08:00

This story may not be true nowadays, but Muslim lobby would like to know if any girl is forced to marry so we will stand by her.

I caught the pretty girl talking to her friend for the third time in my English class today.I forgave her as it was the last hour of the day and i knew my students were often distracted and tired by then. But then as I gave back their assignments, after allotting the marks for their Internal assessment, i realized that she was the only one who hadn't submitted hers.This time I lost my cool.
"Whats wrong with you Farhana? You knew you would be losing ten marks in your final examination if you didn't submit your assignment today, didn't you? and why the hell were you distracted in my class ?
All she did was give me a feeble smile and then someone from behind said " Ma'am she will be married by this December.This week will be the last week that she will be attending college".
I for once was tongue tied. I mean its not uncommon for us to have some of our final year students giving us their wedding invitations during the last semester, and it sometimes saddens us that they may never ever work or pursue their higher studies in their life ever again. But this girl was just 18 and in her first year of graduation.
I just wished her luck and resumed my class. But curiosity got the better of me and since i was their class teacher, i called her aside after my classes were done for the day,to find out why she was in such a hurry to get married.
What she told me made me realize that in spite of us Indians boasting of having moved forward in every field, the plight of a girl is always decided by her parents and the community to which she belongs. As suspected it was an "arranged" marriage. Her parents had met this "wonderful" Guy( read filthy rich and loaded with a lot and lot of money) in one of ther family functions and decided that they may never get a " good guy" like this for their daughter so before she knew it she was engaged to this guy. Now within a month she was to be married to this boy and she obviously had to discontinue her studies as the boy didn't want a wife who was academically " more " qualified than him. ( read probably has'nt completed his high school)
In the community that she belonged to she was'nt allowed to go against the wishes of her parents and she had to agree to this proposal. I asked her if she liked the boy and she told me that she had never spoken to him as both their families very very traditional ( read no going out, no talking to members of the opposite sex, and no getting to know the man you are going to spend the rest of your life with)
I told her to atleast to give it some time and try to get permission from her home to complete her studies.She responded that tomorrow would be her last day in college as she already had to start with her wedding shopping and I knew there was nothing I could do to help her.
Though the scenario is changing for the better today and more and more women are allowed to complete their education, there are still those who are unfortunate enough to be stuck within the traditional rules and norms of the communities they belong to. And sometimes they are the students whom I will always cherish as the ones who were the smartest and the brightest during their college days, but then dissolve into nobody's once they get into the portals of marriage.

Women's Event RCSI

2009-11-11T11:46:00.000-08:00

FOSIS IRELAND, RCSI ISOC & PPIMI BRING YOU;

THE FIQH OF MENSTRUATION

(LADIES ONLY EVENT)

DATE: 21st November 2009
DAY: Saturday
VENUE: Heuston Lecture Theatre, RCSI Stephen’s Green
TIME : STARTS AT 10.00 AM

Are you a sister who is unfamiliar with the fiqh of menstruation?

Or confused by the different rulings relating to menstruation?

Have so many unanswered questions about this sensitive topic?

In this course, the speaker will talk about the issue that has long been a taboo in parts of the Muslim community even to this day.

About the speaker;
“Shaykh Fraz Farhat is a graduate from the University of Leeds (Faculty of Engineering) and the Islamic University of Madinah (Faculty of Shari’ah). He regularly appears on Islam Channel's programme – Islam QA. He is well known and respected as one of the senior students of knowledge in the UK; Shaykh Fraz is active in the field of Dawah. Shaykh Fraz currently teaches Seerah, Fiqh (Umdah-ul-Fiqh of Ibn Qudamah), Riyadh-as-Saaliheen and Tafsir in his local masjid in London. He is also an instructor of Al-Kauthar Institute & MRDF”

'...Shaykh Fraz Farhat...well known for his piety, humility, zuhd, high moral character, strong personality and ofcourse his love for physics and mathematics!...'

Dr. Abu Yusuf (Al-Kauthar Institute & Mercy Mission CEO)

Shyness should not prevent you from seeking knowledge and asking questions...

Aisyah, may Allah be pleased with her, said, “How excellent are the women of the Ansaar, shyness/modesty does not prevent them from understanding the religion"(Sahih al-Bukhari)

Fiqh of Menstruation - Its importance cannot be more emphasize as mature women spend approximately ¼ of her life in this state!

Followed by Q & A session and, this course is surely a not to be missed one.
Extra session on issues regarding the etiquettes of hijaab, fiqh of taharah & prayer will also be included Insya-Allah.

Friendship

2009-11-09T13:01:00.000-08:00

Friendship is one of the most important things in life, on so many different levels. If we look at society as a whole, forming friendships and being able to interact respectfully with those around you allows things to move smoothly, businesses to prosper, foreign relations to be built etc. People who feel a friendly rapport with their government (hard to fine these days!) are generally much happier then countries where mistrust and corruption are the flavours of the day. To back away from this and take a more personal look at things, humans need friends to feel they belong. There is a saying that friends are the family you get to choose, and this pretty much rings true. While your family will always be your base, it is your friends that you usually turn to to relax, share problems or flat out enjoy yourself. There is generally no one who can understand a woman better then her female friends. And because Islam is a way of life, and ones reason for living is to please God, friendship has huge importance in our religion, because the people you hang with will either raise your Iman up, or pull it right down.

To establish healthy friendships with good people is so essential, both on an emotional and spirtual level. While life is a struggle, being surrounded by positive people not only makes the journey easier, but more enjoyable too. As a teen, THE biggest influence on the life choices you make are your group of friends. The Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him) said:

'A good and bad companion are like the bearer of musk and the one who pumps out filth respectively. As for the bearer of musk, s/he will either give you a share (ie you will smell perfumed air from him/her) or you will purchuse something beautiful from him/her. As for the one who pumps filth, s/he will either burn your clothes, or you will smell something filthy from him/her.' (Bukhari & Muslim)

Basically, if we surround ourselves by negative people, we'll bear the brunt of it, and vice versa. A true friend will want nothing but good for you. They will try keep both themselves and yourself away from harmful things, as well as things that are harmful to ones Deen. Loving your friend means caring more about where their soul is headed then simply having a good time and forgetting the Words of God.

'And the believers, men and women, are protecting friends of one another, they enjoin the right and forbid the wrong.' (9:71)

Believers is the key word here...if you really believe in God, then protecting yourself and your family and friends from what is haram and harmful should be in your nature. It is hard to find a more valuable thing in life then a friend who is there for you, advises you and helps you with your troubles.

It is much easier to find oneself straying from Allah and doing more and more haram IF your group friends all do it too. Yet in the Qur'an we are warned of this; Allah knows His creation, and knows it is in human nature to do want things done as a group:

' And hold fast, all of you together, to the rope of Allah, and do not seperate.' (3:103)

Allah is commanding us here to keep faith together as a group; He knows we need human companionship and to feel we belong to something, to a bigger picture. No man is an island, no one should be expected to share the joys and sorrows of life alone.

While I've spoken quite a bit on how it is important to have friends who are strong in their Iman, there is much to be seen in both the Qur'an and the Sunnah on how one should treat ones friends. Islam is a religion of peace and love, and people should take a moment to remember this. The very greeting in Islam, Assalamu Alaikum means Peace be upon you! The Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him) said:

'You shall not enter Paradise until you believe, and you will not believe until you love one another. Shall I not guide you to a thing which, when done, will make you love one another? Spread the greeting of Salam amoung you.' (Muslim)

This is huge! We are basically being told that unless we love another, we will never enter Paradise. To care about each other, and want the best for each other, is such a vital part of calling yourself a Muslim. This is such an easy thing to do, and amidst all the hardships of striving to be a good person, this is a beautiful thing to know, and it reminds us that Islam is not a hard religion; it fits very easily with the nature of Man. To look at things from a different angle, we can also interpret that this Hadith is reminding us of the importance of talking to one another. Depression, low self esteem, problems no one else is aware of etc may be eating away at someone close to you, and you'd never know unless lines of communications are open between you and your friends. Just talking about things lifts a huge weight from ones shoulders, and both Islamically and plain humanely we should try to always to be the person in a group a friend would have no trouble opening up to.

There are rights and duties we have over each other as humans. In this Hadith, the Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him) said:

'The right of a Muslim upon a Muslim is six. When asked what these were he replied:
1. When you meet, salute him/her (offer him/her your salam).
2. When s/he calls you, respond to him (eg if you are invited by a friend to go somewhere, go).
3. When s/he seeks advice, give advice.
4. When s/he sneezes and praises Allah, respond to him/her.
5. When s/he falls ill, visit him/her.
6. When s/he dies, follow him/ her (ie attend their funeral). (Muslim)

As you can see, your relationships should not be taken lightly! When you have a bond with another human, know the rights/duties you have over one another; it's not only in our religion, but common sense and respect also. Being a good friend, being supportive and having your friends' back is something Allah loves, and we should all strive to please Allah. Often the term Islam is a way of life is used and this is a good example of it; religion is not just the five prayers - pleasing and worshipping Allah comes into everything, even the things in our nature we take for granted.

Finally, the Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him) said:

'Whoever fullfilled the needs of his brother, Allah will fullfill his needs. Whoever brought his brother out of discomfort, Allah will bring him out of the discomfort on the Day of Ressurection.' (Bukhari)

We may think nothing of helping a friend, but look at the huge reward!

The Hijab (Short)

2009-11-09T12:46:00.000-08:00

Say the words 'Muslim woman' and more then likely an image of a figure shrouded from head to toe in black will spring to mind. It is one of the hottest topics up for debate when Islam comes into a conversation and, I suppose, fair enough! With the recent ban of the headscarf in workplaces/schools in France, talk of a ban of the niqaab there, the ghostly images of women in burkhas from Afghanistan a while back and indeed, MUCH of the media interest surrounding Islam since, well, since forever I suppose, the hijab and the idea of a woman choosing to cover herself has always been in the spotlight. For many, 'oppression' and 'hijab' seemingly go hand in hand, and there is the funny idea amidst some circles that Muslim women need to be freed from the chauvinistic practice that is a headscarf and modest clothing. Sadly, (for die-hard anti-hijabees at least) this simply isn't the case.

“And tell the believing women to lower their gaze (from looking at forbidden things), and protect their private parts (from illegal sexual acts) and not to show off their adornment except only that which is apparent, and to draw their veils over their bosums, and not to reveal their adornment except to their husbands, or their fathers, or their husband’s fathers, or their sons, or their husband’s sons, or their brothers or their brother’s sons, or their sister’s sons, or their (Muslim) women, or the (female) slaves whom their right hands possess, or old male servants who lack vigour, or small children who have no sense of feminine sex. And let them not stamp their feet so as to reveal what they hide of their adornment. And all of you beg Allaah to forgive you all, O believers, that you may be successful”

[al-Noor 24:31]

Basic Requirements:

1. Clothes should not be tight, showing the body's form, but loose-fitting.

2. Clothes should not be sheer (ie see-through)

3. Women should not imitate the dress style of men (ie dont look too butch!)

The hijab is a command from God, not man. As a Muslim, and therefore a believer of the Qur'an and Sunnah, I wear the hijab because I believe God wants me to. To have religion is often described as having faith, and an integral part of any person of any belief in God is just that: to have FAITH in Him. I have faith in God's words, faith that He knows best, and faith that, even though I do struggle with my hijab, He ordained I wear it for a reason. These reasons aren't exactly too hard to miss: in a world where a woman's worth is largely determined by how good she looks or how big her pay package is, to be respected and taken seriously for what brains or personality one has sounds great to me. The hijab enables this. It takes women away from the stereotype of being a sexual object. Maybe this sounds extreme, but all you have to do is switch on the TV and you'll see women, in all manners of undress, being used in advertisements ranging from perfume to soft drinks. The sex industry is a multi-billion dollar one; in fact, the word pornography is derived from the Greek πορνογραφία (pornographia), which derives from the Greek words πόρνη (pornē, "prostitute" and pornea, "prostitution"), and γράφω (graphō, "I write or record," derived meaning "illustration," cf. "graph"), and the suffix -ία (-ia, meaning "state of," "property of," or "place of"), thus meaning "a written description or illustration of prostitutes or prostitution.". The majority of female singers seem to feel the need to wear next to nothing in order to be 'current', or for publicity, and all of this is quite sad. Islam protects its women from having to stoop to being seen as nothing more then a piece of a** by placing a woman's mind before her body.

It's easy to see so far that the hijab is therefore a protection against sexual discrimination and indeed sexual harrasment. Some will say that it is ridiculous for women to dress modestly so men won't be 'tempted' to do whatever. But, God knows His creation best, and men are weak in their desires, there's no denying it: men are visual creatures. Not every man is a sexual predator, far from it, but some are. It is purer for the hearts of men if the women they see are not flaunting everything they've got. It's also purer for the hearts of women to keep away from this too; our lives, both male and female, were given to us by God so that we may worship him. Besides, if God commands something, surely there is nothing but good in it for us, whether we always see the logic in it or not.

Islam as a way of life protects the family unit and knowing ones wife is for one alone and vice versa helps create a deep bond between a married couple. A man may love his partner and still cheat; doesn't it make sense that if women dressed modestly such extramarital lusts would be much harder to kindle? The hijab helps put up a barrier towards a man's sexual advances, and a world with no adultorers or pre-marital sex is only going to benefit society. Do the research yourself.

One last thing to remember is to come back to the reason we are all alive: to be tested. Women love to be beautiful, they love clothes and makeup and getting the hair done etc. If we strive to please God by obeying him in this life, our rewards will be endless. A woman who struggles with the hijab for the sake of Allah, knowing it is hard (because it can be SO hard at times!) but doing so anyway to please God is someone to be looked up to. Ultimately, a lifetime is mere nano seconds in the grander scale of things, so people who find the hijab so offensive need to sit back and remember it is a woman's choice who does/does not see her body, and a woman choosing to cover is not backwards, or ignorant, but simply doing so out of love for God.

Women in Islam: Brief Intro

2009-10-25T17:16:00.000-07:00

The ‘place’ of a Muslim woman in society has always been the cause of much controversy. Since the attacks of September 11th, 2001, and the following ‘War on Terror’, Islam has been thrust under the spotlight and Muslims everywhere have been forced to deal with an upsurge of morbid interest in the shadier details of their ‘religion’. Of these details, the subject of women is a hot favourite. However, it has not been said, and CANNOT be said enough, that many of the preconceived ideas the West has about women in Islam derives from culture, simple as.

As a young Muslim woman living in Ireland, I’ve been asked too many times to count if I’m forced to wear the hijab (by who, I really wonder), am I educated, was I a child bride, do I feel my ‘place’ is in the home. It’s frustrating to say the least, and at the same time I can almost see where such ignorance comes from. The power of the media is a formidable thing, and with such ‘Islamic’ countries as Saudi Arabia and Afghanistan leading the way when it comes to examples of gender-related issues, it’s no surprise people expect me to be an illiterate idiot with five kids and an inferiority complex.

However, enough is enough! The truth is out there, and it’s about time a clear line is drawn between religion and culture. I could type for pages and pages about the injustice of places like Saudi, where women are unable to drive by law, or Afghanistan, where girls were not sent to school for years and had to cover, head to toe, for fear of being publicly beaten. But for now, what I‘m going to touch briefly on are topics in which people seem to hoard the most interest. I will post more on each topic individually at some later stage, but for now I just want to get the most important points out there.

The Hijab.

I want to start off by saying that the hijab (headscarf and modest clothing) is a part of Islam. It is not a cultural thing, but rather a spiritual one. The idea of the hijab being a tool by which men can control women is false. To be a Muslim, you must believe in God. To believe in God is to believe in His Word, the Qur’an. And in the Qur’an, God asks the believing women to cover.

(Quran 24:31) “And say to the believing women that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty; that they should not display their beauty and ornaments except what must ordinarily appear thereof; that they should draw their veils over their bosoms and not display their beauty except to their husbands, their fathers, their husbands' fathers, their sons, their husbands' sons, their brothers, or their brothers' sons or their sisters' sons, or their women or the servants whom their right hands possess, or male servants free of physical needs, or small children who have no sense of the shame of sex, and that they should not strike their feet in order to draw attention to their hidden ornaments. And O you Believers, turn you all together towards Allah, that you may attain Bliss.”

Islam isn’t a man-made way of life. The Qur’an wasn’t written by men, like the Bible was. To say a Muslim woman is oppressed by men because she covers is a load of trash. Muslim women do not wear the hijab because their husbands say so. I don’t wear it because my Dad says I must. I wear it because I believe God, the All-Knowing and my Creator, wants me to.

Women and Education:

Nowhere in the religion of Islam does it state women are to be left uneducated. In fact, the seeking of knowledge is seen as a MUST, for both sexes. The very first words revealed from God to Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) were ‘Read! In the Name of your Lord.’ The significance of this is huge; education, both religious and worldly, has always played a huge role in the history of Islam. The Prophet (PBUH) said:
"Seeking knowledge is mandatory for every Muslim (male and female)."
(Hadith Sahih Bukhari

The idea that men should receive an education over women clearly does not come from the religion of Islam; it is man’s rule, not God’s, that kept women away from schools in ‘Islamic’ countries. Aishah (RA), one of the most beloved wives of the Prophet (PBUH), was known for her intellect and her practice of memorizing Hadiths and Ayats from the Qur’an. Khadijah (RA), the first wife of the Prophet (PBUH) was a successful business woman.

Marriage:

The subject of marriage is too broad to even touch on briefly, so I’ll make just a few points. The first is that nowhere does it state in Islam that it is the woman’s job to do the cooking and cleaning. This is a cultural thing from many places around the world, and many people assume the dutiful Muslim wife is the one that cooks and cleans. The dutiful cultural wife perhaps, but not the dutiful Muslimah! Marriage is a partnership, and the duties of providing meals for two and keeping the house in which both husband and wife live in clean should fall on both parties. This is just common sense. The Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), the most perfect human of all creation, helped his wives with chores around the house, mended his own clothes and patched his own shoes. However, whatever household chores a Muslim wife does, she will be rewarded greatly by Allah, as it will be classed as an act of charity on her behalf.

The second point I would like to make concerns polygamy. Polygamy is permitted in Islam, but the rules regarding it are so complex that they are extremely hard to follow, and due to this it is discouraged. The idea of a man having six or seven wives, or even his own harem of women, comes again from culture, as the maximum amount of women a man can be married to at once is four.

"If you fear that you shall not be able to deal justly with the orphans, marry women of your choice, two, or three, or four; but if you fear that you shall not be able to deal justly (with them), then (marry) only one…" (Qur’an 4:3)

It is clear from this Ayah that polygamy is neither mandatory or encouraged; it’s merely allowed. It is also clear that in order to do so, the husband must deal with each wife justly, or not bother at all. To put it simply, what one wife is given, the rest must be provided the exact same. If one has a house, the other must be given a house etc etc. It is also clear that the permission to practice polygamy is not associated with mere satisfaction of. Rather, it is associated with compassion towards widows and orphans, a matter that is confirmed by the atmosphere in which the verse was revealed. One final point to be made is that the word ‘marry’ is used. Marriage in Islam is a civil contract that is not binding unless both parties agree to it. In other words, a woman cannot be married against her will to a man; she cannot be given to a man as a second wife etc.

One final point I’d like to make re marriage and women is the subject of motherhood. While I hope what I’ve already written has dispelled any ideas of women being seen as ‘second class’ in Islam, this next point surely will. When it comes to the level of love, respect and obedience a human owes to others, God comes first, the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) comes second and your parents come third. And in the duo of your parents, your mother should be honored over your father.

There are so many clichés (all true!) I could go into to describe the amount of love and gratitude one owes ones mother. I won’t, but I’ll give some examples from the teachings of the Prophet (PBUH).

A man came to the Prophet (PBUH) and said, ‘O Messenger of God! Who among the people is the most worthy of my good companionship? The Prophet said: Your mother. The man said, ‘Then who?' The Prophet said: Then your mother. The man further asked, ‘Then who?' The Prophet said: Then your mother. The man asked again, ‘Then who?' The Prophet said: Then your father. (Bukhari, Muslim).

The Prophet is also reported to have said ‘Paradise lies under the feet of your mother’ (how beautiful is that!)

O humankind! Be in awe of your Lord and Sustainer, He who created you all from a single soul, and created from it its mate, and from the two of them brought forth many men and women. Be in awe of Allah and of the wombs (that bore you). Surely Allah is watching over you. - Surah an-Nisa ayah 1

In this Ayah, Allah is drawing a link between Himself and mothers. He commands us to be in ‘awe’, or give huge respect to our mothers. As a Muslim woman, the role of a mother garners a huge amount of love and gratitude. Of course, the father does too, but if you worked your whole life I don’t think you could repay your mother for all she did for you.

Right, so that concludes my intro on women in Islam. Obviously, I don’t think women can be reduced to the three categories of Hijab, Education and Marriage, but from experience they are the three topics people are the most interested/ignorant. I’ll go into detail of each at some other stage, as well as other things

Looking Beyond The Veil

2009-08-05T13:59:00.001-07:00

Muslim community lobby invites women to write in the following research fields and post them on our site. A discussion group can be organised for those who want to take part in future events:

Muslim women and ......
society,
freedom,
elections,
women's rights,
hijab,
Islamic fashion,
education,
sports,
wedding,
jobs
.... etc.