Introduction
Islam emphasizes and enhances the natural disposition which Allah has instilled in His creation. Allah has created man and women, with different attributes, to fulfill part of the essential needs for both to live happily in this life and work more efficiently for the Hereafter. He made them indispensable and complementary to each other. They are like the day, composed of two essential parts: night and daytime; also, electricity, is composed of two elements that blow life into many lifeless materials.
Among the things that Allah has distinguished the female with is that He made her highly affectionate and emotional in her behavior. Besides, He made her elegant and fragile to increase her attractiveness, though it limits her freedom of movement in the environment where she lives. She was made tender and affectionate to be capable of absorbing man’s stiffness and to attract him, and to provide him with psychological refuge and soothe his pains and relieve his worries.
Also, she was made to be more ready to sacrifice herself for others to be suitable to take care of the children. All these qualities are indispensable to the happiness of any family or community. It was proven by psychological experiments that females are stronger than males in surviving unusual psychological situations and recovering from psychological shocks.
On the other hand, Allah has created man to be distinguished with the strength to protect his family and to make him more capable of moving freely in the environment where he lives. He can wander freely in a wider area, that is, go to isolated or deserted areas, and he can move more freely during the late hours of the night and in darkness. Man is also less exposed to aggression and more capable of defending himself.
However, when we speak about the distinctive characteristics of men and women, we should bear in mind that there are exceptional cases where a man or a woman may excel in the other’s field of specialty.
What is the Status of Women Compared to Men?
Some people like to quote some Prophetic traditions, intentionally or unintentionally, to come up with meanings that contradict the previous facts. Among the misunderstood quotes is the saying of the Prophet (PBUH): “O you women! Give to charity. I have been shown that you represent the greatest portion of the dwellers of Hellfire. Women asked: ‘Why, O Prophet?’ He said: ‘You are accustomed to cursing and denying favors. I have not seen such as you having an incomplete mind and incomplete religion and having the power to influence the decisive, wise men.’ They said: ‘What is missing in our religion and mind?’ He said: ‘Is not your testimony half of the testimony of a man?’ That is why your mind is incomplete. Is it not true that you do not pray or fast during the menstruation period? That is why your religion is incomplete.” (Sahih Al-Bukhari)
The context here is: that the day was a festival day, and the Prophet (PBUH) wanted to encourage women to donate for the sake of Allah. It was an appropriate time to tease them, using partial facts. They are partial facts because if their testimony, in some cases, is equal to half of the man’s testimony or if they do not pray or fast during the menstruation period, it is not their fault. Here, the Prophet (PBUH) was praising the women by contrasting the special power they have over strong men with some weak points of theirs. And if they represent the greater portion of the dwellers of Hell, this is also natural because they outnumber men for denying favors by exaggerating their dislikes, it is one of the characteristics of the emotional person.
However, women’s status in general could be classified under three categories. In the first category, men and women are equals and it makes men and women guardians for each other. God Almighty addresses this matter in the following verses of the Holy Quran:
“The believers, men and women are guardians of each other. They enjoin what is just and forbid what is evil.” (Holy Quran 9:71)
“To men is allotted what they earn and to women what they earn.” (Holy Quran 4:32)
“Whoever works righteousness, man or woman, and has faith, verily, to them We will give a new life.” (Holy Quran 16:97)
“For Muslim men and women, for believing men and women, for devout men and women, for true men and women, for men and women who are patient and constant, for men and women who humble themselves, for men and women who give in charity, for men and women who fast, for men and women who guard their chastity, for men and women who engage much in the remembrance of Allah, for them, Allah has prepared forgiveness and great reward.” (Holy Quran 33:35)
Islam puts only half of the blame on Eve for being discharged from Paradise (Holy Quran 2:36). Not only that, but it puts a greater blame on Adam because he had the final word. (Holy Quran 20:121).
In the second category, women have greater rights. In Islam, the rights of the mother are greater than that of the father. In Saudi Arabia, for example, based on a Prophetic tradition related to after-birth confinement (Tirmidhi), the government’s civil service grants the new mother a fully paid forty-five days’ vacation, at least, in addition to her annual vacation. It also grants a widow about one hundred and thirty fully paid days off for mourning, based on the period appointed for mourning, upon the death of a husband in the Holy Quran (Holy Quran 2:234).
In Islam, only females are allowed to wear pure silk cloth and golden ornaments (Sahih Muslim). Not only that, but Islam promised great rewards for bringing up female children. The Prophet (PBUH) said: “Whoever has three daughters or sisters and takes good care of them will surely enter paradise.” It made the way a husband treats his wife a criterion of good character. The Prophet (PBUH) said: “The best among you is the best to his wife”. Men get neither of these privileges. Shall we say that Islam discriminates against men?
The third and final category advocates for greater rights and responsibilities for men. Islam made man in charge of his family, concerning the living expenses and the final word in the family’s affairs. It assigned him twice as much of the female’s share of the inheritance if he was responsible for her living expenses. Thus, we notice that Islam considers the male and the female as equals in importance, as night is equal to daytime, but not as night is equal to night. Both men and women are indispensable for any happy family. Likewise, a complete day cannot exist without night and daytime.
By way of comparison, if we go back to resolutions of the French Revolution, which is a model of all cries for equal rights for women, and to some constitutions of the prominent Western systems, we notice that these models did not grant women many of the rights that Islam granted to women fourteen centuries ago, except during the last century. There are still more rights to be legislated and approved for women in the West, after tireless efforts on their part, rights which are already part and parcel of Islamic law. Among these is to put the full financial burden of the family on the man’s shoulder and grant the female complete control over her wealth.
What is Women’s Role in the Political System?
In light of the previously stated special qualities and privileges of females and males, it seems reasonable to put the highest decision-making responsibility in the hands of men. Muslim scholars who adopt this legal opinion depend on a Prophetic tradition that says: “No success is expected for a nation that chooses a woman to be in charge of their affairs.” (Musnad Imam Ahmad)
However, the opponents of this opinion say that this comment of the prophet is not a judgment but rather a prediction. He said it when he was told that the Persians had chosen a woman to oversee their affairs. In general, we should bear in mind that the highest position in Islam used to be held by a person whose authority included the power of deducing laws from the Holy Quran and the Prophetic traditions, the judicial and the executive authorities. The question is: what is the case of the authority is limited? The issue is still under discussion.
It is also worth noting that we should distinguish between the qualifications of the leader of the whole Islamic community and the leader of a particular Muslim nation. The debate regarding a woman assuming a leadership position is mainly related to the former, not the latter.
As far as the consultative authority is concerned, Islam respects women’s intelligent consultation. The Prophet (PBUH) who received revelation took the advice of a woman seriously and put it into action, as well as can be seen in the following story. After concluding a pact with the tribe of Quraish, before embracing Islam, the Prophet (PBUH) commanded his Companions, to give up their intention to perform umrah (the minor pilgrimage).
They were so upset that they hesitated in carrying out his order because the agreement with Quraish included a provision, that says that Muslims should return whoever embraces Islam from Quraish, but not vice versa. When the companions hesitated in complying with the Prophet’s order, he (PBUH) felt sad. Then, Umm Salamah, one of his wives, advised him to conduct the ritual of giving up the Umrah himself without saying a word. The Prophet (PBUH) took her advice and did what she suggested. All the companions followed suit instantly. (Ibn al-Qayyem, Zad vol.3:195)
Conclusion
In general, Islam considers a woman not only qualified to hold responsible positions, but it considers her responsible in many areas as well. Among these is her family. The Prophet (PBUH) said: “All of you are guardians and are responsible for your wards and the things under your care. The ruler is the guardian of his subjects and is responsible for them, and a man is the guardian of his family and responsible for them, and a woman is the guardian of her husband’s house and responsible for it.” (Sahih Al-Bukhari)
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