The Rights of Women in Islam
Are Muslim Women Really Oppressed?
In Islam there is no spiritual difference between men and women. Both are responsible for the same religious duties; the only spiritual difference between genders or different tribes, (races), of people is their faith and good deeds. There are of course physical differences between men and women and Islam addresses these differences in ways that more than adequately give equal rights to both so long as they are followed.
Women have full property rights both before and after marriage. In fact women are given more in the way of financial security than men. Everything that a married man earns must go to the benefit of his family, while anything that a married woman earns is hers to keep and use in whatever way she would like. Because of this a man is entitled to more inheritance than a woman; he is simply responsible for more people, while she can use her money for herself.
The issue of household chores is another issue that can be pointed to as unfair. There is a stereotype within our society that housework is for women. This is not the case within Islam. A Muslim should strive to follow the example of Prophet Muhammad, and he did all of the household chores.
An extremely flammable issue that many people frown upon is the practice of polygamy. To begin polygamy is not the standard practice of the Muslim, nor is it encouraged. If this is the case why is it even included. The only verse within the Qur'an that discusses polygamy was revealed after the Battle of Uhud. Many of the Muslim men were killed and there were many widows and orphans. Remember that each wife would have equal financial shares and that the man would be responsible for them both. This solution is much more humane than similar situations that have happened in other places. Such as the woman being accused of being witches and burned at the stake simply for surviving the bubonic plague. Coincidentally it has been scientifically proven that women survive the outbreak of an infectious disease in greater numbers than men.
The most misunderstood aspect of women's rights in Islam is the hijab and nikab. A woman's attire his her own choice and no man is allowed to force a woman into doing something she does not want to. Both are worn for modesty and not to attract the attention of men. Most women these days will tell you that men are dogs. It is strange to witness negative reactions to a way of life that takes this into consideration.
Truth is a shining light that dispels the darkness of falsehood and ignorance. This darkness represents the biggest problem both within and outside of Islam. However knowledge is readily available to anyone who is willing to look and learn. It can be acquired from primary texts, not watered down commentaries on, or even commentaries on commentaries. Also remember that things can easily be taken out of context and used to mislead people into thinking in a certain way. Complete understanding of the subject is the only way to combat misleading information.
Published by Steven Waite
I was born and then I am going to die. View profile
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10 Comments
Post a CommentIslamic women are repressed, and terribly so. Anyone who believes otherwise has either never been to the Middle East, or is a misogynist themselves. I spent the worst year of my life over there, and I saw how these animals really live. I saw women living as slaves to their men. Women terrified to show their own faces. Women bought and sold as property. Women raped and killed without a thought of consequence. Anyone who believes that Islam is an enlightened religion of peace has their head up their ass. I don't care if I am not politically correct. Political correctness does not correlate to truth. Islam is a dangerous cult, and it's growing.
Indeed, many women who are oppressed in Islam are done by those who go against the holy Qur'an. I wear hijab willingly and it's not because of men. I am not married and all my family members are Christian, so it's impossible that I'm doing this because a man is forcing me to. Thank you for writing this.
another oppression is the inforcement that women have to work outside their houses or not she can't live in her parents or hasbands house.so she is obliged to go work out side whatever the job was and then her collegues manuplate her and disrupte her.another clear opression is that women in these christianity countries is that when they get married they are not called by their own names .they are named after their hasbands names.so i wonder what freedom is this.the most oppressed women are the ones in these countries.they are belittled by forcing them to work and have sex freedom which by the way is illigal by religion and meny other oppressions.So comparedly with Isalm women in Islam are valuable.Muslims keep their women chasteful and keep them in their houses like princes.They do whatever makes her happy and presious.Islam prevent men and women from sex freedom before marriage therefor you would see all of them virgin before they get married.this is the success in their life,happynes
for the opression on women in middle east I would like to say yes there is opression due to cultural reasons and missunderstanding islam .surely whatever they do is not the out-come or the practice of islamic rules.But it is the result of their bad deeds and thinking.As it is the case in christians countries like UN and US.christianity gave women whole their rights as all other religions did.But we see that opressin is prevailing in christianity countries(I feel sorry to mention the word christianity becouse it is not christianity's behavior but mens' ones)but throuthout different way like disrupting her by rape or socalled sex freedom.obviously being chaste is the most important thing makes women happy in their life.another oppression is the inforcement that women have to work outside their houses or not she can't live in her parents or hasbands house.so she is obliged to go work out side whatever the job was and then her collegues manuplate her and disrupte her.another clear opressio
You should read my article called "Your New Muslim Neighbors". www.associatedcontent.com/article/2728951/your_new_muslim_neighbors.html?cat=9
Bryan .. i have these things too . and even though im not like them i feel so sorry bout them and i get soo angry . Woman cant dress like she wants , women cant go out , woman cant do that bla bla ... "In Islam there is no spiritual difference between men and women. " this is written in the article ... and this is written in the Coran .. but really ? the reality now ??!? i dont see any rights ... its all about men .. women are like animals that are beatin for small things .. my mother was watching a movie about arabic girls who were like 25 years old and they were playing in their garden like children because THEY CANT GO OUT ... they cant show their faces (because maybe someone will eat them) . i dont see any rights .... im not criticising my own religion.. absolutely no! im criticising the stupid traditions ... if u think bout it , if there were no men in the arabic countries women would be free :) and they wouldnt be SECOND (after men) ....... and not to show their faces .. ITS EVEN
I meant WOMEN didn't have rights, wrote men. Trying to rush, sorry! Remembered this book was written by bin laden's sister in law! I learned a lot, but it really was very sad, so I hope it was false.
I'll have to read more on the subject. I read a book by a woman who married a muslim & lived in the middle east. She said men 'didn't" have rights. She said if you divorced, you could only take half is you had a son & if not, a male in the family watched over you & would basically be your keeper. She also said that in divorce men usually keep the kids. She had said you couldn't even look at men in saudi arabia or even be outside. Men servants would go to the grocery store etc. All women could do was shop and be amongst women or men in their immediate family (husband, brother, son). She also said mothers take the name of their eldest son, lost their own name. She said that women were beaten if skin showed. Maybe this was in the past of which she was speaking. I hope so.
It's true that Islam itself does not oppress women. I find it said when people call their cultural practices Islam, when culture and religion are not the same thing. Unfortunatel, due to the culture of many nations that Islam flourished in, many women in those Islamic nations are oppressed. People should understand that that oppression is not the result of Islam but is instead the result of those cultures.
Thank you very much for writing this. I've seen the articles that talk about women in Islam being opressed and its true that they talk without knowledge. This article has been very well written and I thank you again.