Some aspects of the Prophetic message toward women

Women are beautiful creatures. Among all creatures males are more beautiful than females except in the human race where women are more beautiful, more gentle, and more truthful in feelings than males; moreover, women have been the theme of international literature throughout history.

The difference between males and females is like the difference between poetry and prose. A soul tastes poetry with higher sense than prose, and women reflect the beauty of soul and body, therefore they have been the theme of myths and the drops of water that give endless freshness to life.

Hence, depriving them of their choices in life, which Islam guaranteed for them through the revelation that was sent to Muhammad (whether Qur'an or Hadith) as well as practical behaviors in the golden eras of Islam, is not permissible.

The first of these rights and the most important is:

Choosing their life partners because depriving her of that right is a cold killing for their soul before their body.

It was reported from the Prophet (peace be upon him) that he said: "A woman who has been previously married is more entitled to her person than her guardian, and a virgin must be asked for her consent for herself, and her consent is her silence." Here we shall give some examples so as fanatics may benefit from.

A girl came to the Prophet (peace be upon him) complaining of her father who was forcing her to accept the marriage of a person whom she did not like. The Prophet (peace be upon him) supported her position where Al Bukhari reported that the Khidam Al Ansariy forced his daughter Khansa' to marry someone, but the Prophet (peace be upon him) canceled her marriage. This is a lesson that is neglected by many people who whip women by the stick of their stubbornness.

As for dealing with women as wives, there are many Prophetic commandments exhort to maintain the nature of women. The Prophet (peace be upon him) commanded a man to treat his wife kindly and do not have sexual intercourse with her without introduction, but rather considered a man who reaches orgasm without doing the same to his wife as one of the defects of manhood because there are clear Shari`ah texts in this regard.

In regard of the continuation of the marital life between two inharmonious spouses, Islam granted the right of divorce to the husband because he is in control to emotional matters more than the wife and made it the ugliest lawful thing so as a woman would not be a toy in her husband's hand, in the meantime, it gave a woman the right of asking for divorce.

Ibn `Abbas narrated that Barirah's husband was a slave called Mughith. As if I am seeing him now going behind Barirah and weeping with his tears flowing down his beard. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said to `Abbas. "O `Abbas, are you not astonished at the love of Mughith for Barirah and the hatred of Barirah for Mughith?" The Prophet (peace be upon him) said to Barirah. "Why do not you return to him?" She said: "O Messenger of Allah, do you order me to do so?" He said: "No, I only intercede for him." She said: "I am not in need of him." when she knew that his words were not a command but a counsel, she chose.

The wife of Thabit ibn Qays came to the Prophet (peace be upon him) and said: "O Messenger of Allah, I do not have any complaints about Thabit ibn Qays in regards to any issue of character or religion. However, I do not like him. The Messenger (peace be upon him) asked her is she was prepared to return his orchard to him [that he had given to her as marriage payment]. She said: She agreed, so the Messenger (upon him be peace) told him to accept the orchard and grant her one divorce."

Islam commanded a husband to treat his wife kindly when Allah says: "And live with them in kindness." And in his saying also: "And they (women) have rights (over their husbands as regards living expenses) similar (to those of their husbands) over them (as regards obedience and respect) to what is reasonable, but men have a degree (of responsibility) over them."

And the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "Pay more attention to women and treat them kindly."

And his saying: "The best among you is the one who treats his family good."

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "Go easy with women."

Furthermore, Islam commanded men not to harm their wives by locking them for harm, torture, or humiliation. Allah (may He be Exalted) says: "The divorce is twice, after that, either you retain her on reasonable terms or release her with kindness."

As for polygamy, it is a right which Islam gave for a woman according to a sound system that guarantee for a woman to be a second wife that enjoy all the rights of the first wife instead of polygamy that is based on illegal relationships with other women without having any rights for her or her baby.

Islam stipulates justice among wives: Allah (may He be Exalted) says: "But if you fear that you shall not be able to deal justly (with them), then only one."[Surat An-Nisa': 3].

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "When a man has two wives and he is inclined to one of them, he will come on the Day of resurrection with a side hanging down [i.e. paralyzed]."

In the early period of the Islamic State, there were examples for good treatment to women, such as the story of `Umar ibn Al Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) who was checking on the conditions of the people at night, then he heard a woman saying: The night shaded the place and I cannot find a man to have sexual intercourse with him. By Allah, if I had feared Allah, I would have sexual intercourse with a stranger.

`Umar (may Allah be pleased with her) asked about her, people said: she is the wife of so and so who has engaged in conquest for eight months. Thereupon, `Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) commanded that a man should not be away from his wife for a long time, and that was the first system of leaves since the history of armies.

In another checking, he heard a woman saying: Some of women are having good husbands, whereas the others are having bad husbands.

These are just examples for some of the rights of women in Islam which the Western culture has forgot about and did want the people to see. On the other hand, there are other rights for women in Islam; of which:

1- Right of ownership and inheritance: Here we have several samples:

The first form is:

A father gives his children: the share of a male is as twice as the share of the girl as Allah (may He be Exalted) says: "Allâh commands you as regards your children's (inheritance): to the male, a portion equal to that of two females."

We are here before a golden rule because a male is responsible for paying the dower and about spending, so he shall have a bigger share, but a female lives at the expenses of her husband, so she takes her entire share for herself only [this makes her actually inherit more than a male].

O people, bring me a Shari`ah that is more just to women more than the Shari`ah of Islam.

The second form is:

If a deceased leaves a father and a mother, each one of them shall take one-sixth of inheritance without differentiation between masculinity of the father and femininity of the mother according to Allah's Saying: "For parents, a sixth share of inheritance."

The third form is:

If a deceased woman left a husband and a daughter, her daughter shall inherit one-half and her husband shall inherit one-fourth. In this case a daughter inherits a double share of a male. If a deceased person left a wife, two daughters, and a brother, a wife shall inherit one-eighth, the two girls shall take two-thirds, and the rest will be the share of her uncle; in this case the two daughters shall inherit more than their uncle.

Since spending on women in Islam is the responsibility of the husband if she is married and the responsibility of her father or her brothers after the death of their father, a woman shall inherit her full share without any responsibility.

2- The right to work:

The Islamic Shari`ah assigned the most sacred works for women: they are the teachers of children, and consequently the manufacturer of the future of the nation inside the house.

As for outside, Islam did not prevent women from fulfilling the jobs that suit their nature such as nursing even in battlefields, such as Rufaydah (may Allah be pleased with her) whom the Prophet (peace be upon him) commanded her to look after Sa`d ibn Mu`adh (may Allah be pleased with him) who was injured in the Battle of the Trench. The women of the Ansar (the Supporters) used to work in agriculture side by side with their husbands.

3- The right to learn:

Abu Sa`id Al Khudry (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that a woman came to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) and said: "O Messenger of Allah, men always sit with you and listen to your words, so assign a day for us (to learn from you). He said: "Gather in such and such day," so they gathered and he came to them." [Reported by Al Bukhari and Muslim].

Furthermore, the texts which urged Muslims to learn were directed to men and women equally.

4- Political rights:

A Muslim woman participated side by side with men in the different stages of Da`wah (Islam call), showing her opinion, consultations, homage for the ruler, or objecting him if she saw him committing a mistake.

There are several incidents to show that, such as the dialogue which took place between the Prophet (peace be upon him) and Hind bint `Utbah when he saw her after the opening of Makkah with some women who embraced Islam and mentioned to them their rights.

She asked him her popular question which was: shall a free woman commits adultery? There is another example for the woman who spoke to `Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), who was the leader of the strongest state on earth at that time, and then he said his famous saying: `Umar committed a mistake, whereas a woman was correct.

The dialogue took place in the masjid which means that women used to go to the masjid to perform Salah and learn her religion. As for the issue of custodianship, it is important for the family to have one leader, and a man is more entitled to lead the family than a woman because he is responsible for spending on the family. Allah (Glory be to Him) says: "Men are the protectors and maintainers of women, because Allâh has made one of them to excel the other, and because they spend (to support them) from their means." [Surat An-Nisa': 34].

These are some of the rights which the Prophet of Islam gave to women through the revelation and his practical applications.

Whoever understands these cases unlike the understanding of the Prophet and his Companions, is the one who reflects a bad image for Islam, because we are asked to follow the example of the Prophet (peace be upon him) in everything because Allah commanded us to do so. "O you who believe! Obey Allâh, and obey the Messenger (Muhammad peace be upon him) and render not vain your deeds." [Surat Muhammad: 33].

We have to obey him because he is our Imam, leader, intercessor, and teacher whom we ransom with our souls, money, fathers, mothers, wives, and children.

For those who maltreat women, they are mothers under their feet Paradise lies, sisters who were in the same wombs, daughters who are like a fruit in the heart, or wives who give life to children and fill life with warmth, kindness, and tranquility.

For the victims of the Western culture, I say: the Western culture are full of mistakes regarding the rights of women in Islam because it is a culture aims at degrading the freedom of soul and content to the superficial freedom only.

The West itself realizes to what extent its civilization reached although our admission that the West has presented a civil and scientific life that is unprecedented.

However, as it gave good medicine and the means of comfort, it invented the means of massive destruction. From the most prominent features of that Western civilization is the fatal diseases which it offered to the world such as AIDS.

So, whoever ignores the values of Islam will be bias to few envious people or an ignorant group which does not know anything about Islam, therefore we have to teach them that.