The Woman in Islam
Why is the attack against Islamic attitude towards Woman?
Studying this matter (woman’s rights in Islam) is among the important civilizational and intellectual matters and affairs at the present time. The opponents of Islam, their followers, and those who have no knowledge of Islamic thought, precepts and concepts still continue their oppressive attack against Islamic thought and law, claiming that the woman is oppressed in Islam.
Studying and analyzing the elements of this intellectual battle between Islam, materialism and secularism, we can conclude that the axle of the battle moves around a basic matter. The matter is that the secular thought tries to spread sexual dissoluteness and corruption. According to this theory, the woman will become a tool for enjoyment and instinctive satisfaction which destroys the family, society, and the woman.
While Islam honors the woman and raises her from this low level. It also grants her rights and position to allow her to share with man in building the society and expressing her humanity according to human bases, which we shall be mentioned briefly in this study.
Before discussing this matter, it is important for us to mention the basic reasons of this battle (of the rights of the woman) and accusing Islam of depriving woman of her rights. Muslim writers and thinkers, the propagators of Islam, the religious scholars, the foundations of the Islamic message and culture, and especially as it concerns the children of the Muslim communities in the non-Islamic countries and especially in America and Europe should explain this important matter through researches, studies, conferences, seminars in all various political, psychological, social, family, and civilization fields.
We can summarize the reasons which led to the attack of the Islamic thought as follows:
1. The confusion between the backward customs and social Islamic theory
Muslim writers, thinkers, and propagators should clarify such confusion for the opponents of Islam, those who are deceived by corrupt materialistic thought, and those who have no ability to distinguish the Islamic concepts from the social customs existing in the backward Islamic societies. Such customs are contrary to the essence, principles and methods of Islam that regulate society, sexual relationships and the foundations of the relationship between man and woman.
So, the opponents of Islam attributed such backward customs to Islam to distort it, intentionally or out of ignorance. It is necessary for us to differentiate between the present society of Muslims and the Islamic society based on Islamic principles. This social backwardness in the Muslims community is part of the general backwardness in the fields of science, knowledge, development, industry, health, etc.
Some sociologists derive a distorted picture concerning the social position of the woman from the rural areas of some Muslim countries such as Egypt, Iraq, Morocco and the desert areas of Peninsula. Thus, they diagnose the problem of the woman through the backward rural or desert view that oppresses the woman. Then, they give a distorted picture about the Muslim society. They forget that such practices have no relation with Islam. We firmly believe that such concepts and practices oppose Islamic values and teachings. Meanwhile, Islam has devoted part of its thought, laws, and values to change these conditions.
2. Ignorance of Islam
Among the problems, which Islamic thought faces in our present time is that the people in Europe, America, and other non-Islamic countries, are ignorant of Islam and have no correct knowledge of the simplest principles of Islam. In other words, they have a distorted picture of Islam. They think that Islam is based on fable, terrorism, bloodshed, and tribalism.
They do not know that such ideas have been created by the enemies of Islam, such as orientalists, Zionists, and church foundations. Thus, a Western man knows nothing about Islam except distorted pictures. If a Western man understands the essence of Islam, surely he will embrace it through rationale.
To understand this problem more clearly, let us return to the speech addressed by German President, Roman Hotsogh, on the occasion of honoring Mrs. Ana Mary Shmil, a German orientalist, who received a peace prize from the German Book Association in 10/1/1995. Some people opposed giving her a peace prize, because she supports the Islamic thought, treats it justly, and summons people to understand Islam and to change the distorted picture, which the European ministers made about Islam and Muslims.
In response to those who opposed giving her a peace prize, the German President said:
“There is a phenomenon that seems clear in our relations and dealings with Islam in our present time. We do not accuse falsely of the German public opinion when we say that many of us think that Islam is the religion of inhumane penal law, non-tolerance, oppression against woman, and aggressive roots. However, this is narrow-mindedness which we must change. In turn, we must remember the wave of enlightenment that maintained great parts of the western inheritance six or seven centuries ago, and that it found itself before a style of western thought. Without doubt, it was radical and non-tolerant.” (1)
In another part of his speech, the German President indicated that the Europeans showed enmity toward Islam, for they had no knowledge of it. Thus, in his speech, he asked them:
“Isn’t it possible that we do not understand Islam because it depends on deep popular faith, while we are in a secular society? “Have we the right to classify the pious Muslims with the radical terrorists because we have no sound feeling towards the mockery at the religious feelings of others or because we are unable to express this sound feeling?”(2)
Then, the German President admitted that he had no knowledge of Islam until he read the books of Mrs. Shmil. In this regard, he said: “I did not know the numerous Islamic trends in the history of Islam except through the books of Ana Mary Shmil. Perhaps, other than I witnessed the same experience. Indeed we are in need of understanding each other.”(3)
Then, the German President summoned (people) to understand Islam to adopt another attitude towards it, he said:
“I confess that there is no other option before us except that we must increase our knowledge of the Islamic world. That is if we want to achieve human rights and freedom.”(4) Then he added: “Indeed, the real reason for longing for understanding Islam and its rich civilization arises from our belonging to a civilization differing from it. Mrs. Shmil has moved this longing in my soul. I hope that others than me do the same.”(5) “Mrs. Shmil has paved the way for us to meet Islam.”(6)
The battle of granting a peace prize to the orientalist, Shmil in Germany in 1995, the agreement of the learned political public opinion in Germany, which is among the most important countries in modern history, and the victory of the front of Shmil, which means the victory of the trend that summons the people to understand true Islam and to adopt an attitude towards it, among this advanced class of thinkers and politicians, among the foremost being is the German president, whose important speech we have read, all these denote that Muslim writers, thinkers, artists, and scholars think men should shoulder their responsibility towards Islam.
Besides, religious foundations and clergy men should shoulder their responsibility towards it. They should spread the true Islam and follow the method of the Qur’an when it summons people to believe in Allah, the Glorified: “And call you unto the way of your Lord with wisdom and kindly exhortation and dispute with them in the manner which is the best;…”(7)
That civilizational battle, which took place in Germany and ended for those who summoned people to understand Islam, shows us that Islam is great and that man is ready to understand it, regardless of his faith. This battle is clearly shown in the Qur’an: “Go you unto Pharaoh, verily he has transgressed (the bounds). Then speak you both unto him a gentle word, happily he may get admonished or fear (Our punishment).” (8)
From this, we understand that the Qur’an summons the propagators of Islam to hold true faith and communicate it to those who have intense enmity towards Islam. Meanwhile, it summons them to leave despair and to open a door to hold intellectual talks. That is because the conditions of talks differ from time to time. In other words, the talks may be rejected today but are accepted tomorrow. What is rejected through one way is accepted through another way.
3. Lust and Sexual Deviation
Perhaps, among the most prominent motives of those who demand the freedom of woman or sexual desolateness is the motive of lust or sexual deviation. The Holy Qur’an talks about these motives and their danger and denotes their destructive effects.
Allah, the Most High, says: “But followed after them a succession who neglected prayers and they followed lust, so they shall soon meet perdition,.” (9) He said: “(It has been) made to seem attractively fair unto men, the love of the lust for women and sons and the hoarded treasures of gold and silver…”(10). Also “…but desire those who follow their own lusts that you should deviate a great deviation.” (11)
In these verses, the Holy Qur’an explains the danger of lust and that it represents `ghay’, which means (the ignorance that arises from a corrupt belief) and `mayl’, which means (turning away from righteousness and moderation), which has been mentioned in another verse: “Those who hinder (others) from the path of Allah and seek to make it crooked; and they in the hereafter, they are the disbelievers.”(12)
There is a practical proof in the reports and figures which we have mentioned about sexual deviation. The Qur’an has explained it to people and warned them against it.
4. Inherited Malice and Fear of Islam
Among the motives of the campaign against Islam and distorting its attitude towards woman is the inherited malice against Islam and distorting its principles and high values. This malice began from the day when the Prophet Muhammad (PBUHH) made public his mission. Then it increased during the Crusades and after them.
Through blind imitation, Europe has inherited spite and hatred towards Islam. It has spared no effort to distort the plain principles of Islam and to mislead public opinion, because Islam is a civilizational mission that will destroy their interests, end their oppression and domination over the world in general and the Muslim world in private.
The fears of Europe of Islam have increased since the beginning of Islamic awareness and the appearance of Islam as a plan which the Islamic movements have adopted, and which a live experience has embodied through establishing Islamic states, such as the Islamic Republic in Iran. The super powers have gathered their hirelings everywhere to resist Islamic awareness and to destroy the Islamic plan and its propagators and the holders of its banner.
To be continued!
NOTES:
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1. Dr. Nadim Ata al-Yas, Sayaqhar al-Ma’ Summa al-Hajar, p.42.
2. Ibid, p. 46.
3. Ibid, p.50.
4. Ibid.
5. Ibid.
6. Ibid.
7. Holy Qur’an (Nahil 16:125)
8. Holy Qur’an (Taha 20: 43-44)
9. Holy Qur’an (Maryam, 19:59)
10. Holy Qur’an (Aali-Imran 3: 13)
11. Holy Qur’an (Nisa’4: 27)
12. Holy Qur’an (Hud 11:19)
