In
the Name of Allah, Most
Gracious, Most Merciful
ISLAM AND THE QUESTION OF GENDER
EQUALITY
Common sense dictates that there can be no
"equal" rights. Allah Ta’ala, our Supreme Creator, has granted each gender
their rights; men their rights and women theirs - some of these rights are
common to both genders; some special to men and some special to women. Allah
Ta’ala has created both men and women to play their special role on earth.
Some of the duties women are capable of doing is beyond the ability of men,
while some of man's duties are beyond the ability of women. Men and women are
not exactly equal and alike; this is why both have been created in the first
place as both have an important role to play. If this was not the case, Allah
Ta’ala could have sufficed with creating just one of them. Every action of His
is dictated by Divine Wisdom and Knowledge and it is not possible that Allah
Ta’ala would create anything in this universe in vain, with no purpose.
When this point has been accepted that man and
woman are not the same and that they have not been created for the same
purpose, then common sense dictates that their rights cannot be the same or
equal. There can be no "equality" of rights. Just as they are different in
purpose of creation and duties, each gender should have their independent set
of rights, some maybe common, others may differ. This ought to have been a
simple, straight-forward, logical fact of life, yet it has become one of the
most confounded and complicated issue in the modern world where most people
seem to be supporting the notion of "gender equality" or "equality of rights
between man and woman".
Serious Western thinkers doubt concept of
"gender equality”. These days some serious thinkers in the West are also
beginning to accede to the fact that men and women are not totally equal; that
this is more than clear and evident when viewed from every angle of their
lives, whether the physiological, psychological, emotional or intellectual
aspects of life, it is clear that men and women are distinctly different. When
they are not exactly equal, it follows that they should not share rights that
are completely equal.
To continue to insist on the "equality" of
rights as is being done so vehemently in the West is to actually pursue an
illogical ideology which is bound to have serious repercussions and is most
likely to upset the delicate balance of nature and defeat the very purpose of
"separate creation" of men and women. Islam which embodies
and cherishes logical and reasonable ideals does not and cannot support an
illogical concept such as "gender equality".
Adverse propaganda cannot shake a true Muslim's
understanding of womans' rights' issues. Because Islam has taken recognition
of the distinct separation of duties and purpose of creation between the
sexes, and hence the logical and sensible "separation of rights", rather than
"equality" of rights, misguided persons have unjustly hurled accusations of
bias and prejudice against Islam on it's position towards womankind. So far
has this issue been taken that it has even been alleged that Islam has in fact
oppressed women or at least that Muslim men, by virtue of their Islamic
values, oppress their women! Yet any person who has undertaken even a
superficial study of Islam knows that the evidence is to the contrary. It is
beyond the scope of this article to delve into a lengthy exposition of the
rights that women enjoy under Islam, but it will suffice to say that it is a
universally accepted fact that prior to Islam, the position of woman in
society had indeed been pathetic. It is among the universally acclaimed
accomplishments of Nabi Muhammad (SAW), by friend and foe, that his religious
order, Islam, had granted women such a status in society and such rights that
no previous civilization had ever done before.
Since Muslims regard Nabi Muhammad (SAW) as the
final Messenger and his religious order, Islam, as the last and most perfect
way of life, it is simple for them to understand that no order, system,
civilization or ism can ever better the status or rights of women than what
Islam has done. To believe otherwise, is to actually doubt the completeness
and perfection of Islam, something no person who claims to adhere to, or
cherish Islam will ever do.
If this simple and fundamental truth is
whole-heartedly embraced by the people of Islam, no amount of adverse
propaganda will affect their understanding of the rights – and position - of
woman in Islam.
(Sheikh Mufti Zubair Bhayat)
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Copyright © 2002
Abdul Mateen Khan. All
Rights Reserved.