Fourteen centuries ago, Islam gave women rights, rights that their European counterparts could not have imagined. Bold words! Words that have been uttered over and over again, especially in the past two or three decades by Muslim converts and Islamic writers, academics and educators around the world. Women’s rights, responsibilities and selection were the subjects of numerous books, articles, studies and lectures. Sadly, however, the message that Islam does not suppress Muslim women has not convinced the world. Headlines in the media shout about oppression and the words Muslim, women and oppression appear to be inextricably linked.
No matter what Muslim women do or say to try to convince the world otherwise, words like hijab, burka, polygamy and sharia seem small, but they convince people that Islam oppresses women. Even the educated, articulated women who meet the decent conditions of hijab can do little to dispel these myths. Women who move with decency and grace and function effortlessly in the modern world are celebrated for their achievements and successes. However, if a woman wears a headscarf, covers her hair or prefers her religion to worldly endeavors, she is immediately described as oppressed. One wonders whether this is also the case with women of other religious beliefs. Become decent, religious women of other faiths also called oppressed? Or is that only the case with Islam?
The most visible sign of a Muslim woman’s faith is her headscarf or hijab; it is also the garment that leads people to think that Islam oppresses women. Even though Islamic scholars agree that decent clothing and headgear are mandatory in Islam, the majority of Muslim women around the world are free to cover themselves or not to cover themselves. The women who choose to wear the hijab see it as their right and not as a burden; and many describe wearing the hijab as a release from the need to conform to unrealistic stereotypes and images dictated by the media.
What exactly do Muslim women say about themselves when it comes to oppression? In 2005, a World Gallup Poll [1] entitledWhat women Want: Listening to the voices of Muslim Woman showed that the majority of women interviewed in predominantly Muslim countries lacked unity among the Muslim peoples, oppose violent extremism and political and economic corruption. The headscarf or hijab or any clothing that covers the face and body and is often portrayed as a tool of oppression has not even been mentioned.
The report concluded that “… most women in the Muslim world are well aware that they have the same skills and that they have the same fundamental rights as men. The majority of women in each of the eight countries surveyed said that they believe that women are able to make their own decisions, work in any profession for which they are qualified, and even work in the highest government departments. ”
Islam has raised the status of women, and they are no longer passed on as serfs from father to husband. It was put on an equal footing with men, with rights and responsibilities that take account of the nature of humanity. Unfortunately, Muslim women around the world are victims of cultural differences that have no place in Islam. Powerful individuals and groups claim to be Muslims but do not practice the real principles of Islam. Whenever the media reports unreasonable stories about honor killings, genital mutilation, forced marriages, punishment for rape victims, women confined to their homes, or women who are denied education, they reveal stories of men and women who know about them Status of women in Islam are ignorant.
“O you who believe you are not allowed to inherit women against their will. And do not prevent them (from marrying someone else) from taking part of what you gave them (as a gift) unless they have manifestly committed fornication. Corresponds to them fairly; and if you feel disgust at them, you may feel disgust at something in which God has put rich goods. ” (Quran 4:19)
The religion of Islam commands women to be treated with respect, honor and justice. He condemns all forms of oppression. In Islam women and men are ordered to believe in God and to worship Him. Women are equal to men when it comes to the reward in the hereafter.
„But those who do what is right, be it a man or a woman, and who believe in it, will go to paradise and will not suffer the slightest injustice.“ (Quran 4: 124)
Women in Islam have the right to own property, to control, buy and sell their money, and to give gifts and alms. No one is allowed to take anything from a woman’s property without her consent. Islam has granted women formal rights to inheritance. Women have a right to education in Islam; the search and acquisition of knowledge is a duty for all Muslims, male or female.
Muslim women have the right to accept or reject an offer of marriage if they see that it fits, and married women are completely released from the obligation to support and maintain the family. Working women are free to participate in household expenses or not as they want. Women have the right to seek divorce if necessary.
The Prophet Muhammad, God’s blessings and peace be upon him, said: “An older woman should not be given to marriage without first being asked; and a virgin should not be given to marriage without asking for her consent. ” People asked: “O Messenger of God, what is your consent? He said: „Your silence (shows your consent).“ [2]
A woman was married to her father when she was an older woman and she disliked this marriage. So she went to the Messenger of God and he declared this marriage invalid. [3]
The religion of Islam declares that women are worthy human beings who deserve respect and have the right not to be oppressed. Women have the right to a decent life without aggression or abuse of any kind. They have the right to live a life they like within Islamic borders. Nobody has the right to force women to be less than they want to be. The true teachings of Islam explain that women enjoy a position of high standing.
Sadly, there are some Muslim women who are oppressed, but there are some women all over the world who are mistreated by some men, in all religious communities and races. You could say that this or that government oppresses women, or that Muslim men in one country or another think that it is okay to hit women, but it is not correct to say that Islam oppresses women. If women were given God’s rights, global oppression of women could be trodden into oblivion.
The Prophet Muhammad, God’s blessings and peace be upon him, said: “Only a noble man treats women in a venerable manner. And only an ignorant treats women miserably. ”[4]
Footnotes:
[1] The Gallup Organization, Princeton, USA. The Gallup World Poll is the world’s largest available public opinion polling source that provides access to the voices of residents of over 130 countries and territories.
[2] Sahieh Bukhari
[3] Ibid.
[4] At Tirmidhi
Source: https://www.islamland.com/deu/articles/unterdrckt-der-islam-frauen