The month of March pays tribute to women with the International Women’s Day on 8 March and Mother’s Day (yes, some countries do celebrate Mother’s Day in March) to commemorate women’s rights and honour the mothers of the world. These two designated days started in early 20th century (in the UK, Mother’s Day evolved from the 16th century Mothering Sunday practice of visiting one’s mother church which resulted in family reunions).
Since there is always a negative stereotype and perception of how Islam views women, I’m going to touch on the religion’s views of women and mothers in this post. There are verses in the Quran that acknowledges the mother, emphasising the difficulties of pregnancy, labour, breastfeeding and the need to respect one’s mother. These verses many times mention parents in general but go into detail in regard to the mother because she faces challenges that the father does not. Verse 15 from chapter 46 illustrates this point:
And We have
enjoined upon man, to his parents, good treatment. His mother carried him with
hardship and gave birth to him with hardship, and his gestation and weaning
[period] is thirty months. [He grows] until, when he reaches maturity and
reaches [the age of] forty years, he says, ‘My Lord, enable me to be grateful
for Your favour which You have bestowed upon me and upon my parents and to work
righteousness of which You will approve and make righteous for me my offspring.
Indeed, I have repented to You, and indeed, I am of the Muslims.’
This verse begins with a command for both parents,
but goes into detail in regards to the mother and the difficulties she endures.
There
are also instances where Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) commanded us to respect their
mothers:
A man came
to the Prophet and said, ‘O Messenger of God! Who among the people is the most
worthy of my good companionship? The Prophet (PBUH) said: Your mother. The man
said, ‘Then who?’ The Prophet said: Then your mother. The man further asked,
‘Then who?’ The Prophet said: Then your mother. The man asked again, ‘Then
who?’ The Prophet said: Then your father. (Bukhari, Muslim)
A man once
consulted the Prophet Muhammad about taking part in a military campaign. The
Prophet asked the man if his mother was still living. When told that she was
alive, the Prophet said: ‘(Then) stay with her, for Paradise is at her feet.’
(Al-Tirmidhi)
On another occasion, the Prophet said: ‘God has forbidden for you to be undutiful to your mothers.’ (Sahih Al-Bukhari)
OK,
now about Islam’s view of women. Women are regarded highly in Islam. In pre-Islamic
Arabia, women had no rights whatsoever. They were not considered equal to men,
were viewed as objects and were constantly humiliated. Female babies were considered
a disgrace and female infanticide was common. Islam abolished that barbaric
practice and elevated the women’s status. Why, there is an entire surah in the
Quran – the fourth one too - titled an-Nisa or women and there are numerous
references to women in that surah. Women have rights to education, to be
employed (remember, Siti Khadijah, Prophet Muhammad’s first wife, was a very wealthy
and successful merchant), to marry and divorce (Siti Khadijah was the one who asked
for the Prophet to marry her, how modern was she?!), to have assets and properties.
From the earliest days, greater financial security is assured for women.
Women are entitled to receive marital gifts, and to keep properties and income
for their own security. A single woman is not required to spend a penny on the
household. She is entitled to full financial support during marriage and during
the waiting period (‘iddah) in case of divorce. Whether she is a wife or
mother, a sister or daughter, she is allowed to receive a certain share of a deceased
kin’s property, and no one can disinherit her.
While both men and women are entitled to inherit property of relations,
their portions vary. The man usually receives more because the man by law is
solely responsible for the complete maintenance of his family. It is also his
duty to contribute financially to all good causes in his society. The woman, in
contrast, has no obligatory financial responsibilities. She is provided for,
whether by her husband, son, father, brother, or other male relative. If she
has no relation on whom she can depend, and she has no inheritance, in Islam,
she is the responsibility of the society. She may be given aid or a job to earn
her living, and whatsoever money she makes will be hers. So, in the hardest
situation her financial responsibility is limited, while the man’s is
unlimited.
Islam also recognises the women’s individuality. They are granted the
freedom of choice and expression, and are encouraged to contribute opinions and
ideas. Women would pose questions to Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and offer their
opinions concerning religion, economics and social matters. The right to vote
was already given to women 1,400 years ago: when women came to Prophet Muhammad
(PBUH) and swore their allegiance to him and he accepted their oath, this
established the right of women to publicly participate in selecting their
leader. Islam does not forbid a woman from holding important positions in the
government.
Post-Islam women also participated in public life, accompanying Muslim
armies into the battlefield to nurse the wounded, prepare supplies and serve
the warriors. They were not shut behind iron bars or considered worthless helpless
creatures as we see in some so-called Muslim societies.
So whatever negative perception over women in Islam, that we are not liberated, have no say, have no rights, must be submissive and under the thumb of the men is all because in some misguided age-old cultures, this is how women are still treated despite Islam’s teachings and rulings and nothing whatsoever to do with the religion at all. Islam has long recognised the importance and status of women, more than a millenium before the idea for the International Women’s Day or Mother’s Day was even conceived.
