EMPOWER THE WOMEN

‘Women are the twin halves of men.

Allah enjoins you to treat women well, for they are your mothers, daughters and aunts.’ —The noble Messenger Muhammad (S)

The soul of a woman is no different from the soul of a man. Almighty Allah liberated women and placed an equally powerful soul in them. Marriage is the union of two souls. Men and women are part of society with different roles. They are one unit; wife and husband will be happy if they share their lives together according to the laws of Almighty Allah. Empowering our women is the most admirable deed we can do for the survival and success of the Ummah. When women are empowered and have the approval and support of society to fulfil their role, insha’Allah the Ummah will develop and prosper.

In the Noble Qur’an, Almighty Allah addresses men and women equally. In Surah al-Ahzab Almighty Allah says: ‘For Muslim men and women, for believing men and women, for devout men and women, for true men and women, for men and women who are patient and constant, for men and women who humble themselves, for men and women who give in charity, for men and women who fast, for men and women who guard their chastity, and for men and women who engage much in Allah’s praise—for them has Allah prepared forgiveness and great reward’ ([33]:35).

Almighty Allah gives an account of the qualities of Muslim: men and women. He mentions women side by side with men; He gives women their rightful position in society. Men and women have spiritual and material responsibilities; they are equally accountable for their actions to Almighty Allah on the Day of Judgment. Their rights and duties are identical; wife and husband are two sides of the same coin.

Almighty Allah emphasizes the equality of men and women, and He commands men to take full responsibility for the women that are in their care. In Surah an-Nisa Almighty Allah says: ‘Men are the protectors of women, Allah has given the one more strength than the other’ ([4]:34).

What right do men have to stop our sisters from practising their rights? Men have been programmed by inimical forces to think and behave in certain ways that undermine, restrain and stifle the growth of our most powerful resource, the women. For too long our men have subjected women to a belief system that is contrary to the Noble Qur’an and the Sunnah. The noble Messenger Muhammad (S) said: ‘The rights of women are sacred. See that the women are maintained in the rights accorded to them.’

Most women are being so abused in today’s society that they have come to accept such abuse as normal. The most powerful act we can perform is to restore their self-esteem. When the self-esteem and dignity of our women is restored, they will not accept inferior positions in society. We must revert to the Noble Qur’an and the Sunnah to restore the status of women in society. The noble Messenger Muhammad (S) said: ‘Paradise lies beneath the feet of the mothers.’ Men must seek the pleasure of Almighty Allah by treating our mothers, wives, sisters and daughters with respect.

Almighty Allah says in Surah al-Mujadilah: ‘Allah has indeed heard (and accepted) the statement of the woman who pleads with thee concerning her husband and carries her complaint in prayer to Allah. And Allah (always) hears the argument between both sides among you; for Allah hears and sees all things’ ([58]:1).

Almighty Allah listens to the plea of the woman for help concerning her husband. Note how He involves Himself even in the mundane affairs of life and heeds her supplication. Almighty Allah, The Supreme, The Overpowering, The Merciful, listens and responds to the call of a woman who pleads for help and compassion.

The noble Messenger Muhammad (S) made it a point of duty for every father and mother to make sure their daughters did not remain ignorant of the teachings of the Noble Qur’an and the Sunnah, so that after marriage they could perform the important role of mothers of children.

In Islam, a woman is an honoured partner of her husband in raising the family. A chaste and virtuous woman is a blessing to her household; she teaches her children to be virtuous in the way of Almighty Allah and the Sunnah of the noble Messenger Muhammad (S)

In the Discover Yourself seminars we have witnessed women weeping because of the difficulties and abuse they have experienced in life. There are many women who have developed deep resentment against society for allowing this abuse. The believing men must help our women who are victims of abuse; we must stop this evil practice.

The men in society should be mindful that Almighty Allah is always present. He listens to the plea and sees the abuse that is meted out to women. Almighty Allah will take the men who abuse their wives to account for their evil behaviour. He will punish them as they deserve to be punished in this life as well as in the Hereafter.

Almighty Allah reminds us that He has created His entire creation in pairs. In Surah az-Zariyat Almighty Allah says: ‘And everything We created in pairs’ ([51]:49). In Surah alBaqarah, Almighty Allah says: ‘They are as garments to you as you are garments to them’ ([2:]187).

Men and women are two halves of the same soul. The first verse of Surah an-Nisa starts with the following declaration from Almighty Allah addressing humankind: ‘O Mankind! Be conscious of your Lord’s Power presence, Who created you from a single soul; and from this soul He created your spouses and then spread you in multitudes of men and women. Therefore, be extremely careful and mindful of your duty to Allah in Whom you claim [your rights] of one another, and of the womb [that carried you]. Lo! Allah is watching over you’ ([4]:01).

Thus, men and women have come from a single soul that Allah created first. In fact, the Arabic word nafs (soul) is feminine gender in the Arabic language, hence the Qur’anic description ‘nafsun wahidatun’ (single soul). Thus, creation of the nafs (soul), a feminine gender, preceded the creation of humankind into males and females. There is certainly no question of male superiority, much less a licence to abuse wives, daughters or sisters, from the Qur’anic point of view.

The Noble Qur’an states that husbands and wives are as close to each other as a garment is to the body. They share each other’s prosperity and adversity, and are equally answerable to Almighty Allah. Remember, Almighty Allah has dedicated three Surahs to Women: Surah an-Nisa (The Woman), Surah al-Mujadilah (The Woman who Pleads), and Surah al-Mumtahinah (The Woman to be Examined) and not a single surah is devoted exclusively to men.

It is time for men to acknowledge the role that women play in society. We must give women the power to think and take responsibility for their roles in the home, family and society. Men and women must practise the same virtues because their spiritual and human rights are equal. We must grant our sisters the freedom Almighty Allah has blessed them with, within the framework of Islam, to break the barriers of self-limitation. Women can be far more effective than we can possibly imagine.

In Surah ar-Rum, Almighty Allah says: ‘Among His signs is this, that He created for you mates from among yourselves, that you may dwell in tranquillity with them, and He put love and mercy between your hearts: Verily in that are signs for those who reflect’ ([30]:21).

Almighty Allah asks us to reflect on the mystery of His Blessings, the union of male and female out of which a child is born. In this union, comfort and tranquillity is discovered; there is a special affection between them. The woman is physically ‘weaker’ and it is the responsibility of the husband to treat the wife with love, mercy and tender care. This is the protecting kindness the husband should provide to the wife.

Almighty Allah’s decree is that there should be affection, devotion, affinity and love between the wife and the husband.

We are aware of our feelings towards women. Almighty Allah created mates for us out of our own kind and gave them emotions and feelings exactly as those of men. Allah made the relationship between the two a source of physical and emotional comfort, stability, spiritual friendship, and reassurance for both.

The gentle Qur’anic expression of this relationship profoundly inspires our hearts. Almighty Allah says in Surah an-Nahl: ‘Allah has made for you mates and companions of your own nature’ ([16]:72) so that you might incline towards them, and He engenders love and tenderness between you. We must be grateful for Almighty Allah’s favours.

In this there are clear signs for those who think. When people think and reflect, they appreciate the power of the Creator who provides fulfilment for natural needs, whether psychological, mental or physical.

Thus both incline towards each other and find comfort and stability, tenderness, reassurance, love and compassion. This is so because Almighty Allah has made the physical and mental constitution of each naturally inclined to fulfil the needs of the other. The meeting and union of the male and female ensures the beginning of a new life, of a new generation.

When there is harmony, love and decorum between wife and husband, the family spirit is reinforced, they live in tranquillity and the self-esteem of the children is established.

According to the Noble Qur’an and the Sunnah of the noble Messenger Muhammad (S), ‘Every soul has the right to fulfil its desire to get closer to Almighty Allah.’ Women must learn to take care of themselves positively and encourage mutual respect between males and females.

Men must realize that women have great collective power. Men should give women a chance and encourage them to take an active part in the activities of society, the mosque, schools and trusts. Mobilizing women’s united energy towards making a difference in the Ummah can be awesome. We can change the shape and destiny of our Ummah.

We need to bear in mind that it was a woman, Bibi Ayesha (ra), the beloved wife of the noble Messenger Muhammad (S), who narrated the ahadith that have been passed on to us. We owe a great debt of gratitude to Umm al-Mumineen, Ayesha (ra), who has narrated for us so many important dimensions of the personal life of the noble Messenger Muhammad (S).

The West has subjected Muslim women and family life to attack and ridicule because they are the most important pillars of Islam. Educate a woman and you educate a nation. We need to re-educate the Ummah on the role of women. Our beliefs and thoughts have become westernized, and we have to change by bringing them in conformity with Islamic values and principles.

Almighty Allah has blessed us with the ability to make changes in our lives about which we are unhappy. If we study the Sunnah we will realise that during the time of the noble Messenger Muhammad (S) and the Sahaba, women were liberated. We talk about the Noble Qur’an and the Sunnah and claim that women are liberated, but in practice we are doing the opposite.

We seriously have to change. We can only change ourselves if we change our thinking. Our thinking will only change if we do what Almighty Allah wants from us. As we change our thinking we will see the results in our actions. If we change the inside, the outer life will change. What goes on in the inner world will influence and affect our behaviour in the outer world. The Noble Qur’an will help us control and direct our thoughts, which will control and direct our circumstances.

As Muslims let us start thinking of ways to empower our women and give them the freedom to contribute to the growth of our society. When we make an intention to empower our women the power of Almighty Allah will respond positively. The thinking of Muslim society has to change. Almighty Allah has given us the power to make changes that are required for uplifting society.

We have to adopt the Sunnah of the Noble Messenger Muhammad (S), and prepare the Ummah for its great and important role in the world at large. This requires great effort and immense patience. The treatment of women by the noble Messenger Muhammad (S) was an example to humankind. It was a major social engineering project that he undertook, liberating the women. Through the participation and power of mobilizing the women he established a Muslim society, an Islamic state based on the code of living in accordance with the Noble Qur’an and the Sunnah.