Women Rights in Islam

Many people think that women in Islam have no rights. They think that Islam oppressed women and didn’t treat them as human beings. In this article this misconception shall be discussed and answered.

Islam considers women as members who play a very important role in the Islamic society. A woman raises the children, builds generations of youth and brings them to the society to help building it. Islam recognizes this important role, and recognizes the effort a mother performs to take care of her child from his birth till his marriage, and even after his marriage. That’s why when a man came to Prophet Muhammad and asked him about who among the people most deserves his fine treatment, the answer of Prophet Muhammad was: “your mother”. The man asks Prophet Muhammad: “Then who?”, Prophet Muhammad says:”your mother”, Then the man asks again. The Prophet says for the third time: “your mother”. The man asks again, Prophet Muhammad says:”your father”. Prophet Muhammad says that Heaven lies under the mothers’ feet.

Prophet Muhammad tells that a man who has daughters and raises them well shall enter Paradise. He tells that seeking knowledge is mandatory for every Muslim male and female. This answers the misconception among non-Muslims that Muslim women are not allowed to be educated in Islam. Actually it is mandatory for them to be educated. Women are even consulted in Islam. This was clear during the life of the Prophet Muhammad when he consulted his wife in the affairs of the Islamic state. Aisha the wife of Prophet Muhammad used to teach people about what she learned from him, and people used to ask her and consult her.

Islam orders a husband to treat his wife well that the Prophet (Peace be upon him) said that the best of Muslims are the best to their wives. The Quran orders the husbands to treat their wives with kindness. In Islam, a husband should pay a gift to his wife and it is a main condition in the marriage contract. A woman in Islam is not asked to spend a cent on her house but it is actually the sole responsibility of the husband. The main responsibility of a woman is to take care of her house. So even if a woman works and gains money, she is not asked to spend on the house. She has the right to save all the money for herself.

Islam recognizes that there are differences in nature between a man and a woman, that’s why each has different responsibilities. Although the man is the leader of the house, this leadership means that he has greater responsibilities. God shall account him on what he did and if he fulfilled his duties or not. A woman has less responsibility because she is generally weaker in nature and because she is generally driven by her emotions. That’s why Islam is concerned with justice not with equality. Men and women don’t have the same nature as a man is generally stronger and his mind overcomes his emotions. So he naturally should have more responsibilities. This is not an oppression of women but it is a mercy to women as this won’t load them what they cannot bear.

For more information regarding Islam you can take help of Islamic books in English and Hindi and you can go for Quran audio as well which is widely available on the Internet.