3. The Economical Aspect
1. The Right to Possess Personal Property
Islam decreed a right of which women were deprived before Islam: The right of independent ownership. Islam acknowledged the woman’s right to her money, real estate or properties. This right undergoes no change whether she is single or married. She retains her full properties. It is nowhere suggested in the Quran or the Sunnah that a woman is a minor because she is female. The Muslim woman keeps, all her life, her maiden name, an indication of her independent legal entity.
2. Financial Security
Financial security is assured for women in all stages of their lives, as a daughter, wife, mother, sister and sister in faith.
a. As a daughter: Her father is fully responsible of her until she can earn her sustenance or get married.
b. As a mother: Her husband should provide for all her needs. If he cannot, her son takes over the responsibilities of his father.
c. As a sister: If the father cannot meet his responsibilities, her brother replaces the father.
d. As a sister in faith: All the Muslim community is responsible for the women in need. Zakat (the obligatory Alms) is there to provide for them.
e. As a wife: She is entitled to full financial support during marriage, and during waiting period (Iddah) in case of divorce or widowhood. The divorcee is also entitled to alimony from her ex-husband. Her financial support does not depend on her own wealth but on the husband’s wealth.
3. Inheritance
Islam restored to the woman the right of inheritance, after having been herself an object of inheritance in some cultures. Her share is completely hers and no one can make any claim on it, including her father and her husband. Her share in most cases is one-half the man’s share with no implication that she is worth half a man. The variation in inheritance rights is only consistent with the variations in financial responsibilities of man and woman according to the Islamic law. Man in Islam is fully responsible for the maintenance of his wife, his children, and in some cases of his needy relatives, especially females. This responsibility is neither waived nor reduced because of his wife’s wealth or because of her access to any personal income gained from work, rent, profit or any other legal means. She has no obligation to spend on her family. An examination of the inheritance law reveals not only justice but also an abundance of compassion for women.
4. Employment
Nothing in the Quran or the Sunnah prevents the Muslim woman from practicing a job or a profession needed by her society, for her own benefit and the benefit of the society. Surely raising her own kids must come on top of her priorities.
After the death of the Prophet, when Umar Ibn Al Khattab was the Khalif, he nominated a woman “Alchiffa” as the supervisor of the town’s market. If a Muslim woman is able to carry out a job without causing or enduring any prejudice for her or for the society, she is entitled to have it.
4. The Political Aspect
1. Women, at the time of the Prophet, used to participate in the “Presidential elections”: The new converts had to give a pledge, personally, to the Prophet. Every one was responsible for the pledge she or he gave to the “President” they have chosen. No man could pledge on behalf of his daughter, wife, sister or mother, nor man could repudiate that pledge. This is true of any vow or pledge a woman makes. The young Muslim community grew in this way, thanks to the individuals who were choosing personally, the new leader, the Prophet Muhammad. This shows clearly the importance of women in the political life.
2. Umm Salama, the wife of the Prophet, acted as his secretary of defense during the event of the truce of Hudaybeyah. The Muslims who were going to do the pilgrimage to Mekka were prevented by the pagans and the Prophet agreed to make a truce with them. But that truce did not seem acceptable to the Muslims. They stayed quiet but did not obey the Prophet’s orders. The Prophet told Umm Salama about that delicate situation and she suggested to him what to do. He carried on her suggestion and effectively he was obeyed.
3. The Quran gives the story of the Queen of Sheeba celebrating both her political and religious practices. The Quran demonstrates that her judgment was better than the norm, and she independently demonstrated that better judgment. The Quran shows that her faith and her politics were of a high level. They indicate one who has knowledge, acts on it, and can therefore accept the truth.
5. The Legal Aspect
1. It is true that the Quran has instructed the believers dealing in financial transactions to get two male witnesses or one male and two females [2:282]. The reason given in the same verse is “so that if one of them errs the other can remind her”. In the wording of this verse, both women are not called as witnesses. One woman is designated to “remind” the other: she acts as corroborator. Although the women are two, they each function differently. However, considering that women could be coerced in that society - and even in today’s societies - if one witness was female, she would be easy prey for some male who wanted to force her to disclaim her testimony. When there are two women, they can support one another, especially in view of the term chosen: if she “tudilla”, “goes astray”, “errs”, the other can “Tudhakkira” “reminds her”, or “recall her attention” to the terms of agreement. The single unit which comprises two women with distinct functions not only gives each woman significant individual worth, but also forms a united front against the others. Despite the social constraints, at the time of Revelation – inexperience and coercion of women – a woman was nevertheless considered a potential witness, with potential resources.
2. It is also true that the Quran in other situations accepts the testimony of a woman as equal to that of a man. In fact, the woman’s testimony can invalidate the man’s. If a man accuses his wife of unchastity, he is required by the Quran to solemnly swear five times as evidence of the wife’s guilt. If the wife denies and swears similarly five times, she is not considered guilty and the marriage is dissolved [24:6-9].
Conclusion
Islam, as we have seen, gave women an independent identity and declared that their moral and spiritual gains depended solely on their own performance. Like man, a woman’s failure or success rests on her own beliefs, attitude, behavior and conduct. She is a responsible being in her own rights and carries the burden of her moral and spiritual obligations.
VII. General Conclusion
Thus we have seen some of the misconceptions the West had and still has about Islam. We had also seen how old they are and what is the real situation in Islam concerning these points.
It is important for the world that Americans, know the Truth. The American Superpower cannot rest satisfied with some old prejudices and misconceptions about a billion and a half of Muslims. This Superpower which make Peace and War in the world cannot afford to ignore the Truth and to be manipulated by the Media which is exploiting the old prejudices and maximizing the sense of fear created by the recent so-called Islamic terrorism. We certainly run the risk of much more misery, much more senseless bloodshed and appalling mass destruction if goodwill, sanity, wisdom, love, understanding and respect fail to prevail.
The world would certainly have been better if there were much more institutions like the Fulbright Commission to help us building bridges of understanding.
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References
[1] Boisard, Marcel, Humanism In Islam, Kuala Lumpur, Islamic Book Trust, 2003.
[2] Daniel, Norman, Islam And The West: The making of an image, Edinburgh, (Univ.Press, 1960)
• Islam, Europe and Empire. Edinburgh, Univ.Press, 1966
• The Cultural Barrier. Edinburgh, Univ. Press, 1975
• The Arabs and Medieval Europe. Librairie du Liban, (Beyrouth, 1975)
[3] Eaton, Gai, Islam And The Desting Of Man, Kusla Lumpur, Islamic Book Trust, 2001
[4] Nasr, Seyyed Hossein, Heart of Islam: enduring values for humanity, SanFranciso, Harper Collins Publishers, Inc., 2002 .
[5] Watt, Montgomery Watt, The Influence Of Islam On Medieval Europe, Edimburg, Univ. Press, 1972.
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