“Islam is not just a religion but a way of life” goes the adage. The Holy Quran lays the premise for Islam and enunciates a model code for the believers, addressing both men and women equitably, wherever required. It clearly states that human beings have been created by clay to worship Almighty Allah, nowhere it gives precedence to any gender or region over the other. The categorization of believers is only the basis of virtues or for the purpose of defining the permissible acts.
The Holy Book does not declare Islam as a prerogative of the present Islamic States. Mere location of Holy cities in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (of Mecca and Medina) do not, by itself to any stretch of the imagination make the daily life practices of the people of any Islamic state part of Islamic law, its principles, or Islam itself. Moreover, a study conducted by George Washington University categorically indicated that States recognized as the Islamic States were much behind than the non-Islamic states in terms of the application and practice of Islamic Principles. It has ranked New Zealand on the top whereas Saudi Arabia is placed at the 131st position.
Recently, in Saudi Arabia, the concept of guardianship of an adult female and the mandate to obtain permission from a male guardian has been diluted to a certain extent. Women who have attained 21 years of age or above have been allowed to obtain a passport and travel the world, without the consent of their male guardian. Mothers accorded the status of guardian to their children along with their father and the ban on women driving has also been lifted. Similarly, in UAE the law for ‘equal pay for equal work’ has made much news. This liberation has nothing to do with the commandments of Islam, it is a political move to alter the structure of the Arabian economy and social practices. Islam does not prohibit women from driving or traveling, it is a well-known tradition that the Prophet said, “seek knowledge and travel to far places like China, in pursuit of the same.” Even during the Caliphate of Hazrat Usman (ra) a lady named Umm-e-Kulsoom Bint Ali was sent on diplomatic mission to Rome.
Muslims around the globe are not answerable for the acts and omissions of the Arab countries. Further, Muslim women all over the world are bound by Shariah and not what Arabs dictate. Therefore, the liberation of women in Saudi Arabia cannot be implied to mean that Islam is oppressive or all Muslim women are oppressed. It is a well-established fact that the first wife of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) was an independent businesswoman; this clearly establishes that women have not to be denied the right to work and do not require the guardianship of a male for the same. They did travel to places and accompanied men on battlefields too.
Further, the prevalent societal perception of the veil and modesty in Islam is sexist and intrinsically linked with women. This has exposed the Children of Adam to questions on the gender the neutrality of Islam and has been exploited as a tool for socio-cultural politics. On the contrary, the Holy Quran prescribes modesty for men before women and also of Hadith illustrate that Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) asked men to lower their gaze in cases where they were attracted to her. Women in Saudi Arabia are bound to observe it or women in Pakistan do not observe is not an anvil for Indian Muslim women to understand Islam. Also, the pervasive concept of good and the bad is not confined to the women folks, it is gender-neutral in Islam.
Another recurring allegation that the Quran denies entry to women in mosques is neither tenable nor sustainable. The Holy Quran mentions at 59 places that men and women should establish prayer. According to scholars, mosques are the House of Allah i.e. the Creator of the Universe. Is it rational to accept that the creator will deny women from entering the same when he maintains a balance in Quran dedicating verses to Women and addressing them specifically along with believing men? According to a Hadith, the Prophet Muhammad had instructed men to refrain from stopping women from establishing prayer (both in private or congregation). In fact, the verbatim of Azan i.e. the call for prayer is for both men and women. The divine religious scriptures do not permit the reading and interpretation of text in isolation i.e. to pick and choose according to one’s convenience; they have to be read together.
The Holy Quran runs through 30 parts with 114 verses which aptly describe and lays out what Islam means, connotes and what is expected out of a Muslim. In the presence of primary sources (Quran and Hadith), to gain the correct understanding of a religion, it is irrational and arbitrary to place reliance on practices of followers residing in particular regions. Further, religions or faiths do not impose themselves on humans; they are free to practice or denounce it. To err is human; they may not adhere to many aspects, principles, or commandments of their religion.
Unfortunately, a major part of the population has blindly transplanted the alien thoughts which emerge out of cultural, factional, creedal, and political differences as part of the Islamic belief and law. Imputing alien thoughts to Islam and imposing them on women has been in practice for myriad reasons, which as a consequence, has scapegoated Islam as oppressive; damaged our societal fabric impeding peaceful co-existence. It is suggested that a curious inquiry must be pursued by perusing the actual text of the Quran, universally accepted translations by scholars aided by authentic Hadith. This will serve as a conscious attempt to provide humanity an approach to find realistic, rational, and workable solutions to demystify myths and end the dichotomy.
The writer is a PhD candidate from Aligarh Muslim University. Views are personal.
