CONCLUSION
The Quran calls Islam a religion of nature. This is because Islam is, in fact, based on the laws of nature. The commands of the Quran are a direct expression of those laws which have operated in the world of nature since its creation. According to the Quran, there is no difference between a man and a woman. They share a common fate and are subject to the same existential conditions with the same potential and the same purpose of being. The following Hadith gives an apt description of the role of women:
“Men and women are two halves of a single unit.” (Sunan Abi Dawood, Hadith No. 236)
We see that Islam makes it clear that neither sex is inferior or superior to the other. However, studies in biology and psychology show that the sexes are different, each being designed for a different purpose. So, the Islamic maxim runs:
“Equal in respect, but different in role.”
In Islam, therefore, a woman enjoys the same status as that of a man. There is no difference between man and woman regarding status, rights, and blessings in this world and the Hereafter. Both are considered equal participants in life following the principles, ‘equal in respect and different in roles.’
Men and women can be likened to a cart running on two wheels. Each of the wheels contributes equally to the running of the cart. Even if only one of the wheels goes out of order, the cart will stop. The way a cart traverses its path with the help of the two wheels, precisely in the same way, with the cooperation of men and women, the life system can be run efficiently. Possessing qualities of gentleness, compassion, patience, and emotional connection, women have been bestowed by the Creator the role of normalizing stressful situations and shaping future generations of human beings.
According to Islam, therefore, men and women are equal as regards honour and status, but physically, biologically and psychologically, they are different. To maintain the system of nature between men and women socially, Islam advocates that women should work in their capacity while remaining within the bounds of modesty and piety, thereby ensuring their safety in every way.
The human world system is divided into two departments of equal importance: one is represented by the ‘home’ and the other by the ‘office.’ Just as four walls do not confine an office in this context but represent a centre of activity, similarly, the ‘home’ is not marked by a boundary, being also a complete practical centre of activity. Under this division, men and women have been assigned different fields of activity. All tasks are of equal importance, being neither superior nor inferior.
In the early period of Islam, both sexes were fully active in different fields of life, from housework to agriculture and horticulture and from worship in the mosque to the battleground. Everywhere, women were visible and active. Umm Dahdah, wife of a Companion of the Prophet, worked in her orchard. Khadijah, the Prophet’s wife, conducted business, to cite only a few examples.
As women performed their role without going outdoors, there is a general impression that Islam has restricted women’s workplaces to performing only domestic chores. But this is not the truth. First, Islam encouraged them to receive education and then enthused them with a new zeal. Subsequently, they went out to impart this learning to the next generation.
However, Islam sets great value on the proper management of the home. This is because the home is the most essential unit of any society. Home is the centre of preparing succeeding generations. Thus, neglecting the home front will amount to ignoring the next generation, resulting in a significant loss to society. Since the earliest ideal phase of Islam, Muslim women have successfully exploited their talents in the field of education. Homes had become centres of learning as primary schools (Makateeb). This tradition was practised in almost all Muslim communities well into the 20th century when the modern education system took over this function.
Women can play a significant role in this campaign for education by shaping their families and, in turn, society by preparing the coming generations through informal education within the home or formal education outside of it. For instance, educated women can train their children at home. The literate woman’s ability to read to her young children and the example she sets in her quest for knowledge are the most potent stimuli in their educational progress. They can use the time they spend with their children as opportunities to prepare them to become better human beings. And as individuals in a family are shaped on positive lines, society, in turn, will be shaped on positive lines.
They can also avail other opportunities outside their homes within the parameters set by Islamic injunctions. Women can choose from the various jobs available based on their capabilities while remaining within the bounds of modesty and piety, ensuring their safety in every way. An important field to choose from is that of education. Women can be better teachers than men when it comes to teaching children. For women, this will not amount to a change of workplace but will be an extension of the home, broadening the practical activity centred on child-rearing assigned to her by nature.
Preparing the next generations is the greatest need of the hour. Women can prepare an entire generation with standard education if they choose this field. If women stand up for this cause, they can become guiding lights by preparing the new generations to become aware, duty-conscious, and principled individuals. This will be the beginning of shaping the family and society along spiritual lines.
