POSITION OF WOMAN
IN ISLAMIC SHARIAH

The Quran and Hadith give detailed commandments regarding women and lay down clear guidelines for the relationship between men and women. The following quotations from the Quran and Hadith highlight the most essential aspects of feminine virtue and the standing that a woman should have vis-à-vis her husband and father:

Verses from the Quran

“Live with them in accordance with what is fair and kind; if you dislike them, it may be that you dislike something which God might make a source of abundant good.” (4:19)

“The wives have rights corresponding to those which the husbands have, according to what is recognized to be fair, but men have a rank above them. God is almighty and all wise."  (2:228)

“Men shall have a share in what parents and relatives leave behind, and women shall have a share in what parents and relatives leave behind, whether it be little or much. This is ordained [by God].” (4:7)

“Another of His signs is that He created for you from among yourselves spouses so that you might find repose in them, and He created between you affection and kindness.” (30:21)

“Whoever does evil will be requited with evil; but whoever does good, whether male or female and is a believer, will enter the Garden; where they will be provided for without measure.” (40:40)

“Anyone who performs good deeds, whether it be a man or woman, provided that he is a believer, shall enter Paradise. No one shall suffer the least injustice.” (4:124)

“To whoever does good deeds, man or woman, and is a believer, We shall assuredly give a good life; and We will bestow upon them their reward according to the best of their works.” (16:97)

“The believers, both men and women, are friends to each other; they enjoin what is good and forbid evil, they attend to their prayers and pay the alms and obey God and His Messenger. On these, God will have mercy, for God is almighty and wise.” (9:71)

“‘I will deny no man or woman among you the reward of their labours. You are members of one another. I will certainly forgive the sins of those who emigrated and were expelled from their homes, who suffered persecution in My cause, who fought and were killed. I will certainly admit them to Gardens through which rivers flow, as a reward from God: with God is the best reward.’” (3: 195)

Words of the Prophet Muhammad

The first four of the following sayings of the Prophet Muhammad stress the high standard of conduct which a man is meant to maintain in his relations with women:

“Only a man of noble character will honour women, and only a man of base intentions will dishonour them.” (Ibn Asakir, Tarikh Dimashq, Vol. 13, p. 313)

“The best among you is he who is best for his family. For my family, I am the best of all of you.” (Sunan Ibn Majah, Hadith No. 1977)

“No believing man should hate a believing woman, for if there is any habit of hers that displeases him, there will be some other habit of hers which pleases him.” (Sahih Muslim, Hadith No. 1469)

“The most perfect man of religion is one who excels in character. The best among you is he who gives the best treatment to his womenfolk.” (Sunan At Tirmidhi, Hadith No. 1162)

“According to Abu Hurairah, the Prophet considered a woman good if she was a delight to her husband’s gaze, obeyed his wishes when something had to be done for him, and placed her person and her wealth entirely at his disposal.” (Sunah An-Nasa’i, Hadith no. 3231)

The following traditions give a clear indication of the position that a woman occupies in Islam.

“Shall I not tell you what the best form of wealth is? It is a pious woman who is a delight to her husband’s eyes, obeys when asked to do anything, and looks after his interests when he is away.” (Sunan Abu Dawud, Hadith  No. 1664)

“Next to piety itself, the best thing that a believer can find is a pious wife. She should be such that if he asks her to do anything, she obeys, and when he looks at him, she should make him happy. When she swears upon him, she should fulfil her pledge, and, in the absence of her husband, she should devote herself earnestly to keeping his wealth and preserving her chastity.” (Sunan Ibn Majah, Hadith No. 1857)

“They have found all the good of this world and the hereafter who have these four things: a heart that gives thanks, a tongue that remembers God, a body which is patient when persecuted, and a wife who can be trusted to remain chaste and refrain from misusing her husband’s wealth.” (Al-Tabarani, Al-Mo’jam al-Awsat, Hadith No. 7212)

“Fear God in respect of women. (Sunan Ibn Majah, Hadith No. 3074)

The Qualities of A Believing Woman

Umm Salmah, the Prophet Muhammad’s wife, once remarked to the Prophet, ‘I hear of God mentioning men but not women.’ It was in this context that the following verse was revealed to the Prophet:

“I will deny no man or woman among you the reward of their labours. You are members, one of another.” (Quran, 3:195)

This makes it clear that, although males and females differ biologically, they are equal in terms of human status, they have a definite partnership with one another, and there is no distinction between them regarding their respective rights. They are, in fact, each other’s lifetime companions.

The Principle of the Division of Labour

Within the social framework, however, Islam—to the extent that it is both natural and practical—has adopted the division of labour in respect of the sexes, the man’s field of activity being external to the home, while the woman’s field is domestic. This division, however, has never been intended as a form of discriminatory treatment. Its primary purpose has always been to preserve the distinctive characteristics of both sexes while deploying their respective talents and skills in the most socially useful manner.

This enables both sexes to make the best use of their innate capabilities without causing undue disruption in the family or society. In modern parlance, this is a form of managerial optimization rather than sexual discrimination. For this principle to be effective, the spheres of activity of men and women have had to be quite different and, of course, separate from each other. That is to say that the man’s field of activity is in the outside world, while the woman’s is in the home.

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.