SHAPING FAMILY AND SOCIETY ON SPIRITUAL LINES
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.
Islamic law regarding women is rooted in this system of nature. According to Islam, men and women are equal as regards honour and status, but physically, biologically, and psychologically, they are different. To maintain the social system of nature between men and women, 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 system of the human world 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, ‘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.
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 both informal education within the home and 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. As individuals in a family are shaped on positive lines, society, in turn, will be shaped on positive lines.
Outside the homes, women can be better teachers than men when teaching children. For women, this will not amount to a change in the workplace but will be an extension of the home, broadening the practical activity centred on child-rearing assigned to her by nature. They can also avail other opportunities outside their homes within the parameters set by Islamic injunctions.
By playing this role effectively, women can prepare the next generations, which is the greatest need of the hour. In this way, they can equip an entire generation with standard education. They would then have every opportunity to receive education in the higher institutions of their choice and be more confident of finding productive employment afterward. If women stand up for this cause, they can become instrumental in preparing the new generations to become aware, duty-conscious, and principled individuals. This will be the beginning of shaping the family and society on spiritual lines.
