WOMEN’S SPIRITUAL ROLE IN LATER MUSLIM HISTORY

Islam established gender equality in society. Of men and women, the Quran states: “You are members, one of another.” (3:195) According to a tradition, the Prophet of Islam observed: “Men and women are two halves of a single unit.” (Sunan Abi Dawud, Hadith No. 236)

Such teachings in the Quran and Hadith ushered in a new age of gender equality in the Muslim world of the time. With this freedom, women could play a significant role in society, particularly the women who belonged to the royal families. They had more opportunities and more exposure. They were also highly educated according to the standard of the time. One of these was Maryam Zamani, Emperor Akbar’s mother.

Once, Mulla Abdun Nabi, Akbar’s teacher, insulted the emperor in the court. Akbar was enraged and wanted to punish him, which could even have been a death sentence. However, his mother, Maryam Zamani, intervened and calmed him down. She told him his pardon would go down in history in these words. “An emperor having all the power at his disposal forgave the offender.”

Such incidents abound in history, but usually, these are related to either a ‘mother’ like Maryam Zamani, a ‘daughter’ like Jahan Ara, or a wife like Noor Jahan. This is why people fail to see these roles beyond this framework. They could not extend their roles to general situations in society.

Studies in biology and history show that women have been specially gifted with the qualities required for normalizing situations in times of crisis.

The need of the hour is for more women to recognize their spiritual abilities to perform their roles far more effectively and on a far grander scale. Once this feminine potential is realized, the world will be a better place for all to live in.