Women in Islam and Muslim Societies

Summary of the Article

            In every society, women have their position and status in their community. This nature has led to debate and discussion which is likely created by religion, feminism, culture, and misogyny. The paper summarizes the women in Islam and Muslim societies.

            The role of women in the Muslim society can be addressed by focusing on two significant areas. One area is how women are viewed in the contemporary Muslim community, the position and the status and the responsibilities of the women in the Qur’an during the early days. The second area is the challenges facing the women in the Muslim society today. During the independence period, most the western countries brought about the western ideas, marriage, and the family to the Muslim communities. Civil servants started questioning the legal and women restrictions on social matters such as education, slavery, and polygyny. There was the establishment of schools and universities were opened for women.  Education, charitable organizations were founded by the women and they, also joined nationalist’s movement. Thus women seclusion declined, and they started entering politics, getting the academic degree and even working in a profession (Haddad& Esposito, 1997).

            Islamic teaches that men are more superior to women. Women are viewed as weak, inferior and that there are evil and women lack behind in intellectual capabilities and that there are not competent in spiritual matters. According to these evaluation women are claimed to be not able to do some tasks and who are not be able to function well in the community. Therefore, women are not allowed to attend mosque, and there are left out to go to any Muslim institutions. Also, there is the intermingling of the sexes where is frowned that the women will create fitnah. According to Muslim teaching, women are supposed to observe their dress code for each function and roles have been assigned to each sex. Women role in the Muslim is restrained to her reproductive ability, and her purpose is to be a wife and a mother to her kids. If the woman does not fulfill her primary goal, then she is lacking according to the Islamic duty and is seen as evil because she does not do according to what community rules (Haddad & Esposito1997). The duty of the man is to provide for his family. Therefore they have fewer activities thus creating more time for them to carry out housework and be able to bear children and take good care of them. This is seen as a special status that Islam has given their women thus liberating women from hard work and oppression over 1400 years ago.

OPINION

            I believe that some traditionalists are of the opinion even though there is strict Islamic rule it is not a must for women to follow those rules. For example, the women are not obligated to look after their husband or children like cooking for them or even washing utensils or to nurture the children. A woman has the right not to follow the strict Islamic rules, and no one will take her to the authority since she has not committed any crime.  However, a woman can perform all these tasks or duties out of her pure grace and not anyone demanding. The responsibilities or roles of women and men are very different at the family level, and women play a prominent role in the family unit. Also, I believe that the traditionalist viewed that the primary purpose of the women is to be married, be a good wife and bear children. According to the traditionalist women are supposed to focus on their family unit and their freedom was also limited to enable them to do their will and choices.

 Argument

             It is ironical that Islam claims that women were liberated from oppression and discrimination 1400 years ago. They say that women were given the right to get the education, civil and even economic rights though according to analysis it shows that women are inferior and that they should be obedient to their husbands and male elite as a whole. No woman can enjoy liberty if she does not know anything, is confined at home and has limited control over her future. Islam teaching is seen to be upheld by individuals to benefit themselves by taking control over a given sector in the community. It is the responsibility of every Muslim to look back and refreshes their memories about the status, position and the role of the Islam women. Tauhid is the governing principle of Islam which means uniting together under the dominance of the universal divine Allah.

  

References

Haddad, Y. Y., & Esposito, J. L. (1997). Islam, gender and social change. New York, etc: Oxford U.P.