For centuries, Muslim women in
all corners of the world have been aware of the liberation that is achieved by
adhering to the concept of hijab. Current world events have once
again brought the issue of women’s liberation in Islam to the forefront of
people’s minds.
Can a Woman Who Adheres to Hijab Be Liberated?
Can a religion that considers
morality to be a part of faith clearly define the equality of men and women and
their rights and responsibilities? The answer is a resounding
“yes.” In a day and age when the basic tenets of Islam are being
questioned by Muslim and non-Muslim alike, we must be cautious when evaluating
Islam.
The general picture that is
painted by the media is biased and unsubstantiated. The impression that
some Muslims give to the world is often not a true reflection of the religion,
one that is the completion of all religions. Islam, the religion for all
people in all places and times, which takes the equality of men and women very
seriously. It sees the liberation of women as essential and considers
modesty, good character, and manners to be the way to achieve such liberation.
Too often, the image of a
covered woman is used to represent what much of the world views as
oppression. Her very existence is described in terms that convey
ignorance and unhappiness. Words like “beaten,” “repressed” and
“oppressed” are bandied about by the Western media in a desperate attempt to
convince the readers that women in Islam have no rights. Descriptive and
intrinsically oppressive terms such as “shrouded” and “shackled” are used to
portray an image of women who have no minds and who are the slaves or
possessions of their husbands and fathers. In the 19th century, T. E.
Lawrence described women in Arabia as “death taking a walk,” and from that time forward,
the true status of women in Islam has been shrouded by misunderstanding.
The truth about women and Islam is far from this melodramatic portrayal.
Over 1,400 years ago, Islam
raised the status of women from a position of oppression to one of liberation
and equality. In an era when women were considered possessions, Islam restored
women to a position of dignity.
In order to gain a true insight
into the real and lasting liberation that Islam guarantees women, we must first
examine the concept of liberation as viewed by the West. In Western
countries where liberation encompasses unlimited freedom, many women are
actually finding themselves living lives that are unsatisfying and
meaningless. In their quest for liberation, they have abandoned the
ideals of morality and stability and found themselves in marriages and families
that bear little resemblance to real life.
What is liberating about
working all day and coming home at night to the housework? What is liberating
about having babies who, at six weeks old can be deposited in childcare centers
to learn their behavior and morality from strangers? Girls as young as 6
years old have been diagnosed with eating disorders, teenage pregnancy is
rampant, and women who choose to stay at home to raise their families are
viewed as old fashioned or unemployable.
Women in the West are
liberated: liberated to the point that they are no longer free to choose the
life that is natural for them. They are free only to choose from the
selection of consumer goods offered to them by their masters. The
so-called liberated women of the West have become slaves. Slaves to the
economic system, slaves to the fashion and beauty industries, and slaves to a
society that views them as brainless machines, taught to look desirable, earn
money, and shop. Even the career woman who has managed to push her way
through the glass ceiling is a slave to the consumer society, which requires
her to reside in a spacious house, wear only the latest designer clothes, drive
a luxurious car, and educate her children at the most exclusive and expensive
schools.
Is This Liberation?
The natural inclination of
women is to please, comfort, and support their men: their husbands, fathers,
brothers, or sons. The natural inclination of men is to protect, support,
and provide for the women lawfully in their lives: wives, mothers, sisters, and
daughters. Islam, the only true religion and infallible guide to life,
requires that we follow such natural inclinations. It allows us to
abandon ideas that are intrinsically foreign to human nature and supports us in
developing and sustaining natural family relationships that spread out to form
part of the wider Muslim community.
A Muslim woman knows her place
in society and knows her place in the family infrastructure. Her religion
is her first priority; therefore, her role is clear-cut and defined. A
Muslim woman, far from being oppressed, is a woman who is liberated in the true
sense of the word. She is a slave to no man or to any economic system;
rather, she is the slave of God. Islam clearly defines women’s rights and
responsibilities spiritually, socially, and economically. Islam’s
clear-cut guidelines are empowering; they raise women to a natural and revered
position.
Women in Islam have no need to
protest and demonstrate for equal rights. They have no need to live their
lives aimlessly acquiring possessions and money. With the perfection of
Islam as the natural and only true religion came the undeniable fact that women
and men are equal, partners and protectors of one another.
“So their Lord accepted from them; Never
will I allow to be lost the work of any of you, be they male or female. You are
of one another; so those who emigrated or were driven out from their homes, who
suffered harm in My cause, and fought and were killed, I will verily expiate
from them their evil deeds and admit them into gardens under which rivers flow:
a reward from God; and with God is the best rewards.” (Quran 3:195)
“And whoever does righteous good deeds, male
or female, and is a true believer in the Oneness of Allah, such will enter
paradise; and not the least injustice, even to the size of a speck on the back
of a date stone, will be done to them.” (Quran 4:124)
Women in Islam have the right
to own property, to control their own money or money that they earn, to buy and
sell, and to give gifts and charity. They have formal rights of
inheritance. They have the right to an education; seeking and acquiring
knowledge is an obligation on all Muslims, male or female. Married Muslim
women are completely free from the obligation of supporting and maintaining the
family, yet may work if they wish too.
They are in no way forced into
marriage, but have the right to accept or refuse a proposal as they see fit.
Women in Islam have the right to seek divorce if it becomes necessary, as
they also have the right to save their marriages.
Islam teaches that the family
is the core of society. In Western cultures, the fabric of society is
being torn apart by the breakdown of the family unit. It is in these
crumbling communities that the call for the liberation of women arises.
It seems to be a misguided and feeble attempt to find a path of security
and safety. Such security is available only when the human being turns
back to God and accepts the role for which he or she was created.
Liberation means freedom, but
not the freedom to do as one pleases. Freedom must never be at the
expense of oneself or of the wider community. When a woman fulfills the
role for which she was created, not only is she liberated but she is empowered.
The modestly dressed or covered
woman you see in the street is liberated. She is liberated from the
shackles that have tied the feet of her Western counterparts. She is
liberated from the economic slavery of the West, and she is liberated from the
necessity of managing a house and family without the support of her husband or
the help of a wider community. She lives her life based on divine
guidelines; her life is filled with peace, happiness, and strength. She
is not afraid of the world, but rather embraces its tests and trials with
patience and fortitude, secure in the fact that true liberation is only
achieved by full and willing submission to the natural order of the universe.
Oppression is not defined by a
piece of material, but rather by a sickening of the heart and a weakening of
the mind. Oppression grows in a society that is crumbling because its
members have lost sight of the true purpose of their existence.
Liberation arises and takes root in a society that is just, cohesive, and
based on natural order and divine guidelines. Islam is such a society,
and this is what makes a Muslim woman is liberated.