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Name
Mukhtar
-
Profession
Teacher
Question
Assalamu alikom
It would be kind of you to shed light on how the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) dealt with women's economic position .
Thanks
Answer
Bismillah, Alhamdulillah, May all the peace and blessings be on Muhammad and those who walk in the way of his Sunnah until the Day of Judgment.
As-salamu`alaykum dear brother, and thanks for joining the Live Dialogue
Before telling you how the Prophet dealt with women economic issue I will tell you how was his view to woman in general
The Messenger of Islam considered a woman to be equal to a man as a human being and as his partner in this life.
Women have been created with a soul of the same nature as man’s. Allah (SWT) says in the Qur'an:
"O mankind! Be dutiful to your Lord, Who created you from a single person (Adam), and from him (Adam) He created his wife (Eve), and from them both He created many men and women and fear Allah through Whom you demand your mutual (rights), and (do not cut the relations of) the wombs (kinship). Surely, Allah is Ever and All-Watcher over you." (Al-Nisa 4:1)
And in the words of the Prophet Muhammad (pbbuh),
"Assuredly, women are the twin halves of men." (Abu-Dawud)
In Islamic law a woman is an independent, unique individual in her own right. She has the same responsibilities towards herself, towards Allah and towards other human beings just as men are, and she will be punished or rewarded in the Hereafter without any discrimination.
Starting from this point we can easily see how he dealt with her economic issues i.e. as he dealt with any other man
She can fully handle business and she can trade with her money , she can earn money considering the lawful methods of earning and avoiding mixing with men
He never considered her as a less witty creature who needed to be told when and how to deal with her money
The only difference and privilege to women that they have the RIGHT to earn money but they don’t HAVE TO do so and they are not obliged to support the family or spend it on a husband unless they willingly chooses to.
In fact the early Muslim women were found in all walks of life. The first wife of the Prophet, mother of all his surviving children, was a businesswoman (Khadijah) who hired him as an employee, and proposed marriage to him through a third party.
Women traded in the marketplace, and `Umar, not normally noted for his liberal attitude to women, appointed a woman, Shifa' Bint Abdullah, to supervise the market just as Prophet Muhammad did with Samraa' bint Buhayk who was assigned by the Prophet to supervise markets- and naturally the woman who can supervise markets can supervise her own money.
And Allah Knows best
Name
lola
-
Profession
Question
I can hardly understand how Muhammad married a 9 years old girl without hurting her feelings.
Answer
Prophet' marriage to `Aisha, the mother of the believers , has always been a subject of debate and it does need some clarification especially for those living in areas where girls don't get married so young. And I would like to tackle this issue from two different angles :
First: Logic
We all know how badly was the Prophet attacked by the unbelievers (kuffar) of his tribe during his lifetime. The Prophet's enemies called him a liar, magician, madman, and other names and they often tried to distort his image in every possible and impossible way to the extent of unjustly accusing his wife of being unchaste. Why, then, by Allah's sake would they miss this golden opportunity to complete their systematic attack, they never spoke ill of his multiple wives, neither did they condemn him for marrying `Aisha as young as she was?
Simply because these were the common practice then. They all had many wives, mostly so young and almost all girls at that time marry just after puberty which occurs so early may due to the hot climate or genetic.
If a girl who reached puberty didn't get suitors -it would be a problem in the family and parents would be so worried for her future.
Second: Shari`ah
It is the norm of believers to accept all Allah's order with complete faith in His Wisdom- and the Prophet's multiple marriage should never pose a problem for the faithful when they heed the statement of Allah in the Qur'an concerning his marriages:
"(Hence) no blame whatever attaches to the Prophet for (having done) what Allah has ordained for him. (Indeed, such was) God's way with those that have passed away afore-time- and remember that God's will is always destiny absolute!," (Al-Ahzab 33: 38).
It is an order from Almighty Allah and we obey Him as Prophet Muhammad did. Every single marriage was an order from Allah that he ought to obey. He can't even divorce anyone of them without Allah's order- and when once he divorced Hafsa on his own Allah ordered him to remarry her and told him that she will his your wife in paradise
Third: Back to logic
Did you know that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, when proposing to `Aisha, was not the first suitor, for, according to many historians, Jubair ibn Mut`am proposed to her before the Prophet, peace and blessings for him. This gives an indication that `Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, was mature enough for marriage at that age.
And if you followed her own words (may Allah be pleased with her) , did she sound as a girl who have a nervous break down or a loving wife who have normal feelings of jealousy and who always declared how much she loved him.
This doesn't mean that we should marry our girls at this age -it is not expected to have such maturity and early puberty as they had at their time. They stay children as long as we and they, feel they are, and the disappointing thing that we find fully grown ups, mature in body but lack the least wisdom needed for marriage
And Allah knows best
Name
David
-
Profession
Question
Why would Islam give women half as men and still claims to have liberated them?
Answer
This is another misunderstanding about the position of women in Islam. Says who that women inherit half of the heritage?
Let me clarify the issue more:
• In most of cases women inherits as much as men
• And more than 10 cases the woman inherits more
• And other cases the woman inherits and man doesn't
• i.e. more than 30 cases either equal, more or inherits alone
• 4 cases only when women inherits half as men Then if we rephrase your question it would go as follows:
Why there are four cases that women inherit less than the men?
And the answer is:
This is due to the fact that the system of inheritance is arranged through three levels respectively:
First :Degree of kinship
The closer the relation is the more the money be, irrespective of sex; sons and daughters more than uncle and aunts and even more than grandfathers and grandmothers.
Second: The position of the inheriting generation;
The older the generation is the lesser the heritage be, because the younger still have a longer life to live and need money much more that the elder, that's why we see that the daughter of a dead person inherits more than his mother (though both are females) as inheritance doesn't depend on sex, and even the daughter of a dead person inherits more than his father even if this grandfather was the source of this wealth.
The son inherits more than the father while both are men. The girl takes half of the wealth, and if there are 2 girls they take 2/3 of it, while the whole family left shares the rest.
Third: The financial burden
In case the first two conditions are the same we look at the financial burden.
For brothers and sisters, for example, the daughter takes money only for herself and she is not asked to provide for herself however rich she is; all this burden is over the shoulder of her brother –so practically she has more, that's why Allah says in Surat An-Nisa':
(Allah (swt) (thus) directs you as regards your children’s (inheritance): to the male, a portion equal to that of two females, if only daughters, two or more, their share is two-thirds of the inheritance; If only one, her share is a half.
Directs you as regard to your children not regarding to all the relatives
And for true believer I say: It is not a human being who divides the heritage, then there may be unfairness or bias, but Almighty Allah in the One who distributes it and Allah is All Just and Wise.
He says,
(Ye know not whether your parents or your children are nearest to you in benefit. These are settled portions ordained by Allah; and Allah is All-Knowing, All-Wise.)
And says,
(Thus it is ordained by Allah; and Allah is All-Knowing Most Forbearing)
And Allah knows best
Name
ruqayah
-
Profession
Question
Dear scholar why do women testimony is not appreciated as men - are we considered liars or incapable-sorry but I really would like to know before doubt creeps to me.
Answer
Dear sister thanks for joining the Live Dialogue and I am not a scholar,–rather a seeker of knowledge just as we all ought to be.
It is not true that two female witnesses are always considered as equal to only one male witness. It is another misunderstood issue-It is true only in certain cases.
There are about five verses in the Qur'an that mention witnesses, without specifying male or female-only one verse in the Qur'an, that says two female witnesses are equal to one male witness. This verse is Surah Al-Baqarah, Chapter 2 verse 282. This is the longest verse in the Qur'an and it deals with financial transactions.
Almighty Allah says,
"Oh! ye who believe! When ye deal with each other, in transactions involving future obligation in a fixed period of time reduce them to writing and get two witnesses out of your own men and if there are not two men, then a man and two women, such as ye choose, for witnesses so that if one of them errs the other can remind her." (Al-Baqarah 2:282)
Dear sister there is a difference between Shahadah and Ishhad
Shahadah upon which the judge makes his verdict doesn’t depend on sex. Its basis is truth and evidence and honesty of the man or woman testifying.
This verse it is about Ishhad done by the owner of debt to be sure about getting back his money-not by the judges. It is not a verse of fard (obligation). It is a verse of advice such said ibn taymiah and ibn al -Qayim in (At Turuq al-Hakmeyah Fi As-Syasah Ash-Shar`iyah)
This verse of the Qur'an deals only with financial transactions where it is advised to make it written and to take two witnesses, preferably both of which should be men only. In case you cannot find two men, then one man and two women would suffice.
In cases of witnesses for money issues and since men usually bears the whole burden they know more of the ways of cheating and getting away with people's money. It is a matter of experience not supremacy
For example if you need to operate and couldn’t find the head surgeon – then take one surgeon and two general practitioners.
However, some scholars are of the opinion that the feminine attitude can also have an effect on the witness in a murder case. In such circumstances a woman is more terrified as compared to a man. Not all women are like Layla Muhammad Ali (daughter of the famous boxer) in fact most of women could be terrified by such scene. Due to her emotional condition she can get confused.
Other issues men and women are the same. Many jurists agree that even one witness of a woman is sufficient for the sighting of the crescent of the moon. Imagine one woman witness is sufficient for one of the pillars of Islam, i.e. fasting and the whole Muslim community of men and women agree and accept her witness!
Some incidents require only female witness and that of a male cannot be accepted. For instance, in dealing with the problems of women, while giving the burial bath i.e. ‘ghusl’ to a woman or in breastfeeding and similar issues, the witness has to be a woman.
The seeming inequality of male and female witnesses in financial transactions is not due to any inequality of the sexes in Islam. It is only due to the different natures and roles of men and women in society as envisaged by Islam.
And the prophet accepted the testimony of one female in breastfeeding and didn’t ask for another testimony.
And isn’t Hadith narration a kind of testimony –if there is no fear of forgetfulness then one woman is enough. Knowledge and capability are the issue here.
No woman was denied a hadith validity because she is a woman. Moreover says that there are much more liars of hadith in men.
We are just being too sensitive-too submissive to the secular attack on Muslim woman and that prevents us from seeing the true, shining face of Islam
And Allah knows best
Name
Abdullah
- Nigeria
Profession
IT
Question
Salam,
Mine is not a question per se. Its just a little related to the topic.
I think people have mixed up the roles Allah has granted to the different genders.
Clearly, man is not superior to woman. The issue is just that because of their different genetic, social and other makeup, they are suited for different roles. The beauty of this is that this different role play is necessary for a balance in the society. But the west has got it all wrong when they say what a man can do, a woman too should/could do. that creates an imbalance.
the example I always use is this - the football team. Now the attackers are usually in the spotlight (because they score goals) but that does not make their role in the team more important that that of the defenders. they are equal but have different roles.
This is what I believe Islam preaches
Answer
Jazaa Allahu khayran-I couldn't agree more. You have given a simple yet good example for true believers, men and women .
May Allah bless you
Name
Abdullah
-
Profession
IT
Question
Salam,
I have a question now.
What is your 'recommendation' for a family? Do you think it is right that both parents work 9 - 6 and the kids are left at the mercy of nannies and the TV?
Answer
Thanks Abdullah for joining the Live Dialogue
Islam is a practical religion, and responds to human needs and life situations. Many women would prefer to work outside their homes because they need the money, have skills, and needed by the community…
While Islam does not prohibit women working outside the home, it does not put any burden on her regarding supporting the family- thus priorities should be considered.
If the need of her presence at home is urgent she should not leave it to work outside.
If her children are young and need her care, she can give a little sacrifice for and Allah will reward her best.
It is not our duties as mothers to feed the children and clean the house only; any good servant can do this,but our role is to build the new generations of our Ummah and prepare them to be the walking Islam on earth- maybe the victory of Ummah would come from one of them.
But to leave them for the corruption of TV , We are missing our responsibility that Allah and His Prophet left us with.
The Prophet Says,
"The ruler is a shepherd and is responsible for his subjects, a husband is a shepherd and is responsible for his family, a wife is a shepherd and is responsible for her household, and a servant is a shepherd who is responsible for his master's property"(Al-Bukhari )
A mutual consultation between a loving husband and a pious wife could solve all the problems
And Allah knows best
Name
Oly
-
Profession
Question
Why if Islam preaches women's rights are most women in Muslim countries treated like ***?
*** Deleted by the editor
Answer
Thanks for joining the Live Dialogue
You need to differentiate between the cultural impact and the religious obligation. You can question men concerning following the rules of Islam but certainly we can't question or incriminate Islam for the injustice of people, just as we can't say that all Christians are tyrants just because Hitler was Christian.
You need to know some points concerning the value of women in and before Islam.
In those days before Islam, women were treated like slaves or property. Their personal consent concerning anything related to their well-being was considered unimportant, to such a degree that they were never even treated as a party to a marriage contract.
Women were used for one purpose, and then discarded.
In addition, the birth of a daughter in a family was not an occasion for rejoicing, but was regarded with humiliation.
With the advent of Islam came the verse from the Qur'an condemning those who practiced female infanticide:
"And when the news of (the birth of) a female (child) is brought to any of them, his face becomes dark, and he is filled with inward grief! He hides himself from the people because of the evil of that whereof he has been informed. Shall he keep her with dishonor or bury her in the earth? Certainly, evil is their decision." (An-Nahl 16:58-59)
Outside Arabia conditions for women were no better.
The Greeks considered woman to be an object of pleasure and amusement. This view was articulated in the text of Deemo Stayn:
He said: “We take prostitutes for pleasure, lovers to care for our daily health, and wives to give us legitimate children.”
The Romans gave the father and husband the right to sell her to whomever they pleased.
The image of Eve as temptress in the Bible has resulted in an extremely negative impact on women throughout the Judeo-Christian tradition.
All women were believed to have inherited from their mother, the Biblical Eve, both her guilt and her guile.
"I find more bitter than death the woman who is a snare, whose heart is a trap and whose hands are chains. The man who pleases God will escape her, but the sinner she will ensnare....while I was still searching but not finding, I found one upright man among a thousand but not one upright woman among them all" (Ecclesiastes 7:26-28).
In another part of the Hebrew literature which is found in the Catholic Bible we read:
"No wickedness comes anywhere near the wickedness of a woman..... Sin began with a woman and thanks to her we all must die " (Ecclesiasticus 25:19,24).
Jewish Rabbis listed nine curses inflicted on women as a result of the Fall:
"To the woman He gave nine curses and death: the burden of the blood of menstruation and the blood of virginity; the burden of pregnancy; the burden of childbirth; the burden of bringing up the children; her head is covered as one in mourning; she pierces her ear like a permanent slave or slave girl who serves her master; she is not to be believed as a witness; and after everything--death." 2
To us pregnancy and labor are honor and hassanat (good deed) or reward, that the mother can earn Paradise from such painful experience and Paradise is made under her feet
The pregnant women takes the deeds of a fasting and praying person all over the day and with every suck of milk she takes hassanat –so says our Prophet peace and blessings be upon him.
Nowadays some orthodox Jewish men in their daily morning prayer recite "Blessed be God King of the universe that Thou has not made me a woman."
Therefore, Eve is responsible for her own mistake, her husband's sin, the original sin of all humanity, and the death of the Son of God. And her daughters are sinners like her. In Islam no one is blamed for others fault be them men or women.
St. Augustine wrote to a friend:
"What is the difference whether it is in a wife or a mother, it is still Eve the temptress that we must beware of in any woman......I fail to see what use woman can be to man, if one excludes the function of bearing children."
Centuries later, St. Thomas Aquinas still considered women as defective:
"As regards the individual nature, woman is defective and misbegotten.
Even the renowned reformer Martin Luther could not see any benefit from a woman but bringing into the world as many children as possible regardless of any side effects:
"If they become tired or even die, that does not matter. Let them die in childbirth, that's why they are there"
Women remained in this horrible state without protesting or rebelling against it; until the light of Islam came and the mercy of Muhammad filled the universe.
The rights of Muslim women were given to us by Allah (SWT), who is All-Compassionate, All-Merciful, All-Just, All-Unbiased, All-Knowing and Most Wise. These rights, which were granted to women more than 1400 years ago, and were taught by the perfect example of the Prophet Muhammad (SAW), were given by the One Who created us and Who alone knows what rights are best for our female natures. Allah (SWT) says in the Qur'an:
"O You who believe! You are forbidden to inherit women against their will, and you should not treat them with harshness, that you may take away part of the Mahr (bridal-money given by the husband to his wife at time of marriage) you have given them, unless they commit open illegal sexual intercourse. And live with them honorably. If you dislike them, it may be that you dislike a thing and Allah brings
through it a great deal of good." (An-Nisa 4:19)
Then Prophet Muhammad came, proclaiming her rights and her equality with men. He established for her all of her rights to bring her out of the miserable state that she was in and to elevate her to the noble status that she deserves.
In Islam there is absolutely no difference between men and women as far as their relationship to God is concerned, as both are promised the same reward for good conduct and the same punishment for evil conduct. The Qur'an says,
(And for women are rights over men similar to those of men over women.) (2:226)
Allah, in addressing the believers, often uses the expression,' believing men and women' to emphasize the equality of men and women in regard to their respective duties, rights, virtues and merits. Allah says,
(For Muslim men and women, for believing men and women, for devout men and women, for true men and women, for men and women who are patient and constant, for men and women who humble themselves, for men and women who give in charity, for men and women who fast, for men and women who guard their chastity, and for men and women who engage much in God's praise, for them has God prepared forgiveness and great reward.) (Al-Ahzab 33:35)
Can you see any degradation in this ayah?
Allah promises women paradise just as men-they bear no original sin and they didn’t cause death to anyone.
(Enter into Paradise, you and your wives, with delight.) (Az-Zukhruf 43:70)
And the Angles ask Allah to bestow His mercy in men and women
Allah says in Surat Ghafir describing this,
(Our Lord! And make them enter the Gardens of Eden which thou hast promised them, with such of their fathers and their wives and their descendants as do right. Lo! Thou, only Thou, art the Mighty, the Wise.) (Ghafir 40:8)
Islam thus considers a woman to be equal to a man as a human being and as his partner in this life. Women have been created with a soul of the same nature as man’s. Allah (SWT) says in the Qur'an:
"O mankind! Be dutiful to your Lord, Who created you from a single person (Adam), and from him (Adam) He created his wife (Eve), and from them both He created many men and women and fear Allah through Whom you demand your mutual (rights), and (do not cut the relations of) the wombs (kinship). Surely, Allah is Ever and All-Watcher over you." (Al-Nisa 4:1)
And in the words of the Prophet Muhammad,
"Assuredly, women are the twin halves of men." (Sahih reported by Abu-Dawud
And says
(The best of the believers are those who have the best manners and are nice toward their wives) (At-Tirmidhi)
Islam does not blame Eve alone for the First Sin. The Qur'an makes it very clear that both Adam and Eve were tempted, that they both sinned and were both forgiven after their repentance.
Allah says in the Qur'an,
"Then Satan whispered suggestions to them both in order to uncover that which was hidden from them of their private parts (before); he said: "Your Lord did not forbid you this tree save you should become angels or become of the immortals." …
They said: "Our Lord! We have wronged ourselves. If You forgive us not, and bestow not upon us Your Mercy, we shall certainly be of the losers." (Al-A’raf 7:20-25)
And most of all, Paradise is at the feet of mothers, how can this be oppression?
Only just over a hundred years ago, in England, in 1850, women were finally allowed the right to own property and permitted to vote. Muslim women can own property and did give Bay`ah which is a direct election of their leader 1400 years ago.
In 1857, divorce became accessible by the formation of the court for Divorce and Matrimonial Causes. Muslim women have the rights that even Princes Diana couldn’t have for fourteen hundred years.
So if a man is ignorant of Islam and its teachings about women, does this make Islam an anti-women religion?
And Allah knows best
Name
Editor
-
Profession
Answer
Finally, we would like to thank our guest for speaking to Islamonline viewers today, and we also thank all those who participated in this dialogue. We request our readers to join us in the upcoming sessions.
