{"id":15092,"date":"2022-04-18T06:24:15","date_gmt":"2022-04-18T05:24:15","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/shiastudies.com\/en\/?p=15092"},"modified":"2022-04-18T06:24:15","modified_gmt":"2022-04-18T05:24:15","slug":"status-women-islam-men","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/shiastudies.com\/en\/15092\/status-women-islam-men\/","title":{"rendered":"What Is the Status of Women in Islam? Are They Same as Men?"},"content":{"rendered":"

According to Islam, the man and woman have to be in pursuit of a common objective, which is to reach the pinnacle of humanity, and both must bear the means of accomplishing such an objective without any difference as a result of difference in gender; a difference that the order of creation calls for.<\/p>\n

AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA):\u00a0<\/strong>According to Islam, the man and woman have to be in pursuit of a common objective, which is to reach the pinnacle of humanity, and both must bear the means of accomplishing such an objective without any difference as a result of difference in gender; a difference that the order of creation calls for.<\/p>\n

Gender has no effect on this potential taking place or increasing, and also has no effect on the true value of people in Islam\u2019s eyes. Therefore, the perfection and salvation of women doesn\u2019t lie in them having the same status as men, and it is also wrong for men to take pride in their gender, because that isn\u2019t what really counts.<\/p>\n

If we don\u2019t turn a blind eye to the truth and be realistic, we will see that the perfection of the woman doesn\u2019t lie in her having a status like that of men, and that it is also wrong for men to take pride in their gender.<\/p>\n

The truth of the matter is that the creation of the human circles around two separate but harmonious halves, the man and the woman.<\/p>\n

What brings superiority for both men and women are endeavors for achieving humanity, and in other words, using the potential placed in all of us for the best.\u00a0\u00a0 Except for differences that are necessitated by the order of creation, there is no difference between the two genders from the Quran and revelation\u2019s perspective.<\/p>\n

Since this question is about the status of the woman\u00a0in Islam, it is necessary to refer to Islamic sources, meaning the Quran and the traditions of the prophet (pbuh) and Ahlul-Bayt, to see what Islam\u2019s view is on the issue.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The different dimensions of the woman\u2019s status<\/strong><\/p>\n

The woman\u2019s status in Islam can be looked at from three perspectives:<\/strong><\/p>\n

a)<\/strong>\u00a0Her character<\/p>\n

1- The woman is a symbol of elegance, tranquility and beauty. Every single thing in this universe is the manifestation of the attributes and names of Allah (swt), because creating which is one of His attributes of action (not one of the attributes of essence) is the manifestation of the creator in His different creations, as Imam Ali (as) puts it: \u201cAll praise is due to Allah (swt) who showed Himself to His creations through His creation.\u201d[1] and[2]<\/p>\n

from the Quran\u2019s perspective, the secret behind creating the woman and establishing the base of the family and the union of marriage is higher than just lust and fulfilling desires and achieving temporary pleasures.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd of His signs is that He created for you mates from your own selves that you may take comfort in them, and He ordained affection and mercy between you. There are indeed signs in that for a people who reflect\u201d[3]<\/p>\n

2- All racial, gender related, etc. advantages are vain, and \u201cIndeed the noblest of you in the sight of Allah is the most God wary among you\u201d[4]<\/p>\n

3- All heavenly books and prophets have addressed humanity and not a specific gender saying: \u201cWhosoever follows me indeed belongs to me\u201d[5]<\/p>\n

4- The status of the woman has no boundaries; she can succeed, possess and reach anything she desires: \u201cO man! You are laboring toward your Lord laboriously, and you will encounter Him\u201d[6], \u201cEvery person is in custody of his own doings\u201d[7], \u201cAnd that man can only have the fruit of what he has strived for; verily, the result of his effort will soon Be observed\u201d[8].<\/p>\n

5- Whosoever serves Allah (swt) will be close to Him, regardless of whether it is a man or woman. \u201cWhen My servants ask you about Me, [tell them that) I am indeed close. I answer the supplicant\u2019s call when he calls Me. So let them respond to Me, and let them have faith in Me, so that they may fare rightly.\u201d[9]<\/p>\n

6- In order to reach the\u00a0tayyeb\u00a0<\/em>life (good and pure life), two conditions must be fulfilled: \u201cWhoever acts righteously, [whether] male or female, should he be faithful, We shall revive him with a good life and pay them their reward by the best of what they used to do\u201d[10]<\/a><\/p>\n

7- Whosoever disregards the truth, will be cursed by Allah (swt): \u201cIndeed those who turn faithless and die while they are faithless, it is they on whom shall be the curse of Allah, the angels and all mankind\u201d.[11]<\/p>\n

What is easily concluded from these verses is that the human is their addressee, not a specific gender. Humans are \u201chostages\u201d of their faith and actions and they \u201cpick the fruit of whatever they themselves plant\u201d, let them be men or women. In revelation\u2019s sight, the woman is a human and gender has no effect on the fundamentals of the obligations and character of people.<\/p>\n

And now for the second dimension of the status of the woman in Islam:<\/strong><\/p>\n

b)<\/strong>\u00a0The woman and the \u201cladder\u201d of knowledge and nearness to Allah (swt)<\/p>\n

1- Allah (swt) doesn\u2019t exclusively belong to men nor women and the same goes for knowledge and getting closer to Him. There is a general formula that if one goes by, he\/she will indeed achieve such a goal, and that formula is: knowledge, affection, obedience and nearness.<\/p>\n

It doesn\u2019t make a difference who and how much one goes after knowledge and wisdom, what is important is guidance and it is after guidance that this verse applies to us:<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cThose who strive in our way, we will guide them to ways of nearness to Allah (swt)\u201d; many have done so, men and women, and the Quran gives two examples of those who went this way and two examples of those who went the opposite:<\/p>\n

\u201cAllah draws an [other] example for those who have faith: the wife of Pharaoh, when she said,\u201d My Lord! Build me a home near You in paradise, and deliver me from Pharaoh and his conduct, and deliver me from the wrongdoing lot\u201d[12] In the next verse, Allah (swt) gives the second example of a good character, which is Lady Maryam.<\/p>\n

Also, the two bad people the Quran speaks of are also women (Prophet Nuh and Prophet Lut\u2019s (pbuh) wives).[13] These good and bad women are examples for all, not just for women!<\/p>\n

2- The most important requisite for getting closer to Allah (swt) is the heart and a broken heart, and women bear it more than men: \u201cThe ways to ascend and go higher for people varies. One way is through\u00a0dhikr\u00a0<\/em>(invocation) and another is through thought; if women aren\u2019t higher and more successful than men in the first, which is the way of the heart and love and affection, they are certainly equal to them.\u201d[14]<\/p>\n

3- The holy prophet of Islam (pbuh) says: \u201cThe best knowledge is\u00a0tawhid<\/em>, and the best worship is\u00a0istighfar\u00a0<\/em>(asking for repentance).\u201d[15] Clearly, there is no difference between men and women in reaching such knowledge.<\/p>\n

4- If we are pious and wary of Allah (swt), we will reach spirituality, and piety and taqwa don\u2019t belong to a specific gender and group.<\/p>\n

\u201cIndeed if one is God wary and patient Allah does not waste the reward of the virtuous\u201d[16]<\/p>\n

\u201cBut as for him who is awed to stand before his Lord and forbids the soul from [following] desire,<\/p>\n

his refuge will indeed be paradise\u201d[17]<\/p>\n

To make it short, different women who had reached very high levels of spirituality in various eras are clear proof that the way is open to all, even women.<\/p>\n

c)<\/strong>\u00a0The status of the woman in Islamic law and divine rulings<\/p>\n

It seems what gives rise to your question regarding the status of the woman in Islam, is a series of Islamic laws that pertain to women, but with a general look at the framework of Islamic laws and the effect of gender on them, you will be able to find your answer.<\/p>\n

Islamic laws, when looked at from a gender perspective, are divided into several categories:<\/strong><\/p>\n

1. Common rulings: such as fasting, prayer and hajj.
\n2. Women\u2019s rulings: such as laws pertaining to menstruation
\n3. Rulings that seem to be discriminative at first sight: such as inheritance, blood money, etc.<\/p>\n

Generally speaking, the reasons for such so called controversial rulings can be the following:<\/strong><\/p>\n

i) The man of the home is responsible for the expenditures and sustenance of the family, hence the difference of the share of inheritance compared to that of women (of course in some cases).<\/p>\n

ii) When some hadiths speak of women badly, what they are really speaking of aren\u2019t women in terms of them being part of the human race, but what is meant is the\u00a0adoration\u00a0of women. (For instance, the hadith that says: \u201cThe woman is a scorpion, but her sting is sweet\u201d)[18]<\/p>\n

iii) Some other hadiths (especially in the Nahjul-Balaghah) that scold women, are only scolding the women of Imam Ali\u2019s (as) time who had risen against the imam in the battle of Jamal (with the leadership of Aisha).[19]<\/p>\n

iv) Some rulings that aren\u2019t the responsibility of women, like initial jihad, judging, etc. aren\u2019t deprivation, but are a grace and mercy from Allah (swt) so that harsh and hard responsibilities that aren\u2019t in harmony with their delicate spirits don\u2019t rest on their shoulders.<\/p>\n

Imam Ali (as) says: \u201cThe woman is like a delicate and sweet-smelling flower, not like a harsh and bulky warrior.\u201d[20]<\/a><\/p>\n

v) Some rulings such as coming of age earlier than men, are so that women begin to be trained earlier so they can be ready to train future generations, especially since the age of getting married for women is lower than that of men.<\/p>\n

vi) Some restrictions and limitations are so that some boundaries are set in order to prevent certain problems and dangers which indeed need to be prevented. For instance, women have been ordered to speak well but not in a thin and attractive voice so that \u201cthose who have sick hearts aren\u2019t tempted\u201d.[21]<\/p>\n

vii) The same way that badness and deficiency are proportional, preferring and making the man prior are also proportional. Therefore, whenever you see a limitation or reproach of women, consider it proportional. In Islam, there are numerous instances where women have been given advantages, namely:<\/p>\n

The prophet of Islam (pbuh) said: \u201cIf you are in the middle of a mustahabb prayer and your father calls you, don\u2019t break the prayer, but if your mother calls, break it.\u201d[22]<\/p>\n

The clear and direct command of the Quran is: \u201cAnd You should treat women honourably\u201d[23]<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014<\/p>\n

References<\/strong><\/p>\n

[1] \u201c\u0627\u0644\u062d\u0645\u062f \u0644\u0644\u0647 \u0627\u0644\u0645\u062a\u062c\u0644\u06cc \u0644\u062e\u0644\u0642\u0647 \u0628\u062e\u0644\u0642\u0647\u201d Nahjul-Balaghah , sermon 108.<\/p>\n

[2] Abdullah Javadi Amoli, Zan dar Ayneye Jamal va Jalal, pg. 21.<\/p>\n

[3] \u201c\u0648 \u0645\u0646 \u0622\u06cc\u0627\u062a\u0647 \u0627\u0646 \u062e\u0644\u0642 \u0644\u06a9\u0645 \u0645\u0646 \u0627\u0646\u0641\u0633\u06a9\u0645 \u0627\u0632\u0648\u0627\u062c\u0627\u064b \u0644\u062a\u0633\u06a9\u0646\u0648\u0627 \u0627\u0644\u06cc\u0647\u0627 \u0648 \u062c\u0639\u0644 \u0628\u06cc\u0646\u06a9\u0645 \u0645\u0648\u062f\u0629 \u0648 \u0631\u062d\u0645\u0629 \u201d Rum:21.<\/p>\n

[4] Hujurat:13.<\/p>\n

[5] \u201c\u0641\u0645\u0646 \u062a\u0628\u0639\u0646\u06cc \u0641\u0627\u0646\u0647 \u0645\u0646\u06cc \u201d Ibrahim:26.<\/p>\n

[6] Inshiqaq:6.<\/p>\n

[7] Tur:21.<\/p>\n

[8] Najm:39.<\/p>\n

[9] Baqarah:186.<\/p>\n

[10] \u201c\u0645\u0646 \u0639\u0645\u0644 \u0635\u0627\u0644\u062d\u0627\u064b \u0645\u0646 \u0630\u06a9\u0631 \u0648 \u0627\u0646\u062b\u06cc \u0648 \u0647\u0648 \u0645\u0624\u0645\u0646 \u0641\u0644\u0646\u062d\u06cc\u06cc\u0646\u0647 \u062d\u06cc\u0627\u0629 \u0637\u06cc\u0628\u0629\u2026\u201d Nahl:97.<\/p>\n

[11] \u201c\u0627\u0646 \u0627\u0644\u0630\u06cc\u0646 \u06a9\u0641\u0631\u0648\u0627 \u0648 \u0645\u0627 \u062a\u0648\u0627 \u0648 \u0647\u0645 \u06a9\u0641\u0627\u0631 \u0627\u0648\u0644\u0626\u06a9 \u0639\u0644\u06cc\u0647\u0645 \u0644\u0639\u0646\u0629 \u0627\u0644\u0644\u0647 \u0648\u0627\u0644\u0645\u0644\u0627\u0626\u06a9\u0629 \u0648\u0627\u0644\u0646\u0627\u0633 \u0623\u062c\u0645\u0639\u06cc\u0646\u201d Baqarah:161.<\/p>\n

[12] \u201c\u0648\u0636\u0631\u0628 \u0627\u0644\u0644\u0647 \u0645\u062b\u0644\u0627\u064b \u0644\u0644\u0630\u06cc\u0646 \u0622\u0645\u0646\u0648\u0627 \u0625\u0645\u0631\u0627\u0629 \u0641\u0631\u0639\u0648\u0646 \u0625\u0630 \u0642\u0627\u0644\u062a \u0631\u0628 \u0627\u0628\u0646 \u0644\u06cc \u0639\u0646\u062f\u06a9 \u0628\u06cc\u062a\u0627\u064b \u0641\u06cc \u0627\u0644\u062c\u0646\u0629 \u0648 \u0646\u062c\u0646\u06cc \u0645\u0646 \u0641\u0631\u0639\u0648\u0646 \u0648 \u0639\u0645\u0644\u0647 \u0648 \u0646\u062c\u0646\u06cc \u0645\u0646 \u0627\u0644\u0642\u0648\u0645 \u0627\u0644\u0638\u0627\u0644\u0645\u06cc\u0646\u201d Tahrim:11.<\/p>\n

[13] \u201c\u0636\u0631\u0628 \u0627\u0644\u0644\u0647 \u0645\u062b\u0644\u0627\u064b \u0644\u0644\u0630\u06cc\u0646 \u06a9\u0641\u0631\u0648\u0627 \u0627\u0645\u0631\u0627\u0629 \u0646\u0648\u062d \u0648 \u0627\u0645\u0631\u0627\u0629 \u0644\u0648\u0637\u2026\u201d Tahrim:10.<\/p>\n

[14] Abdullah Javadi Amoli, Zan dar Ayneye Jamal va Jalal, pg. 197.<\/p>\n

[15] \u201c\u062e\u06cc\u0631 \u0627\u0644\u0639\u0644\u0645 \u0627\u0644\u062a\u0648\u062d\u06cc\u062f \u0648 \u062e\u06cc\u0631 \u0627\u0644\u0639\u0628\u0627\u062f\u0629 \u0627\u0644\u0627\u0633\u062a\u063a\u0642\u0627\u0631\u201d Kuleini, Usul Kafi, vol. 2, pg. 517.<\/p>\n

[16] Yusuf:90.<\/p>\n

[17] Naze\u2019at:40-41.<\/p>\n

[18] Nahjul-Balaghah, short sayings, no. 61.<\/p>\n

[19] \u201c\u0641\u0627\u0646 \u0627\u0644\u0645\u0631\u0627\u0629 \u0631\u06cc\u062d\u0627\u0646\u0629 \u0648 \u0644\u06cc\u0633\u062a \u0628\u0642\u0647\u0631\u0645\u0627\u0646\u0629\u201d Nahjul-Balaghah, letter 31.<\/p>\n

[21] Ahzab:32.<\/p>\n

[22] Jame\u2019u Ahadith al-Shia, vol. 21, pp. 428-429.<\/p>\n

[23] \u201c\u0648 \u0639\u0627\u0634\u0631\u0648\u0647\u0646 \u0628\u0627\u0644\u0645\u0639\u0631\u0648\u0641\u201d Nisa:19.<\/p>\n

source:abna24<\/a><\/p>\n<\/section>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

According to Islam, the man and woman have to be in pursuit of a common objective, which is to reach the pinnacle of humanity, and both must bear the means of accomplishing such an objective without any difference as a result of difference in gender; a difference that the order of creation calls for. AhlulBayt […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":15093,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7460],"tags":[9882,19742,9546,7563,19669,7556],"class_list":["post-15092","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-women","tag-faith","tag-fatima","tag-islam","tag-quran","tag-shia-studies-world-assembly","tag-shiastudies"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/shiastudies.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15092","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/shiastudies.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/shiastudies.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shiastudies.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/12"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shiastudies.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15092"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/shiastudies.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15092\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shiastudies.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/15093"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/shiastudies.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15092"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shiastudies.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15092"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shiastudies.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15092"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}