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What are the womans rights like under Islam/ and how have they changed since Islams golden age (from mid 8th century until 12th century) if they have
changed?.
PraisebetoAllaah.
Islamhonourswomengreatly.Ithonourswomenasmotherswhomustberespected,obeyedandtreatedwithkindness.Pleasingone'smotherisregardedaspart
of pleasing Allaah. Islam tells us that Paradise lies at the mothers feet, i.e. that the best way to reach Paradise is through one's mother. And Islam forbids
disobeyingonesmotherormakingherangry,evenbysayingamildwordofdisrespect.Themothersrightsaregreaterthanthoseofthefather,andthedutyto
takecareofhergrowsgreaterasthemothergrowsolderandweaker.AllofthatismentionedinmanytextsoftheQur'aanandSunnahProphetictraditions).
Forexample,Allaahsays(interpretationofthemeaning):
AndWehaveenjoinedonmantobedutifulandkindtohisparents
[alAhqaaf46:15]
AndyourLordhasdecreedthatyouwor`shipnonebutHim.Andthatyoubedutifultoyourparents.Ifoneofthemorbothofthemattainoldageinyourlife,say
nottothemawordofdisrespect,norshoutatthembutaddressthemintermsofhonour.
Andloweruntothemthewingofsubmissionandhumilitythroughmercy,andsay:MyLord!BestowonthemYourMercyastheydidbringmeupwhenIwas
young
[alIsra17:23,24]
Ibn Maajah (2781) narrated that Muaawiyah ibn Jaahimiah alSulami (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: I came to the Messenger of Allaah (peace and
blessingsofAllaahbeuponhim)andsaid:OMessengerofAllaah,Iwanttogoforjihad(battle)withyou,seekingtherebytheFaceofAllaahandtheHereafter.He
said,Woetoyou!Isyourmotherstillalive?Isaid,Yes.Hesaid,Gobackandhonourher.ThenIapproachedhimfromtheothersideandsaid:OMessengerof
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Allaah,Iwanttogoforjihadwithyou,seekingtherebytheFaceofAllaahandtheHereafter.Hesaid,Woetoyou!Isyourmotherstillalive?Isaid,Yes.Hesaid,
Gobackandhonourher.ThenIapproachedhimfrominfrontandsaid,OMessengerofAllaah,Iwanttogoforjihadwithyou,seekingtherebytheFaceofAllaah
andtheHereafter.Hesaid,Woetoyou!Isyourmotherstillalive?Isaid,Yes.Hesaid,Gobackandhonourher(lit.staybyherfeet),forthereisParadise.
ClassedassaheehbyalAlbaaniinSaheehSunanIbnMaajah.ItwasalsonarratedbyalNasaaiwiththewords:StaywithherforParadiseisbeneathherfeet.
AlBukhaari (5971) and Muslim (2548) narrated that Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: A man came to the Messenger of Allaah (peace and
blessingsofAllaahbeuponhim)andsaid:OMessengerofAllaah,whoismostdeservingofmygoodcompany?Hesaid:Yourmother.Hesaid:Thenwho?He
said:Yourmother.Hesaid:Thenwho?Hesaid:Yourmother.Hesaid:Thenwho?Hesaid:Thenyourfather.
Andthereareothertextswhichwedonothaveroomtomentionhere.
OneoftherightswhichIslamgivestothemotheristhathersonshouldspendonherifsheneedsthatsupport,solongasheisableandcanaffordit.Hencefor
manycenturiesitwasunheardofamongthepeopleofIslamforamothertobeleftinanoldpeopleshomeorforasontokickheroutofthehouse,orforhersons
torefusetospendonher,orforhertoneedtoworkinordertoeatanddrinkifhersonswerepresent.
Islamalsohonourswomenaswives.Islamurgesthehusbandtotreathiswifeinagoodandkindmanner,andsaysthatthewifehasrightsoverthehusbandlike
hisrightsoverher,exceptthathehasadegreeoverher,becauseofhisresponsibilityofspendingandtakingcareofthefamilysaffairs.Islamstatesthatthebest
of the Muslim men is the one who treats his wife in the best manner, and the man is forbidden to take his wifes money without her consent. Allaah says
(interpretationofthemeaning):
andlivewiththemhonourably
[alNisa4:19]
Andthey(women)haverightssimilar(tothoseoftheirhusbands)overthemtowhatisreasonable,butmenhaveadegree(ofresponsibility)overthem.And
AllaahisAllMighty,AllWise
[alBaqarah2:228]
AndtheProphet(peaceandblessingsofAllaahbeuponhim)said:Iurgeyoutotreatwomenwell.NarratedbyalBukhaari,331Muslim,1468.
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And the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: The best of you is the one who is best to his wife, and I am the best of you to my wives.
NarratedbyalTirmidhi,3895IbnMaajah,1977classedassaheehbyalAlbaaniinSaheehalTirmidhi.
AndIslamhonourswomenasdaughters,andencouragesustoraisethemwellandeducatethem.Islamstatesthatraisingdaughterswillbringagreatreward.For
example,theProphet(peaceandblessingsofAllaahbeuponhim)said:Whoevertakescareoftwogirlsuntiltheyreachadulthood,heandIwillcomelikethison
theDayofResurrection,andheheldhisfingerstogether.NarratedbyMuslim,2631.
IbnMaajah(3669)narratedthatUqbahibnAamir(mayAllaahbepleasedwithhim)said:IheardtheMessengerofAllaah(peaceandblessingsofAllaahbeupon
him)say:Whoeverhasthreedaughtersandispatienttowardsthem,andfeedsthem,givesthemtodrinkandclothesthemfromhisriches,theywillbeashieldfor
himfromtheFireontheDayofResurrection.ClassedassaheehbyalAlbaaniinSaheehIbnMaajah.
Islamhonourswomenassistersandasaunts.Islamenjoinsupholdingthetiesofkinshipandforbidsseveringthosetiesinmanytexts.TheProphet(peaceand
blessingsofAllaahbeuponhim)said:Opeople!Spread(thegreetingof)salaam,offerfood(totheneedy),upholdthetiesofkinship,andprayatnightwhen
peoplearesleeping,andyouwillenterParadiseinpeace.NarratedbyIbnMaajah,3251classedassaheehbyalAlbaaniinSaheehIbnMaajah.
AlBukhaari(5988)narratedthattheProphet(peaceandblessingsofAllaahbeuponhim)said:Allaah,mayHebeexalted,saidtothetiesofkinship:Whoever
upholdsyou,Iwillsupporthim,andwhoeverbreaksyou,Iwillcuthimoff.
Allofthesequalitiesmaycoexistinasinglewoman:shemaybeawife,adaughter,amother,asister,anaunt,soshemaybehonouredinalltheseways.
Toconclude:Islamraisedthestatusofwomen,andmadethemequalwithmeninmostrulings.Sowomen,likemen,arecommandedtobelieveinAllaahandto
worshipHim.AndwomenaremadeequaltomenintermsofrewardintheHereafter.Womenhavetherighttoexpressthemselves,togivesincereadvice,toenjoin
whatisgoodandforbidwhatisevil,andtocallpeopletoAllaah.Womenhavetherighttoownproperty,tobuyandsell,toinherit,togivecharityandtogivegifts.
Itisnotpermissibleforanyonetotakeawomanswealthwithoutherconsent.Womenhavetherighttoadecentlife,withoutfacingaggressionorbeingwronged.
Womenhavetherighttobeeducatedinfactitisobligatorytoteachthemwhattheyneedtoknowabouttheirreligion.
Anyone who compares the rights of women in Islam with their situation during the Jaahiliyyah (preIslamic days of ignorance)or in other civilizations will
understandthatwhatwearesayingistrue.InfactwearecertainthatwomenaregiventhegreatesthonourinIslam.

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ThereisnoneedforustomentionthesituationofwomeninGreek,PersianorJewishsociety,butevenChristiansocietieshadabadattitudetowardswomen.The
theologiansevengatheredattheCouncilofMacontodiscusswhetherawomanwasmerelyabodyorabodywithasoul.Theythoughtitmostlikelythatwomen
didnothaveasoulthatcouldbesaved,andtheymadeanexceptiononlyinthecaseofMary(Maryampeacebeuponher).
TheFrenchheldaconferencein586CEtodiscusswhetherwomenhadsoulsornot,andiftheyhadsouls,werethesesoulsanimalorhuman?Intheend,they
decidedthattheywerehuman!Buttheywerecreatedtoservemenonly.
DuringthetimeofHenryVIII,theEnglishParliamentissuedadecreeforbiddingwomentoreadtheNewTestamentbecausetheywereregardedasimpure.
Until1805,Englishlawallowedamantosellhiswife,andsetawifespriceatsixpennies.
Inthemodernage,womenwerekickedoutofthehouseattheageofeighteensothattheycouldstartworkingtoearnabitetoeat.Ifawomanwantedtostayin
thehouse,shehadtopayherparentsrentforherroomandpayforherfoodandlaundry.
SeeAwdatalHijaab,2/4756.
HowcanthiscomparetoIslamwhichenjoinshonouringandkindtreatmentofwomen,andspendingonthem?
Secondly:
Withregardtothechangesintheserightsthroughouttheages,thebasicprincipleshavenotchanged,butwithregardtotheapplicationoftheseprinciples,there
canbenodoubtthatduringthegoldenageofIslam,theMuslimsappliedtheshareeah(Islamiclaw)oftheirLordmore,andtherulingsofthisshareeahinclude
honouringonesmotherandtreatingoneswife,daughter,sisterandwomeningeneralinakindmanner.Theweakerreligiouscommitmentgrew,themorethese
rightswereneglected,butuntiltheDayofResurrectiontherewillcontinuetobeagroupwhoadherestotheirreligionandappliestheshareeah(laws)oftheir
Lord.Thesearethepeoplewhohonourwomenthemostandgrantthemtheirrights.
DespitetheweaknessofreligiouscommitmentamongmanyMuslimsnowadays,womenstillenjoyahighstatus,whetherasdaughters,wivesorsisters,whilstwe
acknowledgethatthereareshortcomings,wrongdoingandneglectofwomensrightsamongsomepeople,buteachonewillbeanswerableforhimself.

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