1.

0 Introduction

In the past two decades, issues related to women's issues has become a serious

discussion among the international community. Starting with the issue of women's

rights are said to be sidelined until the problem of freedom of Muslim women dressed

in the use of the ‘hijab’ or veil. In Malaysia, the issues of women's increasing

prominence is marked by the birth of several non-governmental organizations or non-

governmental Organisations (NGO) that is actively voicing the importance of this

woman. These developments raise a new phenomenon known as the feminist

movement. This requires understanding the social and economic structure of the

balance between male and female groups in all areas of life. Departs from a feminist

understanding the perception of unfairness exists the position of women compared to

men in society. Thus, there is a variety of efforts to study and investigate the causes

of injustice prevailing practice among the community. The main purpose of the

research was to abolish the incorrect way of looking and looking for business

solutions based on the principle of equality of rights between men and women in all

spheres of life, according to their potential as a human beings . In daily life, and in all

forms of research, the feminist view that women's experiences are systematically

different than men, although the men in their families.

The role of women in human life is no longer debatable. However, the

changes make the position of women has become increasingly important. As a result

it affects the social structure, economic, political and even religious institutions. This

situation makes some changes are unstoppable. We need to solve the problems that

arise. The writing is expected to explore the road to a more thorough discussion on

the management and ultimate respect to women. To see what role women should

play then we need to see examples of how the role played by women of earlier

generations, particularly generation of examples under the leadership of Prophet.

However, the examples are no less important. The poet said "a mother takes 20

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 years to raise a child but a woman needs only 20 seconds to drop it." This means

that we should provide serious attention in the process of distribution, construction,

and increase appreciation of the works and deeds in Islam. This is because both the

raising and dropping the last consisting of only one type of women's human. The

question is how to produce these two groups can work toward serving Islam.

2.0 Women in Islamic Perspective

Women are creatures of God's is decorated with noble qualities. Made from a single

soul and from the same ground with men. God's Word which means "O people, fear

your Lord who created you from a single soul and from him (God) created his wife."

(An-Nisa 4:1). They are shy, pretty, gentle, forbearing and feeling fine, according to

their properties as a woman. They are mothers, teachers, and his wife, whose future

husband will feel calm and happy in their side. Peace and happiness this will bring

happiness to the happiness of individuals and thus society and nation.

In Islam, a woman is an independent entity of its own, and as such she has a

duties and responsibilities as men of their own. Islam treats women directly rather

than through the agency of Muslim males. One would assume the full duties and

responsibilities after puberty and accept the teachings of Islam. Islam has embarked

on a revolution against women, where women before Islam satisfy desires only the

man alone. Council will not be lively without wine and women. Women had no place

in society but as a creature of shame to the family to be born daughter buried alive or

alive will be killed if it is large. But with the advent of Islam, women have been raised

position. To Islam when she was the children, parents who observe birth to righteous

Heaven will be rewarded, if he is still young and righteous weighed heavier than the

world and its contents, if it is a spouse, reward a charity care and if it is a mother,

heaven, under the soles of his feet. That's what a woman!

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 As women's official duties and rights and duties are first and foremost duty

and responsibility to Islam. Implementation of other tasks is derived from this task. In

terms of performance even as perfect as any other tasks that this task is performed,

but without all the void. Therefore an initial preparations must be made for managing

“Ubudiyah”, Belief and Faith, and the relation of the kind to be considered before

other tasks undertaken. However does not mean that other tasks can not be

implemented before the task is completed “Deen”, because the task “Deen” and

other tasks are inter-related and not their own knitting. Awareness and appreciation

of the high-Deen should increase the commitment of other tasks. As a reciprocal

process of implementation of other tasks, such as charity work for instance will

increase the awareness, understanding and faith. Because the business of managing

the entire life of Deen is the charity that will give the same share in the appreciation

of the Deen of Allah SWT Appreciation of the duties of Deen as Prayer, Fasting,

Zakat and Hajj is a duty no compromise. Her refusal is a significant rejection of Islam

itself.

Thus, as women have responsibility for Deen inevitable. Therefore, Muslim

women must equip themselves with a strong faith and belief. Determine the thickness

of their faith and beliefs to build a strong internal fortress to face any life transition,

not to be influenced by the atmosphere but also may affect the environment. Faith

viscosity should be given priority because of how the duties and responsibilities of

this Deen will certainly walk on the real axis and blessed by Allah. In addition, it is

also important to ensure the implementation of the objectives of the duties and

responsibilities had been in the goals allowed by Allah SWT Clarity of goals earlier

streets and then must continue until the goal is reached or a martyr in the struggle.

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3.0 Feminism in the Islamic World

Departs from a feminist understanding the perception of unfairness exists the

position of women compared to men in society. Thus, there is a variety of efforts to

study and investigate the causes of injustice prevailing practice among the

community. The main purpose of the research was to abolish the incorrect way of

looking and looking for business solutions based on the principle of equality of rights

between men and women in all spheres of life, according to their potential as human

beings and Qadar. In daily life, and in all forms of research, the feminist view that

women's experiences are systematically different than men, although the men in their

families. The etymology or language of feminism comes from Latin, femina, which

has a feminine nature.

Kamus Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka define feminism as a movement or

understand the equality enjoyed by women as by men. The term feminism was first

adopted in France in the 1880s by Hubertine Auclert. Through its journal La

Citoyenne he headed, he wears the word feminism to fight for women's rights and

promote the emancipation of women and criticized the practice of community

associated with a very dominant role of men against women. At that time he was a lot

of thoughts and ideas inspired by the spirit of the French revolution that brought

drastic changes to the country's social system.

By Humm, feminism is used as the term is necessary to understand the

circumstances that put the ideal man as sex (superior) than women. As an ideology,

feminism is a consolidation of the doctrine (teachings) of the same rights for women

and an ideology for the purpose of transformation (change) to create a social state of

the same between men and women. While Mansour Fakih define feminism as a

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movement and the struggle to transform the structure of the system is unfair, leading

to a more equitable system for both men and women. Thus, with this understanding,

the true nature of feminism movement not only to fight the problem of women only.

And thus, the struggle of feminism is no longer just to meet the personal needs of

women or only to minimize the exploitation of women, ending violence in the

household or neglect of women's rights, but in the long run it also manifests in the

form struggle for social transformation towards the creation of a system that is

relatively new and fundamentally better than the existing.

From a political perspective, Rashila defines feminism as an awareness of the

existence of an imbalance of artificial / man-made between women and men in

society, and the desire to do something to minimize eventually eliminate the existing

imbalances. The result of this understanding that there is an effort to investigate the

practice of imbalance in society. At first, it is to identify the position of women in any

field, for the purpose of highlighting women (to make visible women), whether in

government administration, decision making, employment in the city and in villages

or in the national and international arena.

According Bahsin and Nighat Said Khan, the diversity of definitions of

feminism, because the basic theory or the concept of feminism is not the result of a

theoretical formulation. Hence there is no one specific definition of feminism abstract

is to be referred to women in all ages. Thus, the definition can be changed because

of feminism is based on the realities of history and culture strong and the level of

awareness, perceptions and actions. This means that a different meaning of

feminism in the 17th century than today. It can also be viewed and received

differently in different places in the world, and they also vary according to differences

in class background, level of education and awareness. As the awareness of

women's movement, feminism is known comes from the history of Western society.

The ideas of feminism are demanding their rights and equality of women in society

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was enchanting among women activists in Muslim countries as a platform and model

for the struggle in their country. Even if no exaggeration to say here that the women's

movement in the Islamic world was inspired and influenced by many feminist

movement in the West.

The issue of feminism has become something very important in the

development of the community as well as with political issues and the first Muslim

country to academic discourse. However, the conceptual idea of equality of men and

women in the Islamic ethical system. Even more women's movement has emerged in

the early history of Islam. At that time, women can perform their activities

independently and did not differ from what is done by men. According to Ruth Roded,

the activities of women in early Islam is not just limited to the wives of the Prophet as

the author wrote most of the Muslims, but it also involves a thousand two hundred

women from thousands of friends that are directly related to the Prophet. At the time

of the Prophet is the ideal life for women.

At the time when he saw the treatment of women has changed. At the time of

Umar bin Khattab (634-644 AD), women are marginalized from the decision-making

related Umar women. Omar issued a 'rule' that women must remain in the house and

forbid them to beraktiviti outside the house, though to go to the mosque. It is said

also that the former wife of the Prophet are forbidden to perform the hajj.

Furthermore, at the time of Uthman ibn Affan (644-656 AD), the former wives of the

Prophet allowed back to perform the pilgrimage and the women are allowed to go

back to the mosque together with the men even though they own a place behind the

man. Furthermore, at the time of the dynasty Abasiyah, women suffered a setback

again. They no longer can leave the, did not participate in war, but women simply can

not play a role in cultural life and society.

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 In further developments, in the late 18th century, women have been making

steady progress. They can go to school and be present in kuttab, is learning to read

and write the Quran in a mosque who performed previously only attended by men.

Among them there are and then continue learning to become a scholar. Among them

was Umm Hani (w.1466 M) an Egyptian woman who called into the field of

memorization and dominate the field of hadith and fiqh. He said the only prominent

female scholars of his day. Other names include Black (w.1388 M), Bayram and

much more.

In the Islamic world, the movement of feminism emerged in the late 19th

century, the Middle East such as Egypt, Syria and Turkey, known by the term tahrirul

mar'ah (women's liberation). But the women's movement as a discourse and the

notion of women's struggle in the Muslim world is derived and developed from the

Egyptians. In general, the figures shaping the discourse of Islamic feminism

movement had studied in Europe. (12) In this century for the first time, issues related

to women such as polygamy and the segregation of women, discussed openly. This

development led to the publication of the impact of important works relating to the

topic of women's issues produced figures of Muslim intellectuals at that time.

Rifa'ah Tantawi is a thinker of modern Egypt, the first time, contribute time,

energy and ideas for women. He was a pioneer of the Egyptian reform movement in

a variety of religious life, culture and social. Among them are reforms of the condition

of women and give them rights as prescribed in Islam. He views the reform of the

condition of women is an essential part. He was the first figure was al-Tahrir

movement especially in Egypt. But the reforms required by the Rifa'ah not as a

liberation movement waged by the West. Rifa'ah desired liberation movement was

the liberation of the still in the rule of Islam.

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 Islamic feminism as a discourse and movement first developed in Egypt,

along with the growth of the reform of Islamic thought and movements of nationalism.

They demand and raise issues related to issues concerning women's rights in

education, equal opportunities in obtaining employment, political rights, the question

of human rights, gender equality and social justice are all that is the essence of the

teachings of Islam. However, no different from other approaches in terms of

understanding and interpretation of any issue or something to grow, then the Islamic

world, including those related to the problems women experience similar things.

There are two sects of Islam that has become mainstream (mainstream) either in

terms of practical discourse of both groups referred to racial conservatives and the

moderates .

Conservative groups fight for women's rights by continuing to refer to the

Quran, Hadith and opinions of scholars. These groups often criticize the Western

model of women's movements are regarded as incompatible with Islamic values.

This group stated that there is no equality between men and women. For them, it is

an extreme folly, when equating the two kinds of sex that men and women because

they are different in terms of thinking ability and capacity of their body. Similarity

search of the means to violate the laws of nature and life. While those are modest or

moderate faction of the methodological and theoretical and is affected by many to

take the women's movement occurred in the West.

However, this classification is based on two main sources of Islamic law,

namely the Quran and hadith as the basis for its motion. For example, the issue of

equality between men and women of any class is to introduce the Western concept

of equality of men and women. The similarity is only distinguished by the things that

are biologically and is not to reduce the similarities between them. Then it is justified

by the arguments and evidences derived from the Quran and the Hadith.

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 Since feminism is a group of people in the world of women, feminism is linked

to the relationship with gender. Gender is an inherent trait in men and women who

built a social or cultural. For example, it is known that women are gentle, beautiful,

emotional, or motherhood. While the human figure of a man considered a strong,

rational, powerful. This is the nature and properties of properties that can be

exchanged. There is an emotional man, gentle, and there is a strong woman,

rational, powerful. Changes in characteristics and attributes this to happen from time

to time the next and from one place to another. For example, in ancient times there

was a race of women is stronger than men, but in other places and different times

men are stronger than women.

According among feminists, the history of gender differences between male

and female humans occurs through a very long process. And the formation of the

gender differences for various things such as build, socialize, be justified even by the

religious teachings of both countries. Through a long process, in the end the gender

difference regarded as the provision of God-like nature of biology that can not be

changed again, so that gender differences are considered and understood in terms of

men and women.

One basic idea of thinking about the concept of feminism is that gender

equality in gender and women are equal. According to them, although men and

women are biologically different, such differences can not be implicated to the gender

differences because of gender differences will only bring up the injustice of women

planned. This perception is then created on the premise that gender is a cultural

product (Nurture) is not natural (nature), which implies the view that male and female

roles is a provision of God. As a product of culture, the gender can not be

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 permanently replaced and which can be changed in line with the changing paradigm

of thought that became the basis of culture.

In the perspective of feminism, the existence of gender inequality is

considered extremely detrimental to women, because of this disparity that led to the

emergence planned many injustices against women. For example, the practice of

exploitation of women in various fields (political, social, economic and cultural),

negative labels, violence against women and others. They look for these

misperceptions about gender is influenced by patriarchal culture, was very influential

in the interaction between men and women, especially relating to their role in society.

Men placed more than women, while women are placed in a humble, very difficult

situation, weak and even forced to live with high rates of dependence on men to be

treated arbitrarily, and become the victims.

4.0 Conclusion

In conclusion, gender and feminism is essentially linked to review the problem-

related problems associated with men and women. In further development, gender

and interest of researchers, including researchers who use a disciplined approach

Islam as a means of bringing gender analysis to better understand the problems that

arise. It includes a review and investigate the main sources of Islam, the al-Quran

and Hadith from the perspective of gender. By using this approach, it tends to escape

from the interpretation of gender bias and is independent of the interests of a

particular gender, such as maintaining the patriarchal system.

In addition, the Muslims had controlled and dominated. But they still made

them by Allah SWT through the same biological process, but the difference may be

the level of appreciation and faith, Islam, faith in them whatsoever. Everything is

based on a fundamental core of heart. Therefore, the human heart must be changed

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 to hearts birth family, the community of hearts focused on the country under the

auspices of FAITH, ISLAM. TAQWA and IHSAN, so all the work that was born from it

into good deeds and blessed by Allah SWT

Bibliography

Ashgar Ali Engineer (1996). The rights of women in Islam. Kuala Lumpur.

Mai Yamani (2000). Feminisme dan Islam. Kuala Lumpur. PTS Publications

And Distributors Sdn Bhd.

Kamus Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka Edisi ke 5. DBP. Kuala Lumpur.

Women and Islam : critical concepts in sociology / edited by Haideh Moghissi

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