I often get baffled over the amount of rights women have in Islam, and how some people often don’t know about them, or maybe despite knowing about them they don’t think they are worth mentioning.
What Islam came with 1400 years ago is something the west still hasn’t managed.
What does Quran say?
“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)
The above is one of the many verses in the Quran, but below I will just present some points as to what Women in Islam have as their rights they never had to fight for.
A Muslim woman owns every single thing she earns if she works. Her husband has no right over her money, but yet she has right over his money and inherits from his property when he dies. If the wife owns something the husband doesn’t get anything unless she writes it in her will.
A Muslim woman has the right to ask for divorce, although it’s one of the most disliked acts by Allah because it means families dissolve and the core of Islam is to keep relations healthy and bonded.
A Muslim woman has her own identity, which means she shall not change her family name to her husband’s. She is known by her own last name.
A Muslim woman as a mother is to be respected and obeyed if one wishes paradise in the hereafter.
A Muslim woman as a wife is to be taken care of financially by her husband. If the need arises then her brothers also need to take part.
A Muslim woman as a wife holds so much power that it’s reported various times by the Prophet pbuh that the best among you are the ones who are best to your wives. Meaning, the measurement of being best in this world is measured by the relation of a wife. The reason behind it is very profound. As some people are very humble and nice outside but at homes they are the opposite, so this clearly shows that in order to be at your best character, be best to your wife since one who is good to his wife when no one is watching, is one who is following the teachings of Islam.
A Muslim woman as a mother is given three times the status of a father. In easier words it would mean that a mother who bears us for 9 months and goes through the pain of bringing us to this world, deserves more respect and love. This doesn’t mean at all that a father deserves less, it’s just a measurement.
A Muslim woman as a daughter is responsibility of her parents, there is no 18 year rule in Islam. In Islam it’s reported that a parent who brings up a daughter and marries her away to a God fearing person, will enter Paradise because daughters are a blessing from up above. There has never been so much respect associated with this relation before Islam, and still some societies bury girls when they are born. Islam is against such acts.
A Muslim woman is told again and again as to how precious and important she is for the society. Reason behind it is very deep. If a mother is caring and has a beautiful character, she will teach her children the same. If her children learn good and wise things from her mother, they will obviously reflect it within their character, which multiplies into doubles, then dozens and then form a society which then spread around the city, country and the rest of the world. So it’s very important to know and realize that woman are the most important part of a healthy society.
The above are just a few of the points I could think of, there are millions of other things in Islam that make it a duty of a Muslim to respect women and give them their freedom of speech. But what I probably would never understand is how some western societies feel the urge to liberate women by giving them less clothes. If going totally naked is liberation, then animals are the most liberated beings on earth!
Modesty is the most beautiful jewel and makeup a woman can possess. And Islam is all about modesty and respect for oneself and others.