From: tkoprulu@rodan.acs.syr.edu (Tacettin Koprulu)
Subject: RE:WOMEN EQUALITY
Organization: Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY
Date: Mon, 21 Dec 92 17:54:50 EST


Gani Skepi writes:

>There seems to have been alot of disscusions regarding the position
>of woman in Islam here on s.c.t. Below is a good article on the
>subject.....

>*******************************************************************

>===========================================================
	      The Status of Woman in Islam
 from "Islam in focus" By Hammuda Abdul-Ati, PH.D.
>===========================================================

> The status of woman in Islam constitutes no problem. The
> attitude of the Qur'an and the early Muslims bear witness to the
>fact that woman is, at least, as vital to life as man himself, and
>that she is not inferior to him nor is she one of the lower
> species. Had it not been for the impact of foreign cultures and
> alien influences, this question would have never arisen among the
> Muslims. The status of woman was taken for granted to be equal to
> that of man. It was a matter of course, a matter of fact, and no
> one, then, considered it as a problem at all.
> In order to understand what Islam has established  for woman,
> there is no need to deplore her plight in the pre-Islamic era or
> in the modern would of today. Islam has given woman rights and
> privileges which she has never enjoyed under other religious or
> constitutional systems. This can be understood when the matter is
> studied as a whole in a comparative manner, rather than partially.
> The rights and responsibilities of a woman are equal to those of a
> man but they are not necessarily identical with them.  Equality and
> sameness are two quite different things. This difference is
> understandable because man and woman are not identical but they are
> created equals. With this distinction in mind, There is no problem.
> It is almost impossible to find even two identical men or women.
> This distinction between equality and sameness is of paramount
> importance. Equality is desirable, just, fair; but sameness is not.
> People are not created identical but they are created equals. With
> this distinction in mind, there is no room to imagine that woman is
> inferior to man. There is no ground to assume that she is less
> important than he just because her rights are not identically the
> same as his. Had her status been identical with his, she would have
> been simply a duplicate of him,  which she is not. The fact that
> Islam gives her equal rights - but not identical - shows that it
> takes her into due consideration, acknowledges her, and recognizes
> her independent personality.
 
 --- Deleted -----
> 1.   Woman is recognized by Islam as a full and equal partner of
> man in the procreation of humankind. He is the father; she is the
> mother, and both are essential for life. Her role is not less vital
> than his. By this partnership she has an equal share in every
> aspect; she is entitled to equal rights; she undertakes equal
> responsibilities, and in her there are as many qualities and as
> much humanity as there are in her partner. To this equal partner-
> ship in the reproduction of human kind God says:
>      O mankind! Verily We have created your from a single (pair) of
>      a male and a female,m and made you into nations and tribes
>      that you may know each other... (Qur'an, 49:13; cf. 4:1).

>2.   She is equal to man in bearing personal and common responsi-
>     bilities and in receiving rewards for her deeds. She is acknowl-
>     edged as an independent personality, in possession of human
>     qualities and worthy of spiritual aspirations. Her human nature is
>     neither inferior to nor deviant from that of man. Both are members
>     of one another. God says:
>     And their Lord has accepted (their prayers) and answered them
>     (saying): 'Never will I cause to be lost the work of any of
>     you, be he male or female; you are members, one of another...
>    (3:195; cf 9:71;33:35-36;66:19-21).



>3.   She is equal to man in the pursuit of education and knowledge.
      -------------------------------------------------------------

>When Islam enjoins the seeking of knowledge upon Muslims, it makes
>no distinction between man and woman. Almost fourteen centuries
>ago, Muhammad declared that the pursuit of knowledge is incumbent
>on every Muslim male and female. This declaration was very clear
>and was implemented by Muslims throughout history.

>4.   She is entitled to freedom of expression as much as man is.
>Her sound opinions are taken into consideration and cannot be
>disregarded just because she happen to belong to the female sex. It
>is reported in the Qur'an and history that woman not only expressed
>her opinion freely but also argued and participated in serious
>discussions with the Prophet himself as well as with other Muslim
>leaders (Qur'an, 58:1-4; 60:10-12). Besides there were occasions
>when Muslim women expressed their views on legislative matters of
>public interest, and stood in opposition to the Caliphs, who then
>accepted the sound arguments of these women. A specific example
>took place during the Califate of Umar Ibn al-Khattab.

>5.   Historical records show that women participated in public life
>with the early Muslims, especially in times of emergencies. Women
>used to accompany the Muslim armies engaged in battles to nurse the
>wounded, prepare supplies, serve the warriors, and so on. They were
>not shut behind iron bars or considered worthless creatures and
>deprived of souls.

>6.   Islam grants woman equal rights to contract, to enterprise, to
>earn and possess independently. Her life, her property, her honor
>are as sacred as those of man. If she commits any offense, her
>penalty is no less or more than of man's in a similar case. If she
>is wronged or harmed, she gets due compensations equal to what a
>man in her position would get (2:178;4:45, 92-93).

>7.   Islam does not state these rights in a statistical form and
>then relax. It has taken all measures to safeguard them and put
>them into practice as integral articles of Faith. It never
>tolerates those who are inclined to prejudice against woman or
>discrimination between man and woman. Time and again, the Qur'an
>reproaches those who used to believe woman to be inferior to man
>(16:57-59, 62; 42:47-59; 43:15-19; 53:21-23).

>8.   Apart from recognition of woman as an independent human being
>acknowledged as equally essential for the survival of humanity,
>Islam has given her a share of inheritance. Before Islam, she was
>not only deprived of that share but was herself considered as
>property to be inherited by man. Out of that transferable property
>Islam made an heir, acknowledging the inherent human qualifies in
>woman. Whether she is a wife or mother, a sister or daughter, she
>receives a certain share of the deceased kin's property, a share
>which depends on her degree of relationship to the deceased and the
>number of heirs. This share is hers, and no one can take it away or
>disinherit her. Even if the deceased wishes to deprive her by
>making a will to other relations or in favor of any other cause,
>the Law will not allow him to do so. Any proprietor is permitted to
>make his will within the limit of one-third of his property, so he
>may not affect the rights of his heirs, men and women. In the case
>of inheritance, the question of quality and sameness is fully
>applicable. In principle, both man and woman are equally entitled
>to inherit the property of the deceased relations but the portions
>they get may vary. In some instances man receives two shares
>whereas woman gets one only. This no sign of giving preference or
>supremacy to man over woman.The reasons why man gets more in these
>particular instances may be classified as follows:
>     First man, is the person solely responsible for the complete
>maintenance of his wife, his family and any other needy relations.
>It is his duty by Law to assume all financial responsibilities and
>maintain his dependents adequately. It is also his duty to
>contribute financially to all good causes in his society. All
>financial burdens are borne by him alone.
>  Secondly, in contrast, woman has no financial responsibilities
>whatsoever except very little of her personal expenses, the high
>luxurious things that she likes to have. She is financially secure
>and provided for. If she is a wife, her husband is the provider; if
>she is a mother, it is the son; if she is a daughter, it is the
>father; if she is a sister; it is the brother, and so on. If she
>has no relations on whom she can depend, then there is no question
>of inheritance because there is nothing to inherit and there is no
>one to bequeath anything to her. However, she will not be left to
>starve, maintenance of such a woman is the responsibility of the
>society as a whole, the state. She may be given aid or a job to
>earn her living, and whatever money she makes will be hers. She is
>not responsible for the  maintenance of anybody else besides
>herself. If there is a man in her position, he would still be
>responsible for his family and possibly any of his relations who
>need his help. So, in the hardest situation her financial responsi-
>bility is limited, while his is unlimited.
>   Thirdly, when a woman gets less than a man does, she is not
>actually deprived of anything that she has worked for. The property
>inherited is not the result of her earning or her endeavors. It is
>something coming to them from a neutral source, something addition-
>al or extra. It is something that neither man or woman struggled
>for. It is a sort of aid, and any aid has to be distributed
>according to the urgent needs and responsibilities  especially when
>the distribution is regulated by the Law of God.
>    Now, we have a male heir, on one side, burdened with all kinds
>of financial responsibilities and liabilities. We have, on the
>other side, a female heir with no financial responsibilities at all
>or at most with very little of it. In between we have some property
>and aid to redistribute by way of inheritance. If we deprive the
>female completely, it would be unjust to her because she is related
>to the deceased. Likewise, if we always give her a share equal to
>the man's, it would be unjust to him. So, instead of doing
>injustice to either side, Islam gives the man a larger portion of
>the inherited property to help him to meet his family needs and
>social responsibilities. At the same time, Islam has not forgotten
>her altogether, but has given her a portion to satisfy her very
>personal needs. In fact, Islam in this respect is being more kind
>to her than to him. Here we can say that when taken as a whole the
>rights of woman are equal to those of man although not necessarily
>identical (see Qur'an, 4:11-14, 176).

>9.   In some instances of bearing witness to certain civil con-
>tracts, two men are required or one man and two women. Again, this
>is no indication of the woman being inferior to man. It is a
>measure of securing the rights of the contracting parties, because

>woman as a rule, is not so experienced in practical life as man.
----------------------------------------------------------------

Who says that? Why as a rule? What kind of society we're talking about? 

>This lack of experience may cause a  loss to any party in a given
------------------------------------------------------------------

>contract. So the Law requires that  at least two women should bear
------------------------------------------------------------------

Why at least two? DO WE HAVE PREJUDICE AGAINST WOMEN'S INTELLECTUAL 

ABILITY?  I CAN NOT UNDERSTAND THIS POINT.  


>witness with one man. if a woman of the witness forgets something,
-----------------------------------------------------------------
>the other one would remind her. Or if she makes an error, due to
-----------------------------------------------------------------
>lack of experience, the other would help to correct her. This is a
------------------------------------------------------------------
>precautionary measure to guarantee honest transactions and proper
>dealings between people. In fact, it gives woman a role to play in
>civil life and helps to establish  justice. At any rate, lack of
                                                          ------- 
>experience in civil life does not necessarily mean that women is
 -------------------------- 
 WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? WHAT I UNDERSTAND IS THAT IN A MALE 
 DOMINATED SOCIETY WOMEN HAVE LESS CHANCE TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY
 THAN THE MEN HAVE. BUT ISN'T IT AN ASSUMPTION ABOUT A MALE 
 DOMINATED SOCIETY? IF I AM NOT WRONG WHY ALL WOMEN? MY MOTHER
 IS A LAWYER AND SHE HELPS PEOPLE TO MAKE CONTRACTS INSTEAD OF 
 GETTING HELP FROM MALE WHILE SHE DOES HER JOB.

>inferior to man in her status. Every human being lacks one thing or
>another, yet no one questions their human status (2:282).

>10.  Woman enjoys certain privileges of which man is deprived. She
>is exempt from some religious duties, i.e., prayers and fasting, in
>her regular periods and at times of confinement. She is exempt from
>all financial liabilities. As a mother, she enjoys more recognition
>and higher honor in the sight of God (31:14-15;46:15). The Prophet
>acknowledged this honor when he declared that Paradise is under the
>feet of the mothers. She is entitled to three-fourths of the son's
>love and kindness with one-fourth  left for their father. As a wife
>she is entitled to demand of her prospective husband a suitable
>dowry that will be her own. She is entitled to complete provision
>and total maintenance by the husband. She does not have to work or
>share with her husband the family expenses. She is free to retain,
>after marriage, whatever she possessed before it, and the husband
>has no right whatsoever to any of her belongings. As a daughter or
>sister she is entitled to security and provision by the father and
>brother respectively. That is her privilege. If she wishes to work
>or be self-supporting and participate in handling the family
>responsibilities, she is quite free to do so, provided her
>integrity and honor are safeguarded.

>11.  The standing of woman in prayers behind man does not indicate
>in any sense that she is inferior to him. Woman, as already
>mentioned, is exempt from attending congregational prayers which
>are obligatory on man. But  if she does attend she stands in
>separate lines made up of women exclusively . This is a
>regulation of discipline in prayers, and not a classification of
>importance. In men's rows the head of state stands shoulder to
>shoulder to the pauper. Men of the highest ranks in society stand
>in prayer side by side with other men of the lowest ranks. The
>order of lines in prayers is introduced to help every one to
>concentrate in his meditation. It is very important because Muslim
>prayers are not simply chanting or the sing-a-song type. They
>involve actions, motions, standing, bowing, prostration, etc. So if
>men mix with women in the same lines, it is possible that something
>disturbing or distracting may happen. The mind will become occupied
>by something alien to prayer and derailed from the clear path of
>mediation. The result will be a loss of the purpose of prayers,
>besides an offense of adultery committed by the eye, because the
>eye-by looking at forbidden things - can be guilty of adultery as
>much as the heart itself. Moreover, no Muslim man or woman is
>allowed during prayers to touch the body of another person of the
>opposite sex. If men and women stand side by side in prayer they
>cannot avoid touching each other. Furthermore, when a woman is
>praying in front of a man or beside him, it is very likely that any
>part of her dressed body may become uncovered after a certain
>motion of bowing or prostrating. The man's eye may happen to be
>looking at the uncovered part, with the result that she will be
>embarrassed and he will be exposed to distraction or possibly evil
>thoughts. So, to avoid any embarrassment and distraction to help
>concentrate on mediation and pure thoughts, to maintain harmony and
>order among worshippers, to fulfill the true purposes of prayers,
>Islam has ordained the organization of rows, whereby men stand in
>front lines, and women behind the children. Anyone with some knowledge
>of the nature and purpose of Muslim prayers can readily understand
>the wisdom of organizing the lines of worshippers in this manner.

>12.  The Muslim woman is always associated with an old tradition

>known as the "veil". It is Islamic that the woman should beautify
-------------------------------------------------------------------   
>herself with the veil of honor, dignity, chastity, purity and
--------------------------------------------------------------
>integrity. She should refrain from all deeds and gestures that
---------------------------------------------------------------
>might stir the passions of people other than her legitimate husband
-------------------------------------------------------------------
>or cause evil suspicion  of  her morality. She is warned not  to
-------------------------------------------
>display her charms or expose her physical attractions before
>strangers. The veil which she must put on is one that can save her
              ------------------------------------------------------
>soul from weakness, her mind from indulgence, her eyes from lustful
-------------------------------------------------------------------
>looks, and her personality from demoralization. Islam is most
------------------------------------------------
>concerned with the integrity of woman, with the safeguarding of her
>morals and morale and with the protection of her character and
>personality (cf. Qur'an, 24:30-31).



BY HIDING HER BEHIND A VEIL, I  DO NOT THINK WOMEN CAN PREVENT 
EVIL SUSPICION OF THEIR MORALITY, IT EVEN AROUSES MORE CURIOSITY
FOR A MAN. THE MORE A WOMAN IS HIDDEN, THE MORE SHE IS DESIRED,
AND TALKED ABOUT. OF COURSE, I DO NOT APPRECIATE ANY EXPLICIT
PRESENTATION OF A WOMAN IN THE PUBLIC, BUT THOSE STATEMENTS 
ABOVE ARE TOO STRONG FOR TODAY'S PUBLIC LIFE. AND THEY DO
CONSTITUTE NO MEANING FOR THOSE  WHO BELONG TO A FAMILY OF WHICH 
FEMALE MEMBERS DO NOT COVER THEIR FACES WITH VEIL IN PUBLIC.



>13.  By now it is clear that the status of woman in Islam is
>unprecedentedly high and realistically suitable to her nature. Her
>rights and duties are equal  to those of man but not necessarily or
>absolutely identical with them. If she is deprived of one thing in
>some aspect, she is fully compensated for it with more things in
>many other aspects. The fact that she belongs to the female sex has
>no bearing on her human status or independent personality, and it
>is no basis for justification of prejudice against her or injustice
>to her person. Islam gives her as much as is required of her. Her
>rights match beautifully with her duties. The balance between
>rights and duties is maintained, and no side overweighs the other.
>The whole status of woman is given clearly in the Qur'anic verse
>which may be translated as follows:
>     And women shall have rights similar to the rights against
>     them, according to what is equitable; but man have a degree
>     (of advantage as in some cases of inheritance) over them
>     (2:228).
>This degree is not a title of supremacy or an authorization of
>dominance over her. It is to correspond with the extra responsibil-
>ities of man and give him some compensation for his unlimited
>liabilities. The above mentioned verse is always interpreted in the
>light of another (4:34).
>   It is these extra responsibilities that give man a degree over
>woman in some economic aspects. It is not a higher degree in
>humanity or in character. Nor is it a dominance of one over the
>other or suppression of one by the other. It is a distribution of
>God's abundance according to the needs of the nature of which God
>is the Maker. And He knows best what is good for woman and what is
>good for man. God is absolutely true when He declares:

>     O mankind! reverence your Guardian-Lord, Who created you
>     from a single person, and created of like nature his mate,
>     and from them twain scattered (like seeds) countless men and
>     women (4:1).
>*********************************************************************

>Wassalam
>Gani Skepi
>d89-gsk@nada.kth.se


>********************************************************************



 I AGREE WITH ALMOST EVERYTHING TOLD ABOVE. BUT WHATEVER IS TOLD ABOVE
 ASSUMES A MAN DOMINATED SOCIETY WHERE FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY BELONGS 
 MOSTLY TO MEN. THIS IS A VERY CRITICAL AND IMPORTANT DUTY WHICH 
 DETERMINES MAN'S DOMINANCE OVER WOMAN SINCE WOMAN IS AUTOMATICALLY 
 TIED TO MAN'S INCOME AND FINANCIAL SUPPORT. WHAT ABOUT SOME EXCEPTIONAL
 SITUATIONS WHERE WOMAN HAS TO EARN MONEY BECAUSE OF HER HUSBAND'S 
 INCAPABILITY? I DO NOT SEE ANY REFERENCE TO SUCH A SITUATION ABOVE,
 THEN I MUST SAY THIS TIME WOMAN DOMINATES MAN BECAUSE SHE IS THE 
 PROVIDER OF THE HOUSE NOW. THEN THE STABILITY OF THE FAMILY IS MORE
 SUSCEPTIBLE AND UNSTABLE IN A MAN DOMINATED SOCIETY WHICH IS DESCRIBED
 ABOVE.  

 					REGARDS, 
					TACETTIN KOPRULU

Not: Sorry for using CAPS'ed characters, I just wanted to attract attention
in the text where my words pass.