Seerah - Religious Obligations of Muslim Women

In short, remaining loyal to Faith is something that applies to both men and women as does migrating in the way of Allah (SWT). In this connection, please note the following verse of Surah Aal-e-'Imran:

"And their Lord hath heard from them (and He says) Lo! I suffer not the work of any worker, male or female, to be lost. You are one and the same. So those who fled and were driven forth from their homes and suffer damage for My cause, and fought and were slain, verily I shall remit their evil deeds from them and verily I shall bring them unto gardens underneath which rivers flow “[Al-Qur’an 3:195]

Men and women were all put through the same ordeals during the thirteen-year stay of the Prophet (SAW) in Makkah. They were the victims of the same hatred and persecution. And they were all forced to leave their beloved homes. They also sacrificed their lives for the noble cause of defending their faith. On the other hand, we do not find any instance of female participation in the armed conflicts in which Prophet Muhammad (SAW) and his valiant companions raised the flag of the Revolutionary Movement in Arabia.

The Prophet (SAW) sent eight expeditions immediately after the migration to Medina and there is no mention of any women being sent. The first real battle fought in the way of Allah (SWT) in Islamic history was the battle of Badr and the books of Seerah make no mention that Muslim women took part in it. On the basis of this, we can easily determine what our religion requires from us. Instead of inventing fictitious duties for us, we should objectively understand our actual responsibilities.

Uhad is the only battle where we find, as an exception, when women participated in the battle but this was an emergency situation. The news that seventy Muslims were martyred had reached Medina. There was the rumor that the Prophet (SAW) himself had been martyred. Naturally there was a state of extreme panic in the city. Moreover, Uhad was only two and a half miles away from Madinah. Therefore, the Muslim women rushed to the scene of the battle to tend the wounded and supply water. In addition, we must keep in mind that the commands regarding Hijab had, not been revealed at that time. It is important for us to keep in mind the chronological sequence of the events. The orders of Hijab were introduced for the first time in Surah Al-Ahzab, which was revealed following the battle of Ahzab after the fifth year of Hijrah. Surah Al-Noor was revealed in 6th year after Hijrah and contains explicit commands about Hijab.

Afterwards in the battle of Ahzab, which was the toughest battle of all, the Muslims fought while their women stayed inside a fortress. There is no evidence of any woman taking part in this battle. Only Safiya (RA) is said to have killed a Jew in self-defense. In 7th year after Hijrah, the battle of Khyber was fought. The following incident, narrated in the books of Hadith and Seerah, throws light on the role of women in this battle:

"Hushraj bin Ziyad narrates from his grandmother that she and five other women left for Khyber along with the Prophet (SAW). She says, 'When the Prophet (SAW) learned of our presence, he called for us. When we came to him, he was furious and said, 'With whom have you come and with whose permission?' We said, 'We will make wool and work in the cause of Allah (SWT). We have some bandages for the wounded; we will hand arrows to the fighters and give them water.’ The Prophet (SAW) said, 'Get up and go back. When Khyber was conquered the Prophet (SAW) gave us a share from the spoils of the battle. 'Hashraj says he asked his grandmother about what she received as share. She replied, 'some dates.’"

There are lessons to be learnt from this story. The Prophet's query: "With whom have you come and with whose permission" is very important. Whenever a woman comes out of her house she should see to it that she is accompanied by a Mahram. Sometimes women who want to work for their religion become over-zealous and cross certain limits that they are supposed to stay within. For example, they begin to neglect their household duties and their children. It will be useful for such ladies to bear in mind a certain incident from Seerah:

Asma bint al-Yazeed (RA) was an Ansari woman. She once came to the Prophet (SAW) and said, "Women have sent me to you as their representative. What all of them are saying is similar to what I will say and they have the same point of view as I. Allah (SWT) sent you as a Prophet (SAW) to both men and women. Therefore we believed in you and obeyed you. However, as women, we are supposed to observe veil and remain inside our homes. Our duty is to keep our men satisfied and to look after their children. Men outdo us in matters such as the Friday congregational and funeral prayers and also in Jihad in the way of Allah (SWT). When they go to war, we protect their houses and tend their children. Will we get the same reward as them?" When the Prophet (SAW) heard this eloquent speech, he turned to his companions and asked them, "Have you ever heard a women give a more excellent speech about her religion than this one?" All the companions of the Prophet (SAW) swore that they had not. Then the Prophet (SAW) turned to Asma (RA) and said, "0 Asma, help me in conveying my answer to the women who sent you as their representative. Fulfilling your housekeeping responsibilities, keeping your husband’s happy and co-operating with them, is equal to all those acts of the men that you have described." Asma (RA) returned happily after listening to this answer and did not raise any objection.

What we must learn from this incident is that our actual aim is to carry out the tasks that Allah (SWT) has assigned to us. If we assume certain duties that were never meant for us, it will be totally unfair to our own selves. Whenever an individual takes on unnecessary, self-assigned duties Allah (SWT) lets him carry them out but withdraws His help and support. And if, in the process, he happens to exceed Divinely ordained limits, he may end up among the unfortunate lot in the Hell according to the Qur'anic words:

"We appoint for him that unto which he himself has turned and expose him unto Hell, a hapless journey’s end" [Al-Qur'an 4:115]

In short, women are exempted from any direct participation in the duty of establishing the Deen. They are indirectly involved, by taking care of the household and children in order to provide a harmonized and congenial atmosphere for the men, who are directly involved in this struggle. They should focus on fulfilling the responsibility of bringing up the children and of their education and moral guidance. In this way, men will have ample free time to devote themselves to the cause of Islam. Women should facilitate their husbands' participation in the struggle for the supremacy of Islam by relieving them of unnecessary burdens and by not being over-demanding. By doing this, they would be making the most valuable and a substantial contribution to this noble cause. After all why should they bother to come out if they can earn the same reward inside their homes! 

Source: Religious Obligations of Muslim Women (A Book by Dr Israr Ahmad)

 

The Third Level: Women and the Struggle for the Establishment of Islam

The Third Level: Women and the Struggle for the Establishment of Islam

The third level involves the struggle for an Islamic Revolution, the peak of all obligations, for bringing about an Islamic Order "so that Allah’s Word reigns supreme." At this stage the formation of an organized and dedicated group of individuals becomes inevitable. Such a group will consist of committed individuals who will stand united for a single purpose: abolishing tyranny of the status quo, to set up in its place, the ideal Islamic System of Social Justice. These individuals will be ready to lay down their lives for this cause. This is the responsibility that women have been exempted from except in certain extreme cases.

Some people falsely assume that women too are required to participate in this highest level in the hierarchy of our responsibilities. They argue that in the glorious history of Islam, women did leave their homes and sacrifice their lives. Sumayyiah (RA) was martyred along with her husband Yasir (RA). Ruqayyiah (RA) migrated to Madinah just as her husband Usman (RA) did. However, the people who quote these instances fail to realize that the migration and martyrdom of these women represent the essence and apex of the first level (not the third) of our building. It was for the sake of her staunch belief in Tauheed - the oneness of Allah (SWT) - that Sumayyiah (RA) did not yield before Abu Jahal. A woman giving her life in order to keep her faith is the foundation (representing Ihsan), in relation to our building, where there is no difference in men's and women's responsibilities.

It was a matter of standing up for what one believes in and remaining steadfast even if one's life is at stake. It was not a matter of encountering the disbelievers on the battlefield. Even today, if a believing woman is faced with a choice between her faith and her life, the best and the most honorable thing is to remain firm on her faith and not to care for her life. It is however, permissible in Islam to profess disbelief verbally in such a life threatening situation. Sumayyah (RA) and Yassir (RA) sacrificed their lives to uphold their faith, whereas their son 'Ammar (RA) saved his life by orally claiming faithlessness. 

Similarly, when practicing Islam becomes impossible in a land then the Muslims should migrate in the way of Allah (SWT). Ruqayyah (RA) and Umm Habibah (RA) with few other women migrated with their Mahrams because life in Makkah became unbearable. Migration for keeping the Divine message alive while abandoning homeland and belongings is actually holding on to faith, the foundation of the building of Islam. In short, remaining loyal to Faith is something that applies to both men and women as does migrating in the way of Allah (SWT).

Source: Religious Obligations of Muslim Women (A Book by Dr Israr Ahmad)

Hijab - Religious Obligations of Muslim Women

As for stepping out of the home to preach other women, surely this needs to be done in a very organized manner. In this endeavor, middle-aged women are best suited for the task as the restrictions of Islamic dress code are relaxed to a great extent in their case. Surah Al-Noor states regarding the aged women:

"It is alright for them if they put aside their coverings."

Satr refers to the parts of body which, in normal conditions, must be covered at all times and may not be displayed to anyone but one's spouse. The whole of a woman's body is considered Satr except hands, feet, and face excluding ears and hair.

Hijab refers to the parts of body which, in normal conditions, must be hidden from non-Mahrams. Hijab refers to Satr plus face excluding the eyes.

They certainly will continue to follow the orders of Satr, but the orders of Hijab will now be relaxed in comparison to a young woman. However, what happens in our society is that the ladies who have always been observing Satr and Hijab and staying at home become so accustomed to it that they are reluctant to go out even in their old age. This attitude needs to be changed. They should not hesitate to participate in the activities that involve studying and teaching of the Holy Qur'an in their own cities, even if they are not accompanied by their Mahrams.

As far as young women are concerned it is extremely inappropriate for them to go out alone.

If they can afford to devote time to the propagation of their Deen, they should cover themselves properly and a Mahram should accompany them. Keeping these general guidelines in mind, Qur'anic study circles must be arranged and there should be a systematic and intensive effort to organize women’s gatherings on a regular basis for the purpose of effectively propagating the message of the Holy Qur'an to the masses. This is the most-pressing need of the time.

The third circle of women's efforts in this regard is that of the Mahram men i.e., husband, brothers, father, uncles and nephews, etcetera (please note that the husband's nephews are not Mahram). You must have noticed that under the influence of various Islamic movements like the Tableegh jama'at and Jama'at-e-lslami, more and more young men and women belonging to the middle class are choosing to adopt the Islamic way of life. We see many bearded young men and veiled young women whose parents and other family members are oblivious of Islamic values. In this scenario, the younger generation needs to reach out to the older one to invite them to the right path of Islam. The third circle for Muslim women, therefore, involves their Mahram men.

In Pakistan we see that a particular Islamic group sends its female members from door-to-door canvassing prior to elections. As this group aspires to bring about change through the ballot box, naturally they need to get in touch with the masses for large scale campaigning which probably leaves them no choice but to send the women door to door. But whatever their compulsions are, this practice is highly inappropriate. Even though these women follow the Islamic dress code, which in itself is commendable, nonetheless, they, go to houses of people who are completely alien to them. Islam does not allow Muslim women to freely mingle even with unfamiliar women.

The list of Mahrams given in Surah Al-Noor includes "their women" -- meaning familiar women who are known to be of decent, righteous character. Hence, Islam does not allow strange women into homes and it certainly does not allow women to go into strange houses.

We believe that the real change in the existing secular system can never be brought about through the prevailing election process. This change calls for a moral, ideological, and intellectual revolution that permeates all the spheres (i.e. political, social and economic) of life. We need to work towards forming a "Hizbullah"(an organized and disciplined party working for the ascendancy of Islam), and for that, women should ideally be working within the three circles that have been discussed above. In exceptional situations, their duties may exceed the ones already mentioned. However under the present conditions, working within the three spheres mentioned is all that they are required to do in the realm of Da'wah and Tableegh. 

Source: Religious Obligations of Muslim Women (A Book by Dr Israr Ahmad)

The Second Level: The Three Circles of Da’wah

The Second Level: The Three Circles of Da'wah

The second level deals with spreading the message of lslam to others. A general principle of Tableegh and Da’wah (terms used for spreading and propagating Islam), proposed by Islam, is that we should begin by first reforming our own selves. Next, we should focus on those who are closest to us - our immediate family members. Only then we may approach other people.

Contrary to this, preaching Islam in foreign lands while the religious condition of one's own house is unsatisfactory indicates that the process of Da’wah has been inversely prioritized. Such practice can never bring about the desired results as were seen as a consequence of Da’wah carried out by the Prophet (SAW) and his companions.

If we keep the proper sequence in mind, we can conclude that, for the Muslim woman, the highest priority should be her home. The propagation of Islam is simultaneously carried out in three integrated circles. 

In the first circle she should bring up her children as Muslims in the true sense of the word. The second circle of Da’wah includes Muslim women and the third consists of Mahram males. These three circles and domains are the premises in which the Muslim woman is required to perform Da'wah. Concerning the first circle, Surah Tahreem states:

"Save yourself and your families from the fire.” [Al-Qur’an 66:6]

In the same context, we should also consider the following Hadith narrated by 'Abdullah bin 'Omar (RA):

"Every one of you is a shepherd and every one of you is accountable for his herd.” [Bukhari, Muslim, Tirmidhi, Abli Dawud]

Just as a shepherd is responsible for his herd, everyone is responsible and accountable for the people he is in charge of. Then the Prophet (SAW) added,

"A man is custodian of his home and he will be held accountable for his family.”

Meaning, everyone will be asked about the duties which he had to perform concerning his family and household, He will be asked about whether he carried out his duties of educating them and fulfilling their rights. Then the Prophet (SAW) said,

"And a women is responsible for her husband's home and she will be held accountable for whatever and whoever she is given charge of"

Naturally her children are the most vital part of her husband's home. In another narration, the word 'children' is mentioned separately:

"And a women is responsible for her husband's house hold and his children and she is accountable for them.”

She is accountable for the servants as well but her main responsibility is with respect to the children.

It goes without saying that the future of a nation depends, to a great extent, on its coming generation and the tremendous task of bearing and rearing it has been placed squarely on the shoulders of the mother. It is the mother who acts as the very embodiment of selflessness, sacrificing her own comfort for the sake of her children. It is the mother who acts as the first school that the child comes in contact with. The poet-philosopher lqbal says about a Muslim mother:

"0 Women! Grind grain while Qur'an is on your lips”

In our childhood we had the privilege of witnessing with our own eyes such mothers who used to recite the Qur'an while nursing their child and grinding grain. Something of value must transfer from the mother to the child in a subtle and imperceptible manner during this process. After all, we are asked to say Adhaan (call for prayer) and Iqamah (call to begin the prayer of congregation) in the newborn's ears. There has to be some logic behind this ritual. The infant is obviously not capable of making sense of the words but all of us know that a tape-recorder is also a senseless device that efficiently records voice impressions and reproduces them. Therefore, it would not be too far fetched to assume that some meaningful impressions are conveyed to the child's subconscious that leave a lasting impact on his personality. As lqbal said:

"In this condition, in your lap, will grow a son like Hussain [RA]"

Hence, the command from the Prophet (SAW):

"Seek knowledge from the cradle to the grave."

The major responsibility entrusted to the mother is imparting purposeful education and moral values in her children. To seek other avenues at the cost of this major responsibility is certainly not admissible. If, however, her circumstances are such that she can spare some time, she should definitely do Da’wah work outside her home. What actually is happening in our society is that we tend to preach in the remote corners of the world but overlook our homes. We should remember the Qur'anic admonition:

"Do you enjoin righteousness upon mankind and you yourself forget (to practice it)?" [Al-Qur’an 2:44]

We cannot go on a mission to save the world unless we save ourselves first. Our younger generation is at the receiving end of the most vicious onslaught of western cultural influences. Our youngsters today are exposed to the pernicious effects of media like newspapers, magazines, television and the Internet. In this scenario, if the responsibility of bringing up a child is set aside and women spend more time in preaching outside their homes, then this is an adulteration of the priorities of their responsibilities. 

Source: Religious Obligations of Muslim Women (A Book by Dr Israr Ahmad)

Ten traits - Religious Obligations of Muslim Women

Let us now reflect on the next Ayah. In the Holy Qur'an, usually the grammatical tense of the male gender is used while discussing the desirable traits of both men and women. Therefore whenever men are addressed it is understood that women are also being spoken to. The following Ayah, however, is an exception in the sense that both genders are mentioned here separately. This signifies that the qualities that Islam expects of its followers are the same for men and women.

The Ayah states:

The ten traits mentioned in this Ayah are:

1.      "Muslim men and Muslim women"

Men and women who totally submit themselves to the will of Allah (SWT).

2.      "Believing men and believing women"

Those who believe in Allah (SWT), the angels, the prophets, the revealed books and the Day of Judgment.

3.      "Obedient men and Obedient women"

Those who stand like slaves, all vigilant for the Master's call.

4.    “Truthful men and Truthful women”

Those who are true in their words and deeds.

5.    “Patient men and Patient women”

Patience is a very comprehensive term. Patience can mean abstaining from the forbidden. Patience can imply doing Allah's bidding in the face of ordeals. For instance, performing ablution with icy cold water in the winter when warm water is not available is a manifestation of patience and a submission to Allah's will. Patience also refers to remaining steadfast in the face of all odds and calamities while following the straight path.

6.    "Humble men and humble women"

Who humble themselves in front of Allah (SWT).

7.    "Charitable men and charitable women"

Who spend on others despite their own needs for the sake of pleasing Allah (SWT).

8.    "Fasting men and fasting women"

Those who observe fast to cleanse and purify their soul and body from the lust of materialistic desires and bear the pangs of hunger and thirst only to please Allah (SWT).

9.    “Men and women who strictly guard their modesty"

In this respect, Islam imposes the same restrictions on men and women.

10.  "Men and women who indulge much in Allah’s remembrance"

In the next Ayah, the essence and the sum up of the first level is stated in a very explicit manner.

"And it is not befitting for a believing man or a believing women, when Allah and His messenger have decided an affair (for them), that they should have any option about their decision; and whosoever is rebellious to Allah and His messenger, verily goes astray in error manifest. “[Al-Qur’an 33:36]

This means that there is no room whatsoever for any believing man or woman to act according to their personal preferences once Allah (SWT) and His messenger (SAW) have passed their verdict regarding a matter. The only option open to them is to listen and obey. And if one chooses to differ from the decision of Allah (SWT) and His messenger (SAW), be they men or women, it would be plain disobedience and infidelity; they are the ones who have definitely gone astray. This is the essence of lslam, Ita'a, and 'Ibadah. For what is Islam? It is total submission to commands of Allah (SWT) and His Prophet (SAW).

What is lta'a? Obedience to Allah and His Prophet. What is 'lbadah? To become a slave of Allah in all aspects and at all times. The most important factor in this regard is that we are devoid of authority and choice where there is a clear order from Allah (SWT) and His Prophet (SAW). If authority is exercised against the Will of Allah (SWT) and His Prophet (SAW), it will be against the tenets of Islam. We are only free to act according to our will and understanding if there is no explicit ruling about an issue.

As said easier there is a minimal difference between the responsibilities of men and women as far as the ground floor of religious obligations is concerned. The disparity gradually becomes more and more pronounced as we advance to the higher levels. It is vital to understand the basis for this disparity in Islam. Islam lays great emphasis on modesty and chastity and aspires to uphold and preserve these values in a Muslim society. That is why there is a separate dress code for men and women and the segregation of genders. The injunctions regarding the dress code (Satr and Hijab) are more strict for women and the conditions vary from Mahram to non-Mahram. (Non-Mahrams to women are those men with whom women cannot interact.)

What we need to understand here is that the difference in the nature of the duties assigned to men and women is in order to maintain an atmosphere of modesty, decency and purity in the society.

Islam discourages unnecessary intermingling of men and women and determines separate spheres of activity for them. In this context, we can easily understand why a woman's prayer is best in the most secluded part of the house, and why her presence is discouraged in the mosque (though not forbidden). In short, the rationale behind the dissimilarity between men and women's obligations, whether slight or pronounced, is to close all avenues that may lead to indecency and immorality.

Source: Religious Obligations of Muslim Women (A Book by Dr Israr Ahmad)