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)

 

The Ground Level: Nearly Similar Obligations

The Difference Between Men and Women's Obligations

The Ground Level: Nearly Similar Obligations

There is a minute difference between the obligations of the two genders as far as the obligations of the ground floor are concerned. Faith is an essential pre-requisite for the salvation of all human beings irrespective of their gender. The words occurring in Surah Al-'Asr and Surah Al-Teen:

"save those who believe and do good works"

are general in nature applying to both men and women. Furthermore, it is categorically stated in the Ayah 124 of Surah Al-Nisa that those who act righteously, be they male or female, will surely enter Paradise 

"And who so does good works, whether of male or female, and lie (or she) is a believer, such will enter paradise”

The foremost duty of every Muslim, man or woman is to attain firmness of Faith. Then daily prayers and fasting in the month of Ramadan, both being equally compulsory for men and women. Zakah and Hajj are the duties to be fulfilled by both men and women, who have the ability (physical and financial) to perform them. In addition, women cannot perform Hajj unless and until there is a Mahram to escort them.(Mahram refers to the male with whom a woman can directly interact without having to completely cover herself.) 

Similarly all the restrictions regarding Halal and Haram are the same for both genders. In short, obedience to Allah (SWT) and His Prophet (SAW) in all spheres of life is meant for the whole mankind, irrespective of any difference in gender.

The slight difference between the obligations of men and women at the ground level can be understood via the example of Salah. Women are exempted from the congregational prayers and encouraged to pray at home. At home, it is preferred that they pray in a room instead of the lawn. If the room happens to have a small chamber in it, then the chamber is preferred over the room. Exceptional has been the case of the congregational Friday and 'Eid prayers. Women were encouraged by the Prophet (SAW) to attend these two prayers. This was due to the fact that no communication media and other means of propagation (books, magazines or audio/visual facilities) were available in those days. The sermons of Friday and 'Eid prayers were the sole source of education and information for them. However, these are two exceptions and the overriding rule is that it is better for ladies to offer their prayers privately in their homes rather than at public places.

Besides these and other negligible differences, the duties of Muslim men and women at the first stage are similar in nature. It will be pertinent here to discuss three important verses (34-36) of Surah Al-Ahzab. Although the direct addressees of these Ayahs are the wives of the Prophet (SAW), all Muslim women have been indirectly addressed through them. 

The first of these Ayahs deals with the acquisition of real and conscious faith, the primary source of which is the Qur’an itself. Indeed it is reading the Holy Qur'an, learning and teaching it and pondering over it that gives rise to faith and strengthens our conviction. The Ayah reads:

"And bear in mind that which is recited in your houses of the revelations of Allah and wisdom. Lo, Allah is Subtle, Aware [Al Qur’an 33:34]

The wives of the Prophet (SAW) are being addressed here. It was in their houses that the Prophet (SAW) received the Divine revelation (Wahi), recited its verses, and preached the words of wisdom (Hikmah). The word Hikmah here refers to the Holy Qur'an, the fountainhead of knowledge and wisdom. 

Moreover, he (SAW) used to explain the Holy Qur'an in the form of Hadith which also reflected the wisdom of Qur'an. The first and foremost lesson that is evident from the verse is that we are being told to engage ourselves in reading and comprehending the Holy Qur'an and Hadith, and in comprehending the Holy Qur'an and Hadith, and in learning and teaching them. For this is what will sustain and enrich our belief in Allah (SWT) as well as bolster and reinforce it. If we hasten to the stage of preaching without first sufficiently strengthening and entrenching our own belief, we will be putting the cart before the horse. 

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

The Three Levels of Our Religious Duties: An Analogy of a Building

The Three Levels of Our Religious Duties: An Analogy of a Building.

In order to understand the true nature of our religious obligations, it will be helpful to use the analogy of a building with three floors. With the help of this analogy, the duties that are particular to men will be explained first. Then, the duties that are equally applicable to women and men and duties with disparities between the two genders will be pointed out.

As mentioned, the building comprises of three floors, standing on four pillars. On the ground floor all you can see are the pillars, as there are no walls, but of course there is the foundation beneath the pillars that supports them. Higher floors are dependent on the floors below them. In that respect, top floor is the highest but not the most important part of the building. Most important part is the foundation, while the pillars become the second most important, for they carry the weight of whole the structure. If the foundation or the pillars are weak, the whole structure would collapse. It is important to note that on the second and third floors, the pillars, hidden behind walls, though still present, become invisible.

The building accurately represents our religious obligations. The foundation of this building is Faith (Iman), on which depends the strength of the structure. If the foundation is deep and firmly entrenched in the ground, the above lying structure will be unshakable. On the other hand, if the foundation itself is weak and unstable, the building can come crashing down any moment.

The pillars are the four obligatory forms of worship: Salah, Saum, Zakah, and Hajj (The obligatory daily prayers, Fasting during the month of Ramadan, Annual obligatory charity, Pilgrimage to Makkah). In the Holy Qur'an, Salah is always preceded by Zakah, however, in the building, Salah is placed adjacent to Saum as both forms of worship are obligatory for all Muslims. Whereas Zakah and Hajj are binding upon only those Muslims who possess physical and financial capacity to perform them.

The roof of the first level can be referred to as Islam, Ita’a, Taqwa, and 'Ibadah (‘Submission', 'resignation' and 'surrender' , 'Obedience' , Being conscious of Allah (SWT) , 'Slavery' to Allah (SWT)). The basic demand conveyed through these four terms is for the individual to submit and surrender wholeheartedly to the commands of Allah (SWT) and His messenger (SAW), becoming in the truest sense of the word, an 'Abd' - 'slave', thereby fulfilling the very purpose of her creation. As Allah (SWT) says:

"I created the 'jinn' and humankind only that they might worship Me." [Al-Qur’an 51:56]

When this submission, obedience, and piety reaches its climax, Islam becomes lhsan -- the level of consciousness characterized by the feeling that one is in constant presence of Allah (SWT). This is the ground floor of the edifice we are describing.

At the second level, the person invites others towards the message of Islam, striving to the best of his ability to spread and propagate (Tableegh & Da’wah) it. He enjoins good and forbids evil (Amr bil Maroof wa Nahi ‘Anil Munkar) and performs the sublime duty of being witness-bearer against mankind (Shahadah ‘Al an-Naas) so that on the Day of Judgment mankind would not be able to proclaim their ignorance regarding the message of Islam.

The third floor of the building is representative of the establishment of the just social, economic and political system of lslam (Iqamah Al Deen). Terms such as Islamic Revolution and Takbeer ar-Rabb (To glorify and proclaim the greatness of Allah (SWT)) are employed at this level. The goal is to implement Islam in its totality so that the Word of Allah (SWT) reigns supreme as stated in a Hadith:

"So that the word of AlIah becomes supreme.” [Bukhari, Muslim]

The intended objective is that the "Word of Allah" becomes the law of the land taking precedence over everything else until the whole social structure including the parliament and judiciary are subordinate to it. To work towards this end by utilizing all of one's material and mental resources, to live for this cause and be ready to die for it, is what constitutes the third and the highest level of our religious responsibilities.

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

To be Continued...

The Importance of Religious Obligations - Religious Obligations of Muslim Women

The Importance of Religious Obligations

It is essential for every individual to acquire a comprehensive understanding of his religious obligations. If a person is ignorant of the duties assigned to him by Allah (SWT) through His Deen (the comprehensive code of life), he will be unable to perform his obligations in true spirit. Similarly, if one's concept of the duties incumbent upon him is deficient in any way, he can only partially carry out his religious responsibilities. In such a case he is likely to meet with failure on the Day of Judgment no matter how sincerely committed he might have been to his religion in his opinion.

Another aspect of this problem is equally important that concerns women in special. There is a possibility that a person might take upon himself certain responsibilities that his religion has not imposed on him. This is bound to lead to disastrous consequences because even the desire to do good, when it exceeds the prescribed boundaries, gets channelized to completely undesirable directions. Monasticism, for instance, is the result of human extremism in trying to be pious. It was the desire to do good that led to the concept of celibacy in Christianity which later became the breeding ground for vice and immorality. Hence, negative and undesirable consequences are bound to follow if anyone overburdens his responsibilities. 

Therefore we must learn and understand our true religious duties and must not burden ourselves with the duties that have not been imposed upon us. When an individual begins to assign certain duties to himself other than the ones Allah (SWT) has imposed on him, he exposes himself to the danger of the Qur'anic indictment stated in Surah Al-Nisa:

"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 other words Allah (SWT) lets him opt for the way he himself has chosen and withdraws His support and help.

Therefore, with respect to the obligations we owe to Allah (SWT), we must have a comprehensive consciousness regarding the rights of Allah (SWT) that we have to fulfill, the rights of our 'self upon us and the rights regarding our fellow human beings. We have to learn to distinguish between legitimate and illegitimate, legal and illegal as ordained by Allah (SWT).

If we blindly follow our wayward desires, we are bound to cross our limits into the forbidden (Haram). Similarly we have to perform our duty towards people, and mankind in general, according to the tenets set by Allah (SWT). If this principle is duly followed, our vision will remain clear and our target defined. If, on the other hand, we follow our own whims and desires, we will deviate from the divinely prescribed path.

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

Religious Obligations of Muslim Women - Introduction

RELIGIOUS OBLIGATIONS OF MUSLIM WOMEN

DR. ISRAR AHMAD

Lahore

Markazi Anjuman Khuddam ul Qur'an

2003

1 st. Print: April 2003 2,200 copies

Published by Markazi

Anjuman Khuddam-ul-Qur'an,

Lahore

36-K Model Town, Lahore-54700

Phones: 586950 1-03, Fax: 5834000

Email: an_iuman@,tanzeem. org

WebPages: www. tanzeem.org

English Name: Religious Obligations of Muslim Women

Urdu Name: Musalman Khawateen ke Deeni faraiz

Introduction

In the realm of collective human life, mankind has been grappling with certain problems that have plagued many a civilizations and cultures. The varied responses of different civilizations and cultures, to these problems, have been in similitude to the swings of a pendulum, fluctuating from one extreme response to another, trying desperately to find the equilibrium in order to achieve harmony and peace among the members of a society.

Among such problems is one that has been present since time immemorial viz the role and responsibilities of women in society. From the sale and purchase of females in old Arabia to the absolute freedom of modem Western female, mankind has witnessed one failure after another

in achieving an equilibrium between the responsibilities of the two genders so that both can make contributions to society according, to and in harmony with their inherent physical and psychological natures.

Only once in human history has a response been articulated and implemented that established the yearned equilibrium. That response was the one put forth by the Muslim civilization in its early pristine stages due to the revolution brought about by the Prophet Muhammad (SAW).

In modern times, in the wake of the feminist movement, having arisen in the West and now spreading all over the world, the issue of women's responsibilities has once again emerged onto the world stage. This time the issue is not as to what is the proper role of women in a society, rather, the Western civilization has articulated a response to the problem according to a purely materialistic view devoid of all spiritual, transcendental and traditional considerations and is now coercing its version onto other civilizations. Muslim civilization, perhaps the most spiritually motivated, tradition-based, religiously devout civilization present today, is the most defiant in accepting the western ideal of the female. It is for this reason that the Muslim civilization is the prime target of the present propaganda against the traditional role of women.

Under the influence of the western ideal of femininity and social values, the Muslim world itself is

engulfed in much confusion and controversy over this topic. This is due to two reasons. Firstly, the backward and ignorant Muslims have imposed their own self-forged model upon the Muslim woman. This model has reduced the Muslim woman to merely a beast of household burdens and a sex-maid, and imperceptibly negates and denies her independent spiritual existence. Secondly, in stark contrast to this, the Muslim proponents of the western model are quite successfully propagating, indeed forcing, the western ideal onto Muslim societies via the popular media. In order to achieve their goals, these proponents, along with their western counterparts, have not only rejected the true Islamic model but have categorically engaged in perverting the Islamic teachings related to this issue. Hence, the logical result - a conflict between the two ideals. This necessitates the clarification of the true Islamic ideal viz the obligations of women in society.

The present tract by Dr. Israr Ahmed is an attempt to clarify the obligations which Islam has awarded to women viz a viz the framework of family and society. The tract is based on a speech delivered by Dr. Israr Ahmed in June 1991 on the occasion of a conference held by Women's Wing of Tanzeem-e-Islami in Qur'an Academy Lahore. The original speech in Urdu, titled "Musalman Khawateen Kay Deeni Faraiz", was converted to booklet form in May 1996. The present translation is based upon the Urdu booklet.

The present booklet is divided into two sections. First section is laden with Islamic terminology and footnotes. The traversal through this section may prove an obstacle course and an unnecessary nuisance for a reader unfamiliar with or indifferent to such terminology. For such readers a second section has been added which is more flowing and leaves out most of the terminologies and all footnotes.

The first section was rendered into English originally by Momina Khan, later revised by Amina Khawaja and thereafter edited by Khalid Mahmood. The second section is a translation by Amina Khawaja. The Anjuman Khuddam-ul-Qur'an is grateful to all of them for their efforts in this regard.

Editor

April 2003

Lahore 

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