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:
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.
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