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Literature Review, Interpretation and Analysis:
During the time of the Prophet, Islam diminished the excessive practices of Jahiliyyah by imposing new laws using the principle of gradualism. Islam granted women their dignity and allowed them to claim equal rights with men in all spheres of life. The Qur'an teaches Muslims that God created both men and women from the same soul:
“O mankind! reverence Your Guardian-Lord, Who created you From a single Person, Created, of like nature, His mate, and from them twain Scattered (like seeds) Countless men and women.”
In the period of nascent Islam, women played prominent roles in all realms of life: religious, political, educational, legal, moral, economic, and military. A few examples will show what Islam accomplished in raising the educational level of women and will highlight Muslim women's contributions to the growth of knowledge in Islamic society.
The Prophet gradually but persistently allowed women to assume important positions in society. He designated his wife A'isha as a religious authority by stating "take half of your religion from this ruddy-complexioned woman." Through the Prophet's encouragement, A'isha played a visible and active role in the political, legal, and scholastic activities of the Muslim community. The Prophet chose her as one of the people who would pass on knowledge of the Qur'an and his practices to later generations of Muslims. A'isha herself taught famous scholars about the Qur'an and Hadith. In addition, she narrated 2,210 Hadith of the Prophet, and scholars have noted that one-fourth of the norms of Shari'ah law were also narrated by her. 70 In almost every respect, A'isha appears to have been not only one of the Companions of the Prophet, but also an exceptional person.
Other women played prominent roles in the growth and enrichment of Islamic civilization. Imam Nawawi stated that Umm al-Mu'minin Hafsa "was one of the intellectual and intelligent persons." He also spoke about the mother of Anas, Umm Sulaim, as one of the learned and knowledgeable Companions of the Prophet. Imam Nawawi expressed a similar opinion about Umm Atiyah, saying "[s]he is reckoned among those of the Companions who won excellence and honor and participated in jihad with the Prophet." Imam Bukhari stated that "Umm Darda' sat in Tashahud [as a witness] as a man sits and was a jurist (therefore her actions are authoritative)."
Islam did not prevent women from participating in armed revolutionary resistance or legal decision-making. Zaynab, Ali's daughter, was a revolutionary, and Umm Atiyah, Hafsa, Asma' bint Abi Bakr, and Sahla bint Suhail were all jurists. Women also participated in the bay'ah and, thus, were an integral part of the political process. In fact, through the bay'ah, they contributed later on to the election of the third khalifah. In short, women were equal participants in the growth of the early Islamic state.
Equality Between Men and Women in Islam:
Islam establishes the principle of equality between men and women in all aspects of life that they are equal in, because both of them are equally human. It distinguishes between them in some areas, taking into consideration the natural differences between them and the special qualities that each of them has.
The areas of equality are as follows:
1. Equality in their human origins:
Islam conclusively establishes that all human beings have a common origin. This fact is mentioned in many verses of the Qur’ân: “O Mankind, fear your Lord who created you from a single soul and created from it its mate and brought forth from the two of them many men and women.”
“O Mankind, verily we created you from a male and a female and made you into nations and tribes so you may know one another. Verily the most honorable of you with Allah are the most righteous.”
2. Equality in their destiny:
Islam also establishes that all of mankind is going to return to Allah who created them, and everyone – male and female – is going to be recompensed for his or her worldly deeds. They will receive well if they did good and they will be requited with evil if they did evil.
Allah says: “And every one of you will come to Him alone on the Day of Resurrection.”
Allah says: “A human being will have nothing except for what he does. And his deeds will be seen. Then he will be recompensed fully.”
Allah says: “So their Lord accepted of them their supplication and answered them: ‘I will never allow the work of any of you to be lost, male or female. You are from each other.”
Allah says: “Whoever works righteousness as a believer, whether male or female, we will truly give a good life and We shall pay them a reward in proportion to the best of what they used to do.”
According to the Qur'an, men and women are equal before God; women are not blamed for violating the "forbidden tree," nor is their suffering in pregnancy and childbirth a punishment for that act. Islam sees a woman, whether single or married, as an individual in her own right, with the right to own and dispose of her property and earnings. A marital gift is given by the groom to the bride for her own personal use, and she may keep her own family name rather than adopting her husband's.
Conclusion: Islam has immensely improved the status of women compared to the Judaeo-Christian tradition. The Quran has offered women dignity, justice, and protection which ,for long, have remained out of their reach. That's why it is no surprise to find that most converts to Islam, today, in a country like Britain are women. In the U.S. women converts to Islam outnumber men converts 4 to 1. The problem is that the majority of the population in the West do not know these facts. They easily believe the media's distorted image of Islam. What the Quran has given to women is unparalleled in the history of religion. ( Sherif Muhammad, February 10, 1995, Women in Islam Versus Women in The Judaeo-Christian Tradition:The Myth & The RealityFriday khutbah). Today people think that women are liberated in the West and that the Women’s liberation movement began in the 20th century.
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