In Defence of Our Sisters
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By Abu Nour al-Maqdisi
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In defence of our sisters, our pearls, our future, from the vicious attack of the kuffar and from the abuse you suffer at the hands of some Muslim men. To you I dedicate my first written public piece after four months of captivity so please do appreciate how important you are to me. It is my hope that my words reach your heart and motivate you to become active.
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For long I have had the uncomfortable experience of hearing the Western and Secular world claim that Islam degrades and debases women. And for an equally long amount of time I have witnessed and read about some Muslim men, religious and non-religious, who either abuse women in accordance with their backwards culture or [in the case of religious men] degrade and debase women by quoting Qurâ'anic and Prophetic text out of intended context and meaning. More specifically, I write this in direct response to the prevailing attitude of some young religious men on various Internet discussion boards. Oh brothers, do you realize how much harm you cause by abusing your sisters? By fuelling the fires of the secular tide, by giving them justification to what is baseless in our Deen? Do you realize the type of doubt you instill in our sisters minds and hearts when you quote texts to serve a meaning they clearly don't intend? Do you realize the gravity of the sin you're committing? Be conscious of Allah!
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My dear sister in Islam, we live in a world full of injustice. Where the weak and oppressed are always downtrodden and further abused and suppressed. I sympathize with you but I am also upset with you. For how long will you let these parties abuse you? For how long will you have no voice and allow so-called moderates to speak on your behalf?
You should be proud of being a woman, and more so, a Muslim woman. Allah, the Creator has fashioned you to exact and intended measurements and brought you about to fulfill your role in life. And in the Qurâ'an, He has promised you rewards and a lofty place in Paradise if you live according to His will. No doubt men and women are different and only the fool would claim otherwise. But realize my sister that the unique qualities that you possess as a woman are not meant to be looked down upon, but rather they are to be nourished and used. Allah the Most Supreme has given you these qualities in order to fulfill your role and not so that you are disrespected and debased. Cursed be the one who abuses you.
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I do not find anything in our religion that justifies or supports abuse and disrespect. When I read the Qurâ'an and read our beloved Prophet's words I only find love, care, compassion, and fairness to women. Islam is the only system of life that takes into account the nature of things and deals with them accordingly. The ideal Muslimah that our religion seeks to promote is a woman who has dignity and self-respect. She does not allow others to abuse her in any way. She is a caring individual who may not necessarily have the toughness (physical ability) to engage in labour “ tough labour“ or defence but she is the main engine, she is the driving force. A car without an engine is useless. Similarly a society without women also at the helm is bound to be sick and dysfunctional.
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Allah says in the Qurâ'an: "Verily, the Muslims men and women, the believers men and women, the men and the women who are obedient (to Allah), the men and women who are truthful (in their speech and deeds), the men and the women who are patient, the men and the women who are humble (before their Lord Allah), the men and the women who give in charity, the men and the women who fast, the men and the women who guard their chastity and the men and the women who remember Allah with much praise “ for them Allah has prepared forgiveness and a great reward (i.e. Paradise)“ 33:35.
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Allah further states: " O mankind! We have created you from a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes, that you may know one another. Verily, the most honourable of you with Allah is that (believer) who has At-Taqwa. Verily, Allah is All-Knowing, All-Aware." - 49:13
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Allahu Akbar! Both verses are Madani and are not abrogated by any other verse. This is what the Lord says from above the seven heavens so how dare you claim otherwise? These ayaat clearly establish the equality of all of creation before Allah.
Further, when we look at all of the Muslim female scholars Islam has produced and we look at how the Prophet and his Companions treated their wives we generally do not find an image of men beating their wives or constantly abusing them. Generally speaking, men who abuse their wives do it because they have a low status in the community and so find nowhere to practice authority except on their wives or they do it because they feel threatened or insecure (low self-esteem).
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The Prophet used to play, race, and joke with his wives. Remember the food fight? In fact, the best description about his character came from his wives. And when you read the accounts of interactions between the Companions and their wives you only find love and compassion. But if what I am saying is true, then how do we explain the verses in the Qurâ'an that talk about beating your wife? And how do we explain the Prophet saying women are lacking in intellect and Deen or if prostration was allowed between the Creation, then it would be the wife to her husband.
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First of all I must repeat that there is ample evidence from the ahaadith and Seerah that shows us how to treat women. And anyone who reads these accounts will generally find compassion, respect, and love in the way men and women treated each other.
Secondly, the Qurâ'an does nothing but insure women's rights. Most ayaat in the Qurâ'an are applicable to men and women but if any verses explicitly mention women then the majority of those verses talk about women's rights. Keep in mind that women, during the times of Jahiliyyah were not given proper rights and were much abused. Women were stuck in their homes forever if their husbands died. Infant girls were buried alive in the sand in many cases. They did not receive any inheritance and were viewed as insignificant beings. Islam came and saved women and explicitly protected their rights. The only ayah that the Orientalists use against the Qurâ'an and try to make it look like a Book that debases women is the verse that lists three measures to take against a very disobedient wife, the last of which is beating. There are a few notes that must be taken into account:
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1) This is the only verse in the Qurâ'an that contains such instructions.
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2) Beating is the last resort.
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3) A disobedient wife does not equal a woman who refuses to make tea for you (please check any tafseer).
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4) Scholars have commented about the nature of the beating (please check tafseer) some have indicated it is as light as hitting with a miswak on the back.
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Thirdly, men are given authority over women and are above them by a degree only when they fulfill Allah's obligations upon them. And this verse clearly indicates that this status is not given because of their possession of the male reproductive organ, but rather because of the extra responsibility they have been given and so if a certain man does not fulfill his responsibilities, then this status is removed from him.
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In light of the above factors, we must view the following Ahaadith:
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1) Women are lacking in intellect and Deen If the Prophet wanted to debase women and call them stupid, he would have said, Women are stupid. What the Prophet is saying here is perfectly confirming what modern psychoanalysis has also reflected, that women generally speaking tend to be more emotional than logical. Further, the Prophet did not say this to disrespect or debase the woman, rather it is to ensure that men treat them accordingly (meaning taking into account that women are likely to use or value emotion over logic). Similarly there are other ahaadith that describe the nature of men so that women treat men accordingly.
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To further support my stance, I draw your attention to the hadith that states:
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2) Women are “like the bent riba so do not try to force them out of their nature, because it will break them.
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3) In addition, is another hadith telling us to be gentle with the fragile vessels when the caravan was moving too fast.
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4) Even clearer is his instruction for men not be like animals when they have intimate relations with their wives, thus fully acknowledging that sexual relations are for both men and women to enjoy and further preserving the rights of women. So from this it becomes more than clear that his statement was not derogatory but only meant quiet the opposite, to ensure that women are not abused.
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As for the hadith about prostration, it is hypothetical and is meant to show how great a husband is who fulfills his obligations to his wife and I really doubt that even if prostration to the creation was allowed, that any of you men out there would deserve it. It occurred when a Companion made sujood to the Prophet, upon which the Prophet told him not to do it but that, if it was permissible, then it would be the wife to her husband.
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My jailer is calling me to go to court so I have to finish up.
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All I am trying to tell you my sister is that you should no longer allow others to abuse you. You should be proud of your Islamic identity, be active in propagating your Deen, and [achieving] a true understanding of it to yourself and others.
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The barking of dogs does not affect the skies above them. My sisters, do not listen to these dogs but rather, listen to Allah and His Messenger. He did not create you to be abused and He did not give you the unique qualities that you have so that you are debased. Sisters, you must all stand beside each other united as one. And when a dog hurts any of you then all of you take one stand against it.
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The Qurâ'an is clear, and the Seerah is clear and any educated analysis of our Deen will clearly reveal the facts about the status of women in Islam. My sisters! You are the engine of this Ummah. You are the driving force. Don't you see that you are the nucleus of our nation? Don't you see how the enemies of Islam are after you for they know your importance? Where are the Ayeshas and Umm Salamahs? Where are you? Where and to whom did our Messenger run to after the heavy revelation he received? Was it not Khadijah? And where did Abdullah ibn Zubair run to before Hajjaj mutilated his body? Was it not Asmaa bint Abu Bakr? And whose fingers were cut when the swords of the Khwaarij killed Uthmaan ibn Affan? Was it not his wife, and her blood is still there to be seen on the mus7af in the Turkish museum? And who was it that mobilized the Muslim the Muslim Ummah and kept sending their sons, husbands and brothers in our early history? Who was it? Indeed it was our women. So be proud of your legacy, be proud of being Allah's creation and do not let the juhaal abuse you.
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Your brother in IslamSeptember 19, 2006.
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Abu Nour al-Maqdisi
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Maplehurst Detention Centre
