Role of Women
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1 Role of Women In Islam BY MUHAMMAD ALI KHAN Historical Role Historical evidence indicates that women contributed significantly to the early development of the Muslim community Substantiation of Prophet-hood after first revelation Women were the first to learn of Muhammad's initial revelation They later played an important role in the process of collecting all the revelations from both written and oral sources into a single, authoritative text 2 Cont…. Women were entrusted with vital secrets, including the location of Muhammad's hiding place The Prophet often consulted women and considered their opinions seriously Hazrat Khadija RA , chief adviser as well as his first and foremost supporter Hazrat A'ishah RA, was a well-known authority in medicine, history, and rhetoric Caliph Umar ibn al-Khattab RA (ruled 634 – 644 ) appointed women to serve as officials in the market of Medina. 3 4 Men and women had distinct, complementary roles in Muslim societies. The husband's primary responsibility was to support and protect the family The wife cared for and disciplined the children and maintained the home Although Islamic law taught that the husband and wife were equal before God, women were subordinate to men. Nonetheless, women exercised considerable influence in family and social life Cont…. In the early 1900s, the governments of Turkey took steps to modernize the role of women The Turkish government adopted a new family law that that gave women the right to obtain divorces Turkish women gained the right to vote in municipal and national elections in the 1930s During the 1950s, Egyptian women entered politics and were elected to public office Women also began to earn advanced academic degrees and to work in professions previously closed to them In most countries, however, new freedoms and opportunities in education and employment benefited only upper and middle classes in urban areas 5 Cont… Concerns about a lack of employment opportunities among men fueled arguments that women should stay at home in their traditional roles of wives and mothers Islamic states tried to balance the conflicting demands of women and traditional Muslims by making cautious reforms 6 Cont… Debate continues over the appropriate role of women in the community They see the status of women as directly connected to maintaining or reforming tradition The role of women may also be a means of defining national identity Although Muslim governments have promoted education for both boys and girls as a way of achieving economic growth, the percentage of girls enrolled in schools in developing countries remains relatively low 7 Catalyst of Change of Role Poor economic and political conditions in some Muslim countries have forced women to become more involved in the outside world Factors such as war and labor migration have increased the number of households headed by females Economic necessity has led women to seek work outside the home, usually in low-paid, unskilled jobs 8 As head of State Many Muslim women have become active in grassroots organizations, development projects, charitable associations, and social services During the 1990s, women achieved positions of leadership in some parts of the Muslim world. Benazir Bhutto of Pakistan, Tansu Ciller of Turkey, and Shaykh Hasina and Khaleda Zia of Bangladesh served as prime ministers in their respec-tive countries 9 Role in Education Muslim women have always played a role in the spread of religious knowledge, Hazrat A'ishah RA was an important source of the hadith In fact, he reportedly told his followers they would receive half their religion from her. 10 Role is sufiism The most famous Sufi woman, Rabiah Basri wrote poems of love for God that have continued to inspire mystics to the present day. Some Sufi shaykhs in the Mamluk dynasty ( 1250 – 1517 ) and Ottoman Empire admitted women into their orders Despite the general acceptance of women within Sufism, however, their participation in the orders and in dhikr was restricted 11 Cont… The Qur'an requires the same religious role and duties of men and women and promises them the same spiritual rewards Nevertheless, certain factors have tended to restrict women's involvement in Islamic religious life These include social customs, lack of education, and ideas about ritual purity The specific limitations on the participation of Muslim women in religious matters and the ways that they have responded to these restrictions have varied across the Islamic world Furthermore, during the 1900s, the changing role of women in society created new opportunities 12 13 Important roles of a women Categories Role in Family As mother As Sister As Daughter As Wife Role is Society Role of a Working Women Role of a Housewife 14 Role in family Teach their children Religion Language Worldly Education Train them properly Values Psychological Training 15 Cont… As Sister/Daughter Protect the Respect of the Family Be an ambassador of the Family As Wife Motherhood Protect the respect of husband (Libas) To be obedient Domestic Chores/House keeping Care of Finance Kept the Secrets 16 Role in society Positive contribution towards Society Show kindness to society Defining National Identity Women as key to social continuity and the preservation of the family, language and culture 17 Kindness Do Not Pay Attention to Slanderous Talks The Husband's Respect Obey Husband and Not Mother Complaints and Grievances Be Clean and Beautiful at Home Also Pleasant Dispositions Be like a Mother to Him Wrong Expectations Keep the Secrets Be a Comfort for Your Husband Accept His Management Be Appreciative Be Resourceful when Times are Hard Do not Look for Shortcomings Do not Refuse to Talk and do not Sulk Don't Look at Anyone Other Than Your Husband Remain Silent when he is Angry Tolerate Men's Hobbies Housekeeping Cleanliness A Tidy House Preparing Food Take Islamic Hijab Forgive Your Husband's Mistakes Coping with Your Husband's Relatives Coping With Your Husband's Job If You Have to Live Away From Your Hometown Receiving Guests If Your Husband Works at Home The Trustee of the House Help Your Husband to Make Progress Accept only Careers of women Be Careful That He is Not Misled Do not Waste your Spare Time Suspicious Women Motherhood (Caring for Children) Nutrition and Hygiene 18
