Muhammad Abbas Khan

#221437108
ISLM 301
Mini Research paper
Literature Review
To understand the rights, honour, dignity, and status of women in Islam, one must

consider the position of women before the arrival of Islam. Women were treated as slaves in

pre-Islamic Arab society, with no rights or dignity. Women would not likely inherit anything

from their parents or spouse (Rahman, 2008). However, Islam guarantees women a specific

part of their parents' and husband's property. The traditional form of marriage as we have in

today’s life was completely absent at that time because “there were marriages that could be

classified as fornication, prostitution, adultery, or polyandry” (Faiz-u-din, 2008). Men could

marry as many women as they wished, and there were no restrictions on how many they

could marry at once. “They could even marry two real sisters at the same time” (Rashid,

2004).The Prophet (peace be upon him) announced to stop any kind of torture, brutality, and

inhumane treatment to women and he(PBUH) practically treated them with respect. Further

more, Holy prophet (PBUH) advised that, “Fear Allah in respect to women, and the best of

you are those who treat their wives the best”. (Sunan al-Tirmidhi 1162). The holy

prophet(PBUH) added that, A Muslim must not despise his wife, and if he is dissatisfied with

one of her undesirable qualities, let him be delighted with one of her excellent qualities.The

more courteous and kind a Muslim is to his wife, he “is more perfect in his faith”. (Doi,

1992). The Prophet (peace be upon him) was strict in his instruction to Muslims to treat

women with respect. In his Farewell address (Hajj al-Wada), he urged to those who were

present at the spot and also to those will be coming later, to treat women with respect. The

“holy prophet (PBUH) said occasionally, “Fear Allah when it comes to women," you have

wedded them in Allah's trust and made their bodies lawful in Allah's word. You have rights
over them and they have rights over you in terms of their food and clothing according to your

means." (Doi, 1992). Both men and women are given spiritual equality in Islam (Orakzai,

2014). As Allah says in Quran, Whoever performs well and good, whether male or female

and is a believer, shall enter Paradise. From this commandment it seems clear there is no

discriminatory factors set by the creator. Below some of the fundamental rights granted to

women by Islam has discussed; Women's inheritance rights were guaranteed in Islam many

centuries before as compare to Western countries (Sechzer, 2004). Allah created men and

women to be in fellowship with one another and to live in peace and tranquillity. In Islam,

marriage is an act for Allah's pleasure since it is “His command that husband and wife love

each other and help one other to continue the human race by rearing and nurturing their

offspring to become true servants of Allah. Marriage not only satisfies men and women's

sexual appetite but also protects future generations, as it is a biological instinct to have sexual

intercourse” (Hidayatullah & Hidayatullah, 1990). And above all the right of divorce were

vested only in men but Holy prophet (PBUH) gave this right to women as well but though

divorce is legal in Islam under certain conditions, it is discouraged since the Prophet (peace

be upon him) says: "Of all the things that Islam has permitted, divorce is the worst." (Abu

Da'ud). “Both men and women are required to acquire knowledge in Islam” (Sunan Ibn

Majah 224). In this regard, an unmarried woman has complete freedom in obtaining

knowledge, and no one can prevent her from doing so. A married woman has the right to

learn, but she must respect her husband's and children's rights. Due to misunderstanding and

misinterpretation women are not given the rights granted to them in Islam. “Muslim women

are subjected to cultural challenges, patriarchal elements of their society, and political

persecution in many places where Muslims practise their own cultures and customs”

(Sechzer, 2004). Men sometimes holds various negative habits and pretend they are Islamic

regulations in order to deprive women, degrade women, blaspheme women or for financial or

political gain, however Islam never encourages these evil behaviours. Due to a lack of basic
Islamic education, women also used to blame Islam for their mistreatment, disgrace, and

deprivation. To understand the actual position of women in Islam and to eliminate common

misconceptions about women's rights in Islam, there must be provision for adequate Islamic

knowledge and awareness of women which is crucial to change men's controlling mentality.

References:
• Doi, A. R. (1992). Women in Shari’ah (Islamic Law) (4th Ed.). Kula Lumpur: A. S.

Noordeen.

• Faiz-ud-din, M. (2008). A Text Book on Islamic Law. Dhaka: Shams Publications.

• Hidayatullah, M., & Hidayatullah, A. (1990). Principles of Mahomedan Law (19th Ed.).

Bombay: N. M. Tripathi Private Ltd.

• Orakzai, S. B. (2014). The Rights of Women in Islam: The Question of “Public” and

“Private” Spheres for Women’s Rights and Empowerment in Muslim Societies.

Journal of Human Right in the Commonwealth, 2, 42-51.

https://doi.org/10.14296/jhrc.v2i1.2100

• Rahman, M. M. (2008). Introduction to Muslim and Family Law. Dhaka: Kamrul Book

House.

• Rashid, S. K. (2004). Muslim Law (3rd Ed.). Lucknow: Eastern Book Company.

• Sechzer, J. A. (2004). “Islam and Women: Where Tradition Meets Modernity”: History

and Interpretations of Islamic Women’s Status. Sex Roles, 51, 263-272.

• https://doi.org/10.1023/B:SERS.0000046610.16101.e0