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| Women in a Qur'anic Society Dr Lois Lamya al-F'aruqi The topic of this paper was chosen out of
the conviction that humanity is suffering today from a number of serious
social problems related to women and to the interrelations of the two
sexes in society. Although these problems may be more pronounced,
disturbing, more debilitating for some of us than for others, there are
probably few if any regions of the contemporary world whose citizens have
not felt in some way the repercussions of these problems. Therefore, there
is a pressing need for exploring possible solutions. The problem of women
is linked, for the present study, with the Qur'an, and what I have called
the "Qur'anic society," out of strong conviction that the Qur'an
offers the most viable suggestions for contemporary social reform which
can be found in any model or any literature. Many of you may be puzzled by
the title of this paper-"Women in a Qur'anic Society." You may
ask yourselves, "Why didn't she say "Women in Muslim
Society" or even "Women in an Islamic Society?" Let me
explain why the expressions "Muslim" and "Islamic"
were rejected for this paper, and how the use of the rather unusual
appellation, "Qur'anic society," is justified. There are at least three reasons for my
choice of that title. The first of these derives from the concern that
many beliefs and practices have been labelled "Muslim" or
"Islamic" without warranting those names. There are
approximately 40 nations of the world which claim to have a Muslim
majority population and therefore to be exemplary of "Muslim" or
"Islamic" societies. This of course results in a great deal of
confusion as the question is asked: Which of these regions represents most
faithfully the true "Islamic" society? Among Muslims that
question is most frequently answered by the claim that their own national
or regional society is the truest to the intentions of Allah subhanahu wa
ta'ala. Non-Muslims, on the other hand, and
especially the Western anthropologists who travel around the world to
investigate the customs and mores of its peoples, tend to treat each
variation within the Muslim World as equally valid. This results from
their adherence to what I call the "zoo theory" of knowledge.
Adherents of that theory regard all Muslims-and of course similar
treatment of other non-Western people is discernible-as different species
within the human zoo. The "zoo theory" protagonists go to the
field, record and snap pictures of every strange or exotic practice they
see and hear; and for them, this is Islam or Islamic practice. A trip to
another part of the Muslim World with the ubiquitous devices for recording
and photographing generates a different body of materials documenting
superficial variations in customs. But this, too, is Islam or Islamic
practice for the "zoo theory" investigator or ethnographer.
There is far too little effort spent on understanding Islam as a whole. As
a result, the basic premise of scepticism and relativism is confirmed in
the mind of the researcher; and he/she returns home convinced that there
is not one Islam, but scores of Islams existent in the world. In like
fashion, the researcher reports that there are many definitions or
descriptions of the status and role of women in Muslim society. Each one
of the resultant definitions or descriptions is dubbed as
"Muslim" or "Islamic" even if we as Muslims may hold
some of these practices to be distortions or perversions of our principles
and beliefs by the misguided or uninformed among us. It was partly to avoid confusion with these
variant descriptions and misunderstandings that I have chosen the
appellation "Qur'anic" for the present discussion. In this way,
I hope to move beyond the limited relevance and particularism of a
"zoo theory" of investigation to a presentation which avoids
such fragmentation and is ideologically in conformance with the true
prescriptions of Islam. In regard to matters so determining of our destiny
and very existence, we can never be satisfied with mere reportage about
certain human animals in the "zoo" who are statistically
"Muslim" or whose customs have been labelled as
"Islamic." Those designations have sometimes been misapplied.
"Qur'anic," on the other hand, is a term which is unequivocal.
It points clearly to the topic of this paper. Secondly, "Qur'anic society" was
judged to be the most suitable title for it orients us towards discovering
those core principles in the Qur'an itself which form the underlying
framework for our societies throughout the Muslim World. It is the society
based on Qur'anic principles which is the goal of all of us, even though
we may unknowingly deviate from time to time from those principles. It is
the conformance to a Qur'an-based society for which we must all work if
the Muslim peoples are to enjoy a felicitous future. It is not an
Indonesian, Pakistani, Saudi Arabian, Egyptian or Nigerian version of that
society that we should regard as indisputable norm, but one firmly based
on the teachings of the Holy Qur'an. Only therein can we find a proper
definition of woman's role in society. Since it is these teachings which
are the subject of my paper, "Women in a Qur'anic Society"
seemed the most proper title. Thirdly, I wish by this choice of title to
emphasize that we should regard the Holy Qur'an as our guide in all
aspects of our lives. It is not only the prime source of knowledge about
religious beliefs, obligations, and practices, it is also the guide,
whether specific or implied, for every aspect of Islamic civilization. In
the centuries of past glory, it determined the political, economic, social
and artistic creativity of the Muslim peoples. If we are to succeed as
members of an Islamic society in the coming decades and centuries, it must
again determine our thinking and our actions in an all-inclusive way. Din
is not limited to the Five Pillars of the shahadah, salat, siyam, zakat,
and the hajj. Din in fact defies simple equation with the English term
"religion," for the former's significance penetrates into every
nook and cranny of human existence and behaviour. Surely it should be our
goal to relate every action to our Din. We can only do this by allowing
the Holy Qur'an to in-form and re-form every realm of our lives. As a step in this direction, let us
consider what the Qur'an has to teach us about the society towards which
we should be striving, and ponder its effect on the position of women.
What are the basic characteristics of a Qur'anic society which
particularly affect women? Five characteristics
- which seem basic, crucial and incontrovertible - of Qur'anic
society will be considered. Although they are presented in a series, each
one rests upon the others and affects them. The interdependence of these
five characteristics makes it difficult to speak of any one of them
without mention of the others, and of course they do not and cannot exist
in isolation from one another. 1. EQUAL STATUS AND WORTH OF THE SEXES The first of these characteristics of a
Qur'anic society which affect women is that both sexes are held to be
equal in status and worth. In other words, the Qur'an teaches us that
women and men are all creatures of Allah, existing on a level of equal
worth and value, although their equal importance does not substantiate a
claim for their equivalence or perfect identity. This equality of male and
female is documentable in the Qur'an in passages pertaining to at least
four aspects of human existence and interaction. A. Religious Matters The first of these Qur'anic confirmations
of male-female equality are contained in statements pertaining to such
religious matters as the origins of humanity, or to religious obligations
and rewards. 1. Origins of Humanity. 2. Religious Obligations and Rewards. Lo! Men who surrender unto Allah, and women
who surrender, and men who believe and women who believe, and men who obey
and women who obey, and men who speak the truth and women who speak the
truth, and men who persevere (in righteousness) and women who persevere
and men who are humble and women who are humble, and men who give aims and
women who give alms, and men who fast and women who fast, and men who
guard their modesty and women who guard (their modesty), and men who
remember Allah and women who remember-Allah hath prepared for them
forgiveness and a vast reward. (33:35) B. Ethical Obligations and Rewards Secondly, the Qur'an reveals to mankind the
desired equality of the two sexes by establishing the same ethical
obligations and rewards for women and men. And who so does good works, whether male or
female, and he (or she) is a believer, such will enter Paradise and they
will not be wronged the dint in a date-stone. (4:124) Whosoever does right, whether male or
female, and is a believer, him verily We shall quicken with good life, and
We shall pay them a recompense according to the best of what they do.
(16:97) If Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala had not deemed
the two sexes of equal status and value, such explicit statements of their
equality in ethical obligations and rewards would not have been made in
the Qur'an. C. Education Although the more specific commands for the
equal rights of women and men to pursue education can be found in the
hadith literature, the Qur'an does at least imply the pursuit of knowledge
by all Muslims regardless of their sex. For example, it repeatedly
commands all readers to read, to recite, to think, to contemplate, as well
as to learn from the signs (ayat) of Allah in nature. In fact, the very
first revelation to Prophet Muhammad (S) was concerned with knowledge. In
a Qur'anic society, there can never be a restriction of this knowledge to
one sex. It is the duty of every Muslim and every Muslimah to pursue
knowledge throughout life, even if it should lead the seeker to China, we
are told. The Prophet (S) even commanded that the slave girls be educated,
and he asked Shifa' bint 'Abdillah to instruct his wife Hafsah bint 'Umar.
Lectures of the Prophet (S) were attended by audiences of both men and
women; and by the time of the Prophet's death, there were many women
scholars. D. Legal Rights A fourth evidence in the Qur'an for the
equality of men and women is its specification of legal rights which are
guaranteed for every individual from cradle to grave. Unlike the situation
in the West, where until the last century it was impossible for a married
woman to hold property on her own, to contract with other persons, or to
dispose of her property without the consent of her husband, the Qur'an
proclaims the right of every woman to buy and sell, to contract and to
earn, and to hold and manage her own money and property. In addition to
these rights, the Qur'an grants woman a share in the inheritance of the
family (4:7-11), warns against depriving her of that inheritance (4:19),
specifies that the dower (mahr) of her marriage should belong to her alone
and never be taken by her husband (2:229; 4:19-21,25) unless offered by
the woman as a free gift (4:44). As with any privilege, these rights of
women carry corresponding responsibilities. If she commits a civil
offence, the Qur'an tells us, woman's penalty is no less or no more than
that of a man in a similar case (5:41; 24:2). If she is wronged or harmed,
she is entitled to compensation just like a man. It is clear that the Qur'an not only
recommends, but is even insistent upon, the equality of women and men as
an essential characteristic of a Qur'anic society. The claim of the
non-Muslim critics that Islam denigrates women is denied emphatically by
the Qur'an. Similarly denied are the arguments of certain Muslims that
women are religiously, intellectually and ethically inferior to men, as
Jewish and Christian literatures had earlier maintained. 2. A DUAL SEX RATHER THAN UNISEX SOCIETY Now let us consider the second basic
characteristic of the Qur'anic society which affects the position of
women. This is found in the directives for a dual sex rather than a unisex
society. While maintaining the validity of the equal worth of men and
women, the Qur'an does not judge this equality to mean equivalence or
identity of the sexes. Probably all of you are familiar with the
contemporary move toward unisex clothes and shoes, unisex jewellery and
hair styles, unisex actions and entertainments. In fact, it is often
difficult in America to decide whether one is looking at a boy or a girl.
This results from the current notion in Western society that there is
little if any difference between the two sexes in physical, intellectual
and emotional endowment; and that, therefore, there should be no
difference in their functions and roles in society. The dress and the
actions are but superficial evidence of this deeper conviction.
Accompanied by a downgrading of the qualities and roles traditionally
associated with the female sex, this current idea has generated a unisex
society in which only the male role is respected and pursued. Although
meant to bring a larger measure of equality for women, the idea that men
and women are not only equal, but equivalent and identical, has actually
pushed women into imitating men and even despising their womanhood. Thus
it is generating a new type of male chauvinism. Tremendous social
pressures have resulted in stripping women of their role-responsibilities
formerly performed by them, and they are forced to live a life devoid of
personality and individuality. The society based on the Qur'an is, in
contrast, a dual-sex society in which both sexes are assigned their
special responsibilities. This assures the healthy functioning of the
society for the benefit of all its members. This division of labour
imposes on men more economic responsibilities (2:233, 240-241; 4:34),
while women are expected to play their role in childbearing and rearing
(2:233; 7:189). The Qur'an, recognising the importance of this
complementary sexual assignment of roles and responsibilities, alleviates
the greater economic demands made on male members of the population by
allotting them a larger share than women in inheritance. At the same time
it grants women the right to maintenance in exchange for her contribution
to the physical and emotional well being of the family and to the care she
provides in the rearing of children. The unisex ideology generates a
competitive relationship between the sexes which we find in America and
which is disastrous for all members of society: the young; the old; the
children; the parents; the single and the married; the male and the
female. The dual-sex society, by contrast, is a more natural answer to the
question of sexual relationships, a plan encouraging co-operation rather
than competition between the sexes. It is a plan which has been found
suitable in countless societies through history. Only in very recent times
did the idea of sexual non-differentiation or identity achieve prominence,
and then primarily in the Western society. Even the medical evidence for
mental or emotional difference between the sexes is suppressed in Western
research, for it threatens the prevailing trends of thought. How long this
socially disastrous movement will continue before it is rejected as
bankrupt is not known. But certainly we as Muslims should be aware of its
deficiencies and dangerous consequences, and make our societies and young
people aware of the disaster caused by it. Protagonists of the unisex society have
condemned the dual-sex human organisation as dangerous for the well-being
of women. If dual sex means that one sex is superior to the other, such a
situation could have arisen. But in the true Qur'anic society, toward
which we all aspire to move, this is not possible. As we have seen above,
the Qur'an advocates eloquently the equal status of women and men at the
same time as it recognises their generally relevant differences of nature
and function. Thus while acknowledging the religious, ethical,
intellectual and legal equality of males and females, the Qur'an never
regards the two sexes as identical or equivalent. It justifies this stand
in its assignment of variant responsibilities and its provisions regarding
inheritance and maintenance which match those responsibilities. 3. INTERDEPENDENCE OF THE MEMBERS OF
SOCIETY The third characteristic of the Qur'anic
society which is strongly assertive of women's position is the insistence
on the interdependence of the members of society. Contrary to the
contemporary trend to emphasize the rights of the individual at the
expense of society, we find the Qur'an repeatedly emphasising the
interdependence of the male and female as well as of all members of
society. The wife and husband, for example, are described as
"garments" (libas) of each other (2:187), and as mates living
and dwelling in tranquillity (33:21;see also 7:189). Men and women are
directed to complement each other, not to compete with each other. They
are the protectors of each other (9:71). Each is called upon to fulfill
certain assigned responsibilities for the good of both and the larger
group. In order to insure this interdependence
which is so necessary for the physical and psychological well-being of
both men and women, Allah, in the Holy Qur'an, stipulated the reciprocal
or mutual duties and obligations of the various members of the family-men
and women, fathers and mothers, children and elders, and relatives of all
degrees (17:23-26; 4:1, 7-12; 2:177; 8:41; 16:90; etc.). The care of and
concern for other members of society is equally a duty of the Muslim. It is not righteousness that you turn faces
to the east and the west; but righteous is he who believes in Allah and
the Last Day and the angels and the Scripture and the prophets; and gives
his wealth, for love of Him, to kinsfolk and to orphans and the needy and
the wayfarer and to those who ask, and to set slaves free ... (2:177) The Qur'an thereby instills in the Muslim a
sense of a place within, and responsibility to society. This is not
regarded or experienced as a repression of the individual. Instead the
Muslim is constantly encouraged in this interdependence by experiencing
the benefits it brings. The economic, social and psychological advantages
of such close relationships and concerns within the social group provide
more than ample compensation for the individual to sublimate his/her
individualistic aspirations. The anonymity and lack of social
interdependence among its members in contemporary Western society have
caused many serious problems. Loneliness, inadequate care of the aged, the
generation gap, high suicide rates, and juvenile crime can all be traced
back to the ever-worsening breakdown of social interdependence and the
denial of the human necessity for mutual care. 4. THE EXTENDED FAMILY Closely intertwined with interdependence is
the fourth basic characteristic of the Qur'anic society which serves to
improve male-female relations. This is the institution of the extended
family. In addition to the members of the nucleus that constitutes the
family- mother, father and their children-the Islamic family or 'a'ilah
also includes grandparents, uncles, aunts and their offspring. Normally
Muslim families are "residentially extended;" that is, their
members live communally with three or more generations of relatives in a
single building or compound. Even where this residential version of the
extended family is not possible or adhered to, family connections reaching
far beyond the nuclear unit are evident in strong psychological, social,
economic and even political ties. The extended family solidarity is
prescribed and strengthened by the Holy Qur'an, where we find repeated
references to the rights of kin (17:23-26; 4:7-9; 8:41; 24:22; etc.) and
the importance of treating them with kindness (2 :83; 16: 90; etc.).
Inheritance portions, for not only the nuclear family members but those of
the extended family as well, are specifically prescribed (2:180-182;
4:33,176). Dire punishment is threatened for those who ignore these
measures for intra-family support (4:7-12). The extended family of Islamic
culture is thus not merely a product of social conditions, it is an
institution anchored in the word of God Himself and buttressed by Qur'anic
advice and rules. The extended family is an institution which
can provide tremendous benefits for both women and men when it exists in
conjunction with the other basic characteristics of a Qur'anic society. 1) It guards against the selfishness or
eccentricity of any one party, since the individual faces not a single
spouse but a whole family of peers, elders and children if he or she goes
"off course." 2) It allows for careers for women without
detriment to themselves, spouse, children or elders, since there are
always other adults in the home to assist the working wife or mother.
Career women in an Islamic extended family suffer neither the physical and
emotional burden of overwork nor the feeling of guilt for neglecting
maternal, marital or familial responsibilities. In fact, without this sort
of family institution, it is impossible to imagine any feasible solution
for the problems now facing Western society. As more and more women enter
the work force, the nuclear family is unable to sustain the needs of its
members. The difficulties in the single parent family are of course
magnified a hundred-fold. The strain that such family systems put on the
working woman are devastating to the individual as well as to the marriage
and family bonds. The dissolutions of families which result and
psychological and social ramifications of the high divorce rate in America
and other Western nations are the growing concern of doctors, lawyers,
psychiatrists and sociologists as well as, of course, of the unfortunate
victims of these phenomena. 3) The extended family insures the adequate
socialisation of children. A mother's or father's advice in a nuclear or
single parent family may be difficult to be followed by an unruly or
obstinate child, but the combined pressure of the members of a strong
extended family is an effective counter to non-conformance or
disobedience. 4) The extended family provides for
psychological and social diversity in companionship for adults as well as
children. Since there is less dependence on the one-to-one relationship,
there are less emotional demands on each member of the family. A
disagreement or clash between adults, children or between persons of
different generations does not reach the damaging proportions it may in
the nuclear family. There are always alternative family members on hand to
ease the pain and provide therapeutic counselling and companionship. Even
the marriage bond is not put to the enormous strains that it suffers in
the nuclear family. 5) The extended family or a'ilah guards
against the development of the generation gap. This social problem arises
when each age group becomes so isolated from other generations that it
finds difficulty in achieving successful and meaningful interaction with
people of a different age level. In the 'a'ilah, three or more generations
live together and constantly interact with one another. This situation
provides beneficial learning and socialisation experiences for children
and the necessary sense of security and usefulness for the older
generation. 6) The 'a'ilah eliminates the problems of
loneliness which plague the isolated and anonymous dwellers in the urban
centres of many contemporary societies. The unmarried woman, or the
divorced or widowed woman in an Islamic extended family will never suffer
the problems that face such women in contemporary American society, for
example. In a Qur'anic society, there is no need for the commercial
computer dating establishments, the singles' clubs and bars, or the
isolation of senior citizens in retirement villages or old people's homes. The social and psychological needs of the
individual, whether male or female, are cared for in the extended family. As marriage-bonds grow more and more
fragile in Western society, women tend to be the chief victims of the
change. They are less able to re-establish marriage or other bonds than
men, and they are more psychologically damaged by these losses. 7) The extended family provides a more
feasible and humane sharing of the care of the elderly. In the nuclear
family unit, the care of the elderly parent or parents of one spouse may
fall entirely on one individual, usually the mother of the family. She
must provide for the extra physical care as well as for the emotional
well-being of the elderly. This is a tremendous burden on a woman who
probably has children's and husband's needs to attend to as well. If she
is a working mother, the burden can be unmanageable; and the elderly are
put in an old peoples' home to await death. With the shared
responsibilities and duties that the extended family provides, the burden
is significantly lightened . 5. A PATRIARCHAL FAMILY ORGANIZATION The fifth basic characteristic of a Qur'anic society is that it is patriarchal. Contrary to the goals of the Women's Liberation movement, the Qur'an calls for a society which assigns the ultimate leadership and decision-making role in the family to men. Any society is made up of smaller
organisations of humans, governments, political parties, religious
organisations, commercial enterprises, extended families, etc. Each of
these organs needs to be stable, cohesive and manoeuvrable if it is to be
beneficial to its constituents. In order to acquire these characteristics,
the organisation must assign ultimate responsibility to some individual or
some group within its ranks. Therefore, the citizens may vote,
parliament may legislate, and the police may enforce the law; but it is
ultimately the head of state that carries the burden of making the crucial
decisions for the nation, as well as the onus or approval, i.e., the
responsibility, for those decisions. In like manner, the work of a factory
is conducted by many individuals, but all of them are not equally capable
of making the ultimate decisions for the company. Neither is each employee
equally charged with the responsibility for the organisation's success or
failure. The family also has need for someone to
carry the burden of ultimate responsibility for the whole. The Qur'an has
assigned this role to the most senior male member of the family. It is
this patriarchal assignment of power and responsibility which is meant by
such expressions as "wa lil rijali 'alathinna darajatun "
(2.228; see supra, pp. 40, 41), and "al-rijalu qawwamuna 'ala al-nisa'i....
" (4:34). Contrary to misrepresentations by the Qur'an's enemies,
these passages do not mean the subjugation of women to men in a
gender-based dictatorship. Such an interpretation shows a blatant
disregard of the Qur'an's repeated calls for the equality of the sexes and
for its command to show respect and kindness to women. The passages in
question point instead to a means for avoiding internal dissension and
indecision for the benefit of all family members. They advocate for a
patriarchal society. In addition, we would draw attention to the
use of the word qawwamun in the statement, al-rijalu qawwamuna 'ala al-nisa'i
... (4:34). Certainly the verb qawwama, from which the verbal noun
qawwamun is derived, does not imply despotic overlordship. Instead, the
term refers to the one who stands up (from qama, "to stand") for
another in a protective and benevolent way. If an autocratic or
domineering role for the male half of the society had been meant, there
are many other verbal derivatives which would have been more applicable,
for example, musaytirun and muhayminun. Other instances of the Qur'anic
use of the term qawwamun confirm this supportive rather than authoritarian
or tyrannical meaning of the term (see 4:127-135; 5:9). Ascription of a
different significance to the passage in question is, therefore,
ideologically inconsistent as well as linguistically unsupportable. Why should the Qur'an specify male
leadership for the 'a'ilah, i.e., a patriarchal family, rather than a
matriarchal organisation? The Qur'an answers that question in the
following manner: Men are in charge of women, because Allah
has made the one of them to excel the other, and because they spend of
their property (for the support of women)....(4:34) Physical and economic contributions and
responsibility are, therefore, the Qur'anic reasons for proposing a
patriarchal rather than a matriarchal society. Some Westerners, confronted by the problems
of contemporary society, are beginning to ask such questions as: Where can
we turn for help? What can we do in the face of the present social
disintegration? It is a time of despair and searching as Western society
reels under the blows of steadily increasing personal disorientation and
societal dissolution. What can we do as Muslims to help? First of
all, we must build true Qur'anic societies throughout the Muslim World.
Without these, we cannot establish equitable and viable accommodation for
the interaction of men and women in society. In addition, we cannot hope
to establish in the coming generations a respect for and loyalty to our
societies and their accompanying institutions if pseudo-Islamic societies
are the only ones we are capable of producing and maintaining.
Pseudo-Islamic measures or institutions are actually anti-Islamic; for
they posit a model which cannot be respected, and attach to it the label
of "islam" in the minds of many Muslims as well as non-Muslim.
this results in a wrongful transfer of the onus of the faulty institution
to the religion of Islam itself. We must educate our fellow Muslims-and
especially the youth for they are the leaders of tomorrow-with regard to
the importance and viability of their (Qur'anic traditions concerning
women, the family and society. Despite the failure of alternative
contemporary Western social patterns, some Muslims seem to hanker after
the Western brand of sexual equality, its unisex ideas and modes of
behaviour, overemphasis on individualism or personal freedom from
responsibility, and the nuclear family system. We must awake to the
dangers which accompany such social ideas and practices. If the
consequences of these ideas and practices are not pointed out and
combated, we are doomed to an unfortunate future as such social
experiments are to fail ultimately. But even this is not an adequate response
for us as Muslims. As vicegerents of Allah on earth (2:30), it is our duty
to be concerned about the whole world and about all of God's creatures. In
the light of the command to propagate the will of Allah in every corner of
the earth, we should not neglect to suggest or offer the good that we know
to others. It is time for Islam and the Muslims to present their solutions
of the problems of contemporary society, not only to the Muslim audience,
but to the non-Muslim audience as well. This can and should be done
through the living example of true Qur'anic societies in which the
problems of men and women are resolved. It should also be done through
informative writings and discussions by our scholars which could be made
available to Muslims and non-Muslims alike. There is no better way to serve the will of Allah and the whole of mankind. There is no better da'wah than such offering of a helping hand to the struggling victims of contemporary society.
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