“The believing men and believing women are allies of one another. They enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong and establish prayer and give zakah and obey Allah and His Messenger…” (At-Tawbah 9:71)
This verse clearly and profoundly explains the relationship of Momins and Mominahs. As the Creator of both men and women, Allah (swt) is not discriminating in any way. Neither is His Prophet Muhammad (sa), as indicated by his noble Sunnah. The believers, who strive to follow their Deen, are also highly respectful and supportive to each other even today. I am a witness of this during our sixteen years of tenure at hiba.
Why did Muslim women feel the need to join the bandwagon of the feminist movement? I suppose when we stopped recognizing Allah (swt) as our Master, the Prophet (sa) as our role model, and the Quran as the light of our life, Muslim communities embarked on a path of self-destruction.
Cultural baggage took over subjugating women. Foreign ideas were floated by well-meaning individuals to rectify the situation. The media only sensationalized the sinful incidents, while the parliamentarians played it to their advantage. No one considered honest and genuine imposing of the Shariah law by trustworthy law enforcers in time to punish the perpetrators.
Religious clerics also seem to have no plan, preparation or voice to object to any injustice. The men of the house have failed in leading their families and protecting the rights of their women in general against barbaric customs, cruel practices, and financial distress. The result is the ‘Aurat march’, which fanned the emotions of frustrated girls, who only see salvage in the ‘feminism movement’. For some, it is also an agenda to instigate and misguide women – in demanding their social rights, they have brutally trampled Allah’s (swt) rights. Some women want liberation from the servitude of their Creator by rejecting all the responsibilities He has placed on them as a slave of Allah (swt), a daughter, a sister, a mother, and a wife. They also unjustly accuse that every man is a monster, because many evil customs in our society are actually propagated by ignorant women, too.
Besides having its other downsides, this movement has led to oppression of families and the male gender. Homosexuality is one direct repercussion. Scholars explain to us how the sun and the moon beautifully carry out their independent roles, complimenting each other and collaborating with each other – they follow Allah’s (swt) creation plan. Similarly, men and women are to carry out their own roles. There never was meant to be any competition or conflict, as they are both unique. How can you have gender equality between apples and bananas? They are distinct – it is as simple as that! The best of them will be the one benefiting the consumer the most. Similarly, the best men and women will be those who have the highest levels of Taqwa and Iman, resulting in lofty Amal.
What a woman needs is to submit to Allah (swt) absolutely and call out to her Rabb for forgiveness, guidance, and contentment of the heart. She needs to empower herself by strengthening her Iman and following the Quran to understand her true roles, responsibilities, and rights. Believing men and women must support and rescue all such women, who are being oppressed, whether at homes, educational institutes, or workplaces.
Feminism has failed to grant honour to the western women, who have now become commodified in the capitalist societies. They have been stripped off their original roles and are expected to prove their worth by emulating men, which would supposedly grant them equality. However, this equality is still well out of their reach, as otherwise the USA would have elected a female president by now.
With Allah (swt) lies a distinguished and noble status of women that only He (swt) grants to them. They do not need to ask for their rights from other women or men, who are imperfect and weak. May Allah (swt) grant us Hikmah. Ameen.
About author
