Aurat march & Islam
EIGHTH March is marked as a Women Right’s Day across the globe. Pakistani women do celebrate it with great fervour and zeal.
There is no harm in such celebrations and demanding their due rights by womenfolk thereby if these moves are confined to certain parameters as defined by our religious and cultural teachings.
However, the situation turns taboo and truly condemnable when such lines as drawn under our religion and cultural norms are blatantly crossed.
Woefully speaking, “Aurat March” held on “Women Rights Day” in our country was tantamount to promoting obscenity and indecency in the name of women’s freedom.
Participants of “Aurat March” evinced extremely irreprehensible and shameful behaviour by displaying placards with absolutely offensive and embarrassing messages that brought a humongous ignominy not only to womenfolk but also to our country as whole. They brazenly breached our religious and cultural ethos.
They subjected not only to our culture to an unfounded stricture but our religion Islam too was not spared.
They, under the pretext of women’s freedom, made unjustified and unethical demands which were quite an antithesis to our religious and cultural norms. I am afraid, if such demands are capitulated, our society will be doomed.
Therefore, there is dire need to highlight the rights that our religion has conferred upon women centuries ago.
A Muslim woman enjoys enviable status in Islam. She is not only given due rights but also is accorded colossal respect and homage.
Women, as a mother, wife, daughter and sister, are given such rights in Islam as are incomparable with any other religion of the world. Woman as a mother in Islam deserves huge amount of respect and honour.
There are scores of Quranic verses and traditions of the Holy Prophet (SAWW) which underscore the importance of a mother in Islamic dispensation. Islam deems kindness to parents next to the worship of God.
Allah, the compassionate says in the Holy Quran;” “Your lord has decreed that you worship none other than Him, and you be kind to your parents”… (Al- Quran, 17:23).
Further, a man came to the Last (SAWW) asking, “O messenger of God, who among the people is the most worthy of my good company? The Prophet said, “Your mother”.
The man said, who else? The prophet said, “Your mother”, he repeated the question, the Prophet again said “your mother”. He once again asked then who else? Only then did the prophet (SAWW) say, “Your father”.
In addition, there is also a famous tradition of the Holy Prophet (SAWW) that paradise is under the feet of a mother.
As a daughter also, woman enjoys great status in Islamic society. Islam requires kind and just treatment for a daughter.
The popular sayings of the Holy Prophet (SAAW) in this regard are as follows: whosoever has a daughter and he does not bury her alive, does not insult her, and does not favour his son over her; God will enter him into paradise.
(Ibn Hanbal). At another place in the same book of Hadis, it is mentioned that whosoever supports two daughters till they mature, he and I will come in the Day of Judgment as this (and he pointed with his two fingers). Inter alia, the matrimonial rights conferred upon a Muslim wife are also incomparable.
No other religion of the world is as kind and empathetic to a woman with regard to her marital life as Islam.
The Holy Qur’an clearly indicates that marriage is sharing between the two halves of the society and that its objectives, besides perpetuating human life, are emotional well-being and spiritual harmony.
The most impressive verse in the Holy Quran regarding marriage is the following: “and among His signs is this: That He created mates for you from yourselves that you may find rest, peace of mind in them, and he ordained between you love and mercy. Lo, herein indeed are the signs for the people who reflect.
(Al-Quran 30-21).
Moreover, according to Islamic law, women cannot be forced to marry anyone without their consent. Ibn Abbas reported that a girl came the Messenger of Allah, and she reported that her father had forced her to marry without her consent.
The messenger of Allah gave her the choice (between accepting the marriage or invalidating it) (ibn Hanbal 2469).
In another version, the girl said: “Actually, I accept this marriage but I wanted to let women know that their parents have no right (to force a husband on them).
(Ibn Maja 1873). Over and above her basic rights as a wife come the rights which are emphasized by the Quran and are strongly recommended by the prophet (SAWW); kind treatment and companionship.
The Quran states:” But consort with them in kindness, for if you hate them it may happen that you hate a thing wherein God has placed much good, (Al-Quran 4:19) In addition, economically, According to Islamic law, woman’s right to her money, real state, or the properties is fully acknowledged.
This right undergoes no change whether she is single or married. She retains her full rights to buy, sell, mortgage or lease any or all her properties.
Politically, a Muslim woman has the right of election as well as the right to be nominated to political offices.
It includes woman’s rights to participate in public affairs. During the caliphate of Hazrat Umar (RA) a woman argued with him in the mosque, proved her point and caused him to declare in the presence of people ; a woman is right and Umar is wrong”.
In the light of preceding discussion, it can safely be concluded that a Muslim women enjoys rights more than any other woman belonging to different faiths.
Hence, the need of the hour is to highlight such rights and discourage the practice of maligning Islam in the name of women’s freedom.
— The writer, an Advcate, is based in Quetta Balochistan.
