Jawed Anwar

Surely the men who submit (to Allah) and the women who submit (to Allah), the men who have faith and the women who have faith, the men who are obedient and the women who are obedient, the men who are truthful and the women who are truthful, the men who are steadfast and the women who are steadfast, the men who humble themselves (to Allah) and the women who humble themselves (to Allah), the men who give alms and the women who give alms, the men who fast and the women who fast, the men who guard their chastity and the women who guard their chastity, the men who remember Allah much and the women who remember Allah much: for them has Allah prepared forgiveness and a mighty reward”  (Quran 33: 35).

The above-mentioned ayah shows that men and women are equal in Allah’s sight in the matters of forgiveness and rewards.

Feminism, misogyny, gender ego and superiority has no place in Islam.  The Creator Himself defined the role of all His creatures, universe, sun, moon, stars, sea, animals, birds, trees, angels, jinn, and human beings --men and women both.  All perform their duties without question as assigned by Allah except jinn and human beings who have liberty of choice for the purpose of testing them.

Allah, the Creator and Sustainer of all, assigned different rights and responsibilities to men and women. He has assigned more responsibility to men and more rights to women. The father is the family chief. He is responsible (mainly) for sustenance of his family --food, clothing, and shelter. He is responsible for defending and protecting the family. But chief is not the dictator. He has to consult (Shura) his family members to run the affairs of the family. A woman has the right to get sustenance from her father before marriage and from her husband after marriage and closest male relative in absence of both of them. A woman has the responsibility (mainly) to nourish, educate, and train the children, and protect the property and dignity of the husband in his absence                                                                            .

“Men are the protectors and maintainers of women because Allah has made one of them excel over the other, and because they spend out of their possessions (to support them)” (Quran 4: 34).

Witnessing in the court of justice is a heavy responsibility.   It may even be life-threatening if a criminal is vindictive. To ease that responsibility from women, Islamic law asks to provide two women witnesses if one male witness cannot be provided.

Similarly, leadership and being President or Prime Minister are big responsibilities. In Islam, the person who desires to be a head of the state/government is the most unqualified person. He is responsible for wellbeing of all people under his jurisdiction. Even if a dog dies with hunger in his ruling state, he will be responsible for that. His income (salary) will be minimal to cover his expense.  Being a President/Prime Minister of an Islamic Government; he has most of the responsibilities on his shoulder and least rights.

Therefore, Allah abstained women from the leadership who has given more rights and least responsibility.

Nourishing and training the children are most noble tasks in Allah’s eyes. That’s why mothers’ status in Islam is three times higher than fathers’.

Mother has three times more rights than fathers on their sons. A woman in Islam enjoys her life by getting all the rights from the responsibilities assigned to her father, brothers, uncles, and husband.

That is the reason a woman in Islam of a middle class without working keeps wealth and jewelry much more than a professional, working non-Muslim Western woman all her life.

It is better for us both men and women not to cross the boundaries of rights and responsibilities.  It is better for men not to ask for those rights that are given to women, and it is better for women not to desire those responsibilities that are given to men. Don’t present responsibility as a right and right as a responsibility.

Allah has not given rights to any male and female to indulge in adultery, fornication, reproducing outside of wedlock, have same-sex or transgender relationship, to abort healthy pregnancies, seek health care for abortion. These are issues that are extremely sensitive in Islam, and Muslims should never be part of or support the so-called women’s movement.

Donald Trump’s first executive order was to stop funding for Planned Parenthood was a symbolic and his best order. Planned Parenthood is heavy funded organization promoting abortion, LGBT lifestyle, and all the ways/method to control population (killing babies before birth).

Trump-phobia is so dominant that we have not had the courage to praise this right executive order. Some of the women’s care of Obama Care is a free ride to promote adultery and fornication in the society without fear of bearing expenses of abortion. This part of Obama Care is (social) “disease care”.

We Muslims, custodians of the last Messenger and the Message can’t blindly oppose or support any person/leader. We should help them in good deeds and oppose in bad deeds, by presenting righteousness.

The guidance from Allah and from his Messenger is to make our life easier and bring happiness in this life and hereafter.   The wise people of intellect are those who follow and obey the Creator without questioning.

“And I did not create the jinn and mankind except IBADAH (worship, serve, follow, obey) Me” (Quran 51: 56).

Syed Jawed Anwar can be reached at syedanwar@as-seerah.com