Anthropology 3, Al-Qaḍā and Al-Qadar, The Legal Rights of Women, The Moral Rights of Women, The Value of Women in Islam,

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Anthropology 3

What is my Future?

We humans, in every moment of our lives, have choices.  These choices are related to the most simple to the most complicated matters in life: from choosing the colours of clothes and time of waking, studying and playing, to choosing the way in which we will live our lives.

It is these choices that distinguish humans from other creatures.  Of course, other creatures can make choices: consider a lion that is sitting in ambush of several deer.  It then selects one and attacks it.  However, the scope of choice of an animal is limited to its instincts and it chooses things that do not cause harm.  This is because the tendencies of the animal are natural and material tendencies: it chooses whatever is more beneficial to it.  It selects its prey according to which is more delicious and performs actions which do not endanger its life.

The human, however, as has been indicated possesses two kinds of tendencies: instinctive tendencies and tendencies related to its nature.  Instinctive tendencies are connected to man’s material aspect and tendencies related to his nature are connected to his material aspect.  Sometimes these two tendencies contradict one another.  When you are hungry and you only have enough food for one person and you see another person who is in need of food, your instinct tells you to eat the food; at the same time your nature tells you to give some of the food to the needy person, even though by giving some of the food you will not be completely full.  But, is there such a choice among animals?  Would animals give preference to spiritual considerations over material desires?

Over and over again in life, we find ourselves confronted with a puzzling range of choices.  The first question that comes to our mind is: What should I do?  And, which way should I choose?  Words such as: what, why, and how, show well our choices and willpower.  Between material and spiritual tendencies, all humans have the power to choose the best and most equitable option.  These two tendencies in the human have caused him to be an autonomous being which plans its own future.  Accordingly, all humans must gather information to make the best choices because he will in future be responsible for those choices.

The Extent of Human Choice

One of the important issues in relation to humans is the discussion on free will and determinism, which has always engaged the human mind.  Man has always thought about whether he is free in his actions or is compelled.  Can he perform any action he wills or is there another will at work which leads him to whatever it has decreed for him?  This matter has continuously engaged the minds of philosophers and religious scholars.

God, who is master over all of us, has willed humans to perform actions within their power based on their own wills; if, for example, for the realisation of one event, a number of conditions and causes are necessary, one of those causes might be under the control of humans.  For example, for turning on a light, all necessary equipment must be available and in working-order, such as: a switch, wire, bulb, connection of the wire to a power supply, flow of electricity through the wire, etc.  Now, one of the causes for the light turning on is the pressing of the switch by a person.  In this example, the person pressing the switch is free in his action, i.e. he can press the switch or not press the switch.  In fact, before doing anything, the human intellect considers whether an action is useful or non-useful; if the intellect considers an action to be useful, the person gains enthusiasm to perform that action and his will is employed to execute it by way of his limbs and organs.

Thus, it is clear that many factors have to be in place for an action to be performed.  Among them, human will is one of the factors, and is in reality, the final cause.  In other words, everything has been provided to enable humans to achieve their goals and only the human’s will and power determines whether or not their goal is achieved!

Knowledge of God and Free Will

Of course, by considering the attributes of God and that God is Knower of the Unseen, and He is aware of everything, it is clear that He knows what actions humans, with their God-given free wills, will perform.  Though, this matter has no connection to the discussion on the existence of human free will.  Some people say that because God knows which actions we will perform, therefore it is clear that He has compelled us to perform actions!  In answer, it should be said that today’s scientists predict what events will happen in the future and weather forecasters tell us tomorrow’s weather.  Should we then say that weather forecasters are the cause for the next day’s weather?  Is this at all reasonable?  Due to His complete knowledge, God is certainly aware of the future of humans, yet at the same time, humans with their free wills, influential in their destinies.

Al-Qaḍā and Al-Qadar

Consider the selection of a person for marriage.  When we start this process, we have the right to choose among the available options.  It is us who chooses with whom we marry.

However, after the marriage ceremony, the responsibility for this relationship is ours and there are rules which apply to this relationship.  After exercising free will in choosing, we have constraints associated with our choice.  In simple language: “We are constrained by our previous choices.”

On the one hand there is the matter of divine destiny and on the other hand there is human free will.  This means that God has provided humans with their own will to select one of the ways available.  That which people select with their will is the same as what is predestined.  God has decreed that people should perform actions based on their own free will and not to be compelled.  The ultimate destiny of man is formed by the actions that he himself has chosen.

In other words, the human does not only have one destiny available to him; rather he has various destinies in front of him, each of which could be the one that is realised.  For example, if someone gets sick and then is treated and survives, this is his destiny.  Also, if he is not treated and remains ill, or dies, this is also his destiny.  It is possible that each of two destinies is an outcome of his choices.

What are al-qaḍā and al-qadar?  What meaning do these two words have?

Imagine that to reach your destination, there are several ways available ways to choose from.  These ways are equivalent to al-qaḍa.  The way that you choose is called al-qadar.

Unfortunately, due to the incorrect interpretation of ignorant persons in relation to the issue of al-qaḍā and al-qadar, people do not have a good view of these two terms. Many people become worried and assume that divine decree is an agent outside of their environment which has a direct effect on human will; sometimes it may seem to be a positive agent that compels people to perform an action and sometimes it has a negative aspect and prevents a person, willingly or unwillingly, from performing an action. Many people, because of their ignorance, have attributed the natural causes for the occurrence of some events to divine destiny, or have blamed their inactiveness or bad deeds on divine will. Al-qaḍā and al-qadar with this meaning are no more than a myth. However, the reality of al-qaḍā and al-qadar should be sought within our environment and should never be imagined to be anything other than related to man and his will. The fact is that divine destiny does not impose itself on the will of man and it is man’s own informed or ignorant choices that shape his future. Al-qaḍā and al-qadar are actually crystallised within the uninfringeable divine laws. Below are examples of divine laws and the way they are related to human will:

Divine destiny in relation to a nation whose people are lazy and who do not work, who dispute and quarrel with each other, who waste their God-given power by using it in the wrong ways, who are unaware of time and their environment, and who, due to being absorbed in self-interest, are blind to the situation of their fellow humans, would mean that, sooner or later, it would split apart. However, divine destiny in relation to a nation that works to help the poor, and, by reducing the gap between the classes, enables them to enjoy a decent life worthy of a human being, and observes their rights to some of the wealth of the rich - in summary, a caring and righteous nation – will mean that it will always enjoy stability, tranquillity, progress, mobility and development. These two different destinies are so clear and visible that no one is in doubt.

All the nations of the world are equal in their ability to choose between these two destinies and there is no external agent to compel their will to choose either. It is we who, based on selfishness or reason, choose our destiny. In any case, the destiny that we choose will be divine destiny as it is He who created for us these choices and made us free to choose between them.

A youth who begins his life with appropriate facilities, perseverance, an iron will and a good understanding and intelligence has waiting for him two destinies, both sanctioned by God, to choose between: whenever he employs his material and intellectual capabilities to acquire knowledge or engage in business, he will be building himself a happy and healthy life; however, whenever he misuses his material and intellectual assets and engages in drinking and gambling and other destructive behaviours that waste his life, after a while his body will definitely become weak and ill and he will end his life in suffering. Both destinies are related to God, though the youth is free in his choice of each one and the result of his choice will be divine destiny. If a person returns back half way after his choice, his destiny will be replaced with another; this action will again be performed under his freewill and will also be in accordance with divine destiny. This is because He has created us and has given us permission to return back half way and regret our previous actions, replacing one destiny with another. In short, the God who created us, gives us life and guides us to the right way is the same God who created us in a way that we can freely choose between the various choices before us; whatever choice we make will

We see people have differences in their eating and drinking, coming and going, studying and not studying and, on the other hand, in their shortness and tallness, beauty and ugliness and in the colour of their skin, etc.  The first group are behaviours and these are directly related to the will of people and are subject to commands and prohibitions, praise and criticism.  The second group, however, are not subject to any of these.  It is simple to understand why each group entails a different reaction.

be divine destiny. So, if we look at someone’s action from the aspect that it was performed under their own free will, this will demonstrate the freedom of choice that humans have and if we look at the same action having in mind that God gives life to man and anything a person has is from God, then we will say that this is divine destiny. The only thing that should be considered is that God has created man to be free and to be able to choose. Divine destiny has never been in conflict with human freewill and therefore reward and punishment are attributable to human actions.

Divine Justice

It is correct that a human has will power and nothing, in normal circumstances, is able to compel him to do an action; however a question arises, because a person who is in a favourable situation with good material means and facilities, lives in an environment with pleasant weather, is raised by a loving family and has special educational instruction, is better able to make decisions about his future and create a better destiny for himself.  At the same time, a person who grows up in a deprived area, far from facilities, is not in the same position.

We should remember that God is just and in the Qur’an He has provided the answer to this question:

لَا يُكلَّفُ اللَّهُ نَفْسًا إِلَّا وُسْعَهَا  لَهَا مَا كَسَبَتْ وَ عَلَيهْا مَا اكْتَسَبَت

“Allah does not task any soul beyond its capacity. Whatever [good] it earns is to its benefit, and whatever [evil] it incurs is to its harm.” (2: 286)

The view of the religion of Islam on the issue of justice and injustice is that although some in this world live in better conditions than others, but what is actually important is that all humans in this world are undergoing various divine tests and the harvest of what is sown in this world is reaped in the next world.  In reality, the difficulties and struggles that a human experiences are tests and if a person passes them by avoiding bad behaviours and obeying the commands of God, his patience and actions will be rewarded in the afterlife.  Certainly, someone who, in this world lived in ease and comfort, will not receive any reward for patience in the face of difficulties.

Case Study

A Real Story

The plane was ready to fly.  The passengers carried their luggage into the airplane.  White-skinned attendants with perfect politeness and while smiling, directed them towards their allocated seats.

A black-skinned man entered.  He was solemn and sedate.  The female attendant guided him towards his seat with perfect politeness.  The man sat.  After a short time, a white-skinned woman of around fifty years of age entered and the flight attendant, with the same grace, directed her towards her seat, which happened to be beside the black-skinned man.

The woman sat with reluctance.  She shifted around in her seat a little and gave an arrogant look at the black-skinned man and then looked away.  The black-skinned man was a little upset at this but did not express what he felt on his face.  He smiled and did not say anything.

The woman could not tolerate it anymore and called the attendant to tell her of her problem.  She complained that she been seated next to a person from a low and hated group.  The attendant looked perplexed.  She thought for a while how she could resolve this problem.  She did not have the authority to move people’s places and so she asked the woman to be patient while she went and spoke with her supervisor.

Some time passed.  The woman still upset, sat with her back to the man; she looked like she was a queen who had been sat next to a slave.  The other puzzled passengers were witnessing this event but did not know what would be its outcome.

The attendant came back smiling: a solution had been found.  She looked at the woman and said “Unfortunately there is no empty place in this section.  However, in First Class there is an empty space.  Even though until now we have not allowed somebody to move for this reason, because we do not want to force someone to sit next to someone they detest, my supervisor gave permission for us to request this man to move to First Class so that you can be at ease.”

The man got up from his place, took his hand-luggage and went to First Class.  The pride that was shown on the face of the woman a few moments before gave way to surprise and humiliation.  The arrogant woman had never had such a feeling of humiliation.

The other passengers, who had been watching the happenings to see its conclusion, excitedly rose from their places and gave a long clap to the attendant.

What is discrimination?

There is an obvious difference among members of humanity in various matters; not only between races which have their own characteristics and features, but also between the members of one race, one family and even genetic twins, physically, mentally or emotionally.  The Holy Qur’an has also affirmed the differences among people:

وَمِنْ آيَاتِهِ خَلْقُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَاخْتِلَافُ أَلْسِنَتِكُمْ وَأَلْوَانِكُمْ إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَآيَاتٍ لِّلْعَالِمِينَ ﴿٢٢:30﴾

“Among His signs is the creation of the heavens and the earth, and the difference of your languages and colours. There are indeed signs in that for those who know.” (30: 22)

Discrimination is a phenomenon that all countries of the world are confronted with and have suffered from.  Discrimination has not been limited to one country, society or person: every society, even those classed as democracies, practices some type of discrimination.

Discrimination means giving preference to one individual over another because of individual characteristics such as colour, gender, religion and race, rather than due to the merit of the individual.  In other words, discrimination occurs when there are two people with the same abilities but one is given preference because of illogical and irrelevant reasons.  For example, between a black-skinned person and a white-skinned person seeking a job, with the same education and experience, the white-skinned person is given preference, or vice versa.

The Distinction between Differences and Discrimination

When you look at the parts of your body, you can see much difference between them.  Some parts such as the eye and face have a certain beauty and subtlety and some other parts such as the stomach and intestines do not contain this beauty and subtlety.  Are these differences an example of injustice and discrimination, or are they the essence of justice?

If the liquid that exists within the intestines was sent to the eyes or brain, what would happen?  The eyes and brain have a special delicacy and are responsible for their own tasks.  Therefore, they have received one of the best liquids, which is suitable for them; the intestines have received one of the worse liquids, which is suitable for it.  If the liquid that is held by the brain is given to the intestines and the liquid of the intestines is sent to the brain, the result would be terrible.  Would the human be able to exist?  Or, would the brain and hence the rest of the body cease to function?  Is it imaginable for all the parts of the body to be the same and perform the same tasks?  For example, all the parts turn into eyes or brains, or all become intestines?

We conclude that there are differences within the human body but there is no discrimination!  The world of nature is the same.  Phenomena that exist in nature have differences among them; each one has its own place.

Types of Discrimination

In our everyday language, the term discrimination is used in different situations: discrimination of parents towards their children, discrimination of society against particular groups, racial and ethnic discrimination, etc.  Our intention in most of these cases is when a society, or a part of a society which has more power, deprives a person or group from opportunity or privilege without any plausible explanation and gives special distinction to another person or group.  When there is discrimination there is no equal opportunity for social mobility: people experience inequality in education and work.  Here, we will discuss the most common types of discrimination:

Racial Discrimination One of the bitter and unpleasant realities of human life is racial discrimination.  This occurs when members of a race consider their race to be superior to others and accordingly give themselves a special distinction.

With the advancement of civilization and the improvement of the social, political and cultural aspects of societies, it was expected that discrimination would disappear forever and justice and equality would rule

However, unfortunately we have seen a lot of racial discrimination in contemporary society. Essentially, one of the slogans of Islam is to fight against racism and it has defined the criterion of superiority among humans to be only piety and closeness to God. All traditions quoted from the Prophet (s) and Imams condemn racism and racial pride; we will quote some of them here:

The Prophet (s): “Oh people, your God is one and your father is one; you are all from Adam and Adam is from dust. That person from among you who is more pious, will be more honourable before God. An Arab is not superior to a non-Arab except through piety.”

The Prophet (s): “Behold that you are not superior to red and black-skinned people, except than if you were to be more pious.”

Imam Sadiq (as): narrated that the Messenger of God (s) stated: “Whoever holds a mustard seed sized amount of prejudice in his heart, on the Day of Resurrection, God will raise him up with the ignorant Arabs.”

The Prophet of Islam (s) was himself one of the biggest defenders of human rights and combatants against racism and exerted many efforts in this field. In his time, the heads of the Quraish tribe did not accept the principle of equality which the Prophet had established.  They said to the Prophet: “The reason we do not attend your meetings is that people such as the Bilal al-Habashi, Salman al-Farsi, Suhayb ar-Rumi and slaves, are present.  Send them away from you so that we sit together with you.”  However, the Prophet did not accept their request.  They proposed to the Prophet another idea: “Allocate one day for them and one day for us.”  Afterwards, this verse was revealed: “Do not drive away those who supplicate their Lord morning and evening desiring His face.  Neither are you accountable for them in any way, nor are they accountable for you in any way, so that you may drive them away and thus become one of the wrongdoers.” (al-An`am 52)  After the revelation of this verse the Prophet also declined this request.

There are many examples of this in the behaviour of the Prophet of Islam, for example when the Prophet (s) commanded the Ethiopian Bilal to go on the roof of the Kaba and call out the adhan,Attab bin Usayd said: I thank God that my father has passed away and did not see this day!  Also, Harith bin Hisham complained: Could the Prophet not find anyone other than this black crow? (Tafsir Ruh al-Bayan, vol. 9, p. 90)  In answer to these people, this verse was revealed:

“O mankind! Indeed We created you from a male and a female, and made you nations and tribes that you may identify yourselves with one another. Indeed the noblest of you in the sight of Allah is the most Godwary among you.” (49: 13)

God clearly declares that race and gender differences are primarily for recognition of one another and not for nations and tribes to take pride in and boast about and a means to claim superiority over one another.

These are only an example of the centrality of rights and the combatting against oppression in the viewpoint of Islam. Certainly, history has recorded racism as a cause of much oppression.

Gender Discrimination The woman, in most places of the world and throughout history until this seemingly progressive time, has possessed few, if any, rights, whether in civilised or non-civilised societies.

There are undeniable differences between men and women.  Men and women are in many cases similar but in some cases they have differences.

In Islam, two different sets of rights have been determined for women and for men. One set is legal rights and the other is moral rights; each of the two enjoys much importance at the individual and social level, especially the issue of women and family. A noteworthy point is that from the viewpoint of Islam, the rights of women and men are equal, but different. The total value of the rights of women is equal to the total value of the rights of men, but the kinds and particulars of their rights, due to natural differences in their body and spirit, differ in some cases. It would be funny if we were to believe in the same rights for women and men, because, for example, women can become pregnant and after coping with the difficulties of pregnancy, bring a new human into the world, give it milk and shower it with motherly love; however naturally these things do not happen to men. Since rights and responsibilities, and punishment and reward have a special proportionality together, rights which are proportional to responsibilities must be defined so that a person is not deprived of their rights and as a result becomes oppressed and that they receive punishment or reward according to their actions. For more familiarity with the rights of women in Islam, first the position and value of women from the viewpoint of the Qur’an and Islam, as well as their moral rights, should be examined:

The Value of Women in Islam

In order to understand the status and value of women in Islam, first we must see, just as in some other schools of thought, whether the Quran regards the essence of women as different from that of men, or that they are the same; so the question is, are men and women of one essence or do they originate from two different essences? In answer to those people who regard women to have originated from a different essence than men and which is of lesser value, the Qur’an explicitly states that women have been created from an essence just like that of men; both are of the same kind. About the first human, God states: “…Your Lord who created you from a single soul, and created its mate from it…” (4:1) From this verse it can be easily understood that men and women were created from the same essence and which is of one kind. Islam places much emphasis on human dignity and since men and women originate from one essence, it equally emphasises the protection of the dignity of both. In other words, it can be said that the value and status of men and women depends on their humanity and, according to the Holy Quran, both have equally benefitted from this essence. According to this Quranic principle, women, like men, enjoy completely the rights related to their creation and humanity, such as the right to life, ownership, dignity, association, freedom and choice. Of course, as we discussed previously, what is in Islamic law in regards to women’s rights in some cases differs, due to consideration of natural physical and spiritual differences (and consequently there are different responsibilities assigned to women and men). For example, as was also discussed previously, in regards to freedom, all individual and social freedom can only be achieved in the shadow of spiritual freedom. And so, as an example, with the issue of hijab (modest covering) and safety for women, what God has commanded is the spiritual freedom of women and protection of society from corruption and promiscuity, and the preservation of the sanctity and dignity of women. On this basis, countries that have banned Islamic hijab are actually making one of the biggest mistakes within the field of human rights. Unfortunately, the arrival of modernity in some Western countries has meant the promotion of promiscuity and negation of spiritual freedom. Islam places much emphasis on the issues of hijab and restriction of the mixing of unrelated men and women, and regards these as the foundation of family and society. The duty of covering which Islam has decreed for women does not mean that they should only stay at home. Islam does not believe in the imprisonment and confinement of women; this happening has occurred in some countries but does not exist within Islam. The covering of women in Islam means that in their interaction with men, women should cover their bodies and not show off themselves. On the discussion of hijab, the apparent issue is whether a woman can be bare or should be covered and occasionally it is discussed with a compassionate tone, asking whether it is better for a woman to be free or imprisoned under hijab. However, the spirit and essence of the issue is something else and it is this: should men, except for fornication, have absolute freedom in the sexual exploitation of women? In this matter, the man is the beneficiary, not the woman, or at least, he has more benefit. In fact, the sexual drive is the strongest human instinct and sexual freedom ignites these passions. Man, by his nature, has been created in a way that his spirit seeks infinity. When man’s spiritual desires are directed toward the material, they will not stop at any limit; when he reaches to a certain stage, he will seek to reach to the next stage. In order to guard the honour of women and men, and to control the sexual drive while bringing forth calm, Islam has introduced two things as the solution:

The satisfaction of the instinct according to its natural need – this has been recommended and facilitated by the commands of Islam in relation to marriage; Prevention of its excitement and stimulation – the Islamic command in relation to hijab, dressing modestly, is to enable this.  

The Moral Rights of Women

The Prophet (s) stated: “The best people in faith are those who have the best manners and are kindest to their families.  (Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 71)

One of the salient features of the Islamic religion is its very large number of instructions, recommendations and guidelines in the area of ethics and moral rights of the individual and society. One of the main focuses for these instructions and recommendations is in relation to the mother, wife, daughter, and, in general, the issue of women. Each of the family members has their own rights and these rights reflect an individual’s responsibilities, needs and desires. As an example, the Holy Quran, after the order to obey God, instructs people to be good to their parents: this conveys the importance of kindness to parents and respect for their position and indicates the many rights that they hold. It is interesting that, according to Islamic teachings, being good to mothers has precedence over being good to fathers and this is due to the mother having a great many rights over the child. One of the outstanding features of the religion of Islam is in its rights and code of ethics related to spouses, which strengthen bonds and add to the joy of living life together. On family life, Islam emphasises more on the issue of moral rights than legal rights: moral rights strengthen family life while making it more sustainable and enjoyable; however legal rights have typically been established for occasions where there are situations of differences and conflict. A family leading an Islamic way of life, by putting into practice Islamic moral teachings, can live the best and most gratifying kind of life and enhance provision for the spiritual and material needs of all members of the family. For example, for women who want to marry, Islam has given them the right to receive payment of a mahr; after the would-be husband has accepted the amount of this mahr and marries the woman, she has the legal right to request its payment at any time. This is one of the points in women’s legal rights; however under moral rights, Islam encourages the woman to lower the value of her mahr, or, after marriage, to even forgive her mahr altogether: this is because the basis of a strong married life is love, not money and wealth. Therefore, what Islam gives most importance to, is the observance of moral rights within the family, which are built on a base of love and respect and whereby each of the parties (husband and wife) have to respect each other and endeavour to ensure that the other party’s rights are not infringed. Moral rights are not limited to families, and Islam has stipulated many moral rights within society in which particular attention has been paid to women and their safety and modesty. Protecting women from desiring looks respects their position and status. Certainly, with one glance, the negative outcomes from some non-Islamic cultures, where women are seen as commercial goods and a means to satisfy sexual needs, can be observed.

The Legal Rights of Women

As previously mentioned, from the Islamic perspective the rights of women and men, in terms of quantity and value, are equal, but since wisdom and justice require that God consider their physical and psychological differences, therefore in issues that relate back to their differences, their rights also differ; this is while in terms of value, the totality of the rights of women is equal to the totality of the rights of men. Some of the issues in which the rights of women differ from men are within the areas of the mahr payment, maintenance, compensatory payments and inheritance. The compensatory payment for the taking of a life of a man being twice that of a woman does not show his superiority to a woman, just as the equal amount of compensation payable for taking the life of an ignorant man and a learned man does not show their equality. If we compare the sum of the rights of women with those of men, we will see that they are balanced. The difference in retributive punishments and compensatory payments, as well as in mahr payment and provision of maintenance, between women and men must be seen in the light of the creational differences existing between them. A religion that places the responsibility for payment of mahr and maintenance of wife and family on the man, as well as gives him the duty to work and fight in war, also puts the compensatory payment for the taking of a life of a man at double that of a woman in order for justice to be achieved. Here it is worthy to note that when a man is killed, the compensatory payment is paid to the family he had headed in order for them to not suffer from material deprivation due to the loss of their provider. In fact, each of the Islamic laws takes into consideration the interests of the individual and society, which, if observed, ensure the individual and social well-being of humans. So, not only has Islam not ignored the rights of women, actually it has defined them based on their physical and psychological needs and desires. Those people who accuse Islam of not respecting the rights of women are the real culprits in this case because they not only deny women and men the blessings of spiritual freedom, but they have also not defined their rights in accordance with their characteristics and needs and inevitably cause the trampling of many of their rights. Here, we will look at one of the discussions concerning the rights of women:

The Difference in Inheritance between Men and Women in Islam

Among the issues that the advocates of full equality of rights between men and women select for criticism, is the inheritance of women in Islam.  They say: Why has Islam made the inheritance of women, who are weaker than men, half the men’s share?  Is this not an injustice against women?

Before the coming of the religion of Islam, the property and assets of anyone who died were seized by others.  Among civilized and non-civilized nations of the world, this confiscation was by force; so that, whoever had more power, seized the property and assets of the deceased and those who were weaker, such as women and children, were deprived.  The situation of Arab women was more desperate than anywhere else.  Among the Arabs, women were bought and sold as if they were merchandise and were deprived of all rights, individual and social, even the right to inheritance.  The property and assets of the deceased went only to boys who had the ability to fight and defend the family; even boys who were young were denied the right to inherit.  Not only did the pre-Islamic Arabs deprive women of the right to inheritance, they sometimes even were treated as assets of the deceased and were themselves inherited.

With the advent of Islam and its particular instructions, the position of women entered a new stage.  It was in this age that women, based on the Islamic commandments, enjoyed full individual, social and human rights.  Islam brought about a great revolution in the matter of women’s inheritance rights.  It gave women the right to inherit and also abrogated all the repressive pre-Islamic laws, which were based on the beliefs and customs of the tribes.  Islam did not only decree the right of inheritance for women but also forbid the practice of inheriting women.

The issue of the difference in the shares of men’s and women’s inheritance is due to the fact that the duties and responsibilities of men and women in society are different.  God has given more duties to men and has made some tasks mandatory for men which are not mandatory for women.  In order for men to better perform these tasks, a larger share of inheritance has been provided to him.  That Islam has allocated a lesser share of inheritance to women does not mean that it has neglected them; rather it is solely based on social and economic reasons.  The financial obligations of men are more than those of women and so they are in need of more resources.  Some of the obligations that only men are required to fulfill are: provision of the livelihood and welfare of women and children, payment of dowry to the spouse, participation in jihad and the provision of living and travel expenses of the wife and children in that time, payment of compensation (al-dīyah) on behalf of relatives and payment of the living costs of impoverished close relatives (such as mother, father and sister).

As can be seen, all the differences in the rights that Islam has given to men and women are based on wisdom and by referring to each individual case, their wisdom can be understood.

Reading Comprehension

Explain how the unity of the human personality and that always, and in every circumstance, he calls himself “I” and refers to himself, can prove the existence of the soul within ourselves. How does Darwin’s theory of evolution further affirm the proof of God’s existence? What is the difference between a theory and fact? Can Darwin’s process of evolution through natural selection be considered a fact? Why or why not? In relation to the discussion on divine destiny, explain, by giving an example, how the knowledge of God is compatible with the freewill of humans and that humans are free in their actions. In consideration of the contents of this lesson, name what the most important factor/factors that distinguish humans from animals is/are, and why. Give two characteristics of human nature and, with an example, explain what difference there is between animal tendencies within the human and his human tendencies. Explain what spiritual freedom means and why the acquisition of other freedoms depends on this type of freedom. Describe two ways which Islam used to combat and eradicate slavery. Explain the Quranic perspective on human dignity and how this dignity can increase or decrease. Islam has stipulated two kinds of rights for human life; name those two and give a brief explanation of them. From the viewpoint of Islam, which one of these two has more importance and is more effective? State, from the Quranic perspective, whether men and women have been created from the same essence and explain from where differences that exist between some of the rights of these two are derived. In your opinion, is similarity in rights correct? Or, equality in rights? In other words, in order to observe justice, should the rights of men, in all their details, be exactly the same as those of women? Or, should the value of all men's rights combined be equal to those of women? Why?


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