Prophet SAW and Women in Islam

By Prof. Shahul Hameed

Muhammad SAW the Feminist

I wonder how many men and women nowadays can digest the idea of
calling Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) a
"feminist".

That is, a feminist in the sense of one who always stood for the
rights of women. In fact, he was just that, though the term applied to
the Prophet SAW could sound a bit quaint or anachronistic.
In a cultural milieu where baby girls were buried alive and wives were
treated no better than chattel, the Prophet SAW courageously liberated
them and raised their status to equal that of men.

Muslims see Muhammad SAW as living up to his God-appointed mission as
the final messenger of God, standing up like a titan towering above
the barbaric influences of the time to become the spiritual leader of
the whole Muslim nation in Arabia as well as everywhere else Islam
reached.
Literally, he rose to the high standards of leadership set by his own
tradition: He was humble enough to listen to the complaints of his
people and always hastened to meet their needs.

To the weakest among the people, he was compassionate, and considering
the condition of women in those days, he was very responsive to their
thoughts, feelings, and needs. He was particularly gentle, kind, and
considerate toward them.

In this respect, he was very much unlike some of his Companions.

Umar ibn Al-Khattab once said:

One day I went to the Prophet SAW and saw him smiling. "May God make
you smile forever, O Messenger of God," I said and asked why he was
smiling. "I smile at those women. They were chatting in front of me
before you came. When they heard your voice, they all vanished," he
answered, still smiling. On hearing this answer, I raised my voice and
told them, "O enemies of your own selves, you are scared of me, but
you are not scared of the Messenger of God, and you do not show
respect to him." On hearing that, the women said, "You [Umar] are hard-
hearted and strict." (Al-Bukhari )

Twin Halves of Men

The Prophet SAW always listened to women with consideration and
compassion as he valued their views and opinions not only about
affairs that specifically concerned them, but also about matters of
wider significance.
It was because the Prophet SAW gave such encouragement to women that
there were well-known instances in early Muslim history of some of
them freely speaking out for their rights.
Following the injunctions in the Qur'an, the Prophet SAW gave women
the right to education and freedom in matters related to marriage,
divorce, and property rights.

The Prophet SAW described women as "the twin halves of men," which
emphasized the idea that their role in society is complementary to
that of men. He declared that "the most valuable thing in the world is
a virtuous woman."
He taught his followers that it is God's commandment to treat women
with gentleness and affection because, he said, "they are your
mothers, daughters, aunts."

Women Are Not the Devil

One typical Western criticism of the Prophet SAW is about his
marriages. Compared to the Christian conception of Jesus as the "Son
of God", Muhammad (peace be upon him) appears so down-to-earth and
human.
If Christianity celebrates celibacy, Islam definitely celebrates
marriage. And the final prophet, like the Old Testament prophets such
as Abraham, Moses, and David, has proved through his own example that
women do not defile men.
Indeed, Islamic spirituality is not weakened by the body, as it
transcends far above the demands of the body. Also Islam, unlike
Christianity, does not view the woman as the cause of the fall of man.

Respecting Mothers

The respect given to women as mothers is another aspect of "the
Prophetic vision, in which kindness and loyalty to the mother, a
rahmah (= mercy) to reciprocate the rahmah they themselves dispensed,
is seen as an almost sacramental act" (Murad).

The Prophet SAW said, "Paradise lies beneath the feet of
mothers" (Ahmad).
Once a man came to Prophet Muhammad SAW and asked, "O Messenger of
God, which person of all the people is best entitled to kind treatment
and good companionship from me?" He answered, "Your mother." The man
asked, "And then?" He said, "Your mother."
The man asked again, "And after her?" He said, "Your mother." The man
asked for a fourth time, "And after her?" The Prophet SAW said, "Your
father" (Al-Bukhari).


The Perfect Husband

The Prophet SAW was a perfect model for humankind in every aspect of
our life. He was the kindest husband and the most loving and caring
partner to his wives.
According to Aishah RA, the Prophet SAW used to help his wives with
domestic chores: "He always joined in household work and would at
times mend his clothes, repair his shoes, and sweep the floor. He
would milk, tether, and feed his animals and do the household
shopping."
He taught his followers: "The best among you is the one who is best
toward his wife" (At-Tirmidhi).
We should remember that those were the days when women were treated
like slaves and were punished for the silliest mistakes. The Prophet
SAW stopped all that and gave women the rights equal to those of men.
For instance, Islam gave a wife the right to acquire and possess
wealth and keep it for herself, and she had no responsibility to share
the family expenses with her husband. And the husband had no legal
right to any of her belongings.


The Plight of Women

In ancient times when a man died, his widow was often denied all
rights to his property and she was subjected to terrible humiliation
and maltreatment.
In certain societies, there was a tradition of immolation of the widow
on the funeral pyre of her husband. Even if she was permitted to live,
she was denied the right to remarry and lead a normal life.
But the Prophet himself set the example of marrying widows and
divorcees; his first wife was Khadijah, a widow 15 years senior to
him. And after her death, he married only widows and divorcees with
the exception of Aishah.
Islam believes that the one who works for widows and orphans is like
one who strives in the way of God. And we must remember that in those
primitive times, a woman who did not have the support of a man was
lost and ruined.
The Prophet's mercy toward women was not surprising, because Almighty
God had appointed him as a mercy for the whole of creation.

A Revolutionary Man

In the Madinah society after the emigration of Muslims from Makkah
established by the Prophet SAW , women were guaranteed personal
respect, the right to education, the right to enter into legal
contracts, and the political right to express their views concerning
public affairs.
They were also given the right to choose a husband of their liking and
to reject a marriage they did not like. At the time of marriage, a
woman is entitled to a suitable present (in Arabic: mahr) from her
bridegroom, and she is declared free of all domestic financial
responsibilities, which are the responsibility of the husband.
It is the duty of the husband to provide his wife and children with
food, clothes, a home, and medical treatment according to his
financial position and income. Muslim scholars have said that if a man
does not support his wife financially, then she is entitled to get a
divorce.
The Prophet SAW said that the best charity (in Arabic: sadaqah) is
that spent on one's wife: forgiveness in the case of disagreement,
good manners, sweet words, a smiling face, a pleasing playfulness, and
an amusing mien are but some facets of this "charity."

The Prophet SAW said, "The world is delightful, and its greatest
treasure is a good woman" (Muslim).

The husband is not to stay away from his wife or keep his wife in a
state of suspense, whether at home or abroad, for a long period of
time except with her consent. Unreasonably long separation on the part
of the husband without prior arrangement with the wife is sufficient
grounds for her to obtain divorce through a judge.
Indeed, the Prophet SAW allowed women to engage in suitable work for
earning an income like men, so long as such jobs did not infringe on
their dignity. He permitted them even to participate in battles:
specifically to nurse the wounded soldiers and to fight alongside men.
All this was indeed revolutionary, considering the prevailing socio-
cultural paradigms defining the Arabs of the time. So it was not
surprising that so soon after the Prophet's time, the vestiges of the
pre-Islamic era, traditions from pre-Islamic Arabia slowly returned
and gained somewhat of a foothold among Muslims.

Consequently something of the misogyny that previously existed
returned, which reminds us of the need for reaffirming the noble
example of the Prophet SAW, whose compassion to his wives, daughters,
and women companions cannot be forgotten.