Women

=Final Copy= Women in Islam: by Anya C.- Period B; Tessa O.- Period D; and Emily T.- Period A = =

Women play an important and even controversial role in Islam. They have influenced Islamic culture in the past, and continue to do so today.They are so important to the faith that there is a whole chapter in the Qu'ran dedicated to females. There is a popular belief in today's world that Muslim women are suppressed. In truth, sometimes they are and some times they are not, depending on the people or the country. There are misconceptions on women's Qu'ranic rights, and they are treated unfairly in some Muslim countries. Many women are standing up to oppression in their cultures. On the other hand, women have been quite powerful in Islamic history. In any case, the role of women in Islam is a topic that can't be ignored.

=Misconsceptions and the Actual Rights of Women, According to the Qu'ran= A lot of people believe that Islam is religion that oppresses women, but in truth, women have many rights in most Islamic countries. On top of that, sometimes it is not the religion itself that oppresses them of people, but the main followers and interpreters of the religion. This is illustrated well by looking at how many rights the Qu’ran awards to women, and how much it talks about men and women being equal. The Qu’ran is the main Holy Book of Islam in which the word of Allah, or God, is recorded. Also, recently, a lot of feminism is emerging in Islam. Women are standing up for themselves and their rights. However, going back to the Qu’ran, there are many examples of how it says that women and men are equal and how they should have the same rights. The Qu’ran says that that women and men should hold equal responsibilities of all types, and be equal in receiving acknowledgement of actions and rewards for them. Also, women got just as much freedom of speech as men did in the early history of Islam, being able to have a serious discussion or even argument with those people in power, even those as high as Muhammed. On top of this, according to the Qu’ran, women are able to independently carry out or participate in contracts, to enterprise, and to earn money and hold possession of items. One idea that often appears in people’s minds at the mention of Islam is the veil that Muslim women wear to cover themselves. This is actually supposed to help to keep their honor, dignity, chastity, purity, and integrity and prevent men from having evil thoughts about them. As well as all of that and much more, the Qu’ran also scolds all those who are prejudiced against women. The Qu’ran states that “…women shall have rights similar to the rights against [men], according to what is equitable…” To sum up, that is how Islam, the religion itself does not oppress women, and how the culture that practices it isn’t as oppressive as most people think.

=Unfair Treatment of Women= Although there are many verses in the Qu'ran that protect and respect woman, there are a few Muslim countries in the world that treat woman unfairly and cruely, becoming so prevalent that it becomes the social norm. For example, even though women have the right to divorce, the process is difficult, while men can often be released from their marriage on demand and in some places, say "I divorce you," three times to signify this. Also, women can often lose their children to their husbands if they get divorced, since typically men win custody of boys over the age of six and girls once they hit puberty. Many women stay in bad marriages because of this, fearing that they'll lose guardianship of their children and go into poverty because they lose their supposed rights afterwards. Another example of unfair treatment that woman face in some Islamic countries is wife beating. Wife beating has become so prevalent in Muslim countries that social workers have a hard time convincing victims that their husbands acts are unacceptable and that they shouldn't be considered the social norm. Unfortunately, many people interpret one Qu'ranic verse that practically gives permission for husbands to do so. Another example of unfair treatment of women is that in some Islamic countries, women are forced to wear a hijab, the veil that women put over their head for modesty. Although this is part of Islam, the idea of forcing someone to wear it is an act of taking someones rights away. Even non-Muslim's are forced to wear it, suggesting that all women should be 'modest', and that all women should be treated in an Islamic way, despite believing in a different religion. One last example of how women are treated unfairly in Islam is the tradition of women not getting involved in politics and warfare. When 'A'isha, one of Muhammed's of wives, challenged Ali, the fourth caliph, crisis and war ensued. Just because of one past mistake, womens rights to participate in these activites were taken away and became considered tradition, making it harder for them to fight against it, since it brings up family matters. In sum, although women are given many rights in Islam, many are taken away and mistranslated, resulting in the unfair treatment of woman.

=Women in Islamic History= Throughout Islamic History, women have played a major role. There have been many powerful and influential Muslim women. An example of these women are Muhammed's wifes, who helped complete the //hadith//, or traditions of the prophet. The //hadith// is a ho ly book that is second in importance to the Qu'ran. These wifes, such as 'A'isha and Umm Salama compiled stories and sayings of Muhammed to add to this book. Without these women, Muslims today would be missing important information about Muhammed. 'A'isha was significant for another reason as well. She challenged the Ali, the fourth caliph at the Battle of Camel. This resulted in crisis and war, so a tradition of women not getting involved in politics or war was established. Though she may not have succeeded, 'A'isha was a strong Muslim woman who made her mark on history. Muhammed's first, famous, and most influential wife was Khadija. Khadija understood the significance of Muhammed's revelations from the angel Gabriel before Muhammed did himself. She knew that her husband was a prophet before he claimed to be one. She is known as the "mother of believers" in the Islamic faith, and is considered the first Muslim convert. If it wasn't for Khadija, the faith of Islam may never have been formed. Women were prominent in later Islamic history too. Royal Ottoman women in the harem of the sultan had much power. They decided on who the sultan would marry and have children with. These women carried on royal dynasties, which is an important contribution. Though women may be suppressed in Islam sometimes today, some were important and powerful in Islamic history. = =

All in all, Islamic women are a great influence in Islam. Even though the Qu'ran tries to protect them, they have been and are still supressed in many places around the world. Despite this, there have been many important Muslim women in history. They were able to greatly influence the history and culture of their religion, and continue to do so through today. All of this just goes to show how significant women are in Islam.

=Citations:=

[] [] http://womenfortoday.com/ruqaiyyah09.htm [] [] [] [] []