The Prophet(SAW) was most emphatic in enjoining upon Muslims to be kind to their women when he delivered his famous Khutbah on the Mount of Mercy at Arafat.

1. Status of Woman in Islam by Ibrahim B. SyedPart 1
The Quran warns aboutthose menwhooppressor ill-treatwomen:
O you who believe! You are forbidden to inherit women againsttheirwill. Norshould you treat
themwith harshness,thatyou may takeaway partof thedowry you havegiven them - except
when they havebecomeguilty of open lewdness.On the contrary live with themon a footing of
kindnessand equity.If you takea dislike to them,it may be thatyou dislike something and Allah
will bring aboutthrough ita greatdeal of good.
(QuranSurah an-NisaAyah4:19)
Unlike otherreligions,whichregardwomenasbeingfixatedof inherentsinandwickednessandmenas
beingpossessedof inherentvirtue andnobility, Islamregardsmen and womenas beingof the same
essence createdfrom a single soul.The Quran says:
O mankind!ReverenceyourGuardian-Lord,who created you froma singleperson,created,of
like nature,hismate,and fromthis pair scattered (like seeds) countlessmen and women.
Reverence Allah,through Whomyou demand yourmutual(rights),and reverencethewombs
(thatboreyou);forAllah ever watchesoveryou.
(QuranSurah an-NisaAyah4:19)
The ProphetMuhammad(SAW) said,"Women are thetwin halvesof men." The Quran emphasizesthe
essential unityof menandwomenina mostbeautiful simile:
They (yourwives) areyourgarmentand you area garmentforthem.
(Quran Surah Baqarah Ayah 2:187)
Justas a garmenthidesournakedness,sodohusbandandwife,byenteringintothe relationshipof
marriage,secure eachother'schastity.The garmentgivescomforttothe body;sodoesthe husbandfind
comfortin hiswife'scompanyandshe inhis."The garmentis the grace,the beauty,chastityorthe
embellishmentof the body,sotoo are wivestotheirhusbandsastheirhusbandsare to them."Islam
doesnotconsiderwoman "an instrumentof the Devil",butratherthe Quran callshermuhsana - a
fortressagainstSatanbecause a goodwoman,by marryinga man,helpshimkeeptothe path of
righteousnessinhislife.Itisforthisreasonthat marriage was considered byProphetMuhammad (SAW)
as a most virtuousact.He said: "Whena man marries,he has completedone half of hisreligion."He
enjoinedmatrimonyonMuslimsbysaying: "Marriage ispart of my wayand whoeverkeepsawayfrom
my wayis notfrom me (i.e.is notmy follower)." The Quranhas giventhe reasonforthe existenceof
marriage inthe followingwords:
And among His signsis this, thatHe hascreated foryou matesfromamong yourselves,thatyou
may dwell in tranquilitywith them;and He hasputlove and mercy between you.Verily in that

2. are signsforthosewho reflect.
(QuranSurah Ar-Rum30:21)
Before the adventof Islamwomenwere oftentreatedworse thananimals.The Prophet(SAW) wanted
to put a stopto all crueltiestowomen.He preachedkindness towardsthem.He toldthe Muslims: "Fear
Allah in respectof women." And:"Thebestof you are they who behavebestto their wives." And:"A
Muslimmust nothatehis wife,and if hebe displeased with onebad quality in her, let himbe pleased
with onethatis good."And:"Themorecivil and kind a Muslimis to his wife,the more perfectin faith he
is."
The Prophet(SAW) wasmostemphaticinenjoininguponMuslimstobe kindtotheirwomenwhenhe
deliveredhisfamousKhutbahonthe Mountof Mercy at Arafatinthe presence of one hundred
thousandof hisCompanionswhohadgatheredthere forthe Hajj al-Wada(Farewell Pilgrimage).Inhis
Khutbahhe orderedthose present,andthroughthemall those Muslimswhowere tocome later,tobe
respectful andkind towardswomen.He said:
"Fear Allah regarding women.Verily you havemarried them with the trustof Allah,and made
their bodieslawfulwith the word of Allah.You havegot(rights) overthem,and they havegot
(rights) overyou in respect of their food and clothing according to yourmeans."]
The predominantideainthe teachingsof Islamwithregardtomenand womenisthata
husbandandwife shouldbe full-fledgedpartnersinmakingtheirhome ahappyandprosperous
place,thattheyshouldbe loyal andfaithful toone another,andgenuinelyinterestedineach
other'swelfare andthe welfare of theirchildren.A womanisexpectedtoexercise ahumanizing
influenceoverherhusbandandtosoftenthe sternnessinherentinhisnature.A manisenjoined
to educate the womeninhiscare so that theycultivate the qualitiesinwhichthey,bytheirvery
nature,excel.
The Shari'ah requiresaman,as headof the family,toconsultwithhisfamilyandthentohave
the final sayin decisionsconcerningit.Indoingso he mustnot abuse hisprerogative tocause
any injurytohiswife.Anywrongdoingof thisprincipleinvolvesforhimthe riskof losingthe
favorof Allah,because hiswifeisnothissubordinate butshe is,touse the wordsof the Prophet
(peace be upon him), 'thequeen of her house', and thisisthe positionatrue Muslimisexpected
to give hiswife.Incontrastto these enlightenedteachingsof Islaminrespectof women,
Westerntalkof women'sliberationoremancipationisactuallyadisguisedformof exploitation
of herbody,dispossessionof herhonor,anddeprivationof hersoul.
ProphetMuhammadsaid, "Do not beatthe femaleservantsof Allah;" "Some(women) visited my
family complaining abouttheirhusbands(beatingthem).These(husbands) arenot thebestof
you"and "[is it nota shamethat] oneof you beatshiswife like [an unscrupulousperson] beatsa
slaveand maybesleeps withher at the end of theday." (RiyadhAl-Saliheeen,p137-140). In
anotherHadiththe Prophet(SAW) said,"...How does anyoneof you beathiswife ashe beatsthe

3. stallion camel and then he may embrace(sleep with) her?..."(SahihAl-Bukhari,vol.8,Hadith68,
p.42-43).
Violence againstwomenisnotanIslamictradition.ProphetMuhammad(peace andblessingsbe upon
him) instructedMuslimsregardingwomen,"Icommandyouto be kindto women."He saidalso,"The
bestof youisthe bestto hisfamily(wife).The Quranurgeshusbandstobe kindand considerate totheir
wives,evenif awife fallsoutof favorwithherhusband or disinclinationforherariseswithinhim.Italso
outlawedthe pre-Islamicpractice of inheritingwomenaspartof the estate of the deceased.
By
IbrahimB. Syed,Ph.D.
PresidentIslamic Research Foundation International,Inc.
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