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Women in Christianity and Islam Whenever the topic of Islam is brought up among
Westerners, it has been my experience that the first objection that immediately
springs into their minds is: "But women are so extremely oppressed in
Islam." And, "But women are second class citizens in Islam." For
example, they see that Muslim women usually observe modest standards in their
clothing and they automatically equate their modesty with oppression. They
appear to feel that freedom is in some way directly proportional to how little
clothing one wears, and that oppression is directly proportional to the degree
of modesty one exhibits in their clothing. Although this topic does not
directly relate to the main topic of this book, still it seems inevitable to
touch on this subject even if only very briefly due to it's importance. The problem is twofold: First of all, those people
who make such objections usually only have a very superficial knowledge of what
the true teachings of Islam, and secondly, they do not realize what The Bible
requires of all believing women. I was once passing through Canada with my parent's
in law and their family. As we walked down the street a Canadian Christian girl
(in her late teens to early twenties) passed by us with a group of her friends.
She looked at my mother in law who was dressed in modest clothing and had a
large scarf wrapped around her head such that only her face was showing. She
then stopped my mother in law and said words to the effect of: "Why do you
allow your men to oppress you? Why do you wear these clothes?" Now, my mother in law is a university graduate, a
straight A student, highly respected by her peers, and gainfully employed as an
inspector of the public educational system back in my home country. My mother
in law has also distinguished herself in her study of the English language and
it's grammatical structure. However, she did not have an extensive working
knowledge of American and Canadian pronunciation and slang, and thus, she
missed the tone with which this question was delivered to her. I decided to move a reasonable distance away and let
her handle this situation herself. My mother in law was very happy to answer
this girl's question and went on to explain to her about our religion and
customs and how we prefer to dress modestly, and that Allah Almighty requires
us to do this. However, this was not the answer this girl was looking for so
she retorted: "Thanks for sharing!," then spun around and stormed
off. Now, in my home country, our elders are quite used
to being highly respected by those who are younger than them and being served
by them. For this reason, it did not even occur to my mother in law that this
question could have been anything more than a young girl respectfully asking an
innocent question of a trusted elder, and I hated to tell her otherwise. I
would have hated for her to leave Canada thinking that all Canadians or all
Christians speak this way to their elders since I know that this is not the
true case. However, this episode did indeed sadden me. Many non-Muslims feel sorry for any Muslim women
they see adorned in their modest clothing. They feel that they are deprived the
freedom to roam around in more scant and revealing clothing. Anyone who lives
in a manner other that which they have become accustomed to is seen by them to
be oppressed and forced to live in this manner. There are certain tribes in the
Amazon jungle, in Australia, and in Africa that have become accustomed to
walking around in a simple g-string around their waist. What would the people
of the West say if these people were to condemn the Western habit of
"forcing" their women to wear "excessive amounts of
clothing" and to demand that all women in the west immediately stop
wearing anything but the simplest g-string around their waist? What if they
were to say that the Western society should immediately stop unjustly
persecuting their women and preventing them from freely roaming the streets
wearing only a pair of socks? They would say that the people making these
demands have no morals or shame. Philosophers would have a field day with such
a question. What if someone were to claim that it was immoral,
discriminatory, and unjust to separate men and women in different public
bathrooms just as it is not just to do so with blacks and whites. What if this
person were to then call (in the interest of equality, fairness, and
constitutional freedom of course) for a merging of men and women's bathrooms
into one "unisex" or "equal-opportunity" bathrooms for both
men and women? Once again, the philosophers would have a field day. Anyone who
follows the news will see that this may indeed be where the USA is now headed.
In the New York Post (31 Aug. 1994 or a little before) it was reported that
women have now won the right to appear topless in the New York subway system.
Where will the USA be a few years from now? That is anyone's guess. Who has the power to determine what is decent and
modest clothing? Who is to determine what is decent and modest behavior?
Muslims assign this right to God alone. This is the essence of
"Islam." "Islam" means "The submission to the will of
God." What God commands, a Muslim does. They do not demand that God
justify his commands before they accept them. Once they have verified that a
command is indeed from God then they abide by it without hesitation. We can indeed find this lesson in the story of Adam.
In the Islamic version of the story of Adam (slightly different than that of
Judaism/Christianity), Adam and Eve were created by God, educated, clothed, and
then allowed to inhabit heaven. God told them that they could have anything
their hearts desired except they must not eat from the tree. Out of envy, the
devil encouraged them to eat from the tree and told them that its fruit would
make them angles or immortal. They ate from the tree and immediately, their
bodies were revealed to one another, so they took to scooping up the leaves off
the trees in order to cover themselves. This is when Allah sent them down to
earth. What mankind learned from this lesson is that just because a person does
not know the wisdom behind a command of God, and others tell him to disobey it,
then if they do not abide by it, by the time the reason for the command is made
apparent to them it may be too late. Well then, what is the Biblical view on these
matters? Actually, even in this day and age there still remains a trace in
Christianity of the common ancestry with Islam with regard to the accepted
norms of modest dress for Christian women as ordained by her Creator. In the above
figure we have an example of the sort of dress codes observed by Christian
nuns. We are strangely amazed to find that it is almost the striking similarity
it bears to the sort of outfit that most Muslim women wear. Why is that? Well,
although there is quite a number of very pronounced differences between
Biblical and Qur’anic laws in this regard, let us start with the Biblical view: What the New Testament has to say: 1 Timothy 2:11-14 "Let the woman learn in silence with
all subjection. But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over
the man, but to be in silence. For Adam was first formed, then Eve. And Adam
was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression." 1 Corinthians 14:34 "Let your women keep
silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they
are commanded to be under obedience as also saith the law. And if they will
learn any thing, let them ask their husbands at home: for it is a shame for
women to speak in the church." 1 Corinthians 11:5-10: "But every woman that
prayeth or prophesieth with her head uncovered dishonoureth her head: for that
is even all one as if she were shaven. For if the woman be not covered, let her
also be shorn: but if it be a shame for a woman to be shorn or shaven, let her
be covered. For a man indeed ought not to cover his head, forasmuch as he is
the image and glory of God: but the woman is the glory of the man. For the man
is not of the woman: but the woman of the man. Neither was the man created for
the woman; but the woman for the man. For this cause ought the woman to have
power on her head because of the angels." 1 Corinthians 11:13: "Judge in yourselves:
is it comely that a woman pray unto God (with her head) uncovered?" What the Old Testament has to say: Genesis 3:12-16 "And the man (Adam) said, The woman
(Eve) whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat.
And the LORD God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the
woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat. And the LORD God said unto
the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and
above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt
thou eat all the days of thy life: And I will put enmity between thee and the
woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou
shalt bruise his heel. Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy
sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy
desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee." Leviticus 12:2-5 "Speak unto the children of Israel,
saying, If a woman have conceived seed, and born a MALE child: then she shall
be unclean SEVEN DAYS; according to the days of the separation for her
infirmity shall she be unclean. And in the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin
shall be circumcised. And she shall then continue in the blood of her purifying
THIRTY THREE days; she shall touch no hallowed thing, nor come into the
sanctuary, until the days of her purifying be fulfilled. But if she bear a
FEMALE child, then she shall be unclean TWO WEEKS, as in her separation: and
she shall continue in the blood of her purifying SIXTY SIX days." Ecclesiastics 7:26-28 "And I find more
bitter than death the woman who is a snare, whose heart is a trap and whose
hands are chains. The man who pleases God will escape her, but the sinner she will ensnare.... while
I was still searching but not finding, I found one upright man among a thousand
but not one upright woman among them all". Leviticus 15:19-30 "And if a woman have an issue (her
period/menses), [and] her issue in her flesh be blood, she shall be put apart
seven days: and whosoever toucheth her shall be unclean until the even. And
every thing that she lieth upon in her separation shall be unclean: every thing
also that she sitteth upon shall be unclean. And whosoever toucheth her bed
shall wash his clothes, and bathe [himself] in water, and be unclean until the
even. And whosoever toucheth any thing that she sat upon shall wash his
clothes, and bathe [himself] in water, and be unclean until the even. And if it
[be] on [her] bed, or on any thing whereon she sitteth, when he toucheth it, he
shall be unclean until the even. And if any man lie with her at all, and her
flowers be upon him, he shall be unclean seven days; and all the bed whereon he
lieth shall be unclean. And if a woman have an issue of her blood many days out
of the time of her separation, or if it run beyond the time of her separation;
all the days of the issue of her uncleanness shall be as the days of her
separation: she [shall be] unclean. Every bed whereon she lieth all the days of
her issue shall be unto her as the bed of her separation: and whatsoever she
sitteth upon shall be unclean, as the uncleanness of her separation. And
whosoever toucheth those things shall be unclean, and shall wash his clothes,
and bathe [himself] in water, and be unclean until the even. But if she be cleansed of her issue, then she shall
number to herself seven days, and after that she shall be clean. And on the
eighth day she shall take unto her two turtles, or two young pigeons, and bring
them unto the priest, to the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. And
the priest shall offer the one [for] a sin offering, and the other [for] a
burnt offering; and the priest shall make an atonement for her before the LORD
for the issue of her uncleanness." In other words, the Bible teaches us that: Ø Women should learn in
silence and subjugation. Ø Women should not teach. Ø Women should not have
authority over men but should remain silent. Ø Adam and Eve were not equal
in sin. Adam was not deceived but Eve was. Ø Women are commanded to be
under obedience to men. God ordained that men should for all time rule over
women Ø Women must keep silent in
Churches. It is shameful for them to open their mouths therein. If they have a
question they should ask their husbands before going to church and then their
husbands will ask for them in the church. Ø A woman should neither pray
nor profess with her head uncovered. If a woman prays with her head uncovered
then she might as well shave her head. Ø Man was created in the image
and glory of God, and Woman was created in the glory of Man, thus Man must have
power over her. Ø Any woman who delivers a
male baby shall be unclean for one week. But any woman who delivers a female
baby shall be unclean for TWO weeks. Thus, females make their mothers DOUBLY
unclean as compared to males. Ø While it is possible to find
one upright man in every thousand, it is impossible to find even one single
upright woman in every thousand. Ø Woman is a snare, her heart
is a trap, and her hands are chains. The man who pleases God will escape her,
but she will ensnare the sinner. Ø If a woman had her period
and touches a chair or a bed or anything else then that item immediately
becomes unclean. Anyone who then touches those things shall also become
unclean. They must then bathe themselves and wash their clothes because they
have touched an item that a menstruous woman has touched. What the canonized saints of Christianity
said about women: Ø "Woman is a daughter of
falsehood, a sentinel of Hell, the enemy of peace; through her Adam lost
paradise" (St. John Demascene) Ø "Woman is the
instrument which the devil uses to gain possession of our souls" (St.
Cyprian) Ø "Woman is the fountain
of the arm of the devil, her voice is the hissing of the serpent" (St.
Anthony) Ø "Woman has the poison
of an asp, the malice of a dragon" (St. Gregory) St. Tertullian, while he was talking to his 'best
beloved sisters' in the faith, he said, "Do you not know that you are each
an Eve? The sentence of God on this sex of yours lives in this age: the guilt
must of necessity live too. You are the Devil's gateway: You are the unsealer
of the forbidden tree: You are the first deserter of the divine law: You are
she who persuaded him whom the devil wasn't valiant enough to attack. You
destroyed so easily God's image, man." Once again, St. Augustine wrote to
a friend, "What is the difference whether it is in a wife or a mother, it
is still Eve the temptress that we must beware of in any woman." Centuries
later, St. Thomas Aquinas still considered women as defective, "As regards
the individual nature, woman is defective and misbegotten, for the active force
in the male seed tends to the production of a perfect likeness in the masculine
sex; while the production of woman comes from a defect in the active force or
from some material indisposition, or even from some external influence."
(all these quotations can be found in Karen Armstrong's book, The Gospel
According to Woman, London: Elm Tree Books, 1986, pp. 52-62. See also Nancy van
Vuuren, The Subversion of Women as Practiced by Churches, Witch-Hunters, and
Other Sexists Philadelphia: Westminster Press pp.28-30.) Orthodox Jewish men in their daily morning prayer
recite, "Blessed be God King of the universe that Thou has not made me a
woman." The women, on the other hand, thank God every morning for
"making me according to Thy will" (Thena Kendath, "Memories of
an Orthodox youth" in Susannah Heschel, ed. On being a Jewish Feminist,
New York: Schocken Books, 1983, pp. 96-97) According to the Jewish Talmud, "women are
exempt from the study of the Torah." In the first century C.E., Rabbi
Eliezer said: "If any man teaches his daughter Torah it is as though he
taught her lechery" (Leonard J. Swidler, Women in Judaism: the Status of
Women in Formative Judaism, Metuchen, N.J: Scarecrow Press, 1976, pp. 83-93) According to Rabbi Dr. Menachem M. Brayer (Professor
of Biblical Literature at Yeshiva University) in his book 'The Jewish woman in
Rabbinic literature', it was the custom of Jewish women to go out in public
with a head covering which, sometimes, even covered the whole face leaving one
eye free (Psychosocial Perspective, Hoboken, N.J: Ktav Publishing House, 1986,
p. 239). He quotes some famous ancient Rabbis saying, "It is not like the
daughters of Israel to walk out with heads uncovered" and "Cursed be
the man who lets the hair of his wife be seen....a woman who exposes her hair
for self-adornment brings poverty." Rabbinic law forbids the recitation of
blessings or prayers in the presence of a bareheaded married woman since
uncovering the woman's hair is considered "nudity" (Ibid., pp.
316-317. Also see Swidler, op. cit.,pp. 121-123). Dr. Brayer also mentions,
"During the Tannaitic period the Jewish woman's failure to cover her head
was considered an affront to her modesty. When her head was uncovered she might
be fined four hundred zuzim for this offense." Dr. Brayer also explains
that veil of the Jewish woman wasn't always considered a sign of modesty.
Sometimes, the veil symbolized a state of distinction and luxury rather than
modesty. The veil personified the dignity and superiority of noble women. It,
also, represented a woman's inaccessibility as a sanctified possession of her
husband (24. Ibid., p. 139). It is clear in the Old Testament that uncovering a
woman's head was a great disgrace and that's why the priest had to uncover the
suspected adulteress in her trial by ordeal (Numbers 5:16-18). St. Tertullian in his famous treatise 'On The
Veiling Of Virgins' wrote, "Young women, you wear your veils out on the
streets, so you should wear them in the church, you wear them when you are
among strangers, then wear them among your brothers..." Among the Canon
laws of the Catholic church today, there is a law that require women to cover
their heads in church (Clara M. Henning, " Cannon Law and the Battle of
the Sexes" in Rosemary R. Ruether, ed., Religion and Sexism: Images of
Woman in the Jewish and Christian Traditions, New York: Simon and Schuster,
1974, p. 272.). Some Christian denominations, such as the Amish and
the Mennonites for example, keep their women veiled to the present day. The
reason for the veil, as offered by their Church leaders, is "The head
covering is a symbol of woman's subjection to the man and to God" : The
same logic introduced by St. Paul in the New Testament (Donald B. Kraybill, The
riddle of the Amish Culture, Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1989,
p. 56.) Russian Orthodox women are expected to wear a head
covering when in the church. Most don't outside of it in America, but many in
Russia and many other eastern Orthodox women all over eastern Europe, Greece,
and the middle east do wear scarves on their heads all the time when in public These are only a small sampling. For many more
similar quotations please obtain a copy of the 70 page book "Women in
Islam Versus Women in the Judaeo-Christian Tradition: The Myth & The
Reality," By Dr. Sherif Abdel Azeem, World Assembly of Muslim Youth. Continuing, according to the Old Testament, a
childless widow must marry her husband's brother, even if he is already married
and regardless of her consent, so that she might bear a child from him (Genesis
38). Further, according to the Bible: "If a man happens to meet a virgin who is not
pledged to be married and rapes her and they are discovered, he shall pay the
girl's father fifty shekels of silver. He must marry the girl, for he has
violated her. He can never divorce her as long as he lives" Deuteronomy
22:28-30 One must ask a simple question here, who is really
punished, the man who raped the woman or the woman who was raped? What is to
prevent someone from finding the best looking woman in town, raping her,
telling everyone about it, and then having the courts force her to be his wife
for the rest of her life? According to Numbers 27:1-11, widows and
sisters don't inherit at all. Daughters can inherit only if their deceased
father had no sons. So what is the standpoint of the Qur'an with regard
to women? Women are indeed commanded by Allah to cover their heads and wear
modest clothing, however, in Islam this is not a sign of denigration or subjugation
to men, rather, it is a sign of chastity, modesty, and the fear of God. It also
designates this woman to all men who might deal with her that she is to be
dealt with respect. This could be compared to the situation in the West when
one meets a nun or priest, how the nun's habit and the priest's robes signal
those who meet them that this person does not condone vulgarity of speech or
evil actions. This is made apparent in the Qur'an in Al-Ahzab: "
that is closer to their being recognized so that they shall not be abused, and
Allah is ever Forgiving, Merciful" Al-Ahzab(33):59 (also see Noor(24):31) What about the rights of women in Islam? Are they
indeed, as the popular propaganda would have us believe, "second class
citizens"? Let us read the Qur'an: "And they (women) have rights similar to those
of men over them in a just manner" The noble Qur'an, Al-Baqarah(2):228 "And their Lord has heard them (and He says):
Verily! I suffer not the work of any worker, male or female, to be lost. You
precede one from another. So those who fled and were driven forth from their
homes and suffered damage for my cause, and fought and were slain, verily I
shall remit their evil deeds from them and verily I shall bring them into
Gardens underneath which rivers flow, A reward from Allah. And with Allah is
the fairest of rewards." The noble Qur'an, A'al-Umran(3):195. "And covet not the thing in which Allah has
made some of you excel others. Unto men a fortune from that which they have
earned, and unto women a fortune from that which they have earned. (Envy not
one another) but ask Allah of His bounty. Verily! Allah is Knower of all
things." The noble Qur'an, Al-Nissa(4):32. "Unto the men (of a family) belongs a share of
that which parents and near kindred leave, and unto the women a share of that
which parents and near kindred leave, whether it be little or much, a legal
share." The noble Qur'an, Al-Nissa(4):77. "And whoso does good works, whether of male or
female, and he (or she) is a believer, such will enter paradise and they will
not be wronged the dint in a date stone." The noble Qur'an, Al-Nissa(4):124. "And the believers, men and women, are
protecting friends one of another; they enjoin the right and forbid the wrong,
and they establish worship and they pay the poor-due, and they obey Allah and
His messenger. As for these, Allah will have mercy on them. Lo! Allah is
Mighty, Wise." The noble Qur'an, Al-Tauba(9):71 "Whosoever does right, whether male or female,
and is a believer, him verily be shall quicken with good life, and we shall pay
them a recompense in proportion to the best of what they used to do." The
noble Qur'an, Al-Nahil(16):97. "And of His signs is this: He created for you
spouses from yourselves that you might find tranquillity in them, and He
ordained between you love and mercy. Lo, herein indeed are signs for folk who
reflect." The noble Qur'an, Al-Room(30):21 "Whoso does an ill deed, he will be repaid the
like thereof, while whoso does right, whether male or female, and is a
believer, (all) such will enter the Garden, where they will be nourished
without stint." The noble Qur'an, Mumin(40):40. In the Qur'an, both Adam and Eve share the blame for
eating from the tree. This can be seen in the Qur'an in such verses as Al-Baqarah(2):36,
Al-A'araf(7):22-24. They were also both forgiven by God Almighty for
this sin. Actually, in one verse of the Qur'an (Taha(20):121), Adam is
specifically blamed. Islam encourages spouses to take each other's
council and to seek mutual agreement in matters which affect them, for example,
in the Qur'an, Al-Bakarah(2):233 we read: "Mothers shall suckle
their children for two whole years; (that is) for those who wish to complete
the suckling. The duty of feeding and clothing nursing mothers in a seemly
manner is upon the father of the child. No one should be charged beyond their
capacity. A mother should not be made to suffer because of her child, nor
should he to whom the child is born (be made to suffer) because of his child.
And on the (father's) heir is incumbent the like of that (which was incumbent
on the father). If they desire to wean the child by mutual consent and (after)
consultation, it is no sin for them; and if you wish to give your children out
to nurse, it is no sin for you, provided that you pay what is due from you in
kindness. Observe your duty to Allah, and know that Allah is Seer of what you
do." Husbands are commanded to treat their wives with
kindness and respect. In Al-Nissa(4)-19 we read "..But consort with
them in kindness, for if you hate them it may happen that you hate a thing
wherein Allah has placed much good." The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said: "The best believers are the best in conduct,
and the best of you are those who are best to their wives." When Muhammad (pbuh) first became the prophet of
Islam, the Pagans of Arabia had inherited a similar disregard for woman as had
been passed down among their Jewish and Christian neighbors. So disgraceful was
it considered among them to be blessed with a female child that they would go
so far as to bury this baby alive in order to avoid the disgrace associated
with female children. Through the teachings of Islam, Muhammad (pbuh) put
a swift and resounding end to this evil practice. Not only did he severely
discourage and condemn this act but he also used to teach them to respect and
cherish their daughters and mothers as partners and sources of salvation for
the men of their family: AbuSa'id al-Khudri narrated: "The Prophet (pbuh) said: If anyone cares for
three daughters, disciplines them, marries them, and does good by them, he will
enter Paradise." (Narrated by Abu-Dawood) Abdullah the son of Abbas narrated: "The Prophet (pbuh) said: If anyone has a
female child, and does not bury her alive, or slight her, or prefer his male
children over her, Allah will bring him into Paradise." (Narrated by Abu-Dawood) Muhammad (pbuh) is also sited in "Sahih
Muslim" as saying: "Whoever maintains two girls till they attain
maturity, he and I will come on the Day of Resurrection like this; and he
joined his fingers". In other words, if one loves the messenger of Allah
and wishes to be with him on the day of resurrection in heaven, then they
should do good by their daughters. To learn more about the rights of women in Islam,
the issue of modest dress codes, the issue of polygamy, and many other issues
which can not be covered here, I highly recommend the following books: Women in Islam Versus Women in the Judaeo-Christian
Tradition: The Myth & The Reality, By Dr. Sherif Abdel Azeem, World
Assembly of Muslim Youth. It can be read here: http://www.islam.org/mosque/w_islam/intro.htm. "The Status of Women in Islam," by Dr.
Jamal A. Badawi, World Assembly of Muslim Youth. This book can be read here: http://www.iad.org/books/S-women.html "Women's rights in Islam," by Lea Zaitoun,
World Assembly of Muslim Youth. "Gender Equity in Islam," by Dr.
Jamal Badawi, World Assembly of Muslim Youth. This book can be read here: http://www.jannah.org/genderequity/. |