Women and Islamic Civilization
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Religion is the belief in and worship of supernatural deity powers. The term also refers to how human beings relate to what they regard as holy. The beliefs are of Gods or anything that can be considered sacred. Religious beliefs vary across the world, and this has contributed to the existence of different religions. Many people choose the religious beliefs they feel comfortable with, conforming with their faith patterns, or meeting their spiritual and emotional needs. Some also choose a religion based on environmental factors and influences. An example of religion is Islam, which is focused on their belief in monotheism (Alhareth, 2015). They believe that God sent all prophets on earth to deliver the message of monotheism to humankind.
In the Islamic religion, gender plays different roles. Thus similar to their male counterparts, the women have specific roles ascribed to them within their religious circles. For example, the women in the Islamic religion are believed to be mothers, and that paradise exists under their feet. The Islamic religion also believes that women should be well taken care of because they are a symbol of peace. Therefore, religion respects and honors the existence of women and stipulates their roles and responsibilities. However, Muslims as a religion are also patriarchal. Therefore, the male4s in most countries still have authority over women, which sometimes deprives the women of their rights. According to Muslim men. This authority ensures that women are not overburdened by the issues and concerns that men should be addressed by men (Alhareth, 2015). Therefore, men do not want to give up authority as an approach to having control over their women.
Women in the Islamic community are expected to play motherly roles to their spouses and children. The role includes ensuring the spouse and children are comfortable. The women are expected to successfully achieve this role because they were given a heart full of love by Allah, who is believed to be a supreme being. They, therefore, possess peace and mercy that are essential factors in family comfort. The religion also accords the woman the responsibility of believing in Allah. As the mother of the house, the woman should also possess faith in Allah and the prophets sent by God regardless of her family members’ beliefs. Instead of considering their different opinions and beliefs, she is expected to influence their beliefs towards Allah. To effectively relay Islamic information to her family members and community, the woman is expected to learn Islamic teachings (Alhareth, 2015). The information also helps to guide her actions and those of other people from evil.
Due to her family position, there are values believed to be specified by Allah that the woman has to attain. For example, An Islamic woman is expected to cover her whole body except for the hands and face (Douglas, 2019). Only the women who are forbidden from marriage are excluded. The rule is a way of ensuring purity and honor amongst Islamic women. The women are also ascribed gentle roles within the society because of their childbearing and mothering abilities. The consideration is based on the fact that women ensure the continuity of the human race and should be respected in society.
Apart from the roles of women in Islamic society, they also enjoy some rights. Most societies still consider women as the lesser gender and ascribe power and authority over them to the males. For example, in the Islamic religion, society believes that both men and women are equal and should be treated equally. The religion considers males and females as twins because the same Allah created both sexes. For this reason, women enjoy similar rights to men in society.
On the other hand, women also receive the same punitive measures as men. An example is a punishment accorded to those who are accused of adultery (Alhareth, 2015). It is therefore vital for Islamic women to live by the sharia laws in all life aspects.
Islamic women are also entitled to the right to education. Therefore the search for knowledge in Islamic society is considered mandatory. Even the slave females within Islamic society get a decent education to be later married officially (Douglas, 2019). Similar to men, Islamic women are also allowed to participate in businesses and economic activities. However, this is on condition that the spouse or the close relatives do not support her.
Due to many religions, like Christianity and Hinduism, There are several misconceptions across religions. The disparity is contributed by the lack of understanding of each other’s religious beliefs. Some misconceptions result from the conflicts and superiority complexes among believers. Cultural and traditional differences also lead to confusion. For example, Islamic women are misconceived to be mistreated by their male counterparts. The claim is wrong since the Quaran is against the abuse of women. Most people also believe that Muslim women’s information is not believed compared to their counterparts (Douglas, 2019). However, this is not true because, in the Islamic community, information from male and female is treated equally. The exceptions only exist in financial transactions because there are cases where two females represent a male as a witness. It is also a common belief that the Islamic religion encourages polygamy while the Quran criticizes polygamy. Another misconception is that the Islamic religion supports women’s killing, yet the Quran condemns all forms of murder.
Similar to the Islamic religion, all religions are associated with myths and misconceptions. Therefore people must understand the differences that exist in religious backgrounds. The understanding will reduce the myths and misconceptions associated with various religious beliefs. The approach will also promote relationships between believers of different religions.
Al Alhareth, Y., Al Alhareth, Y., & Al Dighrir, I. (2015). Review of women and society in Saudi Arabia. American Journal of Educational Research, 3(2), 121-125.http://article.scieducationalresearch.com/pdf/EDUCATION-3-2-3.pdf
Barlas, A. (2019). Believing women in Islam: Unreading patriarchal interpretations of the Qur’an. University of Texas Press.
Malti-Douglas, F. (2019). Woman’s body, woman’s word: gender and discourse in Arabo-Islamic writing. Princeton University Press.