Early Years: In the Quran
For its time, the Quran greatly improved the conditions for women in Muslim society. It prohibited the infanticide of unwanted female newborns, made the education of girls a priority, gave women the right to own and inherit property, and stated that women were entitled to sexual satisfaction. Socially, they had far more rights than most women of the time and enjoyed more freedoms than ever before (Beyer, 2001).
However, the Quran also established a system of laws that secured women’s inequality on the legal front. These laws include decrees that daughters are allotted only half the inheritance of sons, a woman’s testimony in court is worth half of a man’s, the murder of a man is more severe than the murder of a woman, men are allowed four spouses but women are allowed one, divorce for a woman should be much harder to attain than for a man, and wife beating is acceptable as women are inherently unequal and should be submissive to men (Beyer, 2001).
The Quran also instructs women to dress modestly to liberate themselves from the unwanted attention of men. This is adhered to in varying degrees in different Islamic societies, and in most, coverings are considered optional. Some Islamic societies, however, enforce the veiling of women and require women to be completely covered in order to ease the temptation of men (Women in Islam).
For its time, the Quran greatly improved the conditions for women in Muslim society. It prohibited the infanticide of unwanted female newborns, made the education of girls a priority, gave women the right to own and inherit property, and stated that women were entitled to sexual satisfaction. Socially, they had far more rights than most women of the time and enjoyed more freedoms than ever before (Beyer, 2001).
However, the Quran also established a system of laws that secured women’s inequality on the legal front. These laws include decrees that daughters are allotted only half the inheritance of sons, a woman’s testimony in court is worth half of a man’s, the murder of a man is more severe than the murder of a woman, men are allowed four spouses but women are allowed one, divorce for a woman should be much harder to attain than for a man, and wife beating is acceptable as women are inherently unequal and should be submissive to men (Beyer, 2001).
The Quran also instructs women to dress modestly to liberate themselves from the unwanted attention of men. This is adhered to in varying degrees in different Islamic societies, and in most, coverings are considered optional. Some Islamic societies, however, enforce the veiling of women and require women to be completely covered in order to ease the temptation of men (Women in Islam).
|
In The Law Today
Many Muslim-majority societies are governed to varying degrees by sharia law which is based, sometimes very loosely, on Islamic scripture. Most scholars will argue that these laws are less a product of the Islamic faith and more a result of social and cultural assumptions and practices that lead to flawed interpretations of sacred text. Patriarchal values that are rooted in many Middle Eastern cultures are more to blame for gender inequalities than Islamic scripture and law (Women in Islam).
Strict interpretations of sharia law by these traditionalist societies require that all women have a guardian to which they are subservient, whether that be her husband or, if unmarried, her nearest male relative, including one’s oldest son. This requires her to have a man’s permission to leave the house, get a job, or engage in any form of fasting or prayer. Muslim women living in countries that are not governed solely by sharia law are not forced to adhere to these rules unless they choose to do so under personal Islamic law. Women living in countries where sharia is the law of the land however, like Saudi Arabia, must obey these religious laws that are enforced by the government and police (Friedland, 2014.
The strictest interpretations of sharia law and the harshest environments for women continues to be governments controlled by terrorist organizations like the Taliban, and not democratic governments. In places like Iran, however, women enjoy considerably more freedom and hold jobs, drive cars, own property, vote, and hold public office. They make up a significant portion of the work force, college students, and government officials. In this way, women's freedoms and rights depend largely on their countries' interpretation of Islamic law (Friedland, 2014).
Many Muslim-majority societies are governed to varying degrees by sharia law which is based, sometimes very loosely, on Islamic scripture. Most scholars will argue that these laws are less a product of the Islamic faith and more a result of social and cultural assumptions and practices that lead to flawed interpretations of sacred text. Patriarchal values that are rooted in many Middle Eastern cultures are more to blame for gender inequalities than Islamic scripture and law (Women in Islam).
Strict interpretations of sharia law by these traditionalist societies require that all women have a guardian to which they are subservient, whether that be her husband or, if unmarried, her nearest male relative, including one’s oldest son. This requires her to have a man’s permission to leave the house, get a job, or engage in any form of fasting or prayer. Muslim women living in countries that are not governed solely by sharia law are not forced to adhere to these rules unless they choose to do so under personal Islamic law. Women living in countries where sharia is the law of the land however, like Saudi Arabia, must obey these religious laws that are enforced by the government and police (Friedland, 2014.
The strictest interpretations of sharia law and the harshest environments for women continues to be governments controlled by terrorist organizations like the Taliban, and not democratic governments. In places like Iran, however, women enjoy considerably more freedom and hold jobs, drive cars, own property, vote, and hold public office. They make up a significant portion of the work force, college students, and government officials. In this way, women's freedoms and rights depend largely on their countries' interpretation of Islamic law (Friedland, 2014).
Early Education
The Quran emphasizes the need and importance of women’s education, and in the early years of Islam this was adhered to in the form of many women attending religious lectures and study sessions in local public places (Alikarami, 2015). Women also played an important role in the opening of large public religious universities as they campaigned and organized higher education. In the Golden Age of Islam, women often received religious degrees and many became religious teachers. Islamic women were ahead of the rest of the world at this time in this regard (Lindsay 2005).
Modern Education
Today, a return to patriarchal values in some Islamic societies has seen a reversal of previous progress made towards women’s education. Some Islamic majority countries restrict girls’ access to secular education, with a large number of countries with the highest gender gap in education being Islamic nations. However, this trend is not universal in Islamic culture. In countries like Turkey, Jordan, and Malaysia, universities are predominantly female and women go on to hold important government and economic positions, with several Muslim majority countries like Pakistan, Indonesia, Turkey, and Kosovo having female heads of state long before many Western countries (Lindsay 2005).
For more information about education in Islam, click here
The Quran emphasizes the need and importance of women’s education, and in the early years of Islam this was adhered to in the form of many women attending religious lectures and study sessions in local public places (Alikarami, 2015). Women also played an important role in the opening of large public religious universities as they campaigned and organized higher education. In the Golden Age of Islam, women often received religious degrees and many became religious teachers. Islamic women were ahead of the rest of the world at this time in this regard (Lindsay 2005).
Modern Education
Today, a return to patriarchal values in some Islamic societies has seen a reversal of previous progress made towards women’s education. Some Islamic majority countries restrict girls’ access to secular education, with a large number of countries with the highest gender gap in education being Islamic nations. However, this trend is not universal in Islamic culture. In countries like Turkey, Jordan, and Malaysia, universities are predominantly female and women go on to hold important government and economic positions, with several Muslim majority countries like Pakistan, Indonesia, Turkey, and Kosovo having female heads of state long before many Western countries (Lindsay 2005).
For more information about education in Islam, click here
References
Alikarami, L. (2015, March 11). How Iranian Women Are Using Sharia To Their Benefit. Retrieved from Iran Pulse: http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2015/02/iran-sharia-womens-rights-equality.html#
Beyer, L. (2001, November 25). The Women of Islam. Retrieved from TIME: http://content.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,185647-3,00.html
Countries with Sharia. [Digital image]. Retrieved from https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Countries_with_Sharia_rule.png. Available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0
Friedland, E. (2014, February 19). Women's Rights Under Sharia. Retrieved from http://www.clarionproject.org/understanding-islamism/womens-rights-under-sharia
Lindsay, James E. (2005). Daily Life in the Medieval Islamic World. Greenwood Publishing Group. pp. 196, 198
Milo, Giuseppe. (2013). Enjoining the mosque. [Digital image]. Retrieved from https://flic.kr/p/jcvx9G. Available under Creative Commons Attribution 2.0
Piwowarski, Cezary. (2008). The Quran, declared to be Saudi Arabia's constitution. [Digital image]. Retrieved from https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Koran.JPG. Available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0
Snood, Adrian. (2014). Muslim women in Convent Garden, London. [Digital image]. Retrieved from https://flic.kr/p/nZcWSe. Available under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 2.0
UK Department for International Development. (2011). Pakistani school girls in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. [Digital image]. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women_in_Islam#/media/File:Girls_in_school_in_Khyber_Pakhtunkhwa,_Pakistan_(7295675962).jpg. Available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0
Women and Islam. (n.d.). In The Oxford Dictionary of Islam online. Retrieved from http://www.oxfordislamicstudies.com/article/opr/t125/e2510
Alikarami, L. (2015, March 11). How Iranian Women Are Using Sharia To Their Benefit. Retrieved from Iran Pulse: http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2015/02/iran-sharia-womens-rights-equality.html#
Beyer, L. (2001, November 25). The Women of Islam. Retrieved from TIME: http://content.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,185647-3,00.html
Countries with Sharia. [Digital image]. Retrieved from https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Countries_with_Sharia_rule.png. Available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0
Friedland, E. (2014, February 19). Women's Rights Under Sharia. Retrieved from http://www.clarionproject.org/understanding-islamism/womens-rights-under-sharia
Lindsay, James E. (2005). Daily Life in the Medieval Islamic World. Greenwood Publishing Group. pp. 196, 198
Milo, Giuseppe. (2013). Enjoining the mosque. [Digital image]. Retrieved from https://flic.kr/p/jcvx9G. Available under Creative Commons Attribution 2.0
Piwowarski, Cezary. (2008). The Quran, declared to be Saudi Arabia's constitution. [Digital image]. Retrieved from https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Koran.JPG. Available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0
Snood, Adrian. (2014). Muslim women in Convent Garden, London. [Digital image]. Retrieved from https://flic.kr/p/nZcWSe. Available under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 2.0
UK Department for International Development. (2011). Pakistani school girls in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. [Digital image]. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women_in_Islam#/media/File:Girls_in_school_in_Khyber_Pakhtunkhwa,_Pakistan_(7295675962).jpg. Available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0
Women and Islam. (n.d.). In The Oxford Dictionary of Islam online. Retrieved from http://www.oxfordislamicstudies.com/article/opr/t125/e2510