Women in Islam: An exegesis - Part 6
20 Nov, 2005
(Part
1 -
Part 2 -
Part 3 -
Part 4 -
Part 5 -
Part 7)
A wife's right to divorce
In part 5 of this essay, I briefly mentioned about the right of an
Islamic woman to divorce her husband through a process called 'khul.'
Do not be fooled by the Islamists' propaganda that a Muslim woman
has the similar rights like an Islamic man in matters of divorce.
Firstly, we must realize that this 'khul' is an expensive process on
the part of an Islamic woman to get rid of her unwanted husband. She
must pay an amount that may (or may not) exceed the amount of mahr
that she received from her husband after the consummation of
marriage. Even when a husband beats her severely by breaking her
bones, she still has to pay the husband to get rid of the tyrant.
What a miscarriage of justice! The victim has to pay the tormentor
for inflicting the pain! There can be no injustice worse than this
type of Islamic tyranny, come to think of it. Under any secular law,
the tyrant will be arrested immediately for the assault and physical
abuse and the perpetrator would be sentenced to jail after the due
process of law.
Secondly, she herself cannot annul the marriage (unlike the husband,
who can); the Islamic judge must decide if she has a valid reason
for the 'khul' or not. That is to say that she does not have the
same right that an Islamic man enjoys in getting rid of his unwanted
wives at his whims and fancies. Get it, readers?
Here is what Malik's Muwatta says on divorce by a woman.
.
A woman has to ransom herself to be free from her tyrannical
husband; she can ransom herself from her husband for more than he
gave her-29.10.32
Book 29, Number 29.10.32:
Yahya related to me from Malik from Nafi from a mawla of Safiyya
bint Abi Ubayd that she gave all that she possessed to her husband
as compensation for her divorce from him, and Abdullah ibn Umar did
not disapprove of that.
Malik said that divorce was ratified for a woman who ransomed
herself from her husband, when it was known that her husband was
detrimental to her and was oppressive for her, and it was known that
he wronged her, and he had to return her property to her. Malik
added, "This is what I have heard, and it is what is done among us."
Malik said, "There is no harm if a woman ransoms herself from her
husband for more than he gave her."
If the wife initiates the divorce then she must return the dower.
A man can take back dower if the woman divorces him...(Sunaan Abu
Dawud 12.2220)
Book 12, Number 2220:
Narrated Aisha, Ummul Mu'minin:
Habibah daughter of Sahl was the wife of Thabit ibn Qays Shimmas He
beat her and broke some of her part. So she came to the Prophet (peace_be_upon_him)
after morning, and complained to him against her husband. The
Prophet (peace_be_upon_him) called on Thabit ibn Qays and said (to
him): Take a part of her property and separate yourself from her. He
asked: Is that right, Apostle of Allah? He said: Yes. He said: I
have given her two gardens of mine as a dower, and they are already
in her possession. The Prophet (peace_be_upon_him) said: Take them
and separate yourself from her.
The divorce of a man by his wife is not a right on her but a
privilege. The women cannot by herself divorce her husband. The wife
needs a judge to annul the marriage.
m11.13 (Ref: 8, p546) wife needs a judge to annul the marriage
The wife is entitled to annul their marriage whenever the husband is
unable to provide her with the support obligatory for a nonaffluent
person to pay (def: m11.2) and provide clothing or housing for her.
If she wishes, she may choose to bear with him (O: supporting
herself with her own money), and it (O: the amount the husband is
unable to pay) remains a financial obligation that he owes her (O:
if she does not wish to tolerate his financial incapacity, she
cannot annul the marriage by herself, but must establish her
husband's inability to support her before the Islamic judge, who
annuls the marriage or allows her to do so, since he is the one
judges the matter (A: and if there is no judge, she has two persons
(def: o21.4) decide))).
However, when the basic food is provided, then the wife cannot seek
the dissolution of marriage.
m11.14 (Ibid, p547) wife cannot annul marriage when the basic food
is provided
The wife is not entitled to annul the marriage when the husband is
unable to provide foods besides the staple food, support her
servant, or provide the support that must be provided by an affluent
person or person between affluence and non-affluence (def: m11.2).
m11.11 (Ibid, p546) if in court then husband's testimony is accepted
as for sexual enjoyment
If the husband and wife disagree (A: in court, when neither has
proof (dis: k8.2)) about whether she received her support from him,
her word is accepted over his. If they disagree as to whether she
allowed him full enjoyment of her person, then his word is accepted
over hers unless he admits that she first made herself available to
him, but claims she then refused, in which case her word is accepted
over his.
Here are few more important features of 'khul' for those who thought
that Islam gives the similar rights to women as that of men (Ref: 9,
p192)
Maliki school-khul is a divorce by giving something in return.
Hanafi school-khul is end of marriage with the utterance of the word
'khul'.
Shafii school-khul is a separation sought with something given in
return and with the pronouncement of the word 'khul'. Can be through
mutual agreement or through the order of Kadi on payment by wife to
the husband a certain amount not exceeding what was given to her as
dower (mahr).
If the husband forces the 'khul' then the wife can keep the mahr.
Khul can be demanded only in extreme cases. Can't be on flimsy
grounds. (My note: the husband does not need any reason to divorce a
wife!)
Hadis "The women asking for separation and 'khul' are hypocrites".(
My note: Men are not)
Khul is makruh ie it is disliked.
It is very much possible for a tyrannical man to marry a pretty lady
in Islamic way. Pay her the mahr and enjoy her sexual organs. After
some time when he gets tired of her, he starts beating her regularly
and mercilessly in Islamic way so much so that she has no choice but
go to an Islamic court for a 'khul.' The Qazi (the Islamic judge)
asks the lady to return her husband the mahr he gave her; then the
Qazi dissolves her marriage. This way the tyrant man got free sex
from a lady. All he needed was to provide her with some living
expenses for a limited period of time. Then he can start his game
again and repeat as many times as he likes. See the beauty of Islam
for men!
Women's right of freedom of
movement
It is a fundamental right of all creatures to have free movement.
Without this freedom, it is impossible to have a civilized society.
What we take for granted as an inalienable right of all human beings
is not so with Islam. It is rather strange that Allah himself is so
displeased with women that He must restrict their movement. What
kind of merciful God is He? Imagine what would happen if a man is
restricted from his freedom of movement. However, an Islamic woman
tolerates such a gross violation of basic human rights in silence
hoping that Allah will reward her for enduring such a jungle rule.
How is it possible for an Islamic woman to be a professional
career-oriented lady when her religion itself denies her the very
basic right to move around? Islamists often give convoluted logic
that these rules are formulated to protect women from molestation,
rape, prying eyes blah, blah, blah. How silly and repugnant those
logics are! Can they tell us with statistics how many women are
raped and violated when they are commuting to work in places like
Japan, Germany, US, UK, Canada, etc. We see women going in rockets
to outer space to conquer the unknown with their male colleagues.
How come they are not raped and molested? We see women conquering
towering mountains and the deepest oceans along with their male
counterparts. How many of them were raped and sexually assaulted? If
we go by the Islamists logic, then the safest places for women
should be the Islamic paradises like Pakistan, Bangladesh,
Afghanistan, Sudan, Nigeria-etc. The women there must be the
happiest women in the world. Let us hear from a woman from an
Islamic Paradise:
"To be a woman in Pakistan is a terrible thing"
(Pakistani woman suspended from her job in a hotel in 1990 for
shaking hands with a man; quoted from the book 'Why I am not a
Muslim' by Ibn Warraq, p321)
Here are a few excerpts from the Qur'an and hadith to demonstrate
how Islam tramples the women's fundamental rights of movement.
Qur'an
Women are not to strike their feet to draw attention to their hidden
ornaments-24:31
024.031
YUSUFALI: And say to the believing women that they should lower
their gaze and guard their modesty; that they should not display
their beauty and ornaments except what (must ordinarily) appear
thereof; that they should draw their veils over their bosoms and not
display their beauty except to their husbands, their fathers, their
husband's fathers, their sons, their husbands' sons, their brothers
or their brothers' sons, or their sisters' sons, or their women, or
the slaves whom their right hands possess, or male servants free of
physical needs, or small children who have no sense of the shame of
sex; and that they should not strike their feet in order to draw
attention to their hidden ornaments. And O ye Believers! turn ye all
together towards Allah, that ye may attain Bliss.
Women are to stay quietly at home and not to show their allurement
-33:33
033.033
YUSUFALI: And stay quietly in your houses, and make not a dazzling
display, like that of the former Times of Ignorance; and establish
regular Prayer, and give regular Charity; and obey Allah and His
Messenger. And Allah only wishes to remove all abomination from you,
ye members of the Family, and to make you pure and spotless.
Shahih Muslim
A woman can't travel a day's journey without her mahram-(Shahih
Muslim 7.3105)
Book 007, Number 3105:
Abu Huraira (Allah be pleased with him) reported Allah's Apostle
(may peace be upon him) as saying: It is not lawful for a woman who
believes in Allah and the Hereafter to undertake a day's journey
except in the company of a Mahram.
A Muslim woman can't travel the distance of a night and a night
without her mahram-(Malik's Muwatta 54.14.37)
Book 54, Number 54.14.37:
Malik related to me from Said ibn Abi Said al-Maqburi from Abu
Hurayra that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant
him peace, said, "It is not halal for a woman who believes in Allah
and the Last Day to travel the distance of a day and night without a
man who is her mahram."
Let us now ask our Islamic apologists what would happen to those
millions of female factory workers in Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand
-who work night shift. How could they maintain their livelihood if
Islamic laws are enforced in these places? How about Megawati
Sukarno Putri, the President of Indonesia; Begum Khaleda Zia, the
Prime Minister of Bangladesh going for overseas trips and sitting
and talking with their male counterparts in the host countries? Are
they not breaking the Sha'ria laws? The world had actually witnessed
these Islamic rules when the Talibans took over Afghanistan. Didn't
they implement the Sha'ria provision for women immediately after
they enslaved them with Islam?
So, let our Islamic women see for themselves what a great future
awaits them under Islam. Islam will surely put fetters on their legs
and feet so that they have little choice but to stay within the
four-corners of their homes. This is what Islam has done for them.
How about their career? Forget about career. These women would be
lucky if they had the chance to see the outside world!
Here is what the Mullahs have for Islamic women.
"Let these women be warned. We will tear them to pieces. We will
give them such terrible punishments that no one in future will dare
to raise a voice against Islam" (Pakistani mulla addressing the
dissenting women of Rawalpindi. Quoted from 'Why I am not a Muslim'
by Ibn Warraq, p321)
Let us do more digging (of Islam).
Many Islamists try to fool the gullible Muslims by writing that
Islam allows Muslim women to be educated. What a great deceit! Read
the following Sha'ria and you will learn about the truth. The
Sha'ria is clear that the only education allowed for women is the
religious education and nothing else!
p42.2(4) angels curse (Ref: 8, p682)
Whoever leaves her husband's house [A: without his permission], the
angels curse her until she returns or repents."
; m10.3 (Ibid, p538) Leaving home
(A: A husband may permit his wife to leave the house for a lesson in
Sacred Law, for invocation of Allah (dhikr), to see her female
friends, or to go to any place in the town. A woman may not leave
the city without her husband or a member of her unmarriageable kin
(def: m6.2) accompanying her, unless the journey is obligatory, like
the hajj. It is unlawful for her to travel otherwise, and unlawful
for her husband to allow her to.) (n. In the Hanafi school, it is
not unlawful for her to travel beyond city limits without a husband
or member of her unmarriageable kin unless the distance to her
intended destination exceeds ca 77 km/48 mi (al-Lubab fi sharh al-Kitab
(y88(, 1.105).)
m10.4 Prohibition on travel (Ibid, page 538)
The husband may forbid his wife to leave the home (O: because of the
hadith related by Bayhaqi that the Prophet (Allah bless him and give
him peace) said,
"It is not permissible for a woman who believes in Allah and the
Last Day to allow some one into her husband's house if he is
opposed, or to go out if he is averse").
But if one of her relative dies, it is preferable to let her leave
to visit them.
Worshipping, beautifying, greetings, mourning by women
We often hear from modern Islamists that a woman is welcome in a
mosque. On the surface of it, this looks pretty fair and innocuous.
But, wait! What they do not tell you is that not all Islamic women
are welcomed in a mosque. What? I must have told you a lie, you may
think. However, consider the following rules of Sha'ria on women's
right to visit a mosque. The truth is this:
Mosques are not for the pretty, young ladies. Mosques are for ugly
and old ladies. See for yourself.
f12.4 (Ref: 8, page 171)
--.It is better for women to pray at home than at the mosque (A:
whether they are young or old). It is offensive for an attractive or
young woman to come to the mosque to pray (O: or for her husband to
permit her), though not offensive for women who are not young or
attractive when this is unlikely to cause temptation. This is why 'A'isha
(Allah be well pleased with her) said,
"Had the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) seen what
women do now, he would have forbidden them the mosque as the women
of Bani sra'il were forbidden," a hadith reported by Bukhari and
Muslim.
f20.3 (Ibid, p214) (regarding eclipse prayer)
It is recommended to be performed in a group at the mosque.
It is recommended for women without attractive figures to attend (O:
in their household clothes, that is, women advanced in years and the
like. As for women who have attractive figures, it is desirable for
them to perform it in their homes.
p42.2 (3) (Ibid, p682) Allah will not look at a woman
The prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said:It is not
lawful for a woman to fast when her husband is present, save by his
leave. Nor to permit anyone into his house except with his
permission."
One may
legitimately ask why not ban the handsome, young men from visiting
the mosque so that the women present there will not be tempted, if
this is the reason for banning attractive, young ladies from
visiting a mosque? No, that is impossible. Why? Don't you remember
that Allah prefers men and women are inferior (see part 1 of this
essay)? Therefore, Allah can never be equal to both sexes when it
comes to showing divinity to Him.
The real truth is that Muhammad was a very sexist person, just as
most of the Arabs were during his time (or even now). He could never
upset the Arab men by giving equal rights (like in a secular
society) to both the sexes. Deep inside him was the mind of a
Bedouin Arab who knew rather well that his ambition could never be
materialized if he sided with women. It is too much for Arab men to
see women at par with men. They will simply not accept that. We can
see in many ahadith that when it came to give decision between men
and women, Muhammad, almost always gave decision in favor of men.
The above ahdaith that I quoted at the beginning of this part of
essay are just a few samples.
Here is another hadith that shows how far an Islamic woman should go
to please her husband returning from a long trip. Is it a small
wonder why Muhammad did not ask the men to do the same for a
returning woman?
Wife must shave her pubic hair if husband returns home at night
after a long journey-(Shahih Bukhari 7.62.173)
Volume 7, Book 62, Number 173:
Narrated Jabir bin 'Abdullah:
The Prophet said, "If you enter (your town) at night (after coming
from a journey), do not enter upon your family till the woman whose
husband was absent (from the house) shaves her pubic hair and the
woman with unkempt hair, combs her hair" Allah's Apostle further
said, "(O Jabir!) Seek to have offspring, seek to have offspring!"
Wearing cosmetics by an Islamic woman and beautifying her face is
haram in Islam. Those Muslim women who indulge in such sinful
activities cannot be considered as Muslim at all. Therefore, all
Muslim gals and women who have tons of lipstick, mascara, eye
shadow, and many other beautifying things should empty their
cosmetic box right away, lest they would burn in hellfire after the
day of judgment. Look at these Shahih ahadith.
Muhammad has no concern for a woman who cries loudly, shaves her
hair and tears her clothes in bereavement-(Shahih Muslim 1.0187,
0188)
Book 001, Number 0187:
It is narrated on the authority of Abu Burda that Abu Musa fell
unconscious and his wife Umm Abdullah came there and wailed loudly.
When he felt relief he said: Don't you know? -and narrated to her:
Verily the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said: I have
no concern with one who shaved her hair, lamented loudly and tore
(her clothes in grief).
Book 001, Number 0188:
This hadith is narrated on the authority of Abu Musa with this
change only: That (the Holy Prophet) did not say that he had no
concern but said: He is not one of us.
Women can visit mosques but must not wear perfume...( Sunaan Abu
Dawud 2.0565)
Book 2, Number 0565:
Narrated Abu Hurayrah:
Do not prevent the female servants of Allah from visiting the
mosques of Allah, but they may go out (to the mosque) having not
perfumed themselves.
Please contrast this with the recommendation to men to wear perfume
while attending prayers in a mosque. But for Islamic women there is
no perfume. This is the gender equality, Islamic style.
A young and beautiful Islamic woman is a real problem for Islam and
its Ummah. She does not even deserve a greeting! See the following
provision for such women from the founder of Maliki School of
Islamic jurisprudence.
Malik's Muwatta
Greet an old woman but not a young woman-53.1.2
Book 53, Number 53.1.2:
Yahya related to me from Malik from Wahb ibn Kaysan that Muhammad
ibn Amr ibn Ata said, "I was sitting with Abdullah ibn Abbas when a
Yemeni man came in. He said, 'Peace be upon you, and the mercy of
Allah and His blessing' (as-salamu alaykum wa rahmatullahi wa
barakatuhu), and then he added something more to that. Ibn Abbas
said (and at that time his eyesight had gone), 'Who is this?' People
said, 'This is a Yemeni who has come to see you,' and they
introduced him. Ibn Abbas said, 'The greeting ends with the word
blessing.' "
Yahya said that Malik was asked, "Does one greet a woman?" He said,
"As for an old woman, I do not disapprove of it. As for a young
woman, I do not like it."
Female circumcision
Tawba, tawba! Wastagfirullah! What am I hearing? Is it necessary for
a Muslim woman to be circumcised? The Islamists will tell you all
kinds of misleading stories to confuse the gullible Muslim women.
After all, what is there to circumcise in a woman? This type of
genital mutilation is suitable for men and not for women, many will
say. Let us see what the 'real Islam' says about this female genital
mutilation.
e4.3 Female circumcision (Ref: 8, p59)
Circumcision is obligatory (O: for both men and women. For men it
consists of removing the prepuce from the penis, and for women,
removing the prepuce (Ar.Bazr) of the clitoris (n: not the clitoris
itself, as some mistakenly assert). (A: Hanbalis hold that the
circumcision of women is not obligatory but sunna, while Hanafis
consider it a mere courtesy to the husband.)
Female circumcision; do not cut severely as that is better for a
woman and more desirable for a husband-( Sunaan Abu Dawud 41.5251)
Book 41, Number 5251:
Narrated Umm Atiyyah al-Ansariyyah:
A woman used to perform circumcision in Medina. The Prophet (peace_be_upon_him)
said to her: Do not cut severely as that is better for a woman and
more desirable for a husband.
Now, if you are an Islamic woman and not circumcised yet, then
please make your choice; do you want to go through this barbarity to
be a true Muslim woman or remain the so-called 'moderate' Muslim by
ignoring this Sha'ria provision. Mind you that when the Islamic
Paradise is established you may have to undergo the surgery that you
never ever dreamed of even in a nightmare.
Fundamental rights like
association, personal freedom, freedom of attire-etc.
Islamic marriage rule permits a male Muslim to marry a woman of the
Book (Jews and Christians, although some school of jurisprudence
says that the Sabiun's and the Zoroastrians are included too-but I
shall exclude them for this essay) though this type of
inter-religious marriage is not encouraged. However, Islam strictly
forbids an Islamic woman to marry any male who is not a Muslim. If
an Islamic woman contravenes this divine rule, then her marriage is
illegal and she is committing the act of Zina/adultery that may be
punishable by 100 lashes or stoning to death.
Please think for a while. Firstly, instead of promoting
inter-religious harmony/tolerance, Islam is promoting hate and
intolerance, and secondly, it is severely restricting the choice of
an Islamic woman in the selection of her spouse. It is impossible
for an Islamic woman to fall in love with a non-Muslim man and marry
him to raise a family unless the man converts to Islam. Compare this
with the secular system of marriage where the religion of the
spouses is irrelevant. Yet, the Islamists are beating the drum
saying, 'Islam is peaceful, Islam is merciful, Islam is tolerant.'
Please show us where is the tolerance in Islam when it comes to
marrying spouse from other religion?
Here is merciful and tolerant Qur'an
Do not get your
girls married to unbelievers until they believe...2:221
002.221
YUSUFALI: Do not marry unbelieving women (idolaters), until they
believe: A slave woman who believes is better than an unbelieving
woman, even though she allures you. Nor marry (your girls) to
unbelievers until they believe: A man slave who believes is better
than an unbeliever, even though he allures you. Unbelievers do (but)
beckon you to the Fire. But Allah beckons by His Grace to the Garden
(of bliss) and forgiveness, and makes His Signs clear to mankind:
That they may celebrate His praise.
Please read the following hadith and figure out what is the meaning
of a woman who dresses but appear to be naked. To me, it means
wearing a thin transparent dress or may be underwear that may be
visible. I really do not know the clear meaning of this hadith.
However, what strikes me the most is an inherent misogynic content
of this hadith. Why men are not included? We know that many men wear
very little dress at home like, shorts, singlets, etc. Some men even
sleep with underwear only. What would Allah do if a woman sleeps
with underwear or worse, sleeps naked? Who is going to watch her
except her husband? Does this hadith mean that Allah sends down
angels to watch every woman who sleeps with only underwear or
thin/transparent nightgowns on? How silly, huh? Islam had to invade
even the very private bedroom of a woman. There is no respite for
her. I guess Allah/Islam follows her even when she visits the
toilet!
Those women who are naked even in their dresses and lead their
husbands to astray will go to hell-(Shahih Muslim 24.5310)
Book 024, Number 5310:
Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him)
having said this: Two are the types of the denizens of Hell whom I
did not see: people having flogs like the tails of the ox with them
and they would be beating people, and the women who would be dressed
but appear to be naked, who would be inclined (to evil) and make
their husbands incline towards it. Their heads would be like the
humps of the bukht camel inclined to one side. They will not enter
Paradise and they would not smell its odour whereas its odour would
be smelt from such and such distance.
Another disgusting way an Islamic woman is violated in exercising
her fundamental right of choice of attire is the veiling of her in
the most unattractive, ugly way. The 'real Islam' by the Talibans
shocked the world when they imposed forced Burqa (read mobile
prison) on their women. Anyone who had seen the TV footages of
hundreds of thousands of those hapless 'ghost' creatures running for
their lives from the hands of Taliban Islam, cannot help but sigh in
disgust, sorrow and pain the suffering those women were put through.
This is Islam, pure and clean. I invite the Islamic men to try out
this Burqa on a hot summer day! See how enjoyable this piece of
attire is; how comfortable it is! Whenever I see the Islamic women
in ugly hijab, I recall those days of Cultural Revolution of
Chairman Mao in China. Do you remember those tumultuous days of
China? Do you remember how Chairman Mao forced all women to wear Mao
coat (a la female style) as their outfit? Do you remember wearing
anything other than that proletarian dress was considered as a
adopting a 'decadent' capitalist (read Western) culture? Do you
remember how women were punished in China for wearing anything that
did not conform to party rules? I find a strange similarity between
the Chairman Mao's brand of communism and today's Islam gone mad.
This is what awaits the Islamic women when a country goes Islamic.
Make no mistake about this. Women will be the first and the worst
victims of Islamic tolerance and mercy! Here is what Sha'ria has to
say about veiling a woman.
f5.6 Veiling a woman (Ref: 8, p122)
It is recommended for a woman to wear a covering over her head (khimar),
a full length shift, and a heavy slip under it that doesn't cling to
the body. (O: She should not wrap it so tightly about herself that
it hinders standing, sitting, and other postures connected with the
actions of prayer. She is recommended to pray in three garments even
though the head cover and shift alone are sufficient as a covering.)
m 2.3 (Ibid, p512) -..A majority of scholars (n: with the exception
of some Hanafis, as at m2.8 below) have been recorded as holding
that it is unlawful for women to leave the house with faces
unveiled, whether or not there is likelihood of temptation. When
there is likelihood of temptation, scholars unanimously concur that
it is unlawful, temptation meaning anything that leads to sexual
intercourse or its usual preliminaries. As for when there is real
need (dis: m2.11), looking is not unlawful, provided temptation is
unlikely).
Cannot wear a thin garment
w52.1 (108)
(Ibid, p973) An inward enormity, wearing a thin garment
A woman wearing a thin garment that reveals her body contours, or
her inclining (N: showing desire for others) and making others
incline towards her;
w52.1 (272) (Ibid, pp98-99) An enormity leaving house wearing
perfume
A woman leaving her house perfumed and adorned, even with her
husband's permission;
m2.3(A)(Ibid, p 512) unlawful to be alone with a marriageable man.
(A: Being alone with a woman who is not one's wife or unmarriageable
kin is absolutely unlawful, though if there are two women and a man,
the man and the woman are no longer considered alone.)
Participation in Jihad
Islamists write that the best form of Jihad for an Islamic woman is
the hajj. It is true that there is a hadith that says that the best
Jihad is hajj Mabrur (see Shahih Bukhari 2.26.595) What the
Islamists do not tell you though are that that hadith is the
half-truth. This hadith is related with Aisha's (Muhammad's child
bride) wish of joining a jihad. Muhammad told her that the best
jihad for her was the hajj. The translator then inserted the words
(for women) in the bracket. Read this hadith for yourself.
Volume 2, Book 26, Number 595:
Narrated 'Aisha:
(the mother of the faithful believers) I said, "O Allah's Apostle!
We consider Jihad as the best deed." The Prophet said, "The best
Jihad (for women) is Hajj Mabrur. "
This is similar to the Islamists double game on Jihad for men. When
the Islamists live in western countries, they say that Jihad means
struggle to purify oneself spiritually. What a big joke! Whenever
they are in an Islamic paradise, they will surely call Jihad as a
means of armed war against the infidels to bring the entire world
under Islam. In recent times, we have seen a few Palestinian women
suicide bombers used as Jihadis to kill innocent Israeli civilians.
Why did our Islamists in the West not condemn those acts as being
un-Islamic? Why did they not say that those Palestinian woman
Jihadis should have performed hajj instead of suicide bombing? Well,
the truth to the matter is that hadith (Shahih Bukhari 2.26. 595)
was truly related to a particular woman, Aisha.
Let us look at Sha'ria for the truth.
1. Jihad is obligatory for women
o9.3 ((Ref: 8, p601) Jihad is also (O: personally) obligatory for
everyone (O: able to perform it, male or female, old or young) when
the enemy has surrounded the Muslims (O: on every side, having
entered our territory, even if the land consists of ruins,
wilderness, or mountains, for non-Muslim forces entering Muslim
lands is a weighty matter that cannot be ignored, but must be met
with effort and struggle to repel them by every possible means. All
of which is if conditions permit gathering (A: the above-mentioned)
people, provisioning them, and readying them for war. If conditions
do not permit this, as when the enemy has overrun the Muslims such
that they are unable to provision or found if captured is obliged to
defend himself in whatever way possible. But if not certain that he
will be killed, meaning that he might or might not be, as when he
might merely be taken captive, and he knows he will be killed if he
does not surrender, then he may either surrender or fight. A woman
too has a choice between fighting or surrendering if she is certain
that she will not be subjected to an indecent act if captured. If
uncertain that she will be safe from such an act, she is obliged to
fight, and surrender is not possible.
The above Sha'ria rule on Jihad by Islamic women is quite clear that
a woman can sacrifice her life in a Jihad. This is fair enough, for,
men are also encouraged to sacrifice their lives in a Jihad. So,
what is the unfairness? The unfairness is that the women Jihadis do
not get a share in the booty or plunder. How ridiculous! A woman
Jihadi is exhorted to fight on an equal footing like a man Jihadi
and sacrifices her life. Alas! When it comes to sharing the fruits
of Jihad she is not allowed to take a part of it. She only receives
a present as a token for her service, and that is all. The women
Jihadis have no right to demand a share in the spoils that are
distributed amongst the male Jihadis only. See the following hadith
Woman Jihadis take care of the wounded, they are to be given a prize
but not a regular share in the booty -Shahih Muslim 19.4456)
Book 019, Number 4456:
It has been narrated on the authority of Yazid b. Hurmuz that Najda
wrote to Ibn Abbas inquiring of him five things. Ibn Abbas said: If
I had not the fear of committing (sin) for concealing the knowledge
I would not have written to him. Najda wrote to him saying (after
praising the Almighty and invoking blessings on the Prophet): Tell
me whether the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) took women
to participate with him in Jihad; (if he did), whether he allotted
them a regular share from the booty; whether he killed the children
of (the enemy in the war how long an orphan would be entitled to
consideration as such and for whom the Khums (fifth part of the
booty) was booty. Ibn Abbas wrote to him: You have written asking me
whether the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) took women
with him to participate in Jihad. He did take them to the battle and
sometimes he fought along with them. They would treat the wounded
and were given a reward from the booty, but he did not assign any
regular share for them. And the of Allah (may peace be upon him) did
not kill the children of the enemy, so thou shouldst not kill the
children. Also you have written to me asking me when the orphanhood
of an orphan comes to an end. By my life, if a man has become
bearded but is still incapable of getting his due from others as
well u meeting his obligation towards them, (he is yet an orphan to
be treated you such), but when he can look after his interests like
grown-up people, he is no longer an orphan. And you have written to
me inquiring about Khums as to whom it is meant for. (In this
connection) we (the kinsmen of the Messenger of Allah) used to say:
It is for us, but those people (i.e., Banu Umayya) have denied it to
us.
Abul Kasem is an Bengali ex-Muslim and academic. He has contributed in Leaving Islam - Apostates Speak Out and Beyond Jihad - Critical Voices from Inside and Why We Left Islam.. He has also written extensively on Islam in various websites and is the author of five e-Books: A Complete Guide to Allah, Root of Terrorism ala Islamic Style, Sex and Sexuality in Islam, Who Authored the Quran? and Women in Islam. Mr. Kasem leaves in Sydney, Australia. He can be contacted at abul88@hotmail.com.