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Social, Political & Economic Rights |
Social Rights
Seeking knowledge is a mandate for every Muslim 'Male &
Female'. This includes knowledge of the Noble Qur'an and the
Hadith as well as other knowledge. Men and women both have
the capacity for learning and understanding. Since it is also
their obligation to promote good behavior and condemn bad
behavior in all spheres of life, Muslim women must acquire
the appropriate education to perform this duty in accordance
with their own natural talents and interests.
While maintenance of a home, providing
support to her husband, and bearing, raising and teaching
of children are among the first and very highly regarded roles
for a woman, if she has the skills to work outside the home
for the good of the community, she may do so as long as her
family obligations are met.
Islam recognizes and fosters the natural
differences between men and women despite their equality.
Some types of work are more suitable for men and other types
for women. This in no way diminishes either's effort nor its
benefit. God will reward both sexes equally for the value
of their work, though it may not necessarily be the same activity.
Concerning motherhood, the Prophet
Muhammad (P.B.U.H.) said: "Heaven lies under the feet
of mothers." This implies that the success of a society
can be traced to the mothers that raised it. The first and
greatest influence on a person comes from the sense of security,
affection, and training received from the mother. Therefore,
a woman having children must be educated and conscientious
in order to be a skillful parent.
Political Rights
A right given to Muslim women by God 1400 years ago is the
right to vote. On any public matter, a woman may voice her
opinion and participate in politics. One example narrated
in the Qur'an (60:12) is that Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H.)
is told that when the believing women come to him and swear
their allegiance to Islam, he must accept their oath. This
established the right of women to select their leader and
publicly declare so. Abdur-Rahman Ibn Auf consulted many women
before he recommended Uthman Ibn Affan to be the Caliph.
Economic Rights
The Noble Qur'an states:
"By Him Who created male and female; Verily, your efforts
and deeds are diverse (different in aims and purposes)."
(Qur'an, 92:3-4 ) .
In these verses, God declares that
He created men and women to be different, with unique roles,
functions and skills. As in society, where there is a division
of labour, so too in a family; each member has different responsibilities.
Generally, Islam upholds that women are entrusted with the
nurturing role, and men, with the guardian role. Therefore,
women are given the right of financial support.
The Noble Qur'an states:
"Men are the protectors and maintainers of women because
Allah has made some of them to excel others and because they
spend of their wealth (for the support of women)." (Qur'an,
4:34 ) .
This guardianship and greater financial
responsibility that is given to men, requires that they provide
women with not only monetary support but also physical protection
and kind and respectful treatment.
The Muslim woman has the privilege
to earn money, the right to own property, to enter into legal
contracts and to manage all of her assets in any way she pleases.
She can run her own business and no one has any claim on her
earnings including her husband. The Qur'an states:
"And covet not the things in which Allah has made some
of you excel others. For men there is reward for what they
have earned, (and likewise) for women there is reward for
what they have earned, and ask Allah of His Bounty. Surely,
Allah is Ever All-Knower of everything." (Qur'an, 4:32
) .
A woman inherits from her relatives.
The Qur'an states:
"For men there is a share in what parents and relatives
leave, and for women there is a share of what parents and
relatives leave, whether it be little or much - a legal share."
(Qur'an, 4:7 ) .
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