Islam has empowered women with the most progressive rights since the 7th century. In Islam, women are not inferior or unequal to men. There was a time when girls were buried alive and Arab women were considered transportable property, Islam honored and protected them with unparalleled rights. They were given the right to education, the right to marry someone of their own choosing, to get divorced and to maintain their identity after marriage, etc. Furthermore, women had played a vital role in the development of nations and societies, but those nations and societies restricted them by violating the rights that Islam has given them. People in societies called religious people violate women’s rights and involve religion in the violation. You may have forgotten that the Holy Prophet Muhammad (SAW) tried to transform the mentality of the Arabs regarding the treatment of women, and Islam raised the respect of women in society. In our society, women are being used as household items. Child marriage, honor killings and the violation of the right to education are the elements that excluded women from humanism and placed them in animalism.
Child marriage is very common in rural areas of our society. The girls are considered a burden to their parents, and the parents want to leave them as soon as possible. Every year, 12 million girls are married before the age of 18, that is, 23 girls every minute and almost 1 girl every 2 seconds (UNICEF). Particularly in Pakistan, around 21% of girls are married before the age of 18 (UNICEF 2017). Child marriage involves different motives such as exchange of daughters, settlement of debts and others. If we look at it from the Islamic point of view, it does not give a specific age of marriage for either a girl or a boy. Allah Almighty says in the Holy Quran:
“And for those of your women who miss their period, if you doubt, their (waiting) period will be three months, together with those who do not have it” (Al-talaaq 65:4)
Now, it is clear that Islam does not allow parents to marry off their daughters unless they reach the age of menstruation. Women are often seen weak, mentally depressed; and they often remain ill, when they marry before the age of menstruation. Furthermore, when they feel that their parents have sold them into marriage for the reasons mentioned above, they become inferior and begin to think that they have no direction and no value in the world.
Another frightening problem in our society is honor killing (karo kari). Karo kari means that a man can kill a woman because she brought dishonor on her family by having an affair with another man. More than 1,000 such cases are reported each year. This crime is common in areas with lower literacy. In addition, karo kari became a trend in some communities to obtain a kind of fine from the man (karo) for blaming having affairs with his wife. Therefore, they get the amount and kill their innocent daughters, sisters or wives relentlessly, claiming permission in Islam. Islam is severely against this monster. Hazrat Halaal bin Humayyah, companion of the Holy Prophet (SAW) approached the Prophet and said, “O Muhammad (SAW)! I have seen my wife with another man with my own eyes.” The Holy Prophet (SAW) replied: “bring four witnesses or prepare for punishment for slander”
This incident makes it clear that this inhumane crime has nothing to do with religion, and is rooted in cultural and tribal practices. Relationships between men and women are clearly defined in Islam and the punishment for adultery is based on certain principles established by Islam. In Islamic jurisprudence, a person cannot be punished unless the accusers produce four eyewitnesses to testify in court against the executioner.
Like other women’s rights, the right to education is also violated in our society. About two-thirds of the world’s illiterate adults are women, with rural women having the highest proportion, says UNESCO. If women could get a better education, they would not be facing problems in society. Furthermore, if they were educated, they would be aware of their social rights and would never let their rights be violated. However, successive international assemblies have agreed on a vision that all children should have access to education so that they can develop their potential as individuals, parents, citizens and workers. Especially Muslim tribes in many societies do not follow them. They claim that sending girls out of the home to schools or other educational institutions is beyond religious teachings. And they claim that Islam has put an emphasis on covering (brown), so it will contravene Islamic commandments. However, Islam always emphasizes the pursuit of knowledge for every Muslim, male or female. Our Holy Prophet (SAW) said:
“The acquisition of knowledge is binding on all Muslims” (both men and women without any discrimination). (Al-Sunan, 1:81 §224.)
In the above hadith, the word Muslim refers to all Muslims, male or female. Furthermore, bu Sa’id al-Khudri, a companion of the Prophet (SAW) reports that some women approached the Prophet (SAW) and said: “Men have advanced (in acquiring knowledge). set a day for our well-being”. The Holy Prophet (SAW) appointed a day for them. He (SAW) would meet them on that day and educate them regarding the commands of Allah Almighty. (al-Bukhari in al-Sahih, 1:50). Therefore, it is very clear that Islam is always in favor of women’s education and promotes it.
Given these facts, women are always victimized in different ways, and their fundamental rights are always violated by the inhumane social customs that prevail in our society. Perversely, Islam honored women and protected them with unparalleled rights. Islam is intolerant of injustice to women in any condition contrary to those societies that do it and use it as an excuse.