AsifMuraf, you sooooo did not just post a link to this ridiculously falsified article that supports men are superior to women.
Being a man, I can understand why you bought into this person’s statements. Here’s some of the ridiculous interpretations this man has set forward:
Excerpt:
**4 – Clothing:
A woman’s ‘awrah includes her entire body. The least that can be said is that she should not uncover anything except her face and hands, and it was said that she should not even uncover that.
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“O Prophet! Tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers to draw their cloaks (veils) all over their bodies (i.e. screen themselves completely except the eyes or one eye to see the way). That will be better, that they should be known (as free respectable women) so as not to be annoyed. And Allaah is Ever Oft‑Forgiving, Most Merciful”
[al-Ahzaab 33:59]**
Correction: The correct translation uses the word “bosom” in place of “bodies”. Big difference between a body and a bosom.
Excerpt #2:
**Ibn Katheer said:
Two women are to take the place of one man because women are lacking in reason, as Muslim narrated in his Saheeh… from Abu Hurayrah that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “O women, give in charity and seek forgiveness a great deal, for I have seen that you form the majority of the people of Hell.” A wise woman among them said, “Why is it, O Messenger of Allaah, that we are the majority of the people of Hell?” He said, “Because you curse too much, and you are ungrateful to your spouses. I have seen none lacking in common sense and failing in religion but (at the same time) robbing the wisdom of the wise, besides you.” The woman asked: “O Messenger of Allaah, what is wrong with our common sense and our religion?” He said: “Your lack of common sense (can be well judged from the fact) that the evidence of two women is equal to that of one man, that is a proof of the lack of common sense, and you spend some nights (and days) in which you do not offer prayer and in the month of Ramadan (during the days) you do not observe fast, that is a failing in religion.”
(Tafseer Ibn Katheer, 1/336)
There may be some women who are wiser than some men, but this is not the usual rule and such women are not in the majority. Sharee’ah is based on what is general and most common.
The fact that women are lacking in reason does not mean that they are crazy, rather their reason is often overtaken by their emotions, and this happens to women more often than it happens to men. No one would deny this except one who is arrogant."**
Correction: Women do not lack in reason. There is no authentic hadith or quranic ayah that supports this. Just the plain solid proof in society of muslim women being good workers and intelligent doctors, professors, lawyers, etc – shows that this is utterly false. If it was true, we’d see women being constantly unsuccessful in working environments, and constantly being outmatched by men. Remember, the Quran is highly scientific, and so is God. How can you deny the intelligence of women in front of you?
The evidence of two women against one man was actually used in cases where women did not have the privelege of having the same education as the men - so in cases, where certain women did not have the judgement to provide accurate evidence due to their own jahaaliat, then there evidence was counted two to one. If you read history under the Islamic empire, this was changed as women became more educated (as perscribed by the Quran by the way).
Also, this hadith states that women are less in religion becuase they miss fasts due to menstruation. The allowance to miss a fast during menses is mandated by God in the Quran, and Menses is something that God devised. So its not a failing of their religion at all. Its a biological thing, and it doesnt make women any less. If your mother never had menses, then she would not have been able to give birth to you. Remember that.
Excerpt no. 3:
**2 – Testimony or bearing witness. The Qur’aan states that the testimony of one man is equivalent to the testimony of two women.
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“And get two witnesses out of your own men. And if there are not two men (available), then a man and two women, such as you agree for witnesses, so that if one of them (two women) errs, the other can remind her”
[al-Baqarah 2:282]**
This ayah was revealed at a time, when women were not allowed to have the education that men did. This of course, as time went by, was purged. God also says to educate oneself as much as possible, including women. Thus, later one, when women became more educated, this ayah had no more importance, and was not used as much under the Islamic empire. If it was, this was abuse towards women.
Excerpt no. 4:
Ali ibn Abi Talhah said, narrating from Ibn ‘Abbaas: ‘Men are the protectors and maintainers of women’ means that men are the leaders of women and they should obey them in areas where Allaah has enjoined obedience. Obedience may mean treating his family kindly and protecting his wealth.
Correction: Men are protectors and maintainers of women in a financial sense. It is a RESPONSIBILITY of man, not a PRIVELEGE, to earn for his family. This does not mean that women may not work, contrary to what many think. The FACT that women work and do just as good of a job, sometimes better, than men shows that women are not any less intelligent. This protection is a protection. Protection is never forced upon anyone, nor does it mean that one who is protecting has rights to RULE and FORCE on the protected what they WANT.
Excerpt no. 5:
A man can marry four women, but a woman can only have one husband.
Again, this is a responsibility, not a privelige thrust on men. Neither is polygamy mandatory, nor is it to be used to satisfy lust or demand for more sex or more children. Most married couples are able to have children, and are able to live happy lives if the marriage happens correctly.
Excerpt no. 6:
A man may travel without his wife or any of his mahrams, but a woman may not travel unless she is accompanied by a mahram.
this again, is a ridiculous ruling posed by men. Society is different now, and this ruling no longer applies. actually it wasn’t a ruling to begin with. If women are allowed to associate with men in that they can hold conversations with men that are not their mehrams, then it makes NO SENSE for a woman to not travel alone. I urge someone to come up with an authentic ayah that even hints that a woman needs supervision to do somethiing. Plus, if men do their jobs as muslims and dont treat women like toys, then women wont have any problem walking the streets without fear of rape, etc.
Some may say, the wives of the Prophet never travelled unaccompanied. This is because the Prophet had many enemies when he was trying to convert the Kaafirs, and they would have done much harm to the early muslim women. Thus, they were protected against evil. Thus, he accompanied his wife Khadija , and later his wife Aishaa and his other wives. Also, you must also remember, that the Prophet didn’t do a whole lot of travelling alone, except when he mediated and received revelations – obviously no woman would be present with him then, and no man either. He’s recieving God’s word, so he had to be alone!
Simple logic goes very far.
excerpt no. 7
A woman may wear silk and gold, but a man must not wear them.
This is highly arguable, and this so-called sholar argues that a man MUST NOT wear them. Its referred to as Maqroo from most sources, which means that its not a MUST, but something one is better off not doing. Nonetheless, wearing gold or silk doesn’t make a man any less of a believer.
excerpt no 8:
Prayer in the mosque is obligatory for men, but not for women; a woman’s prayer in her house is more beloved to Allaah.
This is UTTERLY FALSE. I’ll tell you where this dumb myth comes from. An elderly lady once came up to the Rasul and said “I’m sorry I wont be able to make the prayer today..I’m not feeling well…I’ll stay at home this one time”. In response, the prophet said, " Oh, dont worry, its better for you (meaning the elderly woman and due to her illness) to read at home anyway"
It wasn’t becuz of her being a woman, but becuz something was holding her back. And that is her body - something she has not control over. So please, refrain from using this dumb claim to assert that men are better than women.
excerpt no. 9:
And men are different in intellectual terms, for men are known for their strength of understanding and their memory as compared to women. Women are weaker than men in memory and forget more than men do. This is well known, for most of the reputable scholars in the world are men. There are some women who are more intelligent and have better memories than some men, but this does not cancel out the general rule
Again, utterly false. All scientifically conducted tests show that the memory of women is not drastically differnt to that of men. There is a slight and minor difference, but that too is of no consequence, and does not hold back women from having any role in society that involves memory.
The reason why most Islamic scholars are men, is because the “Islamic” world still has not been able to let go of its male-dominated views, and thus women have often been held back from engaging in scholarship or any other field. Also, many female scholars do exist, but are given no importance in history and their work lies in remote libraries, unreferenced and unused, becuase of MALE-DOMINATED IDEAS!
By the way, Aishaa was a scholar - one of the best of her time. How does one explain that? Khadija was a very successful businesswoman - and the Rasul married her. How can you explain that?
Many of the Prophet’s daughters and grandaughters are respected for their wisdom and their insight. But they’re rarely quoted since we live in a MALEDOMINATED SOCIETY.
I suggest that those who dont want to read the tainted Male Chauvinst scholars, should go to www.themodernreligion.com.
They have a great collection of articles. And they show a different side of the story altogether with references to historical documents, and other scholarly work of undoubtable authority.
OH and the Quran is certainly not deliberately misinterpreted there.
http://www3.pak.org/gupshup/smilies/smile.gif
I’m sure the female guppies will like it.