BEWEGING VAN BELGISCHE EX-
MOVEMENT OF BELGIAN FORMER MUSLIMS
STUDY OF ISLAM
Being a woman in Islam according to Linda Bogaert: Part 3
WORDT VERVOLGD !
Linda Bogaert writes :
Since God shall pass judgment on the basis of people’s behaviour (and the intentions behind it), it is necessary to gather knowledge about how God wants people to conduct themselves.
4.2. Knowledge transfer
In Islam, Allah’s Word was not passed on to people exclusively via men. Thus argued Imam ibn Hazm, an authoritative Muslim scholar who is not alone in taking this position, on the basis of the Quran and the Sunnah that Islam also has known a number of female Prophets.
Women also are unanimously accepted as transmitters of ahadith (words and deeds of the Prophet Muhammad). The ahadith, together with the Quran, constitute the basis of the Islamic religious canon. Testimonials by women about what the Prophet proclaimed are accepted as being of equal merit with the reports by men about the proclamations and the actions of the Prophet.
4.2. Knowledge transfer
In Islam, Allah’s Word was not passed on to people exclusively via men. Thus argued Imam ibn Hazm, an authoritative Muslim scholar who is not alone in taking this position, on the basis of the Quran and the Sunnah that Islam also has known a number of female Prophets.
Women also are unanimously accepted as transmitters of ahadith (words and deeds of the Prophet Muhammad). The ahadith, together with the Quran, constitute the basis of the Islamic religious canon. Testimonials by women about what the Prophet proclaimed are accepted as being of equal merit with the reports by men about the proclamations and the actions of the Prophet.
Our comment :
Linda, alas, neglects to tell us on what kinds of convoluted thoughts this “authoritative Muslim scholar” has based his conclusions. The fact is that verse 16.43 says the opposite:
And We did not send before you any but men to whom We sent revelation-- so ask the followers of the Reminder if you do not know-- with clear arguments and scriptures.
That there would have been female Prophets is of course very fine and commendable, yet hardly evidence that Islam considered men and women equal. This is simply faulty reasoning. The fact that Benazir Bhutto was a female Prime Minister of Pakistan does not make that country a place that is woman-
What Linda tells us here is totally correct. An important part of the Hadith has been passed on to us by Aisha, Muhammad’s favourite child-
However, ... it is not because Aisha has passed on to us a large part of the Hadith that the final result is wholly favourable to women. The following two Hadith indicate how cynical Linda’s argumentation really is.
Example 1: in a lengthy Hadith collected by Muslim, Aisha tells us that Muhammad once beat her so hard that she was in pain. The fact that Aisha herself reports this incident changes nothing to the fact that, in truth, the message is indeed very much antagonistic to women.
This Hadith further confirms verse 4:34 that orders men, if needed, to beat their wives in order to bring them back to the path of righteousness: Sahih Muslim, book 4, hadith 2127:
“... He struck me on the chest which caused me pain, and then said: Did you think that Allah and His Apostle would deal unjustly with you?...”
Example 2: in another Hadith from the Muslim collection, Aisha complains to Muhammad that he compares women with dogs and asses. If you know that calling somebody a dog in the Arab world is a great insult, then you know what Muhammad, and hence Islam, thought and thinks of women: Sahih Muslim, boek 4, hadith 1038: “Masruq reported: It was mentioned before 'A'isha that prayer is invalidated (in case of the passing) of a dog, an ass, and a woman (before the worshipper, when he is not screened). Upon this 'A'isha said: You likened us to the asses and the dogs...
Linda Bogaert writes :
4.3. Acquiring knowledge
The fact that Allah does not distinguish between men and women could be circumvented by not granting them the same access to the knowledge of how people must behave in order to enter into Allah’s grace. There is therefore need to examine if men and women receive the opportunity for equal access to acquiring knowledge from the [islamic] model
The very first verse that was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad reads:
"Read in the name of your Lord Who created " (Quran 96:1)
This verse is a permanent command – one might even think of it as a learning obligation - to gather more and more knowledge about Allah and Allah’s Creation, and this throughout one’s entire life. Nowhere is it written that learning is meant to be enjoyed by men only. Conversely, women are nowhere excluded from this act of accumulating knowledge. This pertains to a command by Allah, issued directly and simultaneously to men and women.
The fact that Allah does not distinguish between men and women could be circumvented by not granting them the same access to the knowledge of how people must behave in order to enter into Allah’s grace. There is therefore need to examine if men and women receive the opportunity for equal access to acquiring knowledge from the [islamic] model
The very first verse that was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad reads:
"Read in the name of your Lord Who created " (Quran 96:1)
This verse is a permanent command – one might even think of it as a learning obligation -
Our comment :
The fact that men and women have equal access to knowledge once again tells us nothing about the relationship between men and women in Islam.
But once again we are dished up misleading and even erroneous information.
This verse is a message meant solely for Muhammad and not for the Muslims in general. And once again, Linda takes a verse out of its context and gives it her own interpretation.
In no way does this verse even hint at the idea of “a permanent learning obligation”. This idea is nothing but a contrivance. It is even said that the correct translation of the Arabic word „Iqra“ is „to recite“ rather than “to read”, and that all of this relates to the recital of the Quran itself. It is plain absurd to tie a verse wherein Allah commands Muhammad to ‘read’ the Quran to a story wherein it is said that Allah has instructed men and women equally to engage in lifelong education.
But this is one of those classic examples. You will find the same explanation again and again in all kinds of literature attempting to prove that Islam promotes intellectual development. The fact that such artful dodges are deemed necessary is, in our opinion, an indication in se that the position of women in Islam must really be problematic.
But once again we are dished up misleading and even erroneous information.
This verse is a message meant solely for Muhammad and not for the Muslims in general. And once again, Linda takes a verse out of its context and gives it her own interpretation.
In no way does this verse even hint at the idea of “a permanent learning obligation”. This idea is nothing but a contrivance. It is even said that the correct translation of the Arabic word „Iqra“ is „to recite“ rather than “to read”, and that all of this relates to the recital of the Quran itself. It is plain absurd to tie a verse wherein Allah commands Muhammad to ‘read’ the Quran to a story wherein it is said that Allah has instructed men and women equally to engage in lifelong education.
But this is one of those classic examples. You will find the same explanation again and again in all kinds of literature attempting to prove that Islam promotes intellectual development. The fact that such artful dodges are deemed necessary is, in our opinion, an indication in se that the position of women in Islam must really be problematic.
Linda Bogaert writes :
5. Rules of conduct in the Islamic model
5.1. General rule concerning men and women
In keeping with the fact that God makes no distinction in the manner in which He judges men and women, the general rule governing the conduct of men and women in this life is that men and women are equal in all matters. This rule is, amongst others, based on the proclamation of the Prophet Muhammad, who said:
"Women are the twin halves of men" (reported by Imaam Ahmad).
Exceptions confirm the rule also in this instance. Following, a number of these cases are discussed. We shall each time examine if these exceptions point to a fundamental disadvantage for women.
Our comment :
The rule is thus that men and women are equal in all matters,
EXCEPT ...
... when they are not equal.
Linda Bogaert writes :
5.2. Financial-economic rights and security of women
Amongst the rules revealed by Allah and which Muslims must obey if they want to be admitted to Paradise, a whole string of them regulate the mutual relationships amongst people. These include rules determining the relationships amongst members of a family unit (and by extension of a whole family). They have been established in what is known in Islam as Family Law. These rules are closely tied to the woman’s economic situation. Since there are some critics that appear to detect inequalities in these situations, we shall examine if there is question here of a fundamental disadvantage.
Amongst the rules revealed by Allah and which Muslims must obey if they want to be admitted to Paradise, a whole string of them regulate the mutual relationships amongst people. These include rules determining the relationships amongst members of a family unit (and by extension of a whole family). They have been established in what is known in Islam as Family Law. These rules are closely tied to the woman’s economic situation. Since there are some critics that appear to detect inequalities in these situations, we shall examine if there is question here of a fundamental disadvantage.
Our comment :
Let us summarize the basic rule of Islamic Family Law :
The husband must take the care of his wife and protect her (by extension also his family), for Allah has made man excel above woman (4.34). In the Quran and the Hadith (combined in Shariah law texts) it is described very clearly and in detail how far this “care and protection” is to go. And it is very extensive. A lot more extensive that Linda would have us believe.
Are women incapable of taking care of themselves? According to Allah and the Quran apparently they are incapable or, at least, they cannot make as good a job of it as men can. If we repeat this often enough, we’ll come to accept this as truth and it will turn into a self-fulfilling prophesy. In many Islamic countries, this is the accepted belief.
Of course, daily practice demonstrates the opposite. Worldwide, also in Islamic countries, there are many single women (unmarried, widowed, divorced, ... ) with or without kids that manage very well indeed.
The irony in this is that Muhammad’s first wife, Khadidja, happened to be a rich widow/businesswoman, who managed her own affairs and had absolutely no need of a man. Naturally, most people like to have a partner or a companion, and Khadidja was no exception.
It is for that reason that the rich (40-year old) widow asked the young and handsome (25-year old) Muhammad to marry her.
Compared to Khadidja, Muhammad was a poor man. But, note, we are referring to the time before Islam, keeping in mind that Islam has improved “the woman’s position in a spectacular fashion”.
What did Khadidja have to offer Muhammad?
Firstly, her fortune: when she died, her wealth had evaporated. From a financial point of view, Muhammad had made a negative contribution to the household. Khadidja financed his prophetic career. Muhammad had no need to make a living and could afford to go meditating in the mountains, gather disciples around him and support them financially.
Islamic websites brazenly proclaim that “Islam has become victorious by the sword of Ali [Muhammad’s son-in-law] and the wealth of Khadidja”. Islam is based on violence and on a woman’s money, not on spirituality. ... So the Muslims themselves tell us.
Secondly, she offered him emotional support. This too was needed given that the first revelations proved so traumatic that Muhammad thought he had become insane and tried to commit suicide. This can be read in the Islamic sources, amongst which Ibn Ishaq on p. 106. She helped him through this difficult time in his life and supported him on the road to his prophetic destiny. As it were, she launched him on his career as Prophet. If Muhammad had been forced to work, he would likely never have become Prophet.
Summarized: Khadidja looked after Muhammad, financially and emotionally. There is every indication that she was madly in love with the young man and he with her and that the marriage was very successful. Nothing is wrong with this sort of union. In fact, it quite resembles the western model where both partners contribute to the marriage according to their individual abilities and capacities and without too many taboos.
The relationship between Muhammad and Khadidja was thus the opposite of the Islamic model that Muhammad left behind a decade later, the one where a woman is made dependent on a man and owes him obedience, and where a man is made financially responsible for his wife in exchange for her meekly putting up with his mood swings since she lives forever under the Damoclean threat of being rejected on any blue Monday.
End of Part 3
The husband must take the care of his wife and protect her (by extension also his family), for Allah has made man excel above woman (4.34). In the Quran and the Hadith (combined in Shariah law texts) it is described very clearly and in detail how far this “care and protection” is to go. And it is very extensive. A lot more extensive that Linda would have us believe.
Are women incapable of taking care of themselves? According to Allah and the Quran apparently they are incapable or, at least, they cannot make as good a job of it as men can. If we repeat this often enough, we’ll come to accept this as truth and it will turn into a self-
Of course, daily practice demonstrates the opposite. Worldwide, also in Islamic countries, there are many single women (unmarried, widowed, divorced, ... ) with or without kids that manage very well indeed.
The irony in this is that Muhammad’s first wife, Khadidja, happened to be a rich widow/businesswoman, who managed her own affairs and had absolutely no need of a man. Naturally, most people like to have a partner or a companion, and Khadidja was no exception.
It is for that reason that the rich (40-
Compared to Khadidja, Muhammad was a poor man. But, note, we are referring to the time before Islam, keeping in mind that Islam has improved “the woman’s position in a spectacular fashion”.
What did Khadidja have to offer Muhammad?
Firstly, her fortune: when she died, her wealth had evaporated. From a financial point of view, Muhammad had made a negative contribution to the household. Khadidja financed his prophetic career. Muhammad had no need to make a living and could afford to go meditating in the mountains, gather disciples around him and support them financially.
Islamic websites brazenly proclaim that “Islam has become victorious by the sword of Ali [Muhammad’s son-
Secondly, she offered him emotional support. This too was needed given that the first revelations proved so traumatic that Muhammad thought he had become insane and tried to commit suicide. This can be read in the Islamic sources, amongst which Ibn Ishaq on p. 106. She helped him through this difficult time in his life and supported him on the road to his prophetic destiny. As it were, she launched him on his career as Prophet. If Muhammad had been forced to work, he would likely never have become Prophet.
Summarized: Khadidja looked after Muhammad, financially and emotionally. There is every indication that she was madly in love with the young man and he with her and that the marriage was very successful. Nothing is wrong with this sort of union. In fact, it quite resembles the western model where both partners contribute to the marriage according to their individual abilities and capacities and without too many taboos.
The relationship between Muhammad and Khadidja was thus the opposite of the Islamic model that Muhammad left behind a decade later, the one where a woman is made dependent on a man and owes him obedience, and where a man is made financially responsible for his wife in exchange for her meekly putting up with his mood swings since she lives forever under the Damoclean threat of being rejected on any blue Monday.
End of Part 3