Renaissance - 4

If you look at the history carefully, you can observe that the people who valued and honored the women's rights entered a climbing trend. When I say rights, I am talking about the rights as an "individual", and not just as a "mother". A human being is a human being before anything else. Gender roles are secondary issues that come later. Therefore, a renaissance of faith must acknowledge this fact and manifest it in life.

If we are talking about a faith-based movement, it must be centered on the word of God. So, we must ask whether what I stated above is an authentic Quranic proposition. If it is not, even if it sounds nice, it cannot be accepted as a faith movement but as an idea produced by a mortal mind that is limited in knowledge and wisdom (2/216). We need a solid thesis statement supported by Quranic verses, and as explicit and as clear from interpretation as possible. Then, let's formulate our questions, and seek answers.

Are women, before anything else, "individuals", or are they essentially created to be wives and mothers who are going to stay at home, and do nothing but serve their husbands and raise children?

My first sentence in this discussion against those claiming the latter option is "based on which Quranic verses, are you claiming that?" Whatever you claim in the name of God, you must have a solid, explicit Quranic verse (31/20); otherwise, it can at best be an interpretation of Quran based on culture and psychological/sociological circumstances.

Now, let's see some verses that address both male and female believers, that treat them equivalently and specify the same individual duty to both of them: 

O mankind, indeed We have created you from male and female and made you peoples and tribes that you may know one another. Indeed, the most noble of you in the sight of Allah is the most righteous of you. Indeed, Allah is Knowing and Acquainted. (49/13)

Their Lord answered their prayers saying, "I do not neglect anyone's labor whether the laborer be male or female. You are all related to one another. Those who migrated from Mecca, those who were expelled from their homes, those who were tortured for My cause, and those who fought and were killed for My cause will find their sins expiated by Me and I will admit them into the gardens wherein streams flow. It will be their reward from God Who grants the best rewards." (3/195)

And the believers, men and women, are protecting friends one of another; they enjoin the right and forbid the wrong, and they establish worship and they pay the poor-due, and they obey Allah and His messenger. As for these, Allah will have mercy on them. Lo! Allah is Mighty, Wise. (9/71)

Successful indeed are the believers, who are humble in their prayers, and who keep aloof from what is vain, who are active in deeds of charity; and who guard their private parts, except before their mates or those whom their right hands possess, for they surely are not blameable, but whoever seeks to go beyond that, these are they that exceed the limits; and those who are keepers of their trusts and their covenant, and they who carefully maintain their prayers, (23/1-9)

O Prophet, when the believing women come to you pledging to you that they will not associate anything with Allah , nor will they steal, nor will they commit unlawful sexual intercourse, nor will they kill their children, nor will they bring forth a slander they have invented between their arms and legs, nor will they disobey you in what is right - then accept their pledge and ask forgiveness for them of Allah. Indeed, Allah is Forgiving and Merciful. (60/12)

These examples can be extended, but the bottom line is being a believer and doing all the deeds thereof are equal trusts given to all individuals, regardless of their genders. This fact is a clue that the traditional gender roles that developed based on the existing life conditions in the past are not necessarily reflective of the essential duties of an individual outlined in the Quran. But again, let's not suffice with this clue, and let's go beyond. Let's see which verses are used to back up the other proposition that supports the subjugation of women to men and suppression of their presence in the social life.

The major Quranic verse that is quoted about the "inferior status" of women is the one below.

Men are the protectors and maintainers of women, because Allah has given the one more (strength) than the other, and because they support them from their means... (4/34)

Other than this, throughout the Quran, you see regulations regarding the marriage and divorce. In fact, even with the verse above, if you had the traditional perspectives and are siding with the subjugation of women to men, this situation would only be supported in case of marriage. That is, unmarried women, according to the traditional understanding of the verse above, cannot be under a subjugation towards men. I have shared a separate blog specifically on this verse, if you would like to read further. So, given that there is no verse ordering the women to marry, you must conclude that women's first and foremost duty is not to serve their husbands and the children. That is they are individuals before anything else. Even for the married women, if you had traditional views, you could justify an inferior status for them towards their husbands, not against all men! That is, in the general social life, even with the traditional views, you cannot support from the Quran your claims of a general suppression of women.

Now, let's leave the traditional stand point behind. If you have a broader horizon of thought and knowledge, and if you read, contemplate and critically think the whole of the book of God, then you would clearly see that a functional subjugation among individuals, be it at the family or society level, is emphasized in the Quran and that that functionality is not necessarily based on biological traits (see also Contemplating on Nisa-34). As the culture and technological circumstances change, so does the functionality of the individuals, regardless of their genders. So, a faith movement in the new century must accommodate females with the due respect.