Islam and Women Misconceptions and Misperceptions pdf

Islam and Women Misconceptions and Misperceptions

ISLAM AND WOMEN MISCONCEPTIONS AND MISPERCEPTIONS

Book Contents

• Feature Article
• Islam and
• Shehzad Saleem
• Misconceptions and Misperceptions
• The Testimony of Women 6
• Women are less Sensible than Men 11
• The Diyat of Women 13
• Women must travel with a Mah@ram
• Women can’t become Heads of State 16
• Men are Superior to Women 17
• Female Circumcision 20
• Mahr: the Price of owning a Wife 21
• Women Outnumbering Men in Hell 22
• Sex with Female War Captives 23
• Prohibition of Plucking Facial Hair 28
• Going out without the Husband’s Permission 30
• ‘Iddat Restrictions 32
• Marriage with Minor Girls 33
• Refusing Sex to the Husband 34
• The Right to Beat Wives 35
• The Daughter’s Share in Inheritance 36
• Polygamy 38
• Marriage with the People of the Book 41
• The Issue of Wali# (Guardian) in Marriage
• Three Divorce Declarations 43
• The Issue of H@ala#lah
• Sexual Intimacy 52
• Misinterpretation of some verses of Su#rah Ah@za#b
  • Women must cover their faces and wear large cloaks (jilba#bs) when they go out of their houses.
  • Women should primarily be confined to their homes.
  • Women must not speak in a polite tone with strangers.
  • Women should be kept secluded except from their immediate relatives.
• Questions regarding Marriages of the Prophet (sws) 61
  • Why was the Prophet (sws) allowed to more than four wives?
  • Why did the Prophet (sws) marry the wife of his adopted son?
  • Why did not the Prophet (sws) marry his slave girl: Maria the Coptic?

The stance of Islam regarding certain issues relating to women has remained a hot subject of debate, especially in the last few centuries.

The fatal point in Islam is its degradation of women is what Edward William Lane, the famous nineteenth century lexicographer, once wrote.

 Although Islam does not support the basic tenets of the feminist movement, it must be conceded that this movement has served to create awareness in the educated Muslim women regarding some of the viewpoints that are presented to them by the clergy under the label of Islam.

A careful study of these issues would show that many controversies regarding the stance of Islam on women have arisen because of misunderstanding the view of Islam in this regard.

 In recent times, the works of Javed Ahmad Ghamidi, a meritorious religious scholar and president of Al-Mawrid Institute of Islamic Sciences, have attempted to clarify the stance of the Islamic Shariah on various issues.

His research has also been instrumental in clearing up misconceptions regarding women. The ideas presented in this issue of the journal draw almost entirely on his research and most of them are derived from his article …..

No research is final.

Being a human endeavour, it can never be without blemishes. However, every new research needs to be given a serious thought.

We would therefore request our readers to critically evaluate the ideas presented and weigh the arguments that are proffered in the light of reason and revelation.