WOMAN AND THE UNITY OF THE HUMAN SPECIES

WOMAN AND THE UNITY OF THE HUMAN SPECIES

"O mankind! surely We have created you of a male and a female, and

It is a fundamental basis taken for granted that a thinker, or a

researcher, studying Islam, should base his researches and studies on

a scheme adhering to monotheism and sincerely believing in the Oneness

of Allah, which would enable him to comprehend Islamic laws and

values. Without such a scheme the study would be fruitless, and the

researcher's judgements would fall short of his aim of understanding

the truth.

Belief in Allah, the One who is all Knowledge, all Wisdom, all

Justice, and all Powerful will have direct effect on the researcher's

attitude towards Divine legislation and laws.

Accepting these facts leads to a belief that these attributes are

reflected in the divine legislations, which are in fact all based on

realistic foundations. Should this belief and concept be implanted and

grown inside the mind and conscience of the one who deals with the

Islamic religion, he would recognize these attributes - justice,

wisdom and realistic knowledge - personified in him, as stated by

Islam.

Now, by following this basic principle in dealing with Islam and its

teachings, laws, concepts and legislations organizing the relations

between man, woman and family, we would realize that they are

scientific concepts based on reason with no place for legend,

petrifaction or injustice.

These concepts can be inferred from making a scientific comparison

between the status of woman under Islam and her disgraceful status

under non - Islamic laws and concepts devised by man - a part of which

has already been related.

Once again we quote verses from the Glorious Qur'an to confirm that

Islam builds all its concepts, values and laws concerning family,

woman and her relations with man and society, from a scientific and

rational angle - the belief in the oneness of the human species, - and

in the fact that man and woman are joined together as human beings,

with no actual difference between them:

In Islam, Man and Woman are the twin rails of the train of life. Islam

makes no distinction between man and woman as human beings.

Both are of the same soul, the noblest of them is the best in

conduct, whether man or woman. Islam has no special regulations for

man, and different ones for woman, except within the frame of their

particular physical and natural characteristics, suiting their

different roles in life.

Consequently, the so called advocation of woman's rights claiming to

liberate her, and regarding her equal to man in knowledge, politics,

civil rights, etc. are alien calls to Islam, and totally strange. In

Islam the need never arises for such calls about liberating her and

giving her rights, for Islam does not prevent a woman from any right.

In fact Islam has already granted the woman her rights on the same

day on which it gave man his. It dealt with the two halves of the

society - man and woman - on the same humane basis.

Stressing the oneness of the human species and equally attributing

the human characteristics to both man and woman, Islam established all

its laws and values on the basis of the principle of "The Oneness of

the Human species", the species to whom Allah has granted Dower of

reason and treats affectionately.

As for the allegations, arguments and cries arising from here and

there creating a fury among Muslim societies, sadly it reflects the

fact that this struggle between the two currents has nothing to do

either with Islam or the rights of a woman.

It is a struggle, on one hand, between a current of lewdness and

unrestrained sexual behavior that has sneaked in along with European

cultural and educational raid on our Islamic world, and on the other

hand, a primitive current that is still adhering to certain outdated

social customs and traditions left behind by backward environmental

circumstances, across many centuries. These concepts about woman and

her relation to man, society and life, have no connection whatsoever

with Islam and its lofty values and ideals.

Unfortunately, these social attitude are actually the offspring of

the decay of Muslims societies, and a factor pointing out the

absence of Islamic concepts and relations.

 Therefore, in order to have a correct understanding of Islamic

ideals, it is necessary to distinguish between woman's status in the

Islamic countries and her status according to Islamic laws, principles

and values. It is unjust to regard Islam - as a religion and law -

responsible for the backwardness of the Muslims, nor is it right to

convict Islam, in anyone of its aspects because of the backward social

life lived by the Muslims ever since they drifted away from its

teachings and neglected it in practice and application.