THE RIGHTS OF WOMAN IN SOCIETY
Based on these principles, Islam grants woman equal rights with man,
except where there are natural differences connected to the physical,
psychological and sexual constitution as well as social position.
Islam grants woman the following rights:
1. The Right to Learn:
Actually Islam commands both men and women to learn. A Tradition
says:
"Seeking knowledge is a duty imposed on all Muslim males and
females."
2. The Right to Work:
Both man and woman are given the right to work. All religiously
lawful works are open to woman as they are open to man. The married
woman, however is not allowed to work without her husband's
permission, because matrimonial rights and family system come first in
Islam. It is obligatory for the wife to protect family life and take
care of household duties.
3. The Political Rights:
In Islam the Woman enjoys full political rights, except nomination to
the post of the Head of the State and a Judge which are exclusively
reserved for a man. She participates in all political and social
activities like electing the Head of the State, the nation's
representatives in the parliament, etc. She may be member of all kinds
of establishments, organizations and parties. She may even be a
minister, a parliament deputy and may manage other diverse political
posts.
The Qur'an speaks about women's allegiance to the Messenger of Allah
(s.a.w.); and history is a witness that women did take the oath
accepting the sovereignty of the Prophet and his successors:
"O Prophet! If believing women come to you, taking oath of
allegiance to you that they will ascribe nothing as partner to Allah,
and will neither steal nor commit adultery nor kill their children,
nor produce any lie that they have devised between their hands and
feet (forged) nor disobey you in what is right,* then accept their
allegiance and ask Allah to forgive them. Surely Allah is Forgiving,
Merciful." Holy Qur'an (60:12)
Actually, this oath of allegiance is obligatory on women as it is on
men, since it is the acceptance of the religious guardianship of the
Head or the "Imam" of the Islamic nation.
4. The Civil Rights:
Woman, like man enjoys full legal rights, She may inherit, buy, sell,
give, take, conclude contracts, etc. In Islam, the woman has legally
an independent personality, and her obligations are independent from
those of her father, husband or brothers. Thus, the woman in Islam
enjoys all rights and is treated equally to man in this respect.
