The Muslims Internet Directory

Imagine this scenario, for it is real: two antagonists locked in a grim power struggle. And

another: two or more other competitors, rivals in a race for high stakes, a race to determine the

course of their entire life. At race’s end, the prizes for winning include compliments, telling

glances, and First Prize, a wedding ring. Unwanted "prizes" along the way may include physical

assault, countless violations of body and soul. The protagonists of these scenarios are all

around us; they are modern man and modern woman, and woman vs. woman.

From time immemorial, against this harsh horizon of human relations, the "battle of the sexes"

has raged. But never has "Sexual Politics" been so virulent as today. Feminism becomes

polarization along gender barriers. To offset increased competition for a mate, extreme nudity

splashes itself unchecked. Fear and suspicion on both sides lurk; commitments are tepid, or all

too fragile.

Now conjure this, from the Qur’an, the Book of the Revelation sent to guide the affairs of

as the covering layer which envelops and protects us from heat and cold, man and wife are the

In days remarkably similar to ours, a new path was taught: the path of enduring partnership and

cooperation in human affairs, to level the exhausting shifting sands of competition and

(The One, The Deity, "Eloh" of the Hebrews). Fittingly, the name of this grace-filled, all-encompassing

path of balance and harmony for mankind was derived from "Salaam", the Arabic

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religion; it is the same universal truth that God has enjoined upon humanity throughout the

ages, in its final, most comprehensive exposition. 1400 years after its Revelation, it stands as

pristine, and as beneficial, as it was on the day Allah first granted it: in a time of upheaval, in a

world of unraveling values, in a society confused and chaotic much like ours.

There Allah chose His last Prophet, the Seal of the Messengers, the Mercy for all mankind. He

was an upright, kind and honorable man living in seventh-century Arabia, at the very fringes of

the civilized world. And when first Muhammad, in his fortieth year, peace be upon him, heard

the Word of Allah, he was shaken and he was stunned. And he turned to a woman, his wife

Khadija, for counsel: am I mad? he asked. This true companion knew better. Go, she said, and

serve Allah. The Revelation of Islam was gathered over 23 often perilous years, in the Book of

Recitation, the Qur’an.

Today, 1/5th of humanity is Muslim, (those who surrender to Allah’s Will) and millions more

(women in the forefront) are heeding its voice. For this Voice speaks with irresistible appeal, of

Islam is freedom; it upholds free will and encourages rational thought; it recognizes only that

virtue or sin which an individual earns through free action and choice. Within its parameters is a

code of behavior, a complete social pattern for man and for woman, that looks out to the whole

of life through the harmony of a balanced scale. In this system, based on natural law and innate

reason, (the Knowing System of the Creator Himself), cooperation is the standard criterion.

Muslims are brothers and sisters in the family of mankind, brethren all under Islam, in the sweet

surrender of obedience and worship to Allah, Unique and One (Tawhid). Each Muslim, man or

woman, chooses to be a Muslim. Each Muslim is ultimately accountable for his and her actions

to Allah alone. Allah will call us all to account on the Day of Reckoning. How easy it becomes,

then, to be truly free. For the vain idols of stone, the enslaving tyrants of greed, of lust, of

ambition, of public opinion crumble to naught. Freedom from the tyranny of man and man-made

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Not one verse in the whole of the Qur'an speaks injustice. Not one word says, men and women

are not equal. Everywhere, the Book of Nature and Creation tells us: equality under God is the

only criterion. Under God in sincere worship, man and woman stand in parity. But this Book is

truth; truth does not shy away from our most basic, indisputable biological differences. Male and

female, quite simply, have distinct and complementary roles to fill, equally vital for the

sustenance of life.

Everywhere, the Qur’an reminds us of the mutual rights humans owe to one another, in the

In a time when most women were common chattel, the teachings of the Qur'an and the

legal and social; and dignity as individuals; cemented their right to wealth and property, to

inheritance, to education. In Muhammad (pbuh), women found the champion to uphold their

rights, merciful, sympathetic, unwavering in his support: women flocked to his call. Budding

Islam grew strong on the depth of their staunch belief.

In a day of social anarchy, Islam reintroduced structure and the natural order. For it is the stable

bond of the family unit that elevates man from beast. It is its strong foundation, built on

understanding and collaboration, which ripples outward in concentric circles to the vast social

Your body has rights upon you, said the Prophet of Islam. By this was meant a healthy, clean,

intelligent respect for the body and its needs. Personal hygiene is one of Islam's most basic

requirements. Pleasing and discrete elegance s smiled upon in Islam, the world's great

Civilization of Refinement, in body and soul. And the Prophet said: "God Himself is graceful and

elegance pleases Him."

The Islamic way does not want mankind shut up unnaturally, in towers of ivory, to ruminate

endlessly in ascetic withdrawal from fellow beings. Islam is inclusive dynamism; Useful and

graceful action; Improvement and betterment. Nor does it deny or demean the natural sex

drive. On the contrary, it elevates and liberates it, channeling it for a peaceful, healthy society:

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Within the REAL partnership of matrimony, the joining of husband and wife is legitimized: here

sex is no sin, but a form of natural worship. The Qur'an itself speaks of sexual relations

between man and wife, simple and direct; it teaches the striving toward harmony, the need for

trust and confidence between husband and wife, between life partners, as it does between all

human beings (Surah 66).

Does the nurturer not need nurturing too? The biological imperatives, Islam meets squarely,

head-on, with no coyness; for indeed Allah created us so. Islam addresses the differing needs

of man and woman comprehensively.

The need of woman, in child bearing years, feminism notwithstanding, is sustenance and

security. A pregnant woman requires care; a nursing mother and infant require protection; a

wife, mother, sister require respect: these are their rights. Equal rights, in proportioned

measure: the way of Islam is honest and clear-sighted. To safeguard the one from the

oversights of the other; to remind the one of the requirements of the other; the balanced checks

of Islam work in supreme rationality:

"Men are the protectors and maintainers of women, because Allah has made one of them

stronger than the other, and because they spend out of their possessions (to support them)."

(Surah 4:34). Women have the same rights as the husbands have on them. But man is the

burden-carrying partner; with the weight of duty and responsibility, comes a measure of fair

recognition: "But men are a degree above them (women)." (Surah 2:228).

These are the basic injunctions of Islam concerning women. They revolve around the rights of

women, not their restrictions. Injunctions placing restrictions on women in the Qur'an, emerge

chiefly in connection to the greater curbs placed on men. For male lust, that primary, but

blindest of drives, is not allowed to become the driving force of society. Thus the Qur'anic

injunctions recommend modesty, for both men and women. (24:31; 33:35).

Where the parade of enticement and seduction prevails, Islam upholds the standard of straight

forward human dealings, inner mettle to inner mettle. Sex and beauty stay at home; neither

commodity nor potential incentive in wider social relations, their power is curtailed to strangers,

enhanced to the bonded partner. Where promiscuity runs rampant, Islam builds a society where

children know their fathers, and fathers are responsible for their wives and children. By severing

the loose ties of lust, Islam restores the lasting ties of partnership. Where the sexual society

objectifies, Islam humanizes.

"Let them wear their head-coverings over their bosoms" (Surah 24:31; 33:59). It is the minimum

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have seen to that. A Muslim woman is told: cover your nakedness, do not play with your

femininity as a commodity. Be proud and save your intimate best for the one who stands by

you in times good and bad. Speak loud and clear; the game-and-promise bedroom voice does

not belong on the streets, (Surah 33:32); Walk firm and tall: the swaying, jingling advertisement

of body carries a "for sale" sign on it (Surah 24:31).

The Qur'an seeks clarity of heart and intention; Its injunctions address the deception inherent in

teasing and seduction, their signal or their unintentional message. Hijab is first a reminder for

the soul, an inner code and standard, and only second a physical statement.

Indeed the head-to-toe cloak (chador) is by no means unique to Islam; but a universal,

spontaneous woman's choice throughout time, the dress of high-born Roman and Byzantine

ladies for centuries to indicate their elevated social status, set apart, "protected" from the

laboring throng.

In the Qur'an, verses referring to the veil come in the context of the early struggles of nascent

Islam, when false believers were infiltrating the infant Muslim community: Muslim ladies would

be recognized at once, wearing a pragmatic veil of conduct affirming their belief in the Creator's

laws. Modesty of dress externalizes moderation of behavior: the inner hijab, the moral

affirmation of the bounds of decency, honesty, self-respect, honor, made visible. The veil

continues to offer recognition and freedom to woman in many ways: it is a signal sent out which

demands respect and receives it in return. Thus did Allah intend (Surah 33:59).

"Swathed in their veil, locked away": yet this popular image of extremes has no place in Islam.

It is born under specific skies, in cultural imposition, solidified in misconception, perpetuated in

the rigidity of the narrow-minded or the misguided.

The severe segregation of the sexes is not a Qur'anic injunction. A Muslim woman is given

freedom of thought at all times. And that same intrinsic freedom of action which does not lead

to disharmony, in exactly the same manner as a Muslim man. Islam does favor the inherent,

the natural division of life-spheres. A woman's familial duty is foremost, her natural environment

is the home.

To those who cry, "Sexism," a word of reminder, and some facts. A woman will know different

spans in one single month; medical science has only now begun to concede the often drastic

influence of very real hormonal fluctuations in a woman's biology.

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By the same token, throughout Islamic history, women who, through their talent must rise in the

larger society, have risen. In the time of Ignorance (Jahiliyah), the Message of Islam came to

rectify rampant polygamy. The criterion, as always, balance and fairness. In cases a man took

more than one partner, it should be done legitimately, within the norms of fair dealing. No

"Second class" categories of relationships. No one-night stand: a real commitment in marriage.

Islam never overlooks the greater social stability and justice. It will regulate, in its omniscience,

all potential forces at work in the social spectrum. In point of fact, the lifelong and monogamous

Where it does not, despite the best intentions, here too, naturalness reigns. Divorce is the most

disliked of all lawful things, the Prophet said. Prevention is the priority. But when the life of the

couple has grown destructive and counter-productive, the Qur'an sets strict guidelines, to

forestall haste and whim; terms of transition (Iddat) and reasonable waiting periods - usually of

four months - have been enjoined, long enough for tempers to cool, for a pregnancy to reveal

itself, for circumstances to change or solidify.

Divorce can be instigated by husband or wife (Talaq and Khula), and by mutual consent

(Mubara'ah). No Muslim girl can be forced to marry against her will. When estrangement and

Look around you, across the street, around the world: you will see Muslim women choosing the

veil of their own free will. For they recognize it for what it was enjoined, an emancipation and a

liberation. The merchandising of the human being profits only that ever-voracious corporate

bottom line. Hijab is a woman's statement, of transcending the often-abused power of men over

their lives. It is a statement of understanding the real meaning within the Qur'an. It is intrinsic

dignity, unadorned and straightforward, for all: and that is the Islamic way.

Today, women have tired of selling themselves short. Selling their "assets" on a false stage,

where plastic bodies and fashion kings may dictate the shape of a life and appearances have

taken on the functions of one's very soul. Hail the freedom of the "liberated woman," unhinged

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free to starve herself in the mating game - starve in the rat race. Her hard-won rights; her

pyrrhic victory.

Now imagine a world where women are the cover of men and men, their garment and covering.

Imagine a world where merit and strength of character replace the transient, the doomed race

after fading beauty; where the good become beautiful and the beautiful, good. The Prophet

once said, "God does not judge according to your bodies and appearances but scans your

Written by Tasleem K. Griffin