SOME people are unaware of the importance and value Islam places upon
women. Women who do not know this reality, as well as all people with
insufficient knowledge of the Qur'an, try to protect their rights by
working within their worldview, which follows the logic of unbelief.
A
Muslim woman believes in Allah with a true heart, submits completely to
Him, is aware that there is no other deity, that He is the Lord of
every being and thing, and that He is All-Powerful. Therefore, she fears
and respects only Him and seeks to win only His good pleasure.
She
worships only Him, accepts only Him as her closest friend, and seeks
only His help. She also knows that only He can direct good and bad
toward her, and so lives in the full knowledge that she is dependent on
Him. She knows that He keeps her alive, provides and cares for her, and
protects and guards her. For these reasons, she has no expectations of
other people.
She believes in Allah without the slightest doubt in
her heart for her whole life, never losing heart or belief regardless of
the circumstances.
She knows how to be grateful and content with her
closeness to Him both when her life is good and when she is undergoing
difficulties. She is in a state of constant submission, certain of our
Lord's love, compassion, forgiveness and providence.
When she
encounters a problem, she knows that Allah has provided a solution in
the Qur'an, and that what matters most is her continued sincere love,
submission, and trust in Allah. She is certain of Allah's promise that
He creates everything according to His justice and with wisdom and
goodness.
Even if her problems seem to go on forever, she never
surrenders to hopelessness or worries when His help will come. Content
with what He has sent her way, she maintains her patience and
submission, knowing that something good will come out of it. She
remembers what the Qur'an says about those who abandon their belief in
such times. In addition, she recites "My Lord is with me and will guide
me" (Qur’an, 42:62), just as the Prophets did when faced with hardship.
Throughout her life, her profound faith enables her to see Allah's
compassion, closeness, love, help, and friendship at all times.
Allah
created men and women for a purpose and revealed their responsibilities
in the Qur'an. Men and women are required to lead the moral life
prescribed by Allah, worship and serve Him, and to win His pleasure.
They are required to tell people who are far from the happy and
contented life about following the Qur'an's teachings and to make a
genuine effort to help them draw closer to Allah's pleasure, mercy, and
Paradise.
Some unbelieving women consider strength and willpower to
be male characteristics, out of the mistaken belief that only men have
to show strength and determination for themselves, as well as for the
women in their charge, in the face of adversity. Thus, they consider it
to be in their best interest to surrender to men's intellect, willpower
and strength. Especially when encountering trouble and difficulty, they
lose whatever little strength and willpower they have and panic, and
thus give themselves up to irrational and confused behavior.
This
pale and weak personality leads unbelieving women to pay too much
attention to what other people think about them. Often, they knowingly
do something wrong just to impress others or to win a respectable place
among them. Likewise, if they are criticized, they feel belittled and
disliked, and so feel devastated. Not understanding that what matters is
their value in Allah's Presence, they only seek the approval of people
and end up being upset and distraught, thinking that all they ever do is
a waste. As a result, they become depressed and lose their strength,
willpower, and courage.
But Muslim women never stagger because of
people's criticism. Given that they measure themselves by the yardstick
of the Qur'an, which spells out clearly what is right and what is wrong,
they strive to live up to the Qur'anic morality. If they are criticized
for doing so, they become even more determined and stronger in their
pursuit of His good pleasure, which is the highest goal to pursue.
Believing that only the Qur'an's morality gives them any value in this
world and the next, they do not care what other people think of them.
The
only solution is the Qur'an, which provides the easiest, as well as the
most content and beautiful path, by which to live. The only path that
can lead toward righteousness is His path, for only it leads to goodness
and prosperity. Allah reveals that the Qur'an brings people honor and
dignity, and that all who abide by its values and follow this righteous
path will find success in everything they undertake.
All true and
lasting solutions to false ideas about women are found in the Qur'an.
Islam, which was revealed to guide humanity to salvation, genuinely
values women. Many verses protect women and their rights, for the Qur'an
eliminated the prevalent misguided stereotypes of women and gave them a
respectable position in society. Our Lord teaches that superiority in
His Presence is based not on gender, but rather on one's fear and
respect of Allah, faith, good character, devotion, and dedication to
Him.
Allah has revealed the steps that women need to take to ensure
their protection and respect within society, and for them to find the
love and dignity that they deserve. All of these measures benefit women
and seek to prevent damage to their interests or any form of oppression
and unnecessary stress.
Article by: arabnews.com
