Women and Islam

WOMEN AND ISLAM

In her work , Hassan speaks about the role women play in Islam . The author refers to the continuous misinterpretation of the Islamic provisions and traditions as a result of this misinterpretation , a woman in Islam seems to play a role submissive to man . Negative ideas about women that have no base in the Qur 'an have apparently become part of Muslim thinking by assimilation from surrounding cultures (Hassan 2007 , 243 . In reality , many schools of Islamic law refute the idea of a woman being inferior to man . Islam teaches

men to treat women with kindness and respect (Hassan , 2007 , 243 . Qur 'an teaches the Muslim community to secure the safety rights of women (Hassan , 2007 , 246 Special attention is paid to safety , if a woman is suspected of adultery : the fact of sexual relations will never be proven unless four witnesses can confirm it (Hassan , 2007 , 248 . Although Qur 'an makes certain reference to disobedient wives , its initial aim is to provide women and men with equal rights to reach heaven . A woman in marriage plays a special role of man 's advisor and supporter (Hassan , 2007 , 251 This is why in early Islamic history many Muslim women accompanied their husbands in battles . This is why early Islamic history has given birth to several significant female figures , among which Khadija , A 'isha , and Fatima were the most prominent . However , even in the light of these promising trends , Islam remains a predominantly male religion . There is as yet no possibility that women can hold positions of spiritual authority in mosques (Hassan , 2007 , 258 . Islamic traditions vary from country to country , and while some women are allowed to attend the shrines and to beg for spiritual intervention to solve their personal problems , the female majority is forbidden to even approach a saint 's tomb (Hassan , 2007 , 258 . Many Islamic communities openly express their negative attitudes towards westernization , thus adding to women 's social burden in Islam . Women are still responsible for contraception in sexual relations with their husbands some smaller communities were known for applying genital mutilation to girls (Hassan , 2007 , 261 . In many aspects , the Islamic norms which put women on equal terms with men remain unrecognized by the larger Islamic community

For centuries , the major Islamic provisions have been re-interpreted by men . This is why Hassan argues for the importance of studying primary Islamic norms by women (Hassan , 1999 , 250 . As male-centered and male-dominated Muslim societies [ .] keep women in physical , mental and emotional confinement and deprive them of the opportunity to actualize their human potential , women have no other choice but to be more actively involved into the process of studying the Islamic theology . Hassan is extremely disturbed by the fact that only a handful of Muslim women are good connoisseurs of Islamic theology the increased religious activity of Muslim women will provide the basis for combating brutality , female exploitation and the power of anti-women laws However , it is not enough to make women more...