4. BASED ON THE BOOK
“WOMAN BETWEEN ISLAM AND WESTERN SOCIETY”
BY MAULANA WAHIDUDDIN KHAN

5. PART ONE
STATUS OF WOMEN BEFORE
ISLAM

6. Darkness

7. BIG FISH EATS LITTLE FISH

8. ESTABLISHED BIOLOGICAL FACTS
MAN WOMAN
(BIOLOGICALLY STRONGER) (BIOLOGICALLY WEAKER)
*physically bigger *physically smaller
* stronger *weaker
*↑ BMR *↓BMR
*↑Hemoglobin *↓Hemoglobin
*physically fit throughout youth *frequently incapacitated during Youth
-Menstruation
-Pregnancy
-Lactation
-Rearing children
-House work
*emotionally stronger *emotionally weaker
EMOTIONAL & PHYSICAL STRENGTH FEMININE QUALITIES OFCARE & GENTLENESS
RESPONSIBILITY OUTSIDE THE HOME ESSENTIAL TO MAKE A HOME
PRINCIPLE OF DIVISION OF LABOR

9. WOMEN IN ANCIENT SOCIETY
THE DOWNGRADING OF WOMEN
HUMAN NATURE TO
EXALT THE SUPPOSEDLY GREAT
AND
DEPRECATE THE SUPPOSEDLY INFERIOR

10. THE LAW
 NO SHARE IN THE FAMILY PROPERTY
 LITTLE DISTINCTION BETWEEN FEMALE AND SLAVE
 FEMALE INFANTICIDE
 HUMILIATION TO BE THE FATHER OF A FEMALE
CHILD
 SUBJUGATION OF FEMALES BY MALES

11. THE BELIEFS
(A) CULTURED SOCIETIES
•GREEK MYTHOLOGY:
WHICH SPREAD TO ALL OVER EUROPE
The first woman PANDORA was sent down into the world with a
box containing all kinds of misery and evil. The moment the box
was opened the world has been plagued with wickedness and
sorrow.
•EVE THE TEMPTRESS:
Eve tempted Adam to eat from the forbidden tree and was the
reason for their expulsion from a life of comfort and happiness.
This is the burden of the Original Sin which has to be shared by
the entire human race.
(Encyclopedia Britannica.1984;19:909)

12. THE BELIEFS
CULTURED SOCIETIES continued …
•CELIBACY AS THE CRITERION OF PIETY:
The fundamental reason was the concept of the inferior status of
women. In some countries, women were considered subhuman
and a source of sin. Those who associated with them were
considered inferior. Sanctity was achieved through celibacy.
•ROMAN TEACHERS:
The ideal teacher was the one who never married.
•JAIN COMMUNITY:
“Woman to a monk is like a cat to a chicken”

13. THE BELIEFS
CULTURED SOCIETIES continued …
•ATHENS:
“The status of women had degenerated to that of slaves. Wives
were secluded in their homes, had no education and few rights
and were considered by their husbands no better than cattle. In
ancient Rome a woman’s legal position was of complete
subordination, first to the power of her father or brother and later
to her husband who had paternal power over his wife. In the
eyes of the law females were regarded as imbeciles.
(Encyclopedia Britannica.1984;vol 19:pg909)
•ARISTOTLE:
He maintained that women have fewer teeth than men although
he was twice married. It never occurred to him to verify his
statement by examining his wives’ mouths.
(Bertrand Russell .The impact of science on society.1976:pg 17)

14. (B) PRIMITIVE TRIBAL
SOCIETIES
THE ARABS
• DAUGHTERS BURIED ALIVE:
A grave was dug next to a woman in labor so that if the baby
was a girl she could be buried instantly without the mother even
seeing her.
• INNUMERABLE MARRIAGES AND DIVORCES:
*One woman could be married to many men
*Man could keep on divorcing her and reclaiming her as
often as he wanted to torture her

15. (B) PRIMITIVE TRIBAL
SOCIETIES continued…
•WIDOWS:
*Became the property of the heirs.
*Stepson could marry his widowed stepmother
THE HINDUS
•WOMAN COULD NOT INHERIT:
At time of marriage dowry(jahez) was given to the groom to
thank him for accepting the inferior creature
•SATEE:
Widow did not have a right to live after her husband died. she
had to jump into the funeral pyre with him

16. PART TWO
GUIDANCE OF ALLAH

17. THE DAWN OF ISLAM

18. THE LIGHT OF ISLAM
THE INTELLECTUAL REVOLUTION
 MONDAY, 22nd APRIL 571 AD:-
In this darkness, AllahSWT sends His Messenger SAW.
 The light of Islam, the Quran, is first revealed to Rasool
Allah SAW at the age of 40 in the cave of Hira

19. THE GUIDANCE OF AL-QURAN
REGARDING WOMEN
 SURAH AN NISA: 19
“O you who believe! You are forbidden to inherit women against
their will; and you should not treat them with harshness, that you
may take away part of the Mahr you have given them unless they
commit open indecency; and live with them honourably. If you
dislike them, it may be that you dislike a thing and Allah brings
through it a great deal of good”.
 SURAH E BAQARAH:228
“…And women have rights over their husbands similar to those of
their husbands over them, to what is reasonable, but men have a
degree(of responsibility) over them and Allah is all mighty, all
wise”.

20. THE GUIDANCE OF AL-QURAN
contd…
 SURAH AN NISA:7
“There is a share for men and a share for women from what is left
by parents and those nearest related, whether the property be
small or large , a legal share”
 SURAH AR RUM:21
“And among his signs is this, that he created for you wives from
among yourselves, that you may find comfort in them, and he has
put between you love and mercy. Verily in that are indeed signs for
a people who reflect”.

21. THE GUIDANCE OF AL-QURAN
contd…
 SURAH AN NAHL:97
“Whoever works righteously, whether male or female, while he is a
believer, verily, to him we will give a good life and we shall reward
them in proportion to the best of what they used to do”.
 SURAH AT TAUBAH:71
“The believers, men and women, are the supporters of one
another; they enjoin the good and forbid the evil: they perform
AsSalat and give the Zakat and obey Allah and his messenger.
Allah will have his mercy on them. Surely Allah is all-mighty, all-
wise”.
 SURAH AL IMRAN:195
“Their lord answers them saying ‘Never will I allow to be lost the
work of any of you, be he male or female. You are one of
another…”

22. TEACHINGS OF RASOOL ALLAHSAW
REGARDING WOMEN
 “Take my advice with regard to women. Act kindly towards
them”.
(Saheeh Bukhari And Muslim)
 “The best among you is he who is the best to his family and
for my family I am the best of all of you”
(Ibn e
Majah)
 “No man should hate a believing woman for if there is any
habit of hers that displeases him there will be some other
habit of hers which pleases him”

23. TEACHINGS OF RASOOL ALLAHSAW
REGARDING WOMEN contd…
 “The world is a fleeting enjoyment and the best enjoyment is
a righteous woman”
(Saheeh
Muslim)
 “The most perfect man of religion is one who excels in
character. The best among you is he who gives the best
treatment to his womenfolk”
(At
Tirmidhi)
 “Shall I not tell you what the best form of wealth is? It is a
pious woman who is a delight to her husband’s eyes and
who obeys when asked to do anything and who looks after
his interests when he is away”

24. TEACHINGS OF RASOOL ALLAHSAW
REGARDING WOMEN contd…
 “Women are the complementary part of men”
(Abu Dawud)
 “Fear Allah in respect of women”
(Ibn Majah)
 “Heaven lies at the feet of the mother”
(Jami As Sagheer)
 “The one who brings up three daughters, teaches them good
manners and morals, arranges their marriages and treats
them with fairness, deserves to be ushered into paradise”

25. TEACHINGS OF RASOOL ALLAHSAW
REGARDING WOMEN contd…
“Shall I not tell you what the best object of
charity is? It is your own daughter who has
returned to you as a widow or divorcee and who
has no one to earn for her except you”
(Ibn Majah)

26. RIGHTS THAT ISLAM GIVES TO
WOMEN
AN INTELLECTUAL REVOLUTION

27. EQUALITY BETWEEN MEN AND WOMEN IS
IN STATUS, NOT IN THE WORKPLACE
 Human equality does not mean that every man should be
engaged in the same work as every one else
 Men and women were created different to serve separate
purposes
(FORM FOLLOWS FUNCTION)
 When put in their respective fields they will be equally successful
although in different ways
e.g. What will happen if Einstein is put in a boxing ring?
What will happen if Mohammad Ali is put in a scientific
conference?

28. RESPECT FOR WOMEN
 Rasool Allah SAW was the first historical personality to
break the false myths which subjugated women in
which sanctity was based on celibacy.
 He showed that spirituality meant adhering to the
limits set by Allah while remaining in the midst of
family. Woman was shown to be a source of
goodness rather than evil.

29. WOMAN’S HONOR WAS

SACROSANCT will be cursed
“Whoever slanders a chaste innocent woman
in this world and in the hereafter and for them is a mighty
punishment”
(Surah e Noor:23)
 “… 80 lashes for slandering a chaste woman”
(Surah e Noor:4)
 “… 100 lashes for rape”
(Surah e Noor:2)
 “If the rapist is a married man, stone him to death”.
(Abu Dawud)

30.  “The blood, property and honor of every Muslim (male or female)
is sacrosanct for the others”
(Saheeh Muslim)
 “A woman went out to pray the night prayer and a man raped her
on the way. Hearing her screams people caught the rapist.
Rasool Allah SAW ordered him to be stoned to death and let the
woman go.”
(Tirmidhi & Abu Dawud)
 “A boy had illicit relations with his employer’s wife. His father
gave 100 goats and a female slave to the woman’s husband to
get the crime forgiven. When the case came to Rasool Allah saw he
ordered the return of the gifts and ordered the Hadd punishment
on the adulterer and the adulteress.”
(Saheeh Bukhari)
(There is NO recompense or forgiveness acceptable for this
crime)

31. SANCTITY OF A WOMAN’S LIFE
 In the Jahilia period a woman’s life had no worth
*Allah SWT says “When the girl who was buried alive will be
asked for what crime she was killed”
(Surah Takweer:8-9)
* “A Jew killed a girl in Rasool Allah’s SAW
time. He ordered
the Jew to be killed”
(Saheeh Bukhari)

32. REWARD FOR GOOD DEEDS
In Islam the reward for doing good is same for males and females
* “Whoever does righteous deeds, man or woman, provided he is
a believer, will enter Jannah where they will be given abundant
provision”
(Surah Ghafir:40)
* “The noblest of you, with Allah, is the one who is most pious”
(Surah e Hujurat:13)

33. RIGHT TO EDUCATION
 “It is compulsory on every Muslim to get education”
(Tabarani)
 “Rasool Allah had fixed a separate day of the week to teach
SAW
the Muslim women when he would advise them and teach
them the commands of the Shariah”
(Saheeh Bukhari)

34. RIGHT TO OWN PROPERTY
 In Europe this was not achieved till the 19th century.
 In India this was enacted in 1956
 In Islam ,1400 years ago, a Muslim woman had a right to own
property
(a) Inheritance
(b) Meher (Father/brother had no right to it)
(c) Husband had to provide for the family (even if the woman was
wealthy)
Women did not need to work outside the house to support the
family.
(d) Daughter is supported by her father
 Sister by her brother
 Wife by her husband
 Mother by her son

35. RIGHT TO MARRY
Marriage is invalid without her consent. But
guardian’s consent is additional to this to
protect her from mistakes due to her youth
and inexperience.

36. RIGHT TO DIVORCE
“A woman complained to Rasool Allah SAW
about her husband. He asked her if she
would return the orchard he gave her as
Meher. When she said she would Rasool
AllahSAW called her husband and asked him to
take back the orchard and he then dissolved
the marriage.”
(Saheeh Bukhari)

37. RIGHTS AS A WIFE
The husband has to provide for her needs.
 “And live with them with kindness”
(Surah An Nisa:19)
 “You have rights over your wives and they have rights over you.
Your right is that they shall not permit anyone you dislike to
enter your home and their right is that you should treat them
well in the matter of food and clothing”
(Tirmidhi)
 “The believers who show the most perfect faith are those who
have the best behaviour and the best of you are those who are
the best to their wives”
(Tirmidhi)
 “Whatever you spend seeking thereby the pleasure of Allah will
have its reward even the morsel which you put in the mouth of

38. RIGHTS AS A DAUGHTER
 “Whenever FatimaRA visited her father, he would get up from his
seat, kiss her forehead, hold her hand and make her sit in his
seat. Whenever he visited her, she did the same.”
(Abu Dawood)
 “Whoever supports two daughters till they attain maturity, he
and I will come on the day of resurrection like this…” Rasool
Allah SAW then joined his first two fingers.”
(Saheeh Muslim)
 “O Allah I declare inviolable the rights of two weak ones, the
orphans and women.”

39. AishaRA “A woman came to me with her two
daughters asking for charity. She found nothing with
me except one date fruit which I gave to her. She
accepted it and divided it between her two daughters
and she ate nothing out of it. She then got up and
left. When Rasool AllahSAW came I narrated the story
to him .He said “whoever is involved( in the
responsibility) of (bringing up) daughters and is kind
towards them, then they would become protection
for him against hell fire”
(Bukhari & Muslim)

40. RIGHTS AS A MOTHER
 “We have enjoined man concerning his parents, his mother
carried him in her womb while suffering weakness upon
weakness and then weans him in two years. Give thanks to me
and to your parents and towards me is your final destination. If
they argue with you to commit shirk of which you have no
knowledge, then do not obey them, yet treat them kindly in this
world”
(Surah e Luqman:14-15)
 “Asma bint e Abu Bakr asked Rasool AllahSAW “My mother who is
a polytheist and ill dispossessed towards Islam has come to
visit me. Shall I maintain relations with her?” He replied “Yes,
maintain relations with your mother”
(Bukhari & Muslim)

41. RIGHTS AS A MOTHER
“A man asked Rasool AllahSAW “Who among the
people deserves the best treatment from me?”
Rasool AllahSAW said “Your mother!” The man asked
“Then who?” He said “Your mother!” He again asked
“Then who?” He again said “Your mother!” He again
asked “Then who?” He said “Then your father!”
(Bukhari & Muslim)

42. RIGHTS AS A MOTHER
e.g. British pop singer Cat Stevens (of the 70s) who
embraced Islam and is known as Yusuf Islam ,
was asked by a Jewish woman how he intended
to deal with Islam’s ‘degradation’ of women.
He said he hadn’t actually studied women’s
status in Islam but for his own part, since his
conversion he has asked his mother to come
and live with him and he loved looking after
her. His relations with his wife have also
considerably improved!

43. STATUS OF WOMEN IN ISLAM
 Islam sees man and woman as naturally different and
thus advocates the principle of division of labor rather
than equality of labor!
 The strength of a building lies in the quality of its
individual bricks. Home is the basic unit of society. It is
the training ground for future generations. Woman’s work
is of prime importance and can never be considered
inferior!
 Islam raised the status of women without sacrificing their
femininity or traditional values!

44. PART THREE
THE SECOND DARKNESS

45. THE SECOND DARKNESS

46. INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION
(Late 18th century)

47. THE INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION
(Late 18th century)
 Great Britain becomes the workshop of the world.
The Revolution then spreads to the rest of the world.
 More workers are needed
 Jobs are created which can be done by women too
 No concept of segregation of the genders, in the
West

48.  Women share the responsibility of becoming bread
winners
 Economic independence
 Break out of the shackles of domesticity

49. MODERN THINKING:
1) Giving equal status to women meant standing
women face to face with men in all facets of life
without any regard to practical and moral problems
2) Any role other than the masculine role is inferior

50. WOMEN’S LIBERATION MOVEMENT

51. WOMEN’S LIBERATION MOVEMENT
(Late 1960s)
 Now (National Organization for Women) established
 Civil rights body for women demanding equal pay,
access to education, politics and economic power.
 1972-London- Mary Wollstonecraft “a vindication of
the rights of women”

52.  19th century – Industrial Revolution reaches USA
 Women’s Lib reaches its zenith in the 20th century.

53. CA N”
MAN
H A T A
TH ING T
DO ANY
AN
OM AN C
“A W
“THE DIF
FE
WOMAN RENCE BETWEEN
IS DUE T
AND NO O SOCIA A MAN AND A
T DUE TO L CONDI
INHERE TIONING
NT NATU
RE”
“A WOMAN SHOULD WORK SHOULDER TO SHOULDER WITH A MAN”

54.  1920- USA: Women get the right to vote
 1930- USA: Women enter colleges expecting to
enter professions
 1972-“By all means the American woman of today
should be the happiest .She’s healthier, better
dressed, more comfortable and pampered by
gadgets. But there’s a worm in the apple. She’s
restless and no longer content to be a homemaker,
wife and mother”
(Bonnie Angelo.Time Magazine.)

55. (1) EQUALITY ?

56. ECONOMIC EQUALITY?
 200 years later women still lag behind.
 “In the economic sphere, women who work outside the
home are heavily concentrated in the lowest paying work
and that having the lowest status. Women earn less than
men in the same kind of job.
 USA – Women earn 60% that of men
 JAPAN – Women earn 55% that of men”
(Encyclopedia Britannica;1982)

57. “The central fact is that women and men are
different from each other from the gene to the
thought to the action. These differences flow
from the biological nature of men and
women. Does this mean that men are better
than women? No, not better but different”
- Prof. Steven Goldberg. New York.
”The Inevitability Of Patriarchy”

58. “The feminist cannot have it both ways. If she
wishes to sacrifice her femininity all she’ll get
in return is the right to meet men on male
terms. She’ll lose”
- Daily Express, London, 1977

59. “Women should develop their aptitudes in
accordance with their own nature, without
trying to imitate men. Their part in the
progress of civilization is higher than that of
men. They should not abandon their specific
function”
-Nobel Laureate Dr Alexis Carrel.
Man The Unknown. New York;1949:91

60. (2) HARASSMENT IN THE WORK
PLACE

61.  It is endemic
 50% us women have suffered from colleagues and
superiors
 Difficult for a rape victim to prove, how much more difficult
for a victim of less dramatic violence !
(e.g. Saga of the IMF Chief: Strauss-Kahn)

62.  Woman is helpless! She has already left her
parents and husband and needs to work for a
living. If she leaves the office, she has
nowhere to go!
 Can a law prevent a bull trampling on a bird if
we hold that they are equal to fight a duel ?

63. (3)BREAKDOWN OF THE
MARRIAGE BOND

64.  Unlimited freedom → Breakdown of the
traditional institution of marriage
 Marriage considered superfluous →
Unmarried couples can live together and
change partners freely

65. (4) DIVORCE RATE CLIMBS

66.  FRANCE – 50% marriages end in divorce
 CANADA – 40%
 USA – Divorce rate = Marriage rate
 10% Women have gone through divorce
- Plain Truth;1987

67. (5) JUVENILE DELINQUENCY

68.  Broken homes
 Illegitimate children
 1985 – UK – 1 in 5 children are illegitimate
 1 in 3 conceived by unmarried parents
- Encyclopedia Britannica.1984;vol 5:pg273
 Psychological problems in children→ Crime
(e.g. Charles Sobhraj)
 Women encouraged to abandon children and homes
and enter illicit relations → Children deprived of the
blessing of parents.

69. (6) UNWANTED PREGNANCIES

70. 1 in 10 girls, in USA, between 15 and 19
get pregnant
- Plain Truth, Sept 1986

71. (7) THE NEW FEMINISM
(1970s)

72.  Young women encouraged to stay single
 ↑ Use of contraception “Pill = Freedom”
 Abortion legalised (mid 1960s )
 “51% males think that US society exploits women as
much as blacks”
- “Psychology Today” survey
 ↑ Female suicide rate :
L.A. ,1960, 35% suicides are by females
1970,45%

73. (8) DECLINING POPULATION

74.  ↑ Average age for marriage
 1960 – 1988 – Birth rate dropped by 50%
 Voluntary childlessness is acceptable “One and
Done”
 25% of young women of the 1970s will never have
children
 1990 – 4 in 10 US families have children

75. CONCLUSION
 The rot in western society is the result of
putting into practice the principles in which
they believe
 Colonization, industrial revolution, occupation
of countries and the media have spread this
ideology to the rest of the world

76.  The rot in Muslim society is the result of
deviation from Islam, a gap between principle
and practice
 The cure is to return to Islamic principles

77. IN THIS LIES
THE SECRET OF
WOMEN’S
EMANCIPATION!
“ISLAM”

78. REFERENCES
 The Noble Quran
 Riyad-us-Saliheen
 Woman between Islam and Western Society
by Maulana Wahiduddin Khan
 The Book of Marriage by Iqbal Kailani
 The Prophet of Revolution by Maulana
Wahiduddin Khan