Equal Rights and Responsibilities: Upholding Womens Dignity in Islam

🔹 محمد أكرم الندوي
Men Don’t Own Women 🔹

✍️ by: Dr.

Mohammad Akram Nadwi
📍 Oxford

📖 “The believing men and believing women are supporters of one another. They enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong, establish prayer, give zakat, and obey Allah and His Messenger. Those – Allah will have mercy upon them. Indeed, Allah is Exalted in Might and Wise.” (Surat al-Tawbah 71)

🌟 This verse outlines the complementary duties of men and women in personal and societal life. Rather than engaging in hostility or competition, both genders are allies and supporters of one another. Each has a role in promoting good and eradicating wrongs within society, whether through teaching, guidance, or other avenues of reform. To fulfil these responsibilities, it’s essential for both men and women to have a sound understanding of their faith.

📚 Our duty, then, is to provide equal opportunities for men and women to seek knowledge, so they can pass it on to future generations and contribute to the ongoing improvement of society.

🔴 Recent Allegations of Abuse 🔴
Following recent allegations of sexual abuse of minor girls against a prominent Qur’an teacher, Muslim leaders—both male and female—have expressed horror, anger, and profound disappointment. These allegations, along with similar cases of abuse within our community, highlight a disturbing pattern: perpetrators frequently evade accountability, and justice remains elusive.

Yet, despite these grievous wrongs, some voices are now suggesting that Muslim women’s freedoms should be restricted—limiting their access to mosques, centres of learning, workplaces, and social spaces.
🛑 It is profoundly unjust that, once again, it is women who are targeted with restrictions, even though they are the victims of these harms.

🚫 If curbing freedoms is deemed necessary, it should be the freedoms of men—those responsible for these abuses—that are limited. Calls to restrict women’s freedoms reflect a troubling assumption: as if women are owned by men, and if women’s rights and autonomy are controlled by men. We must remember that both men and women are ultimately accountable only to their Creator, who alone has the absolute right to define duties and responsibilities for all.

👩‍👩‍👦 Women have an equal right to space and participation in society, just as men do. Both men and women are answerable to their Creator, and on the Day of Judgment, He alone will judge them based on their obedience to Him.

📜 This life is a test, and Allah has provided equal opportunities for both men and women to fulfil their duties. Any attempt to limit these opportunities is, therefore, contrary to His guidance.

🌹 Misconduct and Addressing Issues Justly 🌹
When misconduct occurs, there are just and effective ways to address it so that both men and women can continue their responsibilities freely and safely. Using such incidents as a pretext to restrict women’s rights is a misguided form of arrogance and a failure to uphold justice.

🌟 The Qur’an’s Teachings on Women’s Rights 🌟
The Qur’an strongly rebukes the people of the Jahiliyyah (the Age of Ignorance before Islam) for their negative attitudes toward women. It describes their reaction to the birth of a daughter:
“When news is brought to one of them of [the birth of] a girl, his face darkens, and he is filled with inward grief! He hides himself from his people because of the ill news he has received. Should he keep her with dishonor or bury her in the dust? Ah – how evil the choice they make!” (al-Naḥl, 16:58-59)

💔 At that time, burying infant girls alive was a horrifying custom practiced by some (though not all) Arab tribes. The Qur’an condemns this act and warns of divine retribution on the Day of Judgement:
“And when the girl [who was] buried alive is asked, for what sin she was killed” (al-Takwīr, 81:8-9) ⚖️ Depriving women of the opportunity to learn and understand their religion, for instance, can be likened to “burying their mind and spirit alive.” True respect and empowerment come from granting them equal access to knowledge and spiritual growth, which is a fundamental right upheld by Islamic teachings.

🕋 Core Islamic Principles on Human Rights and Duties 🕋
The Qur’an indicates that human rights and responsibilities are grounded in two core principles, applicable equally to both men and women.

1️⃣ First: All humans are creatures and slaves of God, their Creator and Sustainer.

“O humankind, be conscious of your Lord, who created you from a single soul and from it created its mate, and from both spread countless men and women...”

💪 Each person bears individual responsibility toward God, with duties in this life and recompense in the hereafter unique to each soul. No intermediary authority is required between individuals and God. Instead, all matters of worship and resolution of worldly disputes are referred directly to the guidance provided by the Qur’an and Sunnah. Access to this guidance is determined solely by one’s knowledge of and commitment to the teachings of the Qur’an and Sunnah.

🔴 Addressing Abuse Justly and Proactively 🔴

📌 1. Report Abuse and Uphold Justice:
Whenever there is an allegation or case of sexual abuse, it must be reported promptly to the appropriate authorities. Standing united in seeking justice for victims is not only a moral imperative but also a command of our faith. By doing this, we protect both the dignity of those wronged and the integrity of our religion.

📌 2. Ensure Safe, Boundaried Interactions:
To reduce opportunities for abuse, it’s crucial to maintain clear, safe boundaries in interactions between non-mahram individuals. Parents should avoid sending children to others’ homes for educational purposes or bringing teachers into their homes. Most abuse cases arise from such private settings. It’s important to remember that religious leaders, scholars, and teachers are men like any others and should be approached with the same caution. Women and men should interact with teachers or scholars in a respectful but public and professional manner.

🌟 Equal Rewards for All on the Day of Judgment 🌟
We should work towards solving problems without causing harm to anyone. We must remember that both men and women are servants of Allah and will receive equal rewards on the Day of Judgment.

✨ A well-known verse of the Qur’an emphasizes this:
“The Muslim men and Muslim women; the believing men and believing women; the men who are obedient to God and the women who are obedient; the men who are truthful and the women who are truthful; the men who are patient and the women who are patient; the men who give charity and the women who give charity; the men who fast and the women who fast; the men who guard their chastity and the women who guard their chastity; and the men who remember Allah often and the women who remember Allah often – Allah has prepared for them forgiveness and a great reward.”

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