By: Khadija Nadeem Gr 9
Being raised in such modern times, I was well aware of the concept of feminism and fully supported it until recently learning about its relation to Islam. I now recognize that I can’t be a feminist and a Muslim, let me explain. Feminism defines “equal” rights according to humans, men and women. However, Islam defines “equal” rights according to the will of Allah, God. Deciding where you stand means deciding who is superior. Islam honoured women 1400 years ago and gave women rights long before feminism was ever even introduced to the modern world. Regardless of how Muslims choose to follow Islam, our religion has always empowered and honoured women. There are multiple instances in our Islamic history that represent and recognize strong independent women, one of them being the Prophet (PBUH) him self’s wife Khadija (RA). Using marriage as an example, here are some rights Islam gives women.
In Islam, marriage is seen as a mutually beneficial contract and women have the right to choose their own husband. They are also free to require a prenuptial agreement which not only includes money she will receive in the event of a divorce, but also contains any Islamic rights she wishes to enforce for herself. This includes the right to a divorce, the right to keep custody of her children if there is a divorce, the right to an education, the right to work, the right to wear a head-covering and multiple other issues that concern her.
So if all these rights are given in Islam, why are so many women just in Islam still oppressed? This is where culture gets mixed in. Often the lines between culture and religion get blurred, and it isn’t Islamic laws that oppress women, but usually Muslim men. But the freedom of will granted by Islam carries a great responsibility. And Muslim women must educate themselves and understand their rights in order to reclaim them.
