To the best of my knowledge, no issue consumed the minds of scholars, researchers, and thinkers from the beginning of the 20th century to the present time as much as the issue of women did. Our contemporary Arab and Islamic libraries are full of thousands of books, research papers, conference proceedings, and seminar papers that have deeply addressed and made proposals for the issue of women. However, it still seems as if no one has ever considered or written about it! After careful consideration of the matter, I believe that there are three aspects to tackle this issue:
The First Aspect:
This aspect relates to the Islamic perspective. Islam established justice for Muslim women and liberated them from the oppressive constraints of the then civilizations. Most notably, pre-Islamic Arabia denied women basic rights such as the right to life, education, and inheritance. Similarly, ancient Greek civilization—as reflected in the works of its prominent philosophers Plato and Aristotle—Roman law, and various Indian religious traditions and texts, often held women solely responsible for original sin.
However, I assert that in that suffocating atmosphere for women, where there was no blame or reproach on Islam for keeping silent at that time regarding the injustice and humiliation inflicted upon women, Islam had its decisive word. When the entire world was against women, their rights, and dignity as human beings, Islam immediately announced to the whole humanity that: "women shall have rights similar to the rights against them, according to what is equitable," (Qur’an, 2:228) warned against wronging them saying: " do not retain them ˹only˺ to harm them ˹or˺ to take advantage ˹of them˺." (Qur’an, 2:231)
Furthermore, among the last words of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) were: "Women are the counterparts of men." He (PBUH) abolished the pre-Islamic practice of burying daughters alive and gave women rights that were fourteen centuries ahead of their global contemporaries. Islam established women’s legal right to inherit property, pursue an education, and freely choose their spouses. To ensure their individual identities remained distinct from their husbands, he granted them financial independence, enabling them to manage their assets as independent owners while retaining their family names. Furthermore, it gave them the same duties and responsibilities as men.
Securing these rights inevitably empowered women to become creative, influential members of society—proving to be of equal importance to men, if not greater. It is authentically reported that Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said, "If I were to give preference to a certain group, I would give preference to women over men." This preference does not mean to console the weak and oppressed, but rather to draw attention to the qualities and characteristics in which women excel, and in which they may even surpass men.
The Second Aspect:
This aspect is concerned with the practices which have been influenced by customs and traditions more than the rulings of the Quran and Sunnah as well as the explicit texts that elevate the status of women and their intellectual, social, and human worth. This perspective or school of thought has almost reverted women in many aspects of their lives to their situation before the revelation of the Glorious Quran. It has denied them many of the rights that Islam has granted upon them, and it has established an odd body of laws about women, subjecting them to a siege of estrangement and alienation to the extent that they have nearly become accustomed to it. Islam came precisely to liberate women from this siege and place them at the heart of society to bear their responsibility in its development, growth, and progress.
The Third Aspect:
The aspect is related to Western modernity, associated with particular concepts and new philosophies that have disregarded many of the well-established values in these nations’ history and beliefs. I here assert—in brief—that I clearly distinguish between modernity, with all its pitfalls, and modernization, which is an engagement with, intellectual endeavor to revitalize, and application of the religious and moral heritage, drawing upon its resources and development. Moreover, modernity, as perceived in the West, is not the ideal model of globalization and promotion.
Nevertheless, I do not want to deny the merits of modernist movement. It has positive aspects in the scientific, humanistic, and technological progress, as well as the critique of outdated customs and traditions, which the divine religions came to reform and rectify. However, I wish to present three points of concern:
I warn against the argument that morality is relative, religious sanctity should be the excluded from the governing moral system, and that morals are bound to individuals, who is controlled by his own whims and desires. In my view, the exclusion of religion from society means that man lives on the periphery of life and becomes unable to perceive it as it actually is.
I warn that marginalizing the role of the family in social upbringing, and delegating this role to institutions and corporations that act as substitutes for the family, leads to a society devoid of emotion, social relationships, and human loyalties. Indeed, sooner or later, it results in a society lacking psychological balance and social compassion—qualities that only the family can foster. All of this negatively impacts all political, social, and educational systems, if not ultimately threatening the very survival of the human species.
The rapid advancements in genetics, genetic engineering, and related fields, along with their associated risks, compel us to ask: Is modernity the ideal alternative for a society that upholds the values of motherhood and family, despite the transgressions committed in the name of religion? Or should we accept the status quo and strive to change and renew it, drawing upon our distinct identities and diverse cultures? The other alternative is, without a doubt, destruction and disaster in both physical and moral terms.
I hope this question—which I consider pivotal—will receive the attention of anyone looking forward to a new strategy for empowering women and achieving balance between women and men in all areas of life.