The Position of Women in the Light of Prophetic Hadiths
The Holy Prophet of Islam, after faith and piety, regarded a righteous woman as the greatest capital of the world and one of the sources of happiness. He issued many directives concerning her status. He addressed men, saying: “The most perfect believers in terms of faith are those who are the most kind to their families.”
These are not the only virtues; indeed, the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) kept the Muslim army in place because Ayesha (may Allah be pleased with her) had lost her necklace. Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) came and said: “O Messenger of Allah! You kept the people while they are not at the water fountain, and they lack water.”
When the camel stood up, the necklace was found underneath it. At that moment, the verse regarding “Tayamum” was revealed. Asid bin Hozair (may Allah be pleased with him) remarked: “O family of Abu Bakr! This is not the first blessing that has reached the Ummah because of you.”
The status of women was elevated by the Holy Prophet. Umm Hani (may Allah be pleased with her) approached the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) and said: “O Messenger of Allah! My brother Ali bin Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with him) wants to kill the man whom I have sheltered.” The Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) responded: “We have sheltered the one whom you have sheltered.”
The Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) entrusted the upbringing of children to mothers, as he stated: “And the woman is a guardian in the household of her spouse, and she is responsible for the children.”
According to Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim, Hazrat Umar bin Khattab (RA) highlighted the transformation in the attitude of the Jahili Arabs compared to the Muhammadi community (PBUH) towards women. He clearly stated: “We considered women as nothing during the Jahili period, and it was Islam and the Qur’an that recognized the rights of women over men.”
Gustavo Lobon, a Western thinker, noted: “Europe learned to respect women from Muslims, contrary to common belief. Islam (rather than Christianity) freed women from the mire of lowliness and humiliation. In the Middle Ages, Christians did not value women, and during the feudal era, they treated women harshly until they eventually learned to respect women from Muslims.” He further stated: “It was the religion of Islam that elevated women from the lowest position to the highest, not the religion of Christ as is commonly believed.”
One Orientalist remarked: “Before the arrival of Islam, in certain respects, men regarded women as being akin to cattle and viewed them merely as tools for domination and service. Women faced all kinds of oppression; their rights and property were violated. After divorce or the death of their husband, they had no right to remarry and were inherited like other goods and animals.”
Allameh Tabatabai, a Shia commentator, stated: “By the blessing of Islam, women became independent and self-reliant. Their will and actions, which were previously inextricably linked to the will of men, were liberated with the advent of Islam. Compared to the world before Islam, where women received no such recognition in any historical period, Islam granted them a significant status.”
In his relatively short life, the Prophet (peace be upon him) praised women who played a pivotal role in strengthening the foundations of religion within the Muslim community and bestowed upon them great spiritual promises. Therefore, women during the Prophet’s leadership contributed significantly across various fields, including political, social, cultural, military, and economic, aiding the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) in his objectives.
In the next section, Allah willing, there will be a detailed discussion about the women who were instrumental in the early days of Islam, who stood alongside men to promote the truth and establish the religion of Islam.
