Text and Toon

Womanhood Status Before Islam

Long ago, a woman’s status in the sight of all nations of the World was nothing more than the value of household goods. They were treated like animals. They were bought and sold. They had no choice in the matter of marriage; they had to silently accept the highest bidder. They never inherited, even from their close relatives. In fact, she herself would become an item of distribution just like any other commodity of inheritance in a descendant’s estate. Women were regarded merely as properties and possessions of men. in some societies, they were not even regarded as human. and when they were regarded as human they were seen as being created and born only to serve man.
In ancient societies in much of Europe, Asia and the Middle East, woman came to be considered inferior to man. The main reason for the ill treatment of women in ancient times was the prevalence of superstition. Superstition became elevated to the status of religion and, as such, had pervasively influenced human relations. Some religions taught that Eve, the first woman, caused Adam's ejection from the Garden of Eden so women were seen as a curse...


Reform of the Status of Womanhood

It was not until the last restoration of Islam by the last prophet of the God, Mohammed -peace be upon him-, in the early 7th century, that woman was recognized as a partner of man. Under Islam, the disgraceful place of woman inherited from ancient societies underwent the greatest most unparalleled reformation ever in the history of humankind. With the advent of Islam, woman was able to restore her dignity and legal rights. With the arrival of Islam, the values of motherhood were established and reinforced. In Islam, woman was removed from her crippling position to play her vital part in the society. It is in Islam that women joined the ranks of scholars and leaders in carrying out the torch of enlightenment to a world full of darkness.

The revolutionary change adopted by Islam in moving woman out from inferiority and humiliation into a new age of enlightenment and dignity was both important and complicated. Liberation and equality were about to be established in a society where women never thought they would be equal to men. In such a society, the God almighty gently touched the hearts of the believers with the following beautiful verse:
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful,
إِنَّ الْمُسْلِمِينَ وَالْمُسْلِمَاتِ وَالْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَالْمُؤْمِنَاتِ وَالْقَانِتِينَ وَالْقَانِتَاتِ وَالصَّادِقِينَ وَالصَّادِقَاتِ وَالصَّابِرِينَ وَالصَّابِرَاتِ وَالْخَاشِعِينَ وَالْخَاشِعَاتِ وَالْمُتَصَدِّقِينَ وَالْمُتَصَدِّقَاتِ وَالصَّائِمِينَ وَالصَّائِمَاتِ وَالْحَافِظِينَ فُرُوجَهُمْ وَالْحَافِظَاتِ وَالذَّاكِرِينَ اللَّهَ كَثِيرًا وَالذَّاكِرَاتِ أَعَدَّ اللَّهُ لَهُم مَّغْفِرَةً وَأَجْرًا عَظِيمًا
Indeed, the Muslim men and Muslim women, the believing men and believing women, the obedient men and obedient women, the truthful men and truthful women, the patient men and patient women, the humble men and humble women, the charitable men and charitable women, the fasting men and fasting women, the men who guard their private parts (from fornication) and the women who do so, and the men who remember Allah often and the women who do so - for them Allah has prepared forgiveness and a great reward.
^{translation of 33:35}
This remarkable revelation lays out the golden rule of Islam: all people are equal, no differentiation in gender - men and women are equally tasked and equally rewarded. God said in the Holy Qur'an:
وَمَن يَعْمَلْ مِنَ الصَّالِحَاتِ مِن ذَكَرٍ أَوْ أُنثَىٰ وَهُوَ مُؤْمِنٌ فَأُولَٰئِكَ يَدْخُلُونَ الْجَنَّةَ وَلَا يُظْلَمُونَ نَقِيرًا
And whoever does righteous deeds, whether male or female, while being a believer - those will enter Paradise and will not be wronged, [even as much as] the speck on a date seed.
^{translation of 4:124}
Many unfair civil and social laws regarding women were discounted in Islam. For example, women in many places in the world were not allowed to inherit real property - Islam changed this unfair tradition. Similarly, women were forced to marry or were sold in the market. Islam changed all of that. In marriage, women's consent is a condition of the validation of the marriage. women are allowed to seek divorce...