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Womens' Rights in Islam

Holding Important positions

Islam does not deprive women of the right to be appointed in key positions in the state. A Muslim woman has the right to be appointed in posts that suit her nature, experience and qualifications.

Major Misunderstanding : Are Muslim women forbidden to be appointed high positions ? :
The Saying of the Prophet which some Muslim scholars considered as being a prohibitive rule against women being appointed in key positions was: "Unsuccessful shall be those who are ruled by a woman". This referred to the daughter of Kisra, the Emperor of Persia, whom the Persians had crowned as their ruler. This Saying was misinterpreted by some jurists who believed that it applied to all women in all high positions.

To understand this noble hadith we have to mention the occasion in which it was said. A group of men came from Persia to Medina and met the noble Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him. He asked them who is ruling Persia so they answered that it was a woman (the daughter of Kisra) so the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said : "Unsuccessful shall be those who are ruled by a woman".

There are several points that we have to mention here:
1. This Hadith represents a Political Prophecy by the noble Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, this prophecy became true years after this Hadith.

2. The hadith was speaking of presidency and nation leading. In Islam most Muslim scholars agree that the Muslim Caliph has to be a man. This is not due to lack of trust in the women judgment but because Caliphate is indeed a heavy load that requires total dedication to it which contradicts with the woman fundamental rule as a wife and mother.

3. General Caliphate of Islamic countries now does not exist (since the fall of the Abassid caliphate in 1924), they are actually separate countries so it is not the ruling of all Islamic countries but rather ruling of a single country (partial caliphate), consequently the rules of the general caliphate does not apply to this partial caliphate.

4. Nowadays, Presidency does not mean ruling by a single person but rather by different associations like congress, people’s assemblies and many associations that represent the people and share effectively in ruling the country. This kind of democratic ruling is totally different from the kingdom way of ruling where everything was in the hands of the king alone (the case which is mentioned in this Hadith)

It is important here to remember that in Sura An-Naml of the Qur'an, the Queen of Sheba was praised for her wisdom and discretion. This praise indicates the extent of Islam's respect for a woman who was a democratic queen for her country.

  • Many Muslim jurists in different eras regarded women who had careers or who were engaged in any activity with respect and admiration. The religious leader Ibn Hazm considered that women had the right to be rulers of a state.

    The famous Islamic scholar Abu Hanifa was of the same opinion as Ibn Hazm. As for the religious leader Ibn Jareer Al-Tabari, he declared that a woman is entitled to be a judge in all matters that are judged by a man with no exceptions.

    It has also been reported that the second caliph, Omar Ibn Al-Khattab, appointed Al-Shafa', daughter of Abdullah Al Makhzoomiyya as a judge of the prices and the weights and measures used in the market of the city, and this religious and civil post demanded experience and acuity (Al-Qaradawi, Yusuf, Contemporary Opinions, Dar Afaq Al-Ghadd, 1978, p. 63.). (Ghazali, Muhammad, One Hundred Questions about Islam, Vol. 2, pp. 260, 262, and 276.).

  • Although Islam does not deprive women of holding key positions in the state if they are qualified, women should not neglect their primary responsibilities towards their families, namely their husbands and children, since the family is the foundation of society, and the destruction of the family institution leads to the destruction of the whole society. Therefore, it is absolutely necessary for a woman who is successful in her career to attend to all her responsibilities and duties in her home, as a wife and a mother, for the welfare of her family and for that of society in general.

  • One final word before we leave this issue is that in Islamic history approximately 90 women held important positions in judiciary, women even became head of judges. The holy Quran praised Belkees the Queen of Sheeba for the democratic way she applied in ruling her people.

    Actually Islam’s measure here depends on efficiency rather than sex. Even in Islamic sciences mother of the believers Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, had her opinion in many Islamic issues that sometimes contradicted that of other companions of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him. Books were written on her knowledge and mastering of Islamic sciences and the cases where she disagreed with the opinions of other companions. One famous case is the Cover of Kaaba (Allah’s house in Mecca) which is changed every year. Some companions saw that it is better to burry the old cover. Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, saw that it is better to sell it and use it’s price for Muslims welfare instead of burying it. The opinion of Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her is actually the one that is applied till now and the Kabaa’s cover is not buried but is mostly divided into pieces and given as gifts.

  • Some Islamic countries elected women for high political positions like presidency and prime ministry such as Indonesia, Malaysia and Iran though we never saw an American woman elected for presidency or even as prime minister although the united states claims to be the Goddess of freedom and equality on earth. In fact it is Islam that took practical steps towards equality between men and women not just bright words and promises that are more like a mirage or a sand castle.