Before the advent of Islam (Jahiliya), the plight was miserable in the barren desert of Arabia; they were either in subjugation to their kinsmen or were taken as captives during the continual war in those days. They were usually treated by the enemy as bondmaids and were held in contempt. In this anarchical era, Islam brought a ray of hope for this poor creature by introducing the ideas of equal status and respect for women. In one stroke, Islam ensures that a woman has an independent personality that cannot be subjugated. It, too, banished the stigma that a woman is man’s eternal seducer and tempter. In the Holy Quran, both men and women are addressed in the same way, for example, Al Insan, Al Momin, etc. Most importantly, Islam provided women with public, financial, political, and legal rights. In addition, Islam gave women inheritance rights from movable and immovable property (Omar, 2011).
Unfortunately, over some time, this aspect of equality has been replaced with gender discrimination and inequality, even degrading to severe forms of violence, which is rampant in Pakistan. The prevalence of customary laws became more visible as Islam traveled far and wide. Therefore, the true essence of the religion has been compromised, as is evident in the very case of Pakistan.
But here, a question comes to my mind, i.e., what are the causes of this decline??? Or how and why did the status of women decline in Islamic society?
The answer to this question dates back to medieval cultural practices somehow. In this period, India’s contact with the new religion of Islam began. The contacts began late in the 7th century through the Arab traders.
Most of the early jurists came from 7th-century urban Arab society and culture, and accordingly, the Arab customary laws became part of the Shariah. Unfortunately, because of a lack of proper knowledge and understanding, Quranic injunctions on gender justice were diluted. Secondly, the fabrication of hadith also caused discrimination. The Quranic injunctions in respect of women were not acceptable in a patriarchal culture, as they challenged the authority of men and made women equal. Therefore, one can say that the problem is more cultural rather than religious. But unfortunately, religious zealots try to justify prevalent cultural and social misdeeds based on Islam.
Regrettably, at the individual level, women themselves are also not aware of the rights enshrined in them in Islam. Islam considers both men and women equally human and grants them equal human rights. Both have similar duties to perform, for instance, prayer, rituals, fasting, etc. According to Islam & Holy Quran, personal superiority is only based on piety and not gender. There is no religious restriction on women attaining education or working outside their home.
But in reality, women are more conversant with the concocted version, as preached by religious leaders with a certain bent of mind. Severe cases of ignorance or maybe lihaaz (respect) that is engrained in their psyche by family and surroundings cause such passive identity. This docility is visible in Pakistan, as females try to reconcile with violence, and the sense of guilt is very strong within them.
A poll conducted by the Thomson Reuters Foundation in 2011 found that Pakistan is the third most dangerous country for women. Pakistan is an Islamic Republic; every rule and regulation in the country is supposed to be based on Islamic law. But, at the same time, there are some customs and traditions against Islamic laws that are commonly practiced (UN, 2011, 20). Cultural patterns in Pakistan do not let women enjoy their legal and religious rights protected by the law and provided by Islam.
Pakistan is an Islamic state, but for women’s rights, it derives its interpretation from customs and cultural norms. The existence of parallel justice systems like Jirga and Panchayat are generally apathetic to women and their grievances, and therefore, the existence of both legal and religious safeguards and measures do not percolate into the social structure. The fear factor also prevents women from asserting their rights. These bodies unlawfully impose punishments on those who assert their rights against the prescribed norms of the tribe or the community. Thus, the malevolence of parochial culture overshadows the religion of peace and equality.
- The Decline of Women in Islamic Society - 13/10/2023
