Forcing the debate on the future of Muslim women

Page 13
Q-News, Issue 362
April 2005

Most books on the rights of Muslim women contrast their position in Arab society before and after the coming of Islam. Sadly, argues Humera Khan, most stop there. Thus, Dr Amina Wadud’s recent decision to lead congregational Friday prayers in New York can be seen as a desperate attempt to focus the attention of the community on the deteriorating position of Muslim women.

The spiritual tidal waves created in Makkan society by both revelation and the Prophetic example, which the early Muslims were following, were enormous and unsettling. There were two important elements at play: first, this major change required a shift in the mindset of the men who enjoyed privileges brought about by the servitude of women. The second was to free the oppressed minds of the women who did not know any other way to be.

This did not happen over night and if we follow the process of revelation we will see that the Makkan period didn’t begin with a confrontation of oppressive social norms. Instead it focused on raising the level of God-consciousness of both men and women. This was an essential pre-requisite to implementing social change as the early Muslims were being guided towards a reorientation of their spirituality and their aspirations. This process was the same whether the person was a slave, rich or poor, man or a woman. By creating an even spiritual plateau the arena was set for what was to come in Madinah.

Books on the contribution of women at this time are often vague and disjointed. Since men usually write history, the active role of the women in Madinah is often played down. But their presence cannot be denied and we find many stories, for example, of Aisha’s scholarliness or Umm Salama’s wisdom or Summayah’s bravery. But, these anecdotes can appear to be isolated examples if they are not presented as an integral part, which they were, of an evolving society.

Another norm that seems to be prevalent amongst Muslims is to present the Madinah as a patriarchal society with the emerging social institutions as being male dominated. Women are presented as either not being involved or even required to be consulted with. But women could not have been excluded. When the spiritual level of women had already been equalised how could their role in society then be unjustly relegated? This is especially so when we know that the wives of the Prophet were considered to be “Mothers of the Believers” - not literal mothers, but twin halves to the “fathering” role played by the Prophet. The role of both prominent men and women sahabah in that society was to help nurture and strengthen the ethical principles of Islam, to aid the weak and vulnerable and to act as honourable role models.

Another impression that is often given in what is written is that women were not encouraged to go to the mosque and therefore participate in the social activism of the community. This is particularly strange when we know that the Prophet advised against preventing the women from attending the mosque and participating in the important events of the community. Also he specifically requested Aisha to go the mosque during her menstruation to collect something as if to make a point. Her lack of confidence showed itself when she reminded the Prophet of her condition and he replied by saying that her menstruation was “not in her hand”.

Equally we know that the Prophet enjoyed women’s company, not as is sometimes insinuated because of his high sex drive, but because he appreciated their insight, wisdom and perspective and would integrate what he gleaned from his conversations with them into the body of Madinan custom. So what do these few examples tell us? Boundaries were being challenged everyday, and not everyone found this easy to deal with. But then, they had the Prophet to guide them and it would be fair to say that by the time of his death the society had truly changed.

But following his death it didn’t take long for past insecurities and habits to slowly creep in. As early as the Caliphate of Umar ibn Khattab we know that major issues were being debated once again such as whether women should be encouraged to pray at home or how should women engage in public life? Umar was known to have a leaning towards strict rules and tended to err in favour of conservatism. His habit of walking the streets to get a sense of what was happening in the community made him very sensitive to some of the bad practices that were edging its way into everyday life. The extent of one of his strictures included setting a limit on the amount of money given as mahar - or the bridal gift. In a famous incident when Umar was giving this fatwa in the mosque he was challenged by a woman, who stood up and asked him directly how could he put a limit on something when the Prophet himself did not? Again, a much quoted incident but what is seldom discussed is the implication of this event. Firstly, it appears that the woman is in close proximity to the Caliph - at least at a distance that she could be seen and heard clearly. Secondly, we have to consider the confidence of a woman who could stand up and directly challenge the Caliph. There is no mention of a group of men rushing to hustle her out of the mosque and put her under house arrest. She is seen, heard and her position taken seriously by Umar who replied that the woman was right and that he was wrong.

In the following 1400 years as the Muslim world expanded, so too did the role and contribution of women. According to the eminent scholar Aisha Bewley, the reasons for the declining position of women are manifold: “the re-assertion of pre-Islamic patriarchy; the adoption and emulation of pre-Islamic practices of conquered - for example, the Byzantium gynaecium which became the Ottoman harem; the infiltration of Western ideas, including the view of women as inferior; an active [colonial] policy to keep women (and indeed the Muslims as a whole) down; a legacy of colonialism: that Islam is ‘barbaric’ while European, Western customs and traditions were ‘civilised’; resentment - first allowing oneself to be defined by this ‘barbaric/civilised’ dichotomy and then defending it, thus giving it a reality which it did not have to begin with.”

It seems the last of this list is perhaps the most pertinent to us today. Having got all of our gender wires crossed we spend most of our energies defending the indefensible. In other words when we are questioned about the abysmal status of Muslim women, the near slave conditions of some women in their marriages, the extent of domestic violence, the exclusion of women in any decision making and other such dishonourable practices, we witness a hive of activity by our male-led organisations arguing that Islam gives women a high status and so on. To support this position, a European convert woman is periodically wheeled out to prove that Islam treats women well. But, perhaps the high status they are talking about is the cliff-edge that many Muslim women are standing on today - undermined, exploited and unable to find justice, is it not surprising therefore that women feel pushed to extremes to get their point across?

Enter Dr Amina Wadud Muhsin and her controversial leading of the congregational jummah prayers in New York. Interestingly, a similar outcry did not greet the setting up of women-only mosques in China and South India. The issues at stake there included the dire necessity of developing women scholars and religious leaders, of giving women some sacred space in which to develop themselves and their self esteem and primarily as a way of ending the marginalisation of women in the public sphere. To most Muslim men this was acceptable and no major public debate occurred except by Western secular-liberals who were fascinated by such a development. What self-obsessed Muslim men do not see is that once these women have found themselves they will look towards the men and challenge them. Consider this fair warning.

The question of women leading the jummah prayers, or any prayers for that matter, is not as complicated as the public debate suggests. The tradition that is usually cited to support the position of women leading prayers is the story of Umm Waraqa bint Nawfal. Umm Waraqa was a hafiz of Quran and known for her piety. Because of her knowledge she was given the responsibility of being the imam of her household (extended family) by the Prophet, which included the men. Those that support this view argue that she was given this responsibility because she was the most knowledgeable in her extended family therefore the most appropriate person to be the imam. Those who oppose this position do not consider this incident to be the norm, but the exception.

But what are qualities of an imam? Aren’t the best qualities of leadership found in the Prophets? The Quran says that “We sent not a messenger except (to teach) in the language of his (own) people, in order to make (things) clear to them.” Prophets were sent at a given time and place to a particular group of people. Sending a prophet who was not part of the experience of their people would have limited their ability to make themselves relevant and would have set them apart. Therefore, prophets were required to have been brought up in the specific cultural context, understand the language and already be known for their good character. Prophets did not come to wave an angry finger at their followers but to be part of them and their struggles.

While it is usually agreed that the prophets are men, some women play “prophetic” roles in their pursuit of establishing Divine principles and social ethics. When the Quran tells us to take as the Pharaoh’s wife and Mary as an example, it is not a specific recommendation to women only, but a general one to men as well.

Therefore, when one considers very simply what standards we should expect from our imams or community spokesmen today we will find that the vast majority fail to meet the most basic of requirements. While some may boast a long list of credentials from universities such as Al-Azhar they fail to be socially engaged, are often removed from society during their formative years in Islamic education and have an evangelical (dawah) mentality that considers their task to be more about converting people than about transforming the communities in which they live. This shocking trend is particularly favoured by an increasing number of young Western Muslims who go to the Middle East with the intention of returning to do dawah. They usually only end up being able to do the ‘talk’ but not the ‘walk’.

So, with decades of prominent Muslim scholars and leaders ignoring the voices of Muslim women, or at best paying lip service to it, is it not surprising then that desperate times calls for desperate measures? Over the last twenty years I have myself tried to have a dialogue with numerous prominent Muslim scholars and leaders on the conditions of Muslim women and sought their support. While it appears they are listening, the possibility of taking a Muslim woman seriously is still a long way off. Many of these Muslim men find it much easier to engage with and take seriously non-Muslim women. I have had more than one experience where representations I have made to prominent Muslim men has been ignored but taken on board when presented by a non-Muslim woman. The argument given is that these women showed interest in Islam - then my answer to that is to direct them to Muslim women - there are plenty out there.

My challenge to Muslim men is to ‘actively’ involve Muslim women in all aspects of our spiritual and social lives. The accusation against this is often that women cannot engage at a higher level with the men because they do not have the scholarly know-how. This attitude continues to perpetuate institutionalised male-dominated leadership and organisations and who spend all their time talking to people who think like themselves and therefore achieve very little. This male mafia is completely against the Islamic way of life and any development of Muslim communities cannot be considered to be viable without the active and equal engagement of women.

In my heart I feel trepidation at the stance taken by Dr Wadud because by taking such a radical approach she has already pushed herself onto the margins. Perhaps her objective was to force a debate. In that she has certainly succeeded.