By SYED JALALUDDIN OMARI
Translation SYYED MANSOOR AGHA
Allah the Exalted has created human beings, like all other living species, in zaujain (pairs of male and female). Both male and female are dependent on each other. This is why their population is kept almost equal. In normal situations this proportion is maintained as such and no change occurs in their equal ratio. This is a natural process. Any artificial alteration in natural process is detrimental. Allah the Exalted, with His wisdom and knowledge, determines which couple gets both male and female children and in what numbers, or gets only boys or only girls and which one remains issueless. He has absolute power over everything.
To Allah belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth; He creates what He wills. He gives to whom He wills female [children], and He gives to whom He wills males. Or He makes them [both] males and females, and He renders whom He wills barren. Indeed, He is Knowing and Competent. (Ash-Shura 42:49, 50)
This is a pronouncement of the truth that only Allah is the master of the universe and all therein. Everything is under His command and ownership. Creation of everything is in His hands. He creates what He desires. Nobody has a role in creation. He alone created human beings. To keep a race sustained, He gives daughters to one, sons to another or both girls and boys and it is His wisdom that keeps someone barren. Since the existence of human race depends on both male and female, the question of one being superior and the other inferior or one being useful and the other useless does not arise.
In this ayah Allah has described children as His gift. Irrespective of sex, both sons and daughters are His gifts. One always gifts some lovely thing. Allah is the most reputed giver of the gift. Therefore, showing unhappiness or considering a gift from Allah to be inferior is denigrating His gratitude and dishonouring His gift. In this ayah the girl child is mentioned first. But sometimes one feels sad when a girl child is born. The Qur’ān strikes on this way of thinking. The Qur’ān describes the birth of a daughter as good tiding. (An-Nah’l 16:58) Her birth is good news for parents. But the ignorant take it as bad news.
A number of civilizations came into existence in the world. Since woman was treated as useless and a hindrance in the process of development of a society; she was kept on the fringe. Her contribution, if any, and her role were not duly recognised. She was not given encouragement. The process of development remained a male hegemony. Men’s sentiments and wishes were considered supreme and female members of society were kept at bay. The Qur’ān reveals that both man and woman have their respective roles to play in making a society and a civilization. None of them can be ignored. Both have their roles in polluting the society with immorality and distancing people from morality. While mutual co-operation of righteous men and women uplifts the society in morality; dishonest, non-believer, hypocrite men and women engage in acts of distancing the people from morality and to blemish them.
“The hypocrite men and hypocrite women are of one another. They enjoin what is wrong and forbid what is right and close their hands. They have forgotten Allah, so He has forgotten them [accordingly]. Indeed, the hypocrites – it is they who are the defiantly disobedient. (At-Tauba 9: 67)”
This is followed with the warning to hypocrite men and women and those who reject the Guidance of Allah and distract the people onto the wrong path. The Qur’ān warns that such men and women will be thrown into the fire of Hell and will live there for ever.
Allah has promised the hypocrite men and hypocrite women and the disbelievers the Fire of Hell, wherein they will abide eternally. It is sufficient for them. And Allah has cursed them, and for them is an enduring punishment. (At-Tauba 9: 68)
Contrary to the dirty conduct of hypocrite men and women, believing men and women continue to strive to bring the society onto the path of righteousness and truth. They join hands to promote goodness and to counter evils. And thus a clean and righteous society comes into existence and develops.
“The believing men and believing women are allies of one another. They enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong and establish prayer and give zakah and obey Allah and His Messenger. Those – Allah will have mercy to them. Indeed, Allah is Exalted in Might and Wise.” (At-Tauba 9:71)
After this there is good tiding for believing men and women of “Jannah” (paradise) where they will live for ever.
Allah has promised the believing men and believing women gardens beneath which rivers flow, wherein they abide eternally, and pleasant dwellings in gardens of perpetual residence; but approval from Allah is greater. It is that which the great attainment is. (At-Tauba 9: 72)
Islam addresses both man and woman without any discrimination. The history of Islam is the history of both men and women, who embraced and accepted the call of Islam, took pains to spread the message of Truth, faced hardship and sufferings at the hands of enemies of the faith. Both were persecuted and forced to leave their homeland and migrate to alien places. Whenever they were called for, they played their due roles in armed struggles and defended the mission and the community. Last part of Surah Al-e-Imran of the Qur’ān describes the feelings of believers. Even after great sacrifices in the path of Allah and sustenance for truth, they have strong feelings about their shortcomings, which make them to pray to their Lord for pardon on the Day of Judgement so that they do not have to be ashamed, and begged His bounty.
And their Lord responded to them, “Never will I allow to be lost the work of [any] worker among you, whether male or female; you are of one another. So those who emigrated or were evicted from their homes or were harmed in My cause or fought or were killed – I will surely remove from them their misdeeds, and I will surely admit them to gardens beneath which rivers flow as reward from Allah , and Allah has with Him the best reward.” (Ale Imran 3: 195)
In making and securing the Islamic Society, men and women both have played their crucial roles. Both together contributed and coordinated at every stage in the development of the society. This is a historical fact. Even today, sustenance and progress of the society requires participation of both.
(to be concluded)