Dr. O blogs at Muslim Medicine, a site that strives to serve mostly fresh grade-A certified ẓabiḥah ḥalāl comedy, but has a small selection of serious articles as well.

To my fellow young brothers seeking marriage, ask yourself an honest question. If a sister were to offer you a proposal, and she was wealthier, more educated, and more accomplished than you, but older as well and previously widowed (or divorced) with children, would you seriously consider that proposal? And would your family approve or be supportive of that kind of proposal?

It’s not surprising if your answer is no – and perhaps you have some legitimate concerns, but I would wager that most brothers would probably reject that proposal in a heartbeat because that’s not the kind of woman they or their parents envision when they think of the ideal spouse.

But if the question is reworded to, “Would you consider a proposal from Khadijah (R.A)?” the answer suddenly changes – what brother would say no to this hypothetical, out of reverence for one of the most honored mothers of our ummah - but considering the previous question asked, this answer feels disingenuous because truthfully, in our day and age, women with the same disposition as Khadijah(R.A) have immense difficulty trying to marry.

Place yourself in the mindset of a young Muḥammad (R.A) and for just this moment consider how radically different his sunnah was from the current stigmatization of sisters in the same position as Khadijah (R.A).

Khadijah (R.A)’s Age
A sister’s age is a huge determinant of her eligibility, as societal constructs strike points against her for merely being older. Our cultural norms and traditional standards dictate that wives should always be younger than their husbands, and age gaps as wide as a decade between them are still seen as acceptable, whereas a wife who is more than a couple of years older is seen as an anomaly – something unusual and frowned upon.

Read More

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Mehndi is popular not just in India and Pakistan but also in the Arabic countries, where it is a part of the culture too. The mehndi designs inspired from Arabia are popularly termed as Arabic Mehndi. The main distinction between normal Indian Mehndi and Arabic Mehndi is the use of motifs inspired by their religion and culture. The Arabic mehndi designs are nowadays largely used to add some uniqueness to age old Indian designs, thus we see a lot of mixed patterns.

But there is another difference between regular Indian mehndi and Arabic mehndi designs which is the use of black mehndi that makes the Arabic designs more prominent and beautiful. Even in India, many mehendi artists now prefer to highlight their designs using black mehndi as an outer liner to make the design more prominent.

The post Beautiful Arabic Mehndi Designs For Hands appeared first on Muslim Blog.

Perhaps one of the most misunderstood and misconstrued verses in the Qur’an by Muslims and non-Muslims alike is verse 4:34, the so-called ‘chastisement verse’. Those who claim that the verse allows husbands to hit their wives argue that the verse suggests a three step solution in the event of a family dispute where ill-conduct has been committed on part of the wife. The verse instructs first that the husband may exhort his wife and appeal to her reason (wa’ẓ).

If the problem continues, the husband may then express his displeasure by sleeping in a separate bed. If the wife persists in the deliberate mistreatment of her husband, expression of contempt, and disregards her marital obligations, the husband, they argue, as a third step, may resort to ḍarb as a means to ‘save the marriage’.

The verse prescribes these three conflict resolution measures in the case of a dispute between husband and wife. The most contentious segment of the verse is the imperative waḍhribūhunna (hit them). The word, coming from the trilateral root ḍ-r-b, in this verse has commonly appeared in modern English translations of the Qur’ān as “hit” or “beat lightly”.

The addition of “lightly” reflects a dependence on traditional commentary (tafsīr) of the verse. Other translators have instead used words such as “tap” and “pat” to represent a physical type of admonishment that is not at the level of hitting or beating. All of these translations, I would argue, do not take into account the context of the verse vis a vis the passage following it. Others have posited seemingly far-fetched translations, wherein, they argue; ḍarb implies sexual intercourse, or the temporary separation of husband and wife. Although the Prophet did separate from his wives when a dispute arose, I argue that this is not the primary purport of the verse.

Insofar as a translation must maintain a ‘literal’ expressive framework, the most adequate one-word translation of the word ḍaraba would be “to percuss” or, “to strike” or tap lightly as a doctor would examine a patient”. In this study, however, I will show that the real meaning of waḍribuhunna is not literal, but that the imperative is a stand in for a metonymic expression of anger and display of displeasure.

This interpretation, I argue, has basis in the works of the Muftī (judge) of Mecca and the student of Ibn Abbās (interpreter of the Qur’ān), ‘Aṭā’Ibn Abī Rabāḥ (d. 114 AH), and is, in fact, suggested by the writings of a large number of scholars.

In this brief study I will provide a comprehensive overview of the phrase waḍribūhunna from it’s linguistic (lugha/philology), rhetorical (balāghīyya), jurisprudential (fiqhiyya), exegetical (tafsīriyya) framework, and include some supporting traditions (ḥadīṭh) of the Prophet. I will not be able to delve into similar discussions surrounding the terms qawwāmūn, wahjurūhunna,  nushūẓ (in detail) and other such controversial terms in this particular verse will not be the focus of this article. They will be addressed in a much more extensive study “Spousal Reprimand in Islam”, God willing. The following remarks on the phrase wadhribūhunna are only summarized from it.

Source: muslimmatters.org

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Being a mother is certainly not easy. As Allah describes in the Quran, “His mother carried
him, (increasing her) in weakness upon weakness, and his weaning is in two years,”(13:14).
These weakness are often referred to as pregnancy, birthing and nursing. But that is just the
beginning.

Mothers are in the daily “trenches” of changing diapers, helping with homework, cooking
dinner, disciplining and runing between work, picking kids up from school, and soccergames.
These daily acts of service to her family can encompass her so completely that she loses balance
and perspective of herself.

When a women loses the deeper spiritual significance of motherhood, she may feel that duty of
a mother is to martyr herself for her family by putting everyone else’s needs ahead of her own.
But carrying all the burdens and difficulties is not the path to being a good mother. In fact it only
depletes a women, and may even build resentment, making her think that her children and her
family “owe” her, as payback for her “martyrdom.”

As the prophet Muhammad (saw) taught us: “A person’s wealth shall not decrease with
charity.” What better charity is there than the charity of a mother helping her family? however, as
with all forms of giving, the reward is in the giving, not in what is paid back to us by those we
give to.

Indeed all forms of giving benefit the donor, when done right. Motherhood is a journey that
allows one to witness the growth of a child as well as instill growth in women by making them
stroger and wiser. Allah blesses women with children and in turn mothers make a promise to
Allah to nurture children into adulthood.

Through the process of parenting children, one realizes that it is also about role modeling a
balaced and healthy lifestyle to children. Being a mother is not being a martyr. Rather it is
respecting the trust and responsibility of raising children as well as respecting yourself as a strong
women.

Children will respect their mothers as women who service their families for the sake of Allah.
The responsibility of motherhood makes a women grow stronger physically, mentally and
spiritually because she is tasted in the areas. She learns to stretch herself to serve those around
her with the ultimate purpose of pleasing Allah, while at the same time out losing herself.

A mother should not simply become weaker through her giving, but stronger and more
balanced. Here are six ways mothers can find balace and stay focused in order to get through the
tough days of parenting as well as enjoy the journey of motherhood:

1. “I will remind myself daily that my time with my children is precious.”

Childhood will end one day and my “baby” changing daily and maturing into adults. Parenting is celebrating the
everyday moments more than focusing on the milestones of our children’s life. Spending quality
time with our children and making time to communicate and share with our children is what will
be remembered. The mundane activities in our life are the ways we connect daily with our
children, so we need to see them more as experiences of connection rather than activities we just
need to get through and move on to the next.

2. “I will take care of myself”

Physically, mentally and spiritually. By constantly giving attention to our children and
husband, we many times forget to take care of ourselves or we put our needs at the bottom of
the list. Some mothers don’t even put themselves on the list at all. But as mothers we will have
nothing left to give. Taking care of our bodies through exercise is vital for our physical health as
well as boosting our overall mood and energy.

Spending time exercising is not selfish, unneccessary or extra. It must be seen as a priority in
order to be able to do our duty as a mother. Taking care of our mental and spiritual self is also
vital because this is the area that is most challenged and drained from us when raising our
children. The intention of our daily prayers is to help us refocus and slow down our hectic lives,
especially as mothers. Since women are the “heart” of a household, we must find inner peace in
order for the family to feel in balance. Finding and sustaining self-confidence and happeness will
manifest to our children and husband.

3. “I am not a perfect mother.”

Many Muslim mpthers have extremely idealistic views of parenting or high expectations of
themselves as mothers. Our children do not need us to be perfect and they actually will easily
forgive us when we acknowledge our mistakes and show our inperfections. We must accept that
we will make mistakes which will be opportunities for us to grow and become smarter moms for
future challenges.

We need to forgive ourselves and release ourselves of the burden of striving for perfection.
We need to eliminate the thinking that other moms have attained perfection and they do
everything right. We can only do the best that we can with what we have and we should focus on
the things that matter-our relationship with them. Dinners won’t always be amazing, the dishes
won’t be clean, and laundry will pile up, but when our kids become adults they won’t remember
any of that; rather they will remember the time they spent and the conversations they had with us.

4. “I will make my marriage a priority.”

Children place a huge strain on a marriage, especially for mothers of young children. Many
mothers focus entirely on the needs of their children and in the process neglect their relationship
with their husband.

Physical and emotional exhaustion leave women with little energy left to give to their husband
and this attitude of “nothing left to give” can cause disconnection in the marriage. alongside
parenting because not only is it good for our children to witness a healthy relationship, but it is
also good for our mental health.
The companionship of a spouse is one that will supersede our relationship with our children,
especially as children grow older. We must maintain a loving conection to our spouse so that we
can grow old together and be further bonded to one another after the children are grown and
married.

This means we can’t put our marriage “on hold,” rather we must maintain a bond of frienship
and love through the trying times of parenthood.

It is vital we spend time alone with our husband so that we can see each other through the
lens of a spouse and not only as a caregiver to our children. Going on “date nights” and weekend
outing as a couple is vital for the bond to be maintained and sustained.

5. “I will value my friendships.”

Connecting and sharing with other women helps us to realize the commonality in our struggles
as mother and women. Having sisters and girlfriends in our life makes us stonger because these
relationship nurture us emotionally and help us manage the stress in our lives.
Our girlfriends and sisters have a apecial place in our lives that even our husbands cannot fill
or replace.

Making time to connect with our friends will help us feel happier and recharged so that we are
able to give to our children and husband. Talking to and going out with girlfriends is vital for
mothers to boost their connection to other women. It will improve our moods and fill our tanks
so that we can give to our children and better connect with our husands.

6. “I will prioritize family dinner.”

Eating together as a family is a daily activity of bonding. Routines in children’s lives is can
foster a deep sense of security. Creating traditions such as eating together is meaningful to our
daily lives because it is a time the family comes together to share their day and connect with one
another.

Reseach has shown children who regularly have dinner with their families are more like to do
better and make good choices with regard to friends, drugs and sex.

Bringing everyone toggether daily will create a more communicative family dynamic, and the
tradition of food, conversation and joy will be the memories that everyone will cherish.

The post Mother, Not Martyr appeared first on Muslim Blog.

What do Muslim men really want from a woman? What do they look for? What are they attracted to? …Why don’t they listen?  Insha’Allah we shall try to understand what exactly Muslim men look for in potential wives, and why, very often, they don’t get it.

*Disclaimer: much of the following is from various Islamic studies and a result of research. This is not definitive nor applicable to all men, but it is a standard. All subheadings are to be taken as general guidelines. Some content is adult material. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

Bismillahi’Rahmani’Raheem. In the name of God, entirely Compassionate, especially Merciful.

Beginning with Prophet Muhammad’s ﷺ famous marriage criteria, he said:

“A woman is married for four reasons, i.e., her wealth, her family status, her beauty and her piety. So you should marry the pious woman otherwise you will be losers (your hands will be covered in dust).” Narrated by Abu Huraira, in Sahih Al-Bukhari (Book 62:27, Marriage)

{Read more of the Holy Marriage Criteria on MUSLIMNESS}

Let’s break this hadith down.
1) WEALTH » It is acceptable and encouraged in Islamic culture to marry somebody with the same socio-economic background. People marry rich daughters of businessmen all the time. Although it is common to hear that in South Asian/African countries men pressurise prospective wives and their families for high dowries etc, it is very unlikely a Muslim man will marry purely because his future wife is filthy rich. Wealth is a great turn-on; it’s power, opportunity, intimidating for some (for example if a wife earns more), but real wealth is not tangible. However much a woman or her family earns does not really alter what Muslim men are really looking for.

2) STATUS » During the Prophet’s ﷺ time status was categorised into two.
1) “Nasab“, which means heritage and lineage. Just as women hope to marry into ‘a good family’, Muslim men love the idea of marrying into a ‘religious family’ – being connected to a woman whose family have ethical commitments and she herself is morally upright.

2) The other type of lineage is “Hasab“, which is what the ancestors have done that distinguish the potential partner. “Status” for contemporary Muslims can mean respect, famousness or achievements. We may deny that social ranking means nothing to us but there is a difference between marrying the daughter of a farmer and the daughter of a professor, or a woman who is a farmer and another who is the professor. Most Muslim men do not use status as a measure of success for potential wives but they do tend to look into it for reasons of prestige and influence. Men will look at a woman’s current work in terms of how she may behave in their marriage or raise their future children. IQ and personality is involved. This is explained better further below (see: Personality).

3) BEAUTY » Now, for men, marrying someone for her beauty “jamali ha” is basically love at first/second/third sight, and it happens – a marriage based on looks, I mean. Or it can be a deeper attraction which transcends into her “inner beauty”, and this happens too, cliché though it may be. Basically what attracts a man most is a woman’s femininity. But the problem here is that Muslim men do not know how to articulate this very personal criteria appropriately.

In the above hadith Prophet Muhammad ﷺ is telling men that it’s o.k. to be captured by outward attractions but to not fall in love with the ephemeral nature of beauty. Initial attractions will be lost with ageing and if there is no or little appreciation of a woman’s other non-sexual assets, that marriage will breakdown pretty easily. This is why women are drawn to a mans’ character first (inner beauty) while most men require a visual beauty, that’s packed with stimulating contents.

4) PIETY » When men say they are looking for “religious” wives they each refer to very different attributes. They might mean simple women who don’t wear bright colours or follow fads; it may be directed at women not orientated towards the material world, “dunya“, but the events after death “akhirah“; it may mean a woman who has already completed her 5 basic pillars of faith or just one who wears the full H’N’J combo: Hijab-Niqab-Jilbab. Or it may mean all of the above.

Realistically, men don’t know how to clarify their pious wish-lists. Still, they hope for a woman who is connected to God in her daily life outside of prayers, as well as being aware of the nature of life’s challenges. Men tend to tick off a woman’s deen straightforwardly but it’s not as black and white as it seems, which comes back to outward beauty. The package may look religious, but without a conversation on worries and ambitions, you may later find she’s all about the wedding day and shoes.

Be blessed – Imam Suhaib Webb, The Lesser Of 2 Evils, 2013*
‘You see, we often misunderstand the hadith of the Prophet ﷺ where he said, “Marry a woman for four reasons…” This also means, “Marry a man for four reasons…” Unfortunately no one tells the sisters this, so they sometimes think men get to choose and they don’t.

The four reasons the Prophet ﷺ mentioned were beauty, wealth, family and deen (religion). The Prophet ﷺ then said, “Choose the one with religion, may you be blessed.”

Many people think that this hadith means that a person must only marry a person who is religious, and everything else doesn’t matter. This is not the correct understanding of this hadith. It means if you can find a woman/man who is religious that’s good. If you find a man who is religious and handsome, that’s better. If you find a woman who is religious and beautiful you have two out of four good qualities. And if you find someone with all four qualities, you’ve hit the jackpot! That’s why the Prophet ﷺ didn’t marry anyone when he was married to Khadijah (ra). She was beautiful, she came from a good family, she was wealthy, and she had deen. She was the epitome of the complete woman.’

A note from sh. Yasir Qadhi,

“Understanding the facts of life and things that men do may gross you out. Guys are very simple; they don’t worry like women, they don’t analyse or think too far ahead. He will take a relationship for granted. For men it’s more about ‘what can she do for me?’ Men want physical services from woman and there are key differences – he says it’s the ‘things she does for me’ whereas women will say it’s ‘how he makes me feel.’ To Muslim women: don’t be insulted or upset for it is by Allah’s creation that men are way more simple and want basic needs. Of course there is a a need for complex love, but it is not an overriding yearning.”

The 3Ds: Drive, Determination & Disposition
While it’s not high on their list, it is clear that men find a woman’s drive, determination and energy attractive qualities in a life partner.

1) DRIVE. A woman with a zest for life tends to have a more exciting presence than one who is reserved or afflicted with sloth. Men see women’s drive as a chart of their mood. It’s action, it’s motion, it reminds them of themselves. And not surprisingly, men prefer a woman in a generally positive frame of mind.

2) DETERMINATION. Determination is an admirable quality which shows this woman will not give up no matter what Allah throws at her. She will fall. But she will get up. With natural instincts to problem-solve themselves, men can tolerate complainers (mild “nagging”) but not a person who gives up at every obstacle.

3) DISPOSITION. A pleasing disposition overlaps with sound mental health and an easy-to-get-along-with personality. Is your wife-to-be a worrier or a warrior? Is she unhappy and moody? Does she get along with everyone? As the hadith above suggests, a pretty face and religious background are excellent, but they will not necessarily indicate whether she gets easily abusive or jealous.

And now, onto the check-lists.

• Looks
→ What Do We Mean By looks?
For men, looks are incredibly important and most will openly and shamelessly say they want someone they are physically attracted to. Saying that though, men are not as concerned about looks or as worried as women can be.

→ Dress Sense
Women don’t expect a service through a man’s appearance – his good looks are a bonus. Men on the other hand need visual solace, eye-candy (whatever you want to call it) from a Muslim wife. A ladylike and dignified presentation is reassuring. Similarly, a woman that can ‘work it’ in pj’s, an apron or less brings a needed stimulation. Men look forward to showing off their elegantly sophisticated wives, as well as keeping the simpler beauty to themselves. If men could, they would say: clothing should show your confidence. It’s a case of believing in what you wear.

→ Fertility, Stability & Purity
Visual attractions are a primary factor for men yet this appearance isn’t just about how voluptuous a woman’s shape is are or how large her eyes are. Appearances give a sense of fertility, stability and purity. Men do analyse a woman’s dress sense somewhat subconsciously and they do like stylish women, even when they deny it (keyword: ‘simple’). Make-up, that is, face paint, only covers up the natural beauty a man desires: the smiles and sweet perfumes which men like to ‘feel’. Of course it is a sunnah (prophetic tradition) to dress fantastic for your partner in crime, but in a woman’s daily single-life attire, men pick up important information at the outside to see whether there’s natural femininity on the inside.

• Experience & Age
→ Why Age Is A Factor
Now that women are receiving more college degrees than men according to the US Census, and outperforming in the UK’s employment sector, men are looking for women who are both intelligent and educated. Id est: interesting and accomplished.

Age is a direct correlative to sexuality and fertility. While estrogens (primary female sex hormones) impel women to choose men who are assertive and powerful, androgens in men ensure they look for youthful women and their apparent childbearing abilities.

It is true that Prophet Muhammad ﷺ wanted us to have many children. “Marry loving (passionate) and fertile women,” he encouraged his Companions, “because I want to compete with other nations (in size).” Thus sex for procreation has a reward and an impact on the community unity.

Ibn al-Jawzi said, “Sexual intercourse (of two pious Muslims) brings the likes of Imam Ahmad and Imam Shaf’i [...] By Allah! Sexual intercourse that produces such is better than a 1000 years of worship.”

Eager to continue their lineage, Muslim men look for women who are ready to share those parenting roles. They see a woman’s biological make-up as something that benefits the Ummah, that can take the responsibility of nurturing a little Muslim, and provide the sex to create them.

→ Personal Baggage
In addition to age and youth, and this is something to note for women – men look for dependable character. Men want a life partner who will be reliable and faithful. A wife who will stand by their side and defy divorce rates. Experience explains whether a potential wife is capable of being a man’s rock and this comes down to assessing baggage.

Everyone has baggage. Everyone is affected by past experiences or problems with family or friends or relationships; it is the burden of the human soul. If someone claims to be totally unscathed, they are living in la-la land. The question is not whether a person has baggage, but how a person handles their baggage. If a woman is crippled by her experiences, it’s not good. If all she can talk about is her horrible childhood, poor relationship track record, traumatic divorce – she is trapped in the past. She isn’t carrying her baggage, she’s lying underneath it. Men look for a woman who is comfortable with her history.

Men want to know certain things that have shaped the woman she is today, however there’s a Muslim etiquette to sharing personal information prior to marriage. New Muslims in particular will face probing. Although there is a necessity to share medical history and traumatic events that could affect the marriage, there is no obligation to spill the bitter truth about everything. Everyone lies. Men lie, women lie, whether Muslim or not. As a man you cannot take an absolutionist position to a woman who admits a few mistakes. Honest women admit their imperfections.

Men do not want to babysit their wives. They want someone who’s lived a life and knows how to support him. Guys: she should be interested in your struggles and strivings. She should be your biggest fan and waving your flag.

• Personality
→ Intellectuality Verses Education
For men, intellect and playfulness are two highly desired qualities in women. Every man likes to have an intelligent wife who can advise and support him in day to day matters. Education and intellect aren’t the same thing. All deep thinkers don’t have degrees and lots of PhD graduates don’t think at all (!) A man is attracted to the woman who appreciates his thoughts, who is actually listening. Intelligence comes in different forms – a logical skill, emotional intelligence, a creative talent, or a scientific imagination – there are many areas of intelligence. Men look for a woman who can meet him on his intellectual level. A woman who is exciting, who can challenge and engage him but not overpower every conversation.

The best way for a man to test whether personality meshes is to make observations when interacting. Check how rigidly you define masculinity and femininity. Some men expect women to live tradition stereotypes of feminine roles. If she violates your code of womanhood or she’s offended by your vision, look for a different woman or recheck your ideals. Rigidity is a sign of insecurity.

→ The Funny Bone
Humour is far more important than most think it is. A man doesn’t look for a ‘funny woman’ or one with a ‘good’ sense of humour. He looks for a woman who laughs at the same things he does. Some people cannot stand sitcoms, others have a crude collection of jokes for the mosque after-party. It can be alienating when a group is gripped by hilarity but you don’t find that thing funny. Instead of feeling like a pariah, you want a sense of belonging. Humour is a very basic response, unique from person to person yet recognised the world over. A man will say “I love to laugh”, to which a woman will respond, “to what? do you find everything funny?” And vice versa.

• Wealth
→ Women, Perfume And Prayer
The wealth of a woman is not in what she has, it’s in what she protects. Islam motivates men towards marrying women with taqwah (piety) because that is what lasts. However, it’s difficult for Muslims to find the middle ground.

More often than not Muslim men fall into extremes. One says, “I don’t care how she looks, I only want a religious woman.’ The other extreme says, “I want my hijabi supermodel.” The unnatural media portrayal of women has a part to play in this. Television and print vomits out beauty whores who are paid to look super-skinny with surgery and Photoshop. Even Cindy Crawford said “I wish I looked liked Cindy Crawford!”

Brother, no matter how beautiful your wife is, you will desire something else. Trapped in a world where temptations do not cease and every eye wants the forbidden fruit, ‘Imaan (faith) in Allah and control is the only thing that will keep a Muslim grounded. Prophet Muhammad ﷺ recognised this unquenchable desire, saying to anyone attracted by another woman, “Go to your wife! She has what she has!” (A note for polygamy, perhaps)

Prophet Muhammad ﷺ also said:

“Beloved to me from your world are women and pleasant scents, and my greatest pleasure is in prayer.” (Ahmad)

In Islam, women are not sexual objects; granted they are sexual beings, but their sexuality is not for sale or public property. Men desire women more than women desire men (read that again). Created with “Rahm“, Compassion, and carrying “ar-rahm“, the womb, women are naturally more family orientated, closer to Allah and more loving. There is no shame in being the woman Allah pre-ordained – unpretentious, dignified, chaste.

When Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said he loved women, perfume and prayer, he was not separating one from the other. He included their qualities and their effect upon one another. A man who marries a woman with taqwah will be inspired to pray, and therein lies the “greatest pleasure” because it builds another bridge towards Allah – hence, “half your deen“. By marrying, men therefore gain a means to protect and express themselves lawfully,

“The Creator requires men to make more effort to reach (women’s) degree of fitra.” – Abdal-Hakim Murad

• The All Important Connection
When you’re motivated by Allah, things fit into place. The Prophet ﷺ said, “The best enjoyment is a righteous wife (or husband).” There are some things in this world which, when benefitting us, we love them. The best coolness for eyes though is salat (prayer). Following up from the point above, when two people marry with the correct intention and attitude, it becomes a rewarding act and brings a peace similar to prayer. Men being the simple creatures they are however, will forget what they’re doing.

Three things mistaken for compatibility
1) Sexual attraction – the trouble with sexual attraction is that couples need it to succeed, but it is not enough. As its the most powerful it can seem to be enough. At the beginning of a marriage you’re caught up in the dance of desire and you “click” physically. Five years later you’re sat silently staring at each other across the dinner table making du`a Allah gives you something better. Why? Because that relationship was based on sexual attraction alone. If you dive in just because you’re excited, you might ignore the red flags. Such as…

2) Falling in love – as the ultimate drug trip, falling in love is dangerous especially for men in that when you fall for someone, you don’t care if they love you back. You persist in this madness and feel they should love you back. If the love isn’t returned, it isn’t a tragedy. Lust is about ‘me’, it’s selfish; love is about ‘us’. But a Muslim marriage is ultimately about Allah – receiving love. Love for dunya and people seems to carry an approval from the universe: “this person is perfect for you, she’s right in every way possible. MARRY HER NOW.” But you need to think with a clearer head to avoid a broken heart as too often we fall in love with the wrong people. That feeling of ‘love’ makes us forget what we’re looking for = a partner in crime. For life.

3) Ideals – Another aspect men mistake for compatiblity is a dream relationship for himself and his future wife. He wants a type of relationship based on Prophet Muhammad ﷺ and Khadija’s marriage, but he doesn’t know what type of woman he wants. If we analyse the beautiful personality of Khadija we see she carries three top characteristics of many working Muslim women: Financial independence, a managerial position and a previous marriage. That is not the type of relationship most men look for – but it is the type of woman our beloved leader Khadija (ra) was. That’s the difference.

• What Muslim Men Really Need
It’s a large reality bite to swallow but at the crux of the marriage, a man is looking for what his wife can do for him, and 4 particular services she can provide. *Women ma women, put your feminism away, take it as empowerment.

(4) Maintaining a home - Men look for and need a woman who is adept at household chores. Washing, cooking and cleaning. These are basic mothering services. Being able to cook delicious food is what he really expects from his lady love. If he loves your food, he will love you more. As the saying goes, the way to a man’s heart is his stomach. Note that for women, the exact same applies with different effects: men washing dishes is like foreplay for women. He’s at home, maintaining the house together, pulling his weight, women love that effort. Men, get your apron on!

(3) Men look for admiration - They want to be number one, admired by their wife, respected. A man wants love from a nagging-free woman. He will hate being told what to do and what not to do. Respect has to be earned, nonetheless, Muslim men expect their wives to hold a high regard of them. (And not mention their shortcomings and mistakes – men’s egos are so large they have postal codes).

(2) Being left alone in solitude - Men need alone time to think by themselves, to reflect, to not expose everything. Just as the Prophet ﷺ spent time in a cave, Muslim men have a mental cave in which they retreat to figure out a problem or recharge. Women talk out their issues, while men want solace to find a solution.

“Men don’t think too deep. Feed them, love them, give him what he needs and he’ll be your slave.” – Sh. Yasir Qadhi.

And the number one thing Muslim men look for in a wife. The number one thing?

→ Halal sex ←
Shocking, isn’t it.

(1) Halal sex – Intimacy is the only unique thing a woman can provide that men are powerfully dependent on. If you look to the dating culture, a man’s aim is to get her into bed. He will fulfil her material wants, show signs of adoration, all the things to get her to comply, but this is just foreplay that leads to the end goal. Sex. The maxim changes: the way to a man’s heart is slightly below his stomach. But our Muslim culture is not like “theirs”. We do not date, we do not give up our “services” with flowers and a wink.

• Sex, Sex, Sex… Yawn, Sex, Sex
In a wholly Muslim marriage, both men and women’s primary need is catered to. Men crave intimacy while women crave emotional care. Men’s first need is guaranteed in marriage as Allah stipulates it for a wife, and financial comfort, love and support is obliged on men. What one spouse needs, the other has to give. A woman with this knowledge is in a powerful position, since technically all she needs to “please” her husband is meet this one need. These huquq (rights) are from Islamic Shari`ah and unfortunately an area which Muslims haven’t educated themselves on.

The consequences of this mean that women freak out at the realisation of their husband’s sex drive, and men wonder why their wives aren’t on an equal level. By the age of 18 most Muslim men are aware of their sexuality, most Muslim women are not. And so the limits, permissible methods of expression and being aware of one’s body, is muddled up and too sensitive a topic to discuss.

More on gender differences later insha’Allah.

A note for our brothers – sex is good, but sex is not god. ‘Good sex’ is not enough, and a woman will enter a marriage with a different agenda altogether.

Sex is the number 1 cause of tension in most marriages. The reason being that the couple has a different take on what to expect and give. Thus, men are searching for a woman who is aware in this department, a woman who knows and will learn how to treat a man. Sisters: that’s you.

Love is action. You start ‘in love’ but you need to be ‘loving’ in your relationship. All too often men expect to receive bedroom thirlls without starting the fire as it were, (for want of a better expression). As soon as you as a husband feed the needs of your wife – even if it’s housework – you’ll see the increase her attention towards you. It’s an amazing circle of love which only existed because of Allah.

“And of His signs is that He created for you from yourselves mates that you may find tranquillity in them; and He placed between you affection and mercy. Indeed in that are signs for a people who give thought.” (Qur’an, 30:21)

• Looking For Your Missing Turban
Clothing protects us from external elements, the sun and cold. “Like a garment”, spouses protect one another from haram elements in society. Pornography, illicit relationships and degrading behaviour. Allah mentions the act of intimacy literally as one spouse covering the other, a metaphor for a type of beautification, without which, you are naked. And while the magic of marriage and eternal sakoon (tranquility) feels far-fetched in our grey days, the bond is incomparable to any other pleasure.

‘Aisha (ra) said,

“I heard the Prophet ﷺ saying: ‘Souls are like conscripted soldiers; those whom they recognise, they get along with, and those whom they do not recognise, they will not get along with.’” (Sahih Al-Bukhari)

Finally, a powerful quote to end with a grin:
“Marriage is the price men pay for continual sex. Sex is the price women pay for marriage.”

SOURCE: zaufishan

The post What Muslim Men Look For In A Wife appeared first on Muslim Blog.

A woman who has reached the age of puberty, but is too shy to tell anyone, so she does  not fast, has to repent and make up the days she has missed, as well as feeding a poor person for each day, as an act of expiation for delaying her fast, if the following  Ramadan comes and she has not yet made up those days. Her case is like that of a woman  who fasts the days of her period out of shyness, and does not make them up later.

If a woman does not know exactly how many days she has missed, she should fast until she is fairly certain that she has made up the days she had missed and not made up from previous Ramadans, and offer the expiation for delaying for each day. She can do this at the same time as fasting or separately, depending on what she is able to do.

A woman should not fast – except during Ramadan – if her husband is present without his permission, but if he is travelling then it does not matter.

When a menstruating woman sees the white substance – which is discharged by the uterus when the period is finished – by which a woman knows that she has now become taahir (pure), she should have the intention to fast from the night before and should fast. If  she does not have a time when she knows she is taahir, she should insert a piece of
cotton or something similar, and if it comes out clean, she should fast, and if she starts to bleed again, she should stop fasting, whether the blood is a flow or just spotting, because it breaks the fast as long as it comes at the time of the period.

If the cessation of bleeding continues until Maghrib, and she has fasted with the intention from the night before, then her fast is valid. If a woman feels the movement of menstrual blood inside her, but is does not come out until after the sun has set, her fast is valid and she does not have to make the day up later.

If a woman’s period or post-natal bleeding ceases during the night, and she makes the  intention to fast, but dawn comes before she is able to do ghusl, according to all the scholars her fast is valid.

If a woman knows that her period will come tomorrow, she should still continue her  intention and keep fasting; she should not break her fast until she actually sees the blood.

It is better for a menstruating woman to remain natural and accept what Allah has decreed for her by not taking any medication to prevent her from bleeding. She should be content with what Allah accepts from her of breaking her fast during her period and  making those days up later. This is how the Mothers of the Believers and the women of
the salaf were. Moreover, there is medical evidence to prove that many of the things used to prevent bleeding are in fact harmful, and many women have suffered from irregular periods as a result of taking them.  However, if a woman does that and takes something to stop the bleeding, then fasts, this is OK.

Istihaadah (non-menstrual vaginal bleeding) does not have any effect on the validity of  the fast.

If a pregnant woman miscarries and the foetus is formed or has a discernible outline of  any part of the body, such as a head or hand, then her blood is nifaas; if, however,  she passes something that looks like a blood clot (‘alaq) or a chewed piece of meat  that has no discernible human features, her bleeding is istihaadah and she has to fast, if she is able, otherwise she can break her fast and make it up later on. Once she becomes clean after having an operation to clean the womb (D&C), she should fast. The scholars stated that the embryo is considered to start taking shape after 80 days of pregnancy.

If a woman becomes clean from nifaas before forty days, she should fast and do ghusl so  that she can pray.  If the bleeding resumes within forty days after the birth, she should stop fasting, because this is still nifaas. If the bleeding continues after the fortieth day, she should make the intention to fast and do ghusl (according to the majority of scholars), and any bleeding beyond  the fortieth day is considered to be istihaadah (non-menstrual bleeding) – unless it  coincides with the usual time of her period, in which case it is hayd (menstrual
blood).

If a breastfeeding woman fasts during the day and sees a spot of blood during the night, although she was clean during the day, her fast is still valid.

In the case of a woman who is obliged to fast, if her husband has intercourse with her during the day in Ramadan with her consent, then the ruling that applies to him also applies to her. If, however, he forces her to do that, she should do her best to resist him, and she does not have to offer expiation. Ibn ‘Aqeel (may Allah have mercy on him) said:

“In the case of a man who has intercourse with his wife during the day in  Ramadan whilst she is sleeping, she does not have to offer expiation.”

But to be on the safe side, she should make up that fast later on.

A woman who knows that her husband cannot control himself should keep away from him and not adorn herself during the day in Ramadan.

Women have to make up the fasts that they miss during Ramadan, even without their husbands’ knowledge. It is not a condition for an obligatory fast for a woman to have the permission of her husband. If a woman starts to observe an obligatory fast, she is not allowed to break it except for a legitimate reason. Her husband is not permitted to order her to break her fast when she is making up a day that she has missed; he is not allowed to have intercourse with her when she is making up a missed fast, and she is not allowed to obey him in that regard.

In the case of voluntary fasts, a woman is not permitted to start a non-obligatory fast when her husband is present without his permission, because of the hadeeth narrated by Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him), according to which the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:

“No woman should fast when her husband is present except with his permission.”

The post Ramadan- Rulings on fasting for women appeared first on Muslim Blog.

For fasting, women have some additional rules that apply to them due to issues such as pregnancy, menstrual cycles, and breast feeding. The following provides some insight into those matters.

Making up of fasts for women who are pregnant, breastfeeding, or menstruating

The scholars are of the opinion that women should make up the fasts should she skip because of those conditions. This is based on the Quranic verses:

“and whoever is ill or on a journey, the same number [of days which one did not observe Sawm (fasts) must be made up] from other days” [Surah al-Baqarah 2:185]

Pregnant woman and sickness

Some ahadith and scholarly interpretation indicate that a pregnant woman who is unable to fast because of her pregnancy can make her fasts at a later date. Consider the following:

Allah has waived half of the prayer and fasting from the traveler, and from pregnant and breastfeeding women.” Narrated by al-Nasaa’i, 2274; classed as hasan by al-Albaani in Saheeh Sunan al-Nasaa’i

The view is that she has to make up the fasts only and does not have to feed poor people. This is the most correct view in my opinion, because the situation of pregnant and breastfeeding women is no different to that of sick people and travelers, so they have to make up the fasts only. From al-Sharh al-Mumti’, 6/362

[For the condition when a woman is pregnant or breastfeeding and if she fears for the health of her child], in this situation it is better for her not to fast, and it is makrooh (undesirable) for her to fast. Some of the scholars stated that if she fears for her child, it is obligatory for her not to fast and it is haraam for her to fast. Al-Mirdaawi said in al-Insaaf (7/382):

Ibn ‘Aqeel said: If a pregnant woman or a breastfeeding mother fears for her pregnancy or her child, then it is not permissible for her to fast in this case, but if she does not fear for her child then it is not permissible for her not to fast.

However, for cases when a pregnant woman or the one who is breastfeeding is in good health, she is supposed to fast. Consider the following:

“It is not permissible for a pregnant woman or breastfeeding woman not to fast during the day in Ramadan unless they have an excuse. Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen, Fataawa al-Siyaam (p. 161)

Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) was also asked in Fataawa al-Siyaam (p. 162) about a pregnant women who fears for herself or her child, and does not fast – what is the ruling? He replied by saying: Our answer to this is that one of two scenarios must apply in the case of a pregnant woman. The first is if she is healthy and strong, and does not find fasting difficult, and it does not affect her fetus. In this case the woman is obliged to fast, because she has no excuse for not doing so (fasting). The second is where the pregnant woman is not able to fast, either because the pregnancy is advanced or because she is physically weak, or for some other reason. In this case she should not fast, especially if her fetus is likely to be harmed, in which case it may be obligatory for her not to fast. If she does not fast, then like others who do not fast for a valid reason, she has to make up the days when that excuse no longer applies. When she gives birth, she has to make up those fasts after she becomes pure from nifaas. But sometimes the excuse of pregnancy may be lifted but then immediately followed by another excuse, namely breastfeeding. The breastfeeding mother may need food and drink, especially during the long summer days when it is very hot. So she may need not to fast so that she can nourish her child with her milk. In this case we also say to her: Do not fast, and when this excuse no longer applies, then you should make up the fasts that you have missed. Shaykh Ibn Baaz said in Majmoo’ al-Fataawa (15/224)

With regard to pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers, it is proven in the hadeeth of Anas ibn Maalik al-Ka’bi, narrated by Ahmad and the authors of al-Sunan with a saheeh isnaad, that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) granted them a dispensation allowing them not to fast, and he regarded them as being like travelers. From this, it is known that they may not fast but they have to make up the fasts later, just like travelers. The scholars stated that they are only allowed not to fast if fasting is too difficult for them, as in the case of one who is sick, or if they fear for their children. And Allah knows best.  Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah (10/226)

Woman and menstrual cycles

Here are some of the scholars’ guidance on women and their menstrual cycles as they relate to Ramadan and fasting.

Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) was asked about a woman whose period came, then she became pure and did ghusl, then after she had prayed for nine days, she started to bleed again, so she did not pray for three days, then she became pure and prayed for eleven days, then her period came again as usual. Should she repeat the prayers she offered during those three days or should they be regarded as part of her period?

He replied: When the period comes it is hayd (menstruation) regardless of whether a long time or a short one has passed between it and the previous period. If a woman has her period then becomes pure, then after five days, or six, or ten, her period comes again, she should stop praying because this is hayd. This applies all the time. Every time she becomes pure then her period comes again, she has to stop praying etc. But if she bleeds continually and it only stops for a short while, then she is mustahaadah (one who suffers from istihaadah or non-menstrual vaginal bleeding), and in that case she should only stop praying for the duration of her normal menses. Majmoo’ Fataawa al-Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen, 11 Shawwaal 230.

Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen was asked in Fataawa Arkaan al-Islam (p. 455): A young girl got her period and she fasted the days of her period out of ignorance. What does she have to do?

He replied: She has to make up the days that she fasted during her period, because fasts observed whilst menstruating are not accepted and are not valid, even if she was ignorant of that, and there is no limit to the time when they can be made up. Here is a case which involves the opposite scenario: A woman started her periods when she was young, and she was too shy to tell her family, and she did not fast Ramadan. This woman has to make up the month that she did not fast, because once a woman starts her periods she becomes mukallifah (accountable for her deeds), because menstruation is one of the signs of having reached adolescence.  He was also asked about a woman who did not make up the days from her period in Ramadan until she owed nearly two hundred days, and now she is sick and old and cannot fast – what should she do? He replied: If this woman will be harmed by fasting as mentioned in the question, because she is elderly and sick, then she should feed one poor person for each day. She should calculate how many days she owes from the past and feed one poor person for each day. Fataawa al-Siyaam, p. 121.

Allah says in the Quran:

And there is no sin on you concerning that in which you made a mistake, except in regard to what your hearts deliberately intend” [Surah al-Ahzaab 33:5]

“Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Allah has forgiven my ummah for mistakes, what they forget and what they are forced to do.” Narrated by Ibn Maajah, 2053; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Ibn Maajah.

Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) was asked about a woman who fasted when she was unsure whether her period was over, then when morning came she saw that it had indeed ended. Does her fast count even though she was not certain that her period had ended?

He replied: Her fast does not count, and she has to make up that day, because the basic principle is that the menses was still there, and her starting to fast when she was not certain that her menses was over means that she started to do an act of worship when she was uncertain as to whether one of the conditions of it being valid was fulfilled or not, and this means that it does not count. End quote from Majmoo’ Fataawa al-Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (19/107).

Aa’ishah said: Faatimah bint Abi Hubaysh came to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and said: “O Messenger of Allah, I am a woman who experiences istihaadah and I do not become pure. Should I give up praying?” The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “No. That is just a vein, and it is not menses. When your menses comes, then stop praying, and when it ends, then wash the blood from yourself and pray.” Narrated by al-Bukhari, 226; Muslim, 333.

Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-‘Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) said, explaining the phrase “that is just a vein”:

This indicates that if the blood which is flowing is blood from a vein – which includes bleeding that results from surgery – then that is not regarded as menses, so the things that become haraam in the case of menses are not haraam in this case, and a woman has to pray and to fast if that happens during the day in Ramadan.”  Majmoo’ Fataawa Ibn ‘Uthaymeen, 11/ question no. 226.

Ibn ‘Abbaas said: “If she sees blood that is heavy or copious, she should not pray, and if she sees the tuhr for a while, she should do ghusl.” Majallat al-Buhooth al-‘Ilmiyyah (12/102)

Umm ‘Atiyyah (may Allah be pleased with her) said: “We did not regard the brownish or yellowish discharge after the tuhr as being anything that mattered.” Narrated by Abu Dawood, 307; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Abi Dawood.

The post Women Issues Related to Fasting and Ramadan appeared first on Muslim Blog.

Islam is the only religion which possesses unique boldness that shows compatibility with human nature. Allah Almighty has designed every teaching of Islam keeping in consideration the characters which humans have.
Allah almighty has provided a perfect code of life in his last book that is Holy Quran. All the matters which are related with the human life have been explained in Quran and also we see their practical examples in the acts which were conducted by Holy Prophet PBUH. Islam conveys the concept which gives a great importance to human rights especially a lot of stressed has been laid upon the rights of women.

Holy Prophet PBUH said that
“It is only the kind in character who is nice to women, and only the evil one who offends them.”

At another occasion he stated that
“I order you to be generous to women.”

Allah Almighty has mentioned in Quran that men and women are supporters of each other and companions who have to do good things together and avoid sins. Women have been allotted with great respect and privileges by Islam especially when a lady becomes a mother she touches the heights of admiration. It can be estimated by the below mentioned incident.

A man came to Prophet Muhammad PBUH and asked
  “Who among mankind is deserves my generosity and love?” The Prophet answered, “Your mother.” He said “Who next?” “Your mother” again he asked “Who next?” he got the reply “Your mother.” Only after the third time he said, “And your father.”
This exhibits the privileges which have been allotted by Islam to women. But the sad fact is that presently Muslim women are not able to enjoy and exercise the rights that have been allotted to them not only in non-Muslim region, but also in Muslim societies. Women have been subjected to abuse and a lot of stress all around the globe. It is really a big drawback of most Muslim societies of this world that they fail to provide the due respected and advantages to women which have been dictated by Islam. The main reason behind this tragedy is the male dominance and related issues.

Islam has allotted equal rights to both men and women as it is mentioned in Quran that same sprit has been allotted to men and women and there is no superiority present in this regard. Women have the same rights of acquiring education that have been allotted to men. Islam also gave women the right of inheritance prior to this there was no such concept. But sadly in many Muslim societies women are deprived of this basic right and are not given their deserved share in the property.
The main problem is that there is a lack of understanding and proper teaching.

Also here it is worth mentioning that many Muslim men prefer to adopt arrogant behaviors not paying any consideration to the rights of women. In the end I would like to say that women rights have been well defined in Islam and those who don’t observe them properly will have to face great troubles in the life after death.

The post Problem of women in Islamic society appeared first on Muslim Blog.

All admiration and glorification goes to Allah who sent Prophet Muhammad [saws] as blessing upon us to go on the right way of life until the death what is the great kindness for us by the merciful Allah. I have selected a great topic to write in this day about the great women in Islam named Aisha who has a great contribution in Islam.

There many biography or lifestyle on the great male people who have done may thing but there are only few topics as the biography or lifestyle on female characteristics and for this I am here to write something on this great woman in Islam.

I think you will not ask this question that who is Aisha [ra] because it is well known to us that she is the only Muslim wife of our Prophet Muhammad [saws] who did not convert into Islam as she was Muslim by born.

Aisha [ra] was the daughter of Abu Bakr Siddiq [ra] and she was born after 3 years of getting the power of prophet hood by Prophet Muhammad [saws]. By born she was the the daughter of the greatest sahabah and on of the most respected man after Prophet Muhammad [saws].

And from the beginning Prophet Muhammad [saws and Abu Bakr Siddiq [ra] were very best friends so luckily and fortunately Aisha [ra] started to grow up knowing Prophet Muhammad [saws]. Unfortunately we did not get introduction of her and she married with Prophet Muhammad [saws] at the early age of life which got many complexity by the non Muslim.

As an accurate summary we can say that Aisha [ra] got married with our Prophet Muhammad [saws] at the age of 6 and after many years of marriage she entered into adolescence of life. And for this at the modern system this marriage is very much problematic.

But you can not forget that the time and place I am talking about is the time in Arabia and in that time this kind of imbalance marriages was available. In this sense our Prophet Muhammad [saws] was not enemy of her but it had created a very adverse affect on her mind.

It is simple when a little girl is forced to be got married then she have to face some mental depression and she must start to dislike him with whom she got married and not only dislike but she must hate that man. But in the case of our Prophet Muhammad [saws] the overall situation was totally different because Aisha [ra] loved our Prophet Muhammad [saws] very much and for this she is the dearest wife of him.

Not only this after passing our Prophet Muhammad [saws] she became the most prominent leader of our religion. According to serial number she was the 3^rd wife of Prophet Muhammad [saws] and before her he got married with Khadija bint Khuwaylid [ra] and Saudah bint Zam’ah [ra]. After this tow woman he got married with Aisha [ra] because she got a dream presented by angel Gabriel.

The post A Glimpse at the Life of Aisha Bint Abi Bakr appeared first on Muslim Blog.

The Quran and Hadith shares equal rights of all men and women. Both have the right to be educated and to have the freedom of speech, choice and expressions. Today in the western world many people do not think positively about Islam. The western media has portrayed the image of Muslim women very badly. They claim that Islam does not allow the right of women to be educated or to work.

They claim that in Islam, women are treated as servants, but in reality, this is all false. Extremist groups such as Al Qaeda and Taliban have created such bad image of Islamic women. When they conquered Afghanistan, Iraq and upper areas of Pakistan, they destroyed all girls’ schools, colleges and universities.

They banned educated women working and banned them going out of the house without a male Mahram. In the Quran, it is mentioned clearly that men and women are equal, the prophet Muhammad Sallalaho Alayhi Wasalam has marked his words that men and women have equal rights to be educated and to have a job.

To erase this misconception of Muslim women being uneducated, this article will highlight some famous Muslim women in the history of the world. Way back in history in Prophet Muhammad Sallalaho Alayhi Wasalam’s time the prominent women were Ume-e-Aiman, Um-al-Fadl, Asma bint-e-Abibakr, Urwa, Asma bint-e-Umais, Ash-Shifa bint-e-Abdullah and Fatima bint-e-Qais.

The female warriors were Khwala bint al Azwar, Azda bint al Haris, Nusaibah bin Ka’ab, Umaimah bint-e-Qiyas,. Women scholars were Hazrat Ayesha, Asma binte-Abi Bakar, Zainab bint-e Abdullah, Hafsah bint-e-Umar and many more. Famous Muslim architects of those times were Safiyah, Banfsha bint Abdullah, Mariam bin Shams, and Al Udar al Kareema. Fatima al Fihri was the Muslim woman who founded the first university in the world, which is still present in Morocco, called University of Al Karaouine.

Razia Sultana ruled Delhi from 1236 to 1239, Shajarat ad-Durr ruled Egypt from 1250 to 1257. Benazir Bhutto was the first female prime Minister in the whole Asia region, and the first Muslim woman to be the Prime Minister. Dr. Qanta Ahmed is one of the best doctors known in the USA. Rabia Z is one of the most known Muslim Fashion designers, even among the western fashion world. She is known for her designs in the modest clothing.

Atife Jahjaga is the world’s youngest female president of Kosovo. Nana Asma’u was the princess of Nigeria, she was a poet and a teacher, and she worked for women to acquire education. Laleh Bakhtiar is an American woman, the first women to translate the Quran into English language. Anousheh Ansari is an American, the first female women to be in space. Many other famous Muslim women are great doctors, businessperson, politicians, designers, actors and singers. This shows that Muslim women are educated and they do have all the rights almost equal to those rights of a man.

The post The famous Muslim Women appeared first on Muslim Blog.

But Lady Gaga isn’t the only pop-cultural darling to have walked this razor’s edge of taste. Lena Dunham was met with swift and scathing criticism after posting a picture of herself in a black headwrap with the accompanying caption: “I had a real goth/fundamentalist attitude when I woke up from my nap.” A decided sensitivity fail as Dunham seems to compare goth culture with Islam, and to suggest that only fundamentalist Muslims (interpretive subtext: terrorists) wear headscarves.

Photo by Shaun Liu

Most articles on the Lady Gaga’s outfit, however, have interrogative headlines. “Did Lady Gaga go too far?” It seems the world is as yet undecided.

Why wasn’t Lady Gaga’s LFW livery so roundly criticized? Perhaps because she’s a known fashion megalomaniac and its not worth the effort. More importantly, however, Lady Gaga made no reference, tacit or otherwise, to Islam while wearing the ensemble in question. Insinuating as much was Dunham’s fatal error, it seems.

So the question must be asked: Under what circumstances can a non-Muslim woman acceptably wear a headscarf?

Answer: If you’re a pop star at London Fashion Week who has previously donned a dress made entirely of raw meat.

But is that it?

When it rains and I find myself umbrella-less, I often drape a shawl over my head. I am frequently met with confused stares. “Are you a Muslim or are you just trying to be provocative?” Neither, I’m simply not partial to the wet-rat coif.

Through the fifties, Western women frequently tied scarves around their heads to protect primped hair. Indeed Queen Elizabeth can still frequently be seen trodding across her countryside estates with a kerchief knotted beneath her chin. When does a scarf on your head become a headscarf? When does a shapeless wrap become a burqa? Is it a matter of how the scarf is tied or the fabric draped? That argument descends rather quickly into the absurd, it seems.

Trying on another geopolitical valence for size, would/should a Christian French girl be able to wear a scarf over her hair in public school if the style suddenly became en vogue? Muslim students are barred for wearing veils in France’s strictly secular school system.

Lena Dunham crossed the line by making an allusion to Islam whilst wearing a headcovering, instantly transforming the millinery from a piece of fabric to an offensive symbol. When no such reference is made, however, where should the line of good taste be drawn?

I am personally of the belief that non-Muslims can swathe their heads for fashion’s sake any time they want. Doing so, however, is sure to court controversy, and may very well be senseless provocation. Whether that controversy is warranted is another question entirely.

*I am intentionally omitting any mention of the pop star’s wonderfully vulgar clutch

Source: Forbs

The post Is It OK For Non-Muslim Women To Wear Headscarves? appeared first on Muslim Blog.

In the west, many people have the wrong concept that women of the east or those following the religion Islam have no rights. They say that most women are abused in this region and suffer a lot. They say that most Muslim women are uneducated; when they are pregnant, they do all heavy chores and suffer harsh treatment from their dominant husbands.

In reality this is not true, western media have covered this topic very badly, they have mixed the cultural attitudes and religion in the wrong way.The Women’s rights movement started in the 20th century but in reality, it started in the 7th century by Prophet Muhammad Sallalaho Alayhi Wasalam. Quran and Hadith guarantees right of every woman. These rights are almost equal to men but with some differences. In Islam, women and men equally recognize the creator of humankind.

By this partnership, both have equal rights and shares.

Allah Subhana Wa Taallah has made women equal to men as quoted in the Quran:

“OH Mankind! Be careful of your duties to your Lord Who created you from a single soul and from it its mate and from them both have spread abroad a multitude of men and women. Be careful if thou duty toward Allah Subhana Wa Taallah in Whom thou claim your rights of one another, and toward the wombs that bore you. Allah Subhana Wa Taallah has been a watcher over you”

According to Prophet Muhammad Sallalaho Alayhi Wasalam it is the right of every woman and man to acquire education equally.

Islam grants women freedom of choice, rights and expressions.

Prophet Muhammad Sallalaho Alayhi Wasalam encouraged them to contribute their opinions, ideas and thinking regarding religion, social matters, political matters and economical matters. Women got their right to vote 1400 years ago, and they had the right to be select the leader and to be the leader. If we look back in historical times, then women accompanied men during wars.

They helped to fight, to take care of wounded soldiers, bringing them food and serving them. They were not interred behind bars and for those women who were Prophet Muhammad Sallalaho Alayhi Wasalam freed them all. The extremist groups such as the Taliban and Al Qaeda have created this bad image of rights of Muslim women.

Those people who claim about Muslim women not having equal rights then they can read the Quran and the books containing Prophet Sallalaho Alayhi Wasalam’s Hadith. Women are most respectful and precious according to faith of Islam religion. Therefore, women receive immense respect and honor in Islamic countries.

The post Women according to the Holy Quran and Hadith appeared first on Muslim Blog.

Islam has given equal rights to men and women. They are exactly the same with exception of a very few. Allah Subhana Wa Taallah has given men more power than women; this is because men are supposed to protect their women. In Islam a woman is not supposed to contact any male except for those in blood relations, but if a situation occurs then she should lower her gaze and then talk to the Na-Mahram. Same goes for men.

Women are supposed to keep themselves covered except for their face, hands and feet. The relationship of a man and women in Islam is very beautiful. It’s all about men protecting their wives and wives giving their endless love and respect to their husbands. The home of a wife and husband is very noble, Allah Subhana Wa Taallah commanded both spouses to take care of each other and their trust. If a wife or husband doesn’t like a person then they should not be allowed to enter the house. The husband’s rights of a wife are that they should be treated with kindness, they should be fed well, and
they should be kept in good manner and should be talked with gentle politeness.

The husband should provide her with good clothes and keep her safe. If a person wants to visit a marital home then the wife should ask her husband for permission, if the husband declines then the person should not be invited in. But if the husband remains silent on the matter, then the wife should think of it herself.

A husband has no right to stop her wife from visiting her parent’s place once a week.

If a wife does something out of ignorance then the husband should forgive her if the wife asks for forgiveness. If a wife is involved in adultery then the husband can divorce her only after he confirms the situation. If a wife doesn’t wish to have sexual intercourse then the husband should not force her, intercourse is only acceptable when both spouses are equally willing to fulfill their desires. A wife has the complete right of being clean, applying scent and wearing good clothes for her husband’s eyes only.

For a successful marriage, both spouses should respect each other; they should have mutual understandings and should be confident with their trust. They should not cheat and respect each other’s needs. Husband and wife should trust on each other because it is important for a strong relationship.

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Treat Your wife Well :: Islamic Pictures with Islamic quotes

The post Treat Your wife Well :: Islamic Pictures with Islamic quotes appeared first on Muslim Blog.

The beating wives is a very common issue in Islamic and non-Islamic worlds. Whether it is east or west this problem is very common. Many reasons for these are psychological illness, trauma, tensions, stress and depression.

Many men like the adrenaline rush they feel after beating their wives. In the east most women think that it’s obligatory for a husband to beat the wife as in tradition, and most of the time they don’t complain.

Whereas in the west, wives do complain and they take the matter to the police and courts, in most of the cases the husbands are jailed or they are charged with heavy fines.  The western world thinks that Islam is a religion, which is against women’s rights. They think that Islam has given them inferior rights and the cases of women and wife abuse are highest in the eastern world.

This all is false except for the fact that cases of wife abuse are high in the east. The reasons for this are that most people are illiterate and they have incomplete knowledge about religion. In reality Islam doesn’t permit the beating wives.

The Holy Quran is the book containing Allah Subhana Wa Taallah revelation, nowhere in the Quran it is mentioned to beat a wife. Neither has the Prophet Muhammad Sallalaho Alayhi Wasalam encouraged the beating of wives. In Islam, women and men are same; they have been given the same rights except by a few. Those few rights are different because men and women are different in genders. The Quran and Hadith tell us that women should be treated with gentleness and kindness, whether it is a wife,
sister, mother or a daughter.

Allah Subhana wa Tallah has given the men more strength than women.

This is because men are supposed to protect their women and be their maintainers. And if a wife is disloyal then the man should
only admonish them, then should not sleep in their beds and then just tap them lightly. Islam doesn’t allow the beating  wives.

Prophet Muhammad Sallalaho Alayhi Wasalam himself addressed many men not to beat their wives, those wives who visit him complaining about their husband’s beatings, the Prophet used to say that those men are not good for them.

Islam has given the rights to the women who are continually abused by their husbands to be separated from them, and if the situation continues then they could have a divorce. Most of people consider that Islam forces severe restrictions for women, but this is wrong..

The post Domestic Violence – does Islam permit beating wives? appeared first on Muslim Blog.

Women in Islam are granted numerous rights, as their status is considered equal to men. Women are suppose to be given the right of getting higher education, to attend mosques, the right to marriage by their own consent, to do jobs and even business. Women have the right to go outside home and in the community.

Nowadays when we look around the world we see that those countries are progressing where there is less gender discrimination and where women are working side by side with men. Women are the ones who turn out to be the best teachers. They mold the young minds of today for a better tomorrow. Islam doesn’t prohibit women from working. In fact Islam allows them to even do business and keep all the money to themselves and spend it the way they like. Islam only asks that a woman should be modest in her dress and protect herself and her chastity.

Women suffered a lot before the advent of Islam but slowly and gradually they were granted rights and freedom as Islam spread in the vast corners of the world. Women started to know their rights and started to live their life the way they want to. Women however,are still suffering in some parts of the world, and it is the duty of the Muslims to help and support their sisters.

Many religious scholars speak in the favor of women right

If you take a sneak look at their household, you may find their own women cladded and wrapped in the veils in the name of so-called Islam within the boundaries of their home or inside the four walls. It is not Islam devoid the woman of any of her rights. The so-called Muslims have used Islam to suppress the women. What needs to be changed is this thinking and of course, women can do this if they get united and trained. A good mother can bring about change in the society by giving proper training and guidance to her male children.

She can put good seeds in their minds and teach them from day one to respect and honor the women. These boys when turn into adult males would bring about change in their own perspective and treatment towards the opposite gender as well as that of the society. Unless the women could know themselves the qualities, they posses that they could manipulate with these attributes Allah given them they can never expect any thing changing for them in the social setup where they exist.

The post Jobs, Women in Islam and rights appeared first on Muslim Blog.

Woman in Islam, the most beautiful creation of Divine, has a very high status in Islam. They are supposed to
be treated with kindness, and the utmost of love and gentleness. Women are sensitive and fragile, yet strong emotionally. Islam focuses on defining their role, duties and responsibilities, along with their rights and what they deserve.

The religion Islam has given the women the freedom to choose and specified the role, rights and duties. Women are supposed to be modest and there is no permission for adultery of any type. Muslim women can marry any adult male with her own sweet will and if she is not satisfied with her man she can take Khullah and marry another. The right to choose her mate is given to the woman in Islam.

Islam is the religion of love and peace

It is based on code of conducts for everyone. Every man, woman,
child, old, free or slave have been given real guidance to spend their lives happily in this world and
hereafter.

According to Islam, women are not allowed and encouraged to date men, meet them alone
or in public and if meeting a namehrum is necessary at all they are required to take their father, brother,
son or husband with them. All men who are her blood relation are called mehrum and with whom she
can marry, are known as namehrum.

A woman has all the right to educate herself, by going to colleges or universities, work in a field and
adopt any profession, but interaction with the opposite gender is not at all allowed. If they need to
interact, they have been given a certain guideline.

For example, they should be covered properly and their dress should hide all their body parts except face, hands and feet. It is not mandatory to wear a long black gown known as Burqa, abaya but if they choose to wear a dress, it should not be revealing, so not to cause of any sort of physical attraction.

Being a mother in islam

Being a mother is a very important role. Women are taught at an early age to care for their siblings
and learn the duties and responsibilities it takes to care and raise respectable children. Through their
childhood, through their parents, they are disciplined and taught to respect their elders and peers. This
is very important, as this will be handed down to their children and down the line of generations. Raising
children and giving them, Islamic awareness along with worldly education is the foremost duty of a
Muslim mom.

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Department for Communities and Local Government

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gettyimages

Egyptian Muslim women gather to pray under a statue of the late Egyptian diva Umm Kulthum as they celebrate Eid al-Adha on the main street of the Nile Delta city of Mansoura.

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Honor of a woman has been granted due to emergence of Islam. Before the arrival of Islam, women were treated as a demoralized piece; some sort of a thing not a human. Numerous high class Arabs were involved in trading business of women. They humiliated females as they had no worthy existence on earth. Status of Arabian women was same like a painting that had been available for auction. The person who bid the highest would possess the ownership of the offered item.

Women had no rights to show their acceptance in choosing appropriate marriage proposal and had no share in property by her parents. After the emergence, Islam gave a woman full right to agree or disagree on marriage proposals. She has now option to choose the best man for rest of her life. Even if a woman doesn’t want to live with her husband due to his humiliating behavior then she can submit termination of marriage agreement in courts.

A woman has been encouraged by Islam to attain a fair share in the legacy of her parents and she can also transfer her legacy to siblings further which was totally prohibited before. After the introduction of Islamic beliefs and values by Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H), women were granted with equal position of supremacy like men.

Islam has provided full authority to women to participate in every appropriate area as in old times; Hazrat Fatima (R.A) and Hazrat Ayesha (R.A) were used to provide their valuable services to warriors. Before the revelation of Islam, Arabian women had been brought in the wars not for the purpose of fight equally with men but if the consequences were turned into defeat then women were offered as a compensation to conquer.

Islam has introduced the concept of (Hijab), which was not known before the emergence. Allah has considered Hijab as a protecting shield for women against the evil minds of men. He has chosen Hijab for women due to the honorable position Allah Almighty wants to bestow them with.

Allah has guided in Quran clearly that woman is not an ordinary individual. She is highly valuable creation of Allah due to her prestigious rank. A woman is not a piece to be offered for auction. She has rewarded with the strong relationship of Husband thus her body and beauty is only visible and touchable by her better half; not for whole world. Her husband has been ordered to behave well for her true rights and duties specifically conducted by Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H).

Arabian women before the commencement of Islamic values were not rewarded with any kind of mercy and nice behavior therefore women were treated like servants. Islam is the only religion who introduced to the world that women need to be treated with love and care.

The post The Status of Arabian Women before Islam appeared first on Muslim Blog.

In this undated photo provided by Reema Abdullah, members of the Jeddah Kings United all female team attend football exercise in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. (AP Photo/Courtesy of Reema Abdullah)

RIYADH, June 25 (Reuters) – Saudi Arabia will enter women athletes in the Olympics for the first time ever in London this summer, the Islamic kingdom’s London embassy said on Sunday.

Human rights groups had called on the International Olympic Committee to bar Saudi Arabia from competing in London, citing its failure ever to send a woman athlete to a Games and its ban on sports in girls’ state schools.

Powerful Muslim clerics in the ultra-conservative state have repeatedly spoken out against the participation of girls and women in sports.

In Saudi Arabia women hold a lower legal status to men, are banned from driving and need a male guardian’s permission to work, travel or open a bank account.

Under King Abdullah, however, the government has pushed for them to have better education and work opportunities and allowed them to vote in future municipal elections, the only public polls held in the kingdom.

“The kingdom of Saudi Arabia is looking forward to its complete participation in the London 2012 Olympic Games through the Saudi Arabian Olympic Committee, which will oversee the participation of women athletes who can qualify for the games,” said a statement published on the embassy website.

In April the head of the kingdom’s General Presidency of Youth Welfare, the body that regulates sports in Saudi Arabia, said it would not prevent women from competing but that they would not have official government endorsement.

The IOC said on Monday that talks with the Saudis were “ongoing” and that “we are working to ensure the participation of Saudi women at the Games in London”.

The head of the kingdom’s Olympic mission, Khalid al-Dakheel, told Reuters on Sunday evening however he was unaware of any developments allowing women to participate.

Top Saudi clerics, who hold government positions and have always constituted an important support base for the ruling al-Saud royal family, have spoken against female participation in sports.

In 2009 a senior cleric said girls risked losing their virginity by tearing their hymens if they took part in energetic sport.

Perhaps the most likely woman candidate to compete under the Saudi flag in London, equestrian Dalma Malhas, represented the kingdom at the junior Olympics in Singapore in 2010, but without official support or recognition.

Physical education is banned in girls’ state schools in the kingdom, but Saudi Arabia’s only female deputy minister, Noura al-Fayez, has written to Human Rights Watch saying there is a plan to introduce it. (Reporting by Angus McDowall and Asma Alsharif; editing by Andrew Roche)

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Wet dreams are accepted as part of a male’s growing into maturity, but little is talked about of this natural occurrence in a young woman. Both sets of the genders mirror each other in most things, so why should this be any different? As the prophet has said, Allah has made a carbon copy of each sex internally, so what happens in one body will happen in the other.

Female ejaculation in Islam is seen to be a part of the natural evolving of the body, leading into puberty. It can occur around the time of the development of breasts and hair under the armpits and in the genital region. This can be as early as eight, or it may delay until the female child is over ten. Unless there is something abnormal, this is simply a part of growing into maturity and becoming ready for potential child-bearing. Some corruption is responsible for the emphasis on sex; therefore anything that seems out-of-the-ordinary is made out to be different, although it has existed since Man was created. Another reason for the lack of information is that many lecturers are male and women can be very shy about discussing their concerns about this phenomenon with them, including their doctor.

If a person experiences one of these wet dreams during genuine sleep, then it is perfectly natural and no blame can be placed on the person concerned. Although a female’s vagina is always moist due to normal secretions, a female ejaculation, like the man’s, increases this moisture and is usually a sign that this has occurred. Although it may not be as much as the male’s, it is usually accompanied by erotic dreams or feelings and often culminates in a feeling of satisfaction.

If this has occurred then the person should cleanse themselves by washing or ghusal, as the prophet advised. As the person grows in maturity and control of their body, it is often possible to control these urges, but, as they occur during sleep, most people cannot. Many people wake just before ejaculation, with a vague memory of fullness in the genital area, but cannot recall any reason for it being so. In puberty, it is simply a release from sexual dreams.

Umm Salamah said: “Umm Sulaym came to the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu alihi wasalam, and said, “O Messenger of Allah, Allah is not too shy to tell us the truth. Does a woman have to do ghusl if she has a wet dream?

” The Prophet said: “Yes, if she sees water (a discharge).” Umm Salamah covered her face and said, “O Messenger of Allah, can a woman have an erotic dream?”He said, “Yes, may your hands be rubbed with dust. How else would her child resemble her?” (Bukhari)

It is thought to be a very wise parent, preferably the mother, who discusses this symptom with her daughter, before she reaches the age of puberty. Otherwise she will almost certainly be given quite the wrong idea from her classmates or even a teacher who is not comfortable with the topic. Most women are not comfortable with talking about the subject either, but it is a natural part of life and growing, and if she reflects, she may remember this happening in her early life also, so there really should be no embarrassment in talking to your daughter about it.

The post An Islamic Perception of Female Ejaculation Or Wet Dreams appeared first on Muslim Blog.

Today the modern and fashionable things of the world have made changes with almost all the people. It has also made Islamic women as modern. When you have considered about modern Islamic women, there are many changes have come up with their way of clothing and also in their lifestyle too.

Wardrobe of modern Islamic woman

When the Islamic women have preferred to change their lifestyle according to the modern world, wardrobe is one of important things that they want to have as modernized one. Since Islamic woman would have to follow some rules in wearing their wardrobes, it has become as necessary for them to go with stylish look in those wardrobes.

The different wardrobes to which Islamic women have to pay attention are as follows:

• Hijab
  When you have considered wardrobe of most Islamic women the main thing that would come in to mind would be Hijab. It could probably be used by Islamic women, in order to show their devotion and dedication to Allah. Even though this has been used to cover the face, Islamic women want to have them as designed and unique one. You can get this with varieties of colors and designs from and also you can use it with scarves and shirts to get with unique look

• Long sleeved shirts
  Islamic women can also get with the long sleeved shirts with the best appearance. You can also wear this under tunics and cardigans, these shirts would be the primary wardrobe options of modern Islamic women

• Long cardigans
  If anyone who wants to wear stylish wardrobe long cardigans would be the best option. This would be more helpful for Islamic women to get with the vibrant summer feel and they can also use these at the winter time over their sweaters to feel warmth

Because of these reasons today there are many fashion industries have started to design the fashionable wardrobes for Islamic women to provide them with modern look.

Selecting the modern wardrobes

When you have decided to wear modern Islamic wardrobes, it has become as necessary for you to select with the best one that would be suitable for you. If you consider about Hijabs you should have to select with the one that would be suitable for your face. This is because then only you can feel comfortable when you are going outside and even to your school or college.

If you have decided to purchase the wardrobes of modern Islamic women that are available, it would be better for you to go through the shops that are available. You can get with your choice of designer wardrobes from these shops. If you are not able to find out the best shop that would offer you with the modern Islamic wardrobe for women, it would be better to go through the online shops that are available.

Compare to traditional shops through online shops, you are able to get with varieties of wardrobes for modern Islamic women that too throughout the world. You can also get them at affordable price.

The post The modern Islamic Woman appeared first on Muslim Blog.

Apart from Ameenah, the Prophet’s (SAW) mother, the two other most influential women in his life are Khadijah bint Khuwaylid and Aishah bint Abu Bakr. The two of them played two very distinct, but equally important roles in the life of Muhammad and in the history of Islam. Khadijah was the very first wife of the Prophet (SAW) and the very first woman to become a Muslim. She was a solid supporter of the Prophet and Islam during the very early days, using her wealth and moral support to the advantage of Islam. The Prophet extolled her virtues even in the presence of his other wives after she was long gone.

Khadijah was a very good example of the true meaning of jihad. She spent her time, money and emotions to ensure that Islam got firmly rooted during its early beginnings. Even though she was older than the prophet was in age, she respected him, supported him and comforted him. Though, Allah would not have allowed the Prophet to fail, but Khadijah was a viable instrument to that success.

After the death of Khadijah, Muhammad (SAW) got married to Aisha based on recommendation from a number of companions, including willingness by Abu Bakr to marry his daughter to the Prophet. Aisha was married to the Prophet for about a decade before his death. During this period, she gained a lot of Islamic knowledge from the Prophet and was aware of the time some revelations came to him. After the Prophet’s death, she transmitted most of this knowledge stating some of the acceptable practices during times of disputes among the believers. Some scholars refer to her as the “Fountain of knowledge”, while other state that she is the “Mother of the Believers”.

Aisha was actively involved in the affairs and politics of Islam during the first three caliph reigns after the death of the prophet. Thus, she became more influential and contributed to the propagation of Islam. At some point during these years, she made some public speeches and even participated in battles. Definitely, she remained a shining light for the women of Islam even during the absence of the Prophet.

Now, let us track back to the main theme this article seeks to elaborate what Allah wants the women to be. Both of these two women have played prominent roles in Islam, Almighty Allah may wish you to act as Aisha and Khadijah in your current society today. The most important thing for you is to understand your role and use it to advance Islam. To be an Aisha, you will need to be purposeful, gain relevant knowledge, be outspoken and speak the truth at all times based on the teachings of the Qur’an and Hadith. To be Khadijah you will have to be devoted, sacrificing and full of love. All these qualities will make you a true Muslima and Momina seeking pleasure of Allah.

The post Maybe Allah wants you to become like Aisha and Khadijah appeared first on Muslim Blog.

After the incident of 9/11, political Islam is viewed like a virulent force, which threatens national security. Inside the response, western government authorities took extreme political along with militaristic action looking to cripple the politics ideology’s domestic as well as international expansion. Sadly, however, there’s been little development in this department. Yet, for a small, however increasing minority of the Muslims, the western along with its imperial intermeddling in Islamic Middle East affairs (such as Palestine and Israel) is categorically reprehensible. Utilizing this like a point of the departure, severe acts of the terrorism have already been committed supposedly within the label of ‘jihad’.
The best iconic representative of the political Islam is doubtlessly the late creator al-Qaeda is Osama bin Laden.

Moreover, for almost two decades, the actual Islamist figurehead has long been synonymous with the militant sort of Occidentalism in addition to has been named for the major orchestrator at the back of 9/11 bombings. Depending on these charges, numerous believe that the well-timed assassination of such ‘evil man’ through US military force was both just as well as necessary. Nevertheless, bin Laden’s expiry does very little in order to ameliorate any social together with political preconditions associated with radical Islamism on its own. With or even without Bin Laden, these religio-political attitudes will continue to become embraced by particular Muslims who’re vindictively antipathetic towards the Western. Under these circumstances, any age-old discussion of attacking symptoms however evading the sickness is rather appropriate.

This sociological interpretation clarifies the West fraction of the worldwide political Islamist movement. Right here, European as well as North American Muslims whom feel socially, culturally plus politically alienated coming from their own secular, democratic host nations readily embrace the doctrine that provides their personhood the meaningful raison d’être. It account elucidates reasons why countless radical Muslims were in actual fact non-Islamic into their daily behavior.

Quite often, these forms of ‘secular Muslims’ had been initially petty criminals whom then became radicalized in the penal system. Information suggests that several were also alcohol and drug abusers before these people became inspired politics Islam. What such findings suggest is which with feelings of alienation with anomie Western Muslims much like some other social groups crave the sense of purposefulness into their life worlds. Based on all these circumstances, politics Islam offers the sufficient amount of antidote to this specific existential crisis.

The historically latest growth of politics Islam must be understood within sociological plus global political terms. With recognizing which anomic Muslims in the West are definitely susceptible to it embracive politics narrative, the must rectify the societal preconditions which make them experience alienated in the initial place is tremendously important. Furthermore, there even has to become any acknowledgment of the Western as well as its role within propping up repressive dictators consequently as prolonged as they could keep on taking out raw materials from areas. Such factors together with a more respectful international policy should be obtained into consideration.

The post The Current Political Aspects of Islam appeared first on Muslim Blog.

Because of the standard principles of the Islamic jurisprudence, any Muslim Woman enjoys exactly the same capacity plus freedom enjoyed by any man. She may also propose to the man for marriage by mouth or even in writing, she could freely choose her partner, reject the suitor she doesn’t like or get divorce from the estranged husband in opposition to his will. However, a man relative normally formalizes any marriage contract and also marriage dissolution and divorce on a female’s initiative is just granted by the judge.

A wife might have anything creed of scriptural religious beliefs on variance with the Muslim Husband without the compulsion. She could and should obtain any kind of education without any kind of limit or hindrance. It’s reported that Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) strongly recommended the best education of girls. Anyone from among the folks of the scriptures which believed in his Prophet and in Prophet Muhammad the slave whom endeavors to fulfill his obligation towards Allah as well his experts along with those who have a slave girl as well as strove to teach her and also educate her well and also then provides her freedom plus marries her. It’s worthy of take note that females have been attending a general assemblies for studying held by Prophet.

Consequently, women are permitted to complete freedom of expression from their proper opinions in order that those to progress on their juristic views with venture their views within the existence of the Prophet. Therefore, she is capable to own property with dispose of this in any manner because the Islam generally offers an equitable plus fair role for females in the monetary life of the Muslim society. Within an Islamic society, females participate in any appointment of counseling as well as control officers accountable for the public matters of society by the procedure of consultation. Any woman is fairly entitled to move out for any requirement.

A woman might go to the marketplace to do business and or else as this might entail anyone inconveniencing her. The problem of the women within Islam is hugely controversial as decided that all the rights awarded to any woman into the Holy Quran and through the prophet Muhammad had been a vast improvement compared to the circumstances of any women in Arabia before the introduction of Islam. After Prophet’s death, the circumstance of women within Islam started to decline and also reverts back in pre-Islamic norms. However just like the women’s movement within the west started to get steam within the 20 th century a similar thing occurred, though to a smaller extent within the Muslim world currently. As a result, all Muslim women have already been developing the distinctly Islamic feminism because women of color within the western have been creating “womanism” as opposed to feminism that shaped by the issues of the United States women.

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It was stated that conventional Islam has protected by Quranic reforms, all the role plus the rights of females in Islamic society that is patriarchal which relates towards the Muslim family as well as its respected society along with prescribe rules regarding marriage, divorce plus inheritance, which embraces a step of progress for women from the role status within Islamic society normally thwarted by the male-dominated world relegating females to a subordinate part and position. Therefore, Islamic society had a prolonged family structure including a father, unmarried sons, his wives as well as daughters along with married sons also their wives plus children. The father and a senior male had been leader of their family controlling plus guiding this.

The male family members had considerable strength in family issues they could marry together with divorce as commonly as they wished plus women were omitted from inheritance. A female had been no more than any belonging initially her father plus after marriage from her husband. Females’ primary roles were like wife and mother taking care of household matters, increasing children with taking responsibility for the religious and also moral training. The limited sphere of the activity for females resulted in the seclusion of females and gave rise in order to purdah. The particular custom of females wearing veils is much fewer a Quranic stipulation compared to the influence of Persian plus Byzantine social customs. The veiling and seclusion might have been intended in favor of the honor, protection and also distinction of females they were mainly adopted by higher class females in Islamic times however were forced on all women.

Moreover, the majority of females into Islamic societies led divide lives as well as had to be information with the home-based sphere of activity as well as Muslim females haven’t escaped the influences. Top-notch Muslim families which had lived into the West had well-informed their daughters in America, Europe and England. The exposure to west feminist thoughts was bound to influence Muslim females. Education, voting rights plus employment opportunities introduced the public realm from society in the reach of females’ up-to-date Islamic countries of Syria, Egypt, Iran and Bangladesh.

Muslim females became instrumental within furthering the reason for Muslim women’s rights. It’s the voice of the Islamic females into the Middle East complaining their longtime political as well as economic second-class position. It’s the voice of indignation of women who’ve always been suppressed in typically male-dominated societies. It’s been heard where females despite the selection of the hard-line conservative leader demonstrated against sexual discrimination below that country’s Islamic management. In several Arabic nations of Islam females have usually been relegated in order to obscurity, denied the role politically, economically, socially. In several countries, females are suffering from unequal citizenship plus are refused the right of the voting or even hold office. Inside a somber conclusion, a UN report reported: “Society in general suffers once half of its effective potential is stifled.

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The position of the women into the Muslim world is neither the latest issue nor a completely settled one. The place of Islam about this problem has been one of the subjects introduced to the Western readers with the smallest amount objectivity. This statement is intended to supply a brief as well as authentic display of exactly what the Islam stands for regarding women within their values. The particular teachings of Islam tend to be based essentially in the Quran (Allah’s revelation) as well as Hadeeth (elaboration through Prophet Muhammad). The Holy Quran together with the Hadeeth give the fundamental way to obtain authentication for any place and view that is attributed to the Islam. This report targets the place of Islam about the status of female in the society.

Furthermore, the Spiritual Aspect is that Holy Quran gives clear-cut proof that the female is completely equated along with man within the sight of Allah regarding her rights plus responsibilities. Holy Quran states: “Each soul will be (placed) in pledge for the deeds” (Holy Qur’an in 74:38). Additionally, it states:”… So their Allah approved their prayers, (they say) I won’t suffer to become lost the work from any of you regardless of whether female or male. You carry on one from another…” (Al Qur’an in 3:195). Female according to the Holy Quran isn’t blamed for Adam’s very first mistake. Both equally were jointly wrong within their disobedience to Allah, both repented as well as both were forgiven. (Al Qur’an in 2:36, to 7:20-24). Within one verse the fact is (20:121), The Adam specifically was charged. In terms of spiritual obligations, for example the Daily Prayers, Poor-due, Fasting, plus Pilgrimage, woman isn’t different from man.

Only in some cases certainly, woman has certain benefits over man. Such as the female is exempted from her daily prayers along with from fasting during the menstrual periods and also 40 days after childbirth. In case missed fasting is needed, during the Ramadan, (Ramadan is the month associated with strict fasting as well as prayers, one of several Islamic sacraments) a woman may make up for entire skipped days anytime she can. She doesn’t have to replace with the prayers skipped for any from the above reasons. Though women may and did go in to the mosque throughout the times of the prophet as well as thereafter attendance on the Friday congregation prayers is non-compulsory for them whilst Friday is the compulsory for men.

Finally, the status of females in Islamic spiritual values was briefly mentioned. The Holy Quran represents the standard in accordance to that degree of Muslims could be judged. Moreover, the Holy Quran undoubtedly indicates that the marriage is sharing between the two halves from any society and its objectives besides producing human existence are emotional wellbeing plus spiritual harmony. Its only bases are love with mercy.

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In spite of the societal acceptance from female death between a few Arabian tribes, Holy Quran forbade this kind of custom and also considered this a crime similar to another murder. “And once the infant female buried in existence – is oppugned for exactly what offense she had been murdered”. (Al Quran in 81:8 to 9till). Criticizing the behavior of these mothers or fathers who reject the female children, so the Holy Quran states: Once news is delivered to anyone of these, of (the Delivery of) a girl (child) their face darkens as well as he’s filled up with inward tremendous grief! Along with disgrace really does he put out of sight on his own from the people due to the very bad news he’s had! Will he retain this infant girl on (sufferance) plus contempt and bury her under the dust(or in earth)? Ah! What the evil (choice) these people decide on? (Holy Quran in 16: 58 to 59). Significantly, from saving this female’s life in order that the girl could later suffer unfairness (and injustice) as well as inequality Islam demands kind and simply treatment and care for her.

In accordance with Islamic Laws, women can’t be pressured to get married to anybody without their own consent. Hazrat Ibane Abbass (prophet) described that a woman reached toward the Allah’s Messenger, Muhammad (PBUH), plus reported that this girl’s father had pressured on her to get married to without her permission. Messenger of Allah gave her this choice… (Between agreeing to the marriage and/or even invalidating this). The principles for marriage within Islam are obvious. Both have the same rights as well as claims on each other except for only one obligation which of leadership. It is an affair that is natural within every collective life plus that is consistent along with the character of male.

The Holy Quran consequently states “And these people (females) have rights the same to those people (of men) above them plus men are one degree over them”. (Holly Qur’an in 2:228). This degree is the Quiwama (protection and maintenance). It refers to which natural difference among sexes that entitles the feeble sexual to protection. This implies not superiority and advantage prior to the laws. Yet, man’s part of leadership within regards to the family doesn’t mean he’s boss over the wife. The Islam highlights the significance of getting counsel as well as mutual agreement within family decisions.

Holy Quran gives people an example: “… Once they (wife husband) wish to wean a child through mutual consent along with (after) consultation there’s no blame at them…” (Holy Qur’an in 2:233). Like the mother, Islam considered softness to the parents alongside the worship for Allah. “And we’ve enjoined on man (to become nice) to his mother and father: His mother carries him in the weakness on weakness…” (Holly Quran in 31:14) Additionally, the Holy Quran has the unique recommendation for great treatment of mother: “Your Allah has got decreed which you actually worship nothing save Him plus that you become tolerant to your mother and father…” (Al Qur’an in 17:23).

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The rules of husband and wife’s sexual relations in Islam are several and very simple. These explain bellow:

• Lovemaking relations are for any pleasure of both husband and wife as well as for the procreation associated with children. Sexual intercourse isn’t limited to vaginal sexual penetration however, includes other sorts of sexual caressing for example fondling and kissing of numerous kinds.

• Nothing at all should be done which is unpleasant and unhealthy for either person. Everyone has the duty or responsible to be sexually accessible to the other however, neither gets the right to dislike and injure each other.

• With some exceptions, any couple could engage in any specific activities, which they enjoy in any manner plus in any position. Almighty Allah rewards these kinds of activities as definitely as he or she punishes sinful activities. Holy Qur’an says, “Females are your fields. Proceed then in to your fields like you please”.( in the 2:223)

• It’s forbidden to get vaginal intercourse whilst a female is definitely menstruating (Holy Qur’an 2:222). In accordance to the Sunnah from the Prophet (Allah’s grace plus pbuh), a person and the menstruating wife could however provide one another pleasure as long as this woman vaginal is avoided.

• You can find ahadith, which forbid anal intercourse. Additionally scholars commonly agreed that it’s not permissible. Nevertheless, in his tafsir (comments) Tabaari (third millennium A. H.) whilst forbidding sodomy, states that earlier experts had been divided about the question.

• Holy Qur’an and Sunnah are usually silent regarding the various sorts that lovemaking relations might take. Most experts consider that it’s up to the wife and husband in love as well as mutual respect to make the decision how physically communicate their sex-related needs and desires.

• What goes on inside bedroom, is a personal matter and shouldn’t be discussed or even revealed to another person until there is any necessity, for instance health or protection. Abu Hurairah narrates said that the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) mentioned this regarding people who reveal along with discuss openly their own lovemaking practices: “Do you realize what those people who make this happen are like? Those people who make this happen are similar to a man and woman devil who meet one another on the road plus satisfy their desire whilst the people look them. “

Subsequently, in Islam husband and wife should select their sexual activities in accordance to the absolutely sure education of the Holy Qur’an. Additionally, in the light from the Sunnah as you are able to comprehend and appreciate this. Moreover, in mutual respect regarding one another with understanding that the only real witness to the appearance of their needs and desires will be Almighty Allah the Exalted, who’ll judge all of them according to his and her performance and his and her sincere intentions.

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Prophet Muhammad, said: “The one who marry a girl because of wealth, Allah does not make him rich. The one who marry a girl because of beauty, God discovers what dislikes and what it was ugly. The one who marry a girl because of her faith,  Allah will give him a fortune“ .

In marriage husband and wife complete each other.

“Women are the clothes of yours and you are the clothes of their. Clothing has three purposes: to cover, protect and polish.

In Islam, a guy and a girl become permitted each other only when they get married .Every relationship outside of marriage is perversion.

The woman is more sensitive and physically weaker than men. She experiences life more emotionally and understand many things that man has never been able to understand. Every man has to know and respect this. She is physically weak, so the husband’s duty is to care for his family’s expenses. About this Allah says in his book: “Men take care of women because Allah has given the advantage of one over another”…

In Islam, the role of women and men are divided into: a woman is a mother and she is manager of housekeeping while the husband earns livelihood. Woman, with psyche and bodily structure is prepared to be a mother. Because of this important role, which requires all of her time, she was exempt from work and occupations outside the home.

The Quran even says: “They (women) have the same rights as husbands, but husbands  have the advantage over them for a degree.” Islam gives all the rights of woman and man, eg the right to work, education, spiritual elevation, intellectual development, but being a wife and mother were in the first place.

This man advantage for a degree by the fact that he is physically stronger and less susceptible to the emotions than women. Because the most important questions and decisions in family life Islam gives to husbands  last word. Proved by the fact that a woman listens to her feelings while man is more reliant on his intellect.

Divorce in Islam is undesirable. Prophet said: “Of all the things that are allowed by Islam, divorce is the worst.”

Finally, I ask Allah Ta’ala to show us the right path. Amen.

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“And of His signs are these: He created for you helpmates from yourselves that ye might find rest in them, and He ordained between you love and mercy.
[Holy Quran, 30:21]

A Muslim woman has many different roles to perform. One of those roles is of being a wife. As a Muslim woman, she is always faithful to her husband, takes care of the children herself instead of leaving them in someone else’s hands. There are less divorces and less cheating on spouse in Muslim countries. In Islam, husband and wife are as a cloth, which covers each other, and they are supposed to live in love and peace. In Islam Wife is considered like an ointment for her husband who supports him through tough times.

As a wife, a Muslim woman enjoys many things as for example:

The husband has to keep the promises that he made to his wife during the time of marriage. The husband has to provide her food, and fulfill her needs. He must respect her and pay attention to her, and listen to her advice in every situation. He cannot beat his wife.

The sad thing is that these rights are not enjoyed by most of the Muslim Women, and people of other countries are following these simple things and enjoying a peaceful life. This certainly is something that compels the person to stop and think what they have lost by not following the golden rules of Islam. Islam is based on simplicity and focuses on family life. Roles of husband and wife are well pre defined. For the sake of peaceful and blessed society, it is a must for both husband and wife to follow the true principles laid by Islam and fulfill the duties laid by Quran.

Muslim women are not inferior in any role they play. The male dominance and lack of information have disturbed the beautiful balance in the society.

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Women have been given great importance and value in Islam. Their role as a mother has greatly been admired by Islam. Woman is the one who has to suffer for nine months to bring her child into the world. Her job does not only end there. She cares for her child, spends sleepless nights just for the comfort of her baby, nurtures him, and teaches him moral values among many other things.
In Islam the noblest thing is satisfying and caring for one’s parents. Mother has been given three times more importance than the father. Therefore, in Islam, every day is like a mother’s day and we always have to care and respect our parents and never even bristle. The Muslim woman enjoys great security and care as a mother from the hands of her child. In Islam it is said that if one’s mother dies, he has to fulfill the vows he had made to his mother before her death. The importance of caring and respecting mother is clear from the Hadith narrated by Jahmah:

I said to the Holy Prophet, “O Messenger of Allah, I desire to go on a (military) expedition and I have come to consult you.” He asked me if I had a mother, and when I replied that I had, he said, “Stay with her because Paradise lies beneath her feet”.

Let us turn the table now. Charity begins at home you must have heard and this is exactly that one should do and act. Muslim woman should very well know this and try to implement in their lives. It is not only the children who should respect and honor you but it should be you who should present yourself in such a way that they are compelled to love you.

If you want your children to be respectful to you then you will have to teach them right from the beginning. Help them learn and educate them with latest technology but do not neglect to transfer your traditional and cultural values. Let their Islamic concept be clear and they should know what Islam is teaching about the rights and duties, afterwards expect them to become good Muslims and loving son or daughter. As a woman, you have this key role of nurturing and raising a human being according to the teachings of Quran and Sunnah. Therefore, if you have neglected your duties under any circumstances you may not retain the right to complaint afterwards.

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One of the most important rights of wife is that husband has to support her through thick and thin. If the husband does not support her, she is not obligated to fulfill her duties. Allah says in the Holy Quran:
“And upon the father is mother’s sustenance and her clothing according to what is reasonable. No person shall have a burden on him greater than he can bear”. [Surah Al-Baqarah]
Wife should be treated with care, and kindness. A husband should always listen to her. He should buy things for her that he likes for himself and keep her well. Wife has an equal status in the decision making at home. Wife has the right to do job, acquire higher education and she should not be prohibited from doing that. It is prohibited in Islam to beat your wife and it is considered bad if you do so. It is quite easy to mention the rights of wife or women in Islam but what is difficult is to follow them. We do not see many people following them.

Women especially the Muslim women suffer ill-treatment. Those people who do not treat their wives or other women with respect are illiterate even after being literate.
It is not only the men responsible for the ill treatment of women but it is the women themselves not standing against their own gender. When they are playing the role of a mother in law, they forget that the women whom they are treating badly belong to the same gender they are.

When they are not educated well and not equipped with the right religious and academic training, they tend to create hell for other women as well. The women do the most harm to other women so they need to wake up as well and take stand for the rights of others rather than snatching away even the right to exist.

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Introduction:

الرِّجَالُ قَوَّامُونَ عَلىَ النِّسَاءِ بِمَا فَضَّلَ اللَّهُ بَعْضَهُمْ عَلىَ‏ بَعْضٍ وَ بِمَا أَنفَقُواْ مِنْ أَمْوَالِهِمْ  فَالصَّلِحَتُ قَنِتَاتٌ حَفِظَتٌ لِّلْغَيْبِ بِمَا حَفِظَ اللَّهُ  وَ الَّاتىِ تخَافُونَ نُشُوزَهُنَّ فَعِظُوهُنَّ وَ اهْجُرُوهُنَّ فىِ الْمَضَاجِعِ وَ اضْرِبُوهُنَّ  فَإِنْ أَطَعْنَكُمْ فَلَا تَبْغُواْ عَلَيهْنَّ سَبِيلاً  إِنَّ اللَّهَ كاَنَ عَلِيًّا كَبِيرًا

“Men are the guardians of women, because God has given advantage to some people over another, and because they spend from their wealth. Consequently, pious women are obedient [to their husbands] and keep their secrets for God also keeps secrets. And as for those from whom you fear rebellion, admonish them [first] and [next] refuse to share their beds and [even then if they do not listen] beat them. Then if they obey you, take no further action against them. Indeed, God is Exalted and Mighty.” – Al Nisa’ 4:34

The above is one of the verses of the Qur’an that many Muslim scholars normally need to explain, clarify and justify in length for their Muslim and non-Muslim audience. At the face of it the verse seems to simply advise men to beat their wives if they do not obey them. It is very normal that in our era this can easily become a controversial issue.
When I was explaining this verse for a group of Muslims a while ago, a very respected lady who herself was a very devoted Muslim asked me how this verse could be best explained for others, especially for non-Muslims who were coming from a totally different background. I found this to be a very valid and relevant question and thought I should write something in response to it. This article is my attempt in answering that question.
I would like to make it clear from the outset that the aim of this article is not at all to defend or justify the verse. The only aim of this article is to explain it so that the reader understands the verse and its implications more thoroughly.
Another point to clarify at the start is that this article is focusing on the part of the verse that instructs about beating disobedient wives (underlined in translation). The earlier parts of the verse will be discussed, where related, only to explain the latter part of the verse but will not be elaborated in detail as they are not the subject of this article.
There are two extreme approaches in explaining and justifying the verse of beating wife in the Qur’an:

a.       To say that this is God’s directive and therefore it does not need to be an issue to discuss. We therefore only need to obey it.
While it is a fact that for a Muslim, God’s directives in the Qur’an are to be obeyed with no hesitation, I think it is the right of us as human beings to demand explanation and clarification about any verse of the Qur’an and in fact, the Qur’an itself has advised us to think and ponder over its meanings. Avoiding such demands and questions can only result in ignorance or arrogance, both of which will ultimately be destructive to Muslims and their faith.

b.      The other approach is to eliminate the question by trying to argue that the word that is traditionally translated as “beat them” in this verse really has a different meaning.
I have not found any reliable basis for the above argument. I think it is very clear from the way Arab uses the word that the verse is indeed referring to ‘beating women’ and not anything else.

After the above introduction, I would now like to proceed with the main body of this article that is explaining the verse of ‘beating women’ and its implications. In order to be as brief and as clear as possible, I am going to do this in a series of short bullet points.

Understanding the verse:
1.      Before any attempt to understand the verse on beating the wife it is very important to first understand the logic behind it. In the Abrahamic religions (not just Islam) family unit is considered as a social unit that like any other social unit needs leadership and this leadership for the reasons that are described in the verse[i] is given to men. It is beyond this article to explain this further but this perspective needs to be appreciated if we want to understand the verse correctly. Verse 34:4 starts by referring to this fact and is based on this foundation.

2.      Appreciating the above, we can now understand what ‘Nushuz’ in the verse means. ‘Nushuz’ is coming from the root ‘Nashz’ which means an elevated land and its derivatives are used for the meaning of ‘rising up’. The word, like most other words and like in any language, will find its exact meaning when it is interpreted within the context. In the context of the verse under discussion, and considering the last point, the word means uprising and defying authority. Nushuz here means a woman who rejects the God given authority of her husband in being her guardian.

3.      What we learn from the above is that Nushuz does not mean having a different opinion. It does not mean disagreeing either. Even occasional disobedience of a wife towards her husband by itself cannot be called Nushuz. Nushuz refers to a much more serious concept, that is, rejecting the authority of the husband (as given by God). Difference of opinion, disagreeing and occasional disobedience are not the same as rejecting the authority altogether.

4.      It needs to be understood that the verse has not given a religious instruction. This can easily be appreciated by those who are familiar with the style of the Qur’an and the style of the classic Arabic language. This is a very important point to understand. It is not that husbands are obliged by this verse to beat their wives if the conditions were met. It is not like if a husband decides not to beat his rebellious wife that means he is disobeying God. It is therefore not correct to say that the Qur’an has ‘instructed’ to beat wives.

5.      Once the above very important point is appreciated, we can easily appreciate that the verse under question has merely addressed a family issue by giving a solution that was best suited for the socio cultural conditions of the time and the land. This is very much similar to the verse of the Qur’an in the same Sura that advises and permits men to marry up to four women to address the issue of protecting orphans’ rights (4:3)[ii].

6.      In the Sura of Nisaa the verses that are addressing the issues related to the husband and the wife are to protect the structure of the family and its sanctity and (in line with this) to bring peace (Islaah) between the couples (as explicitly referred to in the verse 4:35). This means the husband is not supposed to beat his wife to fulfil his anger or to humiliate her. This not only is forbidden, but also works quite contrary to the above purpose, that is protecting the family and bringing peace.

7.      Appreciating the above, the husband needs to (and in fact is obliged to) think carefully about the consequences of any reaction he might take in trying to correct his rebellious wife. He should wisely use only those measures that he knows will work. He should avoid those measures that he thinks may make the situation worse, even if these are the measures that are given in verse 4:34.[iii]

8.      It needs to be appreciated that the advice of beating is only applicable if the earlier two advises did not work. This means in his attempt to correct his rebellious wife, according to the verse, the husband can only use ‘beating’ if ‘admonishment’ and ‘refusing to share bed’ does not work.

9.      The best follower of the Qur’an is the Prophet (pbuh). First, we do not have any narrations that suggest that the Prophet (pbuh) ever beat his wife[iv]. Second, we have a number of narratives reporting that the Prophet (pbuh) limited beating to a hit that is not severe[v] (does not leave mark) and is not on the face. In explaining this Ibn Abbas has given example of a hit that is as light as striking with a toothpaste (that at the time of the Prophet – pbuh – was a very tiny short piece of wood, hardly capable of creating any pain)[vi]. Considering this, the beating is not to punish or to change the attitude of the wife by causing her pain. Rather, it is only a gesture of disapproval and dissatisfaction and reclaiming the right as the head of the family.

10.  It needs to be appreciated that the verse is not advising about a permanent attitude by the husband. There can only be two possibilities. One is that the solution of beating wife works in which case, as the verse instructs at the end, the husband should fear God and should refrain from any further actions. The other possibility is that beating does not work, meaning, the wife continues to be totally rebellious to her husband’s authority and the husband’s beating her does not help at all. This is the case of serious difficulty between the couple and can result in their separation. In this case verse 4:35 (the verse after the verse of beating) advises that the help should be sought from relatives of the both sides. Therefore the beating that the verse is referring to is simply a one off measure. No man can use this verse to justify a regular attitude of aggression towards his wife.

11.  One of the most important obligations of a Muslim is to follow the agreements. By being a resident of a country or by being allowed to enter a country, the person has entered an agreement to obey the rules of that country. If according to the regulations of the country even a slight beating of the wife (as explained in point 9) counts as domestic violence and is illegal, then the husband should respect this rule and observe it.

12.  An objection that is sometimes made is that in verse 4:128 the wife is advised to settle on a compromise with her husband if she fears of the husband’s ‘Nushuz’. The objection is that why in the case of the wife having Nushuz the husband is allowed to beat her but in the case of the husband having Nushuz the wife is advised to have leniency. Justified as it might seem, the objection is based on a totally wrong assumption. The wrong assumption is that the Nushuz in verse 4:34 is of the same level as the Nushuz in verse 4:128. I mentioned in point 2 that it is the context of the verse that determines exactly what Nushuz means. In the context of verse 4:34, Nushuz means the wife rejecting the authority of her husband. This clearly is a threat for the whole family structure. In comparison, in the context of verse 4:128 and the verses before and after it, Nushuz only means the husband not treating his wife justly. No doubt this is a wrong attitude but it is nowhere as drastic as the meaning of Nushuz in verse 4:34. The two different treatments of the two Nushuz in these two verses can easily be understood by appreciating this fundamental difference between the two cases.

Conclusions:

We can easily reach a conclusion by putting together all the above twelve points as a summary of observations on the verse 4:34:

Men by nature and by their obligation to be financially responsible are the guardians of their wives and heads of the family. The wife may disagree and as it happens, can even occasionally disobey her husband. However if the wife’s disobedience to her husband means rejecting the authority that the husband has been given by the Almighty, then this will be a serious problem as it can easily break the structure and the sanctity of the family. In this case the Qur’an has given (not an instruction but an) advice that could easily fit with the socio cultural norms of the Arab society of the time. According to this advice, the husband is allowed to beat her wife in the above condition, if admonishing her and leaving her bed does not work. The Prophet (pbuh) has advised Muslims that the beating should be light and should not leave a mark. In fact the beating should not be to satisfy the anger, it is merely a gesture of disapproval and dissatisfaction. This is a one off solution that should either result in peace or should be followed by the next major step that is involving closed ones to help.

Since the whole point of this advice is to keep the family intact and to keep peace in the family, the husband should avoid this practice if he knows that it will not work or, worse, it will work contrary to the purpose. Also if the regulations of the country of residence consider even light beating to be forbidden then the husband is not allowed to use this measure.

I would like to stress again that the intention of this article was not to defend the verse of beating wife or to make it appear nice. I do not think that the verse needs any defence. The aim of this article was merely to clarify the meaning of the verse and its logic and conditions. For those who believe in the Qur’an, I hope this article brings some clarification, insights and reassurance. For those who do not believe in the Qur’an and like to criticise the verse, I hope this article prompts them to formulate their criticism based on a correct understanding of the verse.

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Women in Islam are granted numerous rights, as their status is considered equal to men. Women are suppose to be given the right of getting higher education, to attend mosques, the right to marriage by their own consent, to do jobs and even business. Women have the right to go outside home and in the community.

Nowadays when we look around the world we see that those countries are progressing where there is less gender discrimination and where women are working side by side with men. Women are the ones who turn out to be the best teachers. They mold the young minds of today for a better tomorrow. Islam doesn’t prohibit women from working. In fact Islam allows them to even do business and keep all the money to themselves and spend it the way they like. Islam only asks that a woman should be modest in her dress and protect herself and her chastity.

Women suffered a lot before the advent of Islam but slowly and gradually they were granted rights and freedom as Islam spread in the vast corners of the world. Women started to know their rights and started to live their life the way they want to. Women however,are still suffering in some parts of the world, and it is the duty of the Muslims to help and support their sisters.

Many religious scholars speak in the favor of women rights but if you take a sneak look at their household, you may find their own women cladded and wrapped in the veils in the name of so-called Islam within the boundaries of their home or inside the four walls. It is not Islamdevoid the woman of any of her rights. The so-called Muslims have used Islam to suppress the women. What needs to be changed is this thinking and of course, women can do this if they get united and trained. A good mother can bring about change in the society by giving proper training and guidance to her male children. She can put good seeds in their minds and teach them from day one to respect and honor the women. These boys when turn into adult males would bring about change in their own perspective and treatment towards the opposite gender as well as that of the society. Unless the women could know themselves thequalities, they posses thatthey could manipulate with these attributes Allah given them they can never expect any thing changing for them in the social setup where they exist.

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Al Nahdiah

She was a slave along with her daughter Umm Ubays. Her owner was a woman from Banu Abd-al-dar. Both of the mother and daughter embraced Islam during their slavery and had to face immense torture and brutalism by the non Muslims of Makkah. Upon seeing their miserable condition, Abu Bakar talked to her mistress. The mistress replied in an arrogant tone and asked him to pay for her freedom. Abu bakar paid for their freedom according to the price the mistress demanded. So, this way their miseries came to an end by the grace of Allah.

Lubaynah

Lubaynah was another slave girl freed by the notable friend of Prophet Muhammad Sallalaho Alayhi wasalam known as Abu Bakar R.A. Abu Bakar R.A. had freed many other slave men and women by paying from his own pocket and wealth.

Lubaynah was owned by Umar ibn al-Khattab who had not yet embraced Islam. Another slave girl known as Zinnira accompanied her. Umar threw all of her anger and hatred for Islam on them. His harsh treatment was unbearable by the slave girls. His merciless beatings could not affect the faith of Lubaynah at all. The brave girl refused to renounce her religion in any condition and remained steadfast to her beliefs in One Allah SWT and His Apostle Sallalaho Alayhi Wasalam.

Sîrîn bint Sham’ûn

Sîrîn bint Sham’ûn, the Egyptian lady and sister of Umm al Momineen Maria Al-Qibtiyya were sent as a gift to Prophet Muhammad Sallalaho Alayhi Wasalam. Muqawqis, the Sassanid official, wanted to please the Prophet with his gifts. Both of the girls were slaves of Prophet and comprised unique intelligence with beauty. Unlike any ordinary master, Prophet Muhammad Sallalaho Alayhi Wasalam, the master of masters treated both of his slave girls with much respect and gave them honor. The Prophet sent Maria Al-QIbtiyya proposal and her sister got married to Hassan ibn Thabit, companion of Prophet Sallalaho Alayhi Wasalam.

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Umm Salamah, real name Hind, was the daughter of Makhzum clan and married to Abdullah ibn Abdulasad. Both of them are among early Muslims of Makkah. Quraysh with their frenzied anger made the life unbearable and miserable for them like many of the others who had recently embraced Islam. Umm Salamah, her husband along with other Muslims migrated to Abyssinia.

The husband and wife returned to Makkah after sometime and did not find the situation much in their favor. Quresh and people of Makkah were leaving no one from their cruel intentions and torturous behavior. Umm Salamah and her husband were among those who were permitted to migrate to Madinah. They both and their son went through a very rough time until they finally reached Madinah and settled there.

Her clan had snatched her away from her husband and son. She was left alone to stay with her clan. It was terrible for her to be forced to leave her family and this separation left her grief stricken. Her clan finally permitted to join her husband and she was set free. She went to Banu Abdulasad in Makkah for the return of her son. After getting her son back, she set forth for her journey towards Madinah.

She reached Madinah and met her husband. Finally, they all reunited and it seemed her sufferings had come to an end. Soon, her husband died and she was left alone again along with her son. Many nobles with marriage proposal approached her but she refused until the time came she had prayed so much for. She received the proposal by the noblest of all men Prophet of Allah Sallalaho Alayhi wasalam and she agreed with all her might and happiness. She died as the most respectable and honorable Umm al-Mu’mineen the mother of all true believers.

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Fatimah Bint Muhammad Sallalaho alayhi wasalam, fifth child of the family had three elder sisters Zaynab, Ruqayyah and Umm Kulthum. She had two brothers al-Qasim and Abdullah. Both of them died in their infancy. She was sensitive child and brilliant than other children of her age. When she turned five her father announced prophethood. He had declared him as the Messenger of Allah.

Fatimah Bint Muhammad was closely attached to her father. She had deep enduring love for him. Fatimah grew up seeing her father being tortured by Quresh and despite her tender age of less than ten, she always managed to reach on the spot. She was ruthless and unafraid of them and stood by her father steadfast to support him in his quest of spreading words of Allah SWT.

She saw her father facing vicious opposition and defied the harassment against him. She was a brave person and struggled for the sovereignty of Islam since childhood. Khadijah, wife of Prophet and loving mother of Fatimah died when she turned into a young lady. After her mother’s demise the grief stricken Fatima devoted herself to look after her beloved father and soon she was famous with a new nickname “Umm Abi-ha” or  “the mother of her father”.

She was the most beloved daughter of Prophet and she had a very special place in his heart. Rasul Allah said “Whoever pleased Fatimah has indeed pleased God and whoever has caused her to be angry has indeed angered God. Fatimah is a part of me. Whatever pleases her pleases me and whatever angers her angers me.”

She was married to Ali R.A. and was the mother of Hassan R.A. and Hussain R.A.

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Most of the scholars around the world have expressed same thought that Islam is first religion in the earth to ensure women’s right. This started from the very beginning of the human existence.

Once there such situation existed where women were literally treated as slave and they were sold and bought like a daily commodity. As soon as a baby girl was born they were buried alive and needless to say whoever survived was hardly treated like a human being. There was also another tradition to burn the widows with their dead husband.

Islam demolished all these prejudices and it conveyed the message of freedom for all the women. Islam totally prohibited the trend of selling women and keeping them as slaves. It was just the beginning and after that in every step of life women’s rights were ensured. In the Holy Quran, Muslim’s religious book women rights were reinforced.

There were permitted to make decision in family life as well as personal life. Once there was no education system for women but in Islam acquiring knowledge has been made mandatory and in family life there were given authorization to take any kind of decision such as child birth, maintenance etc. And most importantly they have been blessed with most honorable as it is quoted in Quran “Child’s heaven is under mother’s feet”.

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Veil or Hijab is one of the most important aspects for Muslim women and in Islam it is been reinforced to wear veil. The veil is been encouraged in nearly every situation except from the men with whom marriage is prohibited. In Islam marriage is forbidden with fourteen men such as father, brother, uncle and eleven more. Besides these, women must wear veil in front of every men.

By wearing veil Women can perform their regular activities in a normal manner. In Islam it is highly encouraged a number of reasons such as security, symbol of modesty, represent the Religion itself.

In the modern there are been lot of confusion and misunderstanding regarding this veil. In some countries it is already banned and Muslim women are harassed for wearing veil. Because some people consider it as a symbol of oppression and terrorism and this kind of mind set was provoked by Twin-Tower incident.

We should keep in mind that the veil is the symbol of a religion and over time it is been proved that veil has helped women to secure themselves from many odds of the society. So if a Muslim woman want to wear veil she should not stopped from practicing her Religion.

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What does a mother wants to see in her child? And, what is that she expects from her child? Well, there is difference in mothers and their motherhood. Usually, a mother expects nothing and she can see nothing but love. She is blind with her motherhood and motherly love for her child. She may not have any kind of expectations and all she would desire to see is that her child grows into a fine young man or woman. That is all.

When she becomes aged and has less strength to perform routine chores of life at that time she expects the same what the child expected from her when he was an infant. In his infancy, he expected her mom to feed him, take care of him, and put him to sleep with love and lullaby.

His mother never hated him for wetting the bed and making a mess. Now, the child, who is so grown and strong, has to do the same what his mother did for him. How she treated him in infancy and until he was all grown up. As a child, son or daughter, it is your turn now to ignore her flaws and any bad words but educate her if needed with love.

Old person hardly has control over his or her tongue, hands or bowel movement. You should spare her from your cruelty, smile at her and bear her. She was never cruel to you – when you were helpless. Now she is helpless. You were helpless due to your infancy and childhood now she is helpless due to her old age.

Allah’s Apostle Holy Prophet SAAS said Paradise is at the feet of your mother. (Al-Tirmidhi) and at another occasion He SAAS said, “God has forbidden for you to be undutiful to your mothers.” (Sahih Al-Bukhari)

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On the heels of America’s most-wanted terrorist being eliminated in Pakistan by U.S. Special Forces, the woman who was once dubbed by the media as “Osama Bin Laden’s Worst Nightmare” made a statement that I found haunting. Islamic reformer Irshad Manji made the scary point in an op-ed in The Wall Street Journal that President Obama was wrong in saying that “Bin Laden was not a Muslim leader.” What should be keeping us up at night, according to Manji, is the fact that he actually was a legitimate Muslim leader in the eyes of many.

“Bin Laden and his followers represent a real interpretation of Islam that begs to be challenged relentlessly and visibly,” she wrote in the op-ed, which was excerpted from her soon-to-be-published new book, “Allah, Liberty and Love” (Free Press).

So what does this have to do with Jews? It has to do with us because Manji and other reformers have reached out to liberal Jews and Christians in search of allies in this challenge. Although she sees this ijtihad (a religious-intellectual struggle fueled by independent thought) as primarily the responsibility of Muslims, she calls on us to support and partner with those brave Muslims willing to engage in it.

Manji criticizes moderate Muslims, accusing them of not being bold enough, of not being willing to take the radical steps necessary to bring about an Islam that can truly coexist with the modern world. She wrote:

’Moderate’ Muslims are part of the problem. As Martin Luther King Jr. taught many white Americans, in times of moral crisis, moderation cements the status quo. Today, what Islam needs is not more ‘moderates’ but more self-conscious ‘reformists.’ It is reformists who will bring to my faith the debate, dissent and reinterpretation that have carried Judaism and Christianity into the modern world.

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This was written by Sevda Zenjanli and originally appeared at insideIRAN.org.

While the Iranian authorities have effectively quashed all overt political organization for women’s rights, today women are the most dynamic group in Iranian opposition politics.

The feminist critique of the Green Movement is mainly focused on Moussavi’s wife, Zahra Rahnavard, whose name is often mentioned by the international and pro-Moussavi media as representative of Iranian women’s rights movement. Rahnavard shares a similar political background with her husband: she was a conservative Islamic activist in the anti-Shah movements which led to the Islamic Revolution.

Using the pen-name “Zeinab Boroujerdi,” she wrote fifteen books which are mainly about Islam and women. Unlike the multitudes of Iranian women who protested compulsory Islamic veiling on March 8, 1979 in Tehran, she wrote about the necessity of Islamic veiling in her books, such as “The Beauty of Concealment” and “The Message Behind the Muslim Women’s Hijab.”

In contrast with Rahnavard’s views about Islamic hijab, Iranian feminists demand the abolition of mandatory veiling which forces women to cover their head and body in public. For the past 31 years, Iranian women have been subverting these laws in a kind of “fashion resistance.” They have been wearing their headscarves in a way that does not hide their hair. Tight coats, non-traditional clothes, like western jeans, high-heeled shoes and glamorous make-up are the other ways of openly dissenting with mandatory veiling.

Of course, clothing style is not the only sign of Iranian feminists’ difference with Rahnavard and the Green Movement’s espoused ideology. Political discussions and publications of the Iranian opposition groups clearly show the diversity of Iranian society’s social dynamics. Just before March 2011, a popular left-wing student magazine named “Bazr,” published an article calling for the Iranian people to protest the regime on Women’s Day and criticized the leaders of the Green Movement which had started its new wave of protests in February 2011.

The article stated: “We will come to the streets again to show our power of struggle, but not to let our destiny be determined by the leaders of Green Movement who talk about turning back to ‘Khomeini’s Golden Era,’ and ‘applying the Islamic Laws’ which include the compulsory hijab law and which has not given us anything except pain.” In other words, one only needs to look at the status of women under Khomeini to know that Rahnavard’s view of women is not representative of what feminists want.

On the same date, Zahra Rahnavard also published an article in which she criticized the current Iranian laws which permit men to have multiple wives and make divorce so difficult for women, such as the inequality in the amounts of “dieh” (the money which is paid to the victim’s family when a person is murdered) which is much less for women than men, and the inequality of the ages of criminal responsibility under laws, which is 14 years old for boys and 8 for girls.

All of these points have been criticized by Iranian feminists before, but had rarely been mentioned by a famous political figure like Rahnavard. However, her approach in this article still falls short of the hopes of Iranian womens’ rights activists and feminists, because she didn’t write a single word about the hijab issue, stoning or other punishments against adultery, which are some of the main problems of today’s women’s movement in Iran.

Considering this difference between the political views of the masses and the leaders of the Green Movement, why did Iranian women support the Green Movement during the protests? To answer this question, it’s important to differentiate between ideological support and the instant support which is caused by mass movements. A big majority of the Iranian women who went to protests and supported the Green Movement and Rahnavard don’t share the same approach with her about women’s issues.

Many of them are young women who didn’t see or don’t remember Khomeini’s and Moussavi’s era (1981-89) which makes them nearly unable to criticize the Green Movement because of their political past. Most importantly, many of these people are not involved in politics and don’t have any detailed information about Rahnavard’s books or Moussavi’s political statements. They just see the leaders of Green Movement as a group of brave people who challenge Ahmadinejad. Rahnavard’s ideological supporters are mainly the “Islamic feminists,” who are a small group of women claiming to reinterpret Islam and the Quran and its laws in a “feminist” way. The Islamic Feminists have been accused of legitimizing the current Iranian system by many of Iranian feminist activists and academicians, including H. Moghissi and Hamed Shahidian.

Iranian feminists and other major opposition groups not only have problems with Ahmadinejad and Supreme Leader Khamenei, but with the Islamic Republic and its system as a whole and this is what the Green Movement does not challenge. Since the demands of many Iranian women are much more radical than those of the reformist leaders of the Green Movement, it is not possible to say that Ahmadinejad and Moussavi are the only alternatives of the Iranian society.

The post Do Greens Represent Iran’s Women’s Movement? appeared first on Muslim Blog.

The most precious and beautiful of all creations is woman. Allah SWT has made woman in a unique way. She can bear enormous pains and yet she is so delicate. She is fragile like the petals of flower but has enormous tolerance.

Woman is created to manifest the love of Allah SWT for His creatures. She is the most precious pearl and her fragrance of love for her children is mesmerizing. Let us suppose you had a precious gem in your collection. Would you keep it on the shelf and pray that it should remain safe? Or would you prefer it to be kept safe in your front pocket? You might check often with your hands and feel its presence. You will feel much better knowing that it is in safe place and no one can steal it.

Women’s modesty is exactly as much precious as that stone in your pocket is and even more. It is more precious than anything else in this world is so it is you – who should take care. Keep it safe and away from hideous people. Let no thief steal that is most precious and Allah SWT has gifted you. If a woman can evaluate her own worth and value – If a woman can see her own beauty the way she is looked upon – if only she could understand her strength that heaven is in the dust of her feet – she would keep herself veiled.

Beauty is not in manifestation of sexuality to prove your individuality. Beauty is skin deep; in fact, it is the beauty of soul and heart and spirit. It is so valuable and valued that no one in this whole universe and beyond can claim the same. Your Creator knows your anatomy and the needs deep within your heart. Allah SWT knows your deepest desires and He SWT created you from the best part of man, the ribs. Neither from the head nor from the feet but the closer to the heart to let them know – you, is his better half – neither low nor superior.

If you veil yourself then it is clear declaration that you are aware of your worth. You are evaluating, YOU, and know exactly how to treasure yourself. Modesty is ornament not enslavement and you know how to look beautiful adorned in your special way.

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They run workshops combating al-Qaida propaganda and face personal danger promoting moderate Islam. Haroon Siddique meets the Muslim women confronting prejudice in their fight against extremism

To say that Muslim women are oppressed or don’t contribute is so patronising’ . . . Sara Khan. Photograph: Graham Turner for the Guardian

Tehmina Kazi wears modest western dress and believes in plurality and diversity within her faith, Islam. For her pains, she has been labelled a whore, admonished for not wearing the hijab and accused, inaccurately, of wearing short skirts by people she has never met, writing online.

When she defended Usama Hasan, the London imam who faced death threats and was suspended from Leyton mosque last month after he said evolution was compatible with Islam, she had to go to police after receiving threats of her own.

Despite this, Kazi, the director of British Muslims for Secular Democracy, remains defiant in her role as one of the small but growing number of British Muslim women challenging and combating Islamic extremism. Campaigning against any extremism is not for the faint-hearted, but for Muslim women it requires a special kind of resolve. “It takes a lot more courage to do this if you’re a woman because the type of criticism you get is very different,” she says, highlighting the personal nature of the abuse. “They always talk about what you wear.”

Kazi believes women should be free to wear whatever they choose – it is stereotypes about Muslim women that she aims to confront. BMSD, which, despite not being a women’s organisation, has always had female leadership after being founded by columnist Yasmin Alibhai Brown – supports a young Muslim leadership programme, counter-demonstrates against extremist groups, such as Anjem Choudary’s Islam4UK, and attempts to get moderate voices heard in debates about Islam. The group emphasises the underutilised weapon of humour in taking the fight to the extremists. In one video on the BMSD website, an archetypal “angry young Muslim” begins ominously, “I have a message for those who insult Islam,” before adding: “Let’s agree to disagree.”

It campaigns against both Islamic extremism and Islamophobia – Kazi cites the example of “the preacher going to the mosque and saying women who wear perfume are adulterers”, as well as stereotypes of Muslims that suggests all women are marginalised.

These views are echoed by Sara Khan who set up Inspire two years ago because she felt there was no organisation helping Muslim women to achieve their potential. “It’s quite patronising. To say Muslim women are oppressed or don’t contribute is just so patronising – no community wants to be stereotyped.”

Khan makes no attempt to hide her frustration as she rails against the wider perception of Muslim women, which, for her, manifests itself in the media preoccupation with the hijab. Khan wore the hijab for 15 years before she tired of the “obsession” surrounding it. Despite Khan’s frustration at stereotyping, she is not blind to the fact that not all Muslim women have had the same freedom and opportunities as she has, recognising that there are “Muslim women not allowed to go out of the house”.

Khan, who sat on the Home Office working group tackling extremism and radicalisation, and Inspire are behind an event at City Hall for 200 activists, academics and policy-makers called Speaking in God’s Name: Re-examining Gender in Islam next month, in which religious experts will aim to debunk restrictions conservative Muslims seek to place on women. Khan says it is the first event of its kind. “Let’s have a real debate about the role of women,” she says. “That debate is not happening. You get the same ‘No sister, you’re not allowed to travel on your own’.”

She blames the lack of Islamic literature for female followers and provisions for women at mosques for what she describes as an increasing terrorist threat from women. Citing the student who stabbed the MP Stephen Timms, she says: “It’s not surprising Roshonara Chaudhry learned her faith from the internet.” Khan argues that the government’s much-criticised preventing violent terrorism scheme, now being revamped, suffered from a lack of female involvement.

She makes a compelling case for women to be central in the battle against extremism. “Women shape values in children,” she says. Inspire runs workshops to educate mothers in countering al-Qaida propaganda, arming them with religious texts they can use to rebut the arguments of extremists that their children may hear.

Like Kazi and Khan, Houriya Ahmed, who until last month worked for the Centre for Social Cohesion – a thinktank that issues briefing papers on radicalisation and extremism – has had insults about not wearing the hijab, or as she puts it “not being Muslim enough”. But she is less inclined to attribute them to gender, believing anyone who challenges extremists is likely to face abuse.

As she works not for a Muslim organisation but for the CSC, her experiences are different from the other Muslim women interviewed. “I don’t want to be seen as a Muslim woman doing this,” says Ahmed, who sees her religion as a private matter that is irrelevant to her job.

Other campaigners disagree. Rabia Mirza, who is involved with Cheerleaders Against Everything speaks about how involvement in fighting extremism has strengthened her faith. A disparate group with an anarchic sense of humour, reflected in its title, it has managed to get under the skin of both Islamic extremists and leftwingers. As well as mounting counter-demonstrations against extremists groups, its members go on extremist forums to argue their case.

Cheerleaders has informal links with Kazia’s BMSD as well as, controversially, the English Defence League. Ex-EDL members, who remain committed to challenging extremism but quit the far-right group because of a belief it was indiscriminate in its attacks on Islam, have joined with the Cheerleaders to form an organisation called the Nice Ones. Mirza says the idea is to link with those – “very few” – within the EDL whose goal is to combat Islamic extremism, rather than just oppose Islam.

However one views such an association, it is unarguable that this type of alliance would be unthinkable to the Muslim groups usually rolled out as constituting the frontline in the fight against extremism. Despite breaking the mould, Mirza accepts that women need the co-operation of people who the extremists can identify with more readily. “If we formed a group of women who are highly liberated, it will annoy them, so we need a middle ground,” she says.

“We Muslims need to take a bit of an active role,” says Mirza. “We need to educate our women, liberate women and that will lead the way. Every country where they have educated their women, the country has thrived.”

There is a big gulf in the level of experience of Mirza, who is at university, and someone such as Khan in trying to shake up the way Muslim leaders respond to the issues affecting British Muslims, but they are equally convinced of the need for change. Khan says she is sick of traditional male-led Muslim organisations failing to come up with solutions, and responding to each controversy with the mantra “Islam is a religion of peace”. She is working for change and hopes others will join her. “Muslim women are so frustrated with the leadership,” she says. “We need the discourse of women – they will bring a whole new dimension to it.”

But ultimately it is not just the conservative male Muslim leadership that Muslim women want to change their ways. They want society as a whole to see what Muslim women can do if people will only set the stereotypes aside. “There’s a perception that Muslim woman are sitting at home, not doing anything,” says Khan, “but that’s not the case at all.”

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Women in Bahrain have launched new initiatives to tackle sectarian tensions that emerged as fallout from  widespread unrest that has swept the country since February.

The tiny island with oil incomes representing around 70 per cent of government revenues was known for years for its peaceful coexistence between its majority Shia and minority Sunni populations.

The majority of those who participated in demonstrations before the declaration of the three-month state of emergency in March were Shia. Sunnis were mainly involved in pro-government rallies.

The result: long-time friends have turned enemies. Each sect has issued a list of shops that should be boycotted because Bahrainis of the opposite sect own them. Those lists are circulated through leaflets, email and e-forums.

‘Women for Bahrain’ is an initiative that is working to unite Bahrainis once again. “Through the group we are trying to tell people that religion is for god, and the country is for all of us, and how sectarianism could lead to serious complications,” says Fawziya Al Khaja an activist and media committee member.

The recently formed women’s group, with members coming from different walks of life, stands against powers in Bahrain who back sectarian tension to promote their own agendas, she says.

The group commenced its activities in March, calling for love and tolerance through Internet social networks. A unity petition was launched.

“The group’s activities wouldn’t have a timeframe and would continue as long as we are needed, we want from the people of Bahrain to respect and accept each other regardless of their differences and to share the love of their country,” Al Khaja says.

The group is also dedicated to spreading the principles of wisdom, justice and freedom to protect the dignity of people. “Through the group we are telling society and the world that the role of Bahraini women shouldn’t be overlooked, as without them the structure of family and community get affected,” she explains.

Internet social networks and Blackberry messenger are now a war zone for Shiite and Sunni youth who pass hate messages back and forth constantly. Those messages criticise the differences among two sects of the same religion, says Mariam Al Ruwaee, the president of the Bahrain Women’s Union.

“Mixed marriages felt the heat of tensions most, since people could shun sectarianism inside their homes, while we are confronting them insides our bedrooms,” says Fathiya Ibrahim, a Shia.

Talking about her relationship with her Sunni husband, she said: “We aren’t at ease as we share different opinions. It wasn’t like that before but situations have dragged us to this level.”

Sunni academic, Haisa Al Junaid who is married to a Shia, has so far attracted 40 women to stand together against what could threaten the stability of their families and the safety of their children – fights that turn violent at schools.

“We want to take legal actions, including filing court cases against well-known figures promoting sectarianism,” Haisa announced during a recent launch of the initiative at her home. “Through the group we want also to highlight that we are in pain from disunity in the community and disturbance of relations.”

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