Woman in Islam

A few months ago I got a new friend from YM. After all asl questions, he told me that he interested to know about Islam and started asking me about my feeling being a Moslem gal. He thinks that Islam is being unfair to woman. There are so many rules and restriction for woman in Islam. Theres no freedom at all. Just like what he saw in Saudi Arabia where woman seemed had to rights at all.

I was quite shocked with his entire question from polygamy to veil, from clothes to oral sex. I felt sorry for him. I mean, with all of those questions, he should find someone whose expert in this, not me. Im only a gal with so little knowledge. Its a shame, I admitted, but thats the way it is. On the other hand, Im glad God send me this guy who makes me realize that I must deepen my knowledge about my own faith. Something Ive been carried even before I was born and will carry it for the rest of my life.

So, at that moment I can only told him that I never felt not free as Muslim. About what he saw in Saudi Arabia, well I told him that he had to look carefully. I mean although SA is a Moslem country, in fact Islam was born there, but not all of things that come from SA is Islam. It could be SAs tradition.

Here in Indonesia, where most of the people are Moslems, we woman can have good education, a proper work, an opportunity as much as men, but still can do our obligation as Muslim.

Its little bit hard to convince him that Islam respect woman. That Islam never abandon woman, especially after what he saw in SA, plus my limited knowledge & my limited vocabulary. 

A few weeks after that chat, I found this book called Proud to be Muslimah (In Indonesian) that explain all negative thinking about Islams policy on woman, all misinterpretation on womans position in Islam. This book consists of 7 chapters that explain about Polygamy, Divorcement, Inheritance, Leadership, Violence, Womans Testimony and Jilbab (veil??). I got lots of knowledge after reading it, especially on those 7 issues.

This book explains all the reason behind all restrictions/rules on woman. Here, youll that man and woman is equal both in reward and punishment.

Whoever works righteousness, man or woman, and has faith, verily, to Him will We give a new life, a life that is good & pure, and we will bestow on such their reward according to the best of their action.
(16:97).

In fact, Islam honoured woman deeply. You can see it from this story that was happened a long time a go.
(I translate it with my own language, May God forgive me).

A long time a go a man come to Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him. The man asks: Rasulullah, who had the ultimate right to be treated well?Rasulullah saidL Your mother, the man said: whos next? He said:Your mom, the man asked: whos next? He said: Your mother. The man asked: whos next? and He said: Your father.

It shown that Islam do respects woman and never treat woman as second degree community. What ever Islam do on woman, its always for their own safety and for the sake of their own.

Nothings wrong in Islam. When you see something wrong in Muslims attitude, its not Islams fault. Its pure from the person itself since as human being, we are full of mistakes. As human being we have limitedness in interpret ting something. Sometimes, or should I say most of the times, we interpret something based on our ego in order to fill our needs only.

===one day in dec 2005===

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