In the name of Allāh,
the Beneficent, the Merciful.
Peace and Blessings of Allāh on Mohammad.
DEDICATED TO
Allāh–the Glorious and the High,
Lord of the worlds
AND TO
Mohammad–who brought the world
to our feet and eternity to our arms.
*

WOMAN AND MAN NOT EQUAL
Woman is NOT equal with man
Man is NOT equal with woman.|
Man and woman have EQUAL rights!

Allāh created man and woman physically and physiologically different. Seems Allāh also created man and woman different mentally. The Toronto Star Thursday, December 12, 2013 (p. L6) notes in the article Men, Women are wired differently, from the Washington Post, reports that “Women’s and men’s brains are wired differently, in ways that seem to match the stereotypes.”
The test conducted at the University of Pennsylvania “focused on two regions: the cortex, involved in thought, perception and language; and the cerebellum, which co-ordinates movement.”
The findings were that while females were more connected to one side of the brain males were more connected to the opposite side.
In males, these differences seem to “promote coordinated movement, which males can generally do faster in tests.” While in females it “might reflect a superior ability to process emotions and understand others’ intentions.”

While Allāh created man and woman differently for their specific functions (and woman has three degrees of excellence over man –she carries us for nine months, gives birth, and nurses us) Allāh has given man and woman equal rights:
(1) Both are created from the same substance–(Qur’an 4:1; 7:189, this verse establishes that from the beginning women have equality with men).
(2) Man and woman are friends and protectors of the other–(Qur’an 9:71).
(3) Man and woman are garments to the other (to protect, comfort, beautify, and to cover each other’s faults)–(Qur’an 2:187).
(4) Woman has rights as those against her–(Qur’an 2:228).
(5) For woman is what she earns and for man is what he earns and men are maintainers of women–(Qur’an 4:7, 11, 177; 4:32).

Man and woman also have moral and spiritual equality:
“And whoever does good deeds, whether MALE OR FEMALE, and he (or she) is a believer –these will enter the Garden, and they will NOT be dealt with a whit unjustly”–(Qur’an 4:124);
“Surely the men who submit and the women who submit,  and the believing men and the believing women, and the obeying men and the obeying women, and the truthful men and the truthful women, and the patient men and the patient women, and the humble men and the humble women, and the almsgiving men and the almsgiving women, and the fasting men and the fasting women, and the men who guard their private parts and the women who guard, and the men who remember Allāh much and the women who remember­ –Allāh has prepared for THEM FORGIVENESS AND A MIGHTY REWARD” –(Qur’an 33:35).

Muhammad Ali has noted in his The Religion of Islam: “A study of the Tradition literature shows that, notwithstanding her rightful position in the home, as the bringer up of children and manager of the household, woman took interest in all the national activities of the Muslim community.”
Women took part in “congregational prayers,” “join(ed) the soldiers in the field of battle”–“carrying of provisions, taking care of the sick and wounded, removing the wounded and the slain from the battlefield, or taking part in actual fighting when necessary.”
“Women also helped their husbands in the labour of the field, served the male guests at a feast and carried on business, they could sell to and purchase from men, and men could sell to and purchase from them.
A woman was appointed by the Caliph ‘Umar as superintendent of the market of Madinah.” (pp. 628-629). (Bukhari, 56:66, 67, 68; 56:62, 63, 65; F.B. III, p. 228; Bukhari, 67:108, 78; 11:40; 34:67).

“A woman is also spoken of as acting as an Imam, while men followed her, though it was in her own house.” (Abu Dawud 2:58. The Religion of Islam, p.385).
The Prophet’s wife, ‘Aisha, who probably knew the Qur’an more than any other, lead an army against the assassins of the Caliph ‘Uthman, as noted by Muhammad Ali in his The Early Caliphate. Also, regarding ‘Aisha’s opposition to ‘Ali and leading this army, Muhammad Ali notes that if “she had any design on the Caliphate…” It could not be suggested that ‘Aisha “had any design”–i.e. any intention on being ruler– on the Caliphate if woman was excluded from being “head of state.” (p. 182).

Perhaps the above positions held by women may be claimed to be exceptions, but it does highlight that all professions were open to the Woman of Islam. The reason why some positions such as head of state, leader of the armed forces, imam and judge are not delegated to women can be explained.

Unlike other subordinate positions, leadership is a full time responsibility to the community. If Woman is exempt from these positions (at least in her child-bearing years), it is not because Allāh God or Islam discriminates against her on account of her sex; it is only because of her nature.
For it is Woman who experiences menstruation, which is a time of ceremonial impurity and perhaps of pain; pregnancy and its discomforts and restrictions; childbirth and post-natal care; and caring for the child; all of which would leave her absent for these vital services to society.
Perhaps it is for the above reasons also that Woman is not appointed the role of prophethood, though Allāh, God, did give revelation to Moses’ mother–(Qur’an 20:38-39; 28:7).

Muhammad Ali notes in his The Early Caliphate that ‘Umar, “When as a Caliph he made education compulsory in Arabia, it was made so for both boys and girls”–(p. 120).
And the Prophet advised the educating even of slave-girls–(Bokhari Vol.; 3 #720. Vol 4, #655. Allāh is Just. Allāh will not discriminate against Woman because of her gender –a factor she had no control over; a form and physiology He gave her. 

As to those who seek public office. Allāh enjoins that positions be given only to those who qualify: “Surely Allāh commands you to make over trusts to those worthy of them, and that when you judge between people, you judge with justice”–(Qur’an 4:58).

And Prophet Mohammad is reported to have said: “We do not assign the authority of ruling to those who ask for it, nor to those who are keen to have it”–(Bokhari, Vol. 9, # 263).
The Prophet is reported to have told Abdur-Rahman bin Samura not to “seek to be a ruler, for if you are given authority on your demand then you will be held responsible for it, but if you are given it without asking (for it), then you will be helped (by Allah) in it. If you ever take an oath to do something and later on you find that something else is better, then you should expiate your oath and do what is better”–(Bokhari, Vol. 9, # 260).
And, “Any man whom Allah has given the authority of ruling some people and he does not look after them in an honest manner, will never feel even the smell of Paradise”–(Ibid. Vol. 9 # 264).

Islam has given woman rights alongside man from birth all the way to Jannah. Islam esteems womanhood as symbol of purity and motherhood as gateway to Paradise.
Muslim ‘feminists” need to talk less and use their heads more –they are kindling their Hell fire with their tongues. These so-called “feminists” are to trash their placards and learn Islam.

This is what the Muslim women of today need to do: they need to learn Islam and assert themselves and demand from their arrogant and/or ignorant leaders their Allāh-given rights. Rather than dwell in ignorance and post nude photo(s) of themselves on the Internet (as one Egyptian young woman¹ did) in protest against Islam and Shari’ah.
This sister who posted nude picture of herself on the Internet needs to know she is undressing herself for the Fire.

Women who are wearing jeans under their over-garment in revolt against Islam must know that they are dressing themselves for the Fire. There is nothing in Islam to protest against –Islam regards womanhood as the symbol of purity; and motherhood as the gateway to Paradise.

Whereas choosing to not wear the Hijab/head covering (and jalaba) is one matter, why would the Muslim woman desirous of Allāh’s everlasting grandeur revile (and even militate against) the hijab?
Revolt against the hijab is revolt against Islam; revolt against Islam is revolt against Allāh; revolt against Allāh is the Sureway to Hell-fire.

These Muslims as well as those who have apostatized from Islam have the grand opportunity while you are alive to repent and to return to Allāh. When you die, and as no one knows the time of his/her death the sooner you repent the better, there is no second chance: this grand opportunity evaporates like a dewdrop in Hell.

(See also Islam-women; Islam-wife beating).
Allāh/Islam also admonishes us against illegal sex. Adultery and fornication, seemingly a personal affair, can and do have far-reaching effects in society. (See Islam-adultery & flogging).

*

NOTES

1. The Toronto Star, Thursday December 19, 2013, Nude photo leads to life on the run, p. A1; reported that a young Egyptian woman posted online a picture of herself wearing “only stockings and shoes.”