المحراب

المحراب — Page 153

carry no such responsibility۔She is free to earn if she so likes and has the right to spend her earnings as she likes۔قا الصلحت قننت حفظت للغيب بما حفظ الله The above verse highlights the dignifying virtues of faithful women folk condescending attitude towards them in acknowledging their selective virtues۔Quran gives cover to isolated instances of possible hostilities on the part of a woman tending to physical violence that a man may occasion to encounter۔Pro- pounders of law of equality may advocate retaliation to balance the action۔How- ever in an exceptional situation such as this۔Quran appeals to the faculties of manhood and expects the matter to be resolved through principles of rational- ity۔It is because the word "Qawwam" can not be equated with imprudence or ignominy۔The belief of the people of the West that the Quran teaches inequality is proved to be a wrong and baseless accusation with this verse۔There are other verses of the Holy Quran which also prove this statement to be wrong۔ولهن مثل الذي عليهن با المعروف tal والرجال عليهن درجه 'Men are superior to women in certain ways but in spite of that they enjoy equal rights۔' The Holy Quran also says: هن لباس فهم و انتم لباس لهن (b) meaning that 'they enjoy equal rights and responsibilities in such a manner as if 'you are a cover unto them and they are a cover unto you' 1۔e۔all the functions of cover/dress, in every respect, are to be fulfilled by men and women for each other۔Now let us see what those nations and religions, who criticise the teachings of Islam, have to say about the status of women۔Here there is a misconception۔The western civilisation is compared with Islam as a religion۔Although the comparison should be between the teachings of Islam and the teachings of other religions i۔e۔Christianity, Juda- ism, Hinduism۔In other words the teach- ings of the Bible, Torah, Vedas be proved superior to the teachings of the Holy Quran۔When we examine the other religions we find that either no mention is made of the position of women in them or if it is made, it is in such a degrading and disgraceful manner that the ungodly features seem to wash the sublimeness of religion in one stroke, and if one is to judge these religions on this basis alone, one would not only turn against those religions but would doubt the very existence of God۔Torah and Bible say that women are under total subjugation of their men۔They should suffer beating and humili- ation as they have no right to question the actions of their men۔They are not allowed to ask any questions in the church۔They are only to obey and to keep silent۔They are not to give orders or to teach anything to others۔As a symbol of their obedience they must keep their heads covered۔The teaching of Hinduism is even worse۔It would have been much better if no position was given to women in it at all۔The very existence of a woman is considered to be a misfortune and an evil omen۔Just as the Arabs used to kill their daughters soon after their birth in the pre-Islamic period۔From the religious point of view, women are sometimes to be treated as worse than animals۔The Hindu history tells us that all this was practically done۔Her only duty is to obey and serve man or to worship God all alone۔She is not permitted even to read their religious books۔There is no need to consult the Hindu girls concerning their marriage۔A widow is not expected to remarry۔She is to wear white clothes all her life, shave off her head, not to attend any wedding, cook her own food۔etc۔A Hindu woman connot own or inherit any property in her own name۔As a result of these cruelties she became forced to