المحراب — Page 154
burn herself alive along with her dead husband, which she found better than passing through the tortures her religion forced her to go through۔The so-called western civilisation is very proud of itself and considers itself to be much superior to Islamic civilisa- tion in the case of women۔They try to compare the western civilisation of today with the teachings of Islam revealed to the Holy Prophet fourteen hundred years ago and base their objections on that۔When we examine these objections we find that the western civilisation cannot come even near about the teachings of Islam about women, taught fourteen hundred years ago, even today۔Just examine their laws and reports printed in recent years and they show that a very large percentage of women and children is the victim of the cruelties of men, and there is no protection against this in their law۔The statistics are not accurate because a large number of women feel ashamed to report such cases۔This number is frightfully increasing۔One book alone۔"Scream Quietly or the Neighbours will hear" printed by 'Pen- guins in 1947, proves the horrible tales of woe and suffering of women at the hands of men, as late as the last quarter of the 20th century۔Even today several stories of cruelty to women and children are being printed in the newspapers of Europe and America۔The rate of divorce has reached a dangerous point in these countries۔As against this۔the religion of the Holy Prophet, which is being spoken of with sarcasm and ridicule may be viewed on the basis of its teachings, his own practice and that of his followers۔The Holy Prophet himself could not bear the least inconvenience to women۔Once he saw a camel, with women sitting on its back, being made to run and said, "they are like delicate glass, handle them with care"۔How cruel it is to call such teach- ings cruel۔The whole concept of the status of women is based upon this belief۔In fact the Holy Prophet lifted women from a very low position to a very high and dignified position۔As a result, many basic changes took place in the Arab society۔He himself acted according to the sublime teachings of Islam and the social pattern around him changed in such a way that women enjoyed equal rights with men, which was unthought of before his advent۔The woman who used to have been inherited as a piece of property now stood up against her father, her brother or her husband for the rights۔given to her by Islam and the Holy Prophet۔They used to ask any question freely from the Holy Prophet۔They were given the rights to go to the courts, to pray to God۔It was declared a sin to bury new born baby-daughters۔Mothers were given such exalted position that the children were asked to look for Paradise under their feet۔Hazrat Ayesha (the Holy Prophet's wife) taught half of the Islamic teachings to women and men alike during the life of the Holy Prophet and afterwards۔Two of the noblest women Pharoah's wife and Mariam Binte-Imran are presented as models of piety for all men and women۔The Promised Messiah says, "The Holy Prophet is the perfect example for every thing۔Just see how he treated women۔Any man who treats women cruelly is a coward and is unmanly" Now let us examine the objections one by one:- As for PURDAH, the point behind it is that purdah means to 'keep one's eyes downcast' and men and women both are asked to observe it۔Woman is given special orders about it because she is pretty and attractive and if she is not careful, she may become the cause of leading men astray۔So she is asked not to make her beauty public and to save men from this۔The Promised Messiah says "It doesn't mean that women are to be imprisoned inside their houses۔They are free to lead normal lives۔Old women and working women are permitted to move about freely and go to their places of work"۔He also says, "Today's society is not such in which a woman is safe without purdah۔We must wait for better days"۔We can see how true it is۔In today's filthy 7