Muhammad the Liberator of Women — Page 2
2 M U H A M M A D S A W — T H E L I B E R A T O R O F W O M E N Each and every strand of the life of the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, appears so sublime that one is left amazed as to what aspect to include and what to leave out – to choose is difficult. However, keeping in view the need of the present age, I have selected the best aspect: how the Prophet purged the world from the enslavement which had forever been its unwanted companion, and that is the subjugation of women. Before the advent of the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, women in all countries were bound to enslavement and servitude. Their enslavement also had an effect on men since those children who were born to women in subjugation could never truly absorb the spirit of freedom. Undoubtedly, from time immemorial there were women, who on account of their beauty or outstanding quality, have ruled over some men, but this was not true freedom as this was not theirs by right but were exceptions; such exceptional freedom can never be perceived as the means for fulfilling true aspiration. The advent of the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, occurred almost 1350 years ago. Until then no religion or people accorded a woman such freedoms which recognised her intrinsic rights. Undoubtedly, in some countries where there was no rule of law they were free from all types of restrictions, but this also cannot be called freedom, rather it will be described as a license. True freedom is achieved when the laws of culture and civilisation are followed. Freedom which is attained by breaking the bounds of these laws is a fallacy because it is conducive not to ambition but to indolence instead.