Through Force or Faith? — Page 290
?— A Reply to Pope Benedict XVI 290 َو َكَنْوُلَٔـْسَي ِنَع ِضْيِحَمْلا ْلُق َوُه ىًذَا And they ask thee concerning menstruation. Say: It is harmful thing ( S u rah al-Baqarah, 2:223), But to touch them during this period is not a thing unclean ( Bukh ā r ī , Kit a b as-Salat, Chapter: To offer Salat facing a bed occupied by a menstruating woman, Tradition No. 488). About women covering their heads, the Bible tells us that a woman should cover her head in a church, because it is a sign of her servitude; the same is not required of a man, because ‘Neither was the man created for the woman; but the woman for the man’; and man is ruler over her, ‘the head of the woman is the man’ (1 Corinthians 11:3-10). In comparison, Islam taught that covering of head was a sign of respect both for men and women. The Prophet s as and his wives used to cover their heads ( Muslim, Kit a bul H ajj, Chapter: Entering Mecca without Ihram, Tradition No. 2420; Musnad Ahmad bin Hanbal, Baq i musnad al-Ans a r hadith Umm Salamah, the wife of the Prophet, Tradition No. 25399). For the same reason, all Muslim scholars and kings always kept their heads covered, and considered it a sign of honour and respect. Christianity did not allow women even to speak out in a church, nor was she permitted to teach men (1 Corinthians 14:34; 1 Timothy 2:12). Islam did not put any such restriction on women. Therefore, many male companions of the Holy Prophet s as fre- quently asked his wife ‘ A isha ra questions and were taught by her. For this very reason, in the six most authentic books of Traditions there are 3246 sayings attributed to her, wherein she has discussed varied issues. With respect to inheritance of property, the Bible commanded