The Rights and Duties of Women in Islam

1. Education
The Messenger of Allah (p.b.u.h.) once said:
"Acquiring knowledge is compulsory for every
Muslim. (At-Tabarani)
This narration applies equally to men and
women. "Knowledge" in this context refers
primarily to knowledge of the Holy Quran and
Sunnah as no Muslim should be ignorant of
his or her Faith, but it also covers other areas
of general education, which can contribute to
the welfare of civilization. It is precisely the
ignorance about their religion among Muslims
that has led to men oppressing women
because they believe it is permitted, women
not demanding their God-given rights
because they are ignorant of them, and
children growing up to perpetuate their
parents' follies. Throughout Islamic history,
men and women both earned respect as
scholars and teachers of the Faith. The books
of Rijal (Reporters of Hadith) contain the
names of many prominent women, beginning
with Aishah and Hafsah.
2. Worship
Both men and women are the slaves of Allah
and have a duty to worship and obey Him.
Men and women have to pray, fast, give
charity, go on pilgrimage, refrain from
adultery, avoid the prohibited, enjoin the
good and forbid the evil, and so on. Because
of women's roles as mothers, a role which
does not end at a specific time but is a round
the-clock career, they have been exempted
from attending the Mosque for the five daily
prayers or for Jumuah (Friday) prayer.
Nevertheless, if they wish to attend the
Mosque, no one has the right to stop them.
3. Charitable Acts
Men and women are both encouraged to give
charity, and there is nothing to stop a woman
giving charity from her husband's income.
Aishah reported that the Messenger of Allah
said: "A woman will receive reward (from
Allah) even when she gives charity from her
husband's earnings. The husband and the
treasurer (who keeps the money on the
husband's behalf) will also be rewarded,
without the reward of any of them
decreasing." Asmaa once said to the Prophet
"O Messenger of Allah, I have nothing except
what Zubair (her husband) brings home." The
Prophet told her: ‘O Asmaa give in charity.
Don't lock it lest your subsistence is locked.’"
4. The Right to Own Wealth and Property
A woman has the right to keep her property
or wealth, whether earned or inherited, and
spend it as she may please.
This right was granted to Western women
only very recently, and the women of India
had to wait until 1956 for a right which
Muslim women have always taken for granted.
Concerning the right to one's earnings, the
Holy Quran says:
"And wish not for the things in which Allah
has made some of you excel the others. For
men there is reward for what they have
earned, (and likewise) for women there is
reward for what they have earned, and ask
Allah of His Bounty. Surely, Allah is Ever All-
Knower of everything." (V. 4:32)
5. Freedom to Express One's Opinion
Few societies exist in which the ordinary
citizen can confront the ruler face to face and
challenge his policies. Even fewer societies
allow women to be so bold, yet the Islamic
ideal has always been open and accessible.
This freedom of expression is aptly
demonstrated by a famous incident involving
Omar the second Rightly- Guided Caliph.
Omar was once standing on the pulpit,
severely reprimanding the people and
ordering them not to set excessive amounts
of dower at the time of marriage. A woman
got up and shouted, "Omar, you have no right
to intervene in a matter which Allah the All-
Mighty has already decreed in Quran:
"But if you intend to replace a wife by another
and you have given one of them a Qintar (of
gold, i.e., a great amount as Mahr bridal
money), take not the least bit of it back;
would you take it wrongfully without a right
and (with) a manifest sin?" (V.4:20)
After being reminded of this Verse, Omar
withdrew his order, saying, "I am in the wrong
and she is correct."
6. Participation in Jihad
The battlefield is a place, which frightens
many men let alone women. Due to the
aggressive and violent nature of war, only
men have a duty to participate in Jihad (holy
fighting in Allah's cause) while women are
exempted. A woman once asked the Prophet
to allow women to go on Jihad with men
because of its excellence and the unlimited
reward promised to Mujahideen (Muslim
fighters) in the Hereafter. The Prophet replied:
"For them is a Jihad without fighting," which
referred to the Hajj and Umrah. Nevertheless
the Prophet did permit women to nurse the
injured and supply provisions to the
Mujahideen at some battles. A woman from
the tribe of Ghifar came with a large group of
women to the Prophet when he was preparing
to leave for the conquest of Khaibar. She said:
"O Allah's Messenger, we wish to accompany
you on this journey so that we may nurse the
injured and help the Muslims." The Prophet
responded, ‘Come may Allah shower His
blessings upon you.’” Umm Atiyyah an Ansari
woman once said:
"I have participated in seven battles with the
Prophet. I used to guard the camels of the
Mujahideen in their absence, cook the food,
treat the injured and care for the sick."
Muadh Bin Jabal reports that his cousin
Asmaa Bint Yazid killed nine Roman soldiers
with a tent-pole during the battle of Yarmuk.
7. Freedom to Choose Her Husband
The guardian of the girl whether her father,
brother or uncle plays an important role in her
marriage such as finding a suitable match for
her. But under no circumstance does this
allow him to force his choice on her against
her wishes. She is free to accept or reject his
choice, or make her own choice. A woman
named Khansa Bint Khidam once came to the
Prophet and complained:
"My father has forced me to marry my cousin
in order to raise his own status (in the eyes of
the people)." The Prophet told her that she
was free to dissolve this marriage and choose
whomever she wished to marry. She replied, "I
accept my father's choice, but my aim was to
let the women know that fathers have no right
to interfere in the marriage." (Ahmad, Nasa'i
and Ibn Majah)
8. A Woman's Guarantee in War is Acceptable
If a woman gives surety to a war-captive or
gives him shelter, her guarantee will be
accepted. Umm Hani, a cousin of the Prophet,
said to him after the conquest of Makkah: "I
have given shelter to two of my in-laws." The
Prophet said: ‘O Umm Hani, we have given
shelter to whom you have given shelter.’"
According to another narrative, Umm Hani
gave shelter to a man but her cousin Ali tried
to kill the man. She complained to the
Prophet who endorsed her act of giving
shelter to the man.
9. The Right to Custody of Children
Divorce is especially painful and difficult when
the couple has had children, and awarding
custody to either party involves difficulties.
According to Western law, both father and
mother have to prove to the Court that they
are more capable of looking after the children,
and this often involves maligning the other
party in order to strengthen their own claims
to custody. Islamic law has its own clear
decision on this issue. Custody of young boys
and girls goes to the mother. The son stays
with his mother until he is about seven or
nine years of age, after which he is looked
after by the father. The daughter remains with
her mother until she gets married. The
exception is when the mother herself re-
marries, in which case custody may be
awarded to someone else such as the girl's
grandmother or aunt. This is based on the
Prophet's words to the divorcee:
"Your right to custody of the child is greater
as long as you do not remarry."
10. Participation in Extending Co-operation
for the Promotion of Good and Elimination of
Evil.
The Holy Quran deals with this subject in
clear terms:
"The believers, men and women, are Awliyaa
(helpers, supporters, friends, protectors) of
one another; they enjoin (on the people) Al-
Ma'ruf (i.e. Islamic Monotheism and all that
Islam orders one to do), and forbid (people)
from Al-Munkar (i.e. polytheism and disbelief
of all kinds, and all that Islam has forbidden);
they perform As-Salat (Iqįmat-as-Salat), and
give Zakat, and obey Allah and His
Messenger. Allah will have His Mercy on
them. Surely, Allah is All-Mighty, All-
Wise." (V. 9:71)