Women in Islam

The following is a lecture from Dr. Jamal Badawi from RIS07.

Methadology
-Two primary sources of Islam: (1) Quran (2) Authentic Sunnah
-Hadith must be interpreted in the light of the Quran.

-Texts of the Quran and Hadeeth may have definitive or probabilistic meaning.
-A problematic text must be interpreted in the light of a definitive text.
-Knowledge of language of the Quran
-Quran explains its self.
-Awareness of the revelation or occasion of events in the Quran
- General term, "woman" or "people" may relate to all or a subset.

Misunderstood Verses
Polygamy
- Connection with the protection rights of orphan girls.
- monogamy is normal
- Only in Abrahamic religion to limit number and strict rules.

Inheritance
-Control of property
- Marital gift
- Full support
- Rights of divorce
- Lesser share of divorce. Depends either husband or wife can get more.

Wife
1) Doesn't have to give money
2) Reciever
3) Male must pay dowry
4) Financial Security - Doesn't have to pay anything
5) If divorced, male MUST help
6) Male must be involved in child support

"Western world must envy the muslim world" - Dr. Jamal Badawi

Shariah makes husband financially responsible even if wife is richer

Misunderstood Verses (contin...)
1. Women are created from "bent ribs" (Hadeeth)
-Created differently...not "crocked". Not actually bent but curved. If tried to straighten it will break.

2. Analogy of Tilling land.
- Like fertile earth the womb nourishes the human "seed"
- No value of either sperm (you can have millions) until it has a womb.
- Legal restrictions to approaching your wife.
- Good treatment of your wife. "Mahroof"

3. Majority of female in hell fire?
- Good deeds not gender determine a persons destiny.
- Not a general statement
- Connected with negative behavior
Kuf (not Kufr) = ungrateful
- Why? because woman can be ungrateful and curse at their man. ie. "ungrateful husband does nothing...)
- Does not apply to all women just to the one of these characteristics.

- God will forgive if they die with other good deeds.
- Richness and greed can make you forget about God.
- Not every poor person goes to Jannat (paradise).

4. Deficient in mind & religion (referring to a hadeeth about Eid and Women)
- Prophet SAW encouraged all to enjoy the day of Eid
- Hadeeth was about an Eid festival
- Eid is the time to do good and have fun