I’m just realizing how old this article is, but I have just come across it and I suppose the beauty of the internet allows this discussion to go on, walhamdulilah.

I’d like to offer my interpretation and it relies heavily on the greater meanings preserved in the Arabic language. The word translated as “intellect” in this hadith might be better translated as “cognition”, or some other psychological term that considers the process as it occurs in the brain. The idea about ‘aql as opposed to other words which may describe intelligence and is that it is separate from emotion and feelings. Notice that the hadith refers to how two women witnesses were equal to one man witness. To me, the reasoning is clear: a woman is more likely to sympathize and rely on her intuition and emotions in order to make a conclusion. But, of course the prophet, upon him be peace, was speaking generally. The other thing is intelligence, or smartness in the colloquial sense readily relies upon emotions and feelings, and men do this too, but perhaps not as much, generally speaking; the ability to sympathize and empathize with others lends to creativity and insight, all of which are distinct from the notion of ‘aql. To solidify this notion we can look to the etymology: ‘aql is rooted in the notion of “tying a knot”. We can add another concept to further solidify this: consider the Arabic word for “heart”, qalb, it’s etymology is rooted in the notion of turning and flipping, instability and fluctuation. Hence, it is paired with the ‘aql, as the ‘aql comes in to stabilize and make firm the heart. Consider also the ayah in the quran which states that Allah has not created any man with two hearts in his chest. Scholars mention that there is a subtlety here in that women can have two hearts in their chest when they are pregnant. I think there is also another wisdom here in that women can retain the ability to sympathize and empathize at such a level where they can actually perhaps feel what the other person is feeling along with what they are feeling. Allahu’alam, this is only my own interpretation of the verses.

Before addressing the notion of deen, I would like to point out that what a thorough study of language eventually reveals is that words are only like placeholders. As humans we tend to forget that words are only symbolic and they merely refer to greater meanings which we internalize in different ways. The distinction the prophet, upon him be peace, makes about men and women in the aforementioned hadith is mostly with regard to societal roles, as it is mostly our actions in society for which we are most greatly tested and most are severely punished. If we consider also how collectively women have portrayed themselves, it may simply be that out of his great love for the believing women, the prophet upon him be peace was simply looking to protect them by any means necessary, and considering how loyal these women must have been to the prophet, upon him be peace, it was likely the best course of action.

So, for the matter of deen, we can first look to the etymology as it is somewhat abstract, and the connections made are seemingly contradictory in nature. (This is, however, common in the Arabic language, for example the verb “raghiba” could mean to desperately want something or desperately not want something depending on context. With the sounds of “dal” and “nun” in Arabic the connections are related to that which is base and low yet honored and dignified, as well as that which is faint but also sound. All this simply leads one to the conclusion that “religion” does not suffice as an adequate translation. Consider the prophet’s reasoning, upon him be peace, in this regard. Menstruation binds a woman in certain respects where she is not exactly herself. (I am not a woman so please excuse me if this is an adequate description). I would tend to think of one’s honor, or his deen as something exuberant, shining, like the sun or the moon. Perhaps a metaphor is more appropriate here: though we all go through moods and phases, I would like to say that a woman’s cycle can be likened to the rising and setting of the sun, or the phases of the moon. If all this is too abstract, I hope that women will at least take comfort in understanding that deen is distinct from emaan, and one’s heart; deen is mostly restricted to social context whereas Allah will judge us based on the faith in our hearts. Perhaps, it is simply for this that the prophet, upon him be peace, sought to isolate and protect women from society in some regard, that it is best the man only get his hands dirty, so to speak.

The last thing I want to say is about how the hadith refers to the great potential women have in their influence upon men. This is what I think is the key point. In Islam, an opportunity to do good that is lost is nearly equivalent to an opportunity to do evil that taken, and perhaps women bear a greater burden in this regard. May Allah guard and preserve our believing men and women. Wallahua’lam.

Firstly, I think it’s important to point out that very few people are qualified to thoroughly dealing with this matter because of the delicate nature of the subject matter. It’s great that someone is willing to share their story, but I think this is really more a reaching out to those who can relate to her struggle than it is addressing the actual problem of understanding the role of women in Islam and the world in general. Alhamdulilah, it’s still a good thing, and I’m sure it gives other women hope, but it bears little standing in an actual intellectual circle where precision and concision are most prized. I’m also sure it would be a great way for people to get to know her, and I would encourage all muslims to be able to articulate themselves in such a manner.

That said, I think an over-simplification of this issue is that we are dealing with an identity crisis resulting from a culture clash, namely Muslim values and Western values. And, what’s most important to understand, in my opinion, is that this does not affect only women, though certainly men may not be as vocal about it. In actuality most muslim men might be more confused than muslim women, especially when it comes to “what it means to be a man”. I think it suffices, here, to say that we can’t address the role of women without addressing the role of men. I don’t want to focus on this, but I think one of the pivotal points in the culture clash is a western glorification of imperfection that is at odds with Islamic virtues of piety, humility and even wisdom.

The only thing I really want to say about the content of the article is with regard to the notion of a woman being fitnah for a man. A man is also fitnah for a woman, though in a different way. The concept of Arabic fitnah may aid us here, for its etymology is rooted in the concept of scorching earth to purify precious minerals, separating rock from gold. Women and men function similarly with regard to each other; we can bring out the best in each other, we are willing to go through trial and tribulation for each other, we are willing to submit to the circumstances we are put in for each other. Certainly, this can be both a beautiful thing and a very dangerous thing, and more than that it is something that evolves with the times. What it means to be a man and what it means to be a woman are things I think every individual must discover for themselves.

I’d now like to offer my own perspective on the role of men and women in society and Islam, as a muslim male living in the West in his late 20s, and also as someone passionate about the arts, who writes poetry and studies classical Arabic. Perhaps this will give some contextual insight into my world-view. It has always been my understanding that women in Islam are to be cherished and guarded, and though words will fail to describe exactly what I mean here, I mean something very distinct from how a man should love his brother in faith. I do not mean to say that women are the weaker, but rather, to me, it is as though they are a wondrous secret to be preserved and shared only with those we love most. But again, words will fail me here unless you are one who will sympathize with poets. Though I may be inclined to rely on the poetic to elaborate, instead I want to be as inclusive as possible and so will keep to the prose. And I think instead we can look to the function of art, the poetic and beauty itself to draw out my argument. The artist, in a sense, submits to his medium to channel his feelings into something more articulate: it is as though the art can see what the artist cannot yet. Such is the essence of love, in some respects; it is a give and take, a submission and domination but one where those words become meaningless and you do not know who is giving or taking, and are only grateful—may our lips be lined with thanks for the creator in such moments. We are inclined towards the beautiful because of the hope we can find ourselves in it. I do not think that it is woman who is man’s art, but rather that our souls reflect one another, that as honest individuals, as lovers, as artists as intellectuals and simply as humans we rely on each other—desperately and passionately at times—for inspiration and guidance, and what each of us can give the other is always something unique. I believe that Islam and our messenger, upon him be peace, set the precedent for how to best take advantage of the gold inside us all, in his dealings with both genders; it was he who said, upon him be peace, “people are like mines of gold and silver”. In the quran, Allah describes the believing women as “guardians of the unseen by that which Allah has guarded” (4:34). I think there is great wisdom here and to me it relates to what I have mentioned of art. I once heard a sheikh say, with regard to marriage, that if you have a strong man and a weaker woman, this will work, same if you have a weaker man and a strong woman, this will also work: the problem is when you have a strong man and a strong woman. Maybe this is not exactly true, or very precise, but I think it reflects the global problem that we have. Collectively, men and women are in their own kind of marriage in this world, and they have their own kinds of conflicts and rely on their own particular collective efforts to resolve these issues. I am speaking very broadly about a delicate matter, but just think about how society regulates spaces for men and spaces for women—sports, fashion, entertainment, fitness, even policy and education, each thing is designed to cater to each gender in a specific way—and think about how these things are treated in Islam, nearly done away with, and about how a man who was described as being “more reserved than a virgin girl” but yet could lead an army is the role model for all of humanity, upon him be peace. Honor is a concept that I think is very foreign to modernity, and I think its practice is somewhat counter-intuitive for us sometimes, the way we understand things without saying them. Critics of the quran will say that women are left unaddressed and secondary, but I think this is a superficial view; men and women stand on different stages in this world and it is in the next world where we are all brought together. Though, for some this might come off as a cop out, gender equality is often misguided and short-sighted—the best way I think I can allude to my meaning is with women’s intuition, perhaps what is aimed at by “guardians of the unseen…”—that a woman will see what a man does not won’t not surprise me nor most women, I imagine, but that a women not realize how and when well she can do this is what I myself have come to realize—like an amplifier, to finally give into metaphor. Or, more grandly, my favorite symbol to embody the man-woman dynamic: the ancient symbol of medicine, snake and staff, and though man and woman could be either, as modernity shows us all too well. I like the symbol particularly because to me it reflects the notion of freedom (the snake) and its price (the staff), that when one can stand firm he can afford for others not to (as much). (The snake is still bound, just not so much as the staff.) I think Islam encourages us not to be thrifty in this manner, even with love. That we might gain much from following someone else is certainly a central concept in Islam, but that this sort of thing be abused and the weak and under-qualified expect blind faith from their followers (and get it) is also to be expected and explains much of the trouble with today’s world.

I’m sure I’ve said too many things with too much left unsaid, but I felt it better than nothing, and particularly when the author here was so impassioned herself. It takes a lot of energy to write honestly and probably just as much energy to read honestly, so I can understand that many will not read this or be inclined to. For those, who might prefer the more poetic attempt at articulation, (it would certainly be a quicker read) I’ve thought of this poem I wrote a while back and it seems appropriate, at least maybe as a summary of what I’ve hoped to say: http://solfulsoul.com/what-is-the-beauty-you-bring-3/ Please feel free to see whether the rest of my collections give greater light to my words and ideas.

On a completely separate note, I think that all women, muslim and non-muslim, have been gravely mistreated in our modern world and that this burden is laid greatly upon the muslims; it is our duty to spread the message of Islam and so we cannot expect anything but to see the world in the state it is in when we fail in this regard. The world is in love with reason and science and rejects the spirit and its wisdom. I think the key to solving this problem is language, as we know the quran is a miracle of language. As specifically as I can be, Pragmatics is the branch of linguistics that deals with how (and partly why) we mean more than what we might say. You may find some things related to this at the above mentioned website.

If I’ve said anything of benefit it is from Allah and if I’ve said anything inaccurate or wrong it is from myself and I ask forgiveness from Allah for myself and us all.

Salam

I just need to say JazakAllahu khairun for this article. Words can’t explain the degree of similarity I have found in the issues mentioned in this article and my own thoughts. An enormous burden has been reduced from my conscience. In shaa Allah may Allah guide us all towards trustworthy knowledge and clear up all that is faulty.

You should really consider writing a comprehensive book on certain misjudgments regarding such issues. Or holding a type of online seminar. I know it will help me tremendously.

May Allah SWT guide us All. Ameen.

I am a sister and I need to contact the author of this article. How can I do so?

Jazak Allah khaie

“Or decided they could no longer wear hijab or other related coverings and chose to remove them because they could no longer take it……

“If we become unrecognizable to our own selves, we need to think critically on the messages we are accepting into our lives…..”

I am exactly in the stage of mentality that your article has mentioned. I turned to my sister in the masjid but got rejected as being regards my faith is too weak, my relationship with Allah is not well built. My family cannot recognize me as a happy care free individual after my conversion and married. My husband did not support my struggle rather than threaten me with a divorce if I take off my hijab. I do not who I can turn to. I just came across with this article this morning, inshallah, I will give Islam and the women’s issue a second attempt and I will see if Allah will guide me to His Way. Please pray for me, readers. JZK.

Subhanallah Maryams story was an eye opener for me and in shaa Allah ALL THE TABLIGHI WOMEN AND MEN HERE IN MOMBASA KENYA.

We are just like she was, we were FULL HIJAB bui bui( black dress), jilbab, niqab and when we go on khuruj (expeditions) we have to cover even our eyes, gloves and socks, and preferably black flate shoes that wount make a sound when we walk.

I LOVE TABLIGH AND I SUPPORT It BUT its principles (aqeeda) and methodology (manhaj) have to be applied at an individual level.

We are not all the same, we come from different backgrounds, ethnicity, jurisprudence (hanafi, hambali, shafii, and maliki)

in tabligh we respect all this and thats why when groups go out for khuruj- tabligh jammats, our differences are put aside for us as MUSLIMS to work together to build our IMAN and in shaa Allah correct our deeds, advice people to follow Haqq and also Patience….forgive my poor tafsir of Surah Asr

(am a Tablighi Woman married to a Thabit- strong Tablighi who goes 4 months khuruj every year but av noticed some mistakes that i want to clarify)

may Allah Forgive me

…to be continued

And peace unto you (wa alaikumus salaam). Thank you for responding, although it has been some time that this thread has been open.

Also, thank you for the suggestions of online sites. Even though the original article and many of the comments have related to the situation of women in Islam, the moderators have kindly allowed an older man to comment, as situations can sometimes apply to both sexes.

Yes, there are many informative sites online, and this is a good thing. However, may I be so bold as to suggest that often there is no real substitute for actual, real, person to person contact, and unfortunately, for some of us that real human contact is sorely lacking.

I have read many books. I have viewed much online material. Nevertheless, I find that as an older, single, isolated person, I am just not able to “make it” by myself. My own experiences with the Muslim community in my region have varied from disappointing to almost bad, sad to say.

Comments here on virtualmosque.com and on other online forums make it clear that I am not alone, male or female. This is one of the tragedies of the ummah in North America (and probably elsewhere), that converts often do become so sad, lonely, isolated, and discouraged that eventually they in fact do fall away from Islam in one way or another.

Books and videos are good things in themselves, but they are not an adequate substitute for real human contact, just someone to have coffee with, figuratively speaking. Somebody to talk to. Somebody to be able to to discuss things with. And without that contact, some people do in fact slip away.

Thank you again for responding.

Salamualaikum,
I thought to share two sites I know you can learn from good mentors without having to travel. Islamiconlineuniversity.com and bayyinah.tv
I hope this helps as it has helped me greatly clarify a lot of doubts.