Islam & Secularism- Chapter V

Gender Equity in Islam

Did Islam downgrade woman and abided her to absolute subordination to male? Is the entire female existence, including her voice disregarded by Islam as a shame that should be hidden? Did Islam adopt the Vaginal Perception of woman, mandating her to be the vehicle of sins and evils? How Islam perceived marriage? Was its perception closed to the Pauline perception of it as necessary evil for procreation? These are all raised questions about Islam whether among Muslims or among religion acquainted individuals worldwide.

I always believed Islam was a step ahead from the other two Abrahamic faiths in its attitude toward female, sex and family life. I also believed it adopted a more practical approach to those subjects, specifically when compared to the Pauline chastising one, expressing itself in Corinthians I, when he encouraged celibacy saying, "he who marries does well; and he who refrains from marriage will do better". Unlikely, Islam did not link woman to the first sin, neither it downgraded woman below the masculine benchmarks by any mean. To be able to materialize the cultural leap Islam achieved in terms of gender equity, and to support a thorough understanding of Islamic interpretation of woman and woman rights, we shall need first to have a comprehensive idea about the ecological and sociological conditions upon which Islamic faith has built its differentiated model.

The Arabic peninsula like any other bedouin tribes society was a patriarchal community. Unlike agricultural communities, in a pastoralist community like Arabia, women usually possess a minimal role in the nomadic life, as nomads usually capitalize on warfare conducts to adopt pasture and water resources, relying mainly on men´s power and warriors courage. Women in such societies usually live as male-dependants, specifically as male-entertainers and housekeepers.

Some orientalists were misled, for instance by the model of Khadija, the first wife of Muhammad (pbuh). As she was a prominent woman in Mecca. Holding and running her own business and employing men to work for her. Moreover, they saw a great liberty model in her behavior, when she dared to propose to Muhammad (pbuh), according to this exceptional model, they claimed that women had held a supreme status in Arabian domains before Islam, and that Islam downgraded women rights in Arabia.

Actually, the model they traced was quite uncommon model; Arabia was a patrilineal succession society, wherein only males inherit their fathers. Yet, some of the enlightened individuals in this bedouin society were passing inheritance to their male and female siblings, one of them was Khowailed, Khadija´s father who inherited her, because he belonged to a monotheistic sect, that might be related to Christianity, like his nephew Waraqa. Maybe for this reason, for being a uniquely rich lady, Khadija was targeted as a spouse by couple of Quraish masters before Muhammad (pbuh).

Similarly, researchers were frequently misled by the prominence of woman and love as an essential part of the Arabic poems before Islam, they linked this to an imaginary esteemed role of women and respect to love and romance in the old Arabia! Factually, what they fantasized to be a sign of romantic society, was a symptom of deprivation in a segregating society, expressed itself in imaginary poems about love expeditions. Whereby the lonely Arabian men used to entertain themselves in the long desert nights.

Knowing some factual social practices may give us a better enlightenment about the overall social model, most important practices were,

 Upon widowing, some tribes used to pass the widowed woman to her dead husband´s elder son as heritage. The son was entitled to hold sexual relations with his father´s widows other than his own mother. In this habit, we notice loss of demarcation line between free women and slaves, wherein women in general are treated as a commodity.

 Burial of infant girls alive, that was practiced by the extreme fanatics who visualized a daughter as a non-productive consumer of food and shelter, plus a potential source of shame and dishonor. Like all masculine societies, bedouin perceived only women sexual practices outside marriage framework as fornication that brings shame to her male kinship. While male practices were usually, a source of pride as we notice from Arabic poems before Islam, getting to bed of a neighbor tribe´s woman gives glory equals to invading their domain.

 Unlimited polygamy was not only socially accepted, but also perceived as a sign of ample manhood, glorious position and leadership.

 Female slavery, with zero benefits was ultimately common. Master´s rights included forcing his slave-girls to sex, not only with him, but sometimes as hospitality to his guests, or to one of his male-slaves aiming to get a child-slave increasing the wealth of the master.

 Prostitution activities were usually practiced by slave-girls under patronage of Quraish masters, who financed and spilled protection over the activity, against the major share of revenues. Some well known names practiced prostitution and pimping activities, Nabegha the mother of Amro ibn-Al-Aas being one of the famous cases of polyandry, when she gave birth to Amro she nominated four of Quraish masters, stating the four of them had a complete relation with her by the time of conception. In addition, Umayya ibn Harb the grandfather of Umayyads was one of the nominated pimping leaders, who employed his slave-girls to get maximal revenues especially during the pilgrimage season.

Yet, we admit, it was not such a society of organized female humiliation and dishonor like Roman Empire, it was more like a random community, wherein men prevails in the absence of a clear code of social rights, and due to their economic prevalence in majority of cases.

Now, coming to the highly popular image of Islam as a patriarchal faith, and a women-disregarding religion, is essentially based on a group of hadieths, claimed to be narrated by the apostle Muhammad (pbuh). In addition to misperceptions in old Quran exegesis. Over the coming pages, we will treat a variety of sacred texts, we can group this variety into four main categories,

 Verses of Quran, out of which, we can obviously materialize gender equity in Islam in a clear and distinctive way.

 Hadieths of the apostle, stated gender equity and encouraged superb treatment of wives specifically and women in general. These we believed to be genuinely related to Muhammad (pbuh) as it stands coherent with Quran as well as apostolic deeds.

 Verses of Quran, those were misinterpreted or generalized by early scholars. We will analyze this group and clarify the variant understanding that is harmonious in its general attitude with the first category.

 Hadieths traditionally linked to Muhammad (pbuh) and clearly disregarding woman in different forms. Some of it, is already proven to be fragile in its linkage to apostle by the efforts of a group of enlightened clergies, such as Albany, Muhammad Abdo, Muhammad Gazali and Muhammad Rashid Reda. Unfortunately, it is still extensively used today! Some others were approved by hadieth scientists, as they did not find a clear defect in its references. Yet, we should understand that reference line was a word-of-mouth one. Through it, words of apostle were spoken from man to man, with all the falsification possibilities arising from this method, for these hadieths we did not rely on weakness or strength of the reference, we relied mostly on verifying it based on its harmony with Quran and other traditions of Muhammad (pbuh) from one side, plus its coherence with historical facts that we know today.

I- QURAN ESTEEMING WOMAN

"Consort with them in kindness; for if you hate them, it may happen that you hate someone, wherein God has set much good for you" (Women: 19)

Before we start highlighting the hilarious meanings of this verse, we should refer to the meaning and content of this Surah in general. Women; this Surah was almost dedicated to answer questions related to women affairs in the society. Obviously, the strong masculine culture prevailed everywhere in Arab peninsula was a strong drive to dedicate considerable part of Quran revelation to rectify drifted attitudes against women, aiming to build women perception as equal partners to men. Beside the fact of having this Surah dedicated to women rights, we have the fact that Muhammad (pbuh) dedicated Tuesdays of every week to discuss with women their affairs. It was neither a matter of segregation from men, nor a matter of suitable environment to women to disclose their private affairs comfortably, as usually depicted in traditional books. It was more to model the care and equality values to Muslims.

In this specific verse, God ordered husbands to consort in kindness with their wives. Actually, the word kindness does not explain the proper meaning of the word Marouf in Arabic, as Marouf specifically means the set of socially accepted practices and treatments. Therefore, the recommendation was to consort with women with the set of sound and acceptable manners. These manners will essentially vary according to society and time frameworks, as what was acceptable in Arabia during the seventh century, might not be acceptable socially today in Netherlands for instance.

Here, we can notice the superb wording of Quran, giving an everlasting compatibility to different societies over time. This is what is meant by Islam to be an eternal faith, this evolving wording style of Quran, when coupled with the endorsement Islam gave to scientific elaborations Ijtehad , aiming to maintain the judicial spirit of Quran and Sunnah by modifying the time and place related roles according to the emerging needs. Unfortunately, this outstanding capacity was hindered starting from the forth century after apostle deceased, the first attack on Ijtehad came from Asharites, led by their pioneer Abu Hamed Gazaly. These attacks were repetitive and persistent enough, ending in enforcement for conservative scholars over their innovator opponents, and freezing Islamic perception at a specific stage of its evolvement path.

Moreover, the verse highlights this Marouf treatment of wives in all cases including the state of intolerance, which some couples might reach-to. Ancient interpretations of Quran, used to explain the verse as a recommendation, advising men to maintain husbandry relation even to women whom they hated, while we do not share this perception. The word Karahiah used in the verse, does not only mean hatred, it bears two meanings in Arabic. Hatred being one and the other is disappointment, which I tend to believe it was meant in the verse. Accordingly, I understand the verse to be advising the couple to give enough time for integration to happen. Passing temporary negative emotions that can be very frequent, specifically in the start of marital life, when two persons with different habits, lifestyles, likes and dislikes, are put in an ultimately intimate relationship. Then, the heat rising from the frequent friction can sometimes reach the level of hatred-like frustration, yet the feeling is temporal and subject of dissociation by time and mutual understanding.

Therefore, the complete meaning will be to consort with the wife in harmony and decent copulation, even under transient negative feelings, as these feelings might vanish by time, and you realize later on several positive aspects of your spouse.

As well, we understand that descent manners are prerequisite as far as the marital bond is held, even if the relation was a proven failure, and the couple decided-on divorce. They should abide to acceptable manners until complete separation takes place. This attitude shall support less devastating experience to the couple as well as their siblings after divorce.

"In accordance with justice (based on the socially accepted and lawful practices) , the rights of the wives (with regard to their husbands) are equal to the (husbands´) rights with regard to them, although men have precedence over them (in this respect about reconciliation after divorce) And God is almighty wise" (The Cow:228)

The verse handles the case of divorce whenever decided-on by one or both parties. Specifically, cases wherein reconciliation (revitalizing marriage bonds) is decided. Despite the clarity of the Holy text in this verse, it is one of the most controversial Quran verses. We do have two distinctive and afar understandings of the verse. First, that is a conservative, or better say patriarchal understanding of the recitation "precedence over them" to be the right of unilateral reconciliation against the wife´s well. This interpretation is challenged by two points,

 As Islam granted woman the supreme decision in her own marriage, it is hard to understand the meaning here as enabling the husband to overpower his ex for reconciliation. If she held the right in the start, she should logically hold it when it comes to reconciliation.

 The right of unilateral divorce from the wife was regarded by Islam, as the man has the right to terminate marriage from his own side, the woman hold the right to ask legally for dismantling divorce, a right she can use whenever realizes permanent change of her feelings toward her husband. This was proven by the case judged by apostle, granting a woman divorce upon her claim of emotional dissatisfaction. So, if the divorce was based on wife´s request, how can the man hold the right for reconciliatory decision from his side?

These couple of fair objections to the traditional understanding called for a more solidifying interpretation. The newer interpretation stated reconciliation to be only possible upon mutual agreement of both parties. Also understood the statement of precedence over them, to refer to men being assigned to take the initiative offering reconciliation whenever a possibility is demonstrated. Such a behavior is highly encouraged as understood from the preceding part of the verse in case pregnancy is proved after divorce, aiming to preserve the best interest of the offspring.

What called us to put the verse here under this part, not listing it under the misinterpreted verses?

It is the direct statement of equality as presented in the text "In accordance with justice, the rights of the wives are equal to the rights with regard to them" this direct statement of equality, though being related to a specific topic, reflects the overall attitude of Islam toward women. Equality is a general concept by nature. You can never state equality in a part of a text and antagonize it in another part with abrupt subordination or inequality. Accordingly, we acknowledge the equality tone in this verse as a general equality statement.

"And among His wonders is that He created for you mates out of your own kind, so that you might tend & incline towards them, and He engenders love and tenderness between you" (Rum: 21)

I remember the time I first paid attention to the content of this verse in my early youth, I was impressed with the high level of humanitarian sense it accommodates. Getting older, and as I get to understand the nature and dimensions of marital life more and more, my wonder kept growing. Before getting in depth with the verse, we need to elaborate about male-female bonds for a short while.

Is the source of tendency to other gender limited to sexual libido? Does sex explain the everlasting interest of males and females to impress each other?

Is the diversity of feeling and attraction powers both genders realizes toward each other, a form of referral of the sexual tendency in a more socially acceptable manner as "Freud"suggested?

If we considered a boy-child example, you will find him more overwhelmed to achieve excellence in gaming when girl-child is on the scene. Getting of age as teenager, he will give more care to his body-shaping sports, his clothing and his fashionable haircuts. Moving toward youth, he tries to excel in his hobbies and/or his study to gain attention of youngster cuties. Maturating into a man, he speeds up toward the usual conventional attractors of matured women, power, wealth and status. Finally aging to a senior, he cares to show absolute wisdom of years more and more when decent ladies are around. All what we stated here goes bilateral, applying for female in her various life stages as much as it applied to males. The eternal hidden motive God created to heat-up humankind steps toward excellence has a considerably effective impact on mankind cultural achievements. It might be indirectly related to sex, but surely, it is much beyond sexual seduction. This sort of motive is what the verse expressed with the words "to tend and incline" toward each other. The nature and effect of this bond is what stands as a wonder of God in my perception.

Back to the matter of equality, the verse surely stated several facts, all stand as a proof of equality of women to men in Islam, and these are,

 The verse is directed to the entire humankind, to both genders, stating the creation of male and female to be homogenously sourced to represent highest compatibility. This is a step ahead from the idea of creating Eve to entertain Adam in heavens as stated in Old Testament.

 Reference to the inclination and tendency was bilateral in the verse; we perceive this to be an evolutional understanding opposing the old patriarchal perception of women as male entertainers, holding no lust and no right for passion and tenderness, a perception that persisted for long centuries in different areas of the world.

 Expression of love as an internal feeling and tenderness as a practical expression of this feeling, and directly stating two-way linkage "between you" stands as a third proof of equality in needs, rights and nature of both genders

"It is lawful for you to have sex with your wives during the night preceding the fast: they are a vestment for you, and you are a vestment for them" (The Cow: 187)

No doubt, the respect Islam showed to human desires- sexual being one- supported the popularity of Islam to a considerable extent. Usually, the psychologically sound personalities has sexual libido as an essential biological drive, ignoring or suppressing this drive will essentially distort certain personality attributes as a minor result, if not creating a neurotic disorder as a maximal result. Islam standpoint was to regulate and trim this powerful desire other than suppressing it, and this was the logic behind absence of monkshood in Islam, needless to mention Apostle Muhammad and his major disciples were all married men.

The verse here-above discusses the marital sexual relation during the fasting month of Ramadan, allowing complete sexual relations to take place during off-fasting period from sunset to sunrise of the next morning. What interests our subject in the verse is the Quranic expression on intimacy between husband and wife, again in an equal bilateral expression, stating overtly "they are a vestment for you, and you are a vestment for them". Here, where expression of absolute intimacy goes both ways, to leave no doubt about the moral commitment of the faith to equality between man and woman, closing the chapter of female disregard started with the Pauline theology impregnation into Christian theology. The level of intimacy Islam emphasized between husband and wife was only possible under Islamic understanding of the Genesis that is essentially different from Old Testament, in one very basic detail… The role of Eve in Adam´s first sin.

While Old Testament directly refers to Eve as a driver and initiator of the first sin, stating that devil seduced her "When you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil" and accordingly she ate the forbidden fruit and passed to Adam to eat. Therefore, the second banishment after the snake was directed to Eve according to Old Testament: "your desire shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you". Comparatively, to materialize how Quran explained genesis, we shall explore the verses related in Quran,

"Thereafter Adam received certain words from his Lord and He relented to him; truly He is the Relenting, the Merciful." (The Cow: 37).

"O Children of Adam! Let not Satan tempts you, as he caused your parents to go forth from Heaven" (The Heights: 27).

"And we made a covenant with Adam before, but he forgot, and We did not find in him any constancy" (Tâ Hâ: 115)

"Then Satan whispered to him saying, 'O Adam, shall I guide you to the Tree of Immortality, and a kingdom that does not waste away" (Tâ Hâ: 120)

"So both of them ate of it, and their private parts were exposed to them, and they began to piece together onto themselves leaves of the Garden. And Adam disobeyed his Lord and so he erred" (Tâ Hâ: 121)

Therefore, it was Adam independently who sinned and who needed God relenting to him. No special role for Eve as a mediator between Adam and Satan shows in the verses, as it linked the defiance act to both parents equally. Both of them were equally sinned defying God, which is the only tolerable logic, as both held a mind and freewill. In addition, it was him not her who held the covenant then forgot and showed no consistency to commitment, so if someone carries more share of responsibility, he should be Adam not Eve.

"Divorce is twice; then honorable retention or setting free kindly" (The Cow: 229)

In the holy verse, Allah prevented the misuse of divorce option in Islam. Islam granted to us also the option of reconciliation after divorce, based on the mutual approval of both parties. Yet, the verse states only two times of allowable divorce and reconciliation. Upon consuming these two times, the couple has to choose between reaching a sustainable life together, which is the "honorable retention" mentioned in the verse, or to separate in a moral way. Again, the Arabic word used was Marouf, meant retention according to the socially and temporally adored model of retention. Otherwise, setting each other free forever becomes the logical destiny to both.

Islam applied this limitation, as some men used to misuse divorce and reconciliation to torture their wives, between hope and desperateness. For this kind of men, stands this verse together with another verse in the same Surah "When you divorce women, and they have reached their term, then retain them honorably or set them free honorably; do not retain them by force, to transgress; whoever does that has wronged himself. Take not God´s signs in mockery, and remember God´s blessing upon you" (The Cow: 231). This is a direct warning to men- who were the dominants socially- not to understand reconciliation as a privilege they hold against their spouse. In addition, not to try using it to retain them by force, retaliating whatever happened before divorce. The honorable dismissing meant in the holy verse, included granting the wife all her financial as well as social rights upon divorce, according to previous agreements as well as laws and systems of the society.

Devout Muslim behavior toward his wife can be further understood through a tradition from disciple Ali. When a man asked him, what is the most important quality he shall seek in a son-in-law? It was then when Ali answered him, "Let her marry a man who fears God if he loved her he would delight her, otherwise he will not at least be unjust to her"

"And their Lord answers them: I waste not the good deeds of any whom do it among you, be you male or female, the one of you is as the other" (The Emrans: 195)

"And whosoever does deeds of righteousness, be it male or female, believing - they shall enter Paradise, and not be wronged a single spot" (Women: 124)

"And whosoever does a righteous deed, be it male or female, believing, We shall assuredly give them to live a goodly life; and We shall recompense them their wage, according to the best of what they did" (Honeybees: 97)

"Whosoever does an evil deed shall be recompensed only with the like of it, but whosoever does a righteous deed, be it male or female, believing those shall enter Paradise, therein provided without reckoning" (The (Believers: 40)

"O mankind, We have created you male and female, and appointed you races and tribes, that you may know one another. Surely, the noblest among you in the sight of God is the most god-fearing. God is All-knowing, All-aware" (Apartments: 13)

Here, we gathered five verses together, to emphasize the affirmation God gave us on gender equality. Men and women are equally assigned in the holy mission of being God´s vicegerents on land. Accordingly, they will be both judged in afterlife based on their deeds in this life and to what extent they shared positively to carryout the divine mission. This shall give us a better global image when we start discussing the misperceived verses about women in Quran, and the hadieths that we find wrongly claimed to relate to our apostle, while it contradict both Quran and apostolic deeds.

II- APOSTOLIC TEACHINGS SUPPORTING WOMAN RIGHTS

"The utmost believers among you, are the most adherent to moralities, and the best of you morally is the best to his wife/family" Indexed by Turmudi.

"The closest to me among you and the dearest, are the most decent to their wives" Indexed by Turmudi

In these honorable teachings of Muhammad (pbuh), he gives us the parameter of faith, as the faith is an internal thrust that expresses itself in one´s adherence to a moral life. Essentially, this should be practiced first with the closest individuals to him, his wife and his family. Perhaps we need to know that the word Ahl in Arabic is used to express wife sometimes and the whole family sometimes. Here, we find it intentionally used by the Apostle of God to express both. Again, the affirmation of moralities and direct orders to Muslims to abide by ethical codes support the major divine mission as God´s vicegerents on land. Our broad understanding of the honorable hadieth is not limited in its teaching to men to adopt a good conduct to spouse. Most probably, it was directed to a group of men. Shall the apostle of God be talking to a group of women? He would have given very similar recommendations, to be the best they can to their husbands.

Narrated Muawia ibn Haidara: I asked the Apostle about the wife´s rights on her husband, he replied, "To let her share the same quality of food and dress as you have for your own, never to slap her face, never to undermine her look, and never abandon her alone at home" Indexed by: Abu Daood

The prophet expressed wife´s rights here in a language suitable to the time and culture of his audience. Shall we express it in contemporary terms? We will find it as follows,

 To let her enjoy the lifestyle suitable to her husband´s social class, role and status in society. Needless to mention hadieth highlighted food and clothes as the major needs in the primitive society of Medina, but we surely understand if apostle lived our life, he would have extended it to all the elements of a modern life.

 When a man respects his wife, slapping here face as a humiliation to her humanity will be out of question. Yet, some might understand other forms of beating wives are tolerable in Islam. This stands false when we remember the evolving meaning of Marouf as we explained before.

 Respecting their esteem and feminine emotions, apostle ordered us not to undermine our wives look specifically. Every woman knows how this is painful, especially when it comes from her life mate. Again, as beauty represented the major asset of feminine esteem in this nomadic society in the 7th century, apostle emphasized its respect. This we can extend today to respecting her mentality, opinions, work, profession …etc.

 A man according to this teaching is maximally allowed to leave the common bed, as a civil expression of dissatisfaction in some occasions. Apostle limited it to this level, and did not permit abandoning wife lonely in house, as this form of pressure on women represents a stressful situation. Taking in account this home, in that era might be a clay house or simply a tent. Therefore, leaving a woman alone might represent a physical threat to her. Another reason was staying in one home after a marital conflict shall facilitate easing it out, compared to prolonged separation if the man left his house.

Narrated ibn-Asaker from Ali ibn-Abi-Taleb that Apostle said, "Women are peers to men, none insults them but a coward, and none regards them but a nobleman" Indexed by: Ahmed.

"Take good care of your wives who are under your protection. You have many rights on them and also you owe to them many" Indexed by: Turmudi

Here is a direct apostolic declaration of women equality to men, as peers. Moreover, linked man´s nobility to his manners with women, stating whoever insults them to be a coward or snaky man, and whoever regards and respects them to be a noble and honorable man.

One of the best stories about this, is what Caliph Omar ibn-Abdulaziz narrated about his uncle Abdulmalik, when he said, "May God bless Abdulmalik, he was a lion in his governance running the Caliphate´s matters. When he returns to us, we his family, he consort to us in mercy and kindness". On other hand, we find one of the best narrations about the other kind of coward men, what an Arabian woman narrated about her husband saying "a Lion against me, and an ostrich in wartime". We find it psychologically harmonious, a man who is self actualized in practical life and work, has no need to practice authority on his wife or kids, and vice versa, a marginal character in his social and business life, shall always practice power on his family as a sort of compensation.

III – MISINTERPRETED QURANIC VERSES about WOMAN

"Men are the caregivers to their women, employing in this regard what Allah had privileged one over another and what they expend of their property, Goodwives abides to righteousness, faithful (to husband) during absence according to what Allah instructed. And for the others whom you fear their drifting, talk to them an advice, abandon them in bed, or (finally) harm them, once they repent to righteousness, you do nothing against them, God is all Superior all Great" (Women: 34)

To understand why this protocol is considered as a misinterpreted verse, hereunder we disclose one of the common translations of Quran, only where the drifted understanding of the verse is highly expressed,

"Men are the managers of the affairs of women for that God has preferred in bounty one of them over another, and for that they have expended of their property. Righteous women are therefore obedient, guarding the secret for God´s guarding. And those you fear may be rebellious admonish; banish them to their couches, and beat them. If they then obey you, look not for any way against them; God is All-high, All-great." (Translation of Meanings by: Arthur Arberry)

The wide gap between our translation and the one of Arberry is best understood when we discuss the traditional understanding of some Quranic expressions against our own understanding based on our Arabic background, these are the definitions of the words Qiwamah, Qonout, and Noshouz.

Defining Qiwama

In language, Qiwama meant to look after, to guard, to observe or to give care and guidance. We can better understand it through other two verses in Quran, when God ordered us to be,

 Qawwamon for justice, which means looking after justice in land , as recited in Women Surah: 134

 Qawwamon to God and witnessing justly. As mentioned in Table Spread Surah: 8 Then meant observers to God when we witness justly.

In the light of the lingual meaning of Qiwama and its meaning in Quran, we understand it as taking care of, or looking after something or someone. Accordingly, while traditionally the verse was widely interpreted as a privilege of man over his wife, it is obviously an assignment for man, to give good care to his wife. Moreover, the conventional understanding of the statements after it, was a justification for this privilege. i.e. The man who God privileged with better intellectual capacity, and who finance the family should be subordinated-to and depicted to his wife as a master, while we variantly understand the statement after it. Stating, "What Allah had privileged one over another and what they expend of their property" as the tools man asked to employ in his assignment looking after his woman.

Worthy to say also, we perceive what is meant in the statement "what Allah had privileged one over another" to be the relative psychological stability an average man holds, that is usually higher than what an average woman holds. The traditional understanding claiming man to be intellectually superior to woman is proven false by science today.

Defining Qonot

Qonot carries a vast of meanings according to its position in the statement. it means obedience, and this is how traditional jurists understood it in this verse. Also, it meant prayer, abidance to righteous deeds, and silence. We share the jurists the understanding of the word as obedience, but not to her husband, as the word Qonot in Quranic terms has always been used to express subordination to God. Accordingly, we understand the goodwives as stated in the holy verse to be obedient to God´s orders, including keeping their marital faith to their husbands in all cases, his absence being one. Our understanding is confirmed with the words "according to what Allah instructed" and further supported by another meaning of Qonot as abidance to righteous deeds.

Defining Noshoz

Noshoz in language is derived from Nashz, which is prominence in flat landscape, usually used to express drifting from modesty or righteousness. On the light of the words before it, we perceive the mentioned drifting in the holy verse to be general drifting from modesty and righteousness, or a drift from the faithfulness role physically, meaning committing an extra-marital affair. Accordingly, we understand the actions proposed to the husband who has doubts on his wife´s behavior, to advise to her first, then abandon her and finally harm her physically. Shall physical harm look odd when it is a divine order? We need again to consider what the common practice in such situations was, as the normal reaction of an Arab in such cases was to slay the wife! Then, when Islam orders him to harm her physically, and watch not to leave marks, we shall call this advancement. Yet, according to the general concept of Marouf, we can deploy beating to any extent from the marital relation, as it became socially unacceptable, and we will be still applying our religious traditions fully.

Now, after defining the three words, we can agree the translation we offered in first place, expresses the verse meaning when compared to the traditional translations.

"And call in to witness two men; or if the two be not men, then one man and two women, such witnesses as you approve of, that if one misremembered (later on when needed) the other will remind her" (Cow: 282)

The verse here discusses the civil regulations for debts in commercial or personal transactions; we understand this from the preceding parts of the verse. Advising Muslims to document their debts in a written contract, and further endorse it with two male witnesses or a man and two women.

The reason was neither a disregard to women mental abilities, in the way several anti-Islam writings depicted, nor the one claimed by traditional interpretations saying women to have a weaker memory, which is proven false by science. We know today, to the contrary of this interpretation, average women are more capable to receive and record details more than average men, who usually focus on global views. Being fond of details, shall always make the woman unequalled witness in civil as well as criminal cases. So, why the verses stated two women to replace one man in witnessing civil transactions?

Knowing the mental status of women in bedouin societies, and knowing they were mostly apart from commercial transactions, its trends, common practices, terminologies and other related details, this will definitely hinder their perceptive capabilities to understand the meanings of the written contract and act as a reference when needed. Thus, it was wise to replace the male witness when necessary by a couple of female witnesses.

Shall this affect our perception of today´s woman as a witness?

It all depends on the judge ability to estimate her/ his witness´ mental and social exposure capacity. We definitely need a doctor male or female as an expert witness in a medical case, a finance man in a finance related case, and better a woman in women related affairs, while any man or woman can be a witness in criminal cases. Therefore, it is a matter of witness compatibility to the case subject. This how can we implement the verse today, to consider intellectual capacity of the witness apart from his gender, as this what the verse taught in its broad meaning when we relate it to its cultural background.

We would like to take the opportunity to elaborate about important concept toward understanding Quran, the concept of Clear and ambiguous among Quranic verses. According to the holy verse "It is He who revealed to you the Book, wherein are verses clearly competent that are the essence of the Book, and others ambiguous. As for those in whose hearts is swerving, they follow the ambiguous part, desiring dissension, and desiring its interpretation; and none knows its interpretation, save only God and those firmly rooted in knowledge, those who say, ´We believe in it; all is from our Lord´; yet none remembers, but men possessing clever minds." (The Emrans: 7)

So, what was meant to be clear and distinctive and what was meant to be ambiguous in Quran?

Defining Clear and Ambiguous

We understand the verses expressed as "Clearly Competent" in Quran, and described as the "Essence of the Book" to be the verses that remains applicable by its direct meaning eternally. Those related to non-temporal facts, to divine wisdom, God will, souls, righteousness, goodness, evils….etc. It is the verses supporting humankind morally to carry out his divine mission as vicegerent on Earth. Besides other verses handling in broad and elastic terms the facts of the universe aiming to trigger human mind to seek further knowledge about his world, which also supports his eternal mission.

On the other hands, we believe verses related to daily life, which was dynamic during apostle´s life, are the ambiguous part of Quran, as it was subject of abrogation and replacement with other verses. God wanted to teach us the global direction of Islam to righteousness, to develop our skills, so we can construct for each society and temporal conditions, its compatible regulations. Typically, this is why some verses were abrogated, yet kept narrated in Quran, to learn from the succession of regulations, where the global direction of Islam wants us to go on long term. Being the last revelation to humanity, God wanted Quran to come in a Learning to Learn model as we stated earlier, which is the most recent in development modules now. His mercy wanted to give us a tool to engrave, not a ready-made icon to follow. This is surely witnessed by the multiplicity of verses motivating man to research and think in Quran.

The development of Abrahamic faiths came from request for absolute subordination in Old Testament, to the smart metaphor style dominating Christ teachings in New Testament, and the last logical step was the educational module which Quran offered, teaching humankind how they should handle their lives and their activities in the way serves the overall goal of Earth prosperity.

"Divorced women shall observe for conception for three periods; and it is unlawful for them to hide what God has created in their wombs; if they believe in God and the Last Day. In such time their mates have better right to restore them, if they desire to set things right. Women have such honorable rights as obligations, but their men have a degree above them; God is All-mighty, All-wise." (Cow: 228)

We here prefer the explanation of ibn-Abbas on the meaning of "but their men have a degree above them" as the task assigned to men to take the initiative seeking reconciliation, as a noble and righteous initiative. As most of women will feel it humiliating to her femininity to ask their ex for reconciliation, God encourages men, stating it as a noble degree to possess the ability taking an initiative. May God bless ibn Abbas for his comprehensive understanding. As we find most of other interpretations to drift far away, explaining the degree as a sign of male superiority and divine right to dominate!

"God charges you, concerning your children (inheritance after you die): to the male like of the portion of two females." (Women: 11)

There is no misinterpretation about this holy verse. Islam has definitely granted the son double the portion of heritage granted to daughters. Shall this appear a bias to men?

This is why we listed the holy verse here, to disambiguate this controversial area of inheritance, which we find frequently commented in anti-Islam writings. However, we can excuse them for attacking this point when they pick it from its global framework, as it is extremely hard to perceive the justice of this verse without a comprehensive understanding of the whole "Social Contract" Islam created in this regard.

Islamic Social Contract among Men and Women:

Against the privilege of double inheritance, Islam assigned to males some financial duties, including,

 Satisfying his dependants´ needs according to his social and financial status. Including-but not limited to-hiring a nursing nanny if the wife wanted so, also a housekeeper if possible. Again, everyman according to his capacity is assigned to give his dependants the best possible conditions of living. Financing the family in Islam is an absolute duty of the husband.

 Wife's rights included the right for a housekeeping assistant and a nursing nanny if she willed and if her husband had the financial capacity to afford for them both.

 He shall not employ any part of his wife´s inheritance, wealth or earnings in their common life, as far as he is capable to work and earn. If occasionally he had to borrow from her, it is considered as a normal debt and follows the civil laws. i.e. complete separation of the couples as financial entities.

 If husband was permanently disable to finance his family for any reason like physical disabilities, and if the wife wished to finance herself and her kids in freewill, this is counted to her as almsgiving, and can be calculated as part of her due Zakat

 What the man should bear toward his wife financially should also bear toward his mother once widowed, and his sisters in case of divorce or widowing as well.

 A man shall not use emotional pressure to motivate his wife giving him part of her wealth. This is considered false willingness and this money is unlawful earning to him.

Then, why Islam did not make it a simple sharing model, in which both finance their family, then both genders will be eligible to equal portions of inheritance?

Absolute separation between husband and wife financial entities was necessary in Islam. Based on the temporal availability of female slaves, and the possibility of polygyny, as it would to be very unfair if a husband and wife had a common financial pool, then she finds her husband getting married to another woman, probably employing her own money, or even buying a slave-girl with this money. Logically, as Islam assigned men to carryout the responsibilities of wives, mothers, and unmarried sisters, it was understandable to grant them the double of women portion in inheritance.

IV – MISINTERPRETED and MISNARRATED APOSTOLIC TEACHINGS

During the course of this section, we will list some hadieths as it is still extensively used by Muslim priests, despite the fact being discredited by enlightened jurists for ages, aiming only to disambiguate just in case any of the readers faced one of it. Other hadieths were not discredited based on its reference/linkage line to prophet, but we find its content to be conflicting with other teachings or deeds of the apostle or with Quran. In addition, we will discuss some teachings that is credited yet misinterpreted against women by many hadieth references.

Narrated Moad-ibn-Jabal: Apostle of God said "Bloodwit of a female is half of male bloodwit "

Many Islamic jurists in the past as well as contemporary jurists has discredited this hadieth, due to its incoherence with Quran, directly stating about the case of unintentional murders "then let him set free a believing slave, and bloodwit is to be paid to his family unless they forgo it as a freewill offering" (Woman: 92). No comment or gender discrimination has showed in the verse. Accordingly, the credibility of this hadieth was challenged.

Narrated Abu-Huraira: Apostle of God said "Then prayer is interrupted by the passage of a woman, a donkey or a dog (meant in front of the praying man)" Indexed by: Muslim

Another narration of this hadieth escalated the list to contain 6 elements, the three above, plus a Jew, a magus, or a pig! We discredit this hadieth based on several evidences,

 Aisha, apostle´s wife, had discredited this hadieth once heard about it saying, "Do Abu Huraira set us along with dogs and donkeys? I swore to God I used to be sleeping and my feet near to apostle´s head when he prays" this narration from the apostle´s wife is surely contradicting Abu Huraira narration. Therefore, Aisha was the first to discredit this teaching, with our due respect of the effort of Muslim verifying his index.

 The narration conflicts with the Quranic verses about equality of men and women. As well, the holy verse, "We have honored the Children of Adam" Transfer: 70. The claimed teaching, equalized humankind as Jews, Magi, and Muslim women to animals, which disregard humanity at large.

 The teaching conflicts with the verses fostering other tolerance in Quran considering its narration including the Jew and the Magus in the loop. Indexed in Bukhary, While Muhammad was setting among his disciples; a funeral of a Jew was passing. The Apostle of God then erected standing in respect. His disciples commented: He is a Jew O´ Apostle. Muhammad then replied, "O´ Almighty God, Isn´t he a human!"

 The narration also conflicts directly with all apostolic teachings honoring women as we detailed before in this chapter.

 The basic concept of prayer abortion due to passage of a living creature in front of the praying man is not logically tolerable. How men can avoid a dog or a donkey to pass while praying in an open air place? How he avoid it in rural areas? What is the distance enough to consider the dog passed away from him? Shall the man stop every person who passed while he prayed to ask if he is a Jew or a Magus?

Narrated Anas-ibn-Malik: Angasha was singing (nomadic songs for camels to speed up) and the women camels were speeding up, it was then when Apostle of God said "Slowdown ´Angasha´, show kindness to the perfume vials (narrated Qawareer in Arabic)" Indexed by: Muslim

This is such an honorable teaching, demonstrating how afar the apostolic kindness was from the regular bedouins. Amazingly, even this soft and tender teaching was not salvaged from the anti-feminine jurists. While the wording is very clear, showing the apostle to fear the over speeded camels might bother the women, therefore he asked Angasha to slowdown his rhythmic songs, and accordingly the camels, only in order to fit the tenderness of feminine built, expressed by apostle of God as Perfume Vials or Qawareer.

Yet, the anti-feminism found a way to turn it to the direct opposite. Here is how it was explained by Imam Nawawy who said about it "the women are usually weak, and their emotions can be easily tackled by soft songs of the camels´ nomad, then they become more vulnerable to commit adultery, as singing is a usual entry to fornication".

Can any of us today image singing is the intro of adultery! Surely not many will do. It is the cultural and temporal gap separating us from the time and place of Imam Nawawy. However, such an explanation should not stand as blame on him, but on the overall environment that blessed the masculine approach to life. By the end of the day, the ancient jurists and interpreters were the product of their environment and time.

It is said the apostle of God have seen a woman whom he liked, so he went to his wife Zainab, while she was busy in a housekeeping matter, he practiced marital relation with her, then went out to his disciples, and said, "Women comes and goes as seducing as a Satan, whenever one among you watches a woman whom he likes, he should go to his wife and have sex with her, this is enough to control his desires, as they are all alike" Indexed by: Muslim

O´ my apostle, O´ great messenger, and great leader. May you forgive us for what the sick minded among us has invented, and claimed to pertain to you? Can any Muslim in the light of his knowledge of Muhammad´s life, imagine these words and that event to be rightly narrated? Whoever thinks for a moment these words could belong to Muhammad (pbuh), shall answer the following questions,

 How can Muhammad (pbuh) who ordered men not to be staring on a woman do it himself?

 Who could get into Muhammad´s heart, to know that he saw a woman, and desired her, then went to his wife to have sex with her? Who shall see this internal dialogue and record it?

 Did the apostle tell about it? Have he told his disciples that he made love to one of his wives moments ago, specifically Zainab, is this possible while he himself, taught us that sexual relations between couples shall never be disclosed?

 The only possible scenario here is the apostle was sitting among his disciples, then saw the woman, then excused to make love to his wife, then showered and came back to his disciples, a scenario that takes almost an hour. Can you imagine the apostle doing so, while he was the spiritual and temporal leader of a prosperous nation?

 The apostle who loved Khadija and equaled none to her, then loved Aisha and favored her, knows for sure that not all women are alike. Nevertheless, whoever faked or drifted this teaching did not know. If apostle believed all women to be alike, why then he asked God to forgive him if he was not just emotionally, having no control over his heart? Shall the man who experienced love adopt the claimed vaginal approach to women perception, telling all women are alike? Surely, we say no.

 If all women were alike, why the revelation of God approved and regarded the human feelings in the verses related to prophet´s marriage to Zainab bent-Gahsh whose name is included in the claimed hadieth? Muhammad married her after he liked her as stated in Quran. It was then when God blamed him for trying to ignore his feelings. How we are expected to see this coherent with Muhammad saying "all women are alike".

The story of Zainab bent Gahsh is such a controversial one, as many orientalists had undermined the apostle of Islam using it. Therefore, we will take a minute to explain it. The woman was married to Zaid ibn- Haretha, the adopted son of Muhammad (pbuh). When Muhammad passed his adopted son at home, knocking the door, Zainab opened, informing that Zaid was not home. Then Muhammad (pbuh) turned his face and left her saying, "My Almighty Allah, You who turns man´s heart". Obviously he liked the woman when he saw her, this is exactly why he wanted to make the situation shorter leaving her on spot.

On the other hand, Zaid was not satisfied with his wife, as she was a daughter of a leading clan in Quraish, and has a degree of kinship to Muhammad (pbuh), while he was a non-rooted man in this tribal community. He used to complain to Muhammad (pbuh) from her superior behavior, as she feels too noble to be his wife. Muhammad (pbuh) whenever hears this from him after the event of seeing her, he used to tell him "fear God O´ Zaid and keep consorting to your wife". The Apostle did not want to accept Zaid divorcing his wife as he feared if he did, maybe it is his ego, him Muhammad, who wanted this, so he used to affirm rejection, and this is typically what an honorable man shall do in such a situation.

It is valuable to say, it was quite uncommon for a man to marry his adopted son´s divorcee. The status remained so, until God revealed to his Apostle "When you said to him whom God had blessed and you had favored, ´Keep your wife, and fear God,´ and you were concealing within yourself what God should reveal, fearing other men; and God has better right for you to fear Him. So when Zaid had his husbandry rights with her, then We gave her in marriage to you, so that there should not be any fault in the believers, touching the wives of their adopted sons" (The Clans: 37).

While orientalists use this verse to undermine Quranic divinity, claiming Quran to be satisfying Muhammad´s needs and wishes. We find it a standalone proof on the divinity of Quran. Shall everyone imagine himself in the same situation; he would have never liked Quran to reveal what he hides, especially about something not very acceptable socially. When a man is in the role and status of an Apostle and a leader at a time, he will hate such a social liability.

Meeting a group of men coming from Persia, Apostle asked them, who became the king of Persians, they replied, they had crowned a woman. Then Apostle of God said, "Shall never prosper a nation wherein a woman leads" later on, we found apostle´s prophecy to be true, as the Rums had defeated Persians. Indexed by: Bukhary, Turmudi, Nesa´iy and Ahmed.

Leaving alone the conflict of this hadieth with equality concept in Quran, we shall discredit it based on a unique evidence, a historical one.

Historical Evidence of Falsehood:

The Sassanid Empire was established by Ardashir I (226–241), and it is worthy to say that the title Kesra is an imaginary Arab title that had never existed in Sassanid era, it was most probably mislead by the name of some Persian kings named Khosrau I and Khosrau II. The Sassanid kings has always adopted the title of Shāhanshāh or King of Kings

The period of Muhammad's life and Quran revelation lies all within the Sassanid dynasty period. Therefore, whoever the claimed empress shall be, she must be one of the Sassanid Empresses. Persia witnessed only a couple of Sassanid Empresses as we see in the table, first was Purandokht who ruled between 630-631, and her sister Azarmidokht who ruled between 631 and 632. Each for as little as two years.

The defeats of Persians in front of Byzantines happened all during the 6 years war lead by Heraclius against Sassanids between 622-628 AD, and ended with the Persians greater defeat in the Battle of Nineveh, where Khosrau II was the ruling King of Persia. Therefore, he was a man who led not a woman, and no woman had ever set on the Sassanid throne before the defeat in Nineveh!

Both Empresses, specially the first was recorded in Sassanid history as good Empresses. Tried her best to control the Empire after defeats, and stored it through a temporal peace settlement with Byzantines.

According to these historical facts, we find the possibilities of this hadieth limited to be said in another occasion, other than what was stated by the narrator, or to be totally fake one. Adding to this historical factor, the teaching conflict with other apostolic teachings, leave alone its contradiction with Quran, we find the highest possibility is that it did not pertain to Apostle Muhammad at all.

Narrated Abu-Huraira: Apostle of God said, "Superstitions of infections, bird spells, Safar month, and owls are all false, Superstitions are limited to Women, horses and houses". Indexed by: Bukhary.

This hadieth is discredited in this specific narration, as it conflicts with many other hadieths of the Muhammad (pbuh), the evidences discrediting it are numerous, on top of it, the conflict with apostolic teachings regarding infections and sanitary precautions. Like, "If the plague spread in a city, then, whoever outside it shall not enter to it, and whoever within its boundaries should not get out." In addition, "Better for a healthy man not to get exposed to a diseased one." Then, it conflicts with many hadieths rejecting all the superstitions by any shape or form, like, "No superstitions and no spells by birds. And I like optimism."

A final discrediting fact of this teaching, is what Bukhary himself indexed after it, which was a totally opposing narration, with one word changing the meaning by 180 degrees, the teaching was narrated by Aisha as "Before Islam, Superstitions were about Women, horses and houses" needless to mention the word before Islam lead to a totally different direction. Seemingly, the Apostle was explaining a wrong and mischievous believe of bedouins before Islam, when some of the attendees thought he was confirming it!

"Women (as a source of shame) has two covers, marriage and grave" when asked which is better, he replied" the grave". Indexed by: Tabrany.

"Your worst enemy is your wife who shares your bed" Indexed by: Tabrany

A woman asked Apostle of God about husbands´ rights, so if she can tolerate it she will marry, otherwise she will not, the Apostle said "Even if the woman shall drink a pus bleeding from her husband´s nose she did not give him his rights, and if I were to order human to apostate to human I would have ordered women to apostate to their husbands" Indexed by: Bazzar.

"If women did not exist, God would have been faithfully worshipped".

"I do not fear a threat to my people but women and wines".

"Do not inhabit your women in comfortable homes, do not educate them, or grant them a plenty of clothing, and say ´No´ frequently to them, as ´Yes´ let them ask for more" Indexed by: Al-Hakam.

"Keep them shorted in clothing, as if they got a plenty they like their looks and go out frequently" Indexed by: Al-Hakam

"A Good woman is rare among women" Indexed by: Ibn Magah

"Obedience to a woman leads to grief" Indexed by: Ibn Asaker and Oqaily

"Men were destroyed when the obeyed their women" Indexed by: Ibn Asaker and Oqaily

"Consult other men, if you find no one but a woman, consult here and do against what she advise" Indexed by: Ibn Asaker

These claimed teachings were all discredited by Imam Albany may God bless him (died in 1999) for his efforts discrediting the wrong and mischievous hadieths, those are falsely linked to Muhammad (pbuh). He discredited it based on weaknesses in its linkage to profit by narrators and by conflicting contents, while many others before him had accepted and indexed it. Again, we list it here to know it is not linked to Muhammad (pbuh), and to understand that indexing a hadieth by one or more of the hadieth collectors was never a solid proof of its relation to apostle of God. As many hadieths were acceptable, only before Imam Albany discredits it, with his own efforts in the 20th century.

Narrated Osama ibn Zaid: Apostle of God said: "I looked in Heavens, only to find the majority of its inhabitants are the poor, and looked into hells to find the majority of its inhabitants are women" Indexed by: Boukhary

Narrated ibn Abbas: Apostle of God said, "I looked into hells to find the majority of its inhabitants are women" Then women asked: Why Apostle of God? He replied "you do not admit goodness of your husbands, for a woman, if the man treated her superbly all time and did bad to her once, she only says ´I had never had a good day with you´ " Indexed by: Muslim

Narrated Omran ibn Hossayn: Apostle of God said, "O´ women, adhere to almsgiving frequently, as most of you will be the ashes of hells" Then a woman asked: Why Apostle of God? He replied "you frequently complain and you do not admit goodness of your husbands" Indexed by: Bukhary

With all our respect to these honorable hadieths, we see it –if truly said by apostle- to be educational metaphors that should never be perceived as gender prejudicial destiny. It is obvious that apostle of God wanted to alarm against wrong behaviors among Medina women by that time, and we can say it exists today as well among both men and women, such behaviors like being frequent complainers or being ungrateful to partners …etc.

Shall this mean women are really the ashes of Hellfire?

We see this contradicting with many verses we listed before, wherewith God committed Himself to absolute justice among women and men based on their deeds. Moreover, contradicting with many of Muhammad´s teachings. e.g.:

 Apostle of God Said: "May one of you have a grateful heart, a tongue glorifying God, and a good wife who supports him in god deeds" Indexed by: Turmudi and ibn Magah.

 Apostle of God Said: "Life is joyful, and the best of its joy is the good wife" Indexed by: Muslim

 Apostle of God Said: "If the woman prayed the five prayers, fasted in Ramadan, been faith to her husband, she will be let in afterlife, to choose the gate she wishes to heaven" Indexed by: Al-Albany

We should also know, apostolic metaphors were not limited to women. He used it to educate husbands how to treat their spouses, as we will see in coming parts of this chapter.

Apostle of God Said, "A woman resembles a rib, if you tried to rectify her you will break her, you can only accept her as is" Indexed by: Bukhary and Muslim

Shall it be surprising if we say this hadieth, we find to be very genuine and very true? Apostle of God stated a very true statement that applies to both men and women. It is the fact you can get whenever you try changing the character of a mature adult. Usually, you can change some behavior of your partner, but you can never change his/her character, as defects are a human nature, and this is what the teaching means to us, it means nobody is perfect, and we need to accept other as they are, not as we wish them to be. Every human is subject of these defects, evidenced by the verse "And I do not claim myself non-guilty, one´s self usually pushes to wrong deeds" Josef: 53

One might wonder, why then the teaching is limited to women?

Most probably, it was directed to a complaining man, should it be a woman complaining about her husband´s style? Apostle would have told her the same about him.

Narrated Abu Huraira: Apostle of God said, "Whoever a woman asked by her husband for matting and rejected, Angels shall condemn her until next morning" Indexed by: Bukhary and Muslim- Agreed on

Here, we have an educational model that is not essentially meant literally. It is related to a specific social disease in patriarchal communities, where males control the economics of the family, and where women usually create pressure using their feminine talents to get what they want financially. The aim of the teaching then is to stop such behavior relating sexual life to financial gains, without essentially meaning the angels shall condemn her as it might be a metaphor to magnify how the behavior is unacceptable. Obviously, apostle found it unacceptable, as it first disregard women, putting her in a situation closed to selling her body for money, also it gives the sexually frustrated husband an excuse to seek sexual pleasure elsewhere, which shall alter the family stability.

The problem comes to surface, when some jurists uses this teaching to push a woman to respond to her husband´s desire apart from her emotional and physical status. I listened once to one of the so called Satellite Imams answering a woman, who were asked to make love to her husband after he bruised her! For my amazement, the Satellite Imam answered her with this teaching, asking her to respond positively whatever the conditions were. This, I find awkwardly inhuman, using the teaching in such an understanding, ignores another teaching of Apostle wherein he said, "I find the one of you beating his wife with a web like an animal, and then try to sleep with her by the end of the day! Doesn´t he ashamed from what he commits?"

Another wrong perception of this teaching is claimed by Sheikh Yousif Qaradawy a former Muslim Brotherhood Imam, who once said on satellite T.V. "Islam in this hadieth understood the fact that men usually cares more about sex, as males´ libido is usually much more intense compared to females´ one". Needless to mention, what Sheikh Qaradawy said is an urban legend. Science proved sexual libido intense among both male and female. Its variations are mostly individual variations. Moreover, here, we raise a question,

Who said it is a right granted to men only?

One of the major teachings narrator, who is ibn Abbas once said, "I like to look neat to my wife as much as I want her to look to me". And we have a plenty of teachings from apostle of God, educating men about foreplay, sexual rights of the wife and how God count it as good deeds for a man to take good care of his spouse desires…etc. So, Muhammad (pbuh) had understood several centuries ago the intimate relation to be bilateral, it takes two to tango.

"Whoever a woman used a perfume, and passed over a group of men, so that they could smell her essence, she is perceived as a fornicator" Indexed by: Turmudi

"Women should not use perfumes when they go to mosques for prayer" Indexed by: Turmudi

Shall this mean perfumes are prohibited for women outside? If going out perfumed was unlawful to women, why did the apostle except Mosques? If she shall not use a perfume outdoors, whatever her direction was, why it was not said overtly?

We understand the first teaching to be related to the intention of seduction, limited to whoever uses a perfume to seduce a man or group of men deliberately, indicated by the word "so that" in this translation, that resembled the words "Le-yagedo" in Arabic. So, she is perceived as a fornicator as she intended seduction as pre-act to fornication. We find what is meant her is not the perfume, but the seductive style based on special agenda, whether it is about clothing, gait, gestures…etc. Accordingly, we understand the teaching as denouncement of deliberate seduction as a pre-act to adultery or fornication in general.

Second teaching is limited to preventing perfumes while going to mosque, aiming to avoid men distraction during worshipping, which is very understandable. And again, for us this does not mean prohibition of perfume usage outside home, as when you tell your son "O´ son, do not get your football inside the house" this will never mean you are preventing him from playing football, on the contrary, it can be considered as an indirect approval for playing football anywhere else but in the house.

"May God bless a man who hangs a web in his house, to behave his family with" Indexed by: Muslim

Awkwardly Imam Muslim had indexed this teaching, while it contradicts with many others, these are,

 "You beat them, and only the worst of you do so" Indexed by: Abou Dawod, Ibn Magah, and Nesai´y

 "Last night, many women visited my wife complaining you, their husbands are beating them, I swore to God, the good among you never do so, only the worst" Indexed by: Abou Dawod, Ibn Magah, and Nesai´y

 "You beat them!!!, only the worst of you do so" Indexed by Nesai´y

 "I hate seeing a man agitated and beating his wife" Indexed by: Abou Dawod

Based on these four narrations we surely can discredit this Web Teaching. Leave alone its conflict with the Marouf concept in Quran and the deeds of Apostle treating his wives with superb kindness and intimacy.

Hereunder, I list some quotes, humiliating to women, and we find it listed in some orientalists´ writings and some websites as teachings of Muhammad (pbuh), while it is NOT, and have never been even claimed to be hadieths by whomsoever. We wanted to list it here to disambiguate about this, which is the same reason why we listed the discredited hadieths by Albany,

 "Women are your toys, so select for yourself"

 "Let them go to back rows, this is where God placed them"

 "Thank God, burial of a daughter is an honor"

 "Their minds in their genitals"

 "Three you do not rely-on, life, governor and woman"

 "Be cautious even from the good women"

 "The best woman, is the chastised masculine one"

 "A man will never be asked why he bet his spouse"

We started with this essential clarification and revision of the Holy Scriptures and its content related to woman, woman perception and woman rights, as it represents the major source of misperceptions common in Muslim societies about the subject. Despite its incoherence with Quran and righteous Sunnah, it is extensively narrated every day here or there in our mosques and over satellite channels.

We shall by now, discuss a group of topics, usually represents the major foundation of misunderstanding of woman rights in Islam among non-Muslims, these are:

 Polygamy (with emphasis on Apostle multiple wives)

 Circumcision

 Women dress code

1- POLYGAMY in ISLAM

One of the major defects in the Euro-American knowledge model is the low tolerance it possesses to civilization modules that conflicts with it. Polygamy being one of these social forms having low tolerance in the western world, while in Africa and many areas of Asia, it was practiced with its two forms (Polygyny as male coupling to several females and polyandry when the opposite applies) for ages before Islam gets to Africa or the Far East. Studying sociology will clarify to us that these forms of polygamy usually existed as needed, and in accordance with environment as well as socio-economic factors.

Therefore, hereunder we are not justifying polygamy in Islam, but we are framing it to its normal frame of knowledge and social factors, starting with what was common before Islam in Arabia

Did Islam Introduce Polygamy to Arabia?

To have a clear insight about Islam management to marital lives, we should first get a comprehensive idea about the societal model preceding it. During the 5th and 6th centuries in Arab Peninsula, seven types of marriage existed,

 Normal Marriage: which was the one continued after Islam and until today

 Dower-Free Marriage: Wherein two men exchange their kinship, women for marriage (like sister for sister …etc) without dower.

 Inheritance Marriage: where eldest son usually inherits his dead father´s wives if he wished or he can marry them to any other and get their dower, as we discussed in earlier part of this chapter.

 Exchange Marriage: when to men exchange their wives, also without a dower

 Outsourcing Marriage: when a man likes to have a prominent son, he asks his wife to sleep with a leading figure in the clan until she gets pregnant. Then she gets back to her husband with the promising embryo of the other man!

 Group Marriage: wherein a group less than ten, have sex with one woman (polyandry) and when she gets pregnant, whoever is closer in looks to the infant he get him as a son. To this type Nabegha model we mentioned earlier belongs.

These all were socially tolerable marriages, plus female slavery and a form of sacred prostitution that was practiced in Mecca and major cities. Now, what shall we expect Islam to do when approaching this form of sexual chaos?

Moses starting point was in Egypt, wherein monogamy was the dominant style, so it was easy to set-up the model of monogamy with divorce option in Judaism. Yet, polygamy existed in Judaism until as late as 11th century, when Rabbenu Gershom outlawed it. Christianity starting point was the Judaic society which was -despite polygamy ability- a near-monogamic society, as multiple spouses were quite uncommon by time of 1st century for economic reasons, and where misuse of divorce to manipulate women was the only major defect, accordingly Christianity came-up with the model of monogamy with tight limitations on divorce. In addition, when approached Europe, with a relatively dominant monogamy based on the Roman law as well as Anglo Germanic traditions, it was a match for Christianity to hammer on monogamy as a model.

On the other hand, Islam started in a society wherein men were spoiled with a vast of sexual coupling options, unlimited number of wives, different marriage types some of it was dower-free or at reduced rates, all in addition to female slaves and prostitution. Shall we expect the monogamist Catholic model to work in such a society?

I will use the wording of Bishop Joseph Osei-Bonsu of Konongo-Mampong (Ghana) in his report The situation of evangelization in Africa, where he faced a closer problem in Sub-Saharan Africa (in Senegal polygamy counts for 44% of marriages). In his report, he stated: "Another pastoral problem in Africa is polygamy in the form of polygyny, the marriage by one man of two or more wives. In most African countries, polygyny is permitted. Though most African men are not polygamists, a good number of them have more than one wife. Various reasons have been given to explain the existence of polygamy in Africa, but we cannot go into them here. What does a priest do when a polygamist wants to receive baptism and be admitted to the other sacraments? The Church's position is that such people cannot be admitted to the sacraments. Monogamy is the norm for Christians and thus anyone who wants to be a Christian or is a Christian must abide by it. As a result of this there are thousands of African Catholic men and women who cannot be admitted to the sacraments because they find themselves in polygamous relationships."

When we consider also, the forms of non-marital polygamy practices throughout humankind history, from slavery, to concubinage, from extra-marital affairs to prostitution, these are all terms that indicate the occurrence of polygamy in all societies and under all religious constrains.

How did Islam Condition Polygamy?

The widely known condition for polygamy in Islam is justice, as it was the one mentioned in the very same verse that allowed polygyny "marry women as appeals to you, two, three, or four women; but if you fear you will not be equitable, then only one" (Women:03). Yet, it was not the only condition in Islam to enable polygyny; the following was in the list,

 A man is expected to fulfill all his duties toward his first wife, offering her good living conditions, emotional and sexual satiety, and prior to him thinking of a second wife, he should be capable theoretically to satisfy all these needs for both the current and the wife to be.

 The wife has the right to include monogamy as a condition in her marriage treaty, plus any other conditions related to place of living, quality of living …etc. as far as she does not ask for unlawful act, the husband once accepted her marriage shall abide by all the conditions, including monogamy.

 She holds the right of knowing about her husband´s marriage, and she has the right to get divorced, preserving all her rights. Otherwise, she can give a period to assess the impact on her and her quality of life before taking a decision.

 Equity, in terms of time, quality of living, caring and sharing to each of his wives are all prerequisites.

 Emotional equity was not mandated, as it is uncontrollable by man. However, its expression into manners and even words is requested to be under the equity roles.

Apostle and Polygyny:

Why Apostle Muhammad practiced polygyny, having nine wives at a time?

Maybe we should detail the marital life of Muhammad (pbuh) before we answer this question, as it will leave us with some useful remarks.

 He married Khadija when he was 25 years old; Khadija was 15 years older, as she was approaching the 5th decade of. He lived with her for as long as 25 years before she died. Afterward, he married to Sawda who was in her early 50s as well, and he consorted with her alone for another 3 years. Summing this period to the first, we can figure out he lived until the age of 53 in monogamic marriages

 Two years after migrating to Medina, he married the daughter of his best friend and disciple, Aisha who was around 10 years old. Many of the orientalists had commented massively on his marriage to Aisha in that age. Knowing it was a common social practice by this time in Arabia, we find Muhammad (pbuh) has only followed the socially acceptable roles, and this shall need no justification.

 Then, when Khanis ibn Hozafa martyred in Ohod combat, Muhammad (pbuh) proposed to his widow "Hafsa". Who was the daughter of his major disciple Omar ibn El-Khattab.

 His cousin martyred as well in Ohod. Muhammad married his widow Zainab who lived with him 3 months before she died in the 3rd year after migration. 12 months later, he married Um Salamah who was also a widow of one of "Ohod" martyrs, she informed the apostle before marriage that she had already reached menopause, this did not change his proposal.

 Afterward, he married Zainab bent Gahsh after his adopted son had divorced her. He was around 59 by this time and she was around 35. Nearly 1 year after, he married Gwairya who was captured as a war prisoner after her clan was defeated by Muslims; it was then when he freed her and proposed to her. Also married Safyah, who were a Jew, from Medina, after conquering her tribe in similar situation to the one of Gwairya. Then as we mentioned earlier in chapter II, he married Om Habiba, after her husband died in Ethiopia.

 Upon receiving her as a slave-gift from Cyrus, he married Mary the Copt after giving birth to his son Ibrahim according to Quranic role, which sets free the slave who gives birth to her master. Finally, he married Maymouna who proposed to Muhammad wishing to marry him around the 7th year after migration.

 Then, a verse was revealed to him prohibiting his marriage any further "Thereafter women are not lawful to you anymore, neither to take other wives in exchange for them, though their beauty please you" (The Clans: 52). This verse was revealed after Islam had limited no. of wives to four. Muhammad (pbuh) was exempted from this condition as his wives –considered as spiritual mothers to Muslims, who were not supposed to marry after him, so divorcing them shall lead to their loneliness for rest of their lives, while other women divorced (above four) were eligible to have other spouses. Accordingly, we find the exemption of Muhammad from 'reduce to four' role benefiting the best interest of his wives, maybe more than his best interest.

With all due respect, to the justifications lead by jurists to reason the apostolic multiple marriages, we find nothing to justify in this matter! We perceive the matter in its temporal and social framework, to find nothing illogic or drifted to need justifications. Was Muhammad (pbuh) the 1st Apostle of God who practices polygamy? No, Solomon and David did before him and in much more intense practice. Was it socially acceptable for an Arab leader by this time to have multiple wives? We dare to say it was the only normal thing, as polygamy, until a very near era, was perceived among Arabian clans as a sign of nobility and leadership.

Accordingly, all what we say here is, there is no case to defend neither irrational to rationalize! We could never ask an Arab leader in the 7th century to live with the modesty standards as perceived now in the 21st century! Muhammad (pbuh) lived the best moral and lifestyle model of a nobleman and a leader in his temporal terms according to his society norms and trends. He was superior to his pears from moral perspectives before Islam. Otherwise, he lived their life as one of them.

Is Polygyny Eternal?

Tunisia is a Muslim country who allows no polygamy by its civil laws. Shall we call this unlawful governmental regulation from Islamic standpoint? Many of our priests had attacked this civil law in Tunisia, but we see it violating no role in Islamic approach to life. Islam stated the upper limit to be four, without stating a lower limit, so there is a room for legal regulations to control within what Islam had allowed.

If we assumed medicine has discovered a harm of eating camel´s meat, while Islam had limited only pork meat. Can a Muslim government decide legal prohibition of camel products based on its medical harm?

Surely, it can, and it applies to marriage too, as the government can state upper limit of four, three, two or simply one, as far as all lies within the framework of Islam guidance. However, we see this matter better to be up to couples as a matter of personal freedom, where the world consensus is a key word that distinguishes righteousness from wrong. In a world that accepts group sex practices as far as it is built on consensus, we do not see any logic to prevent a 2nd marriage, as far as the man, his first wife, and the new spouse are all accepting the polygamy situation. Having a plenty of options for what is right usually minimize the incidence of falling to wrong deeds which supports polygamy as an option. Shall anyone perceive polygamy as an uncomforting system? The solution is very simple; he/she can ignore this option and insist monogamy as a prerequisite in marriage.

2- CIRCUMCISION and ISLAM

While male circumcision was a cornerstone in the Judaic faith, as a sign of subordination to God of Israelites, both male and female circumcisions were not a major part of Islam, needless to mention Quran had never tackled this subject. According to an oral tradition, Muhammad had advised few things to be done as hygienic practices, and he stated it literally to be part of good human hygienic practices, these are,

 Male circumcision

 Armpit and pubic hair removal

 Showering after sexual intercourse

 Mustache trimming.

 Nail clipping.

We can notice it all to be hygienic matters as perceived in its temporal and environmental framework of Arab Peninsula and related environment. This is the only well supported hadieth according to a research done by Sheikh Mahmoud Shaltout in 1951 AD. Wherein, he clarified the weakness of the proofs relating all other hadieths to Muhammad (pbuh). Including those related to female circumcision. Based on that he came with his fatwa stating, "As for circumcision in general, we do not have a proof it was ordered as a Sunnah by Apostle of God, as it did not fulfill the juridical conditions of Sunnah interpretation. Accordingly, we find male circumcision to be a subject of scientific judgment, whenever we have enough proof on its medical value we can practice it, otherwise, it well represent infringement upon child´s bodily rights. Female circumcision on the other hand does not hold any suspected medical value"

Now, in 2007, we have enough proofs that contradict female circumcision by 100%, which is enough to state it as unlawful from Islamic standpoint. As Islam discouraged followers to expose themselves or their dependants to any sort of physical or emotional jeopardy.

Male circumcision is still however a matter of medical controversy. Today, we have a WHO studies supporting male circumcision as a prophylactic measure against AIDS based on three clinical trials in Africa, proofing decreased incidence of circumcised male infection with AIDS by 50-60%. Considering also some clinical studies linking male circumcision to reduction in rates of urinary infections as well as penile cancer incidence, it all calls us to support male circumcision. Shall at any point of time, medicine proves a harm in male circumcision? It will be then abolished as an outdated habit.

To conclude, and in accordance with all of the above, we find a contemporary Muslim required to support male circumcision and to oppose female circumcision on both religious as well as secular basis. We should never soil the faith that prevented mutilation of cattle with claims supporting infringements to human body with a proved medical harm.

3- ISLAM and WOMAN DRESS CODE

We have three major areas of debate when it comes to Islam in relation to women dress codes. First being the face covering, challenged by a variety of security as well as social drawbacks, and hereunder we will explain how unrelated it was to Islamic traditions. Then the bodily appropriate coverage, which Islam had advised-on in broad terms. Finally, we will discuss the controversial head covering.

Face Covering and Loss of Identity:

The commonly perceived to be Muslim women dress code, covering her entire body including her face, hands and feet, has nothing to do with Islam. It is a nomadic habit among Asian tribes, more related to the male domination nature of these societies, compared to the African Saharan habits of covering faces for both male and female, like in the case of Tuareg tribes, where uncovered male face is a source of shame while women face covering is a voluntarily act. We shall then understand it was a matter of appropriateness to environment as well as ancient tribal traditions and not a religious tradition.

Then why this tribal habit stood the test of time after urbanization of these tribal societies?

Today, this habit became part of history in Turkey, at least in major cities, while it remained a living practice in Saudi, wherefrom it was exported to the whole Arabic countries during 70s, 80s and 90s of the 20th century, when Muslims from allover the globe were employed to buildup the petroleum civilization. In Saudi, you will hear a lot about this habit, about how it encouraged adultery among women and men, due to lack of identification of woman. Even in Egypt, a court case was much popular, about an act of fornication committed by a totally covered woman, she kept inviting her lover home, even when her husband was there, astonishingly she could make it because her lover stepped-in all time as a face-covered female friend of her. It took three years until the cheated man hare a moaning from the room, to open the door and face his lifetime shocking scene.

Apart from the fragile claims of Wahabism jurists, who defend face covering as Islamic tradition, which was all discredited by numerous Muslim jurists, we will use one simple Islamic proof to show how Islam did not favor this identity-confusing nomadic tradition. Knowing God prohibited face covering during pilgrimage in Mecca and Medina, we can find-out what the real Islamic attitude toward face covering was. Until today, and due to clear commandments, women pilgrims to Mecca do not cover their faces even if they do in normal life.

Body Covering in Quran:

In fact, there is no dress code stated in Quran neither for women nor for men. Quran only advised some practices to increase the appropriateness of women appearance and to improve her perception in public. The terms used in the holy verses in this regard was intentionally broad and general to give flexibility, as the dress should essentially change over time, and among the diversity of environments and climates.

First verse being "And tell the believing ladies to cast down their eyes (upon seeing a stranger) and guard their chastity, and reveal not their charm save what is outward; and let them cast their veils over their bosoms" (Light: 31).. The verse advised Muslim women to guard their chastity, and to limit their charm (meant body charm) to their husbands and their 1st degree kinship. Considering that women dresses by this time, usually had longitudinal clefts to enable nursing mothers feeding their babies, the verse advised the ladies to use their veils (that was already used before Islam as an adornment habit) to cover these clefts and accordingly ensure covering their breasts.

The second verse is "O´Prophet, tell your wives and daughters and the believing ladies; to get well covered (meant when they go out) so it is likelier to be known (as free and regarded ladies), so they do not be subject of any harm. God is all-forgiving, all-compassionate" (Allies: 59). The verse here is giving a general command on appropriate dress that does not reflect looseness, aiming to decrease women exposure to verbal as well as physical harassments. In addition, to ensuring their proper perception in public. Analyzing the above-mentioned verses, we find-out the following points,

 Both used the term tell, so it was not order or force them, which means women dress of whatever nature shall not be enforced to women (like the case of Saudi or Afghanistan). The idea in the verses was about educating women how they should be dressed appropriately, not to force them to a nomadic black uniform! The term "tell the believing ladies" gives an idea about the assets Quran relied on to define the broad terms in these verses. That is the feminine intuition. As everywoman knows by heart, how she can be appropriately covered and how she can be seductive. If the woman is convinced that God wanted her to leave the right impression, she can look in an appropriate way according to the society wherein she lives. On the other hand, she can whenever she wants look seductive even under the layers of Shadoor. I can write a hundred pages on the difference between seductive and appropriate dressing for women, and it will be all meaningless. Only a woman knows how to hide or reveal her charm, this is why the verse particularly relied on convincing not forcing.

 Both verses were directed only to the believing women. It was not directed to other women in the Muslims state in Medina. Accordingly, whatever role Islam has in this regard, shall never be enforced and dictated on non-Muslims living in a Muslim state, which means again that Wahabism system in Saudi, was baseless in this regard, only as it was baseless in many others.

 Quran commented a specific problem in the first verse, which is the breastfeeding clefts that was a necessity before buttons and zippers, and proposed an environmental solution to it, which is the use of the veil, to cover it. Also in a later part of the verse, Quran advised women to adopt a gait that supports the same impression of a serious woman, to avoid being thought-off as playful woman and subsequently avoid/ decrease possibility of harassments.

 The 2nd verse gave a general recommendation, using the term "youdnin alihenna men glabibhenna" which has the direct translation of "to get their dresses closer over them" that we interpreted and translated as "to be appropriately covered". This is more or less related the broad recommendation in the first verse, advising believing women to show only what is outward of their charm and feminine beauty. Both verses were deliberately general and broad termed, to give a room for changing time and conditions. Today, a woman can use a modern trousers and shirt during work or studying, and she will be fulfilling the recommendations as far as her dress does not reveal her charm.

 In both verses, God educated women about the reason they should control their charm. It was their own welfare and safety. It had never been a matter of protecting men from seduction as the traditional jurists used to claim. Women chastity and respect is women´s assignment. Men´s chastity is men´s assignment, we cannot ask women to guard booth. This is the mentality of the patriarch societies, not what God stated.

Apostolic Teachings and Controversial Head Covering:

We have two oral teachings linked to apostle of God that is usually used as a reference for head covering in Islam. Both narrated by Aisha. In the first, she narrated, when Asmaa appeared to him in a light dress, Apostle of God said, "O´ Asmaa, when the woman reaches puberty, it is not appropriate for her to reveal but this (pointed to his face) and these (pointed to his hands)". And in the other, narrated .Aisha, Apostle of God said, "A devout Muslim woman should not reveal after puberty but this and these (and pointed to his face and his arms) "

Supporters of head covering rely on these two hadieths, while their opponents rely on the fact that both hadieths are mono-referenced, a matter that decreases its credibility as they believed. claiming mono-referenced teachings to be only enough for advisory, supporting or detailing concepts supported by other scriptures, but not to establish a concept independently. Afar from this debate, we see head covering to be a matter of personal choice to every woman to choose, as she believes.

Moreover, head covering was not initiated by Islam, long before Prophet Muhammad, head covering was practiced in different areas of the worlds as a sort of religious manifestation for females. Christian head covering was practiced based on a Pauline tradition, in New Testament, we find the following verses from Paul ; "Any man who prays or prophesies with his head covered brings shame upon his head. But any woman who prays or prophesies with her head unveiled brings shame upon her head, for it is one and the same thing as if she had had her head shaved. For if a woman does not have her head veiled, she may as well have her hair cut off. But if it is shameful for a woman to have her hair cut off or her head shaved, then she should wear a veil" (First Corinthians: 4,5,6). We know that Katherine, the spouse of Martin Luther, the reformer and founder of Protestant was veiled. Vatican had only omitted the women from veiling their head in Church officially as late as 1983!! Surely, as a result of irresistible social trend, while the Coptic Church in Egypt is still promoting the goodness of wearing a head cover in Church at least. In addition, Judaism prior to Christianity, promoted head covering for married, widowed and divorced women and spared only virgins. Reference we find in Talmud in Kesuvos 72a declaring uncovering women head in a synagogue as a punishment.