"Unfortunately, as in Christianity, the religion was later hijacked by the men, who interpreted texts in a way that was negative for Muslim women.
Muhammad
encouraged women to play an active role in the affairs of the ummah,
and they expressed their views forthrightly, confident that they would
be heard. On one occasion, for example, the women of Medina had
complained to the Prophet that the men were outstripping them in the
study of the Quran and asked him to help them catch up. This He did.
One of their most important questions was why the Quran addressed men
only when women had also made their surrender to God. The result was a
revelation that addressed women as well as men and emphasized the
absolute moral and spiritual equality of the sexes. Thereafter the Quran
quite frequently addressed women explicitly, something that rarely
happens in either the Jewish or Christian scriptures.
The
Quran does not prescribe the veil (Niqab) for all women but only for
Muhammad's (s) wives, as a mark of their status. Once Islam had taken
its place in the civilized world, however,Muslim adopted those customs
of the Oikumene which relegated women to second-class status. They
adopted the customs of veiling women and secluding them in harems from
Persia and Christian Byzantium, where women had long been marginalized
in this way. By the time of the Abbasid caliphate (750-1258), the
position of Muslim women was as bad as that of their sisters in Jewish
and Christian society. Today Muslim feminists urge their menfolk to
return to the original spirit of the Quran.
This
reminds us that, like any other faith, Islam could be interpreted in a
number of different ways; consequently it evolved its own sects and
divisions:...
...During
Muhammad's (s) lifetime,this had included the equality of the sexes.
Today it is common in the west to depict Islam as an inherently
misogynistic religion, but, like Christianity, the religion of Allah was
originally positive for women.Women had been among Muhammad's (s)
earliest converts, and their emancipation was a project that was dear to
his heart.The Quran strictly forbade the killing of female children and
rebuked the Arabs for their dismay when a girl was born. It also gave
women legal rights of inheritance and divorce: most Western women had
nothing comparable until the nineteenth century. "
Excerpt from
The New York Times Bestseller
A HISTORY OF GOD
by Karen Armstrong
________________________________________________ ]
{Excerpt from ,Islamic Thoughts ,Author Shamsul Alam
Islamic Foundation Bangladesh,Published 1986
Page
316: " .....Many of us who are unknowingly fanatic about a particular
form and style of Parda do forget that the word Parda is not Quranic in
origin. Al Quran mentions of Al Hijab i.e. household privacy and
decorum, Jilbab i.e. outer garments. Al Hijab and Jilbab are not
identical with Parda system. It existed among the Persian for centuries
before the advent of our Prophet.
During the time of our Prophet(s) the present form of Burqa did not exist. The covering of the face was uncommon.
The Persians had the custom of veiling head, face and the body of the women. .......
When the Muslims came to Persia, they could not ignore the long-standing customs of the Persians.............."
Muhammad
encouraged women to play an active role in the affairs of the ummah,
and they expressed their views forthrightly, confident that they would
be heard. On one occasion, for example, the women of Medina had
complained to the Prophet that the men were outstripping them in the
study of the Quran and asked him to help them catch up. This He did.
One of their most important questions was why the Quran addressed men
only when women had also made their surrender to God. The result was a
revelation that addressed women as well as men and emphasized the
absolute moral and spiritual equality of the sexes. Thereafter the Quran
quite frequently addressed women explicitly, something that rarely
happens in either the Jewish or Christian scriptures.
The Quran does not prescribe the veil (Niqab) for all women but only for Muhammad's (s) wives, as a mark of their status. Once Islam had taken its place in the civilized world, however,Muslim adopted those customs of the Oikumene which relegated women to second-class status. They adopted the customs of veiling women and secluding them in harems from Persia and Christian Byzantium, where women had long been marginalized in this way. By the time of the Abbasid caliphate (750-1258), the position of Muslim women was as bad as that of their sisters in Jewish and Christian society. Today Muslim feminists urge their menfolk to return to the original spirit of the Quran.
This reminds us that, like any other faith, Islam could be interpreted in a number of different ways; consequently it evolved its own sects and divisions:...
...During Muhammad's (s) lifetime,this had included the equality of the sexes. Today it is common in the west to depict Islam as an inherently misogynistic religion, but, like Christianity, the religion of Allah was originally positive for women.Women had been among Muhammad's (s) earliest converts, and their emancipation was a project that was dear to his heart.The Quran strictly forbade the killing of female children and rebuked the Arabs for their dismay when a girl was born. It also gave women legal rights of inheritance and divorce: most Western women had nothing comparable until the nineteenth century. "
Excerpt from
The New York Times Bestseller
A HISTORY OF GOD
by Karen Armstrong
________________________________________________ ]
The Quran does not prescribe the veil (Niqab) for all women but only for Muhammad's (s) wives, as a mark of their status. Once Islam had taken its place in the civilized world, however,Muslim adopted those customs of the Oikumene which relegated women to second-class status. They adopted the customs of veiling women and secluding them in harems from Persia and Christian Byzantium, where women had long been marginalized in this way. By the time of the Abbasid caliphate (750-1258), the position of Muslim women was as bad as that of their sisters in Jewish and Christian society. Today Muslim feminists urge their menfolk to return to the original spirit of the Quran.
This reminds us that, like any other faith, Islam could be interpreted in a number of different ways; consequently it evolved its own sects and divisions:...
...During Muhammad's (s) lifetime,this had included the equality of the sexes. Today it is common in the west to depict Islam as an inherently misogynistic religion, but, like Christianity, the religion of Allah was originally positive for women.Women had been among Muhammad's (s) earliest converts, and their emancipation was a project that was dear to his heart.The Quran strictly forbade the killing of female children and rebuked the Arabs for their dismay when a girl was born. It also gave women legal rights of inheritance and divorce: most Western women had nothing comparable until the nineteenth century. "
Excerpt from
The New York Times Bestseller
A HISTORY OF GOD
by Karen Armstrong
________________________________________________ ]
{Excerpt from ,Islamic Thoughts ,Author Shamsul Alam
Islamic Foundation Bangladesh,Published 1986
Page
316: " .....Many of us who are unknowingly fanatic about a particular
form and style of Parda do forget that the word Parda is not Quranic in
origin. Al Quran mentions of Al Hijab i.e. household privacy and
decorum, Jilbab i.e. outer garments. Al Hijab and Jilbab are not
identical with Parda system. It existed among the Persian for centuries
before the advent of our Prophet.
During the time of our Prophet(s) the present form of Burqa did not exist. The covering of the face was uncommon.
The Persians had the custom of veiling head, face and the body of the women. .......
When the Muslims came to Persia, they could not ignore the long-standing customs of the Persians.............."
