SALAFIYYAH AND FEMINISM

SALAFIYYAH AND FEMINISM

Question:

What stance should the Salafis have for the feminist movements we have nowadays? Is it correct to say that feminism and Islam go hand in hand, as some “Muslim feminists” proclaim?

Answer:
Bismillaahi wassalatu wassalaamu alaa rasoolillahi amma ba’ad

Nowadays, many people understand that feminism gives women the freedom to be treated as equals to men in the society, by having the right to work, drive and live like men. Hence, they mock Islaam and its teachings, by saying that Islaam oppresses a woman by restricting her freedom in matters of her life.

For this reason, the feminists want the Muslim women to listen to their worthless call, one which ends up in Ikthilaat (free-mixing between genders), rape, abortion, prostitution and the likes of these disastrous evils that has struck many parts of the world.

As a matter of fact, feminism oppresses the women because they are forced to take the same burden as the men, if not higher, although Allaah سبحانه و تعالى did not give the women the same ability as the man as in the following evidences, from the Kitaab (The Book)

……الرِّجَالُ قَوَّامُونَ عَلَى النِّسَاءِ بِمَا فَضَّلَ اللَّهُ بَعْضَهُمْ عَلَىٰ بَعْضٍ وَبِمَا أَنفَقُوا مِنْ أَمْوَالِهِمْ ۚ فَالصَّالِحَاتُ قَانِتَاتٌ حَافِظَاتٌ لِّلْغَيْبِ بِمَا حَفِظَ اللَّهُ

“Men are the protectors and maintainers of women, because Allaah has made one of them to excel the other, and because they spend (to support them) from their means. Therefore the righteous women are devoutly obedient (to Allah and to their husbands), and guard in the husband’s absence what Allah orders them to guard (e.g. their chastity, their husband’s property, etc)”……[Surah an-Nisa’ (4), Aayah 34] 

and the Sunnah as in the Hadith of Abu Sa`id Al-Khudri:

 عَنْ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ الْخُدْرِيِّ، قَالَ خَرَجَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فِي أَضْحًى ـ أَوْ فِطْرٍ ـ إِلَى الْمُصَلَّى، فَمَرَّ عَلَى النِّسَاءِ فَقَالَ ‏”‏ يَا مَعْشَرَ النِّسَاءِ تَصَدَّقْنَ، فَإِنِّي أُرِيتُكُنَّ أَكْثَرَ أَهْلِ النَّارِ ‏”‏‏.‏ فَقُلْنَ وَبِمَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ قَالَ ‏”‏ تُكْثِرْنَ اللَّعْنَ، وَتَكْفُرْنَ الْعَشِيرَ، مَا رَأَيْتُ مِنْ نَاقِصَاتِ عَقْلٍ وَدِينٍ أَذْهَبَ لِلُبِّ الرَّجُلِ الْحَازِمِ مِنْ إِحْدَاكُنَّ ‏”‏‏.‏ قُلْنَ وَمَا نُقْصَانُ دِينِنَا وَعَقْلِنَا يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ قَالَ ‏”‏ أَلَيْسَ شَهَادَةُ الْمَرْأَةِ مِثْلَ نِصْفِ شَهَادَةِ الرَّجُلِ ‏”‏‏.‏ قُلْنَ بَلَى‏.‏ قَالَ ‏”‏ فَذَلِكَ مِنْ نُقْصَانِ عَقْلِهَا، أَلَيْسَ إِذَا حَاضَتْ لَمْ تُصَلِّ وَلَمْ تَصُمْ ‏”‏‏.‏ قُلْنَ بَلَى‏.‏ قَالَ ‏”‏ فَذَلِكَ مِنْ نُقْصَانِ دِينِهَا

Once Allah’s Apostle went out to the Musalla (to offer the prayer) o `Id-al-Adha or Al-Fitr prayer. Then he passed by the women and said, “O women! Give alms, as I have seen that the majority of the dwellers of Hell-fire were you (women).” They asked, “Why is it so, O Allah’s Apostle ?” He replied, “You curse frequently and are ungrateful to your husbands. I have not seen anyone more deficient in intellect and religion than you. A cautious sensible man could be led astray by some of you.” The women asked, “O Allah’s Apostle! What is deficient in our intellect and religion?” He said, “Is not the evidence of two women equal to the witness of one man?” They replied in the affirmative. He said, “This is the deficiency in her intellect. Isn’t it true that a woman can neither pray nor fast during her menses?” The women replied in the affirmative. He said, “This is the deficiency in her religion.”[Sahih al Bukhari, Volume 1, Book 6, Hadith 301]

From some of the many evils of feminism is encouraging women to mix freely with men, and for women to compromise their chastity and modesty by taking off their veils, and giving the woman the right to divorce her husband whenever she wants or chooses to and numerous other evils. All of this causes such common situations as is seen in the West nowadays, where nearly every marriage ends up in divorce and where almost every young girl has lost her virginity because of Zinaa (adultery). The statistics are alarming and the root causes for these, are such evil ideologies such as women’s rights, feminism and the likes.

All of this shows us that Islaam does not go hand in hand with feminism. Those activists who support and fight for such ideologies want our Muslim women to be cheated in every way and lose her dignity and respect just like what has happened to their women, who have become as cheap a commodity as cigarettes. Hence, they also lead the children astray by taking the mother away from the home, by giving her such unwanted rights.

Allaah enjoins that which gives every human being, that which he or she is entitled or is able to do and this is called Al-Adl (justice), as Allaah says in the following verse:

إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَأْمُرُ بِالْعَدْلِ

“Verily, Allah enjoins Al-Adl….”  [Surah an-Nahl (16), Aayah 90] 

and He does not enjoin equality of the sexes as He has created one to excel over the other, as stated in the aforementioned verse of Surah an-Nisa.

Wallaahu ta’ala A’lam

Answered by Ahmad Banajah
Transcribed by Abu Abdillaah Muhammad Rifkhan