The women have always been situated in the centre of politicised ideology debates. To many, she is the visual symbol of inherently misogynist religion that deprives her of autonomy and self-realization, she is always constituted as a figure of subjugation, embedded, and controlled by the society. The media and the popular culture in the west portray women in Islam as oppressed and that their liberation can take place only outside Islam. The status of women in Muslim countries has been long looked to as evidence of Islam’s oppression of women. But the true picture of women in Islam is far more complex and clearer with more emphasis on the gender equality. The glorious Quran has it all. However, it must be recognized and understood away from many of the presuppositions of the many interpreters and commentators. The Quran interpreted the role of a woman as a human entity. It does not merely concern Muslim woman, nor woman as a part of a gender group, but it concerns woman as an autonomous human being. Most Islamic societies have been patriarchal, and women have long been considered the culture barriers within these societies. Prior to the twentieth century, the Quran, Hadith and Islamic law were interpreted by men in these patriarchal societies, and these interpretations reflect this kind of environment. Women were not actively engaged in interpreting the Quran, Hadith, or Islamic law. Since then, however the Islamic scholars are of the view that Hadith favouring men need reinterpretation. In early period of Islamic history, Muslim women enjoyed the freedom of movement and participated in many spheres of social life. They co-operated with men in both military and civil life. The social institutions and environment enabled them to make full use of their potentialities. The historical records shows that Prophet PBUH consulted women and weighed there opinion seriously. Women were involved in Hadith transmission, gave sanctuary to men, engaged in commercial transactions, were encouraged to seek knowledge, and were both instructors and pupils in the early Islamic period. Prophet’s PBUH last wife, Aishah (May Allah have mercy on her, was a well-known authority in medicine, history, and rhetoric. Khadija (May Allah have mercy on her) the first wife of Prophet PBUH was a successful business woman. Even after the marriage to Prophet PBUH, she continued her business and even used her profits to support the cause of prophetic mission. There have been women who have accompanied Prophet PBUH to the battle fields. Nusaybah bint Kaab was a woman who protected the Prophet in the battle of Uhud with great valour and courage. During the treaty of Hudaybiyyah, considered as strategic masterstroke by Prophet PBHU, He consulted his wife Ummu Salama (May Allah Have mercy on her) when his followers refused to follow his instructions, out of protest to this treaty, as they thought it was an unfair agreement. Her able advice helped Prophet PBUH to deviate any further escalation.

There is lot of debate going on about women as leaders as well. However, during the caliphate of Umar (May Allah have mercy on him) women namely Shifa bint Abdullah and Samra Nuhayak where assigned the duty as head of Markets in Medina and Mecca. They used to control, monitor, and supervise the entire marketplace of Medina and Mecca. Both where respected for their intelligence of learning and wisdom. They were very active in discharging their duties in public sphere. This clearly depicts that without having the gender in considerations women were assigned the role of head of a marketplace because of their knowledge and wisdom. Further, The Quran mentions about the Queen of Sheba in the times of Prophet Suleiman (AS). It says she was a wise and intelligent ruler. Rather than focusing on her gender, the Quranic account of this queen describes her ability to fulfil the requirements of her office, her independent judgement, and her political skills, portraying a woman serving as an effective political leader. It has been mentioned that because of the will of Almighty Allah and her wisdom she became a monotheist. No woman though had held religious titles in Islam, but many women held political power, some jointly with their husbands, others independently. The best-known women rulers in the pre-modern era include Khayzuran, who governed the Muslim Empire under three Abbasid caliphs in the eighth century; Malika Asma bint Shihab al-Sulayhiyya and Malika Arwa bint Ahmad al-Sulayhiyya, who both held power in Yemen in the eleventh century,Sitt al-Mulk , a Fatimid queen of Egypt in the eleventh century, the Berber queen Zaynab al-Nafzawiyah and many more. Thus, if a woman fulfils all the criteria of a leader and if being advised as best among others, can lead the community in general. Many scholars however reject the women’s role as leaders giving reference to the Hadith mentioned in the book Sahih al Bukhari “that a nation with a women ruler will never succeed”. This is just the one hadith of such nature and there has been quite extensive discussion among the scholars on the authenticity of this hadith. The most notable draw is one of the narrators Abu Bakrah (May Allah have mercy on him) who was one of the companions of Prophet PBUH punished for false testimony against the Aisha (May Allah have mercy on her) in the event of false allegation against her. However, many scholars are of the opinion that credibility remains as the companion of the Prophet PBHU has repented and forgiven by Prophet PBUH. Despite this many scholars do differ in the applicability of the hadith. This misogynist conception about women in Islam has come through these false and fabricated sayings attributed by some to Prophet PBUH. After the Prophet PBUH death, as time passed, people’s desires increased and trails became rife, they began to call their own ideas and theories to the extent that they began to quote one thing or the other to the noble Prophet PBUH to justify any act of worship or any trail or issue they faced which was not clearly defined by the glorious Quran. Thus, it should be noted with utmost care that when quoting any of the sayings of Prophet PBUH, one should be very careful about the authenticity of the Hadith mentioned and the chain of the narrators involved as this is directly attributed to Prophet PBUH. Furthermore, it should be always in synchronisation with what the glorious Quran says. (To Be Continued)

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