Prophet Muhammed’s just treatment of women

Milad-ul-nabi special

Prophet Muhammed’s Peace Be Upon Him (PBUH) way of treating women was exemplary. One wished that Muslims followed that in spirit and content—which unfortunately, has not been happening.

The women once complained that the Prophet had not fixed a day for meeting them in assembly, and that they could not take proper advantage of the time fixed for the people in general. The prophet thereupon fixed a day for meeting women exclusively.

At these gatherings, women used to pose questions fearlessly and openly and the Prophet always showed special consideration towards them as they were a highly sensitive section of the populace. The men used to wonder at the kindness and consideration shown by him towards the women.

In today’s modern age, there are widespread ethnic conflicts and social unrest stemming from language and cast. Parts of Africa, Asia and Europe are engulfed in ethnic cleansing of innocent women, children and the aged. For impending excesses in his time, Prophet Muhammed (PBUH) strictly prohibited his commanders to harm theses sections, even during wars. He also declared that no one enjoys superiority against fellow humans on the basis of cast, colour or language.

Another form of injustice then, was shabby treatment to women. A female was considered a commodity rather than what Islam perceives—an equal partner of man in most aspects. People considered being a father of a girl-child as an insult. Inhuman fathers buried their daughters. The Prophet used to say, “Anyone who is blessed with the birth of a girl and does not bury her alive in the manner of pagan days and does look down upon her; such a man will surely be admitted to the Paradise by Allah.”

But what’s shocking is the fact that things that seemed to belong to the past are still rampant in the form of religious fanaticism, cajoling leaders, marauding politicians and the most horrendous of those indulging in rape and outraging the modesty of women.

This situation makes the message of Prophet Muhammed (PBUH) more relevant to the world. Salvation in this apathetic situation lies in following the instructions of Prophet Muhammed as the holy Quran says, “Surely best example for you lies in the life of Prophet.” (chapter: 33, verse: 21)

Once, when a number of young girls were talking freely to the Prophet, Hazrat Umar (RA) happened to pass that way. Seeing him approach, the girls dispersed and when Umar asked them the reason, they said they feared him and not the Prophet as the latter talked to them more softly than Umar did.

Another time while the Prophet was taking rest in Ayesha’s hujrah (sanctum sanctorum) and many girls outside were frolicking around in sing-song, Hazrat Abu Bakar (RA) entered and rebuked the girls for disturbing the Prophet, who in turn, stopped him from reprimanding them as that was Eid day and that they should be allowed to enjoy.

To the Prophet, divorce was unacceptable. He has made it clear that Islam does not regard it desirable. A hadith of the Prophet states: “The most repugnant of things made lawful in the sight of God is divorce.”

A Sahaba (companion) went to Prophet Muhammed saying that his wife had too many bad qualities and he wanted to divorce her. At that the Prophet advised him that he should spend his life with her only harping on her good qualities even if those were far too less.

If we analyse the condition of the women during the time of Prophet Muhammed (PBUH), it would be depicted that they were not as suppressed as they are today. Women used to participate in wars along with men, nursing them and taking care of them in the battlefield by serving water of course with a hijab (veil). In the same manner another famous Muslim woman, Maimoona, constituted an army of women. Rufaidah, a doctor, established a hospital at the Masjid-e-Nabavi. In her nursing home she had the most modern methods of those times for curing the diseased and the injured.

Truth is that Arabs were the most barbaric of tribes just before the appearance of Prophet Muhammed (PBUH) as they subjected women to the most heinous of atrocities. It was the Prophet who released women from all sorts of evil bondages. However, today the followers of his faith are not following this most advanced and practical religion as we see many ‘Shah Banos’, ‘Ameenas’ and ‘Hameedans’ in India.

To conclude, Bosworth Smith, in his book, ‘Muhammed and Muhammedanism’ (1874) writes, “…Head of state as well as the Church, he was Caesar and Pope in one and also the Knight; but he was Pope without the Pope’s pretension, Caesar without the legions of Caesar and Knight being a chivalrous man. Without a standing army, without a bodyguard, without a palace, without fixed revenue, if ever any man has the right to say that he ruled by the right divine, it was Mohammad, for he had all the power without its instruments and without its supports…”

By:Firoz Bakht Ahmed

(The author is a commentator on social, educational and religious issues and grandnephew of Maulana Azad)