Spiritual Equality of Men and Women - Synthesis of Iman

Spiritual Equality of Men and Women

Ayah quoted above states the view of Islam in relation to the equality of men and women. The Ayah refers to the fact that men and women enjoy an equal status in the domains of spirituality, morality and seeking of  religious stature. The apparent differences in disposition and bodily makeup of the two genders is only for sociological reasons. Whereas, in reality, when it comes to virtuous deeds, charitable works, and working for the cause of Islam, there is absolutely no difference in the status of two genders. The field is wide open for both genders to outdo each other in these arenas. No efforts of anyone shall be lost, whether male or female. This is evident from the fact that due to their spirituality, morality and purity, many great and exalted women – for example, Maryam (RAA), Khadijah (RAA), `Aisha (RAA) and Fatimah (RAA) – will outdo, surpass and be elevated much higher above the ranks of a great number of men in the Hereafter.

A Glimpse of Siddiqeen’s Character

The remaining Ayahs of the passage portray the personality traits of the siddiqeen:

“…those who have left their homes or been driven out or suffered harm in My cause and killed and were killed. Surely I will blot out from them their iniquities and admit them into gardens with rivers flowing beneath; a reward from the presence of Allah and with Him is the best of rewards.”

[al-Qur’an 3:195]

The above Ayah mentions hijrah which is usually understood in a limited sense of migration. However, it may be taken here in its widest sense. The literal meaning of hijrah is: “to part”, “to leave”, and “to abandon”. This abandoning admits of various stages and levels during the course of a person’s life. The Prophet (SAW) was questioned: “Which hijrah is the greatest?” To this he (SAW) replied,

“That you abandon all that is disliked by your Lord”. This defines the first stage of hijrah; that of abandoning all haram (unlawful) practices.

The final stage is the one mentioned in the passage under discussion: to leave one’s homeland where it becomes impossible to adhere to one’s religion and migrate elsewhere for the sake of Islam. Hence, siddiqeen are people who give up all actions disliked by their Lord (SWT); they even part from their families if they insist on disobeying Allah (SWT) and, in the final analysis, if it is so required, they leave their homelands and migrate to another place to uphold their faith and to act on Islamic injunctions in their totality.

The next portion of the Ayah refers to those who were “driven out.” One may object to this assertion and instead say that the Makkans did not ask the Muslims to leave Makkah. In fact they wanted to keep them there. However, the fact of matter was that the persecution meted out to the Muslims had become so severe that it became impossible for them to stay in Makkah. Hence, the Muslims were forced to leave their houses in Makkah and migrate elsewhere to freely practice their faith in peace and security. The severity and extent of the persecution dished out to Muslims is mentioned in the next portion as “suffered harm in My cause”. The physical torture of Bilal (RAA) and Khabbaab (RAA) and the murders of Sumiyyah (RAA) and Yasir (RAA) are only few examples of oppression and tyranny suffered by the Muslims at the hands of the pagan Makkans. One may ask: what was the crime of these individuals? It was nothing more than that they renounced the pagan ideology and practices of their godless society and proclaimed their belief in the Unity of God (SWT) and divine messenger-ship of Muhammad (SAW).

Thus far the conditions mentioned were those of Makkan life. Now the Ayah mentions the struggle experienced in the life of Madinah as: “killed and were killed.” In Makkah, the Muslims were commanded to refrain from retaliation, however, this restriction was lifted in Madinah and they took to the battle field. In this endeavor they fought, killed, and were killed themselves. The martyrdom on the battle field for the sake of Truth, justice and peace is the highest good, the epitome of virtuous conduct in Islam. Hence, the siddiqeen are not just the people of spiritual pursuits alone; rather, they fully partake of the struggles and hardships of life, without seeking escape to jungles and mountains. They are so dynamic and full of religious conviction that they do not hesitate to move forward in the battlefield and lay down their lives for the cause of their faith. 

For this service and loyalty, they are promised by their Lord (SWT): “Surely I will blot out from them their iniquities”; that is, all mistakes and sins (major and minor) committed by them will be washed away in return for their struggle for Islam and hardships suffered in this cause. More than this, they will be admitted “into gardens with rivers flowing beneath; a special reward from Allah”. The mention of “special reward from Allah” is of particular importance. These rewards shall be bestowed upon them from special treasures of Allah (SWT) possessed only by Him. The final words of the passage, “with Him is the best of rewards”, should be heeded. Our whole life is defined by struggles and hardships. We struggle, toil and labor for the sake of our children, our careers, for other worldly benefits, but none of these objects of fancy provide us any certainty of due payback. Often all such worldly efforts fail and in the end we are left with nothing but sorrow and loss. However, every deed, every investment and every moment spent for the sake of Allah (SWT), for His cause, for His deen is saved and earns blissful eternal life for the rewards of such endeavors are everlasting.  Consequently, only Allah (SWT) has the Power and the Authority to fully recompense all our deeds in due proportion.

The End

Source: Synthesis of Iman