chapter 6
CHAPTER 6
Woman’s Status in the Logic of
Revelation
O Mary! God hath chosen thee and purified thee above the women
of
all nations.[Holy Quran: Al-i-Imran 3:42]
God's
Pure Religion
The revered
religion of Islam fundamentally differs from other religions and schools of
thought in all areas. The Shiite school of thought is actually Islam interpreted
by the Household of the Prophet (Pbuh) and the rightful successors to the Noble
Prophet Muhammad (Pbuh). The Orthodox Islam has been expressed in the words of
the Impeccable Imams. It differs greatly from all other schools of thought,
cultures and religions in regards to its views on and description of monotheism,
the Day of Judgment, the angels, the Prophethood, the religious leadership (Imamat),
the Quran, the individual, the family, the society, materialistic and spiritual
affairs, moral and practical matters, woman, man, offspring, business affairs,
training and education, governmental issues, etc.
What Islam states
in this regard is pure fact and measures which are in accord with the physical
world and our inner being. In short, Islam's viewpoints are in line with the
facts which exist in God's Knowledge and the real world. What is expressed by
the interpreters of truth in the religion of Islam is the product of their pure
knowledge and divine insight, and is extracted from the depth of the Quranic
verses.
The issues
existing in this religion originate in the Glorious Quran. The Holy Quran starts
with the description of Mercifulness, Beneficence and Sovereignty of God. The
interpretation of these facts originates in the angelic, divine heart of the
Prophet of Islam (Pbuh); and continues in the statements of the Immaculate Imams
starting with Ali (Pbuh), the son of Abu Talib: It ends with the twelfth Imam's
statements.
"Merciful"
(Ar-Rahman) is one of God's especial names, and is not meant to be used for
others; however, "Benevolent" (Ar-Rahim) can also be applied to
others. Both adjectives have the same root in Arabic "rahmat" implies
when
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translated that God is Merciful. Some interpreters of the Quranic verses hold
the view that "Merciful" refers to God's general Mercy for all people,
whether they are good or bad; while "Beneficent" refers to God's
especial Mercy for his obedient, pious servants. His "Mercifulness" is
to be manifested in this world, but His "Beneficence" will be granted
in the Hereafter.
One cannot,
however, see any difference between the two in the Holy Quran:
But My Mercy
extendeth to all things. [Holy Quran: A'raf 7:156]
It is noteworthy
that this divine attribute can be realized in the creation of all creatures, in
provisions for their sustenance and their security against catastrophes.
Man's
supplication, using these two attributes, results in a mystic state and an
especial spirit and joy. This will in turn result in God's attention and favor
to his servant. It has been noted in the Islamic literature that God said:
I am ashamed of
not responding positively to man's request should he invoke me through my
Mercifulness and Beneficence.
The creation of
people and providing for their sustenance is the realization of His
Mercifulness, and their guidance and prosperity is the product of His
Beneficence. God has commended His Mercifulness in other forms in the Glorious
Quran in phrases such as "the Best of the mercifuls", "the Most
Merciful of the mercifuls" and "Possessing Mercy."
Even though
figures cannot be used to express God's Mercifulness, the Prophet (Pbuh) has
tangibly explained the matter to help people understand it:
There exist one
hundred of God's Mercies. God distributed one of these over the seven Heavens
and the Earth. He grants all people whatever they deserve with just that one
mercy; and the people are loving and merciful to each other with what they gain
from that one mercy. He has kept the other ninety-nine with Him so that on the
Day of Judgment He add them to that one and distribute them amongst the obedient
believers.
Sovereignty
implies ownership since God's Ownership spans over all creatures and worlds and
is irrevocable. He is an Owner who has full power over the growth and
development of all creatures. The connection between His Ownership and plans for
all existing particles is real, eternal and intrinsic. Therefore, it is not
reasonable for man to choose another Lord or Owner, or accept any plans or laws
other than His.
Real monotheism
can be really demonstrated in all aspects of life if man wholeheartedly submits
to His Ownership and Plans and rejects any other ownership or claims thereof. He
must reject any culture or school of thought which oppressively intends to grasp
a hold on man's life. The delightful phrase "There is no God but God"
carries exactly the same meaning in all aspects of life.
Verily Gods' Mercy
and His Light of Sovereignty encompass man's whole physical and spiritual needs,
and God's Plans, Benevolence and Favor guarantee man's prosperity in this world
and the Hereafter.
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The Supplication of the Divine Prophets for
God's
Sovereignty and Mercy
All
divine Prophets rejected all lords and owners, plans, mercy and favor other than
God's. They considered themselves to belong to Him and be the objects of His
Lordship and worshippers of the Worshipped at all times. They carried out an
all-out war against undue claimants to Sovereignty. Some of them lost their
lives to safeguard this monotheistic culture and God's Sovereignty and Mercy
forever. They would always implore God's Sovereignty and Mercy at times of
hardship and need. Adam (Pbuh) stated:
Our Lord ! We have
wronged our own souls: If Thou forgive us not and bestow not upon us thy Mercy,
we shall certainly be lost. [Holy Quran: A'raf 7:23]
Noah in his
prayers to free the believers and himself and to uproot oppression, said:
O my Lord! Leave
not of the unbelievers, a single one on earth! [Holy Quran: Nuh 71:26] Abraham (Pbuh)
used to pray like this:
O our Lord! I have
made some of my offspring to dwell in a valley without cultivation, by Thy
Sacred House; In order, O our Lord, that they may establish regular prayer.
[Holy Quran: Abraham 14:37]
Moses implored God
during a time of hardship at the town gates of Madin and said:
O my Lord ! truly
am I in (desperate) need of any good that Thou dost send me! [Holy Quran: Qasas
28:24]
The Prophet Joseph
(Pbuh) said:
O my Lord ! Thou
hast indeed bestowed on me some power, and taught me something of the
interpretation of dreams and events-O Thou creator of the heavens and the earth!
Thou art my protector in this world and in the Hereafter. Take Thou my soul (at
death) as one submitting to Thy Will (as a Muslim), and unite me with the
righteous. [Holy Quran: Yusuf 12:101]
Zacharias stated:
O my Lord ! leave
me not without offspring, though Thou art the best of inheritors. [Holy Quran:
Anbiyaa 21:89]
God taught His
Noble Prophet to pray like this:
O my Lord! grant
Thou forgiveness and mercy! For Thou art the Best of those who show mercy! [Holy
Quran: Mu-minun 23:118]
God narrates that
His Saints and Lovers stand in prayer in the darkness of the night saying:
Our Lord! not for
naught Hast Thou created (all) this! [Holy Quran: Al-Imran 3:191]
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The word
"Lord" (Rabb) has repeatedly been uttered in the prayers of the
Immaculate Imams: namely; Dua i-Kumail, Abu-Hamzeh, Arafeh and the fifteen
supplications of Imam Sajjad (Pbuh). The supplication of the Prophets to their
Lord and the repeated occurrence of the word "Lord" in these prayers
is a clear manifestation of the importance of this issue and its influence on
all aspects of man's life. Those who prayed not only implored God's sovereignty
and Mercy in words, but also this encompassed their entire life, all their
beliefs, actions and morality - both theoretically and practically.
The Grand Status of Worshipping God
Men
and women are essentially similar to each other. They are not any different in
the way they develop towards perfection, show signs of humanity, and attain
spiritual status. They will be saved from being entrapped in selfish desires and
being slaves to false deities, if they accept God's Sovereignty. They can do
this by following their inherent inclinations; and by benefiting from wisdom,
Prophethood, religious Leadership (Imamat), sympathetic teachers and qualified
trainers. Thus, they will accept God's Sovereignty, Plans and Guidance in all
aspects of life and remain secure from satanic cultures and wrong schools of
thought. In this way they will benefit from belonging to the True Owner and will
attain a lofty angelic status.
In their outward
appearance and natural disposition, men and women are an example of God's
Mercifulness, Beneficence and Sovereignty. This fact is expressed in the verses
of the Holy Scripture 14 and there is no room for doubt. Woman is
human possessing spiritual talents and aptitude. In the logic of divine
revelations, woman has the same identity and essence as man. She is divine Mercy
and a sign of God's Sovereignty.
The following are
all evil results left over from oppressive cultures, Pharaohs of the past and
claimants to man's ownership: belittling and attacking her; not respecting her
rights; not satisfying her legitimate wants; considering her to be a weak human;
unjustly divorcing her and discrimination between the two sexes. In the old days
when some fathers had a daughter in Italy, they became really happy.
They thought that
they had received new property which they could sell as an aid thirteen or
fourteen years later meeting their household expenses. At times, they burned
women in a big pan of frying olive oil when they got angry with them. Women were
used as maids or sex objects and are still deprived of many of their due rights.
But in the logic of revelations and in God's religion, women are considered as
having a high status with spiritual essence and are full of divine powers and
lots of talents.
If women
recognized their own position and protected their human status and if they
benefited from the excellent Islamic teachings for their training and
____________
14 the Holy Quran
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development, then they would be able to reach the position of holy Mary, the
noble Khadijah and the esteemed Zaynab. Thus, they can reach a status which
ensures their nearness to God. Otherwise they will earn nothing but eternal
damnation and worldly degradation, if they do not appreciate God's blessings
just as some men do.
Woman in the Logic of Revelation
We
read in the great commentary called Majma ul-Bayana [v.8, p.358]
Esma, the daughter
of Amis, and wife of Jafar, the son of Abi Talib, went to visit the Prophet's
wives upon returning from their divine emigration to Ethiopia which was done to
safeguard the religion. She asked them if there existed any verses in the Holy
Quran regarding women. They answered no. Then she rushed to see the Prophet (Pbuh)
and told him that women were in despair and at a loss. The Prophet (Pbuh) asked
the reason. She answered men have been favorably mentioned in the Holy Quran.
God the Benevolent
revealed:
For Muslim men and
women, - for believing men and women, for devout men and women, for true men and
women, for men and women who are patient and constant, for men and women who
humble themselves, for men and women who give in charity, for men and women who
fast (and deny themselves), for men and women who guard their chastity, and for
men and women who engage much in God's praise, - for them God has prepared
forgiveness and great reward. [Holy Quran: Ahzab 33:35]
It is clearly
stated in this verse that women, just like men, can attain ten angelic spiritual
positions and attain God's forgiveness and a great reward in the Hereafter: 1)
Islam (submission to God); 2) Faith; 3) Obedience; 4) Truthfulness; 5) Patience
and perseverance; 6) Humbleness and fear of God's Glory and Punishment; 7)
Benevolence and charity; 8) Fasting; 9) Self-control of carnal desires and 10)
Remembrance of God.
Esma, the daughter
of Yazid Ansary went to see the Prophet Muhammad (Pbuh) when he was with his
companions. She said: "May my parents bestow their lives upon you. I am a
representative of other women. No woman in the East or the West disagrees with
me. You are appointed to men and women by God. We have faith in you and God.
However, women are really restricted to the house. They submit to their husbands
to satisfy their lust and will be pregnant for a long time. However, men can
freely attend the congregation and Friday prayers; visit the sick; attend burial
ceremonies; go on pilgrimage several times; and most important of all, fight in
the way of God. While men go on pilgrimage or to guard the country borders,
women guard their property, sew their clothes and raise children. What do we
earn from this partnership?"
The Prophet (Pbuh)
asked his companions if they had ever heard of anything better than what she had
said in regards to her religion. They said they did not
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think she had discovered such realities so properly. The Prophet (Pbuh)
addressed her and said: "Go and admonish all other women that if they are
good wives for their husbands, and if they seek to please their husbands, and if
they are complaisant with their husbands regarding daily affairs, then their
reward equals all that their husbands can earn through all the acts you
mentioned." The woman departed happily chanting:
"There is no
god but God. He is the Greatest". [Mizan al-Hikmat, v.9, p.96]
The eighth Imam
has narrated his forefathers quoting the Prophet (Pbuh):
In the presence of
God the believer is similar to the nearest angels. Verily a believer has a
higher status than angels. Nothing is better liked by God than a repenting
believing man or woman.
Intellect and Lust as Measures for Prosperity or
Misery
Intellect
is the force that aids in understanding and accepting facts, planning for health
and prosperity and designing beneficial affairs in man's life. This precious
pearl has been interpreted as the inner Prophet in traditions from the Holy
Household of the Prophet Muhammad (Pbuh). [Usul al-Kafy, Chapter on the
Intellect]
Lust is a natural
God-given instinct which can be used to derive pleasure from life, and provides
for a motivation to strive for the life of this world and also, at times for the
Hereafter. If it is bound using one's intellect, life will be good, and God's
Mercy will be bestowed upon it. Man's existence would then exemplify human
traits and his worth would be higher than that of the angels.
But if our
intellect is enslaved by lust, it will not be able to guide us. Then unbounded
lust and numerous desires will govern our lives. Once man follows lust he will
not be able to see anything but material affairs. His criteria in life will be
based on food and lust. All signs of humanity will vanish in him, and he will
become worse than the beasts.
It is narrated
that Abdullah, the son of Sanan, asked Imam Sadiq (Pbuh) whether men or angels
were superior to each other. He responded that the Commander of the Faithful Ali
(Pbuh) said:
God the Glorious
and the Almighty has given angels intellect with no lust; the animals have lust
without intellect; and man has both intellect and lust. Whoever can govern his
lust with his intellect is superior to the angels, and whoever loses control of
his intellect or his lust is inferior to the animals. [Bihar al-Anwar, v.57,
p.299]
This is true for
both men and women. A women can also be nobler than the angels should this be
manifested in her. But if she ignores intellectual foresight, the inner light
and the prophet within, and strives for jewelry and ornaments for
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lustful seduction of others, then she will be worse than animals, just like
infidels, and corrupt men.