Woman and Society [Electronic resources] نسخه متنی

working.

2. The husband must agree to let
his wife work through mutual understanding. That is when she wants to work
without a previous stipulation. Sometimes the husband disagrees to let his wife
work. This does not mean that Islamic law prevents her from working. However,
that depends on the relationship between the husband and his wife.

3. If a woman had worked before the
marriage contract, a work contract is valid, even though work opposes her
husband's right.

4. When the wife works without
permission from her husband, the correctness of permission depends on the
approval of the husband in what contradicts the rights of husband. The contract
is valid in what does not contradict his right.

5. The precept which woman makes
to hire herself to service includes all work contracts she makes.

When we study the precepts of
Islamic law, we will not find any text that prevents woman from working in the
first title. Rather, those who prevent woman from working outdoors produce
evidence of that. Some people say that when woman works in mixed foundations,
she will be corrupted, and will commit unlawful acts. This means that woman's
work is unlawful because of the mixed work that leads her to commit unlawful
acts.

It is necessary to mention here
that all work that leads to unlawful things is forbidden for both man and
woman. Therefore, it is obligatory to prevent mixed work and to employ the
person needed for the regardless of whether the person is a man or woman.

From interpreting this holy verse:
"and We did raise some of them above the others in rank, so that
some of them may take the others in subjection", it is clear that abilities, merits, and readiness
for work differ from one person to another, regardless of the person being a
man or woman, and that exchanging interests and satisfying service and material
needs can be achieved by all the members of society. Every individual,
regardless of his gender, offers his effort and ability to satisfy the needs of
society. Meanwhile the individual satisfies his needs through the process of
the service and material exchange in society.

Therefore, the farmer offers
agricultural products, the engineer and the technician make the instruments,
the doctor offers medical treatments, the teacher teaches, the merchant secures
commodities in the market, the soldier defends his country, the night watchman
struggles against theives, etc.

When we study and analyze all
Islamic concepts and precepts, we will find that Islam does not prevent woman
from working or from getting knowledge. The woman has the right to practice any
work she wants, such as agriculture, industry, medicine, engineering,
administration, political jobs([2]), driving cars and planes, teaching and education, etc.

Man and woman have the right to
practice all lawful work. Both man and woman are equal before the precepts of
Islamic law. The difference between man and woman lies in some duties that
concern both of them or in some powers which have been built on scientific
bases that take into consideration the psychological and biological structure
of both man and woman to organize and manage social life.

Accordingly, work is permitted in
Islamic law. Rather it is sometimes obligatory. No work is forbidden in Islam
except those which Islamic law has forbidden, or that leads to unlawful deeds.
Some people regard it forbidden for woman to work. Such people must produce
evidence in support of their claim. For there is no religious proof for that.

The religious scholars have
analyzed religious obligatories and divided them into collective and
individual. Through studying the collective duty, we can conclude that Islam
has made it incumbent on both man and woman to secure social services such as
medicine, engineering, teaching, agriculture, trade, transport, security, etc.
Sometimes collective duty becomes individual duty, regardless of whether the
individual is a man or woman.

From this we understand that the
division and carrying out of functional work in society stand on two bases:
individual and collective. In both cases, Islam does not make any difference
between man and woman. Rather, Islam makes it incumbent on woman to learn jobs
that concern women such as medicine and teaching.

Woman and Political Work

Woman's rights are among the basic
matters that face intellectual and civilizational discussion in the 20th
century. Among these rights are woman's participation in political life and
work.

We find it strange that those who
support woman's rights accuse Islam and Islamic beliefs of depriving woman of
participating in political life and work. They support their claims with the
political and social situations which they witness in Muslim countries. They do
not differentiate between Islam, as regime, law and principles, and those of
Muslims who do not represent Islam through their social and political actions.
What they see in the society of Muslims is different from Islam. The picture of
woman in that society of Muslims, the way of treating her, and her value in
society opposes Islam, have resulted from views and concepts that have arisen
from social practices, habits, and customs that do not represent Islam,
especially as it concerns the attitude towards woman in political, social,
cultural, and scientific fields, and her relationship with man.

In Islamic thought, policy means
taking care of the affairs of the community in all of its vital fields, and
leading its movement in the way of Islam. So, policy is a general social responsibility.
All Muslims are responsible for it. In the terms of a religious scholar, that
responsibility is an individual obligation. In it the command and address is
directed to all Muslims, regardless of whether they are men or women, but some
exceptions exist.

In this connection, Allah, the
Exalted, says:

"...that: Establish
you the religion and be you not divided therein'."

Holy
Qur'an (Shura 42:13)

"Allah has promised
unto those of you who believe and do good deeds that He will certainly appoint them
successors in the earth before them."

Holy
Qur'an (Nur 24:55)

"Obey Allah and obey
the Apostle and those vested with authority from among you."

Holy
Qur'an (Nisa'4:59)

In all these verse, the address is
directed to all Muslims, men and women. So, establishing religion with its
thought and with all its religious, social and political regulations, is the
responsibility of all Muslims. The address of obedience to the Muslim ruler,
which has been mentioned in the verse that talks about obedience, is directed
to all Muslims, and the promise of succession is directed to all those who
believe (in Allah) and do good deeds.

In the Sura of al-Mumtahana, v.12, Allah, the Exalted, says: "O
(Our) Prophet (Muhammad!) when come unto you believer women pledging that they
will associate not aught with Allah, and they will steal not, and they will
commit not adultery and kill not their children, and they will utter not
slander, nor utter any falsehood which they had forged themselves between their
hands and their feet and will not disobey you in what is fair, then accept you
their pledge, and ask forgiveness for them from Allah; verily Allah is
Oft-Forgiving, the Most Merciful." This verse is a practical practice and Qur'anic proof, which the
Prophet (s.a.w.) carried out during his political and propagative life, for
accepting the pledge of allegiance of woman to Muslim ruler. In fact, her
pledge of allegiance to him is obligatory. In this verse, the pledge of
allegiance is the pledge of obedience to the Muslim ruler to conform to legal
precepts and laws and to acknowledge his authority. This pledge of allegiance
represents the most prominent meanings of the political rights in human society.

Perhaps, the clearest proof for
the political role of woman and her rights in Islam is that which has been
mentioned in the verses that enjoin (people) to do good and prevent (them) from
doing evil, and the verses of authority that includes both men and woman.

The jurist and great Muslim
thinker, and martyr, Muhammad Baqir al-Sadr (may his grave be
sanctified)?????????has produced this verse as evidence that every believing
man and woman is qualified for political authority. Both men and woman are
equal in that. This is mentioned in the text of his words:

"The community practices its
role in succession within the legislative frame of the following two Qur'anic
verse: "...and (conduct) their affairs with counsel among
themselves," "...and the believer men and the
believer women, they are guardians to one another; they enjoin good and forbid
evil."

The first text gives the community
the power to practice its affairs through a consultative committee, unless
there is a special text opposing this text.26 The second text talks about authority, and about
that believers rule each other. By authority wilaya', He
(Allah) means ruling His affairs. For the context enjoining (people) to do good
and preventing (them) from doing evil' branches from it (authority). The text is
obvious in that authority includes equally both believing men and women.
Putting into effect the principle of consultation and the view of majority
during differences results from that."27

Muslim women entered the field of
policy at the lifetime of Allah's Apostle (s.a.w.), as the verse of pledge of
allegiance has mentioned. Muslim women entered the political field and took
part in political life. Muslim women also entered and showed their opinions on
the matter of the Imamate, policy, and caliphate after the death of Allah's
Apostle (s.a.w.). The best example of that was the attitude of Fatima The
Chaste (a.s.), daughter of the most honorable Apostle, Muhammad (s.a.w.), and
wife of Imam Ali b. Abi Talib (a.s.). That was when she entered the field of
policy after the death of her father (s.a.w.). She stood by Ali during her
political movements and attitudes. So a group of the emigrants and the Ansar
joined her. Accordingly, a political ideological party was formed. The party
opposed and refused the pledge of allegiance (to Abu Bakr) that took place
under the shelter (saqifa), and then it summoned the people to Pledge
allegiance to Imam Ali (a.s.). Moreover Fatima (a.s.) communicated with the
Ansar in their houses and summoned them to pledge allegiance to Ali (a.s.) and
to oppose Saqifa.

This has been mentioned in some
historical books:

"Ali, may Allah honor him,
went out at night carrying Fatima, daughter of Allah's Apostle (s.a.w.), on a
riding animal, (and made her pass) through the assemblies of the Ansar to ask them to support (Ali). However, the Ansar said: O Daughter of Allah's Apostle (s.a.w.), our pledge of
allegiance to this man([3])husband and your cousin had come
to us before Abu Bakr, we would not have turned away from him.'"28

The books of history have also
mentioned opposing attitudes took place between Fatima, the Chaste (a.s.) and
the caliphs, Abu Bakr and Umar b. Khattab.

When we consider carefully the two
verses (the verse ????????of consultation and the verse of authority of
believers), which martyr al-Sadr has explained, we will find that they are the
wide intellectual foundation of political rights, in fact they are the wide
intellectual foundation of all the members of the community, men and women. In
this respect, there is another verse. The verse urges both men and woman to
oppose tyrannical rulers, to establish the Islamic state, to guide political
public opinion, etc. The verse contains these words of Him, the Exalted: "And that there should be among you a group who call
(mankind) unto virtue and enjoin what is good and forbid wrong; and these are
they who shall be successful."

In this verse the Qur'an makes
it obligatory that there should be a
group from Muslims to enjoin (people) to do good and to forbid doing evil. This
group includes both men and women. The clear proof for that is these words of
Him, the Exalted: "And the believer men and the believer women,
they are guardians to one another; they enjoin good and forbid evil."

It is clear, in Islamic thought,
that the political field is so wide that it includes enjoining good and
forbidding evil and includes the summons to establish the Islamic regime,
facing oppressive rulers and regimes. It also includes participating in managing
authority, planning the policy of the community, political education,
consultation, pledge of allegiance -such as electing the ruler and the
representatives of the community, and taking part in consultative assemblies