This letter contains more explanation of more
or less the same problems that have been mentioned in the first letter. The aim is to
further emphasize the basic points.
My daughter, you worry over such trivialities as to why only men have been addressed in
the Quran and not women? I shall answer this question later, but I hope you will not mind
it if I say something first. These anxieties manifest the inferiority complex of a woman,
that her status is less than that of a man. I am surprised that you, being a student of
the Quran, have been unable to expel such a non-Quranic idea from your mind. I know that
centuries-old traditional beliefs do get set in people's minds and are very difficult to
erase. Did you notice Ayesha's father? He was a third generation Muslim, but whenever he
sneezed, involuntarily he would say "Jay Nandi". Our late uncle checked him many
times (and he, Ayesha's father knew it, too,) that you say "Al-Hamdolillah"
(Praise be to God), but he still said "Jay Nandi"
whenever he sneezed. When
"Jay Nandi" is in your blood, then it is difficult to expel it.
Sub-conscious Ideas
How many of such beliefs are hidden in our subconscious? The Quran tells us about the
children of Israel that the love of the calf had gone down to their subconscious (2:93).
This is what is meant by it. However, Quran claims that (it) treats the maladies of the
hearts, too, (2:57) (not referring to heart palpitation, but to the disorders of the heart
or mind. However, and to speak the truth, heart palpitation is also in a way caused by the
disorders of the mind. Many western researchers have concluded that innumerable physical
ailments are caused by psychological disorders, and that correct treatment is through
psychological correction), therefore according to the Quran it is essential that faulty
ideas be erased off one's mind.
Now let us turn to your question. You know that the Quran is meant for the whole of
humanity. It addresses human beings first. It has come to enlighten the "human
race". Tell me do "human beings" or "human race" mean men only,
or does it include both men and women? Is 'mankind' limited to men only, or does it
include women, too?
Masculine Gender
The fact is that whenever the Quran has addressed Momineen (the Believers) as a whole,
the masculine gender has always been used. It is the general rule of usage of a language
that wherever a mixed gathering is addressed, then at the beginning one addresses as
"Ladies and Gentlemen", but after this only the masculine gender is used in the
next of the speech. One keeps on speaking spontaneously in masculine gender, but the
speech is meant for both men and women. You have never protested that it is an insult that
you have been invited to this gathering, but the speaker has talked to men only. The
reason is that you accept that although the speaker has used the masculine gender only, it
was inclusive of both men and women; that it is a rule of the usage of language that in a
mixed gathering, the masculine gender should be used. The Quran has just followed this
style. That is, wherever it has addressed "the Believers" as a whole, it has
used masculine gender but both men and women are being referred to. To highlight the fact
that men and women are both included in the group of believers, the Quran has mentioned
their qualities as separate classes as well. As I have written in my first letter, see
Surah Al-Ahzab (33:35) about how men and women amongst the believers walk side by side,
Muslim men and women etc. Both these genders are used till the end of the verse.
Tell me Tahira, would you still complain that Quran has not addressed women along with
men?
Your second question reminds me of a joke. A man had to reach somewhere on the day for
his marriage. Unfortunately, he missed the train, and there was no way that he could reach
that place on the same day. He was very perplexed. In this absent-minded state, he went to
the telegraph office and at once sent a telegram to his would be wife saying, "Do not
marry till I come".
You say, it is written in the Quran that men would get good women in heaven; but that
it has not been told whether women would also get good men or not. Just think Tahira, if
men would get women, does that not mean that women would be getting men, too? For
instance, if Hamid gets Ayesha as his wife, would not Ayesha be getting Hamid as her
husband, too? When a husband gets a wife, then the wife gets a husband, too.
As for heaven, Tahira, you must understand a fundamental truth because without its
cognizance many things remain confused.
Cognizance of Heaven
The Quran mentions a heaven that one would enter in the life after death. It has been
explicitly stated that with the present level of your mind's perception, you cannot
comprehend its dimensions. No one knows what pleasures await one, as a reward of one's
good deeds (32:17). This heaven is not enclosed in the four walls of space. It encompasses
the earth and the whole of the universe (3:133). Therefore, what life would be like in
that heaven is beyond our comprehension. But there is another heaven; one which we create
here on earth by establishing the Divinely ordained system. This implies the ideal society
we constitute along Quranic lines, is heavenly. The details of this heaven concern this
world. Not only can we understand it, but we can also create it and live in it. This is
that heaven which the Quran mentions "men along with women", and that is how it
should be. Could there possibly be a society made by men alone, without women? What would
be the qualities of the women in an ideal society? The answer is the same qualities that
women believers (Mominat) would have.
Women of an Ideal Society
Women believer have been asked to be modest when they go out; to be with downcast eyes
(Men have been asked the same). They should not invite unbridled gazes by being immodest.
In the ideal society the Quran calls them those with modest downcast gazes (55:56). The
Quran tells us that believing women keep their honour above everything (Men have been
asked the same). In the heavenly society, it is said about them: No man, whether known to
them or not, has even touched them before their husbands (55:56). As such, every young man
who wants to marry would be quite sure of his fiancée's purity. What a mental
satisfaction a prospective spouse would have, who himself would be righteous, too. These
wives are called refined and of high status by the Quran (56:34). The Quran relates that
during the era before Islam, the women used to be quite emotional and hence could not
present their cases properly in disputed matters (43:18). But the Quranic society
transformed the same woman, with proper education and training, into altogether a new
being (56:35-36). She would become eloquent. (This does not mean that her emotions would
be eliminated. A woman is comparatively more emotional than a man and she should remain
so, since her natural duties bring her emotions into play. Proper training channellises
these emotions on to the right track, rather than them being wrongly used). They would be
able to communicate and be healthy and energetic (56:37). What a boon it would be for
those whose houses such women would grace! (56:38) Such righteous women of superior
intellect would grace the homes of men having similar qualities. After the formation of
this society, the principle of family life would be, bad women for bad men and unwholesome
men for unwholesome women. Righteous women for righteous men and good men for good women
(24:26). This makes home-life heavenly and an ideal society starts with such homes.
Tahira, the Quran describes this fact in a unique manner. According to it, a difference
of outlook, ideas and images, beliefs, principles and way of life between a man and woman
creates hell; and on the contrary homogeneity in all these aspects makes for a harmonious
home. The Quran cited the difference between Momin (a believer in God only) and a Mushrik
(sharing with others, God's domain of absolute rule) as an example; because belief in the
Unity of God and belief in the Multiplicity of it, is the biggest difference.
Heaven in a Home
The Quran directs that no Momin man should ever marry a Mushrik woman and neither
should a Momin woman marry a Mushrik man. It also says that those admitting to such
married relationships are dragging you to hell. In contrast God invites you to heaven with
a harmonious marriage where partners think alike (2:221). A heaven within a home, and
protection from all kinds of external mischief. Tahira, this is the position of a man and
a woman in a heavenly society. Now tell me where your objection stands when you say that
the Quran gives "Hoors" to men in heaven, but has not done anything for women?
By the way I should tell you that in Arabic, "Hoor-e-Ein" means having a pure
and clean intellect, and this word is used both for men and women. Therefore, the heavenly
couples would be exemplary specimens of the ideal mixture of thought and deed. Imagine my
dear daughter, how satisfying and blissful that society would be when its men and women
would have such qualities (13:29). Also remember that, in Arabic, Zauj (Plural Azwaj) just
does not mean a wife, it means a companion. According to these meanings, a wife is a
companion to her husband and a husband is a companion to his wife. So wherever the Quran
mentions "Azwaj-e-Mutaharat" it always refers not just to righteous wives, but
to righteous companions.
Christianity and Woman
Although no religion (in the form that these are with now) in the world has given a
woman her due status, Christianity has gone to an extreme in this respect. They created
this belief that Adam's wife was the cause of his expulsion from Heaven. She was tempted
by Satan and then she in turn tempted Adam. Thus after this, the religion nurtured hatred
against woman. Moreover, Christ's celibate life made Christian's dislike women all the
more. When Christianity corroborated monastic life, celibacy was considered essential for
spiritual progress. It was due to these beliefs that a woman was considered the originator
of all evil. This is the reason Christian clergy objects to seeing women in Quran's
Heaven. Firstly, the Quran rejected the idea that Adam's wife God him expelled from
Heaven. The Quran tells us the both Adam and his wife, committed a mistake (2:36). Later
their atonement was accepted (2:37). I do not need to write separately about the story of
Adam and Eve, as you must have read about it in my book "Iblees-o-Adam" (Satan
and Adam). That is not the story of a particular couple, but in it the qualities of men
and women have been allegorically described. In this respect you must consider one more
thing. We bitterly criticize the Hindu belief that whoever is born in a Brahmin's
(Priestly class) house, commands respect by everybody and whoever is born in a Shudar
(serving class) family, has to serve others all his life. We tell them that it is not the
child's choice where he is born. When you do not have a choice in this respect then it is
utterly foolish to declare somebody worthy of respect or otherwise. It is quite true that
the Quran completely rejected this idea and asserted that all children are equal by birth,
and are equally worthy of respect (17:70).
If we accept the superiority of a boy over a girl, just because of his sex, is it not
the same Hindu philosophy which we otherwise reject? Just ponder, is it a girl's fault
that she is born a girl and not a boy? But whether it is her fault or not, we keep on
punishing her all her life. Is this Islam?
I have not yet fully recovered, so I am unable to write to you in detail. I hope that
in these brief thoughts, you will find satisfying answers to your questions. Remember me
to Saleem. I have yet to answer his letter.
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