TRADITIONAL WOMEN ROLES IN ISLAMIC

NYEMAH TAYLOR

WHAT IS ISLAM?

• IT’S A MONOTHEISTIC AND ABRAHAMIC RELIGION ARTICULATED BY THE QUR’AN, A BOOK CONSIDERED BY ITS ADHERENTS TO BE THE VERBATIM WORD OF GOD (ALLAH)• THE TEACHINGS AND NORMATIVE OF MUHAMMAD, CONSIDERED BY THEM TO BE

THE PROPHET OF GOD.• AN ADHERENT OF ISLAM IS CALLED A MUSLIM.

WHAT’S TO BE WORN FOR A FEMALE

• HIJAB- IS A VEIL THAT COVERS THE HEAD AND CHEST

• WORN BY A MUSLIM FEMALE, BEYOND THE AGE OF PUBERTY IN THE PRESENCE OF ADULT MALES.

• CONFORMS TO A CERTAIN STANDARD OF MODESTY, PRIVACY, AND MORALITY.

• QUR’AN DEMANDS WOMEN TO WEAR THE GARMENTS KNOWN AS TODAY OVER GARMENTS AND KHUMUR.

TRADITIONAL WOMEN ROLES• THE QUR’AN STATES THAT BOTH WOMEN AND MEN SHOULD HAVE EQUAL

RIGHTS, BUT THAT’S NOT TRUE.• WOMEN IN THE MUSLIM RELIGION DO NOT HAVE EQUAL RIGHTS TO MAKE: -INDEPENDENT DECISIONS ABOUT A CHOICE OF (MARRIAGE) PARTNER

-GETTING A DIVORCE- CUSTODY OF THEIR CHILDREN

• THE QUR’AN ALLOWS MUSLIM MEN TO TAKE UP TO FOUR OR MORE WIVES, IT INSISTS ON EQUAL TREATMENT TO THEM ALL. ( WOMEN DON’T HAVE NO SAY IN THIS)

TRADITIONAL WOMEN ROLES CONT.• MANY WOMEN TODAY ARE ACTIVELY AFFIRMING THE RIGHTS AND

RESPONSIBILITIES THAT THEY BELIEVE THE QUR’AN AFFORDS THEM.• MOST AMERICANS BELIEVE THAT MUSLIM WOMEN ARE OPPRESSED BY THEIR

RELIGION, FORCED TO COVER THEMSELVES COMPLETELY, DENIED EDUCATION AND OTHER BASIC RIGHTS.• MOST TRADITIONAL MUSLIMS EITHER ACTIVELY OR PASSIVELY STILL AFFIRM

THE NECESSITY OF WOMEN REMAINING AT HOME AND PUBLICLY INACTIVE.

TRADITIONAL WOMEN ROLES CONT#2• THE WOMEN’S ROLE OF BEING A MOTHER AND WIFE ARE NOT HER ONLY JOB.• ISLAM PERMITS WOMEN TO PERFORM:~ HAJJ (PILGRIMAGE)~TO EXERCISE THE VOTE~ENGAGE IN POLITICS~TO TAKE UP EMPLOYMENT~RUN HER OWN BUSINESS~MAINTAINING THE MASJIDSMEMORIZING THE QUR’AN & AHADITH

TRADITIONAL WOMEN ROLES CONT#3• WOMEN ARE EXPECTED TO BEHAVE IN LINE WITH SOCIAL,

CULTURAL, OR RELIGIOUS CODES ( GENDER ROLES)

• IN PRACTICE OF GENDER ROLES OFTEN AFFECT WOMEN ADVERSELY IMPEDING THEIR SELF- DETERMINATION IN AREAS LIKE;

- SOCIAL-ECONOMIC STATUS- FREEDOM OF RIGHTS- STATUS WITHIN THE FAMILY- HEALTH- LIFE EXPECTATION

• REFORMIST AND FEMINIST HAVE CHALLENGED WOMEN'S LACK OF RIGHTS AND LACK OF CONTROL OVER THEIR OWN LIVES IN MUSLIM LAWS.• THE ROLE OF THE MUSLIM WOMEN

IS THAT OF BEING OBEDIENT TO

FIVE PILLARS OF ISLAM• FIVE BASIC ACTS IN SLAM THAT’S CONSIDER MANDATORY BY ANY BELIEVER AND ARE THE FOUNDATION OF MUSLIM LIFE.

• THEY MAKE UP MUSLIM LIFE, PRAYER, CONCERN FOR THE NEEDY, SELF PURIFICATION AND PILGRIMAGE.

• EACH MUSLIM MUST FULFILL THESE OBLIGATIONS IN HIS/HERS LIFETIME. THEY ARE AS FOLLOWED:

FIVE PILLARS CONT.~SHAHADA: FAITH-DECLARING THERE IS NO GOD EXCEPT ALLAH, AND MUHAMMAD IS ALLAH’S MESSENGER.~SALAT: PRAYER-RITUAL PRAYER FIVE TIMES A DAY~SAWM: FASTING-FASTING AND SELF-CONTROL DURING THE BLESSED MONTH OF RAMADAN~ZAKAT:-GIVING 2.5% OF ONE’S SAVINGS TO THE POOR AND NEEDY~HAJJ:-PILGRIMAGE TO MECCA THAT LAST ONCE IN A LIFETIME IF HE/SHE IS ABLE TO DO SO.

PICTURES

WORK- CITED PAGE• HTTP://

WWW.SAUDIEMBASSY.NET/ABOUT/COUNTRY-INFORMATION/ISLAM/FIVE_PILLARS_OF_ISLAM.ASPX• HTTP://

KHILAFAH.COM/INDEX.PHP/THE-KHILAFAH/SOCIAL-SYSTEM/626-UNDERSTANDING-THE-ROLE-OF-MUSLIM-WOMEN• HTTP://WWW.SLIDESHARE.NET/MECCAHOLYCITY/WOMEN-ROLES-IN-ISLAM• HTTP://

TWOCIRCLES.NET/2010APR20/ISLAM_AND_MUSLIM_WOMEN_S_SOCIAL_ROLES.HTML• HTTP://TWOCIRCLES.NET/2010APR20/ISLAM_AND_MUSLIM_WOMEN_S_SOCIAL

_ROLES.HTML