Rights of Women in Islam Protected or Subjugated (ePub)

Women and their status in the society is an issue that has been of great importance, and has greatly been discussed throughout history. It is a fact that, although women were occasionally given a modicum of respect, they were often oppressed, subjugated, suppressed and abused. They were often deprived of their basic rights civil, political, social, economic, legal and natural. In most of the cultures, women were not considered human beings - they were denied humanity. They were largely marginalized, suppressed and treated as mere objects of pity, pleasure and desire. Almost in all ancient civilizations women were denied humanity and were equated with children, animals and, in some cases, to other inanimate insignificant objects. They were denied the right to a social life and the right to express their opinion and the right to have a self-identity and self- worth. Their condition was so pathetic that instead of being given the right of inheritance, they themselves were inherited and thus made mere objects of sexual desire and pleasure. Even marrying someone was not enough to end or lighten their misery - they were just transferred from one patriarch/master to the other. Right from the very outset, women were deprived of decision-making powers and of other civil, financial and basic rights.

On the contrary, the teachings of Islam demonstrate the divine origin of the Quran and the truthfulness of the message of Islam, which established such human principles which have neither become obsolete with the passage of time, nor can become obsolete in the future. After all, this is the message of the All-Wise and All-Knowing God whose wisdom and knowledge are far beyond the ultimate in human thought and progress.