No Place For Any Sort Of Sexual Harassment In Islam By Bilaal Marikar
No Place For Any Sort Of Sexual Harassment In Islam
The religion of Islam
was revealed unto this world in an era of darkness, destruction, and chaos.
During these times, not only in the Arabian Peninsula, but the entire world,
women were mistreated, considered mere commodities. Islam served as, not only a
beacon and guidance for humankind, but as a catalyst in the lives of women,
transforming their status overnight. Rights of women, previously unheard of anywhere
in the world, were being upheld and protected, and they were treated with the
dignity and respect that should never have eradicated in the society in the
first place.
This newly acquired
status assisted Muslim women in stamping their mark in the history of Islam and
the world itself, it gave birth to numerous female scholars, rulers,
benefactresses, jurists, businesswomen,
legal experts and countless other professionals who contributed greatly towards
the shaping of history.
The Holy Quran and the
teachings of the Prophet (pbuh) have on countless occasions emphasised upon the
importance of treating men and women equally.
“And for women are rights over men similar to those of
men over women.” (2: 228)
How does
Islam view Sexual Harassment?
In a religion which
holds women in such high regard, in a position of great importance and
reverence, Islam has a very stern approach towards sexual harassment of any
sort and looks upon it with contempt.
“If someone’s head among you is stabbed by the iron
needle, it’s better for you rather then groping a woman who is not his own
wife”
“If you weltered with the pig covered in mud and dirt,
it’s better for you rather than you lay on your shoulder to another woman’s
shoulder who is not your wife.”
These are but a few of the
Prophet’s warnings on sexual harassment, and these encapsulate the zero-tolerance
policy that Islam holds on matters of this sort, on actions that can truly scar
and traumatise an individual for life and invasion of their body.
How does Islam
guarantees and ensures the protection of the rights, dignity, honour and status
of women?
Islam does not allow the
domination of men over women; in Islam a woman is completely self-regulating
who has legal personality and who is able to enter into contract or can make
bequest in her own name. She has right to perform any profession or business
and has authority to dispose her property as like as men. She is entitled for
inheritance in different capacity like as mother, as wife, as sister and as daughter.
She has full freedom to select her husband and also allowed to her dower and
maintenance. As the command of Islam to the men is to treat with compassion and
full respect to their wives, women are respectable and honourable in Islam. A woman
as mother has immense respect in Islam than any other person. The holy Quran in
many verses commands Muslims to demonstrate respect to their mothers and serve
them well. The Prophet (peace be upon him) states insistently that the rights
of the mother are supreme. In Islam women are most respectable and honourable,
“If she is a wife, she is life partner, if she is as a mother, the paradise is
under the feet of mother, if she is daughter it is blessing of Almighty Allah.”
The State Of
Things Today
Averting our eyes from the
pages of Islam and history and looking at the state of things today we are met
with a situation where women must face various different obstacles. Most of
these are owing to the cultures that have been built overtime and the false
misinterpretations of the values of Islam. It is important and imperative that
that these myths are debunked and that we speak up against these false values
that we may see govern the lives of many.
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