❖ The Prosperity of Women Lies in the Protection of Islamic Teachings ❖
❀ Historical Perspective on Women
Throughout various historical eras, women have been subjected to injustice and oppression:
- In the East: A woman was considered a stain on a man’s honor
- In Roman civilization: She was treated as a household possession
- In Greek thought: She was labeled a devil
- In Judaism: Deemed worthy of eternal curse
- In the Church: Seen as the thorn of the garden of humanity
- In Europe: At times, even considered divine
❖ Islam’s View on Womanhood
Islam, in contrast to all other ideologies, presents a balanced and nature-aligned concept of womanhood:
✔ Men and women are seen as a unified pair
✔ Both are equal in rights, rewards, accountability, and punishment
✔ However, their fields of responsibility differ based on natural disposition
❖ Women’s Rights and Modern Challenges
With the weakening of Islamic values, women’s issues have resurfaced, including deprivation from:
- Education
- Healthcare
- Right to marriage
- Freedom of opinion
- Decision-making power
These challenges gave birth to the women’s freedom movements, which ironically led to further complications for women.
❖ International Agreements and Their Influence
Global agendas regarding women’s rights — such as BPFA and CEDAW — were introduced.
Yet, many countries, including the United States, expressed reservations and refused to ratify these agreements.
❖ Maulana Maududi’s (رحمه الله) Prophetic Warning
Over half a century ago, Maulana Abul A’la Maududi (رحمه الله) warned:
“Western civilization will ruin the Muslim woman and societal values.”
Today, the Western model:
✔ Isolates women
✔ Disconnects them from love, protection, and meaningful relationships
✔ Tears them away from the essence of motherhood and family
❖ Objectives of the Western Agenda
❖ Promoting gender mixing
❖ Pushing women out of homes in the name of equality
❖ Creating rivalry between men and women
❖ Dismantling the family structure
❖ Role of Western NGOs
✔ View family, marriage, and religion as obstacles to progress
✔ Encourage conflict between men and women
✔ Lure women into the economy under the pretense of “participation”
✔ Promote population control disguised as welfare
✔ Advocate for punishment of early marriages but encourage indecency
✔ Allow abortion
✔ Push for payment for domestic work, killing emotional bonds
✔ Promote delayed or no marriage, and non-marital relationships
✔ Force acceptance of homosexuality and normalize immorality
✔ Diminish parental authority; hand children over to the state
❖ The Current State of Western Society
As reflected by Allama Iqbal (رحمه الله):
“Your civilization will commit suicide with its own hands.”
Shocking statistics:
- Only 36 married couples per 1,000 individuals
- 45% of families suffer from breakdown
- Non-marital relationships have 20 times higher instability
❖ Women’s Suffering and Social Collapse
The greatest victims in the West are women and children:
- Rise in orphaned children and social crimes
- Billions of dollars spent to counteract the effects of family disintegration
❖ Women and the Islamic Family System
Diverting women from their true roles and weakening the family system is a form of social oppression.
◈ Motherhood:
✔ A woman is the architect of the nation, entrusted with nurturing future generations
✔ The Western mother, disengaged from her role, entrusts her children to daycares and the chaos of modern society
◈ Men and Women: Partners, Not Rivals
✔ Men and women are complementary parts of one unified system
✔ Making them rivals is against human nature
❖ Women’s Rights in Islam
A Muslim woman enjoys complete rights under Islamic teachings — when she fulfills her responsibilities sincerely, she receives:
✔ Honor
✔ Security
✔ Justice
✔ Dignity
Conclusion:
Only through the restoration and protection of Islamic teachings can women attain true prosperity, and only then can society and the family system remain balanced and strong.
