The Status of Women in Islaam

In the Name of Allâh, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful

by Shaykh 'Abdul-'Azeez Ibn Baaz

The status of the Muslim woman in Islaam is a very noble and lofty one, and her effect is very great in the life of every Muslim. Indeed, the Muslim woman is the initial teacher in the building of a righteous society, providing she follows the guidance from the Book of Allaah and the Sunnah of His Prophet sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam. Since adherence to the Qur’aan and the Sunnah distances every Muslim - male or female - from being misguided in any matter...
The secret of her importance lies in the tremendous burden and responsibility that is placed upon her, and the difficulties that she has to shoulder - responsibilities and difficulties some of which not even a man bears. This is why from the most important obligations upon a person is to show gratitude to the mother, and kindness and good companionship with her. And in this matter, she is to be given precedence over and above the father...
A man came to Allaah’s Messenger sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam and said: O Messenger of Allaah! Who from amongst mankind warrants the best companionship from me? He replied: "Your mother." The man asked: Then who? So he replied: "Your mother." The man then asked: Then who? So the Prophet replied again: "Your mother." The man then asked: Then who? So he replied: "Then your father." [Related by al-Bukhaaree (no.5971) and Muslim (7/2), from Abu Hurayrah radiallaahu ‘anhu]. So this necessitates that the mother is given three times the like of kindness and good treatment than the father.
As regards the wife, then her status and her effect in making the soul tranquil and serene, has been clearly shown in the noble aayah (verse), in His - the Most High’s - saying:
"And from amongst His Signs is this: That He created for you wives from amongst yourselves, so that you may find serenity and tranquility in them. And He has put between you love and compassion. Indeed, in this are signs for those who reflect." [Soorah Room 30:21].
...And do not forget about ‘Aaishah - radiallaahu ‘anhaa - and her great effect. Since even the great Sahaabah (Companions) used to take knowledge of Hadeeth from her, and many of the Sahaabiyaat (female Companions) learn the various rulings pertaining to women’s issues from her...
And I have no doubt that my mother - may Allaah shower His mercy upon her - had a tremendous effect upon me, in encouraging me to study; and she assisted me in it. May Allaah greatly increase her reward and reward her with the best of rewards for what she did for me.
And there is no doubt also, that the house in which there is kindness, gentleness, love and care, along with the correct Islaamic tarbiyah (education and cultivation) will greatly affect the man. So he will become - if Allaah wills - successful in his affairs and in any matter - whether it be seeking knowledge, trading, earning a living, or other than this. So it is Allaah alone that I ask to grant success and to guide us all to that which He loves and is pleased with. And may the prayers and peace of Allaah be upon our Prophet Muhammad, and upon his Family, his Companions and his followers.
Source: Majmoo' Fataawaa wa Maqaalaat Mutanawwi'ah

Surah Al-Ahzaab 33.59

O Prophet! Tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers to draw their cloaks (veils) all over their bodies (i.e.screen themselves completely except the eyes or one eye to see the way). That will be better, that they should be known (as free respectable women) so as not to be annoyed. And Allah is Ever OftForgiving, Most Merciful.

Clarity...

Concerning the Hadeeth of Asma' Regarding Hijaab

Question: In a Hadeeth, Allaah's Messenger (sallAllaahu `alayhi wa sallam) ordered that a woman who reaches puberty is forbidden from showing her hands and face, and that is the Hijaab. Is there any Hadeeth which indicate that covering the face and hands is also compulsory?

Answer: In his Sunan, Abu Dawud recorded this Hadeeth in the chapter "What a Woman May Show Of Her Beauty." He said, "Ya'qub bin Ka'b Al-Antaki and Mu'mmal bin Al-Fadhl Al-Harani narrated to us, they said; Al-Walid narrated to us from Sa'id bin Bashir, from Qatadah, from Khalid, (Ya'qub said: 'Ibn Durayk') from 'Aishah, may Allaah be pleased with her, that Asma' bint Abu Bakr, may Allaah be pleased with her, entered upon the Messenger of Allaah (sallAllaahu `alayhi wa sallam) and she was wearing a very thin garment. The Messenger of Allaah (sallAllaahu `alayhi wa sallam) turned away and said, يا أسماء إن المرأة إذ بلغت المحيض لم تصلح أن يري منها إلا هذا وهذا وأشار إلى وجهه وكفيه "O Asma'! Indeed when a woman begins to menstruate, it is not correct to see from her except this and this." (Abu Dawud no. 4104) And he pointed to his face and hands." The Hadeeth is Mursal[1] because Khalid bin Durayk never met 'Aishah, may Allaah be pleased with her. Also, Sa'id bin Bashir Al-Azdi — or Al-Basri as he was originally from Al-Basrah — has been graded trustworthy by some of the scholars of Hadeeth, while Ahmad, Ibn Ma'in, Ibn Al-Madini, An-Nisa'i, Al-Hakim, and Abu Dawud all graded him weak. Muhammad bin 'Abdullah bin Numayr said about Sa'id: "His narrations of Hadeeths are Munkar (rejected), he is nothing," and: "He is not strong in Hadeeth, he narrates Munkar things from Qatadah." Ibn Hibban said, "His memory is poor and he makes enormous mistakes, narrating from Qatadah things that others do not." As-Saji said: "He narrated some Munkar things from Qatadah." In this Hadeeth, he is narrating from Qatadah. Then, Qatadah is himself a Mudalis,[2] and he is narrating this Hadeeth from Khalid bin Durayk, while the chain also contains Al-Walid, who is, Ibn Muslim and he is a Mudalis, and his Tadlis is the same, and Qatadah is above him in the chain. So with all of this, it is clear that this Hadeeth is weak from many angles. And with Allaah is the facilitation to do what is right. May Allaah send peace and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family and his Companions. ____________________________ [1] A Mursal narration is one in which the link between the narrator and the Prophet (sallAllaahu `alayhi wa sallam) is not certain. [2] A Mudalis is one who commits Tadlis. That is, narrating with wording that does not clearly convey whether he actually heard what he is narrating (say, "From" instead of "Narrated to us," or the like) or, distorting the name of the person he is narrating from so that it will not be obvious that he is narrating from someone whose narrations are disparaged. سنن أبي داود باب فيما تبدي المرأة من زينتها [ 4104 ] حدثنا يعقوب بن كعب الأنطاكي ومؤمل بن الفضل الحراني قالا ثنا الوليد عن سعيد بن بشير عن قتادة عن خالد قال يعقوب بن دريك عن عائشة رضى الله تعالى عنها أن أسماء بنت أبي بكر دخلت على رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم وعليها ثياب رقاق فأعرض عنها رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم وقال يا أسماء إن المرأة إذ بلغت المحيض لم تصلح أن يري منها إلا هذا وهذا وأشار إلى وجهه وكفيه قال أبو داود هذا مرسل خالد بن دريك لم يدرك عائشة رضى الله تعالى عنها

Permanent Committee for Research and Verdicts

Fatawa Islamiyah, Vol. 7, Pages 186-188, DARUSSALAM

a woman looking at men on television or casual looks in the streets

Question: What is the ruling concerning a woman looking at men on television or casual looks in the streets?
Response: A woman looking at a man must be one of two cases, regardless of whether it be on television or otherwise. First is a look with lust. This is forbidden as it contains evil and temptation. Second is a simple look free of any kind of lust and desire. There is no harm in that kind of look according to the correct opinion of the scholars. It is permissible because it is confirmed in the Sahihs of al-Bukhari and Muslim that Aisha watched the Abbysinians doing their war dance. The Prophet (peace be upon him) was concealing her from them and he approved of what she was doing. Furthermore, women walk in the streets and they look at men although they are wearing hijab. A woman may look at a man even though he does not see her. However, this is conditional that the look not be accompanied with lust, desire or temptation. If it is a look of lust or temptation, then it is forbidden regardless of whether it be on television or otherwise.
Shaikh ibn Uthaimin

What is Permissable for the Suitor to See of the Woman Before the Wedding

What is Permissable for the Suitor to See of the Woman Before the Wedding
Question: If a man makes a proposal of marriage to a young woman, is it obligatory for him to see her? Also, is it correct for the young woman to uncover her hair and to reveal her beauty more for her fiancé? Advise us, and may Allaah benefit you.
Answer: There is no objection, but it is not obligatory. Rather, it is preferred for him to see her, and for her to see him. This is because the Prophet sallallaahu alayhi was salaam ordered the suitor to look at her, because that is more likely to produce harmony between them, so if she uncovers her face, hands and head for him, there is no objection, according to the most correct opinion. Some of the scholars said that it is sufficient for him to see her face and hands, but the most correct opinion is that there is no objection to him seeing her head, face, hands and feet, according to the aforementioned Hadeeth. But it is not permissible for him to do so, while being alone with her; rather, her father, her brother or another must be present with her. This is because the Prophet sallallaahu alayhi was salaam said: ‘A man may not be secluded with a woman except with a Mahram.’ Muslim no. 1341 He sallallaahu alayhi was salaam also said: ‘A man should not be alone with a woman, for verily Satan makes a third.’ At-Tirmithi no. 2165 and Ahmad 1/18. Narrated by Imaam Muslim with an authentic chain of narrators, on the authority of ‘Umar, may Allaah be pleased with him.
Shaykh `Abdul-`Azeez Bin Baz
Fatawa Islamiyyah, Darussalam, volume 5, pages 207/208

Niqab

It was narrated from Aishah that Asma bint Abi Bakr entered upon the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) wearing a thin garment. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) turned away from her and said: “Oh Asma, when a woman reaches the age of menstruation, it is not proper for anything to be seen of her except this and this,” and he pointed to his face and hands.”

[Sunan Abu Dawud (Darussalam Publishers, 2007), volume 4, p. 422, The Book of Clothing, chapter 31: “What a woman may show of her beauty,” Hadith number 4104. Classed as Da’if by Hafiz Abu Tahir Zubair Ali Za’i. Imam Abu Dawud said: “This Hadith is Mursal. Khalid ibn Duraik did not meet Aishah. (And Sa’eed bin Bashir is not strong (in narrating)).”]


The Hadith is weak by itself but authentic due to supporting narrations and is used as evidence for this matter . . . It was authenticated by Sheikh Al-Albani in Sahih Sunan Abu Dawud, vol. 2, p. 774, number 3458.

Sheikh Al-Albani explains reasons behind this Hadith’s authenticity in great detail: “. . . (The narration’s chain is) Bashir from Qatadah from Khalid ibn Duraik from Aishah. Ibn Adiy added that he (Khalid) once attributed it to Umm Salamah instead of Aishah. Abu Dawud said after citing it, ‘This Hadith is Mursal. Khalid ibn Duraik did not meet Aishah.’ Also, Sa’eed ibn Bashir is weak according to Hafidh ibn Hajar in At-Taqrib. However, this Hadith has been reported via other ways that strengthen it:

1. A Mursal report recorded by Abu Dawud (no. 437) from Qatadah with an authentic chain that includes neither ibn Duraik nor ibn Bashir: ‘Indeed, once a young girl reaches menses, it is not right for her to expose except her face and hands to the wrists.'
2. At-Tabarani (in Al-Kabir 24/143/378 and Al-Awsat 2/230/8959) and Al-Bayhaqi recorded via ibn Lahi’ah from Iyadh from Abdullah from Ibrahim bin Rufa’ah Al-Ansari from his father from (he believed) Asma bint Umays that Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) entered Aishah’s house while she had with her sister Asma bint Abi Bakr, who was wearing wide-sleeved clothes (see the report in question for the remainder of this Hadith’s text) . . . There is no doubt that a report by ibn Lahi’ah does not go below the level of Hasan when it has supportive narrations, as is the case here . . .”

(Jilbab Ul-Mar’at Il-Muslimah pp. 58-59)

Therefore, we can see that the correct view is that the Niqab is recommended, and not obligatory.

Sheikh Al-Albani's knowledge of the Shawahid (supporting narrations in Hadith) was something which was uncontested to by other scholars of his day. Sheikhs Ibn Baz and Uthaymeen even testified to this. While some Hadith scholars would only grade the single Hadith, Sheikh Al-Albani would take into account all supporting narrations of the Hadith. So some Ahadith are authentic due to other texts with the same meaning, so please take note of this. This made his methodology more correct versus other scholars of his day.

However, wearing the Niqab is better. Sheikh Al-Albani said:

“Whoever adheres to the obligation, it is good enough; and whoever does the recommendation, it is better.” (Jilbab Ul-Mar’at Il-Muslimah, p. 28, which is a Preface to the 2nd Edition)

http://maktabasalafiya.blogspot.com/2011/06/shaykh-alabanis-position-of-niqab-of.html

Paradise

Fatwa no. 12506 Q: Will we meet with our offspring in the Hereafter? I do hope so. Please clarify this for us and guide us to what is right. May Allah reward you. A: Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He), out of His Grace and Generosity, has informed us that the offspring of believing parents will be elevated to their rank in Paradise, even if their deeds do not qualify them for such a higher rank. Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He) says: And those who believe and whose offspring follow them in Faith: to them shall We join their offspring, and We shall not decrease the reward of their deeds in anything. Every person is a pledge for that which he has earned. Ibn Kathir (may Allah be merciful to him) reported that Ibn `Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) said: "Indeed, Allah will raise the rank of a believer's offspring to join them, even if the offspring's deeds are less, in order to please the believer." Then he recited the previous Ayah (Qur'anic verse). May Allah grant us success. May peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and Companions. The Permanent Committee for Scholarly Research and Ifta' Member Deputy Chairman Chairman `Abdullah ibn Ghudayyan `Abdul-Razzaq `Afify `Abdul-`Aziz ibn `Abdullah ibn Baz