Someone wise once said “Man is born free, but everywhere he is found in chains.” How well this fits the situation Muslims face today. In an increasingly widespread effort to denigrate Islam and its followers, Muslim women have been projected as oppressed and as having little or no rights, even though it is Islam that first liberated women from the evils practised during the time of ‘jahiliyya' (pre-Islamic age of ignorance), when girls were buried alive. Here a poet's famous part of a couplet comes to mind when talking about unresolved women's issues: “A veil has fallen over men's eyes.” This rings true today; the historic landmark status accorded to women by Islam more than 1,400 years ago has been forgotten, so much so that misrepresentation, and misunderstanding have become more and more prevalent, often perpetuated by Muslims themselves. The book “Unveiling the Ideal: A New Look at Early Muslim Women” by Shayan Afzal Khan, therefore comes across as a refreshing attempt to set the record straight. Published in Malaysia by Sisters In Islam - a non-governmental organization which seeks to end discrimination against women in the name of religion - is a collection of stories of women in Islam, who were strong in both intellect and character. The book is presented in an effort to break the stereotypical Western image of Muslim women as suppressed. It stresses that the facet of their lives as contributing, valuable members of the society - particularly outside the sphere of their homes - has often been overlooked, and even ignored. The stories compiled in the book depict early Muslim women as ones who took an active part in all aspects of community life, including religion and warfare. The communities not only accepted their contribution, but also awarded them a fairly high status as reward. The book's preface explains that the Holy Qur'an introduced reforms, enhanced the status of women and protected the rights of the less-fortunate members of society (e.g. the disabled and poor). It adds that these reforms were “a first step in trying to change deeply-entrenched patriarchal attitudes and traditions that reduced women to mere chattels, without rights of their own, in a society dominated by men.” What is saddening, is that even though it is recognized that Islam ushered in a higher status for women - giving them significant rights and more dignity than ever before - there seems to be a complicity of silence to further the true image of Islam vis-a-vis women. Besides being homemakers, these women were noted for the use of pen as well as wielding the sword or the spear, they were scholars, and poets, they played an active role on the battlefield, and were a source of political counsel and religious guidance to the caliphs, as well as ordinary men and women. Warriors, tycoons, scholars and social workers The book revisits the accounts of the lives of the more prominent women who lived at the time of the Prophet (pbuh) and the ensuing period. Included are all the wives of the Prophet (pbuh) from Khadijah bint Khuwaylid, whose stature can be summed up in what the Prophet himself said that while “the best of women in her time was Mary … the best of the women of her own time was Khadijah.” Because of constraint of space, mention can only be made, in brief, of just another wife of the Prophet (pbuh) –Aishah bint Abu Bakr, and among the others, of Umm Umara or Nusaybah bint Kab. Aishah was endowed with a powerful memory, so soon became a scholar and a legal interpreter. After the Prophet's (pbuh) death, she was consulted on Sunnah, and on issues relating to the Hadith (Traditions of the Prophet) and Fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence). Her advice was also sought on inheritance law. Referring to her knowledge of Islam, the Prophet (pbuh) is reported to have said, “Learn a portion of your religion (deen) from this red-colored lady,” meaning Aishah, who was called ‘Humayra' (meaning red-colored) by the Prophet (pbuh). In numerous accounts she comes out as strong-minded, outspoken, intelligent, with a sense of humor, decisive, resolute and enjoying a definite rapport with people. Abu Bakr entrusted many responsibilities to her. He is reported to have given her the charge of “disposing of certain public funds and properties as well as distributing his own property among his other adult children.” The story of Umm Umara is touching as well as inspiring. She not only played a significant role in the battles of Uhud, Khaybar, Hunayan, and the Truce of Hudaiybiyyah, where she received numerous wounds and even lost her hand fighting in the Battle of Yamama, but also devoted herself to imparting religious education to women, as she was well-versed in the Qur'an and the Sunnah. It is reported that when Umar ibn Al-Khattab once brought some silk garments and sheets, which people suggested he give as gifts to his son's wife, he said, “I will send it to someone who is more entitled to it than her – Umm Umara Nusaybah bint Kab. On the day of Uhud, I heard the Messenger of Allah say, ‘Whenever I looked to the right or the left, I saw her fighting in front of me.'” The above are just three of a total of 51 stories recounted in the book. There have been many such women since then that one can find gathering dust in the pages of history, because Muslims have chosen to relegate them there. “Unveiling the Ideal” is written in simple and lucid style. It also has such relevant useful information such as references for those who want to delve deep, a chronology and glossary of words.
