Sheikh Yusuf Estes delivering a lecture on women's role in Islam at Dar-Hekma College here Sunday. (SG photo by Fouzia Khan) JEDDAH: Muslim women have responsibility to obey Allah, follow Islam and take care of their families; this is the role of women in Islam and the role of Muslim women in today's world, Sheikh Yusuf Estes said in a program organized by Dar-Al-Hekma College here, Sunday. He said the lives of the Prophet's wives are the best examples. “Learn from their lives because they are the role models for the whole Muslim Ummah,” he said. “We have true democracy where women have all the rights in Islam,” he said. “In the Western world even 70 to 80 years ago women had no rights, even if she got divorced, to open a bank account or to have an insurance policy. She had to have the permission or signature of her husband or father.” He described the role of women in the Bible and how in Western society, they put blame on the women for everything, and didn't give them any rights. Even in today's world, women are still considered inferior, he said. “When it comes to religions, I want to remind those who hold tightly to their Bibles, it is that book that is responsible for bringing women to that level,” he said. “In the book of Jesus, from the very beginning, they put all the blame of the sins of the world on the women.” He gave example of how, in the Bible, they described the story of Adam and Eve, and put all the blame on Eve because she forced Adam to commit sin and they were thrown out of paradise. “Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) brought a message of liberation for people, a liberation from false worship, a liberation for all kinds of people and especially the liberation for the women,” he said. “In exactly the same time, in the 7th century, the Catholic Church in Rome was considering if women even had souls, so the blame is always put on the shoulders of the women.” He explained the rights and equal position of women in Islam and rights for divorce and even marriage. The Qur'an has a complete chapter on women, he said, when in other societies they don't have equal rights. “In Islam, Haq is a fine word; first and foremost of all, those who have rights on us is Allah,” he said. “The fine word Asslama means peace, obedience, submission, surrender and sincerity; these five things should be obeyed all the time or you don't have Asslama. As Muslims, we should do Asslama every day.” He also explained that in Islam, the rights of the women are equal to those of men. Both of them are equally responsible for obligation to Allah, prayers, paying Zakat and fasting, except in the days of menstruation. Taking care of the women's needs, family and home is the responsibility of the husband, he said, and in Islam, men are not allowed to beat women or harm them. “There are a lot of times when our Muslim brothers break the rules, but it doesn't mean that all the Muslims are guilty,” he said. “It means you made a mistake and if you made a mistake you should ask for forgiveness and don't do it anymore.” Sheikh Yusuf Estes also dwelt on women's responsibilities. “As a woman, as a Muslim woman, you have responsibility to Allah, that's the first responsibility, then the responsibility of reading the Qur'an,” he said. You also have the responsibility of the house and your family. Do your best and if you do your best, Allah knows and He will reward you. Don't expect that man will be good to you always, but Allah will. Be good to your man as a wife; he is not your master, but he is the man who will lead you to go to paradise. Work on it together.” He also said that women should be balanced and contemplate worship of Allah because “whatever you do in this life will come in the life after death, which has no end.” So bow yourself, in front of Allah, for Allah, and you can have everything you want in this life and in the hereafter, he said.
