Preface
Different schools’ theories on the issue of ‘woman’ are not devoid of extremes, just as other human intellectual achievements are. Though some facts have been found, the overall attempt of scholars in this respect has gone to extremes. Thus, the subject of woman should be reconsidered deeply.
The subject of woman, as a body in the human society, can be studied as deeply as human being deserves to be appreciated. Any analysis of woman’s life, regardless of her vocation and gender, would in fact be the analysis of the human life. The appreciating of woman and acknowledging her status and position is actually the knowing of the human being and acknowledging the human dignity.
It is doubtless that knowing oneself, one’s society and position is essential for knowing other things. Hence, as the first step in getting information, human being should explore his own ego to acquire a relative knowledge of his infinite essence. Therefore, studying woman, as a part of the human society, is a step toward the knowing of humanity in general.
Among the extremist ideas about woman is a theory that tries to deny femininity of woman, separate her from her own original essence, and reject her undeniable inborn characteristics. The opponents of this theory deny a being,who
is liked by the opposite sex, who can be a wife, and fulfill certain needs; or a being who can become a mother, give birth to another being, and help continue human race. They deny the existence of a being that can be the family axis, and soothe the stormy ocean of human society, like a calm beach. To them, the characteristics of wifehood, motherhood, the forming of a family and the educating of generations are incongruent with woman’s personality.
These ideas are held by some western thinkers who try to free woman from pregnancy and motherhood. They recommend that babies be made by artificial wombs via artificial fertilization. They also support the tendency to the same gender in sexual relationships, so that the traditional familybe
removed.
Such theories are reactions to the limitations and oppressions imposed upon women due to the male enjoyments. However, this reactionary view cannot be true, because it is in fact accepting female deficiency. Nothing is more contemptuous for a woman than belittling her creation. This viewpoint also ignores Woman’s natural necessities, such as delivery and its physical and mental effects, motherhood, wifehood, training of children in the family, and many other physical and psychological factors that exist in woman’s life and necessitates certain conditions for her.
The necessities of woman’s creation have been introduced by theheavenly
religions, and especially Islam. Human knowledge and experience has also proved them. Thus, the ignoring of woman’s specific characteristics is really denying the undeniable scientific findings.
It has scientifically been proved that motherhood is a necessity for women’s body and mind. Psychologically, motherhood is the most enjoyable experience of a woman, which makes her life meaningful. Motherhood love is the origin of other kinds of love. Therefore, depriving woman of this love means the denying of a part of her existence.
It has also been demonstrated that children who have not grown by their mothers lack self-esteem and are not efficient enough in the society. Moreover, their economic capability decreases. Another finding of scientific research is the constructive effects of family life on men, women and children, thatis
why the efforts of modernism for annihilating the traditional family structure have been invein
, facing terrible social consequences. So, postmodernism hastily turned to the traditional family, considering it as the solution for reorganizing the human societies.
In general, the theory that resembles woman to man deprives woman of her original character and true value; that is as an improver of human being.
The holy Quran states:
“I will not waste the work of a worker among you; whether male or female, the one of you being from the other ...”
“Surely the men who submit and the women who submit, and the believing men and the believing women, and the obeying men and the obeying women, and the truthful men and the truthful women, and the patient men and the patient women, and the humble men and the humble women, and the almsgiving men and the almsgiving women, and the fasting men and the fasting women, and the men who guard their private parts and the women who guard, and the men who remember Allah much and the women who remember, Allah has prepared for them forgiveness and a mighty reward.”
A believing man and a believing woman both seek the same way and the same final end. Great goals and wishes may have different paths, but the important point is the goal itself, which is achievable for both man and woman.
In Islam, woman is woman and man is man and they are individuals of the same essence; as emphasized by the holy Qur’an:
“O you men!
Surely We have created you of a male and a female, and made you tribes and families that you may know each other; surely the most honorable of you with Allah is the most righteous of you.”
In Islamic teachings, man and woman are one and this oneness is rooted in their essence. Creation has linked these two beings in a way that they are never divisible.
The holy Quran states:
“And one of his signs is that He created mates for you from your selves that you may find rest in them, and He put between you love and compassion; most surely there are signs in this for people who reflect.”
In fact, this is a major Islamic teaching that: “Everyone should seek his perfection from within himself.
” One should develop within his own self, gradually remove his deficiencies and idiocy, and finally reach the desired perfection and lasting prosperity.
It is totally insane for woman to lose or belittle her own self, so that she feels inferior in creation and tries to resemble man; wear and make up like him and imitate his behavior. This viewpoint is the outset of the denying of woman’s personality and its result is as misleading as its beginning.
Woman should seek herself within her own self and beware that the existence of two human types -man and woman- is not acknowledging one and refuting the other.
Today, among the plethora of biased theories on woman, woman should return to her principles. She should ignore the aliens’ contempt and discover her natural and cultural values with self-esteem. She should not lose her originality and not follow others blindly. Rather, woman should develop her own life via her cultural richness.
Our sincere scholars, who have studied the western culture deeply, have understood well that true salvation from tyrant systems lies in religious and cultural originality; that is the renewing of the precious Islamic and national values.
Knowledge is in monopoly of no one. One should benefit from others’ knowledge, based on this lasting Islamic teaching, quoted from the Prophet Muhammad (a.s
.):
“Seek knowledge, even if it is far away in China, because seeking knowledge is an obligation on every Muslim man and Muslim woman.”
This does not mean inferiority before the superficial greatness of the west. Some Asian nations have sought knowledge by benefiting from western science and technology, combining it with their own cultural values, and not becoming extremely fascinated by the west.
The most valuable perfection and true independence is, in fact, the knowing of oneself and one’s own identity and nature, as well as knowing the flaws and declines of an alien culture. An alien culture leads nations to dependence, absurdity and unoriginality. The resulting dependence and captivity imprisons not only human body, but also his inner self and mind.
Surprisingly, some want to forget the attempts of determined thinkers and their warnings during the past centuries and make the youths forget them too. They intend to remove our self-reliance and thinking power, and make us culturally dependent, in order to pave the way for economic, military, and political assaults.
In this era of deviant viewpoints and false criteria, the youth should be awakened and informed by the authors, thinkers, and all cultural centers, so that our generation is immunized against any cultural assault.
In the last few decades, anytime the Islamic principles and beliefs were attacked, the question of ‘woman’ was assaulted too. This issue is still being exploited at present.
Not very long ago, the Materialist and Marxist ideologies entered societies for some time, which resulted in the weakening of some beliefs and the drain of some brains. Now, that those ideologies have been proved worthless in explaining the philosophy of the world and human being, the capitalist ideology is trying to destroy the youth’s beliefs, and would probably destroy other resources as well. Working against this cultural assault is at the first stage is the demanding duty of the knowledgeable. They should spare no effort to make the new deviant beliefs known throughout the society (in order to be resisted).
The introduction of western feminism is an instrument of this cultural assault, which attacks a half of the major body of the society, to destroy our religious and national unity.
The present book is written for the same excellent purpose. I hope this cursory evaluation of the different viewpoints on womanbe
useful for our younger generation, so that they become more familiar with the preferred view of Islam and the value it puts on woman. Of course, there is much research to be done on woman’s rights to lighten the dark sides of it.
Mashhad, 3/1/1378 (March 1999)
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Author: Ayatullah Murtadha Mutahhari
