WOMEN IN ISLAM

According to Islam, a woman can seek employment and work if she wishes to work. No text in the Quran or the Hadith prevents a woman from working outside the house, as long as it is lawful, within the preview of the Islamic Shariah, and as long as she maintains her dignity and safeguards her honour. The 12th-century famous Islamic philosopher Qadi Ibn Rushd (Averroes) said that women were equal to men in all aspects and thus could excel in times of trouble like war or peace. (Jamil Ahmed 1994. Ibn Rushd. Monthly Renaissance IV. Retrieved 2008-1014) Professor T.W. Arnold has written in this regard: “It is interesting to note that the propagation of Islam has not been the work of men only, but that Muslim women have also taken their part in this pious task.” (T.W. Arnold, The Preachings of Islam (1976), p 415) From this, we can understand that women have played an important role in Muslim history. THE RIGHTS OF WOMEN IN ISLAM According to the Oxford Dictionary, “Women’s Rights are the rights that promote a social and legal equality of women to men.” In Islam, a woman enjoys the same status as a man regarding rights and blessings in this world and hereafter. According to Islamic belief, men and women are equal partners in life. (Quran, 3:195) The Prophet reportedly said, “Only a man of noble character will honour women, and only a man of base intentions will