In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Before the advent of Islam, women in many nations were used by men as sex and entertainment tools to pass time; she would be made to display herself, sometimes naked, in order to be counted as a person worth looking at.
Sometimes they were used to seal business deals as they were considered a property. And other times they served as an instrument of settling debts. (A man who couldn’t pay off his debt would hand over a woman under his care as payment or collateral). This happened in Arabian countries, European countries, Rome and many countries across the continent.
More than 1400 years ago, Islam came with a set of laws that protected the woman, liberated and dignified her status. The rules were simple; the woman should never uncover herself in order to suit the whims and fancies of the male folks. She must be honored and respected. She must be acknowledged as a human being with equal rights , in some cases, with the male folks. She has the role of motherhood, which is a level in Islam that is unmatched. She is entitled to inheritance at the demise of a close relative.
Time passed then the women realised they had been empowered and had been dignified. So they rushed into Islam in hundreds, up to this day.
Sadly, when those who seek to belittle the women folk for business transactions realised that they had been constrained, they opted for a different tactic by using the human desires against them. So they came with two words; Liberated and Oppressed.
A woman who yielded to nudity and moral decadence was “liberated”. The one who held firm to dignity in a deteriorating world was “oppressed”.
Liberation in the modern world now means “enslaved in a beautiful way”. So you will see such a slave, paraded before millions of men as “models” and actresses performing disgusting roles in virtual nothing. Some would do anything just to be recognised. And when they get to the peak of their success, they would still feel hollow, as though something was missing. And when such a day comes when the wrinkles begin to appear, all their money would go to those people who promise to remove five wrinkles from their faces for a huge sum of money.
SubhanAllah! And that only lasts for five years, after which the wrinkles would come to stay. And if they become addicted, their health would bear the entire burden.
Is this the liberation you were promised?
We see people belonging to other faith covering as well and they are considered ‘dedicated’, ‘religious’ or ‘spiritual’. But when a Muslim woman chooses to cover, they say she’s oppressed!
Many choose to cover not because they were forced to but because they discovered the peace that comes with it. They no longer have to defend the shapes of their legs or compete with every woman who may have figures that could drive a less confident person to commit suicide. They are no longer enslaved by make up such that they can’t answer that call at the front door without it. Nor are they affected that they may be approached because of their hair, their complexion or their shinning red lips. No!
In Islam, a woman is respected, raised and valued based on her intellect, contribution, sacrifice and dedication. She is honored based on her contribution to her family, her impacts on her kids, her support to her husband, her responsibility as a sister, a daughter and a friend; the real person within! And this is true liberation.
The onus is therefore on you to study this religion with unbiased mind. Do not fall into the trap of civilization enslavement!
May Allah purify us.
Author: Umm Naml
