Women in Islam

Saudi women who find it embarrassing to seek a fatwa (religious ruling) on private matters are calling for appointing female mufti specialized in women’s affairs.
A fatwa is a formal legal opinion or religious decree issued by an Islamic scholar (mufti) recognized by the State.
“In many cases women find it embarrassing to seek clarification about matters and issues dealing with their day-to-day life,” said Haifa Al-Kharboosh, a lecturer in Shariah.
Hence it is preferable that a knowledgeable woman in Shariah be assigned to reply to their questions,” she said.
There are several women licensed for different recitations of the Qur’an and Al-Kharboosh wondered what prevented them from being accredited in Fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence)?
Haifa Kutbi, another lecturer in the Shariah who strongly supports Haifa’s view, said, “Certainly women need a female scholar capable of answering their questions on purely personal matters without men’s interference. Needless to say, women understand women’s issues better than men”
However, Dr. Ulfat Abdul Moneim, a professor of Fiqh at the faculty of Shariah in Taif University, held a different opinion. “We hope to have women scholars but not muftis,” she said. “If (by Shariah law) a testimony is not accepted by one person, about the Fatwa, then? And if a woman were a mufti, then Ayesha, (may Allah be pleased with her), would have been the first mufti in Islam.”
Besides, a mufti should fulfill several conditions that women can hardly ever meet, she added. This said, however, nothing prevents women from being scholars or experts in Fiqh, she said.
Few women felt that women were not worthy of such an honour. Haila Al-Harithy, a lecturer in Shariah, maintained that men are more inquisitive for knowledge since they have plenty of time to read, unlike women who are engrossed in family affairs and personal matters. “Thus I think men, more than women, fit the field better.”
“Women are by nature more emotional than men and so no one can exclude the possibility that emotions govern some of their decisions,” Al-Harithy said. Fawzia Al-Otaibi, a working woman, said women may not fit for the job since some women are untrustworthy in that they may leak sensitive matters revealed to them.
Commenting on the issue, Sheikh Abdul Mohsen Al-Obeikan, advisor at the Ministry of Justice, said Ifta, or ruling, is not limited to men since women are men’s sisters, He noted that Ayesha, wife of the Prophet, used to give rulings to the Prophet’s companions on matters concerning them because she was knowledgeable enough. So, in the Sheikh’s view, if a woman has enough knowledge and masters the Fiqh then nothing prevents her from giving a fatwa or ruling. Issuing a fatwa is not limited to men, he said.
The Sheikh said that women do, need in some matters, to seek only women’s opinions. Thus, he said, “I don’t see anything wrong in assigning a woman to answer women’s religious questions by phone, but on condition that she should be a full time scholar to ensure her devotion to Fatwa.”

The Prophet did not like slavery. He did not wish that women should be enslaved.


The woman was evidently full of sorrow and appeared overburdened. Yet her feelings could not overshadow the fact that she was both pretty and well brought up. She was speaking to the Prophet (Pbuh), appealing for his help in her plight. When she mentioned her name, Barrah bint Al-Harith, the Prophet recognised her as the daughter of the chief of the Al-Mustalaq tribe who planned to attack Madinah, but the Prophet moved swiftly, surprising him and his tribe by his presence at the head of an army. Yet her father and his tribe remained undeterred and felt that they could defeat the Prophet and his companions. Hence, a battle ensued, but it soon ended with clear victory for the Muslims. Many of the Al-Mustalaq men and women were taken prisoners. According to the universal practice at the time, these prisoners were to become slaves, unless they paid ransom.
The Prophet listened attentively as the woman made her appeal: “Messenger of God! You know what happened to my people in that unfortunate battle in which my husband was killed. I have been taken prisoner, and my lot was with your companion, Thabit ibn Qays. He has been so good to me, and never said a bad word to me. I tried to make arrangements with him to buy my freedom, but he set a very high price when he realised who I was, hoping to make a good gain. But I have nothing of my own. May I appeal for your kind help in buying my own freedom?”
The Prophet felt keenly for his interlocutor. She was a woman of distinguished position, suddenly finding herself captive, which could spell slavery for the rest of her life. Even though she was young, she was wise enough to realise that if her captor could extend such a kind treatment to her, which was unknown in pre-Islamic Arabia, the one who brought about such an attitude, i.e. the Prophet, was likely to be an understanding person who may be compassionate and be moved to help her. Hence, she made her appeal. At the same time, the Prophet did not like slavery. He did not wish that women should be enslaved. It was true that most of their prisoners would be able to pay ransom in return for their freedom, but the Prophet wanted something better. He wanted them to open their minds and hearts to his message. Therefore, he lifted his head and looked at her reassuringly, saying: “Would you rather have a better option?”
That question did wonders for her. It spread an air of calmness and reassurance. She wanted something definite: help to buy her freedom, but the Prophet was speaking about something better. Yet the thought of a better option could not occur to her. She asked: “What could that be, Messenger of God?” He said: “I pay your ransom and marry you.”
We do not have any report speaking of the lady’s feelings as she heard the Prophet’s proposal. We should remember, however, that this was taking place in a social environment where young women often had no say in their marriages. Their fathers married them to whomever they pleased and they often had to face the consequences without voicing a complaint. Yet here was a captive woman being made an offer and the decision is left to her. No one else need have an input in making that decision. She was being offered marriage to the man whose authority was ever on the increase in Arabia. Besides, he was advocating a moral standard to which no objection could be raised, not even by his worst enemies.
She did not have to think long on the offer. As she made up her mind to accept the Prophet’s offer, she was only thinking of her own situation and how the acceptance will change her life. Yet her acceptance had a much greater effect on her own people, the Al-Mustalaq tribe. When the Prophet made clear that he was about to marry her, all his companions who held captives from her tribe felt that these were now relatives of the Prophet, i.e. his in-laws. Therefore, they could not keep them captive in any form. They released them for no ransom. Some reports suggest that there were more than one hundred of them and they were all released. Thus her people were forever indebted to her. It is said that no woman ever brought her people as much benefit as she did.
Apparently her father was on the move, bringing some camels and sheep to offer them in ransom for his daughter. As he approached Madinah, he looked at his camels and felt that two of them were really valuable. He hid the two at a certain place at Al-Aqeeq, hoping that he would not need them. When he met the Prophet he did not know about the agreement of his daughter to marry the Prophet. He, therefore, felt that the good reception the Prophet gave him was an honorable one, considering that it was he that brought about the hostilities between his tribe and the Muslim community. He spoke about his daughter’s freedom and that he brought some camels as ransom. The Prophet said: “What about the two that you hid at Al-Aqeeq?” The man was so surprised that he was speechless for a short while. He then said: “You are certainly God’s messenger. No one has any knowledge of this other than God.”
The Prophet then told him what was arranged for his daughter, and Al-Harith was so pleased with it. The Prophet also told him that he wanted to change his daughter’s name, calling her Juwayriyyah, instead of Barrah. Several women who came in contact with the Prophet and were called Barrah had their names changed by the Prophet. Barrah means ‘a dutiful and righteous woman’. The Prophet told them: “You do not know who of you is righteous and who is given to wrongdoing.” No one should make such a claim. Juwayriyyah, which is an endearing form of Jariyah, which means ‘a young woman’.
Juwyriyyah lived happily with the Prophet. She is not known to have shown any jealousy towards his other wives. She was exemplary in her worship and readiness to do good in any way she could.