WOMEN IN MUSLIM HISTORY

It cannot be the aim of this series to rest on our historical laurels. While it is important, on one side, to correct a wrong historical image, to know the example of our mothers and sisters from former ages, and to illustrate the ideals and possiblities of Qur'an and Sunnah with examples for their realization, we must not, on the other hand, ignore the fact that there was no linear development towards the ideal but many things that needs criticism and change.

A. In the Past

• The possibilities for education and development of their potential was not open to all women (and men). Sometimes it was just a matter of missing communication links or financial means, sometimes tight personal circumstances or social conventions blocked the way. Many activities were depending on a person's own initiative. Often there was an immense gap between urban centres of cultural life with mosques, schools, libraries, public meetings etc. on one side and the "province" on the other where illiteracy was widespread and practical knowledge and wisdom was transmitted orally from one generation to the next together with superstition and undue trust in human authorities. Often there was also a deep gap between social classes (incompatible with the Islamic principles of social justice).
• There was an interaction between this situation and the forces that were opposing Islam, like power interests and mechanisms of oppression. In very much the same way as in the history of other religions, it happened that rulers twisted the law in their favour, exploiting their subjects in the name of religion, while the people had neither the knowledge nor the courage to do anything about it. Women were more or less left to themselves while men were given a chance for a career and competition in the army and the administration. In the long run, however, misuse of power, violence, ignorance, oppression, corrruption and exploitation results in the decay of nations and cultures. In this case, they led to the decay of Muslim society that was followed by the colonial age.

B. In the Present

What is left is nations who have lost much of the knowledge about their cultural roots in general, who have forgotten the greater part of their values and ideals, whose religious rites and social conventions have to some extent lost their meaning, whose identity has been replaced by a treacherous nationalism. This also implies a widespread ignorance concerning the essence and intention of Islam so that ordinary believers who otherwise have a genuine love for God and the Prophet do not have the courage and the possibility to question traditional habits and challenges from outside in the light of Qur'an and Sunna. Very un-Islamic ideas are sometimes taken for and defended as "Islamic" teachings, among other things the prevalent double standards concerning men and women.

• Worldwide, religious and human values are confronted with materialist values. Materialist values promise immediate, tangible success while ehtical ideas, at first sight, seem to be connected with limitations because they transcend individual interests, pointing to the wellbeing of all and a future shaped in the consciousness of responsibility. Materialist standards interpret the past and the present in their own way without considering the development (ethical, spiritual, cultural, or human) that does not fit into the system of buying and selling. Thus, they are like the eschatological figure of the one eyed Dajjal who cannot perceive the dimension of depth. The spiritual gap is then filled with commercialized religious forms. This makes orientation difficult especially for young people whose life experience is not yet enough to see though the slogans they are confronted with, much less to develop visions of a future of their own.
• With industrialization, a work situation has developed that tends to destroy family structures without offering alternatives. This makes it difficult especially for elderly people who often remain left to themselves or taken to nursing homes where they feel unwanted and not able to benefit society with their life experience. Even worse are the disadvantages for children who have no chance to grow into a society with a healthy relationship between the generations and to discover the changes of life. Last but not least, the situation proves to be of disadvantage for women. If they give priority to their role as mothers, they are often isolated for several years with their young children, being left to themselves to solve their problems, their work that is done out of sight of the public neither being paid nor being properly recognized. Improved facilities for aduld education do not really make a significant difference. On the other hand, a paid job implies a long absence from home, most often resulting in a double burden of work that hardly leaves time enough for recreation and most often does not often an opportunity for unfolding their potential for most jobs are certainly not meant for self-realization. Besides, the demand for "equal pay for equal work" has, as yet, not been put into practice anywhere in the world, women being discriminated against even when their qualification is equal to that of the men in question. All this is true both for "industrialized countries" and for "developing countries".
• The result is increasing loneliness and resignation and, at the same time, an increasing concentration on one's own ego. This makes the solution of problems even more difficult because it starts a chain reaction of fears, depression, expectations, frustration and fanaticism that can cause a person to get caught in a net of dependence. Even today there are Muslim women who use their potential and their possibilities for their own benefit and for the benefit of others, but at the same time, there are too many of them who do not even know their potential and their possibilities.

How Do We Shape Our Future?

It is a general human experience that complaints alone do not bring about changes. And while looking for a scapegoat can give a ccertain feeling of relief because it seems to relativate one's personal responsibility, it leads to prejudices and demonization rather that to real solutions that consider the complexity of a situation of which the social status of woman is a symptomatic part.

"God does not change the situation of a people before they change what is within themselves" - with these words, the Qur'an expresses a law operative in human society. Changing ourselves has an intellectual and spiritual as well as a social and political component that are closely linked with each other.

• "Striving for knowledge is a sacred duty for every Muslim, man and woman," said God's Messenger (s). Although he did not only enjoin this to his companions but also made arrangements for the Muslims to learn and teach all kinds of knowledge, this sentence was often forgotten, ignored and even misused in later times, first of all in the interest of rulers, for "knowledge is power" that might be used to question existing structures. Thus, believers have often been warned against e.g. reading the Qur'an on their own and to think about it, with terrible threats concerning the dangers of errors, while certain scholars were paid by the rulers to claim a monopoly to explain the Qur'an in the interest of their employers and quite contrary to the commandment of the Qur'an itself to study and reflect and not to follow authorities uncritically, linked with the repeated promise that God is ready to guide the sincere seeker and to forgive his/her errors and mistakes. Similarly, the relations between theology and other fields of knowledge has often been cut off with the pretext that critical research could threaten faith - even though the Qur'an repeatedly points out the laws in nature, history and even within ourselves as "signs of God", enjoining us to study them and to draw conclusions from them. "Signs for people who use their intellect," says the Qur'an, pointing out to us the necessity to acqire knowledge and to use it in a responsible manner. Today, we must call this aspect to mind. "Knowledge is the believer's lost camel," said the Prophet (s), "whoever finds it should hold it." This does include the knowledge of our cultural roots and our strugle for our identity. People who acquire and teach knowlege were compared by the Prophet (s) with those who are in jihad in God's path. Whoever has the privilege to acquire knowledge is like one who acquires material wealth and equally obliged to share it with others.
• Knowledge should not make us arrogant. It can only reach its full quality when it is not appropriated for selfish ends but used in a meaningful way. This requires self-knowledge and self-education. We must become aware of our standards and aims. Here it is essential to be conscious of God's presence, to know that we are not left to ourselves and that we are responsible before him according to our dignity as His representatives on earth. This should give us the motivation and courage to stand up for the realization of our ideals once we have understood or rediscovered them. Practically, this means that we balance our own legitimate interests and aims like peace, justice, love etc. the realization of which is our task on earth. We should therefore unfold our potential, refine our character, control ourselves, understand the real problems and practice solidarity with those who are less privileged.
• Besides educating ourself, there is a possibility of positively educating others, especially our children. They are the first to have a right not only to inherit our theoretical knowledge but profit from our example. Even from our mistakes they can learn to deal with things like that as faithful human beings by asking their creator for forgiveness and help and to keep up the struggle. Whether they are our physical children or other human beings: education is always an exchange that tests our sincerity. An important factor for education is community life that demands qualities like compassion, solidarity patience, courage, trust, perseverance and the readiness for cooperation. Last but nor least, we shoulc keep in mind that God's Messenger (s) enjoined us to give an equally good education to boys and girls.
• Even through individual efforts concerning the first three points as well as self-help a lot can be achieved. In the long run, however, social and political considerations and steps are necessary, because mere information about Islamic principles and teachings cultivated individually or in small groups while stereotyped images are cultivated by the mass media is no more than a drop in the ocean. This is especially true concerning women. It is important for us to contrast the prevalent images with visible examples of our own efforts to realize our visions, e.g. by improving women's education the way it is intended by Qur'an and Sunna, to support them in emergencies and by using our knowledge and abilities positively and publicly in the scientific, social and political field. Those of our brothers who are not yet used to this idea for traditional reasons should try to remember the examples of women in the time of the Prophet (s) and the following generations or at least realize that their own children will be at a great disadvantage if their mothers are kept uneducated and ignorant of the world. Both men and women should be aware that ultimately, in any case, our human responsibility bears more weight than any considerations of "social control".
• In a time when social structures and circumstances are changing quickly, we must develop visions of our own and bring in our own impulses. Qur'an, Sunna and our experience in history enable us to review both our present traditions and ideas and those of our non-Muslim environment critically. Admittedly this takes us, at first, unto some no man's land. At the same time it takes us closer to the experience of the prophets and friends of God who, in loving and unremittingly laid the foundation to rich Muslim cultures.