Yasir Qadhi: Perfect Justice, Debunking the Male Bias Myth

IlmNoted by Jawaad Ahmad Khan

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HvpiziI4hVs

The Question:

People (non-Muslims) usually ask why Islam has gender-specific roles (Hijab, inheritance, etc.). How are we to respond to people claming that Islam is sexist?

Traditional Answers: (i.e. the ones that don’t work)

Inheritance, Polygamy (man has more financial obligations, etc.)

Example from the past

This isn’t the first time that Muslims have had to deal with other styles of living that try to impose their ways and beliefs onto Muslims and disprove Islam.

When Muslims first encountered Greek philosophy, the philosophy was seen, at the time, as superior to religious philosophy. Quickly, when Muslims encountered this, there were three groups that arose out of this interaction:

1. “Islamic Philosophers”
   1. They took the Greek philosophy and changed the words (no Islam).
      1. They believed in no Akhirah, Allah not as creator
      2. they re-interpreted each Qur’anic Ayah to work to fit their beliefs.
      3. claimed that Prophets only spoke of Akhirah to get people to be pious.
2. “Mu’tazilites” – selectively took the best (they thought) of the Qur’an and the philosophies. They’re known as the “free thinkers of Islam”.
   1. They forced their version of Islam onto people.
   2. They died out (don’t exist today).
   3. They said Allah has no attributes because:
      1. that means Allah and His mercy are eternal – i.e. 2 Gods
      2. Allah, His mercy, and His grace are eternal – i.e. 3 Gods
      3. So therefore, they saw each attribute as a god itself. (So they believed Allah didn’t have these attributes).
   4. No Qadr (not everything is pre-destined)
3. “Muslims”, as in they stubbornly refused Greek philosophy
   1. They said that Allah sent the Qur’an and Sunnah, He didn’t say any guidance will come from other sources.
   2. Islam is already complete (no need for philosophy).
   3. When you have something divine and perfect, don’t mess with it.

Why is this relevant?

“The stakes have changed, but the game is the same.” (YQ)

“The tokens have been modified, but the board is exactly the same.” (YQ)

The times may have changed, but Muslims having to defend our beliefs against opposing societies, which feel their views are superior, is nothing new.

Why are people now interested in women’s roles?

People are now interested in the role of women due to events outside of Islam. Different cultures have changed certain aspects of gender roles. In recent times, Western women have been asking for more and more rights (rights that Muslim women already have). They want to “reach men” and go beyond. When they finally went beyond in their rights, it gave them the luxury to look down at the Muslim women (who’ve had rights for centuries).

Why are the regular answers wrong?

When someone asks why Muslim women wear the Hijab, often the answer might deal with them being judged on their “inner beauty”, and it’s supposed to cover their beauty so they can save it for their husbands (and family). It’s to eliminate the attraction from other men to that sister. However, what if a man tells you that he likes the Hijab? What if he said he finds it even more attractive?

There’s a problem here.

We only say these types of answers to appease another group. When we’re playing their game, we’ll never win.

The traditional answers we use are wrong because:

• 1. We answer questions on women, hijab, etc. and other minor issues, but we DON’T teach real (fundamental) Islam (i.e. Tawheed, the oneness of God, La ilaha ilallah)
• 2. Other people have invented this “oppression of women”, and this whole game. If we are fighting with their tools, we’ll definitely lose.

Differences between the West & Islam

(For the sake of these notes, the ‘West’ is just a general term to represent modern societies).

Morality

Islam says: there is one standard for what is right, and one standard for what is wrong (since Prophet Muhammad).

West says: what’s right and wrong fluctuates. (examples: premarital relations, before was detested, now accepted; homosexuality, before was rejected, now is more common)

Authority

Islam says: The only one that can tell me what to do is Allah!

West says: No one tells me what to do. (entered hedonism (self-pleasure) and humanism (philosophy focusing on the self))

Worthiness

Islam says: Taqwa and piety is what measures how much I’m worth

West says: my education level, degree, economic status, ability to get a job, etc. is what defines me.

Equality (this is a big one, we’ll put West first)

West says: A man and a woman are equal if they have the same job, earn the same money, have same rights, etc.

Islam says: A man and a woman are equal in terms of their Taqwa and spirituality.

______________________________________________________________________________

Let’s discuss equality further.

Islam says this:

• Men and women were created each to play different roles
  • Allah gave a role to men that they are more capable of doing
  • Allah gave a role to women that they are more capable of doing
• Men and women are different.
  • You can’t compare apples to oranges. Yes, they’re both fruit, but they’re still different.
  • in the Olympics, men and women don’t compete with each other.
  • at the beach, men and women cover differently.
• Because they are different, there can’t be equality in their roles.
  • A man can’t be a mother. He can’t provide that emotional love and nurturing that a woman can.

Another reason traditional answers don’t work

There will always be an inferiority complex between the Muslims and the West if we continue this method. We’ll feel that we have to prove ourselves to fit their criteria, despite the fact that we have the best way of living ever to have been conceived by mankind. This inferiority complex leads to things like a woman leading the Jumu’ah prayer (which actually happened). Because it shows that Muslims are conforming to their standards, the West loves that type of thing. We’ve “proven ourselves” to what they want. When we do this, we will end up changing our views and corrupting the message of Allah.

True Equality

True equality is this:

If I do a good deed, and you do that same good deed, then we will both receive the same reward!

We are judged and seen by Allah based on our knowledge and actions, NOT our gender (nor our race, color, or nationality for that matter).

So, what’s the correct way to answer misconceptions?

• Our job as Muslims is to convey Islam.
• Be proud and firm in Islam. Invite the people to the fundamental beliefs of Islam.
• Think about how the conversation might go:

Questioner: Why do your women have to wear that veil thing?

Muslim: Because Allah has told us that they must do so. If you believed that there was One who created you, talked to you (through the Qur’an), sent Prophets down to guide you, and has unmatched mercy over you, would you question Him?

Questioner: Uhhh…probably not. But why do you believe in Allah?

Muslim: *goes on to explain the concept of Tawheed and other Aqeedah*

In this scenario, the Muslim has taken the questioner out of his playground (his possible assumptions about the Hijab being oppressive), and brought him into the Muslim’s (dealing with really important issues). He’s playing by the Muslim’s rules now.

We CANNOT underestimate the power of La ilaha illallah! (There is no deity worthy of worship other than Allah!). How can someone argue with that?

When we allow them to enter our playground, we eliminate their offensive, and now they’re on defense.

Yasir Qadhi speaks in this lecture about his old college roommate, who’d questioned him regarding Hijab. Shaykh Yasir says how he spent the entire school term telling him the rationale behind Hijab, and how it really makes sense, and by the end of that term, the roommate finally understood it. One day, he said that it really does make sense. Shaykh Yasir reflects on the fact that he could’ve been stressing the message of Tawheed to his roommate, and he might’ve converted to Islam, rather than just know a minor concept in Islam.

Final Story from the Past

Salman al-Farsi was once approached by a Jew. The Jew questioned him harshly, “Has your prophet taught you every nitty-gritty aspect of life, even how to wash yourself after you defaecate? (Though, he used a much more vulgar Arabic word than just ‘defaecate’.) Modern Translation: Islam dictates everything to you, even how to clean your privates?

Salman al-Farsi confidently said strongly, “Na’am! (Yes!)”, and a continued paraphrased version is “You have a problem with it?”. It was as if he was saying, “You can’t even wash yourself cleanly, and you’re making fun of me?” His attitude was complete confidence in Islam and its every aspect. He wasn’t embarrassed, rather he was proud of the matter in Islam.

Call to Islam

(don’t call to Hijab, or to the “benefits of polygamy” or other minimal issues).

Islam lies in the complete submission to the will and order of Allah.