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WOMEN'S RIGHTS VS MEN'S RIGHTS

Introduction

Islam as a comprehensive and perfect religion has organized human life with a system based on love, balance and justice. Therefore, every human being is given equal rights by Islam, whether male or female, the priority of which is contained in the Quran, Sunnah and Sirah Nabawiyyah. This concept emphasizes that the rights obtained by a person must be balanced with the obligations towards Allah SWT, himself and society. With this understanding, Islam brings a vision of justice which aims to create harmony and peace in life.

Women's and Men's Rights

According to the Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka Dictionary, Fourth Edition, rights are defined as the power over something or to do something determined by law, religion, customs and others, such as every child having the right to the inheritance left by their father.

In addition, rights in Arabic have various meanings that revolve around the meaning of determination and obligation. As for the meaning of its terminology, based on Dr. Mustafa al-Zarqa', rights are a privilege determined by the Islamic law either as a power or responsibility. According to Prof. Dr. Wahbah bin Muá¹£á¹afÄ al-Zuá¸¥ailÄ« in his book Al-Fiqh al-IslÄmiy Wa Adillatuhu , the definition is good because it encompasses various types of religious rights, such as the rights of Allah SWT over His servants in the form of prayer, fasting and the like as well as civil rights such as ownership rights and others.

Therefore, there are rights that have been determined by Allah SWT for His created beings who are called human beings, whether male or female. Based on the words of Allah SWT;

Meaning: “ And whoever does righteous deeds, whether male or female, while he is a believer, they will enter Paradise, and they will not be wronged in the least. ” (an-Nisa': 124)

1. Human Rights

If Muslims look back at history before the advent of Islam, women were despised and treated so badly by society at that time. Men considered women as tools to satisfy their lusts and treated them like merchandise as if they had no right to live. This is mentioned in the Quran which explains the bad things they did to women. The word of Allah SWT;

Meaning: “ And when it is announced to one of them that he has a daughter, his face is gloomy all day long (because of grief), while he suppresses anger in his heart. He hides himself from the people because of (feeling ashamed of) the bad news that has been brought to him (about his having a daughter; while he thinks): will he raise her in a state of humiliation, or will he bury her alive in the ground? Know! Evil is what they decree. ” (an-Nahl: 58-59)

Therefore, the arrival of Islam through the great messenger of the Prophet Muhammad SAW brought a message to elevate the position of women by equating them with men where they were also given opportunities and space in living life as creatures of Allah SWT on earth . Allah SWT said :

Meaning: “ O mankind! Indeed, We have created you from male and female, and made you into nations and tribes, that you may know one another (and befriend one another). Indeed, the most noble of you in the sight of Allah is the most righteous of you (not the one with the most lineage or race). Indeed, Allah is All-Knowing, All-Aware ( of your circumstances and deeds). ” ( al-Hujurat : 13)

Imam al-Qurá¹ubÄ« in Al-JÄmi ' li Aá¸¥kÄm al-QurÄn says in this verse, Allah SWT wants to rebuke and provide guidance that the difference that is used as a measure to elevate and lower the status of His servants is only the value of their devotion and piety to Allah SWT, not rank and lineage .

2. Right to Education

The obligation to seek knowledge is one of the Islamic demands on every Muslim, male and female. This matter was also emphasized by the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) who stated that one of the obligations for a Muslim is to seek knowledge. The hadith narrated from Saidina Anas bin Malik RA that the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:

Meaning: Seeking knowledge is obligatory for every Muslim. [HR: Ibn Majah]

This obligation shows that there is no discrimination in granting the right to education between men and women in Islam. In fact, a woman is also given great attention to gain knowledge first before establishing a household and becoming a mother. This is because if a mother does not have sufficient knowledge to educate her children, then her children will be weak in education or in the formation of a pure personality.

3. Economic Rights

Overall, Islam grants comprehensive economic rights to both men and women, ensuring that both can play an active role in the economic development of the family and society. The principle of justice in Islam ensures that these rights are implemented equitably, without discrimination based on gender.

Originally, the task of earning a living and working was placed on the shoulders of a man because the task of protecting and providing for the family was their responsibility. Based on the words of Allah SWT;

Meaning: “ Men are the guardians and protectors over women, because Allah has made men excel in some respects over women, and because they spend out of their wealth. ” ( al -Nisa’: 34)

However , Islam also does not prohibit a woman's right to engage in work to earn a living, and has the right to own property, land or a house . Muslim women have the right to manage their businesses, and their husbands cannot even ask for the income or profits of their businesses, let alone anyone else, except with her consent . The word of Allah SWT ;

Meaning: “ (Because it has been established) for men there is a share of what they earn, and for women there is a share of what they earn.” (al-Nisa': 32)

In general, Islam elevates the position of women by giving them the responsibility of educating, while men are the leaders who take care of the safety of family members. Therefore, women have the right to increase financial assistance in improving the family economy . Through the Sirah Nabawiyyah , this has been done by the wives of the companions , including Saidatina Asma' binti Abu Bakr R. A which was narrated by Imam al -Bukhari RA in his Sahih that Saidatina Asma' binti Abu Bakr RA often helped her husband, Zubair bin Al-Awwam RA . He went out to collect fodder and take care of his affairs.

4. Right to inherit property

Islam sets specific rules regarding the division of inheritance, where men and women have certain shares. Although the shares of men and women are different, this division is made based on fairness and the financial responsibilities borne by each gender. The determination of the division of inheritance in Islam is a manifestation of Islam's recognition of individual property rights.

Apart from that, it is also a manifestation that a person's property, after his death, passes to the heirs and must be divided fairly between them, whether female or male, minor or adult, as long as the conditions for receiving the inheritance are met. This stipulation is contained in the word of Allah SWT;

Meaning: “ Men have a share of what their parents and relatives leave behind, and women have a share of what their parents and relatives leave behind, whether little or much of what they leave behind; that is the share that has been prescribed (and determined by Allah). ” ( al -Nisa: 7)

Imam al-Tabari narrated an athar from Qatadah which stated that one of the reasons for the revelation of this verse is because in the pre -Islamic era , only men could inherit property, not women . Therefore, Islamic law is very supportive of women in freeing themselves from the oppression of the pre -Islamic era . Islam gives inheritance rights to women who previously did not have such rights, and has even designated them as Ashhabul Furudh ( obligations that Allah SWT has set as part of their inheritance) just like the lela

Conclusion

Islam greatly celebrates the rights of both men and women by assigning each man and woman their rights in the family and society in their proper place. In addition, many verses of the Quran and Hadith mention the equality between men and women, whether in terms of human values, law, seeking knowledge, inheritance of property and so on.

The equality that Islam intends between men and women is not complete equality. However, the equality of rights that Islam has established is based on the concept of equal justice between men and women. This is because in some matters women cannot fully perform the duties of men and vice versa.

Date of Input: 03/07/2025 | Updated: 03/07/2025 | asmunir

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