Life in the East is shrouded in secrets, mysteries and a bunch of stereotypes. For most of the inhabitants of the planet, Eastern life is associated with a harem, many hours of prayer and unfortunate women, who are mocked by their husband every day. A European resident will never approve of her daughter's choice if she wants to marry a representative of Islamic culture. It's time to open the veil of the mysterious and mysterious life in the East: what attitude towards women in Islam is considered normal, what rights and obligations they have, and whether their life is as terrible as it is commonly believed.
Before Islam
To understand why there is an opinion about the infringement of the rights of Eastern women, let's delve into history. In ancient Arab pre-Islamic society, the position of women was indeed deplorable. In patriarchal Arabia, there was no place for them even at the table: when men ate, women ate separately in a room unsuitable for meals. The richest people started harems of dozens, and sometimes hundreds of wives, who were often abused by strangers because of their husband's misdeeds. When a girl was born to a woman from a harem, thenthe child could be taken away, and the woman in labor could be beaten, but if a boy was born, a big holiday was arranged.
In the 7th century, the Prophet Muhammad began to preach Islam - a new culture was born in the Arab environment. The first rights of an Eastern woman appeared: the right to work, to inherit, as well as the opportunity to refuse marriage and divorce. A pregnant woman in Islam was no longer subjected to violence, and newborn girls were not taken from their mother.
Modern rights
Compared to a millennium ago, today a woman in Islam can hardly be called infringed in her rights. Islamic countries still strictly follow Sharia law, but most women received not only a number of rights and freedoms, but also an extremely respectful attitude from men and the state.
The fundamental rights of women in Islam, which have not been discussed before, include the following:
- the right to independently dispose of their property;
- the right to be protected by the court from slander and other illegal actions in relation to honor and dignity;
- the right to education and work;
- the right to participate in the political life of the state, etc.
True, in some countries there are still restrictions for women. For example, in Saudi Arabia, only men can vote in elections, but in Pakistan, women received the right not only to vote, but also to become members of parliament.
About traditional clothes
It is generally accepted that the veil and hijab- symbols of the humiliated position of women in Islam, but today Turkey has given a simple example of refuting such a stereotype. M. K. Atatürk is a reformer and the first president of the Turkish Republic. Even 70 years ago, he declared war on the veil and fez, calling them a symbol of ignorance and bad taste. Moreover, characteristic Muslim clothing was banned for a long time, and those who appeared on the street or in a public place in an improper form were punished and fined. Only in 2013, for the first time in 83 years of the existence of the Turkish parliament, a woman parliamentarian took the podium in a Muslim headscarf, which caused a huge resonance in Turkish and world society. At the moment, after a long government ban, women have regained the right to wear traditional clothes. As Turkish women say, the hijab gives a sense of confidence and security, and for some it even raises self-esteem.
Burqa, hijab, veil - the inhabitants of Europe do not see any differences in clothing. And they are very wrong.
Burqa is a dressing gown made of dense black fabric that completely covers the body, leaving only a slit for the eyes. Such clothes are considered the most strict in Eastern culture.
The veil is more liberal than the veil. This is a light cover that leaves the face exposed.
Hijab is any Islamic clothing that meets the requirements of Shariah. In the West, this concept means the traditional headscarf.
The monotonous and shapeless style of clothing for a woman in Islam is not imposed by society or the state, but by religion. Truea Muslim woman is sincerely sure that wearing such clothes is a sacred duty, which speaks of her honor and dignity. By the way, the veil, the hijab, and the veil were invented by the Muslims themselves. The Holy Qur'an only says that in public women "should not show any parts of the body except what is necessary."
Main responsibilities of women
In the life of women in Islam there are moments that any European resident would envy. If the latter work, feed the family, clean the house and raise children, then the duties of a woman in Islam are expressed by only one main requirement to her husband and the state - to keep the family hearth. While a huge number of feminists around the world are fighting for the rights of poor and unfortunate Eastern women, they just sit at home, cook dinner and watch the children. However, such a duty must be approached very responsibly. The house in which a man and a woman of Islam live, united by marriage (Jawaz), acquires a sacred value. Therefore, Muslims pay special, extremely careful attention to cleaning in the house. Moreover, before the arrival of the husband, all children must be fed and neatly dressed. The woman herself is obliged to take care of herself and every evening to please her husband in the marital bed. A woman can refuse an intimate obligation only in an exceptional case, because her sacred duty is humility before her husband.
If until recently, women in Islamic countries had no right not only to work, but also toeducation, today, for example, 9 out of 10 women in Saudi Arabia have a secondary or higher education. In the UAE, the education of every woman is a mandatory requirement of the state. This is because an extremely responsible task is assigned to their shoulders - to teach children both modern sciences and religious knowledge.
Privileges and privileges
Most oriental beauties have the right to work, but they are not obliged to work due to lack of money. Earning and providing for the family is an exclusively male duty. Moreover, if the husband is so poor that he is not able to support his wife, then the Sharia court determines the required amount and forces the husband's next of kin to lend money. If they do not have the required amount, then the husband is forced to do forced labor in order to be able to pay off his debts.
No self-respecting Muslim should limit himself to providing for his family. Gifts and expensive jewelry for a wife are an obligatory and necessary attribute of family life. Also, a woman in Islam after marriage receives a "mahr" - an immodest monetary ransom for the bride. She can dispose of them solely at her discretion.
Duties of a Muslim towards his wife
How often in modern media they write that Muslim husbands beat and torture their wives. Undoubtedly, such cases occur. But why does no one pay attention to how many women in Europe are subjected to the samehumiliation? Today it is difficult to say that domestic violence is more common in Islamic countries than in others. Moreover, a true Muslim believer has holy duties to his wife:
- show the best qualities when communicating with your spouse: sensitivity, tenderness, courtesy;
- if you have free time to help raise children;
- to be interested in the opinion of his wife when solving family issues;
- ask your wife's consent if you want to go on a trip or leave home for a long time;
- do not upset your wife with bad news, do not talk about debts and problems;
- always speak positively about your chosen one in front of strangers.
A little about the harem
Harem is a word that scares away all Slav women who have their eyes on an oriental man.
Yes, harems still exist. And for Muslims, this is not at all exotic, but the usual way of family life. Islam allows a man to have up to four wives, but this is highly undesirable if the first one leads a decent lifestyle and observes all the instructions of Allah. Otherwise, it will be very difficult for the husband to give equal attention to each. I bought a dress for my wife - buy the same and everyone else. By the way, it is extremely rare for all wives to live under the same roof: the husband must buy separate houses for everyone. If all wives agree to live together, then there are certain rules:
- a woman can get to her husband's bed only in turn;
- none of the wives should see how the husband comes to another woman;
- older wife is obligedmanage all the other women in the house;
- younger wife brings up all the children.
Today it is difficult to meet a woman who is in the harem against her will. After all, only a very we althy person can be the owner of a harem, who is obliged to provide all his wives with a real paradise life.
Life after divorce
In Islam, the institution of family and marriage is given special attention, and divorce is not approved by society. However, there are times when one cannot do without it: the husband does not fulfill his direct duties or brings insufficient money to the family. The process of divorce is outrageously simple - just say "Talaq, talak, talak" ("divorce, divorce, divorce") three times.
If the desire for a divorce came from a woman, then she is obliged to give her husband all wedding gifts, if from her husband, then the ex-wife takes half of the property. If a woman discovered the fact of infidelity, then she has the right to take everything that was acquired together.
After a divorce, a woman is obliged to wait for the term "iddah" - this is a certain period of time during which the possibility of entering into a new marriage is prohibited. Such an expectation is necessary for absolute conviction in the absence of pregnancy. If a woman still finds herself in a position, then the ex-husband is obliged to provide for both her and the unborn child. If menstruation occurs and pregnancy is excluded, then the woman moves to her parents' house and lives there for 3 months, going out only on important matters. There is onlyone case when a woman immediately after a divorce has the right to marry without expectations: if there was no intimacy with her ex-husband.
Divorces, although not considered desirable, are allowed by the Koran. But the Bible, by the way, forbids divorce…
