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Injunctions of the Qur'an
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Ahadith of the Holy Prophet
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Rights in the Light of Qur'an and Hadith
I ‑
INJUNCTIONS OF THE QUR'AN
Various
measures taken by the Qur'an for the protection of person and honour of
the women are manifested by the following verses:
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Nor come
nigh to adultery: for it is a shameful (deed) and an evil, opening the
road (to other evils). (17:32)
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The woman
and the man guilty of adultery or fornication,‑ flog each of them with a
hundred stripes; let not compassion move you in their case, in a matter
prescribed by Allah, if ye believe in Allah and the Last Day: and let a
party of the believers witness their punishment. (24:2)
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And
those who launch a charge against chaste women, and produce not four
witnesses, (to support their allegation),
flog them with
eighty stripes and reject their evidence, ever after: for such men are
wicked transgressors. (24:4)
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Those who
slander chaste women indiscreet but believing, are cursed in this life
and in the Hereafter: for them is a grievous penalty. (24:23)
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O ye who
believe! enter not houses other than your own, until ye have asked
permission and saluted those in them: that is best for you, in order
that ye may heed (what is seemly). (24:27)
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Say to the
believing men that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty:
that will make for greater purity for them: and Allah is well acquainted
with all that they do. (24:30)
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And say to
the believing women that they should lower their gaze and guard their
modesty; that they should not display their beauty and ornaments except
what (must ordinarily) appear thereof: that they should draw their veils
over their bosoms and not display their beauty except to their husbands,
their fathers, their, husbands' fathers, their sons, their‑husbands'
sons, their brothers or their brothers' sons, or their sisters' sons, or
their women, or the slaves whom their right hands possess or male
servants free of physical needs, or small children who have no sense of
the shame of sex; and that they should not strike their feet in order to
draw attention to their hidden ornaments, and O ye believers! Turn ye
all together towards Allah, that ye may attain bliss. (24:31)
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Let those
who find not the wherewithal for marriage keep themselves chaste, until
Allah gives them means out of His grace. And if any of your slaves ask
for a deed in writing (to enable them to earn their freedom for a
certain sum), give them such a deed if ye know any good in them; ye,
give them something yourselves out of the means which Allah has given to
you. But force not your minds to prostitution when they desire chastity,
in order that ye may make a gain in the goods of this life, but if
anyone compels them, Yet, after such compulsion, is Allah Oft‑Forgiving,
Most Merciful (to them). (24:33)
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And those
who annoy believing men and women undeservedly, bear (on themselves) a
calumny and a glaring sin. (33:58)
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O
Prophet! Tell thy wives and daughters, and the believing women, that
they should cast their outer garments over their persons (when abroad):that is most convenient, that they, should be known (as such)
and not molested: And Allah is Oft=Forgiving, Most Merciful. (33:59)
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II ‑
AHADITH OF THE PROPHET
The
Traditions of the Prophet (PBUH) of Islam regarding the protection of
women's honour and chastity are as under:‑
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Jaber
reported from the Prophet who said: Don't visit women whose husbands
are absent, because devil runs through you like the circulation of
blood. (Tirmizi)
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Wael‑b‑Hujr
reported that a woman was forced to commit adultery at the time of the
Prophet. Then he cancelled the ordained punishment from her and enforced
it against one who compelled her. He did not mention whether he fixed
for her any dower. (Tirmizi)
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Wael‑b‑Hujr
reported that a woman came out at the time of the Prophet intending to
say prayer. * man forced her and dragged her and satisfied his lust with
her. She raised a cry but he went away. She passed by a host of refugees
and said: verily that man did with me such and such. They overtook him
and came with him to the Messenger of Allah. He said to her: Go back
because Allah has forgiven you, and he said about the man who had sexual
intercourse with her: Stone him to death. (Tirmizi, Abu Daud)
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Abdullah‑b‑Masud reported that the Messenger of Allah said to us: O
Young men, those among you who can support a wife should marry, for it
restrains eyes (from casting evil glances) and preserves one from
immorality; but he who cannot afford he should observe fast, for it is a
means of controlling sexual desire. (Muslim)
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Abu Sa'id Al‑Khudri reported that Allah's Messenger said: The most wicked
among the people in the sight of Allah on the Day of Judgement is the
man who goes to his wife and she comes to him, and then he divulges her
secret. (Muslim)
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Jaber
reported that Abdullah‑b‑Ubayy‑b‑Salul had two slave girls; one was
called Musaika and the other one was called Umaima and he compelled them
to prostitution. They made a complaint about this to Allah's Messenger
and it was upon this that this verse was revealed: "And compel not your
slave girls to prostitution" up to the words: "Allah is Forgiving,
Merciful:" (Q 24:33). (Muslim)
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III ‑
RIGHTS IN THE LIGHT OF QUR'AN AND HADITH
Measures
taken by the Qur'an and Sunnah for the protection of the honour of woman
are,‑‑
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Zina
or fornication or adultery has been declared a major sin
and an evil way. The believers are strictly forbidden to come near it.
The Qur'an says: "Nor come nigh to adultery for it is a shameful (deed)
and an evil, opening the road (to other evils). (17:32)
Zina
has been declared a punishable offence and the Hadd
(punishment prescribed) for it is very strict . The person guilty of
adultery is to be punished with a hundred lashes (AlQur'an 24:2). Woman
if subjected to rape is not to be punished but the man who criminally
assaulted her is to be punished with Hadd.
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Persons
who accuse the chaste women of adultery and do not prove the charge by
producing four witnesses, are to be punished with eighty stripes
(Al‑Qur'an 24:4). This is known as Hadd of
Qazaf.
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Persons
guilty of slandering the believing and virtuous women, have not only
been condemned and cursed in this world and the Hereafter but also would
be awarded suitable punishment in the next world (Al‑Qur'an 24:23).
Again the Qur'an condemns such persons who malign believing women
falsely. (33:58)
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Both men
and women have been instructed to lower their gaze and preserve their
modesty. (Al‑Qur'an 24:30‑31)
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The
women are forbidden to display their adornment, except that which is
displayed of itself unintentionally. (AlQur'an 24:31)
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Women are
enjoined to cover their bosoms with gowns or outer‑garments. (Al‑Qur'an
24:31)
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Women
are forbidden to reveal their adornment or makeup except before their
husbands or near relatives (Mahrams) or servants. (Al‑Qur'an
24:31)
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Women
are also directed to dress up properly and wrap themselves with
outer‑garments, cloak or gown (Al‑Qur'an 33:59). This is called
purdah.
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Prostitution was banned and it was declared that even the slave girls
should not be forced to whoredom, (Al‑Qur'an 24:33) not to speak of the
free and respectable women.
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The people
have been instructed not to enter the houses of others without
permission (Al‑Qur'an 24:27).
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Protection of honour of a chaste woman is so dear to the religion of
Allah that sometimes miracles have happened to rescue the chaste
believing females who had been wrongly and falsely charged by the
enemies of humanity. `Ayesha, wife of Muhammad (PBUH) was falsely
charged of unchastity by the hypocrites, and God Himself spoke to
vindicate her honour (please refer to verses 11 to 20 of chapter 24 of
AI‑Qur'an). Mary (mother of Jesus PBUH) was wrongly accused of being
unchaste by her own people, and Allah caused a miracle to happen when a
child from the cradle (Jesus PBUH) suddenly spoke and gave evidence of
her noble character (please refer to verses 16 to 35 of chapter
19 of the Qur'an).
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