How Do Woman & Man Enjoy the Values?
A number of values are stated in the holy Qur’an that can be a moral measurement criterion for man, and in which no distinction or preference is seen. These values are the following:
Faith and Good Deed
“Whosoever did good, whether male or female, and he be a believer, then We will certainly make him live a life good and pure…” (Qur’an, 16:97).
Knowledge
“Allah will exalt those who believe among you, and those who have knowledge, to high ranks.” (Qur’an, 58:11).
Piety “taqwa”
“O ye people! Verily we have created you of a male and a female, and made you in nations and tribes, that ye may recognise each other; Verily the most honoured of you with God is the one of you who guardeth “himself” the most “against evil”.” (Qur’an, 49:13).
Competing in Faith
“And the foremost in the race, the foremost in the race. Those are they who will be brought night.” (Qur’an, 56:10, 11).
Jihad “struggle”
“… And Allah hath distinguished those who strive above those who sit “holding back” by a great recompense.” (Qur’an, 4:95).
Migration
“So their Lord did respond to them “saying” “I will not suffer the work of any of you that worketh to be lost, be he male or female, the one of you being from the other. They, therefore, who did migrate and were turned out of their homes and suffered in My way and who fought and were slain, I will most certainly blot out their sins from them, and I will most certainly admit them into gardens beneath which flow streams; A reward from God! and God! Verily with Him “only” is the Excellent Reward.” (Qur’an, 3:195).
In continuing discussion of values it is proper to relate a tale from history of first stage of Islam.
Muqatil says: When Asma’, the daughter of Ummays returned with her husband Ja’far from Abyssinia, she went near the wives of the Messenger of Allah “may God’s peace and benediction be upon him and his Progeny” and said: Is there any verse revealed in the Qur’an regarding the women? The answer came to her in negative.
Thereat she betook herself toward the Prophet (S) saying: The women are sustaining a loss and detriment, all the time. The Prophet questioned: Why? She replied: Since Allah has never referred to them in good terms, as He did in regard of men.
After that the following verse was revealed:
“Verily the Muslim men and the Muslim women, and the believing men and the believing women, and the obedient men and the obedient women, and the truthful men and the truthful women, and the patient men and the patient women, and the humble men and the humble women, and the almsgiving men and the almsgiving women, and the fasting men and the fasting women, and the men who guard their private parts and the women who guard, and the men who remember God much and the women who remember God “much”, Allah hath prepared for them forgiveness and a great recompense.” (Qur’an, 33:35).
Woman: AUTHOR(S): Mahdi Mahrizi TRANSLATOR(S): Hasan M. Najafi