Lajna Peace Symposium 2020

In Chapter 24 of the Holy Quran, Allah gives the commandment for both Muslim men and women to practice modesty. In verse 31, Allah commands Muslim men as follows;

“Say to the believing men that they restrain their looks and guard their private parts. That is purer for them. Surely, Allah is well-aware of what they do.” (24:31)

The commandment for Muslim women is then given in the next verse.

Islam stresses that education for men and women is of equal importance, and the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) laid down that education is compulsory for both. He said:

“It is the duty of every Muslim man and every Muslim woman to acquire knowledge.”

He also exhorted both to “seek knowledge even if you have to go to China,” and to “seek knowledge from the cradle to the grave.”

Rabwah is a town in Pakistan that was founded by the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community after they had to move their original headquarters from India due to the Partition.

The teachings of Islam place great emphasis on ensuring that girls are given the same opportunities to access education as boys. The Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessing be upon him) is reported to have said “A person who is blessed with a daughter or daughters and makes no discrimination between them and his sons and brings them up with kindness and affection, will be as close to me in Paradise as my forefinger and middle finger are to each other.” (Muslim II, Section Beneficence).

The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community wholeheartedly follows these teachings and as a result Rabwah, which has a population that are 98% Ahmadi Muslims, has a literacy rate of 85% (compared to Pakistan’s national average of 62.3%) and a secondary school enrolment rate of 100% for both boys and girls.

According to global statistics collected by the United Nations, just 39 percent of rural girls attend secondary school. This is far fewer than rural boys (45 percent), urban girls (59 percent) and urban boys (60 percent).

Divorce is permitted in Islam and may be initiated by either husband or wife. In the Holy Quran, regulations have been set out to govern the process of divorce.

First, if one or both parties have decided to initiate a divorce there must a period where reconciliation is attempted. If differences become acute, the counsel and help of mediators, one from the wife’s people and one from the husband’s, should be sought. If divorce is finally decided upon, the husband cannot take away from the wife anything he has given her, and must make suitable provision for her over a period of six months, which is normally required for the process to be completed. He is also financially responsible for his children until they come of age. If husband and wife are reconciled to each other during this period, the divorce proceedings are dropped.

In the UK until 1937, a woman could only divorce from her husband on the grounds of adultery and one more cause such as incest or cruelty, whereas a man could divorce from his wife on the grounds of adultery alone. The Matrimonial Causes Act 1937 made divorce easier to access for women as it meant that they could separate from their husbands on the grounds of adultery alone. It wasn’t until the Divorce Reform Act 1969 that a marriage could end if had been “irretrievably broken down” without having to prove fault.

Female genital mutilation is a practice found in Africa, Asia and the Middle East, predominantly within certain Muslim societies but it also exists amongst some Christian and Animist groups. There is a widespread view among practitioners of FGM that it is a religious requirement however FGM predates Islam by centuries- there is historical evidence that it was practiced as far back as 800 BC in the ancient Meroite civilisation of Sudan. Furthermore, there is no mention of the practice of FGM in the Quran and numerous Muslim leaders have condemned the cultural practice.

Islam makes it clear that women are entitled to possess wealth and property of their own, whether it is inherited or earned, and has full rights over it. The Holy Qur’an states:

“Men shall have the share of what they have earned, and women shall have the share of what they have earned. And ask Allah of His bounty. Surely, Allah has perfect knowledge of all things.” (4:33)

This verse established the equality of men and women in so far as their works are concerned. Woman has the right to manage her own wealth. A married woman is not even required to spend out of her own wealth, as it is the duty of her husband to provide for her.

The Holy Quran categorically states that daughters are given rights of inheritance from their parents, wives have a right on husbands’ inheritance, and mothers have rights on their children’s inheritance, if they happen to die before her. Similarly, in some situations daughters and sisters are heirs of their brothers. Allah has commanded in Chapter 4 of the Holy Quran;

“For men is a share of that which parents and near relations leave; and for women is a share of that which parents and near relations leave, whether it be little or much – a determined share.” (Ch.4:V.8)

Furthermore, the Holy Quran goes on to warn those who may be tempted by greed to act unjustly regarding the matters of inheritance;

“Surely, they who devour the property of orphans unjustly, only swallow fire into their bellies, and they shall burn in a blazing fire” (Chapter 4, verse 11

This is a recorded statement of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) that emphasises the importance of mothers. It makes it clear that the responsibility for the spiritual and moral development of children has been assigned to mothers because they have the greatest influence on them. It means that mothers not only have to provide the guidance that will lead their children to paradise but they also have to show them the way by their own actions.

The Ahmadiyya Muslim Women’s Association is an auxiliary organisation whose role is to provide women a structure to train, develop and enhance their religious and academic knowledge, acquire health and fitness skills, manage trade and industry affairs and develop their financial abilities.

To date, the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community have translated the Holy Quran into 75 different languages including Catalan, Chinese, Japanese, Russian and Swahili.