This is an answer to a question received from AlJeel Magazine in Riyad regarding the status of women in Islam .
All praise be to Allah, Alone. May peace and blessings be upon the most honorable Messenger and upon his family, his Companions and their followers until the Day of Judgment.
Women enjoy a remarkably lofty status in Islam. They greatly influence the life of every individual Muslim, as they represent the first school in building any good society; especially when they are guided by the principles of the Book of Allah i.e. the Glorious Qur'an, and the Sunnah (whatever is reported from the Prophet) of the Prophet (peace be upon him). Adherence to the principles of the Qur'an and Sunnah protects Muslims from all forms of deviation. The corruption of nations results from their negligence of the Manhaj (methodology) of Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He) and the teachings of the Prophets (peace be upon them).
I have left two matters with you. As long as you hold to them, you will not go astray. They are the Book of Allah and my Sunnah.
Many Ayahs (Qur'anic verses) of the Glorious Qur'an refer to the noble status of women; be they mothers, wives, sisters, or daughters. These Ayahs also define their rights as well as their obligations. The Purified Sunnah demonstrates these rights and obligations in detail.
The significance of women is accentuated by the nature of the burdens that they patiently endure, which at times, exceeds men's ability to withstand. That is why one of the most important duties towards one's mother is to thank, be dutiful to,
and befriend her. In Islam, obeying mothers takes precedence over that owed to fathers.
And We have enjoined on man (to be dutiful and good) to his parents. His mother bore him in weakness and hardship upon weakness and hardship, and his weaning is in two years give thanks to Me and to your parents. Unto Me is the final destination.
And We have enjoined on man to be dutiful and kind to his parents. His mother bears him with hardship. And she brings him forth with hardship, and the bearing of him, and the weaning of him is thirty months
A man came to the Prophet (peace upon him) and said: O Messenger of Allah, who is most worthy of my kind care among all people? The Prophet said: Your mother. Again, he asked: Then, who is next? The Prophet said: Your mother. He then asked: Then, who is next? The Prophet also said: Your mother. He again asked: Then who? Thereupon, the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: Your father.
According to this Hadith, mothers should be regarded threefold above what fathers are due.
And among His Signs is this, that He created for you wives from among yourselves, that you may find repose in them, and He has put between you affection and mercy.
AlHafizh ibn Kathir (may Allah be merciful with him) said in the explanation of Allah's (Exalted be He) words "affection and mercy", affection means love while mercy means clemency. So, a man marries a woman due to these two passions in mind. He shows her love and clemency, as she bears him children.
Wrap me up, wrap me up; I fear for myself! Khadijah replied: Rest assured, for I swear by Allah that He will never humiliate you. By Allah, you join ties of relationship, you speak the truth, you bear people's burdens, you help the destitute, you entertain guests, and you assist others in seeking their rights.
We also cannot forget the influence of `Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) who conveyed the Hadith to some senior Sahabah (Companions of the Prophet) and many female Sahabah (Companions of the Prophet) learned numerous femalerelated rulings from her. In recent history, during the time of Imam Muhammad ibn Su`ud (may Allah be merciful with him), his wife advised him to accept the Da`wah (calling) of Imam Muhammad ibn `AbdulWahhab (may Allah be merciful with him). When the Imam presented his Da`wah to him, her advice was of unlimited value in their mutual agreement to revive the Da`wah (calling to Islam) and promote it. Thanks to Allah, and then their efforts, today we can palpably notice the great influence of their work in the `Aqidah (creed) of the people of the Arabian Peninsula.
Undoubtedly, my mother was my greatest blessing ever. She encouraged me to advance in my studies and supported me, may Allah multiply her reward and recompense her with the best.
Houses where affection, love, clemency, and Islamic upbringing prevail will undoubtedly affect on male members (According Allah's decree) to prove successful in all pursuits and field including academic,