Many of us fear what we do not understand. With Islamophobia on the rise, it appears there are many misconceptions that need to be addressed.
“Women are seen as inferior/lesser than men”
In Islam, while men and women may have different rights or responsibilities, they are both seen as equal. Men and women are expected to carry out the same acts and duties of worship, such as fasting, praying five times a day, and giving to charity. The word “woman'' and the word “man” were mentioned in equal amounts in the holy book, the Quran. Many of these rights to women in Islam were introduced about 1400 years ago, and these rights vastly improved the status of women back then. One of the many examples of women's rights in Islam is that women are entitled to their own wealth and property. A woman's wealth belongs to her and her alone, as does her inheritance. In addition, the Prophet’s (peace be upon Him [PBUH]) first wife was a successful businesswoman, and she was also 15 years older than the prophet when she proposed to him. The prophet’s last wife, Aisha, was a well-established figure in both medicine and history. She was also very heavily involved in hadith transmission and spreading Islam. Women in Islam are also encouraged to seek out an education/knowledge. In fact, the first-ever established university was created by a Muslim woman, Fatima Al-Fihri. These are simply a few examples of the role and honour women are granted in Islam.
“Women are forced to cover up”
In Islam, men and women are both required to dress modestly; the idea of covering up in Islam is not exclusively for women. In reality, many Muslim women choose to cover up out of their own free choice. Unfortunately, there are some women who are forced to cover up in the name of Islam - this is actually imposed by cultural practices and beliefs rather than Islamic ones.
“Jesus does not exist in Islam”
Contrary to popular belief, Jesus is a figure in Islam, granted, he isn’t referred to by that name. In Islam, Jesus is referred to as Prophet Isa. Both Prophet Isa and his mother Mary (Marryam in Islam) - are prominent figures in Islam, and both are held in high esteem. In fact, both Prophet Isa and Marryam are mentioned in the Quran; the holy book of Islam.
Their story is taught and studied by Muslims all over the world.
“Women go through forced marriages”
It seems that arranged marriages are being confused with forced ones. An arranged marriage is when individuals are set up with one another, they do not have to proceed with the marriage if they choose not to. On the other hand, forced marriages are when individuals are coerced or manipulated into marrying another. Forced marriages are actually seen as invalid in the eyes of Islam. Marriage requires consent from both parties. Forced marriages may be a result of cultural practices, however, they are not the result of any Islamic practices.
“Islam promotes violence”
This happens to be one of the most common misconceptions regarding Islam. Oftentimes, individuals with their own hidden agenda will use verses of the Quran and take them out of context to mislead others. Islam is a religion that promotes peace, rather than violence. One of the many examples of this is the Islamic greeting. You may hear Muslims greeting each other saying As-Salaamu-Alaikum, this quite literally translates to “peace be upon you”. Another example is that Islam puts an emphasis on being good to one's neighbour, regardless of their religion, race, or socioeconomic status. When it comes to an individual saving the life of another, the prophet (PBUH) said “If anyone saved a life it would be as if he saved the life of the whole humanity”. This quote does not say you must save a certain race or religion, it simply emphasizes the magnitude of saving a life. Islam is a religion that rewards even simple acts of kindness such as smiling. Smiling is considered to be Sunnah -- Sunnah is an action, saying, or teaching of the prophet Muhammad (PBUH) that should be followed by all Muslims-- and Muslims are rewarded for simply smiling. Now I must ask, how does a religion that rewards act as simple as smiling, promote violence?
Written by Zara K., Age 15
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