Review of Religions: August 2014
He became the Khalifah of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community at the young age of 25 and steered and nourished it to its maturity for more than 50 years with his spiritual guidance, incredible wisdom, prayers and exceptional administrative acumen. A leader of innumerable qualities, he was also a brilliant orator and prolific writer. His scholarly excellence has been preserved in a 19 volume set known as Anwarul’ Ulum amounting to over 200 books, lectures and essays expounding on a vast array of subjects; both spiritual and secular. In his treatise, ‘Muhammad – The Liberator of Women’ he explains that before the advent of Islam no religion, people or community accorded women such freedoms which recognised their intrinsic rights and women throughout the world were bound to servitude. The Holy Prophet of Islamsa purged the world from a form of enslavement which had long since been a curse on humanity.
A translation by Fazl-e-Omar Foundation,
Rabwah, Pakistan
Each and every strand of Prophet Muhammad’ssa life appears so sublime that one is left amazed and it is impossible to focus on any one particular aspect of his character. However, in light of current circumstances, I have selected one of the most astonishing aspects of his life by discoursing on the manner in which the Prophetsa purged the world from a form of enslavement which had long since been a curse on humanity; by this I mean the subjugation of women.
Before his advent, women throughout the world were bound to servitude. This also had an adverse effect on the men at that time since those children who were born to women in subjugation could never truly comprehend the spirit of freedom.
Undoubtedly, there were women, who on account of their charm and the strength of their character, attained a position of ascendency over the men around them, but from this we cannot infer that they were truly free for the simple reason that this position was not theirs by right. Such cases were exceptions to the general rule and that which is merely an exception can hardly be perceived as the means forfulfilling true aspiration.
The advent of the Holy Prophetsa occurred almost 1350 years ago. Before his arrival no religion, people or community accorded women such freedoms which recognised their intrinsic rights. In places where there was no rule of law, of course a type of freedom prevailed, but this was a fictitious privilege which may perhaps be better described as a license. True liberty is that which emerges from civilisation and conforms to and is defined by statutes and laws. Freedom which is attained by breaking the bounds of the law is a fallacy because it is not conducive to human betterment.