Source: Patheos.com

By Ayesha Noor

Respected Members of CII,

As a mother of all believers, I should address you as my sons. But I will not. Because you have disgusted me beyond limits. Do you realize that your so-called women’s protection bill will endanger already vulnerable Pakistani women? On one hand you claim to guard Islamic ideology and on the other, you bring shame to Islam from within. Not that I ever had high hopes of Pakistani men, but the recent developments in Pakistan are making me exceedingly worried for women. First, Pakistan’s leading self-proclaimed religious scholar disrespects women and drags me into it. And now this bill, which, if passed, would be the last nail in the coffin of women’s rights in Pakistan. Let me remind you of a few things before you go too far with this.

You have proposed that women can be “lightly beaten” by their husbands. I know, you are referring to that one verse of the Quran that according to your twisted knowledge, commands believers to beat their wives. Well, let me explain this once and for all. First of all, it is not a rule; it is an exception under strict conditions such as when the entire family life is at stake and divorce is feared. Even then the Arabic word Zaraba is nothing more than a gentle pat or stroke to draw the other person’s attention. One thing we all can agree upon is that there is no one in the world who understood the Quran more than the Holy Prophet. And being his wife, I can say with utmost certainty, that he never hit any man, woman, slave or even an animal except for when he was in an ongoing war. He admonished his companions against beating their wives and categorically condemned those who didn’t comply. In fact, his last wish was that the men of his Ummah be kind to women. I remained married to my husband, the prophet of Islam for over eight years, and not even once did he raise his hand to me. I am not an exception. He never raised his hand on any of his wives for any reason. In fact, he even said that best among the believers is the one who is good to his wife. With this bill, you are making sure that none of the Pakistani Muslim men are good Muslims in the eyes of Allah and His Messenger.

One thing I fail to understand is that you and your fellow men break most of the Quranic laws, but that doesn’t bother you at all. The Quran commands you to speak truth, but you lie through your teeth. The Quran tells you that human life is sacred, but your people kill innocent men, women, and children in the name of Islam, and you have yet to pass a fatwa against them. The Quran tells you to protect Churches and Synagogues, but your men burn them, and you pretend nothing happened. The Quran tells your government to provide necessities to all its subjects, but that’s the last priority on your government’s to-do list, and that doesn’t concern you. Your concern is one exception, applicable only in extreme conditions, and that is beating up on women. How conveniently you have ignored all the commandments of God and have remembered one exception. You should be ashamed of yourself.

If it were up to you, some of the early Islamic history would never have existed.

Do you know that it was Khadija, a woman, who comforted Prophet Muhammad when he received his first revelation and was shaken to the core? Have you read that Khadija would accompany Prophet Muhammad when he prayed before the Ka’aba? I am sure many strangers must have seen them praying together. And that is unacceptable according to your standards. Do you realize that it was my sister Asma who would bring food to Prophet Muhammad when he took refuge in the cave of Thaur on his way to Medina. You would probably have stopped her for being a “Na-Mehram” to Prophet Muhammad. Do you know, it was a group of women who sang that beautiful Arabic song, “Tala’al Badru Alaina.” If the members of CII had their way back then, the most vibrant event of early Islamic history would never have occurred for a number of reasons: First, because women are not allowed to welcome foreign delegates, second, women shouldn’t interact with strangers, third, women shouldn’t be loud enough lest be heard by the strangers. Do you remember Umme Ammara? The woman who protected Prophet Muhammad in the battle of Uhad and astonished everyone who saw her. You probably would have banned her from taking part in wars, but Prophet Muhammad praised her skills and devotion immensely.

I know, I am your worst nightmare. I raced with my husband, I sang songs in his presence, I questioned him, I joked with him, I got upset with him. I taught men, I fought in wars and I provided medical treatment to the wounded. I was loved for my wit, my piety, my straightforwardness, my beauty and my love for my husband. In fact, my husband loved me more than any husband can ever love his wife. Once when someone asked him, who he loves the most? Without any hesitancy, he said my name. Once, when on a journey, I was left alone with a man unrelated to me, several eyebrows were raised. People questioned my integrity, my piety and above all my honor and status as the wife of Prophet Muhammad. This could have infuriated my beloved husband, and he could have used it against me. He could have “lightly beaten” me at the very least. But he didn’t even question me as he trusted me entirely. Even if I had been in the wrong, he would not have raised his hand to me. Later, the Holy Quran set me free from the false allegation. If it was up to you, I would have been tried in the so-called Sharia courts and would have been beaten by my husband.

Dear members of CII! If you have any regard for the Holy Prophet, please respect your women. If you can’t fulfill all the Quranic commandments, you have no right to fulfill one exceptional permission and make women more vulnerable than they already are. May I be able to address you as my sons in my next letter.

Ayesha

Mother to all believers

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