here - Submission to God

Published in 2002 byBSM PressPO Box 43415Tucson, AZ 85730-3415U.S.A.Copyright © 2002 by Lisa SprayExcept as permitted under the Copyright Act of 1976, this book may not bereproduced in whole or in part in any manner without written permissionfrom the copyright owner.ISBN 0-9714813-3-4Printed in the United States of America10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1Cover photo by Gaia CreationsThe Khalifa family has generously given permission to use extended quotationsfrom Quran: The Final Testament, translated by Dr. Rashad Khalifa,copyrights 1989, 1992.Cataloging-in-Publication DataSpray, Lisa.Women's rights : the Quran and Islam / Lisa Spray.p. cm.Includes bibliographical references and index.ISBN 0-9714813-3-4 (pbk.)1. Muslim women. 2. Women's rights--Religious aspects--Islam. 3.Muslim women--Conduct of life. I. Title.HQ1170 .S675 2002305.48'6971--dc21

This book is dedicated to the memory of thosewho lost their lives on September 11, 2001,to those who strove to help them,to all who suffer terrorism, oppression and tyrany,and to the One who gets us through it all.

Foreword“…Conjecture is no substitute for the truth.” [The Quran 53:28]The religion of Islam today continues to be one of the mostmisunderstood religions in the West. But who is to blame, theWestern media? Not particularly. Perhaps the major reason forthis misunderstanding is the fact that for centuries this beautifulreligion has been presented to the world by people, scholarsand countries that do not actually follow the Islam taught in theQuran.Terrible acts of terrorism done in the name of religion areprime examples. The attacks with hijacked planes on New YorkCity and Washington D.C. on September 11, 2001 killing thousandsof innocent people were deplorable. No God-fearing peoplecan ever condone this kind of activity. As in many other attacks inthe past, the terrorists are linked to groups that abuse the nameof Islam to commit crimes that are abhorred and strongly condemnedby God in the Quran, the Muslims’ holy book.The religion of Islam should not be confused with what theseso-called Muslims have done. They actually, by the definitionof the Quran, are not Muslims any more than members of theKu Klux Klan are Christians. The religion of Islam condemnsthe killing or even the persecution of people merely becausethey embrace a different faith. The Quran mandates absolutefreedom of religion in a society. It does not allow Muslims tofight except for self-defense and to enforce peace. It does notallow restrictions on those who disagree on religious matters.It urges Muslims to treat such people kindly and equitably.Unfortunately, terrorists are not the only ones that give Islama bad name. It is a fact that there are numerous man-made ruleswhich have crept into mainstream Islam that have nothing todo with the religion of Islam as laid out in the Quran. One ofthe major principles that has been corrupted over the years isix

x | Women’s Rights, the Quran and Islamthe equality of women in Islam. God tells us clearly in theQuran that we are equal in His eyes, whether we are male orfemale. Even though we each have obvious physical differences,the only difference that God considers is righteousness.Furthermore, the Quran is full of commands and laws to protectthe rights of women, as well as the rights of the weak, suchas orphans.That is why Ms. Lisa Spray’s work in this book is such animportant undertaking. She brings forth all the issues confrontingtoday’s women who follow or want to follow the religion ofIslam. She gives examples from her experience and tells ushow she dealt with each issue she confronted, one step at atime.Ms. Spray is particularly well qualified for this task as shehas first hand knowledge of several faiths, including traditionalIslam. Being a traditional Muslim was quite an experiencefor her, as it would be for any Western woman, until she cameacross Quranic Islam, by God’s leave, and found that what shehad been taught as the religion of Islam was very differentfrom what God revealed in the Quran.Besides her own experiences, she includes in her book manyreal life stories of friends who went through similar experienceson their own. They too saw the light at the end of the tunnelwhen they were introduced to Quranic Islam.Furthermore, she has brought into focus the importance ofa good translation of the Quran. The Quran, the Final Testamentto humanity, is not only beautiful, complete and fullydetailed, but also comes with a divine mathematical proof whichMs. Spray discusses and then summarizes in an appendix ofher book. I hope her book will be a stepping-stone and inspirationfor readers to go and get a Quran, and read God’s guidancefrom cover to cover.Abdullah ArikImam and Director, International Community of Submitters

Acknowledgements“It takes a village to raise a child.”African proverbIn many, many ways it has taken a community to write thisbook. I wish to acknowledge and thank all of those who havehelped “raise this book.”First I wish to acknowledge and thank the contributors fortheir personal stories that add so much both in content and inheart to the book. In the order in which they appear I thankShari, Irandokht, Patty, MeauVell, Jamileh, Lory, Evah, IhsanRamadan, Lydia Kelley, Lourdes, Parsa, Naima, Khaula and otherswho did not wish to be listed. Your stories inspire, and youreditorial suggestions have been invaluable. Lydia also has additionalheartfelt thanks for her proof reading and all her support.Others have added wonderful editorial input, and I thankthem all: Rev. Raven Gaston, Beth Harris, Azar Khan, MargaretSierras, Donna Udell, Carol Vinson, Sara Sexton, and many others.I especially thank my husband Ralph not only for his wonderfulediting, but also for his tireless support and the beautifulphotograph that is on the cover of this book. Finally, I wishto thank Abdullah Arik for his excellent Foreword, his editorialcomments and all of his assistance.In truth, this book is as much or more yours than it is mine.May it be acceptable to God, to Whom all thanks and acknowledgementis due.Lisa Sprayxi

IntroductionOn September 11th, 2001, the United States of America wasattacked on its own soil. Thousands of innocent people werekilled in a carefully planned series of airliner hijackings withthe intent of using these planes full of passengers as bombs.This plan was successful in all but one of the hijackings and theplanes were deliberately flown into the World Trade Centerand the Pentagon. It was an audacious and terrifying scheme,carried out in the name of so-called Islam.However, the Quran, Islam’s holy book, condemns aggression,except in self-defense, and killing, except the killing ofthose who have personally committed murder or truly horrendouscrimes. Fortunately the general public has come to recognizethat these acts of terrorism are not Islamic. And an interestin understanding what Islam really is has burgeoned.I had just finished writing a book on women’s rights inIslam for fellow Muslims and those especially interested in thefaith. This is an expansion of that book for a wider audience. Ihave tried to include more personal stories, and to give comparisonson specific issues with the Bible. In the current worldsituation it is critical to realize that Islam does not have just onepoint of view. There is as wide an understanding of the correctway to practice Islam as there is of Christianity or Judaism. Itis also critical to recognize that Christians, Jews and Muslimshave much more in common than not. Indeed, I personallybelieve that to be true of all people who are sincerely trying tofollow a spiritual path. Our vocabulary may be different, butthe essential meanings are the same.I believe that there is enough new material to make thisrevision useful to those who have already read Heart’s Surprise.For those who are new readers of this material, I believe thatyou will find here enough background from the personal experiencesof my contributors and myself to truly give you a goodunderstanding of what it can be like to be a woman in Islam...not the Islam of the terrorists, but the Islam of the Quran.xiii

xiv | Women’s Rights, the Quran and IslamOne of the most wonderful things that ever happened to mewas getting a Quran from a friend who didn’t want her dog tochew on it again….Of course, I was certain that I could never become Muslim.Clearly it was insane for an enlightened Western woman to evenconsider such a self-destructive act.Little did I know, on that fateful day in the mid 1970’s, thatthe Quran’s view of women is very different from what weknow as the “Islamic view.” In fact, of all of the scriptures, theQuran is definitely the torchbearer for women.Not what you would expect, is it? But neither is QuranicIslam what you would expect. Most of what we know as Islamicis culturally Islamic, rather than scripturally Islamic. It is basedon Arab traditions and culture, not on the Quran. Like other religioustraditions, the Arabs inter-mixed their culture with divinerevelation, and taught that as Islam.How could they do otherwise? Our understanding of everythingis heavily influenced by our culture, even when we believewe are being unbiased. So the manner in which we translatedivine commandments into our daily lives is based on ourculture.This is as true for the Western world as it is for any otherpart of the world. All human beings see the world through thedistorting lenses of their own culture.However it is my belief that we are coming into a new eraof understanding. Global communications allow us to view our“neighborhood” on a much-enlarged scale. We can exchangee-mail with new friends all over the world and join chat roomswith people as geographically distant as China, Norway andAustralia. Now we really begin to glimpse the truth of thephrase “the global village.”In fact, now, more than ever, we are aware how much of aglobal village we do live in. The events in a country as distantas Afghanistan have direct impact on us today. I have heard a

Introduction | xvnumber of concerned women asking how it is that women’srights were allowed to be so totally eroded in Afghanistanunder the Taliban. If they had been an ethnic group, like theJews, would the world have just stood by and watched?I do not know the answer to that question, but I do believethat it is critical for us in the West to understand that much ofwhat we have been given to believe are true Muslim religiousattitudes towards women are NOT ISLAMIC! They go againstclear teachings in the Quran.It is critical for us to make this distinction at this juncture inhistory, for we are seeing a resurgence of “Islamic fundamentalism”in much of the Muslim world. I personally believe thatrepressive and terrorist groups like the Taliban and al-Qaedaare driving much of this resurgence. The values of this movementare based in cultural tradition, not on the Quran. It isthese values that allow the terrorist fringe of so called Islam toexist, and indeed prosper.Perhaps this fundamentalist movement is driven by a fearof the current breaking down of barriers among cultures andsocieties. Actually, this process has been underway for a longtime, starting with written language, accelerating with theinvention of printing, and much later with movies, radio andtelevision. Now this process is sped even faster by the Internetand globalization.With new understanding comes the means of seeing ourown culture with a bit more objectivity. It seems to me that thisis happening all over the world, and nowhere more dramaticallythan in the Muslim world. Within the span of one generation,enormous changes have begun to take place for most Muslimwomen.In some places, there have been backlashes and increasingsuppression of women in an attempt to maintain the old order.Afghanistan under the Taliban is a prime example. Still, theoverall trend has been positive, though the resurgence of fundamentalismmight eventually come to counteract this progress.Perhaps a major factor in this progress is what seems to bea growing movement to look again at the Quran as Islam’s

xvi | Women’s Rights, the Quran and Islamsource, rather than the recorded oral traditions of Hadith andSunna. (Hadith is what has been understood to be the sayingsof the Prophet Muhammad, and Sunna is what has been understoodto be the practices. Neither was written down until generationsafter Muhammad’s death.)I will not pretend to be an unbiased source. To me there isno question that the Quran is the revealed word of God, firstput into writing 1400 years ago. Even those readers who do nothold my view will find some thought-provoking concepts inthe Quran. For Muslim and non-Muslim alike, the Quranic viewof women is well worth investigating. This is the purpose ofwhat I lay before you now. I hope you enjoy it, God willing!

1How It Started For MeEver since I can remember I have believed in God. My familywas not religious, though both of my parents were quitespiritual. As a result, I was free to explore the vast world of religiousthought my own way. Explore I did. As a child I readquantities of mythology from all over the world. The AmericanIndian mythologies touched me the most deeply.Perhaps that was because of my family’s excursions towatch the Easter ceremonies of the Yaqui Indian tribe. Theseceremonies are a marvelous blend of Catholicism and thenative belief system from before European contact. Thedance/drama depicts the struggle between the forces of eviland the forces of good, all staged within the story of the Easterpassion. Yaqui society is in large part organized around theyear-round preparation and final performance of these ceremonies.Most traditional men become members of one of thedance societies, which then perform this impressive and deeplyreligious ceremony for its own sake. This is not a staged production;it is an expression of faith, which we were most privilegedto be allowed to watch.Seeing such deep reverence and total dedication to a religiouspath touched my very soul and awakened my own needfor a spiritual path.In my early teens I began reading the scriptures. I read theBible and bits and pieces from other traditions. I read stories ofthe saints, and wept for them and their suffering. I rememberthinking to myself, “I could never be that good, but I am so gladthat someone was.”I also read stories of the European “settlers” of various nationalities.The slaughter and brutal enslavement of the NativeAmerican peoples by these Europeans horrified me. The great-1

2| Women’s Rights, the Quran and Islamest horror was that so much of this terrible activity was carriedout in the name of religion. (As I have grown older I have learnedthat this has been the way of conquerors and for all of themajor organized religions at one time or another.)My longing for God and a spiritual path on one hand, andmy horror of organized religion and its activities on the other,staged a constant drama in my young life. As a young adult Ifound a spiritual home for a while in a Quaker meeting, andlater with the Sufi Order in the West. Traditionally the Sufis areIslamic mystics, however the Sufi Order in the West had beenstarted by a spiritual student from India whose teacher hadgiven him the task of introducing Islam to the West in a mannerthat would make it accessible. The group I became associatedwith was definitely New Age, with very few of its membersinvolved in traditional Islam. In the introduction I mentionthat a friend gave me my first Quran. That friend was aSufi.Below is the story of how this Quran eventually brought meto Islam. The story is reprinted from THE HOOPOE, an Islamicliterary magazine that is no longer published.Into The LightByLisa Spray© 1988IN THE NAME OF GOD, MOST GRACIOUS,MOST MERCIFUL.Well, she really didn’t have any choice. She had made upher mind that incredible night, the like of which she hopedshe would never see again!The seas had been wild and the winds even wilder.The schooner, with sails reduced to the bare minimum thatwould act as stabilizers, bobbed around like a toy between thetoo playful paws of a kitten.

How It Started | 3In the troughs, looking up at mountains of water as highas the masts (or so it seemed in the long-prayed-for dawngrey) she realized how the Children of Israel must have feltscuttling through the Red Sea, with cliffs of water poised totopple down on them at any minute. It was just as miraculousthat she had come through that night. She, a desert ratwho didn’t even like to swim (except to snorkel), had survivedthe most excruciating night of water torture that shecould imagine. They had all survived, no one had washedoverboard, and nothing had punctured the ferro-cementhull…and only God could have brought them through. Sheknew that more surely than she knew that the blood flowingthrough her was red.It was only hours, though it seemed like years, earlierthat she had decided. For a long time she had been readingat the Koran [Quran] a friend had given her. It was so obviouslytruthful, in spite of the King James English of the Urduspeaker who had translated it. She almost chuckled rememberingwhen Sayida gave it to her: “I haven’t been readingthis, and when my dog wanted to chew on it I figured I’d bettergive it to someone who might.” Some of her best friendshad been dogs. Sayida’s sure was!Anyway, it was clear. She could no longer procrastinate.She had to become a Muslim, in spite of what she knewabout them. The book was true. Maybe the rest would makesense later.She talked to an old Sufi friend. He was the only practicingMuslim she knew. What did she have to do? Well, it wasvery simple. All she had to do was go through this ceremonyand say these words in Arabic, and learn these prayers,and wear these clothes, read these books, and clean herselfthis way, and deal with men in this way, and…and…andby the way she might want to start doing these prayers forthe prophet.Laden down with books, and even more burdenedwith instructions, she trundled home to the little travel trailershe shared with her now land-locked sailor husband.“What if I can’t do all this stuff?”“You’ll never know unless you try.”

4| Women’s Rights, the Quran and IslamPatiently he stood by watching as she transformed herselfinto a fourteenth century woman. He even helped drillher as she struggled through the strange little Pakistani bookon the prayers.“Gay reel mag dooby…”“Wait, I think it’s more like ‘Guy real,’ but this ink blotmakes it kind’a unclear.”Now she was an “official” Muslim. People looked at heras they passed her on the street, wondering what kind of nunshe was. Old friends didn’t recognize her. And she couldn’tpronounce the names of her new friends.Her family was scared. They had lauded her involvementwith the [Vietnam] war resistance. The Sufis were harderfor them, but they were nice and New Age and seemedharmless enough. Sailing was dangerous, but only to life andlimb. But Muslims…. Muslims were terrorists, and treatedwomen like cattle, and rejected the basis for modern life!Her Sufi Muslim friend was staying where someone wasstarting a new mosque. The painting was almost done andcarpets were in. He asked her if she would like to come byand help a bit. She wasn’t very excited.The last mosque she had been in had been quite a scaryexperience. The only other woman there didn’t speak English,and all of the men treated them as if they were contagious.Actually, that probably was a good thing, because theroom they were in must have once been a walk-in closet. Anymore people, male or female, would have made it a sardinecan!She had fled as soon as the juma prayer [the Friday congregationalprayer] was over.No, another mosque experience was not her idea of agreat way to spend the afternoon.But after awhile she worked up enough courage to gether to the front door. But she stood on the front porch of therenovated house for quite awhile before bringing herself togo in.

How It Started | 5Right now she is sitting in front of a computer terminal,wondering how long she could have lasted as a “muslim” ifshe hadn’t walked through that door, hadn’t met that gentlysmiling man working just inside the sunny room which feltmore like home than even the house she grew up in...if shehadn’t heard about his discovery of the mathematical code inthe Qur’an...the intricate code which is God’s own tamperproof seal on His message to each one of us. How long couldshe have lasted in the cloth chains of hijab [garments worn bymany Muslim women in public] before she would havedumped them—and everything connected with them?Of course it hadn’t ended there. There was a lot ofgrowth, a lot of stumbling, a lot of tying of one’s shoelacestogether, a lot of repenting.But by God’s great mercy she was there, and she wasable. And only by His great mercy will she continue to be,Inshallah!And of course there is still a lot of growing. But that’sOK, ‘cause as Elliot Paul put it, “Whatever isn’t growing,wears out!”(From THE HOOPOE, Summer/Fall issue, 1988, page 20.)Though it was difficult to make myself ring the doorbell asI stood there on the front porch, walking through that doorinto the mosque proved to be like grabbing a lifeline. God hadguided me to a group of people who were following the Quranalone, and that is what I needed. I don’t think that I wouldhave lasted very much longer trying to follow all the rules andregulations that the various forms of traditional Islam imposeon their women. Nor would I have survived the issues ofapparent inequality for women in Islam that I was strugglingwith. In fact, I had already begun to drown.

6| Women’s Rights, the Quran and Islam

2Women’s PositionI’ve always been fascinated by the concept of culture andthe way it affects us humans. After stumbling around in myfirst two years as an undergraduate, I finally decided I’d studysomething that I really enjoyed. I chose anthropology—whichincludes the study of culture. It was not a great choice for acareer that will support you, but one that has given me a bitmore understanding of myself and the many friends I have fromdifferent cultures.Though I was interested in different cultures, I never guessedthat I would come to have friends from all over the world. Ithappened in a most unexpected manner.Before I sailed with friends in their schooner from southernCalifornia through the Panama Canal to the Virgin Islands, Ihad been reading the Quran for a year or two. During that tripwe sailed about 500 miles off the coast of Mexico because wehad heard horror stories about pirates taking over boats andappropriating them for their drug trafficking.Sailing so far off shore we encountered some pretty heavyweather, and it was in one of those storms that I became Muslim!(This is the storm described in the last chapter.) That nightwhile I shared the second watch, I made the commitment to domore than just read the Quran. I had to try and become a Muslim,in spite of all the scary things I thought I knew aboutIslam. The Quran certainly felt right, maybe the rest wouldfollow.That was in December 1976, and I have never regretted mydecision. I’ve been a practicing Muslim ever since—or ratherever since I learned the practices. It has changed my life morewonderfully than I could ever have imagined.7

8| Women’s Rights, the Quran and IslamAs described in Chapter 1, when I got back to the States,several months later, I contacted the only Muslim I knew whowas actively involved in the religion. Soon I was caught up ina new world, making friends with people from very diversecultures and coming to use far more of my anthropology thanI had ever dreamed of doing. My interest in culture was certainlypaying off.I am not a scholar of Islam, or an anthropologist. I do believe,however, that my many years as a Muslim, and my contactswith many diverse cultures give me some interesting insightsto share.I have found that often when the practice of some Muslimsdoes not mesh with my understanding of the Quran, the issueis one of culture.What is culture? Good question. Many volumes have attemptedto define it.Stated in a simplistic way, I see it as all of the things that makea group of people similar to each other, and distinct from othergroups. It encompasses the manner in which we speak, thewords we use, the foods we eat, the stories we were told andwill tell our children. It affects the way we see ourselves andothers, the way we view life and death, even the colors wepaint our houses! It comprises a million things that we unthinkinglyaccept as part of who we are.The personal distance we surround ourselves with is yet anotherresult of our culture. Have you ever found yourself backingaway as someone you are talking to keeps pushing your space?Or perhaps you have been the space pusher. You have just comeface to face with differences in culture.A few years ago, I spent some sadly sleepless nights with awonderful friend from Egypt. She had grown up in a small village,comfortably surrounded by the sounds of people and animals.She could not sleep without such noise, so always hadthe television or radio playing. I, on the other hand, grew up ina culture where the ideal is to have your own quiet bedroom,away from all noise and commotion. We laughed when wetalked about it later.

Women’s Position | 9In spite of my experiences with other cultures, I still findmyself having to take a deep breath and count to ten whensomeone playing really loud music drives up to my quiet picnicspot. Although I have some understanding, I am still boundby my own culture, where loud music in a peaceful place isupsetting.These cultural differences carry over into religion too. Weoften accept that people eat food that is very different fromwhat we enjoy and listen to music that puts our nerves on edgebut then still expect them to have the same spiritual reality wedo. This is very human, but very unrealistic. In many ways ourspiritual reality is at the core of our culture, and thus at the coreof ourselves. How can we expect it to be the same for everyone?Before I first started reading the Quran, I thought I knew allabout Islam—and it was very demeaning to women. Naturally,I assumed that the Quran would bear this out.I was in for quite a surprise! According to the Quran, menand women are equal.However, I couldn’t see that clearly at first.In the introduction I mentioned that a friend gave me a Quranthat she did not want her dog to chew anymore. It was AbdullahYusuf Ali’s translation, the 1968 edition. I had read the ChristianBible, the Torah and some of the Bhagavad-Gita. I decidedthat I really should read the Quran, though I was quite convincedthat it was not for me.Like most Westerners I saw Islam as one belief system, withall Muslims following the same understanding. Little did Iknow that there is as much variety of understanding amongMuslims as there is among Christians, Jews or any other majorreligion.What I had always assumed to be the only form of Islamreally did not attract me at all. It was a footnote in that Yusuf Alitranslation that first piqued my interest, and started the learningprocess that culminated on that stormy night with my decisionto become Muslim. When I first read his translation of verse

10 | Women’s Rights, the Quran and Islam3:195, nothing jumped out at me. The verse refers to believersin God who are praying to Him for His forgiveness and mercy.He has promised:And their Lord hath acceptedOf them, and answered them:“Never will I suffer to be lostThe work of any of you,Be he male or female:Ye are members, one of another....Verily, I will blot outFrom them their iniquities,And admit them into Gardens....(The Holy Quran III:195 [3:195])However, his footnote for this passage astonished me:In Islam the equal status of the sexes is not only recognised but insistedon. If sex distinction, which is a distinction in nature, does not countin spiritual matters, still less of course would count artificial distinctions,such as rank, wealth, position, race, colour, birth, etc.How could Yusuf Ali be saying that Islam insists on the equalstatus of men and women? This was totally unexpected. Womenare subservient in Islam, right? Of course I was right! Every reportin the media, every book I had ever read, told me so.Perhaps he was incorrect. Maybe his translation was biased.Looking at other translations for Chapter 3 Verse 195, I did notsee any other indication of this equal status. It wasn’t until yearslater that I read Rashad Khalifa’s translation. I quote here fromthe 1992 edition:Their Lord responded to them:“I never fail to reward any worker among youfor any work you do, be you male or female—you are equal to one another....“(Quran: The Final Testament 3:195)There it was at last, in black and white. Men and women areequal in Islam.

Women’s Position | 11But why didn’t the other translations say so? Looking againat other translations, the wording is not straight forward, but thesame meaning is implied. All of the others I have seen aresimilar to Yusuf Ali’s “Ye are members, one of another.” What doesthat mean but that you are essentially the same, equal?However, if you are coming from a cultural background wherethe equality of the sexes is not accepted, you may not catch thatmeaning. I was coming from a background that accepts equalitybetween the sexes, and still had not caught it!Perhaps there is a clue here. I was already sure that Islam wasunfair to women. There is plenty of evidence to show that wetend to see what we expect to be there. This is probably thebiggest blind spot for all of us. I had set myself up not to seethe equality of men and women in the Quran. Perhaps mosttranslators of the Quran have also.Rashad Khalifa’s translation of the remainder of the versestrengthened my understanding:...Thus, those who immigrate, and get evicted from their homes,and are persecuted because of Me, and fight and get killed,I will surely remit their sins and admit theminto gardens with flowing streams....”(Quran: The Final Testament 3:195)Not only are women absolutely equal to men, but they toocan work in the cause of God. Women can immigrate, be persecuted,fight and die for God.I would like to highlight that these verses not only indicatethat men and women are equal, but also that they can equallystrive in God’s cause. To me it follows that they must have themeans to do so.The picture from these verses is not of women hidden awayin the women’s quarters (or harem) separated from the societyof men and concerned only with the “matters of women.”These are women actively involved in the society. They arewomen who are fighting, immigrating, and being persecuted.

12 | Women’s Rights, the Quran and IslamThose are things that can only happen to women who are outon the front lines, so to speak.These verses are not the only place where God tells us thatrighteous believers are equal, regardless of their sex. Readingfurther in the Quran, this equality is stated again:If any do deedsOf righteousness,—Be they male or female—And have faith,They will enter Heaven....(The Holy Quran IV:124 [4:124])Thus, the reward for believers who lead a righteous life isParadise, no matter whether they are male or female.Before we go any further, let me say just a quick word aboutthe Quran translations I am using. I often use A. Yusuf Ali’s1968 edition (the edition I was first given by my Sufi friend).Yusuf Ali is one of the most widely used translations, and whenI became Muslim was generally thought to be the best. You cantell when I have used that translation because the reference atthe end of the verse reads “The Holy Quran,” which is the titleYusuf Ali gave his translation. Then it gives the verse reference,first with the Roman numerals he used, followed by thereference translated to Arabic numerals in brackets.The other translation I use is Dr. Rashad Khalifa’s 1992 edition.Though this is not as well known, I find it to be especiallyclear and easy for native English readers. For my personalreading, this is the version that I use. Rashad Khalifa chose touse “Quran: The Final Testament” as the title for his translation.So where I am quoting his translation, you will see that titleand the verse reference.If you do not have a Quran handy and you wish to look atone of the references that is given, you can find it in Appendix1. This has all verses referenced, taken from Rashad Khalifa’stranslation, Quran: The Final Testament. The Bible verses are probablymore familiar to most readers. The editions used for those

Women’s Position | 13quotes are referenced with their dates the first time the referenceis used, and with just the title thereafter.Now, back to the issue of the equality of men and women.This equality is again declared in the Quran in verse 16:97:Anyone who works righteousness,male or female, while believing,we will surely grant them a happy life in this world,and we will surely pay them their full recompense(on the Day of Judgment) for their righteous works.(Quran: The Final Testament 16:97)For the righteous believers there is happiness in this worldas well as in the hereafter. It does not matter whether thesebelievers are male or female. In my view, we can be truly happyonly if we are not oppressed, nor oppressing others. Oppressionhurts both the oppressed and the oppressors.Verse 40 of Chapter 40 again tells us the same thing, menand women are equally rewarded for their good works andlets us know that if we sin, we are “requited for just that.”This equality between men and women was not just a theoreticalphilosophy in the early days of Islam. Here is an interestingexample of the way in which the Prophet Muhammad,through whom the Quran was revealed, dealt with women asequals. In Chapter 58, entitled “The Debate” we find that awoman debated with him:God has heard the woman who debated with you abouther husband, and complained to God. God heard everythingthe two of you discussed. God is Hearer, Seer.(Quran: The Final Testament 58:1)One does not debate with someone who is inferior. Clearlywomen had a much higher standing in the society of theProphet Muhammad than they have now in many societiesclaiming to follow him. Can you imagine a woman debatingwith a leader of the Taliban?The New Testament gives us similar examples of Jesusdebating with women. Probably the best known of these is hisdebate with the Samaratan woman at the well in John 4:7-42.

14 | Women’s Rights, the Quran and IslamHere is another shorter example of Jesus debating with awoman:Jesus left that place and went away to the district of Tyre andSidon. Just then a Canaanite woman from that region came outand started shouting, "Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David;my daughter is tormented by a demon…. He answered, "I wassent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." But she cameand knelt before him, saying, "Lord, help me." He answered, "Itis not fair to take the children's food and throw it to the dogs."She said, "Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fallfrom their masters' table." Then Jesus answered her, "Woman,great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish." And herdaughter was healed instantly.(Matthew 15:21-28 - New Revised Standard Version Bible, 1952)God makes it clear many times in the Quran, that men andwomen are equal and their rewards for belief and leading arighteous life are also equal. This equality of the sexes is notstated quite as clearly in the Bible. Jesus certainly dealt equitablywith all, regardless of their gender. This equality may nothave always carried over into the early church. From several ofhis writings, including the following passage, many have cometo the conclusion that Paul did not believe women to be equal:Indeed, man was not made from woman, but woman from man.Neither was man created for the sake of woman, but woman forthe sake of man.… Nevertheless, in the Lord woman is not independentof man or man independent of woman. For just aswoman came from man, so man comes through woman; but allthings come from God.(1 Corinthians 11:8-12 - New Revised Standard Version Bible)On the other hand, in the following letter to the Galatians,Paul clearly declares the equality of all Christians:There is no longer Jew or Greek,there is no longer slave or free,there is no longer male and female;

Women’s Position | 15for all of you are one in Christ Jesus..(Galatians 3:28 - New Revised Standard Version Bible)This may seem confusing, but we must remember thatPaul’s letters were written to address specific issues in theearly Christian communities. We do not have all of the backgroundfor these letters, and in a sense are listening to only oneside of the conversation. Also, remember that Paul was speakingto an audience that was accustomed to thinking of womenessentially as property of their husbands.A similar conflicting message shows up in Paul’s writingson women teaching. In the following passage he clearlyaccepts and honors Priscilla and her husband Aquila.Greet Priscilla and Aquila, who work with me in Christ Jesus,and who risked their necks for my life, to whom not only I givethanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles.(Romans 16:3-4 - New Revised Standard Version Bible)This is very significant because in Acts, it is clear that bothAquila and Pricilla taught:Now there came to Ephesus a Jew named Apollos, a native ofAlexandria. He was an eloquent man, well-versed in the scriptures….He began to speak boldly in the synagogue; but whenPriscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside andexplained the Way of God to him more accurately.(Acts 18:24-26 - New Revised Standard Version Bible)Keeping these verses in mind, let’s look at this next passagefrom Paul’s letters to Timothy, which seems to indicate thatwomen may not teach. It also may explain what seems to manyto be a negative attitude toward women:A woman must learn in silenceand be completely submissive.I do not permit a woman to act as teacher,or in any way to have authority over a man; she must be quiet.For Adam was created First, Eve afterward;

16 | Women’s Rights, the Quran and Islammoreover, it was not Adam who was deceived but the woman.It was she who was led astray and fell into sin.(1 Timothy 2:11-14 - The New American Bible, 1970)As Paul indicates, one Biblical understanding is that Evecaused the fall of mankind from the Garden of Eden. Thuswoman is blamed. On the other hand, while Eve was deceived,Paul indicates in Romans 5:19 that Adam was not deceived,but disobedient:For just as by the one man’s disobedience the many were madesinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be maderighteous.(Romans 5:19 - New Revised Standard Version Bible)In this way Paul makes it clear that both Adam and Evewere guilty. The Quran also says that both Adam and Evewere guilty and both were duped by Satan. (Please see theQuran 2:34-36, 7:19-22 and 7:27.) Moreover there is one Quranicpassage where it seems that Adam is actually the one whomSatan tempted:We then said, “O Adam, this is an enemy of you and your wife.Do not let him evict you from Paradise....But the devil whispered to him, saying,“O Adam, let me show you the tree of eternityand unending kingship.”They ate from it....Adam thus disobeyed his Lord, and fell.(Quran: The Final Testament 20:117-121)In truth, it really does not matter whether it was Adam orEve who was tempted. Both of them disobeyed God, and bothwere responsible for their sin. However, it is useful to realizethat the Quran does not blame Eve over Adam. (If you look atthe whole picture, I do not believe that the Bible does either.)This is just another example of the way in which the Qurandeals with men and women as equals.

We have been looking at the way that righteous men andwomen are equal in the Quran. However, society is not made upof just righteous people. It follows that men and women areequal in unrighteousness also. Our personal experience showsthis to be true. All of us have known unrighteous women, aswell as unrighteous men. Here is the Quranic proof:The thief, male or female,you shall mark their handsas a punishment for their crime....If one repents after committing this crime,and reforms, God redeems him....(Quran: The Final Testament 5:38-39)Women’s Position | 17This example not only shows a sadder equality between thesexes, but also shows again the way in which culture affectsthe way we look at God’s commandments. It has long beenunderstood in much of the Muslim world that the thief’s handshould be cut off. This severe punishment comes from a culturalunderstanding that the word in verse 5:38 translated as “tomark” the hand (I am told it means “to cut”) means “to cutoff.” However verse 39 shows that if the thief repents andreforms, God redeems him or her. If the hand is gone, where isthe redemption? That person is forever crippled.Further support for this understanding comes from theQuran’s telling of the story of Joseph (known in the Bible as theowner of the coat of many colors). In the verses describing thewomen who “cut” their hands when they saw Joseph, theArabic word is the same (see the Quran 12:31). Clearly thewomen could not have cut off their hands when startled by thebeauty of this young man. It only makes sense that they cut ornicked their hands.Verses on adultery are another example both of women’sequality, and the affect of culture on the understanding of thescripture. When I was first learning about Islam, I was horrifiedto learn that the traditional punishment for adultery is stoningto death. I accepted that adultery is a serious offense, but to

18 | Women’s Rights, the Quran and Islamput people to death seemed barbaric! What a relief it was todiscover the following verses in the Quran:The adulteress and the adultereryou shall whip each of them a hundred lashes.Do not be swayed by pityfrom carrying out God’s law....The adulterer will end up marrying an adulteressor an idol worshiper,and the adulteress will end up marryingan adulterer or an idol worshiper.This is prohibited for the believers.(Quran: The Final Testament 24:2-3)Though the traditional punishment for adultery is death, clearlyfrom these verses even the lashing cannot be excessivelysevere, but rather must be non-maiming. This must be so if theoffenders will end up marrying others guilty of adultery, or idolworshipers. You cannot marry if you are dead or badly maimed.Also, I believe that the next verse indicates that if the offendingcouple repents and changes their ways, they should be leftalone:The couple who commits adultery shall be punished.If they repent and reform, you shall leave them alone....(Quran: The Final Testament 4:16)It is interesting to contrast these verses with the penaltiesgiven in books of the Torah or Old Testament. In Leviticus20:10-12 the punishment for committing adultery with a marriedwoman is death for both parties. If the woman is a virginand not betrothed Exodus 22:15-16 says the man must pay themarriage price to her father. If the father will allow it, he mustmarry her. Thus if the woman is married, the Biblical punishmentis much greater than the Quranic one, while if she is notmarried it might be considered less.Jesus’s teaching when the Pharisees brought the adulteressbefore him and questioned him reminds me of the Quranicverse quoted just above:

When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and saidto them, “Let anyone among you who is without sin be the firstto throw a stone at her.”(John 8:7 - New Revised Standard Version Bible)When all of her condemners had left without casting stones,Jesus told her to go on her way and not to sin again.In all editions of the Bible that I am familiar with, adulteryis committed by married people, and fornication by theunmarried. The Quran does not make that distinction. Anysexual relations outside of your own marriage are called adultery,period. Thus it does not matter if you are a swinging singlesowing your wild oats, or an unfaithful spouse, by theQuran’s definition you are committing adultery.However, I’ve heard a traditional argument that Quranicverses (24:2-3) only apply to single men and women who havesexual relations without being married. This traditional beliefis that adultery committed by married people is punishable bydeath, as it is in the Torah and Old Testament, though this punishmentis never mentioned in the Quran.I can perhaps see that 24:2-3 might refer only to the unmarriedif I look just at those verses. However, verse 4:25 describesmarrying a slave woman, and proves that death can never bethe punishment for adultery:If any of you have notThe means wherewithTo wed free believing women,They may wed believingGirls from among thoseWhom your right hands possess:...Wed them with the leaveOf their owners...If they fall into shame,Their punishment is halfThat for free women….(The Holy Quran IV:25 [4:25] - emphasis added)Women’s Position | 19

20 | Women’s Rights, the Quran and IslamIt is not possible to half kill someone. But you can give themhalf the number of lashes you would give an adulterer or adulteresswho has always been free.This verse brings up another issue that always confused meabout Islam: slavery. Let me digress just a moment and discussthis issue, because it is so important. After careful reading ofthe Quran, I realize the Quran gives reason after reason to freeslaves. In addition, the Quran makes it clear that in God’s eyesit is a person’s righteousness, not their status in society thatgives them value.At the time of the Quran’s revelation, slavery was an integralpart of the way of life. Rather than outlawing it directly,and causing great upheaval in the society, the Quran sets out amodel for a society where slavery gradually dies out. As, thankfully,it has in most of the world.Back to the topic of women’s position. We have now seenverses showing the negative ways in which men and women areequal. These negative aspects of the equality again highlightthe fact that in the Quran women are not hidden away. They areactively engaged in the society. How else can a woman becomea thief or an adulteress?There is one more critically important point for us to look at.That is the fact that the Arabic language, like Spanish andmany other languages, gives each noun a gender. However, asRashad Khalifa indicates in his Appendix 4, this does not necessarilyimply the male or female sex:Another possible reason for choosing Arabic [for the revelation of theQuran] is that ”He” and “She” do not necessarily imply natural gender.Thus, when God is referred to as “He,” this does not imply genderat all. God be glorified; He is neither male, nor female. The usageof “He” to refer to God in the English language, for example, has contributedto a false image of God.... (Quran: The Final Testament, p.417-8.)To those of you for whom the reference to God as “He” isdisturbing, I apologize. I want to stress that God is neither male

nor female. However, I find it very awkward to avoid a pronounfor God. Changing the pronoun to “She” does not solvethe problem for me. I have used the convention of referring toGod as “He,” and ask the reader to recognize it simply as aconvention.In spite of what I thought I knew about Islam and Muslimsociety, it became clear that I was wrong in many ways. Thereare areas where Islam, as traditionally practiced, is unfair towomen. But it is crystal clear that those practices are not fromthe Quran. As in all religions, the practice does not always matchthe revelation from God. In fact, we will see that the practicesoften go against the principles of the Quran.The Quran was (and still is) an emancipating document forwomen!I am eternally thankful that my friend’s dog had chewed acopy of Yusuf Ali, and not another translation that missed theequality issue. I might never have gone any further with theQuran.Women’s Position | 21I want to give you input from other sources on the issues discussedin the book. At the end of each chapter you will find writingsfrom other people.It has been helpful to me to come to know other women who haddifficulties with the cultural understandings of traditional Islam. Hereare the reactions of a sister from India:A Muslim ExperienceAll my life I grew up with a multitude of traditions that controlledand dictated my every action. The “Muslim culture,”doctrines and traditions, are followed by the community, unquestioningly.Being on the “inside” you accept them first as a child

22 | Women’s Rights, the Quran and Islamand then as an adult. You question occasionally, but by andlarge you accept since you see everybody else around you takingit as normal.It never occurred to me to question some of the traditions.For example, the fasting, the purdah system (veiling), that awoman cannot pray while having a period, segregation of thefemales from males. But I deeply resented several other customslike polygamy, male superiority, inequality of the sexes,inhuman treatment of people whose offenses were minor.Because I “belonged” to it, I defended it while I was young, butas I grew older, I distanced myself from the culture. My fatherwas very broad-minded and took it in the right perspective,giving me permission to pursue a medical profession. As timewent by, I stopped practicing “Islam” completely, as I feltashamed of being “Muslim” and having no answers to theplethora of questions that I had.Time and time again throughout my youth and adulthood,I would question, and be unhappy and dissatisfied.The “mullah’s” [religious leaders] made the situation worse.They made me feel that for me to even question was wrong. Itshowed me as a disobedient rebel in their eyes and they wouldblame it on my parents, attributed to an insufficient, deficientupbringing. This would increase the turmoil in my mind and Iwould dislike myself, becoming fearful of God and Hell, andpray feverishly for several days. The fear would then subside,the questions would return, and I would revert to my old statusof not practicing anything at all.I repeated this cycle many times over.—Shari, India

3PolygamyNow I had a problem. If men and women are equal, whatabout all of the things that are unequal? What about polygamy,and veiling, and men being in charge of the women and on andon?Well, there was only one thing to do: take each bull by thehorns. One by one I have wrangled with them all. Some it hastaken me years to resolve, and with some, I still have occasionallittle question marks swimming in my head.So now let’s bring out the first and worst: polygamy.POLYGAMY… the very word sent chills down my spine.Among my friends and sisters this is the scariest aspect ofIslam. The thought of having to share your husband with anotherwoman terrifies the married and unmarried alike. Even thosewho say they NEVER want to marry find the very thoughtof polygamy disgusting.Before we go any further, let me reassure you that the Qurandoes not advocate whole scale polygamy. As we will see, itis mentioned within a social context, and given very rigid boundaries.However, we must also recognize that our attitudes aredeeply affected by… that’s right, our old friend culture. Strangeas it may seem to us, there are societies where polygamy isreadily accepted, and sometimes even requested by the women.You might find it interesting to read some of the stories ofMormon polygamous marriages. I was quite astonished by theobvious affection multiple wives can have for each other, andthe strength with which they support this aspect of their faith.Of course, not all polygamous marriages are good, no matter23

24 | Women’s Rights, the Quran and Islamwhat society we are talking about. Then, neither are all monogamousones.In cases where polygamous marriages are good, the womencan be loving support for one another. In a hostile environment,such support might mean the difference between survival anddeath. For early Mormon settlers it often meant the differencebetween isolated loneliness and caring female companionship.Serious objection to Mormon polygamy did not come mainlyfrom Mormon women, but from outside the community. Infact, it seems to have been one of the major causes, if not themajor cause, for the terrible persecution of this group. However,some of the Old Testament prophets—for example Jacob,David, and Solomon—had more than one wife. Thus to theMormons, polygamy is clearly allowed by God.Polygamy was an accepted way of life in the era of the OldTestament. I am not aware of anything in the New Testamentthat forbids it, but in his letters Paul seems to indicate that marryingonly once is preferred. One of the requirements he gives forbecoming either a bishop or a presbyter is that the candidate bemarried only one time. This would include polygamous situationsas well as re-marriage after divorce. (Please see 1 Timothy3:2 and Titus 1:6.)Now what about polygamy in Islam? We are all familiar withthe typical stereotype of the Arab sheik with his harem. In manyparts of the Muslim world this stereotype is quite valid, andpolygamy is an expected way of life. In these areas, multiplewives indicate a man’s wealth and social position.There is a general understanding among Muslims that a manmay have up to four wives at one time. Although in some situationsthe older wives may lose some of their status when newwives come into the family, the first wife traditionally retains aspecial position.It is not only Mormon women who have positive experiencesin polygamous marriages. When I was first being introduced toIslam I had a friend from Turkey who shared her childhoodexperience with polygamy. She had grown up next door to a

polygamous family where the husband had two wives. Thetwo wives were like sisters to each other, clearly loving eachother dearly. For the children it was wonderful because theyessentially had two mothers. Such a situation could be verygood. However, I think that it would take a special mix of peopleto make it work, and a great deal of work on everyone’spart to keep things fair and loving.Clearly such fairness and consideration are not always thecase. I’m sure you have heard the same kind of horror stories Ihave. You may also have friends who have been approachedby foreign Muslims looking for American wives, though theyhave families at home.Sometimes lust even controls the religion, and not the otherway around. A dear friend from India recently mentioned thatmen there often convert to Islam simply because then they canlegally marry more than one woman!These are some of the tamer forms of “acceptable” polygamy.They are culturally acceptable, not necessarily Quranicallyacceptable, however. As I reassured you earlier, the Quranmentions polygamy within a social context:If you deem it best for the orphans,you may marry their mothers—you may marry two, three, or four.If you fear lest you become unfair,then you shall be content with only one,or with what you already have.Additionally, you are thusmore likely to avoid financial hardship.(Quran: The Final Testament 4:3)Polygamy | 25Clearly, when you have a society that is physically underattack and there are large numbers of widows with children, ameans must be provided to care for them. Polygamy offers arefuge and emotional support within a family setting, and afather figure for otherwise fatherless children.Looked at from this angle, maybe polygamy is not such abad idea... at least for the widows and orphans. But what about

26 | Women’s Rights, the Quran and Islamthe poor original wife and her children? The Quran says thatthe husband must be perfectly fair in dealing with his wives. Ifhe is afraid he cannot be, he should not get into the situation.This next verse makes it clear that being fair is really impossible:You can never be equitable in dealing with more than one wife,no matter how hard you try....(Quran: The Final Testament 4:129)The two verses together really discourage polygamy. Onetells men that they must be fair in dealing with their wives, andthe other tells them than they cannot ever really do that. It seemsto me that this leaves very few circumstances where polygamycan be practiced within the guidelines of the Quran. It certainlydoes not mean that a man can put aside his old wife andmarry a pretty young woman to boost his ego!Almost all of the translations of these Quranic verses that Ihave read indicate that monogamy is preferable under mostcircumstances. I would certainly agree.Clearly, the circumstances need to be unusual to warrantpolygamy. Whatever those circumstances, if the husband is notcertain that he can be perfectly fair to all parties, he should nottake the chance of going against the Quran, thus harming hissoul and bringing pain to his family.I have reproduced here one of the most rational approachesI have found to the issue of polygamy. It comes from Appendix30 entitled POLYGAMY, of Rashad Khalifa’s 1992 translationof the Quran. I found it very helpful to read this viewpointfrom a man who grew up in a Muslim culture:

POLYGAMYPolygamy | 27Polygamy was a way of life until the Quran was revealed1400 years ago. When the earth was young and under-populated,polygamy was one way of populating it and bringingin the human beings needed to carry out God’s plan. By thetime the Quran was revealed, the world had been sufficientlypopulated, and the Quran put down the first limitationsagainst polygamy.Polygamy is permitted in the Quran, but under strictlyobserved circumstances. Any abuse of this divine permissionincurs severe retribution. Thus, although polygamy is permittedby God, it behooves us to examine our circumstancescarefully before saying that a particular polygamous relationshipis permissible.Our perfect example here is the prophet Muhammad. Hewas married to one wife, Khadijah, until she died. He had allhis children, except one, from Khadijah. Thus, she and herchildren enjoyed the Prophet’s full attention for as long asshe was married to him; twenty-five years. For all practicalpurposes, Muhammad had one wife—from the age of 25 to50. During the remaining 13 years of his life, he married theaged widows of his friends who left many children. The childrenneeded a complete home, with a fatherly figure, and theProphet provided that. Providing a fatherly figure fororphans is the only specific circumstance in support ofpolygamy mentioned in the Quran (4:3).Other than marrying widowed mothers of orphans,there were three political marriages in the Prophet’s life. Hisclose friends Abu Bakr and Omar insisted that he marrytheir daughters, Aisha and Hafsah, to establish traditionalfamily ties among them. The third marriage was to Maria theEgyptian; she was given to him as a political gesture offriendship from the ruler of Egypt.This perfect example tells us that a man must give hisfull attention and loyalty in marriage to his wife and childrenin order to raise a happy and wholesome family.The Quran emphasizes the limitations against polygamyin very strong words: “If you fear lest you may not be per-

28 | Women’s Rights, the Quran and Islamfectly equitable in treating more than one wife, then youshall be content with one.” (4:3) “You cannot be equitable ina polygamous relationship, no matter how hard you try.”(4:129)The Quranic limitations against polygamy point out thepossibility of abusing God’s law. Therefore, unless weare absolutely sure that God’s law will not be abused, wehad better resist our lust and stay away from polygamy. Ifthe circumstances do not dictate polygamy, we had bettergive our full attention to one wife and one set of children.The children’s psychological and social well-being, especiallyin countries where polygamy is prohibited, almostinvariably dictate monogamy. A few basic criteria must beobserved in contemplating polygamy:1. It must alleviate pain and suffering and not cause anypain or suffering.2. If you have a young family, it is almost certain thatpolygamy is an abuse.3. Polygamy to substitute a younger wife is an abuse ofGod’s law (4:19).[Reproduced with kind permission from the Khalifafamily from Quran: The Final Testament, Rashad Khalifa,1992]These are the thoughts of Rashad Khalifa. Again, most ofthe other translations of the Quran that I have read agree thatpolygamy should be practiced only in unusual circumstances.One of the things that is most shocking about Islam for manyAmericans is the concept of polygamy. This was true for the writer ofthe following story.Invitation to PolygamyHave you ever found your actions to be totally misunderstood?When I was a young woman, I knew nothing about tra-

Polygamy | 29ditional Muslim society, where men and women generally donot interact unless they are from the same family, or married.There, women who are very open with men are generally consideredto be loose.The first Muslim I ever met was a Palestinian doctoral studentstudying at the university in my hometown. A familyfriend in another state had asked my parents to make him feelwelcome in our small community. He had come to dinner acouple of times while I was still in high school.When I graduated and went to the university I would runinto him once in a while. I was always very friendly, not realizingthat my friendliness was being misread.One day he caught up with me in a deserted hallway, and“popped the question,” asking me to marry him. I was not atall ready to consider getting married, especially to someone Ireally hardly knew. Not only that, but I knew that he had awife and family back home and I was terribly shocked.“But you have a wife and children already!” I finally stammered.“Yes, but they are far away and you are here,” he repliedgrabbing my wrist. Had I been in anything but a public place,I would have been terrified. As it was, I felt quite threatened.I twisted myself loose and pulled away from him shakingmy head. I don’t remember what sparked the tirade that followed.He began to insult me, my parents, the United States….At the time I was stunned and just wanted to bolt. Now I realizethat he probably felt humiliated and was simply venting.Since then I have met a number of women who have beenapproached by Muslim men to become second or third wivesin polygamous marriages. Not all have had the benefit I had ofknowing that the man was already married.—Anonymous, U.S.A.

30 | Women’s Rights, the Quran and Islam

4Why Keep Going?Given all of the “bulls of inequity” I was facing, you mightbe wondering what it was that kept me reading the Quran. I’vejust been asking myself that very question, and I guess that iswhy I am writing this chapter. I have realized that there werea number of things that just “felt right” about the Quran. Thingsthat made it impossible for me to just put down the book andwalk away.Probably the first thing that struck a chord for me was theclear recognition that there are many paths to God. Unlike otherreligious writings I had encountered, the Quran does not saythat there is only one right organized religion. Rather, it makes itclear that anyone who believes in God and the Last Day andworks righteousness will be rewarded. This concept was clearright away, in the first several pages I read. (For the next verseYusuf Ali has a footnote giving several possibilities for who theSabians are. Rashad Khalifa, on the other hand, translates theword as “converts”):Those who believe (in the Qur-an),And those who follow the Jewish (scriptures),And the Christians and the Sabians,—Any who believe in GodAnd the Last Day,And work righteousness,Shall have their rewardWith their Lord: on themShall be no fear, nor shall they grieve.(The Holy Quran II:62 [2:62])What a difference from the teachings I had been gettingfrom other sources that there was only one correct religion,31

32 | Women’s Rights, the Quran and Islamand of course they were it. Suddenly I had validation for thefeeling I had always had that what you call yourself is notimportant, it is what’s in your heart that counts. This verse isrepeated almost word for word in Chapter 5, Verse 69. (Notethat there are a few places where Yusuf Ali breaks his verses differentlyfrom the original Arabic. Because of this, his versenumber for this repeating verse is 5:72, though in other translationsit is 5:69.)I still wondered what the Quran means by “righteousness.”In the West, this word has taken on a negative connotation forsome, who have come to see it as “self-righteousness.” Fortunately,the Quran specifically defines it:Righteousness is not turning your facestowards the east or the west.Righteous are those who believe in God,the Last Day, the angels, the scripture, and the prophets;and they give the money, cheerfully,to the relatives, the orphans, the needy,the traveling alien, the beggars, and to free the slaves;and they observe the Contact Prayers (Salat)and give the obligatory charity (Zakat);and they keep their word whenever they make a promise;and they steadfastly perseverein the face of persecution, hardship, and war.These are the truthful; these are the righteous.(Quran: The Final Testament 2:177)The only other references in the Quran to turning one’s facein a specific direction are talking about the qiblah, or the directionthat Muslims face when they pray. In telling us that righteousnessis not turning to the east or west, I believe that God istelling us that righteousness does not depend on ritual. It dependson the belief in one’s heart. It also has to do with the way onetreats others. And it has to do with obeying God’s commandsto pray and give charity.

Why Keep Going? | 33We have already seen from Verses 2:62 and 5:69 that righteousnessis not confined to the followers of one religion. Thisnext verse tells us that God has given different rites and revelationsto different congregations. He tests us through thesedifferences and tells us to “compete in righteousness”:...For each of you [congregations], we have decreed laws anddifferent rites. Had God willed, He could have made you onecongregation. But He thus puts you to the test throughthe revelations He has given each of you. You shall compete inrighteousness....(Quran: The Final Testament 5:48)So, God has given different congregations different rites andrevelations, and we should be competing, not in the worldlysense, but in righteousness. We could have all been one congregation,if that were God’s will, but He chose to test us with eachother. To me that says we should not be attacking other faiths,and blaming one another. Rather we should be striving to berighteous and urging each other on to greater righteousness!Sadly, some Muslims do not have that understanding. Ratherthey believe that only the organized religion called Islam is correct.Perhaps some of this is because of two very interesting versesthat I believe are totally misunderstood by these Muslims. Ifread incorrectly, they can be understood to mean exactly theopposite of what we have just seen in the previously quotedverses. Here is the pertinent sentence from the first verse:The only religion approved by God is “Submission....”(Quran: The Final Testament 3:19)If one does not translate the word “Submission” from the Arabic,and rather leaves it as “Islam,” you get the understandingthat Islam is the only religion acceptable to God. This impliesthat the organized religion known as Islam is the only correctreligion, and totally masks the actual teaching. This teaching, as Iunderstand it, is that your religion is only approved if you aretruly submitting to God. As 2:62 (quoted above) and 5:69 say,

34 | Women’s Rights, the Quran and Islamanyone who believes in God and the Last Day and works righteousness,thus submitting to God, is acceptable to Him. Theywill reap their reward.On the other hand, if one does not submit to God, it is notacceptable to Him:If anyone desiresA religion other thanIslam (submission to God),Never will it be acceptedOf him; and in the HereafterHe will be in the ranksOf those who have lost(All spiritual good).(The Holy Quran III:85 [3:85])Again, if you choose not to fully translate this verse (in thequoted translation you would have to ignore Yusuf Ali’s explanationin parenthesis), you get the erroneous meaning thatthe organized religion known as Islam is the only religionacceptable to God. This goes totally against the rest of theQuran! The Quran makes it very clear that anyone can be aSubmitter (“Muslim” in Arabic), no matter what they callthemselves or their religion. Jesus and his followers are calledMuslims, as are Moses and his followers (see verses 3:52 and10:84 for examples).Not only that, the previous scriptures are honored in theQuran:We have sent down the Torah,containing guidance and light.Ruling in accordance with it werethe Jewish prophets,as well as the rabbis and the priests....(Quran: The Final Testament 5:44)We see here that the Torah contains “guidance and light.” Clearly,one can gain guidance and light from reading and following

it. The same phrase is used to describe the Gospels in the followingverse:And in their footstepsWe sent Jesus the sonof Mary, confirmingThe Law that had comeBefore him: We sent himThe Gospel: thereinWas guidance and light,And confirmation of the LawThat had come before him....(The Holy Quran V:49 [normally 5:46])(Note that Yusuf Ali has changed the numbering of his verses.This is normally numbered 5:46, but he has changed thenumbering in that section, so it is 5:49 in his translation.)So the Gospels also contain “guidance and light.” Thus, theQuran is not the only scripture that Muslims accept. Of course,there are some areas where human distortion has entered intothe earlier scriptures. This is evident to anyone who has doneeven a cursory study of their history. Given that they were oraldocuments for many, many years before being written down,this distortion is expected. However, the truth still shines clearlyin both documents.Not only are the previous scriptures honored in the Quran,Muslims are commanded by God to believe in the revelationsgiven to earlier prophets:Say ye: “We believeIn God, and the revelationGiven to us, and to Abraham,Ismail, Isaac, Jacob,And the Tribes, and that givenTo Moses and Jesus, and that givenTo (all) Prophets from their Lord:We make no differenceBetween one and another of them:Why Keep Going? | 35

36 | Women’s Rights, the Quran and IslamAnd we bow to God (in Islam).”(The Holy Quran II:136 [2:136])Thus, the previous scriptures contain guidance and light, andMuslims are commanded to accept them (excepting, of course,the few places where human distortions contradict what isrevealed in the Quran).The next things that drew me to the Quran were the beautifulverses on nature. When I read these verses, tears came to myeyes and emotion swelled my heart. Though I have read themagain and again, I still find they touch me to the core.I could quote verse after verse. Here are a few of my favorites:God is the One who causes the grainsand the seeds to crack and germinate.He produces the living from the dead,and the dead from the living.Such is God; how could you deviate!At the crack of dawn, He causesthe morning to emerge.He made the night still,and He rendered the sun and the moonto serve as calculation devices.Such is the design of the Almighty,the Omniscient.And He is the One who made the starsto guide you during the darkness, on land and on sea.We thus clarify the revelationsfor people who know.He initiated you from one person,and decided your path,as well as your final destiny.We thus clarify the revelationsfor people who understand.He is the One who sends downfrom the sky water,

whereby we produce all kinds of plants.We produce from the green materialmultitudes of complex grains,palm trees with hanging clusters,and gardens of grapes, olives and pomegranate;fruits that are similar, yet dissimilar.Note their fruits as they grow and ripen.These are signs for people who believe.(Quran: The Final Testament 6:95-99)I love these verses. The thought of the morning emerging“at the crack of dawn” and all the beautiful fruits and the heavenlybodies makes me so aware of all of the great blessings Godhas bestowed upon us.It is He Who doth show youThe lightning, by wayBoth of fear and of hope:It is He Who doth raise upThe clouds, heavyWith (fertilising) rain!Nay, thunder repeateth His praises,And so do the angels, with awe:He flingeth the loud-voicedThunder-bolts, and therewithHe striketh whomsoever He will…(The Holy Quran XIII:12-13 [13:12-13])Why Keep Going? | 37How beautiful it is to remember the lightning and think ofit as something that gives both fear and hope. And the thunderpraising God, as do the angels in awe! The thought makes meshiver.One sign for them is the dead land:we revive it and produce from it grains for their food.We grow in it gardens of date palms, and grapes,and we cause springs to gush out therein.This is to provide them with fruits,and to let them manufacture with their own hands

38 | Women’s Rights, the Quran and Islamwhatever they need. Would they be thankful?Glory be to the One who createdall kinds of plants from the earth, as well as themselves,and other creations that they do not even know.Another sign for them is the night:we remove the daylight therefrom,whereupon they are in darkness.The sun sets into a specific location,according to the design of the Almighty, the Omniscient.The moon we designed to appear in stages,until it becomes like an old curved sheath.The sun is never to catch up with the moon—the night and the day never deviate—each of them is floating in its own orbit.(Quran: The Final Testament 36:33-40)This is another wonderful description of the great blessingswith which God showers us. I especially love the thought of themoon “like an old curved sheath” and the sun never catching upwith the moon, but each “floating in its own orbit.”Nature has always provided a refuge for me. As a child Ionly felt close to God when I was outside with the birds andthe wildflowers, feeling the breeze in my hair and the warmthof the sun. I still find that there is nothing more centering forme than a walk in God’s beautiful creation.While nature was a refuge for me, I was perhaps an overlysensitive child. Seeing a dead animal caused me great grief. IfI had known the animal, it was almost unbearable. Just thinkingabout my departed dogs and cats brought gushing tears foryears and years after their deaths.It was the greatest relief to find the following verse:There is not an animal(That lives) on the earth,Nor a being that fliesOn its wings, but (formsPart of) communities like you.Nothing have we omitted

Why Keep Going? | 39From the Book, and they (all)Shall be gathered to their LordIn the end.(The Holy Quran VI:38 [6:38])This verse makes it clear that all creatures will return to God.The animals are not left out of heaven. Not only that, the animalsworship God and He is fully aware of all their actions,just as His is of ours. That is what this next verse tells us:Seest thou not that it isGod Whose praises all beingsIn the heavens and on earthDo celebrate, and the birds(Of the air) with wingsOutspread? Each one knowsIts own (mode of) prayerAnd praise. And GodKnows well all that they do.(The Holy Quran XXIV:41 [24:41])Moreover, it is not just animals that worship and return toGod. Even plants and what we think of as inanimate objectsprostrate to God:Do you not realize that to God prostrateseveryone in the heavens and the earth,and the sun, and the moon, and the stars,and the mountains, and the trees, and the animals,and many people?...(Quran: The Final Testament 22:18)Not only do they prostrate, the Quran seems to indicate thatthings we consider inanimate have a sentience, and knowinglysubmit to their Creator:Moreover He comprehendedIn His design the sky,

40 | Women’s Rights, the Quran and IslamAnd it had been (as) smoke:He said to itAnd to the earth:“Come ye together,Willingly or unwillingly.”They said: “We do come(Together), in willing obedience.”(The Holy Quran XLI:11 [41:11])This verse describes how the heavens and the earth willinglysubmitted to God. Normally we think of these as being lifelessthings, but this verse makes them sound as if they have aconsciousness and the ability to decide whether to submit ornot.This knowledge gave me a totally different view of the world.Now the lovely creatures around me were as much in God’scare as I was, and when they died they went back to Him. Theirdeaths were no longer a greater sorrow than that of people.Indeed my understanding now is that since they are unquestioningsubmitters, they are in a much better position with Godthan I am.The next thing that drew me to the Quran was the clarificationof God’s power I found there. I had grown up hearing thatGod was Omnipotent, but He seemed unable to do things likestop wars and feed hungry children. This had always confusedme. The following verse began to explain:Fighting may be imposed on you, even though you dislike it.But you may dislike something which is good for you,and you may like something which is bad for you.God knows while you do not know.(Quran: The Final Testament 2:216)

Why Keep Going? | 41So, sometimes things that look bad are actually good. I stilldid not understand completely, but this was much better thanthinking that God could not stop the bad things happening.Quite a bit later I read the story of Moses’ teacher in Chapter18 of the Quran. That story tells of how Moses asks to follow histeacher. The teacher says that he will not be able to stand beingwith him, but Moses promises not to question anything, andthey go along. His teacher then proceeds to do some outrageousthings: he drills a hole in a ship, kills a young boy, and repairsa fence for people who have refused to help them. After eachincident Moses breaks his promise not to ask questions, andfinally has questioned enough. The teacher then tells him:He said, “Now we have to part company.But I will explain to you everything you could not stand.“As for the ship, it belonged to poor fishermen,and I wanted to render it defective.There was a king coming after them,who was confiscating every ship, forcibly.“As for the boy, his parents were good believers,and we saw that he was going to burden themwith his transgression and disbelief.“We willed that your Lord substitute in his placeanother son; one who is better in righteousness and kindness.“As for the wall, it belonged to two orphan boys in the city.Under it, there was a treasure that belonged to them.Because their father was a righteous man,your Lord wanted them to grow up andattain full strength, then extract their treasure.Such is mercy from your Lord.I did none of that of my own volition.This is the explanation of the things you could not stand.”(Quran: The Final Testament 18:78-82)This story made it clear to me that we often do not have allthe information we need to judge if something is good or bad.God may be doing something very good in something that looksvery bad.

42 | Women’s Rights, the Quran and IslamTo explain the things going on in my own life I found the followingverse:Whatever good, (O man!)Happens to thee, is from God;But whatever evil happensTo thee, is from thy (own) soul….(The Holy Quran IV:79 [4:79])As time went on I began to realize that the bad things thathappened in my life happened mostly when I had broken oneof God’s commandments or was beginning to stray from Hisguidance. The bad things were like pinches warning me that Iwas doing the wrong thing.Finally, I began to realize that indeed, God is Omnipotent.He is in control of everything that happens. Humans just thinkthat they are controlling their lives. God gives us free will, so itappears that we are doing what we want, but in truth:Whatever you will is in accordancewith God’s will. God is Omniscient, Wise.(Quran: The Final Testament 76:30)To me this means that even our decisions are in God’s control.However, we do consciously decide that we want to acceptGod’s will for us or not. This is, I believe, the essence of Submission.In turning our will over to God, we are recognizingthat He truly is the One in charge of everything, not us.I found that following the commandment in this next passagewas extremely helpful to remind myself of this importantfact:You shall not say that you will do anything in the future,without saying, “God willing....”(Quran: The Final Testament 18:23-24)

Why Keep Going? | 43There is another area that really touched a chord for me. TheQuran tells us very clearly how we should treat each other, andit is always in the best possible manner:Tell My servants to treat each other in the best possible manner,for the devil will always try to drive a wedge among them....(Quran: The Final Testament 17:53)We are to treat each other well. It does not matter what ourrelationship is to each other, or our station in society. We musttreat all people well, as this next verse makes clear:...You shall regard the parents, the relatives, the orphans,the poor, the related neighbor, the unrelated neighbor,the close associate, the traveling alien, and your servants.God does not like the arrogant show-offs.(Quran: The Final Testament 4:36)Here God tells us to treat everyone well, those who are relatedand those who are strangers, the free and the slave. He alsomakes it clear that we should not be too proud of ourselves.And we should not make fun of others, either as individualsor as groups:O you who believe, no people shall ridicule other people,for they may be better than they.Nor shall any women ridicule other women,for they may be better than they.Nor shall you mock one another, or make fun of your names....(Quran: The Final Testament 49:11)Ridicule and mockery are equated here to wickedness, andif you find yourself caught in this behavior and do not change,then you are transgressing.

44 | Women’s Rights, the Quran and IslamWe must respect other peoples and recognize that it is righteousnessthat gives anyone worth in God’s eyes:O people, we created you from the same male and female,and rendered you distinct peoples and tribes,that you may recognize one another.The best among you in the sight of God is the most righteous....(Quran: The Final Testament 49:13)Thus, it is not one’s tribe or nationality or race or religion thatis important. Only one’s righteousness is important. There is trueequality for all people in the Quran.Tyranny and oppression are condemned throughout theQuran. Here is one of the strongest condemnations:...Oppression is worse than murder….”(Quran: The Final Testament 2:217)To describe oppression as “worse than murder” is a very strongstatement. Clearly, the oppression that so often manifests inMuslim nations is not at all Quranic.Aggression is also forbidden:You may fight in the cause of God against those who attack you,but do not aggress. God does not love the aggressors.(Quran: The Final Testament 2:190 - emphasis added))So often in the West we associate Islam with aggression. Sadly,Muslims often are very aggressive, but the truth of the religionis not. In fact, one of God’s names is the Peace:He is the One God;there is no other god beside Him.The King, the Most Sacred, the Peace....(Quran: The Final Testament 59:23 - emphasis added)Aggression is forbidden and we are to treat each other well.If we all lived according to these principles, what an amazingdifference it would make for every person on this planet.

There was one final thing that really drew me to the Quran.As I mentioned in Chapter 1, as a young person I was tornbetween my desire for a spiritual path and my dislike oforganized religion. In the Quran it is clear that our connectionwith God is direct, with no intermediaries. Thus if you are followingjust the Quran, Islam is not an organized religion in thenormal sense. The following verse shows that our connectionwith God is direct:Say, “All intercession belongs to God.”To Him belongs all sovereignty of the heavens and the earth,then to Him you will be returned.(Quran: The Final Testament 39:44)Not only is there no intercession by anyone with God, theonly one we need to please is God alone. He is the only one wewill answer to, and no one can help us but God:Say, “My Contact Prayers (Salat),my worship practices, my life and my death,are all devoted absolutely to God alone....Say, “Shall I seek other than God as a lord,when He is the Lord of all things?No soul benefits except from its own works,and none bears the burden of another....(Quran: The Final Testament 6:162-4)Why Keep Going? | 45Thus, our relationship with God is very direct, and very immediate.In fact He tells us that He is closer to us than our jugularvein (Quran 50:16). What a gift that knowledge was to me!There were many other things in the Quran that bound meto it from the very beginning. Yes, there were lots of things I didnot understand, and much inequity I needed to resolve. Butthere was so much in the Quran that touched my soul that Icould not just walk away from it, no matter what I thought Iknew about Islam.

46 | Women’s Rights, the Quran and IslamThere is a belief among many traditional Muslims that on the Dayof Judgment, Muhammad will intercede for them and save them fromHell. However, the Quran tells us that the messengers of God will beworried about their own fates (21:28). The following little story dealswith this belief.On the Day of Judgment, there was a man who was worriedfor his own neck, walking here and there, waiting for hisLord’s judgment.There was another man there who believed that the Prophetwould come and intercede on his behalf. He went to the firstman, saying, “What’s the matter?“Didn’t you accept God and His messengers during yourlife time on the earth?”“Yes,” he replied.“Then, don’t worry! Just take a seat and wait! The Prophetwill soon come and intercede in our behalf; there is nothing tobe worried about!”The first man looked at him strangely and replied, “I am theProphet.”(As told by Irandokht, from Iran)

5VeilingAfter polygamy, probably the thing that most Westerners“know” about Muslim women is that they are never really seenin public—only their faces are ever seen. Otherwise they arecompletely hidden in folds of cloth. A friend of mine used tocall these coverings “personal mini-tents.” Traditional Muslimsoften use the term hijab. A more generic term is “veiling.”A veil, or hijab, always covers the hair, and in some casespart or all of the face. When I made Hajj (the Muslim pilgrimage),I traveled in a group with a young woman whose veilcovered her from head to toe. I only once caught a glimpse ofthe woman beneath. The light hit her veil at the perfect angle,and I was astonished to see a real person there. I have often wonderedif looking out through such a veil adds that same senseof unreality to the world.When I was first exploring Islam, veiling was a stumblingblock for me. I read my Quran for quite awhile before “takingthe plunge” to formally become a Muslim. One of the mainreasons for this delay was my distaste for veiling.Even before I really became Muslim, I tried covering all butmy face and hands. I felt so conspicuous that I was most uncomfortablein public places. I remember walking down the street,hoping that I would not meet anyone who recognized me. FortunatelyI was spared the agony of trying to explain to an oldfriend why I was dressed that way. However, I never wantedto be seen in public like that again. Maybe that is the origin ofthe harem? The poor women were embarrassed into seclusion!!!Not only that, but I was having enough trouble going throughthe bowing and prostrating movements of the Muslim Contact47

48 | Women’s Rights, the Quran and IslamPrayer which I was trying to learn, without having to worryabout tripping over yards of billowing cloth.Had I only known, the Quran makes dressing in a normalfashion quite easy. The following verse covers almost all of theelements of Quranic dress:And tell the believing women to subdue their eyes,and maintain their chastity.They shall not reveal any parts of their bodies,except that which is necessary.They shall cover their chests,and shall not relax this code in the presence of other than theirhusbands, their fathers, the fathers of their husbands, their sons,the sons of their husbands, their brothers....They shall not strike their feet when they walkin order to shake and reveal certain details of their bodies....(Quran: The Final Testament 24:31)The byword here is modesty. Muslim women should notdress to be seductive and sexually alluring. (Nor should Muslimmen. See the Quran 24:30.)Let me stop for a moment and clarify the translation of theabove verses. Most translators have translated the Arabic word“khomoorehenna,” which comes from the root word “khimar,” as“veil.” Thus they understand the verse to mean that a womanshould cover her chest with the veil she wears over her hair.This is a cultural interpretation. “Khimar” simply means a cover—a bed cover, a tablecloth, etc. In reference to clothing it canapply equally to a dress, a blouse or a veil. Because of the culturalnorm of veiling, people assume that the chest should becovered with the head veil.The Quranic verses leave a great deal of leeway for a womanto find her own comfort zone. If she is more comfortable witha scarf, or a veil, it certainly is not forbidden. However, it is notrequired either. The only thing that is required in the aboveverse is modesty, that she not reveal more than is necessary,and that her chest be covered.

The definition of exactly what modesty means is different ineach culture. To me, walking down most Western streets in fullhijab is not actually modest because you are drawing attentionto yourself. Likewise, dressing as you would in the United Stateswould not be covered enough in most of the Muslim world.Once again, we are face to face with our old friend culture.I believe that the fact that we should be dressing modestly,not necessarily veiled, is highlighted by this recommendationto elderly women:The elderly women who do not expect to get marriedcommit nothing wrong by relaxing their dress code,provided they do not reveal too much of their bodies.To maintain modesty is better for them....(Quran: The Final Testament 24:60)Veiling | 49Surely if God required women to cover their hair, that wouldhave been at least mentioned here. Instead, God just tells thesewomen not to “reveal too much of their bodies.”It is interesting to note that the Arabic word hijab, basicallytranslated as “barrier,” does occur in the Quran several times.Not once does it refer to women’s veiling.If the Quran does not require veiling, where did it come from?I’ve read a number of differing theories on its origin. In theNew Testament Paul argues that women should wear a veilduring worship:...Any woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncoveredbrings shame upon her head....Indeed, if a woman will not wear a veil,she ought to cut off her hair. If it is shameful for a womanto have her hair cut off or her head shaved,it is clear that she ought to wear a veil.(1 Corinthians 11:5-6 - The New American Bible, 1970)Whether the requirement to veil originated with this Christianrequirement, or came from some other source is questionable.It does seem fairly certain that it did not originate with

50 | Women’s Rights, the Quran and Islamthe Arabs. We know that Muhammad was born into theQuraish tribe, one of the nomadic tribes of the Bedouin Arabs.Bedouin women did not then, and do not now, always veilthemselves. This fact is demonstrated by the next Quranicverse, which shows that women were not veiled nor shut awayat the time of the Prophet Muhammad:It is not lawful for thee(To marry more) womenAfter this, nor to changeThem for (other) wives,Even though their beautyAttract thee….(The Holy Quran XXXIII:52 [33:52])How could Muhammad admire the beauty of a woman hehad never seen?Please do not misunderstand me, I have no objection to othersveiling, if that is their desire. However, since the Quran doesnot require that I veil, I prefer to dress in Western society in anIslamic manner that is more acceptable for that society. If I livedin Saudi Arabia, the situation would be very different, becausethe culture is different, therefore what is modest is different.There is one other important commandment in the Quranon the way women should dress in Chapter 33, Verse 59. Herewomen are told to lengthen their garments. How much do youhave to lengthen? I believe that is determined by what you seearound you, and your own comfort level. Each one of us isindividually responsible to God, and each must decide for ourselveswhat He is indicating in the following verse:O prophet, tell your wives, your daughters,and the wives of the believersthat they shall lengthen their garments.Thus, they will be recognized (as righteous women)and avoid being insulted....(Quran: The Final Testament 33:59)

52 | Women’s Rights, the Quran and Islama symbol to them, but a symbol of what? For such people, the Quranis not a source of guidance; it is veiled in culture and tradition. Theresult is oppression in the name of religion. The following storyshares a bone chilling reality for those of us who have always lived infreedom.The Quran VeiledI was born and raised in a Muslim family in Iran. My fatheralways encouraged me to have a higher education, but henever imposed religion on me. I learned how to read the Quranin Arabic in grade school, but we didn’t actually know the Arabiclanguage because our native language in Iran is Farsi. Theteachers in the schools told us that reading the Quran in Arabicwould give us more credit with God.The Quran played a very dominant role in Iranian cultureduring my upbringing in Iran. I would hear the Quran recitedin Arabic during different occasions. The Quran was usuallyrecited at funerals or after the death of an individual. TheQuran would also be recited throughout the month ofRamadan. The Persian New Year was an event at which theQuran would be placed on a table along with other ceremonialitems representing the New Year to bless the upcoming year.I had witnessed and participated in the custom by which whensomeone is leaving to go on a trip a Quran would be heldabove their heads and the traveler would walk under it to beblessed for a safe trip. This tradition was so important that themain archway to the city of Siraz has a giant Quran on top ofit so that as the cars pass underneath it the passengers will beblessed.About 25 years ago, my husband and I moved to the UnitedStates of America. A couple of years after we moved to theUSA, the revolution in Iran broke out and then the IslamicGovernment took control of the country. At first it seemed thatthe people of Iran were very happy under the new IslamicGovernment. But within a few months our friends and family

Veiling | 53in Iran were telling us about awful events that were happeningunder the new government. Some of the ignorant religiousgovernmental leaders were doing unspeakable crimes in thename of Islam like stoning women for adultery.In one tragic case, a government soldier killed a young 17year old in front of her mother in the streets of Tehran. The twowere going shopping when they decided that they wanted tochange their head covers to match their long dresses. So theyboth went into a telephone booth so nobody could see themswitching their covers. This is because during that time, Islamicclergy were enforcing a law which forbade women to showtheir hair in public. Unfortunately, as they were changing theirhead covers, a young soldier saw them, became very angry,and began yelling at them. The daughter, being fed up with theoppression, came out of the telephone booth without her coveron her head and said to the soldier, “So what if my hairshows?” The young man became so furious that he brought hisgun out and pointed it at the daughter’s head. The motherjumped in front of her daughter and asked for him to havemercy on her young daughter. But he didn’t care and hepushed aside the mother and killed the daughter.With so many negative and tragic incidents happening inthe name of Islam, I started to question many things. I askedmyself, “Are these the laws of God? Are they actually in theQuran?” This question was actually echoed by many Muslimsin Iran who said, “If this is Islam, we don’t want to be Muslim.”—Patty, Iran[Editor’s note: This is not the end of Patty’s story. Please seethe end of Chapter 14 for the conclusion.]

54 | Women’s Rights, the Quran and Islam

6Men in Charge?OK, now we come to an issue (or bull, as it were) that hasmore meat: the understanding that men are in charge of women,and have sway over them.This concept floored me!I come from a family of dyed in the wool individualists. Myparents left their homes and struck out on their own, far fromeither family’s influence. My mother always worked and wasan integral part of the family fortunes. She wanted us, her threedaughters, to be able to take care of ourselves, to have a meansof making our own living and building our own lives.The idea of a man being in charge of me just because he wasa man was very foreign. It made no sense to me for myhusband to be in charge, again just because he was a man.However, this is very much in line with the teachings of theBible. In Genesis 3:16 God tells Eve that her husband shall beher master:And to the woman He said,I will make most severeYour pangs in childbearing;In pain shall you bear children.Yet your urge shall be for your husband,And he shall rule over you.”(Genesis 3:16 - The Torah: The Five Books of Moses, 1992)At the same time, Genesis also contains a passage thatmakes it clear that men and women are equal:And God created man in His image, in the image of God He createdhim; males and female He created them. God blessed them55

56 | Women’s Rights, the Quran and Islamand God said to them, “Be fertile and increase, fill the earth andmaster it; and rule the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, and allthe living things that creep on earth.”(Genesis 1:26-27 - The Torah: The Five Books of Moses )In the New Testament, throughout Paul’s epistles he makesit clear that women should be submissive to their husbandsand their husbands should love and care for their wives. Forexample:Defer to one another out of reverence for Christ. Wives should besubmissive to their husbands as if to the Lord because the husbandis head of his wife....Husbands should love their wives as they do their own bodies.He who loves his wife loves himself.(1 Ephesians 5:21-23, 28 - New American Bible)For me, coming from a non-religious background, this conceptwas almost offensive. As much as I wanted to skirt thisissue, I could not. This is not just a cultural issue that has creptinto the religion. This understanding in Islam comes from asolid Quranic source. Here is the first part of the “offending”verse as translated by Rashad Khalifa:The men are made responsible for the women,and God has endowed them with certain qualities,and made them the bread earners.The righteous women will cheerfully accept this arrangement,since it is God’s commandment,and honor their husbands during their absence.(Quran: The Final Testament 4:34 – first portion)This doesn’t seem too bad. After all, men have traditionallybeen the protectors of their families, and the bread earners. Inthose circumstances it makes sense that the protector shouldhave the ultimate say. How else can he be the protector? If thereis a danger and those you are trying to protect do not listen toyou, you cannot protect them.

And Khalifa’s footnote for men being responsible for thewomen makes sense to me:This expression simply means that God is appointing the husband as“captain of the ship.” Marriage is like a ship, and the captain runs itafter due consultation with his officers. A believing wife readily acceptsGod’s appointment, without mutiny.When I honestly examine this concept, I have to say that itdoes not indicate inequality. In the United States we elect publicofficials, but no one would consider himself unequal tothose officials. It is simply a matter of organizing the society ina manner that works.I’m not certain exactly what happens in a situation wherethe woman is working outside of the home. Personally, itseems that in such a situation, she is no longer in a protectedposition. She also is facing the dangers and stresses of theworking world. However, the need for an organizationalleader still exists, and for whatever reasons, God has specifiedthat to be the husband.Actually, there is a growing body of scientific evidence thatthere are some basic biological differences between the sexesthat better adapt them to different roles. For more informationon this see, for instance, BRAIN SEX: The real difference betweenmen and women, Anne Moir, Ph.D. and David Jessel, 1992. Also,Sex on the Brain: The Biological Differences Between Men andWomen, Deborah Blum, 1998.Certainly no one can argue that women are the bearers ofchildren. As such, their role is critical for the society and verymuch honored in the Quran (as we will see later). And whowould know better about these matters than God?So far, I was satisfied that there is not a difference of equalityin the Quran. Rather it is only an issue of the family’s organization.The rest of this verse was a bombshell for me though! Hereit is from Yusuf Ali’s translation:As to those womenOn whose part ye fearMen in Charge? | 57

58 | Women’s Rights, the Quran and IslamDisloyalty and ill-conduct,Admonish them (first),(Next), refuse to share their beds,(And last) beat them (lightly);But if they return to obedience,Seek not against themMeans (of annoyance)....(The Holy Quran IV:34 [4:34] – last portion)Okay, I accept that if you have a captain of the ship, he maysometimes need the means of keeping order, so to speak. ButBEATING???Fortunately, Rashad Khalifa’s footnote calmed me considerably.(Please note that a sura is a chapter of the Quran.)God prohibits wife-beating by using the best psychological approach.For example, if I don’t want you to shop at Market X, I will ask you toshop at Market Y, then at Market Z, then, as a last resort, at Market X.This will effectively stop you from shopping at Market X, without insultingyou. Similarly, God provides alternatives to wife-beating; reasoningwith her first, then employing certain negative incentives. Rememberthat the theme of this sura is defending the women’s rights andcountering the prevalent oppression of women. Any interpretation ofthe verses of this sura must be in favor of the women. This sura’s themeis “protection of women.”This approach seems rational. If a righteous husband goesthrough all of these steps he will not end up beating his wife.Enough time will have passed to defuse the situation and bothparties will have had the chance to rethink the problem.I will never forget the horror of years ago hearing my Muslimneighbor through a thin apartment wall. He often shouteda lot, clearly verbally abusing his American wife and her daughterby a previous marriage. One night was much worse thanusual. I believe that he finally got physical with his wife; sheended the marriage.I wasn’t going to take any chances. Believe me, when I remarriedI made certain that my husband is someone I can trust totalk things out!

Men in Charge? | 59Perhaps that is a clue. Knowing that a husband can havethat power, a believing woman needs to be especially carefulabout who she chooses to marry. If all women are careful tomarry only men who will treat them with dignity, eventuallyabuse will die out. There is never any excuse for spouse abuse;however women can take an active part in protecting themselvesby carefully choosing their spouses.This requires that we take an active and reasoned role in ourselection of a mate. No more quick courtships! You need toknow someone for a good while, and in as many possiblerighteous circumstances as you can before you can really judgetheir suitability as a husband. The criteria for a good mate alsochange when one looks at it from this perspective. A man’sspiritual, moral and emotional character becomes much moreimportant than his looks or profession or standing in the community.In fact, they become the only really important things.In truth, shouldn’t that be the case? After all, we are choosingsomeone to be our lifetime companion, someone with whomto form a family. We are choosing someone who will be a bigfactor in our own spiritual growth, just as we will be a factor intheir spiritual growth.It’s our own necks. Only we can take care of them.Two beautiful sisters share their stories here. The first speaks ofhow God has provided a safety net for women. Thus, men may be incharge, but women are protected. The second speaks out at the glaringinequity she often sees in the way men are “in charge.”Amazing GraceThe grace of God as shown for me throughout my life hastaught me directly His amazing grace for the female of thehuman species. The Quran in 36:6-10 speaks of people whoseparents were never warned, and are therefore totally unaware.

60 | Women’s Rights, the Quran and IslamWell, my biological parents seemed to be among those. As aresult of their not knowing, or simply not following the guidanceof God in the Quran, eleven children and at least oneadult, my mother, endured hardships that could have been different.God knows best however, and had those things nothappened, I would not have this experience to share with you.The Quran instructs the male on the proper way to havemore than one wife. When the criteria are followed, thenwomen like my mother and her children can be properly caredfor, and accepted in the society with dignity rather than dishonor.When the plans for marriage fail, the woman is still providedfor, says the Quran. My mother as another wife couldhave been protected had she followed the Quran. She wouldnot have had to literally give away her children to others whocould and would provide for them. It cost her and the children.I was one of the six that were sent to be raised by someone else.Again, God knows best for each of us.I finally did meet my mother and my ten other siblings justbefore attaining adulthood. God is amazing, the criteria ofkeeping the name of the child, as described in the Quran, didprovide the link to my lineage when the time came. My namewas my ID.I was raised by the people that adopted me, at age two, as aBaptist. I began to study Islam shortly after marrying. I joinedwhat was then the Nation of Islam under the leadership of theHonorable Elijah Muhammed. It was here that I came in directcontact with the idea of women being special, and therefore tobe protected by the men of the family and the community. Myhusband who was “verbally” Muslim, was taught to be thebread-earner, and I stayed home to raise our children andmanage our home. That was my job. Modesty was the dresscode, but still even if I went to the park with the children, I wasescorted for our protection.I soon learned that I was studying about the Quran, ratherthan studying the Quran itself. I changed my mode of practice;I left the Nation, and joined what was the Sunnah of Islam.

Men in Charge? | 61[Editor’s note: Traditional Muslims often refer to the practice oftheir faith as the Sunnah.] It was awhile before I recognizedagain that I was studying something other than the Quran. Westudied the Hadith for an hour and then discussed those sayingsas they related to our lives. Well, we would find no realanswers for the problems we shared. I began to study theQuran finally, and to my surprise I found there were answersto women having rights, property, making judgments, andbeing witnesses, etc. Unfortunately, these were not answersthe community was ready for. My own spouse of thirty-twoyears was not ready for them, and slowly began to leave theguidance of God. The result was a legal divorce initiated byme. When it became clear to me that he and I could not agreeon following the guidance of the Quran only, I followed theGuidance and ended the marriage. I waited the four months asinstructed in the Quran, and found that it corresponded withthe waiting period of the courts. The children and I stayed inour home and were not mistreated. My former spouse wasunable to provide for us, but God is quite sufficient. I kept mypossessions as stated in the Quran, thus I have assets. The rulesset in place by God became the “safety net” for me and mychildren.Well, as time continued, my brothers and the believersassisted the children and me, again through the criteria of theQuran. The charity extended to us over those months allowedmy children to never be deprived of the needs of everyday living.God is so amazing to me. To date there have been no offersof marriage from believing men that I felt were sanctioned bythe Almighty. Surely God would compensate the male thatcould and would take on that responsibility. In spite of my circumstances,I reside safely within God’s Amazing Grace andattempt to patiently wait on Him. I enhance the waiting bystudying the Quran. Mainly I study alone, but when the opportunityarrives, I study with others. I relate to the concept ofworshipping God alone in all of its contexts. I feel so veryblessed to be allowed the knowledge of the Quran. God be everpraised, highly glorified is He. It has been my supreme pleas-

62 | Women’s Rights, the Quran and Islamure to be given an opportunity to communicate to you, andshare what is probably many people’s story. Perhaps some dayI’ll be allowed to share so those who have the same or a similarstory can know that they are not alone, and we are blessedto have submitted to the design God ordained for our lives sothat we would know Him with certainty. God’s Grace isAmazing.—MeauVell, U.S.A.In Charge Or In Control?My feelings about the way the concept of men being incharge in our world is summed up by a card sent to me by afriend. The picture shows six people sitting around a boardtable, only one of them a woman. The director is saying,“That’s an excellent suggestion, Miss Triggs. Perhaps one ofthe men here would like to make it.”I’ve always been told by the wise old women in my communitythat in order to get your way with a man, you mustlearn how to make what you want look like it is his idea. Manytimes I have not shared my opinion because I didn’t want to beperceived as a troublemaker. So I formed the habit of denyingmy truth because I thought that was required to be a goodMuslim woman.I have witnessed that it is generally worse even than that inseveral Muslim societies. Not only are the opinions and wisdomof women ignored and denied, we know that in manyMuslim countries (within your very religious communities)you very seldom see women out in public. Women must wear

Men in Charge? | 63the shidowa, and are covered completely from head to toe; evento see women’s eyes is forbidden.Back in the day of our Urban-based Muslim communities,we were apartment dwellers. It was always interesting to mehow, when we had functions at various homes, though therewere always more women and children than men, the menalways had the nicest facilities and accommodations. Thewomen were made to endure with the children behind thescenes somewhere in small cramped quarters. Even many ofthe masjids [mosques] require the women to occupy only thesmallest rooms in the smallest areas.As I traveled through the Middle East, it struck me thatdespite the blazing heat of many of these countries, it is a culturallyaccepted norm that women wear black and the menwear white. Now we all know how black attracts heat and Iwas wondering, “Why are the women having to wear thisblack. It’s so hot!” I know that they have physicist andchemists in their society that can tell them that this is not comfortable.Could men survive in black, in such a hot terrain?Despite God’s elucidation in the Quran on the value andparity of women, I constantly struggle with the fact that Muslimshave been acculturated to hate and deny the female.Instead of believing that God is neither male nor female, we actlike we believe that God is only masculine and does not likeanything female.—JC, U.S.A.

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7MarriageMarriage, as it was practiced in Muslim societies even recently,was fraught with “bulls of inequity.” Young women wereoften forced to marry whomever their families decided. Thispractice is dying out, and more and more young women areparticipating in the selection of their husbands, or making theselection by themselves.In the West, as in the Muslim world, marriage is an importantpart of most women’s lives. For young girls of my generation,marriage was the natural order of things. We just assumedwe would, of course, get married and raise a family of our own,as our parents had done. We spent hours staging play weddings,and setting up pretend households. Our favorite dollswere brides, all decked out in their pearls and white lace. Noneof us ever considered that we might be just as happy nevermarrying. Marriage was the accepted norm and often the statedgoal.While things have changed some in the West since I was achild, from my discussions with friends from other cultures,this still seems to be typical in most countries. It certainly is inMuslim countries.Indeed, God encourages marriage in the Quran:You shall encourage those of youwho are single to get married.They may marry the righteous amongyour male and female servants, if they are poor....Those among your servantswho wish to be freed in order to marry,you shall grant them their wish,once you realize that they are honest.65

66 | Women’s Rights, the Quran and IslamAnd give them from God’s moneythat He has bestowed upon you….(Quran: The Final Testament 24:32-33)God not only encourages marriage, but we see here that Hedoes so to the extent of commanding that slaves be freed tomarry. Thus, He encourages marriage and discourages slaveryin the same verse.The Bible also speaks of marriage. Genesis speaks as if itwere the natural course of things. God brought Eve to Adam:Then the man [Adam] said,“This one at lastIs bone of my bonesAnd flesh of my flesh.This one shall be called Woman,For from man was she taken.”Hence a man leaves his father and mother and clings to his wife,so that they shall become one flesh.(Genesis 2:23-24 - The Torah: The Five Books of Moses)Jesus reminds us of the equality of men and women statedin Genesis 1:26-27 (quoted in Chapter 2):...“Have you not read that the one who made them at the beginning‘made them male and female,’ and said, ‘For this reason aman shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife,and the two shall become one flesh’? So they are no longer two,but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no oneseparate.”(Matthew 19:4-6 - New Revised Standard Version Bible)Paul made it clear that that marriage is sacred:Let marriage be honored in every way andthe marriage bed be kept undefiled,for God will judge fornicators and adulterers.(Hebrews 13:4 - New American Bible, 1970)

Marriage | 67Why is marriage so divinely supported? From these verses,and our common sense, we know that marriage discouragesimmorality and encourages morality. Thus, God validates theconcept of the family, the core unit of all societies.I believe that there is something even more important though.I think that marriage is a spiritual exercise, of the highest form.One of the first spiritual concepts presented in the Quran isthat of killing the ego, that part of us that keeps us from redemption:Recall that Moses said to his people, “O my people,you have wronged your souls by worshiping the calf.You must repent to your Creator. You shall kill your egos.This is better for you in the sight of your Creator....”(Quran: The Final Testament 2:54)Rashad Khalifa’s footnote further clarifies:It is the ego that led to Satan’s fall. It is the ego that caused our exileto this world, and it is the ego that is keeping most of us from redemptionto God’s Kingdom.In this discussion I am not using “ego” with the psychologicaldefinition of our sense of self. Rather it is the more popularusage of the word as our arrogant self, or that part of ourself that is prideful and self-important. It is that part of our selfthat makes us think we are better than other people. It is thatpart of our self that keeps us from God.If our egos are getting in our way spiritually, what betterway to work on them than within a marriage? In marriage wecannot just walk away from our disagreements like we can inother situations. In reference to problems in a marriage, God tellsus that “Selfishness is a human trait,” and that working out ourdifferences is best for us (Quran 4:128).Furthermore, our spouse is often a very good mirror for us,showing us our strengths as well as our weaknesses.

68 | Women’s Rights, the Quran and IslamAll spiritual traditions recognize the concept of the maleand female principles and the balance they create. To me, oneof the most beautiful expressions of this balance is in the Quran.First, God tells us men and women are not the same, theyhave different qualities:You shall not covet the qualitiesbestowed upon each other by God;the men enjoy certain qualities,and the women enjoy certain qualities....(Quran: The Final Testament 4:32)Then He tells us the result of pooling those qualities in a marriage.Thus, He tells us the purpose of marriage. That purposeis not mainly reproductive, nor economic, nor social:And among His SignsIs this, that He createdFor you mates from amongYourselves, that ye mayDwell in tranquillity with them,And He has put loveAnd mercy between your (hearts):Verily in that are SignsFor those who reflect.(The Holy Quran XXX:21 [30:21])Thus, the purpose of marriage is emotional and spiritual: thatwe may “dwell in tranquility,” and to be among God’s signs. Theintimacy that develops in a good marriage can act as one of thestrongest catalysts to the healing of old emotional wounds. Thishealing alone fosters spiritual growth. Plus, when you are withsomeone who is also striving spiritually and supports your spiritualgrowth, the potential is astonishing.This changes the whole focus of marriage. As we discussedin the last chapter, someone’s looks, or earning ability or socialstanding are not the main factors to be considered in finding agood spouse. Rather, spiritual and emotional compatibility matterthe most.

Marriage | 69How then does one find this spiritual and emotional wonder?How does one find a suitable spouse? As I was looking (andI finally came to the point of actively looking), I had to keepreminding myself that God is running the show. If I were tomarry, He would provide a good mate… and when I was trulyready, He certainly did.It is interesting to note that one of the qualities of Paradiseis that those who make it there will be matched with wonderfulspouses (Quran 52:20 and 56:37, among other verses). Perhapsif we let God match us in this life too, making the spiritualconsiderations first on our “want list” and asking for Hisguidance, that paradise can begin here.Actually finding one to whom we are matched spiritually isnot always easy.In the Muslim world marriages are often arranged. Thisconcept was quite horrifying to me, until I met some couples witharranged marriages and realized what good matches they were.My friends were fortunate that their families worked to find mateswho were especially compatible. Their marriages are among thebest I know.But not all arranged marriages are so fortunate. I also knowof a very sad case where the results were quite disastrous, leavinga very sensitive man terribly wounded.In the West most of us must find our own mates. Unfortunately,this is often quite difficult, especially for a Muslim whois not going to be “into the singles scene.” If you are part of alarge Muslim community, your chances may be much better.However, if you have decided to follow just the Quran, ratherthan the traditions of Islam, in most cases you might as well beliving on a semi-deserted island!!!If these problems sound familiar, be reassured. God tells usthat followers of the Quran may marry chaste believers amongthe followers of previous scriptures (Quran 5:5). Of course, youmust be certain to discuss spiritual and religious matters verycarefully. Actually, this is true no matter who you are marrying.

70 | Women’s Rights, the Quran and IslamPersonally, I believe any woman, whatever her faith, shouldonly marry a man who agrees categorically to support her inher striving to obey God’s laws in all matters, according to herown understanding. Otherwise, she may find herself in the situationof having to go against her husband’s understanding,or of him trying to make her follow his understanding. Thiswill almost certainly cause strife in the marriage, and mayeventually bring divorce.Even if your spiritual understandings match when you marry,sometimes one or the other changes as time goes on. Unless youagree from the start that each has the right to their own understanding,you may encounter problems.Once you have found someone you are convinced is compatible,what next? The Quran speaks of engagement, thoughdoes not require it (Quran 2:235-236). However, from my personalexperience, I think it is a good idea. It gives you both theopportunity to see what you are like together when you havemade a commitment. It is not yet the commitment of marriage,but the commitment that you plan to be married. The perspectivefor some people changes with a commitment. They nolonger feel they need to make such an effort. Actually, makinga commitment means you need to make a greater effort in orderto live up to that commitment. If commitment is going to meanone or both of you is going to start taking the relationship forgranted, it is best to find that out before you are actually married.Remember, you are planning to make a lifetime commitment.Though I touched on this issue of choosing a husband in theprevious chapter, let me expand on it. Forgive me if I sound likea mother hen here. When I originally wrote this material, it wasfor other Muslim women, but so many people told me to leave itin, that I have decided to do so. If you are not Muslim yourself, Ihope you will still find value in this sharing from my personalexperience.If you are thinking of getting married, it is a critical decisionyou are making. Do whatever you can to make sure you are

Marriage | 71making the right one. Remember that this man will be the onewho has the final say in the marriage. Will you be able to livewith his decisions? Are you certain that those decisions will bemade with your consultation, and with your needs and bestinterests in mind? Indeed you are selecting a captain for life.Pick a winner!In a society where marriages are arranged, the families usuallytry to make certain that the two people are well matched.For those of us who choose our own mates, making this determinationis sometimes difficult. However, since you are intendingto live with this man for the rest of your life, it is importantto be sure that you are compatible.The following are common sense suggestions, which youprobably would think of yourself. Try to spend as much normaltime with your beloved as you can, in as many differenttypes of situations—grocery shopping, doing laundry, visitingelderly relatives, pulling weeds, cleaning, etc. Make sure thatyou live and work well together, not just that you play welltogether.If it is possible, meet each other’s families, and watch theinteractions there. How the family members treat each othermay tell you a great deal about the person you are planning tolive the rest of your life with. If things come up that you areuncomfortable with, talk about them.Allow this discovery time together to be long enough thatsome of the blush of new love fades. You need to be sure you arechoosing someone for the right reasons, and that you are notbeing fooled by sexual attraction, or your own daydreams.Remember, divorce is allowed in Islam, but it is strongly discouraged.The person you marry must be someone with whomyou fully intend to live out the rest of your life.Of course, during this time you need to be extremely carefulnot to put yourself into any situations where you end updoing something that is not righteous. Remember that untilyou have made the commitment of marriage, any sexual relationswill be a very serious issue in God’s eyes. These nextverses show just how serious. God is describing the believers:

72 | Women’s Rights, the Quran and IslamThose who invoke not,With God, any other god,Nor slay such life as GodHas made sacred, exceptFor just cause, nor commitFornication; —and any that doesThis (not only) meets punishment(But) the Penalty on the DayOf Judgment will be doubled....Unless he repents, believes,And works righteous deeds,For God will changeThe evil of such personsInto good....(The Holy Quran XXV:68-70 [25:68-70])These verses class having sexual relations outside of marriagewith idol worship and murder! It is not classed with lyingor cheating; it is classed with the most serious of offenses. Andwhile God allows repentance for this, no one can intentionallywork evil and then just repent without major consequences. Onecannot trick God!!!Now, let us say you have found that perfect person and allhas gone well as you have come to know each other. What doesthe Quran say about the process of getting married? The onlyrequirements stated in the Quran for marriage are a mutuallyacceptable dowry and mutual attraction (Quran 4:24). There isno requirement even for a ceremony, though it is a very specialevent and good to share with loved ones. From what I can tellfrom the Quran, marriage is an issue between the two peopleand God. However, that does not make it a light matter. Godcalls it a solemn pledge (Quran 4:21). In fact, it is such a solemnpledge that forbidden marriages already in existence at thetime of the revelation, were not to be broken. I believe this alsogoes for marriages entered into before you first read the Quran:Prohibited to you(For marriage) are: —

Your mothers, daughters,Sisters; father’s sisters,Mother’s sisters; brother’s daughters,Sister’s daughters; foster-mothers(Who gave you suck), foster-sisters;Your wives’ mothers; Your step-daughters under yourGuardianship, born of your wivesTo whom ye have gone in,—No prohibition if ye have not gone in;—(Those who have been)Wives of your sons proceedingFrom your loins;And two sisters in wedlockAt one and the same time,Except for what is past;For God is Oft-forgiving,Most Merciful(The Holy Quran IV:23 [4:23] - emphasis added)Note the “Except for what is past.” Rashad Khalifa translatesthis as “do not break up existing marriages” (see Quran: The FinalTestament 4:23). This is even when the man has married his sister,or another forbidden relative. That is how sacred marriage is!In the West we have diminished the importance and sacrednessof marriage. However, God has not, and we must do whateverwe can to make sure the marriage will last.Before this last verse, I had not yet mentioned marriage prohibitions.The above verse deals with all of the relationship categories,except women to whom your father had been married,which is covered in the previous verse (Quran 4:22). TheQuran also prohibits women who are already married, unlessthey are fleeing disbelieving husbands who are at war withyou (Quran 4:24). Of course, in the woman’s case the roles arereversed, and we do not marry our sons, our fathers, etc.The only other category prohibited is idol worshipers:Do not marryUnbelieving women (idolaters),Marriage | 73

74 | Women’s Rights, the Quran and IslamUntil they believe:A slave woman who believesIs better than an unbelieving woman,Even though she allure you.Nor marry (your girls)To unbelievers untilThey believe:A man slave who believesIs better than an unbeliever....(The Holy Quran II:221 [2:221])We have already discussed how important it is that there bea spiritual compatibility. Certainly having to deal with someonewho turns to other than God for help and guidance wouldbe difficult for a Muslim. And raising children in such an environmentwould be a real problem. It is hard enough to agree onwhat values to teach your children without basic spiritual valuesbeing in dispute.This brings up the fact that in all healthy marriages there areinevitable times of disagreement. You may know each othervery well, communicate wonderfully, love each other dearly,and you will still have times when you do not see eye to eye.Or you may suddenly discover things about this wonderful personthat you really do not like, or your own needs and valuesmay change as you continue to grow. These issues exist in allhuman interactions, be they marriages, friendships, businessassociations, families, whatever. However, as I mentioned earlierin this chapter, in a marriage you cannot just walk awayfrom these difficulties. You must work them out. This takestime, patience, work and commitment. Again, all of this allowsus to work on our egos, and thus makes marriage a spiritualexercise and a great gift.Another issue that we have only touched on is the dowry. Inmany cultures, including traditional cultures of the West, thebride’s family pays the dowry. Interestingly, in Exodus 22:17

and Genesis 35:12 the dowry is paid to the bride’s family,which is the opposite.The Quran makes it clear that the groom pays the dowry tothe bride herself. It is an amount that is set by mutual consultation,with both parties agreeing. There are no limits set on it,except that it should be acceptable to both parties:You shall give the women their due dowries, equitably.If they willingly forfeit anything,then you may accept it; it is rightfully yours.(Quran: The Final Testament 4:4)Marriage | 75In the traditional Muslim world the dowry can be very complexand expensive. In most areas, for instance Egypt, the dowryfor an educated young woman from a good family may be quitea bit more than the normal annual salary for a young man ofthe same class. I have friends who had to postpone their marriagefor years while the husband saved up the dowry.In some areas like urban Iran, couples often have an arrangementwhere the man signs an agreement to pay a dowry of asubstantial sum only if he decides to divorce the woman. Somewomen are also including a clause in such contracts that forbidstheir future husbands from taking a second wife.Some of my friends feel that this arrangement for the dowrydoes not meet God’s commandment to “give the women their duedowries.” They feel that the commandment is to physically givethe dowry at the time of the marriage. I understand their point,but I am not certain that I fully agree. If the bride has no objectionto this method, how does that differ from “If they willinglyforfeit anything, then you may accept it?” In this case the woman isforfeiting a tangible dowry right now and gaining the promiseof a substantial settlement should there be a divorce. Thatpromise might be seen as the dowry. This practice may actuallyact as a deterrent to divorce. In either case, there is no questionthat the dowry must be agreed upon by both parties.For Indian and Pakistani families the situation with thedowry is more complex. While the groom gives the bride what

76 | Women’s Rights, the Quran and Islamis often a token dowry, both families provide the householdfurnishings, clothing, etc.; everything which the couple willneed to set up a new household.In some rural areas of India, the practice is more heavily influencedby the Hindu tradition. There the bride actually pays thegroom the dowry. The expense is so great that many youngwomen from poorer backgrounds are doomed to remain single.Unlike the young men who scrimp to save for the dowry, ayoung woman who must save for her own marriage, with orwithout having to pay the dowry, may well be too old once themoney is finally gathered to make much of a match. This isespecially true since most Indian and Pakistani women marryquite young.In many parts of the Muslim world, the dowry goes to thebride’s family and she may or may not see any benefit from it.I want to stress again that the Quran specifies that the dowrygoes to the bride, not to the groom or to the bride’s family.For most of us in the West, the dowry is not as big an issuebecause women are more easily able to make their own living.Here many of my friends have accepted their wedding rings astheir dowry. I asked for and received a beautiful piece of stainedglass that my husband had made. It is one of my greatest treasures.There is one more issue that I feel compelled to mentionhere, that of so called temporary marriages. Unfortunately, thegrowing Western idea of “living together” has its parallel amongmany traditional Muslims, particularly among the Shia community.(The Shias are one of the main Muslim sects. MostMuslims in Iran are Shia, as well as other smaller groupsthroughout the Muslim world.) In Iran this concept of temporarymarriages even has official sanction.However, we saw above that God calls marriage a “solemnpledge” (Quran 4:21). As we will see in Chapter 9, ending amarriage requires extensive counseling, a cooling off periodand the witnessing of a divorce agreement.

Marriage cannot be entered into lightly with the idea of itbeing temporary. That is not marriage!Marriage | 77The following are the stories of two different women. The first tellsof the beginning of one of the best marriages I know. The second tellsof a convert in a traditional community, and her many dilemmas, especiallyaround marriage.An Arranged MarriageBeing born in an Indian “Muslim” family, arranged marriageswere the norm. My elder sister had an arranged marriageand by GOD’s grace was happily settled. My uncle (Dad’syounger brother) had come from the US to get married andwas planning to “meet girls” in Bombay—since I had vacations,he requested me to accompany him and my aunt from Calcutta.My parents did not accompany us on this trip. We met quitea few girls, but he could not make up his mind.It was usually the elders of the family who planned these“meetings,” generally after considering suitable family and otherbackground. As GOD willed it (and I got to know later on) mygrand aunt (Dad’s aunt) happened to be a neighbor and cousinof an eligible young man’s sister. We were often at this grandaunt’s place, as my uncle was staying there. So I was not surprisedwhen I was told that we were going to visit her on a particularevening. However what intrigued me was that my auntwas paying extra attention to what I was to wear. I was 21 butin those days, one was not brought up to question “why?” Wereached this grand aunt’s house and there were some visitorsthere—her neighbors.There was some general conversation, but I found myselfthe center of a lot of polite questions—particularly about myreligious beliefs, also my likes and dislikes, whether I was fond

78 | Women’s Rights, the Quran and Islamof reading, cooking and so on. Most of these questions were fromthe young man’s sister and family members, while he was apparentlyshy and hardly spoke anything. The meeting was followedby tea—by which time I was quite self-conscious and I was veryrelieved when it was all over. Afterwards I was asked how Ihad liked “the young man.” All I could say was that he was apleasant person and there was nothing I disliked about him.What could I judge in a short meeting with not much interaction!A few days later we returned to Calcutta and my unclereturned to the US without any tie-ups. About a year later hemarried a girl with whom he had an arranged meeting for afew hours at an airport in a neighboring country on his way into India. After getting together a number of other times, theywere married. (Their marriage ceremony was performed overthe telephone with the bride and groom on two different continents.)In the community we were brought up in, it is the boy’s familythat proposes the engagement and then the girl’s family makesindependent check-outs about the suitability of the boy and thefamily, considering any specific aspects observed. Well one day,after I had been back home for awhile, there was a phone callfrom Bombay requesting my parents for further meetings. Sincewe were not planning to visit Bombay, the young man visitedour hometown. We met on two days. We went out for mealsalong with my parents, and my parents left us to chat for awhile.We spoke about our personal interests, etc. I do remember thatone of our common interests was that we both enjoyed readingthe Readers Digest!!!!Well he left for Bombay after a couple of days and a shortwhile later his family proposed our engagement. I told my parentsthat I had liked what I had seen of the young man but leftthe final decision to my parents. After that my parents madeappropriate inquiries over many weeks and after receiving verypositive feedback we were engaged for several months, duringwhich we wrote and spoke to each other and met when I wentto Bombay with my family.

When I look back over 29 years of our marriage and try toappreciate all the awesome blessings from GOD, I realize thatin fact it was only GOD in His infinite grace and mercy whohad arranged, nurtured and guided everything so perfectly. Hehas blessed us and our two grown up “children” so awesomelywith a great common faith and bond of being submitters toGOD Alone.—N., IndiaNew Muslim in Traditional IslamMarriage | 79God Most Gracious, Most Merciful, blessed me to officiallybecome Muslim in December, 1978. After the ceremony, I wasgiven the name of a sister to contact who lived in Berkeley andhosted a women’s Quranic study group. I did so, and thusbegan my strange odyssey into the world of Hadith (sayings ofthe Prophet Muhammad) and Sunna (practices of the Prophet).For though the study was called Quranic, it really wasn’t. Wedid spend some time each week reading the Quran, but thegreater part of the study was given over to my instruction inthe proper attire and conduct of a Muslim woman. Most of thewomen in the group were either foreign students or the wivesof foreign students attending the University of California atBerkeley. They hailed from all over the Muslim world. And eachwoman found a different Hadith or Sunna to corroborate heropinion on attire, conduct, etc. Whenever I summoned thecourage to ask why these varied opinions were not based onanything I had read in the Quran, I was politely but firmly toldnot to question. The inference was that I was an American convertand they being “born” Muslim had superior knowledge.The idea of not questioning is, of course, a direct contradiction ofChapter 17, Verse 36, which commands us not to accept anyinformation without verifying it for ourselves.

80 | Women’s Rights, the Quran and IslamThe matter of dress having finally been got through, the real“fun” began. I was informed that as a Muslim woman I shouldbegin seeking a spouse as soon as possible. These women foundit even stranger than the brothers had that I had converted toIslam without prompting by a man. I was dismayed by theirseemingly casual attitude regarding the selection of a mate. Itseemed to be put on a par with shopping for a new dress or apair of shoes. The concept of arranged marriages was both foreignand frightening to me. The prospect of marrying an unknownman just because he happened to be Muslim without necessarilyhaving any other redeeming qualities was downright terrifying!And while I knew the Quran encourages single believersto marry, I couldn’t believe that this was what God intended.One of the single sisters held interviews with prospective husbandsand had a list of requirements they were expected to meet.This wouldn’t have been so bad had these men not been completestrangers. Many of the men were just passing through townand read her advertisement in one of the Muslim journals.It seemed every woman in the group knew of some Muslimman in need of a wife. I felt gently pressured to accept someone’srecommendation. They were sincerely trying to be helpfuland couldn’t understand my reluctance. I was, in turn, gentlein my refusals.But one night things took a turn for the worse. I received amiddle-of-the-night phone call from one of the sisters who wasassisting a traveling brother in finding a wife. Being awakenedfrom a deep sleep, I was disoriented and muddled. I thought shewas telling me that there was a brother on the rack who was lookingfor a wife immediately. I couldn’t understand why a brotherwould be on a rack in the first place, and secondly, why hewould need a wife in the middle of the night. I wondered if hisbeing on a rack made his need for a wife more urgent. The conversationbecame more ludicrous until finally I was awakeenough to understand that she was trying to get me married toa brother from Iraq. Well, my first question was answered, butI still could not understand the urgency. At last I realized thathe wanted a temporary marriage. He was in town for the nightand wanted a sexual encounter in the guise of marriage.

Marriage | 81I was really shocked! I didn’t know about the practice of temporarymarriage in so-called Islam. In my opinion, this sisterwas acting as a panderer for this brother. To this day I shudderwhen I think what could have happened if God Most Mercifulhad not protected me. What if I had agreed to this temporaryliaison, conceived, and then never heard from this man again?Would this same sister have been equally willing to track thisman down for me if I later needed to find him? And what wouldmy dowry have been? Would he have given me money for theencounter? God forbid!What an experience for a new submitter. I don’t know if thispractice of temporary “marriage” is still as prevalent today.Thank God, I now am far removed from those who follow Hadithand Sunna. God willing, my experience may serve as a deterrentexample for a sister who may find herself in a similar situationand not know what to do.—Lory, U.S.A.Though the Quran does not require a public ceremony, gettingmarried is a very special event. It is something that most of us wantto share with those who are dear to us. Each couple is unique and special.I believe the ceremony with which they bind their lives shouldreflect that unique specialness. Here are two lovely examples of ceremonies,reproduced with permission from www.submission.org:First CeremonyPerson doing the marriage service: I seek refuge in GOD, fromSatan the rejected. In the name of GOD, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.Peace be upon you.We are gathered here to witness the marriage of Mr. (Groom) andMs. (Bride).

82 | Women’s Rights, the Quran and IslamMarriage, like all of God’s provisions is a sign and a gift for us:“Among His proofs is that He created for you spouses from among yourselves,in order to have tranquility and contentment with each other, and Heplaced in your hearts love and care towards your spouses. In this, there aresufficient proofs for people who think. “ (30:21)This gift is thankfully accepted, for God tells us:“...The more you thank Me, the more I give you....” (14:7)Bride : God, I thankfully and joyfully accept this gift from God of(Groom) as my husband.Groom : God, I thankfully and joyfully accept this gift from Godof (Bride) as my wife.Person doing marriage service, as he lights candle:“GOD is the light of the heavens and the earth. The allegory of His lightis that of a concave mirror behind a lamp that is placed inside a glass container.The glass container is like a bright, pearl-like star. The fuel thereof issupplied from a blessed oil-producing tree, that is neither eastern, nor western.Its oil is almost self-radiating; needs no fire to ignite it. Light uponlight. GOD guides to His light whoever wills (to be guided). GOD thus citesthe parables for the people. GOD is fully aware of all things.“ (24:35)Husband and wife together:God, take our will and our life. Guide our marriage. Show us howto live.Second CeremonyPerson doing the marriage service (Officiant):In the name of GOD, Most Gracious, Most Merciful. Praise be to GOD,Lord of the universe. Most Gracious, Most Merciful. Master of the Day ofJudgment. You alone we worship; You alone we ask for help. Guide us in theright path, the path of those whom You blessed; not of those who havedeserved wrath, nor of the strayers. (1:1-7)Among His proofs is that He created for you spouses from among yourselves,in order to have tranquility and contentment with each other, and Heplaced in your hearts love and care towards your spouses. In this, there aresufficient proofs for people who think. (30:21)Love has given you wings, and your journey begins today, (Bride)and (Groom), wherever the wind may carry you, you will stay sideby side, day after day. Now you will feel no rain, for each of you will

Marriage | 83be shelter for the other. Now you will feel no cold, for each of youwill be warmth to the other. Now there will be no loneliness, for eachof you will be companion to the other. Now you are two persons, butthere is only one life before you. May God’s blessings surround youboth in the journey ahead and through all the years. May happinessbe your companion, on this earth and in the Hereafter, and your daystogether be good, righteous and long upon the earth.I ask you now in the presence of God and this congregation todeclare your intent. Will you, (Bride), have this man to be your husband,to live together in a holy marriage? Will you love him, comforthim, honor and keep him in sickness and in health, and forsaking allothers, be faithful to him as long as you both shall live?Bride: I willOfficiant: Will you, (Groom), have this woman to be your wife, tolive together in a holy marriage? Will you love her, comfort her,honor and keep her in sickness and in health, and forsaking all others,be faithful to her as long as you both shall live?Groom: I willOfficiant -The Blessing of the Rings: The wedding ring is the outwardand visible sign of an inward and spiritual bond which unitestwo loyal hearts in endless love. It is a seal of the vows (Groom) and(Bride) have made to one another. Bless O God these rings, that(Bride) and (Groom), who give them, and who wear them, may everabide in thy peace. Living together in unity, love and happiness forthe rest of their livesThe Exchange of rings: Groom: (Bride’s name), I give you this ringas a symbol of our vows, and with all that I am, and all that I have, Ihonor you. In the name of God, The Most Gracious, The Most Merciful.With this ring, I thee wed.Bride: (Groom’s name), I give you this ring as a symbol of ourvows, and with all that I am, and all that I have, I honor you. In thename of God, The Most Gracious, The Most Merciful. With this ring,I thee wed.Officiant - Declaration of Marriage: In as much as you have eachpledged to the other your lifelong commitment, love and devotion, Inow pronounce you husband and wife, In the name of God, TheMost Gracious, The Most Merciful.Those whom God has joined together let no one put asunder.

84 | Women’s Rights, the Quran and Islam“Our Lord, direct us to appreciate the blessings You have bestowed uponus and upon our parents, and to work righteousness that pleases You. Letour children be righteous as well“ (46:15),“...and admit us an honorable admittance and let us depart an honorabledeparture. Grant us from You a powerful support“ (17:80).“...and shower our parents with Your mercy for they have raised us frominfancy” (17:24).“Our Lord, let our spouses and our children be a source of joy for us, andkeep us in the forefront of the righteous” (25:74).“Grant us what you promised us through Your messengers and do notforsake us on the Day of Resurrection. You never break a promise“ (3:194).God bless you and Congratulations.

8Staying SingleOne of the things that is clear from Lory’s story, at the endof the last chapter, is that people from traditional Muslim societiesexpect women to marry. For most women deciding to liveas a single woman is not even something to be considered. Inthese cultures, a woman’s identity is strongly tied to her husband.This “bull of inequity” is shared with the West, thoughin the West there has been a great deal of progress in this area.In current Western society, the requirement to be married isno longer very strong. In fact I have known many successfuland happy women who have decided not to marry, or whohave been married and divorced and have consciously decidednot to remarry.Though the Quran encourages marriage, it certainly doesnot require it. God deals with us as individuals, as well as couples:Say, “I ask you to do one thing:Devote yourselves to God,in pairs or as individuals….(Quran: The Final Testament 34:46)Ultimately we are totally responsible for our own souls. Wewill stand before God alone:All...will come before Himon the Day of Resurrection as individuals.(Quran: The Final Testament 19:95)Each of us is responsible for our own decisions, our ownguidance. God has given us what we need to make our ownchoices:85

86 | Women’s Rights, the Quran and IslamYou shall not accept any information,unless you verify it for yourself.I have given you the hearing,the eyesight, and the brain,and you are responsible for using them.(Quran: The Final Testament 17:36)Knowing this, it makes no difference whether we aremarried or single. We are the ones who make the decisionwhether or not to be guided. Besides, being married, even to amessenger of God, does not guarantee either one’s guidance orany help against punishment:God cites as examples of those who disbelievedthe wife of Noah and the wife of Lot.They were married to two of our righteous servants,but they betrayed them and, consequently,they could not help them at all against God....(Quran: The Final Testament 66:10)On the other hand, Pharaoh’s wife was married to one of thegreatest tyrants of all time and was such a good believer thatGod uses her as an example of the believers:And God cites as an exampleof those who believed the wife of Pharaoh….(Quran: The Final Testament 66:11)Immediately after citing Pharaoh’s wife as an example ofthe believers, He cites Mary as a second example:Also Mary, the Amramite. She maintained her chastity,then we blew into her from our spirit.She believed in the words of her Lordand His scriptures; she was obedient.(Quran: The Final Testament 66:12)The Quran tells of Mary’s obedience and submission toGod, even as a child:

Staying Single | 87Her Lord accepted her a gracious acceptance, and brought her upa gracious upbringing, under the guardianship of Zachariah.Whenever Zachariah entered her sanctuary he found provisionswith her. He would ask, “Mary, where did you get this from?”She would say, “It is from God. God provides for whomever Hechooses, without limits.”That is when Zachariah implored his Lord: “My Lord, grant mesuch a good child; You are the Hearer of the prayers.”(Quran: The Final Testament 3:37-38)Thus, even as a child Mary was a good example of a believer,and inspired her guardian, Zachariah, to pray for a childwho would be as good as she was. As she grew into womanhoodthat goodness did not diminish:The angels said, “O Mary, God has chosen you and purified you.He has chosen you from all the women.”(Quran: The Final Testament 3:42)God chose her from all the women and also uses her, thissingle woman, as an example to us of a believer. From thisexample, He clearly does not require us to be married to beacceptable to Him.The Quran gives us quite a bit more information aboutMary. In fact, it gives us much more information about Marythan it does about most of the messengers and prophets. Notonly that, the Quran has a whole chapter named for her, Chapter19. Please see Appendix 2 for the rest of Mary’s story,including the virgin birth, in the Quran.In the New Testament, it is not just the example of Mary thatmakes it clear that we need not be married to be acceptable toGod. In fact Paul seems to indicate that it may be better toremain single:...And the unmarried woman and the virgin are anxious aboutthe affairs of the Lord, so that they may be holy in body and spirit;but the married woman is anxious about the affairs of the

88 | Women’s Rights, the Quran and Islamworld, how to please her husband.(1 Corinthians 7:34 —New Revised Standard Version Bible)From all of this it is clear that we are not required to marry.Staying single and being a submitter to God (Muslim) are perfectlycompatible.There are many reasons that people decide to remain single. I havemany single Muslim friends, some of whom would like to be married,and some of whom like being single and would not consider gettingmarried. All of them are good Muslims. None are more courageousand loving than the sister who shares her story here.Muslim and HomosexualThere is conflicting evidence as to whether there is a humangene which predisposes a person to homosexuality. I believethere is, because of my own personal experience. I believe thegene is the same as genes that predispose people to certainaddictions. Two people may drink the same amount of alcohol,yet one will become alcoholic and the other will simply be aheavy drinker. The heavy drinker, as things change in his lifeand he becomes older and more settled, will likely slow downhis consumption, and may even stop altogether. The alcoholicwill consume more and more, until the alcohol becomes themost important thing in his life. With help from an organizationlike AA, he may be able to stop drinking and turn his lifearound, but he will always be an alcoholic; the addiction willalways be part of him.I think the same thing exists with “sexual preference.” Mostof my fellow Muslims would probably disagree, but I say thisbecause I believe that I have that predisposition.So, does that mean I am a lesbian? Yes and no. I think that,had God not saved me, that’s where I would be now—in a

Staying Single | 89destructive, difficult, unhealthy lifestyle. But God did save me. Hetaught me right from wrong, weakness from strength. God condemnshomosexuality. Not mildly, but strongly. He calls it anabomination [Editor’s note: see Quran 7:80, 29:28, etc.].So why would God incline certain people toward a lifestylethat’s destructive and goes against His commands? It’s a test.The same as the alcoholic or the drug addict or the compulsivegambler. All of those addictions are against God’s commands,yet it’s recognized that those addictions are part of a person’sgenetic makeup. The alcoholic can choose not to drink; the drugaddict can choose not to snort cocaine; the gambler can choosenot to bet. I can choose not to participate in the lesbian lifestyle.And I do choose that, because of God’s mercy in showing methe right way. I thank Him every day that He showed me theTruth and gave me the strength to say, “Yes, I’m a homosexual,but I choose not to practice something that will hurt mysoul.”God doesn’t condemn homosexuals, anymore than He condemnsalcoholics. He condemns the actions, and rewards thosewho fight and pass the test. It’s turned out to be an easy test forme. I don’t need sexual acts of any kind to make me a wholewoman. I just need God. And I know that He is there for me.—Evah, U.S.A.

90 | Women’s Rights, the Quran and Islam

9DivorceDivorce as it is practiced in many traditional Muslim communities(particularly in the Arab world) is one of the worst“bulls of inequity” imaginable. When I was first learning aboutIslam it was a great blessing that I did not know about thesepractices! I had never heard that only the husband can initiatea divorce. Nor had I heard that all he has to do is pronounce thedivorce three times and it is permanent. Nor did I know thatthe husband always takes the children.Though, thank God, these practices are not universal, justthe fact that much of the Muslim world justifies them by sayingthey are God’s laws, would have discouraged me from everreading the Quran. And I know I would never have consideredbecoming a Muslim.Fortunately, all of these practices are cultural rather than Quranic.The Quran strictly regulates divorce. It is not a simple matterof the husband “repudiating” his wife by declaring threetimes that he divorces her. Rather, a long process is involved,with great emphasis placed on conciliation from the very beginning.The following verse shows this:If a woman senses oppression or desertion from her husband,the couple shall try to reconcile their differences,for conciliation is best for them.Selfishness is a human trait....(Quran: The Final Testament 4:128)From this verse several things become clear. First, a husbandshould not oppress nor desert his wife. Then, if the wife feelsthat she is being mistreated, she should speak up, for how elsecan the couple come to the point of reconciling their differences?This means that she must take responsibility for her own feel-91

92 | Women’s Rights, the Quran and Islamings and her own life. She cannot expect her husband to knowwhat she is thinking and feeling.This has always been one of my failings. I expect my husbandto know what I need, without my telling him. When I lookat this realistically I can see how self centered and selfish this is.He has his own life, his own set of concerns and old emotionalwounds to heal. Those are his responsibility. If I need emotionalsupport or different treatment from him, it is my responsibilityto let him know in a non-blaming, loving way. I alsomust make sure that what I need is clear, first of all to myself,and then to him. And I have to realize that he may or may notbe able to meet my need at that very moment.The Hollywood and fairy tale notion of love gives us veryunhealthy expectations. It depicts a world where all one has todo is find the perfect mate, and all other problems disappear.In reality, no one else is going to magically meet our everyneed and make us queen of the universe. Sadly, this culturalfantasy of love is commonly accepted throughout our society.I believe it is one of the main reasons for the frighteningly highrate of divorce. Once that state of unrealistic magic called “beingin love” settles down to a more normal state of real love, peopleoften think that something is wrong with the relationship.If they fell in love with someone incompatible in the first place,they are probably right. But sometimes even if the relationshipis quite good, people end it because they are no longer “in love,”as they understand it.Actually, being in love often has very little to do with loveat all. Think about that sensation. It is a very selfish one. “Ican’t live without him,” is its typical refrain. There is little orno consideration of what is good for him, or yourself for thatmatter. It is an obsessive state. Finally reality sets in and yousee the object of your affection as a normal human being, withall his defects as well as his strengths. He is no longer the knightin shining armor who was going to save you from the drabnessof everyday life.In short, most of us tend to have an unrealistic and selfishview of love and marriage. As we saw in the earlier verse it is

clear that God understands this aspect of our nature very well.When there are problems, He tells us to try to reconcile. Hetells us that we are selfish by nature, and that overcoming thatselfishness is best for us.If things in the marriage actually come to the point whereseparation seems likely, the following verse brings in the family,and arbitration is required:If ye fear a breachBetween them twain,Appoint (two) arbiters,One from his family,And the other from hers;If they wish for peace,God will causeTheir reconciliation....(The Holy Quran IV:35 [4:35])With the family involved, arbitration and counseling will naturallytake place. I had always thought of marriage counselingand arbitration as very modern and enlightened psychologicalapproaches to the problems of a troubled marriage. Actually Istill think that is accurate—the Quran is very modern and enlightened,though it was revealed 1400 years ago.If the conciliation and arbitration do not work, there is a coolingoff period before the divorce takes effect. This is another“new” concept in modern divorce law:For those who takeAn oath for abstentionFrom their wives,A waiting for four monthsIs ordained;If then they return,God is Oft-forgiving,Most Merciful.But if their intentionIs firm for divorce,Divorce | 93

94 | Women’s Rights, the Quran and IslamGod hearethAnd knoweth all things.(The Holy Quran II:226-27 [2:226-27])If the couple decides to go through with the divorce, the womanmust wait three menstrual cycles before she can marry someoneelse. The divorce is not final until after that interim. So, evenafter the four months of cooling off, there is another period ofabout three months before the divorce is final. That leaves plentyof time for the couple to reconsider, plenty of time for themto be sure that they really want to divorce.Unlike the traditions of Islam, the Quran does not say thatonly the man can initiate the divorce. In fact, in the followingverse it is clear that the woman can cause the divorce:If you divorce them before touching them,but after you had set the dowry for them,the compensation shall be half the dowry,unless they voluntarily forfeit their rights,or the party responsible for causing the divorcechooses to forfeit the dowry.To forfeit is closer to righteousness....(Quran: The Final Testament 2:237)Thus, “the party responsible for causing the divorce” can beeither the woman or the man. And either side can choose toforfeit the dowry. Also, Chapter 4 Verse 128, quoted above, commandsthe couple to try to reconcile when a woman “sensesoppression or desertion.” This is then followed by verse 130:If the couple must decide to part,God will provide for each of themfrom His bounties.God is Bounteous, Most Wise.(Quran: The Final Testament 4:130)

Divorce | 95In this verse the first phrase, “If the couple must decide to part,”makes it clear that both the man and the woman are involvedin the decision of whether or not to divorce. Marriage is basicallyan agreement between the husband and the wife with God’ssanction. It only makes sense that either party can end it.There is just one situation where the husband’s wishes dohold sway over those of the wife. That is the situation where awoman is pregnant. If the husband wishes to resume the marriageunder these circumstances, his wishes shall take precedenceover those of the wife, not for his own sake, but for thatof the unborn child:The divorced woman shall wait three menstruations(before marrying another man).It is not lawful for them to concealwhat God creates in their wombs,if they believe in God and the Last Day.(In the case of pregnancy), the husband’s wishes shall supercedethe wife’s wishes, if he wants to remarry her.The women have rights, as well as obligations, equitably.Thus, the man’s wishes prevail (in case of pregnancy).God is Almighty, Most Wise.(Quran: The Final Testament 2:228)Given the major hormonal changes a pregnant woman goesthrough, this provision seems reasonable. There is nothing tosay that the woman cannot initiate a divorce later if she stillfeels she must. However, this provides a stabilizing period forher where her emotional and spiritual being can come back toits normal state after the great demands of pregnancy and givingbirth. It also gives a chance to the whole family to go backto normal before a decision to divorce is made.When divorce does take place, the divorced woman has certainrights. For example, she may stay in the home, or leave itif she wishes:

96 | Women’s Rights, the Quran and IslamIf you divorce the women, once they fulfill their interim(three menstruations), you shall allow them to livein the same home amicably, or let them leave amicably.Do not force them to stay against their will, as a revenge.Anyone who does this wrongs his own soul....(Quran: The Final Testament 2:231)The father may request the mother to continue to nurse achild if the child is under two years old. If she is nursing herdivorced husband’s child, he shall provide for her equitably:Divorced mothers shall nurse their infantstwo full years, if the father so wishes.The father shall provide the mother’s food and clothing equitably.No one shall be burdened beyond his ability.No mother shall be harmed on account of her infant,nor shall the father be harmed because of his infant....If the infant’s parents mutually agree to part,after due consultation, they commit no error by doing so.You commit no error by hiring nursing mothers,so long as you pay them equitably....(Quran: The Final Testament 2:233)This verse is a very important one. It spells out the right ofthe father to request the mother to nurse their child. It makes itclear that neither party shall be harmed in the divorce. It alsomakes it clear that the decision to part is mutually agreed upon“after due consultation.” And it specifies that the father shall providefor the mother.Even when there are not nursing children involved, the wifereceives a fair alimony. The Quran refers first to the provisionfor a widow (also termed alimony), and then immediately afteraddresses the situation of a divorcee:The divorcees also shall be provided for, equitably.This is a duty upon the righteous.(Quran: The Final Testament 2:241)

This shows that alimony is due the wife, whether or not sheis nursing her former husband’s child. Furthermore, if a man hasgiven his wife a great deal, and then wishes to divorce her, hecannot take back anything he gave to her, as these next versesdemonstrate:But if ye decide to takeOne wife in place of another,Even if ye had given the latterA whole treasure for dower,Take not the least bit of it back:Would ye take it by slanderAnd a manifest wrong?And how could ye take itWhen ye have gone inUnto each other, and they haveTaken from you a solemn covenant?(The Holy Quran IV:20-21 [4:20-21])Divorce | 97Please note that Yusuf Ali understood this to refer to thedowry given to the first wife. However, other translations,including Rashad Khalifa’s, do not specify that it need be thedowry. Nothing that was given to the first wife can be takenback.Probably the most painful area of divorce is that of assigningcustody for the children. Among many Muslims it is a foregoneconclusion that the child will go to the father. But theQuran does not specify this. While the father has the right torequest the mother to nurse their baby, the Quran does notspecify which party gets the children. This tells us that each situationshould be decided on its particular circumstances, withthe principle in mind that no one should be harmed on accountof the children (Quran 2:233 quoted above).The only situation that the Quran discusses in this regard isthe case where a woman going through a divorce discovers sheis pregnant. As quoted above, the Quran indicates that thehusband can choose for the marriage to continue (Quran 2:228

98 | Women’s Rights, the Quran and Islamquoted above). However, if the marriage does end in divorce,the Quran does not specify which parent gets the children.Whatever the circumstances of the divorce, God stresses that:“…You shall maintain the amicable relations among you.”(Quran: The Final Testament 2:237 and 65:6)It seems to me that the Bible shows a progression in attitudetoward divorce. In Deuteronomy 24:1-4 a man may give hiswife a writ of divorce if ”he finds something obnoxious about her”(according to The Torah: The Five Books of Moses).In the later book of Malachi divorce is clearly discouraged:For I detest divorce—said the Lord, the God of Israel....(Malachi 2:16 - Tanakh: A New Translation of The Holy ScripturesAccording to the Traditional Hebrew Text, 1985)In Matthew, Jesus explains that Moses allowed divorcebecause of man’s stubbornness, and says that it was not thatway in the beginning. Then he says:I now say to you, whoever divorces his wife (lewd conduct is aseparate case) and marries another commits adultery, and theman who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.(Matthew 19:9 - New American Bible)Jesus also states this teaching earlier in Matthew:“It was also said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her acertificate of divorce.’ But I say to you that anyone who divorceshis wife, except on the ground of unchastity, causes her to commitadultery; and whoever marries a divorced woman commitsadultery.”(Matthew 5:31-32 - New Revised Standard Version Bible)Personally, I have a great aversion to divorce, though it isallowed in the Quran. I believe it is one of the most painfulthings anyone can go through. This pain is not restricted to thehusband and wife. Children suffer terribly in most divorces.

And members of the extended family also suffer. After all, theparents of the wife are losing a “son” and the parents of the husbandare losing a “daughter.” Moreover, grandparents oftenlose easy contact with their grandchildren as the result ofdivorce.If divorce must take place, I can think of no more mercifulway than that specified in the Quran.In summary, marriage is a sacred bond and God stronglyencourages its preservation. Divorce is allowed, but only afterattempts to reconcile and cooling off periods have failed. Ifdivorce does take place, both parties are protected and theirrights safeguarded. Finally, as difficult as it is, divorce shouldbe amicable.Divorce | 99I know of no more poignant or inspiring story relating to divorcethan the following. It clearly demonstrates some of the most painfulaspects of the traditional understanding of divorce, and the strengthof the submitting soul to rise above such pain.“Talaaq, talaaq, talaaq”My family was a victim of the traditional understanding ofdivorce. What happened was out of ignorance. My parents wereboth good people. Had they known what the Quran really meansby divorcing three times, none of the following drama wouldhave happened.My parents were married young. My father, like all men ofhis generation, was raised with the idea that men are superiorto women, and that they, as men, could do whatever they wanted.Women were not educated, and could read only the Quran.But the practice was to read it only for blessing, not for under-

100 | Women’s Rights, the Quran and Islamstanding. To question and examine was not allowed. We are sofortunate to be able to examine the verses and study the Quranto understand it. It is such a blessing. You have no idea what ablessing!My mother went to visit her brother with me, her new twomonthold baby. She had just returned. Every morning my fatherate foul (Egyptian beans) with boiled eggs. This morning, shewas rushed and she gave my father his foul without the eggs.It made him furious. He was so angry that he said she shouldgo back to her brother. And he shouted out the terrible words“Talaaq, talaaq, talaaq” (meaning “I divorce you, I divorce you, Idivorce you”). So, my mother had to leave and go back to herbrother holding me.[Editor’s note: The Quran says you can only divorce twiceand still remarry the same woman. The only exception is if shemarries someone else and her new husband divorces her (Quran2:229). The traditional understanding is that the husband just hasto pronounce the word three times and the divorce is final, andremarriage impossible.]When she told her family what had happened, they said thatthe divorce was final, so she had to stay there. My uncle didnot want to deal with me. When my mother was asleep he tookme from her and gave me to his son and told him to take meback to my father. He was to tell my father that my mother hadsaid “Throw her to him.”When my father heard this lie, he was very angry and didnot want to have anything to do with her. He hired a nursingmother for me. When that woman did not have enough milkfor me, they would take me to other women who could nurseme or give me goat’s milk. Sometimes these women wouldsneak me to my mother, who was almost beside herself. She hadten years of marriage before I was born, so you can imagine howdear I was to her.When she remarried I kept hoping my stepfather woulddivorce her so she could marry my father again. But my fatherhad remarried too. My stepmother was very, very mean to me.

Divorce | 101Sometimes she would cook and then hide the food from me. Somy father divorced her. I was ten years old when he married avery good woman, who gave me a wonderful half brother, MãShã Allah! [Editor’s note: “Mã Shã Allah” can be translated “Thisis what God has given me.”]I was very upset that I could not be with my mother. Thereshe was alive, but I could not be with her. I never got enoughof her, and I think it affected my whole life. But Praise God thatHe gave me my dear brother. And I think the pain I sufferedmade me ask questions. Because of that God guided me to thetruth of following the Quran alone. If I had to do it again I wouldgo through it all, every step without hesitation, to get to whereI am now. Praise God!—I. R., Egypt

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10InheritanceInheritance is another “bull of inequity” with some real meat.Time and again I have heard that a Muslim woman gets halfthe inheritance that the man gets. Now if that is not inequality,I don’t know what is!Yes, the men are supposed to be the bread earners, as wesaw in a previous chapter. And in the culture of most Muslimcountries, a single woman will generally become part of thehousehold of her brother, once her parents have died. But whatabout a single woman in our society? How about a woman whohas sacrificed her own life to provide care for her elderly parents,while her brother had gone off and made a life of his own?Where is the fairness there?I was told this division of the inheritance was a requirement inthe Quran. Sadly, at last I had found proof that the Quran isunfair to women. Or so I thought.Again, I was tricked by my old friend culture. I had justassumed that the way other people understand the verses oninheritance is the only way they can be read. Actually, when Iread the verses in Rashad Khalifa’s translation, I found that theQuran takes care of all of these unfair situations in the followingverse:God decrees a will for the benefit of your children;the male gets twice the share of the female.If the inheritors are only women, more than two,they get two-thirds of what is bequeathed.If only one daughter is left, she gets one-half.The parents of the deceased get one-sixthof the inheritance each,if the deceased has left any children.103

104 | Women’s Rights, the Quran and IslamIf he left no children, and his parentsare the only inheritors,the mother gets one-third.If he has siblings, then the mother gets one-sixth.All this, after fulfilling any willthe deceased has left,and after paying off all debts....(Quran: The Final Testament 4:11-emphasis added)Please note the section of the above verse that I have highlightedin bold. This section shows that the portions assignedare only for the remainder of the estate after a customized willhas been applied and all debts paid. Yusuf Ali translates thesame phrase as “after the payment of legacies” which means basicallythe same thing, but it was not clear to me. It was not untilI read Rashad Khalifa’s translation that I realized that the portionsassigned are only for anything left over after the distributionsspecified in the will or where someone dies intestate(without leaving a will). This fact is emphasized by the versesthat describe the testimony of the witnesses of a will. If the firstset of witnesses is found to be biased others should be found(Quran 5:106-108). If the will were simply a reiteration of 4:11,there would never be any question about the witnesses beingbiased.Perhaps my perceptions about this issue were affected bywhat I had always heard about the Torah. I always understoodthat only men inherited according to the law of Moses. I wasincorrect though. According to Numbers 27:8, if a man diedwithout leaving any sons, his daughters inherited from him.In the society of the time, this probably made sense, since ifthere were brothers and sisters, the sisters were cared for bythe brothers until they married. However, by the time of therevelation of the Quran human society had evolved enoughthat women needed their own share of any inheritance, andindividual situations were taken care of by the personal willleft by the deceased.

Inheritance | 105In fact, the Quran makes it clear that a believer should writea will to fit the circumstances of his or her individual family.So, if circumstances warrant more of the money going to thedaughter(s) than the son(s), there is no reason for that not to bethe case. Again, a will would not be necessary if we were justto follow the divisions given in verse 4:11. However, the Qurantells us specifically to write a will in the following verse:It is decreed that when death approaches, you shall write a willfor the benefit of the parents and relatives, equitably.This is a duty upon the righteous.(Quran: The Final Testament 2:180)God thus tells us that it is a “duty upon the righteous” to writean equitable will. To me this is a clear commandment to takecare of any special circumstances in your situation.There may not be a great deal of money involved in an estate.However, there will be personal belongings. For those who lovedthe deceased, such simple things as clothing, books and otherpersonal belongings can be a great comfort as they grieve fortheir loved one. For example, though it has been many yearssince my mother died, when I am especially missing her, I stillwrap her shawl around my shoulders and feel her closer. Iknow that it is an illusion; my mother is not closer to me. But theties of love go beyond the separation of death, and simple physicalreminders of that love are very comforting.For that reason alone, everyone close to the deceased shouldget some of the inheritance, no matter how small it is. This isexactly what I understand the following verse to say:The men get a share....The women too shall get a share of what the parents andrelatives leave behind. Whether it is a smallor a large inheritance, (the women must get) a definite share.(Quran: The Final Testament 4:7)

106 | Women’s Rights, the Quran and IslamIt makes no difference what our sex. We should all get partof the inheritance when our parents and relatives die. I believethat should be taken into consideration as we write our ownwills.Finally, there is one more aspect of inheritance that I wouldlike to discuss. That is the way that the Quranic laws of inheritancehighlight the mother’s important role.(Please note that the details of how mathematically the divisionof the estate works out are beyond the scope of this discussion.)Because the men are responsible for the women of the family,their share of the inheritance is usually twice that of thewomen, unless a will is left that specifies otherwise. However,that is not the case with one’s parents. The mother gets the sameshare that the father gets if the deceased left children. Let’slook at that part of the verse again:…The parents of the deceased get one-sixth of the inheritanceeach, if the deceased has left any children.If he left no children, and his parents are the only inheritors,the mother gets one-third.If he has siblings, then the mother gets one-sixth.(Quran: The Final Testament 4:11)Thus we see that the understanding that the man always getstwice the inheritance that the woman gets is incorrect. First, thisdivision applies only to what is left after the distribution of a customizedpersonal will. Second, under certain circumstances, themother gets the same inheritance as the father. Still, this is onearea where many people question whether men and womenare equal.Inheritance is not something that we tend to think much about asyounger people. As we get older it becomes more real to us as we facethe fact that our parents will not live forever, and neither will we. The

Inheritance | 107following story shares some of the issues Muslims often face whenmaking their wills.InheritanceWhen I was first reading the Quran I was confused by theverses in Chapter 4 concerning inheritance. I was single andfeeling pressure to write a will that would benefit my brotherand sister and niece and nephew. I read about the male gettingtwice the share of the female, one-sixth going to the parents,children getting one-fourth, two siblings getting one-sixth…. Itmade my head spin! I heard others talking about trying to figureout all the percentages and that it never worked out to onehundred percent. Did that mean God made a mistake, that Hismath was faulty? That certainly didn’t seem logical.Somehow I missed the important phrase tucked into all theverses on inheritance: “All this, after fulfilling any will thedeceased has left.” This was the critical phrase. It didn’t mean Ihad to write a will leaving one-sixth to my parents, or onesixthto my mother since I had siblings, and one-sixth to mybrother and sister with my brother getting twice the share ofmy sister, etc, etc. I could write any will I wanted to, leavewhatever I chose to whomever I chose. God not only gives methat right; He insists on it:It is decreed that when death approaches, you shall write a willfor the benefit of the parents and relatives, equitably. This is aduty upon the righteous.(Quran: The Final Testament 2:180)He tells me it’s my duty to write a will. If I don’t leave a will,or if I don’t designate all of my estate in the will, then it falls onsomeone else to distribute my worldly goods, and God gives aguideline formula to follow in that event.What a relief. Like everything else in Islam, I discoveredthat if something is difficult it’s because we’ve made it so. Godmakes everything easy, and fair. In my case, my parents didn’tneed or want anything from me; they would have been irritatedto have been mentioned in my will. My niece was starting a

108 | Women’s Rights, the Quran and Islamfamily and a farm and had more needs than my nephew. Itwould have been unfair to leave him twice what I left to herjust because he was the male.I thank God for the straightforward, understandable translationof the Quran by Rashad Khalifa which clarifies so manythings, including what should happen to our goods whenwe’ve gone back to God.—Lydia, U. S. A.

11WitnessingThe next issue of inequality, or “bull of inequity” so to speak,has to do with the witnessing of financial transactions. This issue,like that of men being in charge, has a solid Quranic basis, so itwas not something I could just chalk up to cultural interpretation.However, after the input of a number of people, I personallyfeel comfortable that the issue is not one of discriminationagainst women, but rather one of protection in a potentially difficultsituation.The verse that deals with handling financial transactions isthe longest verse in the Quran. I will not quote the entire verse,just enough to give you the sense of its meaning, and the portionswe are concerned with:O you who believe, when you transact a loanfor any period, you shall write it down.....Two men shall serve as witnesses; if not two men,then a man and two women whose testimony is acceptable to all.Thus, if one woman becomes biased, the other will remind her.It is the obligation of the witnesses to testifywhen called upon to do so….(Quran: The Final Testament 2:282)There is no question here. In this case, the testimony of oneman is equivalent to that of two women. The reason for thisunequal treatment is explained in the verse: “Thus, if one womanbecomes biased, the other will remind her.” I have taken part in anumber of discussions about exactly what this may mean. Whyis the possibility of bias on the part of women such a concern?Some have suggested that in cultures where women aremore secluded than in the West, they may be inexperienced inworldly matters. Thus, they might be more prone to bias. Others109

110 | Women’s Rights, the Quran and Islamhave suggested that one of the men involved in the transactionmight try to influence one woman, but it would be more difficultto influence two. The issue of education also has come up.In most of the Muslim world, men are more likely to be formallyeducated than women and therefore their testimony moreacceptable.Rashad Khalifa alludes to what I think is the most importantreason in his footnote for this verse. This has to do with thenature of the relationship between the two sexes:Financial transactions are the ONLY situations where two womenmay substitute for one man as witness. This is to guard against thereal possibility that one witness may marry the other witness, andthus cause her to be biased. It is a recognized fact that women aremore emotionally vulnerable than men.Though some may dispute that women are more emotionallyvulnerable than men, if a male and female witness marrythe woman would be in a very vulnerable position should thehusband knowingly give untruthful testimony. In the UnitedStates, a woman is protected from having to testify against herhusband. That is not true if one is following the Quran. In theverse below, withholding testimony is described as sinful:...Do not withhold any testimonyby concealing what you had witnessed.Anyone who withholds a testimony is sinful at heart....(Quran: The Final Testament 2:283)Thus, if a woman were asked to testify, she would have nochoice but to do so. The Quran also requires the testimony tobe totally truthful:O you who believe, you shall be absolutely equitable,and observe God, when you serve as witnesses,even against yourselves, or your parents, or your relatives....If you deviate or disregard (this commandment),then God is fully Cognizant of everything you do.(Quran: The Final Testament 4:135)

Witnessing | 111The husband, after consulting with his wife, is captain of theship in a marriage, as we discussed in Chapter 6. A man whowill knowingly give untruthful testimony will expect his wifeto back him up, and will probably pressure her to do so. However,if there is another woman he also has to coerce into supportinghis lie, the whole situation is unlikely to arise in thefirst place.In the situation where the man is not married to one of thewomen, he would need to be quite a Don Juan to win the heartsof both of them to the point that they would lie for him, or hewould need to apply a great deal of some other kind of pressure.To be fair, the same situation could arise with one of thewomen deciding to give untruthful testimony. In this situation,the same principle applies, it is much more difficult to coercetwo others into supporting a lie. A woman might use her femininewiles on a man, but they would not work on anotherwoman.Rashad Khalifa’s footnote points out another important fact:this is the only situation where two women substitute for oneman. In all other situations requiring witnesses, the sex of thewitnesses is immaterial. For example, the witnesses to the punishmentof adultery can be male or female (as we saw in Chapter2). Likewise, the witnesses for a divorce agreement or a willcan be either sex, as we saw in Chapters 9 and 10. It is interestingto note that in these cases it is much less likely that anunscrupulous witness could benefit from an untruthful testimony.Given these other examples where men and women are treatedequally as witnesses, the problem cannot be that women areconsidered unreliable witnesses. If two women substituted forone man in all witnessing situations, then we certainly could saythat we were dealing with another “bull of inequity.” Fortunately,that is not the case.I personally have found peace with this verse about witnessing,however it remains an issue for many women.

112 | Women’s Rights, the Quran and IslamThis next story illustrates why the Quran tells us to write downloans. Here, having two women witnesses was not a problem.Making A Loan TransactionI had personal experience with the longest verse in thewhole Quran. That's 2:282. In many Qurans, this single versetakes up the whole page, both in Arabic and in English. It containsmany details, including the statement: “Do not tire ofwriting the details, no matter how long.”I had occasion to loan a friend $125. I knew we should writedown the transaction. I was aware of the verse, but I thoughtwe would get around to it. He promised to pay me back by theend of the month so I wasn’t worried about it. Months went by.We would smile and speak when we saw each other, but henever mentioned the money. And I was embarrassed to. I keptthinking I should get him to write the loan agreement and followthe Quran, but I never did. He moved away about a yearlater and I decided to just write off the loan and chalk it up toexperience.Meanwhile I made another loan. This time I made certainthat the debtor wrote out the details of the transaction. I toldher she could come up whatever terms she wished but we hadto write them down and get them witnessed. We have morewomen than men in our community so we simply followed thepart of the verse that says “…if not two men, then a man and twowomen.” We got the three witnesses to sign. I felt so much betterabout this transaction. I was following the Quran. And shepaid me the agreed upon amount monthly until the loan waspaid off. It was so much easier. Everything was clear cut andstraightforward.And God is so Merciful. About two years later, my friendsent a check for $125.—Anonymous, U. S. A.

12Religious PracticesNow you have a good background in women’s issues andthe Quran. I hope that you realize no matter how things aretraditionally understood, God is not unfair to women in theQuran.I have kept what is probably the most important “bull ofinequity” until this point in our discussion. When I was firstlearning about Islam, I almost did not survive this one. I wastold categorically that I could not pray during my menstrualperiod. Also, I should not fast for Ramadan during my period(a practice we shall discuss in detail later). In fact, I was told Icould not even touch the Quran during my period, much lessread it!!!!For most women of childbearing years, these terrible restrictionson performing the critical practices of Islam mean that theycannot really practice their religion for about one quarter of thetime. And it is much worse for the older women going throughmenopause who are spotting much of the time. The ironic thingis that most women are more emotional and need the calminginfluence of the religious practices even more during their periodsand menopause.Where do these restrictions come from? I was told that thebasis was the following verse, as translated by A. Yusuf Ali:They ask theeConcerning women’s courses [menstrual period].Say: They areA hurt and a pollution:So keep away from womenIn their courses, and do notApproach them until113

114 | Women’s Rights, the Quran and IslamThey are clean.But when they havePurified themselves,Ye may approach themIn any manner, time, or placeOrdained for you by God.For God loves thoseWho turn to Him constantlyAnd He loves thoseWho keep themselves pure and clean.(The Holy Quran II:222 [2:222])I was told that I could not pray, fast, or read the Quran duringmy period, because this verse prohibited it. What do those practiceshave to do with this verse? As we will see, this verse isdealing with the intimate relations between a man and hiswife.Yes, a woman’s period is an inconvenience, and it is messyand must have been a royal pain in the neck before modern“feminine needs” products. However, God was and is fully awareof all of these factors, and He never said “Do not practice yourreligion during your periods.”If you say that this verse refers to more than the intimacybetween spouses, then you must also say that God does notlove any woman who can bear children. This is because He lovesonly “those who keep themselves pure and clean,” and by this definition,no woman who menstruates can keep herself in that state.The verse that follows makes it even clearer that the issue isthe intimate relations between spouses, not a woman’s ability toperform her religious practices.Your wives areAs a tilth unto you;So approach your tilthWhen or how ye will;But do some good actFor your souls beforehand;

Religious Practices | 115And fear God....(The Holy Quran II:223 [2:223])Reading the two verses together makes it very clear that Godis restricting sexual activity during the wife’s menstrual period.To generalize from that and restrict her religious practices is torestrict her spiritual growth, for isn’t that what the practicesare all about?Rashad Khalifa translated these two verses somewhat differently:They ask you about menstruation: say,“It is harmful; you shall avoid sexual intercoursewith the women during menstruation; do not approach themuntil they are rid of it. Once they are rid of it, you mayhave intercourse with them in the manner designed by God.God loves the repenters, and He loves those who are clean.Your women are the bearers of your seed.Thus, you may enjoy this privilege however you like,so long as you maintain righteousness.You shall observe God....(Quran: The Final Testament 2:222-223)To me this translation makes it even clearer that the verseshave to do with sexual intimacy during the wife’s menstrualperiod, not with her ability to perform the religious practicesof Islam. Because this is such an important issue, I willdeal with each of the practices in its own chapter.Perhaps once again the Torah has influenced the understandingof these verses. In Leviticus 15:19-23 it is clear that awoman who is menstruating is considered unclean, and thethings she touches are considered unclean. However, I wouldlike to point out that in Matthew 9:20-22 when a woman witha flow of blood for twelve years touched his hem, Jesus in noway rebuked her for her uncleanliness, but rather praised herfaith, and said that her faith had healed her.

116 | Women’s Rights, the Quran and IslamI am certain that God never intended women to be forbiddenfrom doing the crucial practices of Islam for a major portion oftheir lives. I believe that this is one of the main roots for theoppression of and prejudice against women that has come tobe almost synonymous with Islam in Western understanding.When women are not allowed to perform the most essentialrites of the religion for a large part of their lives, it is no wonderthat there are reputed sayings of the Prophet Muhammadindicating that women are deficient in their religion!Traditional Muslims call these reputed sayings the HadithThis Arabic word is usually translated as “narration,” butthese sayings are universally referred to using the Arabic word“Hadith.” The Hadith is the basis of much of the religious practicefor traditional Muslims. Most Muslims have been taught thatthe Quran is too difficult to understand, and that the Hadith clarifiesit. My experience has been very different, however. TheQuran is very clear and unambiguous. The Hadith I have triedto read have been most confusing, unclear and inconsistent.(Please note that the word ‘Hadith’ can refer to either a collectionof narrations, or an individual narration.)Many individual Hadith contradict others, which is not surprisinggiven that they were not collected and made availableuntil generations after Prophet Muhammad’s death. Until thatpoint they were transmitted orally. The first book of Hadith wasnot available until more than 150 to 250 years after Muhammaddied. Even the experts are uncertain when it was available. Themost respected collector of Hadith, Al-Bukhari, was not evenborn until 194 or 198 AH in the Islamic calendar, ca. 810 AD.Thus, Bukhari could not have even begun his collection until150 to 200 years after Muhammad’s death.When I was a child we used to play a game. We would sitin a circle and one person would whisper something into theear of the person next to him or her. They in turn would whisperit into the ear of their other neighbor. The whispered messagewould go all the way around the circle and the last personwould say it out loud. Then the originator of the message wouldtell everyone what the original message had been. Usually this

Religious Practices | 117original message was greeted with gales of laughter, as almostalways the final message bore little resemblance to the originalone.This game can show how impossibly difficult it is to transmitinformation orally without introducing changes. In just afew minutes the message changed dramatically. The Hadithwent through generations of oral transmission.In spite of the inherent dangers of oral transmission, advocatesof the Hadith even go to the extent of saying that the Hadithabrogates the Quran. That means that if a given Hadith contradictsthe Quran, then the Quran is incorrect. They take the Hadithover the word of God!!!This demonstrates how critically important these sayings havecome to be in the religion of most Muslims.There are an appalling number of the Hadith that denigratewomen. Since traditional Muslims rely so heavily on the Hadithas a source of their religion, is it any wonder that women areconsidered unequal in many Muslim cultures?As an example, here are a few choice Hadith dealing withwomen:Women are naturally, morally and religiously defective. (Bukhari -from Iman, 2 as per A. J. Wensinck, A Handbook of Early MuhammadanTradition, 1960.)Ibn Abbas reported that Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him)said: I had a chance to look into the Paradise and I found that [the]majority of the people was poor and I looked into the Fire and there Ifound the majority constituted by women. (Sahih Muslim - 6597 fromKITAB AL-RIQAQ (THE BOOK OF HEART-MELTING TRADITIONS)as translated by Abdul Hamid Siddiqui [www.iiu.edu.my/deed/hadith]. September, 2001.)Abu Said a-Khudri reported Allah’s Messenger as saying, “the worldis sweet and verdant, and Allah having put you in it in your turnwatches how you act; so fear the world and fear women, for the trialof the Bani Israel had to do with woman.” (Muslim - from Ideal Womanin Islam. by Imran Muhammad [wings.buffalo.edu/sa/muslim/isl/hadith1.html]. September, 2001.)Please note that the first name in the references in parenthesisafter each Hadith is to the collector of that Hadith. So, not

118 | Women’s Rights, the Quran and Islamonly were the Hadith collected generations after the Prophet,they were collected by several people.I believe that the followers of Hadith are very sincere in theirbeliefs. They take the Quranic verses that tell us to follow theProphet to mean that we should follow what those who recordedhis sayings (Hadith) and actions (called Sunna) believed himto have said and done. However, they could not have any firsthand knowledge of this, since none of it was written until generationslater.Indeed the Quran does tell us to follow the Prophet:Say: “If ye do love God,Follow me: God will love youAnd forgive you your sins....Say: “Obey GodAnd His Apostle”:...(The Holy Quran III:31-2 [3:31-2])There are other verses that also tell us to follow the Prophet.And there are many places that God tells us to follow the Quran.Here is one of the most important places:And this is a BookWhich We have revealedAs a blessing: so follow itAnd be righteous, that yeMay receive mercy:....In good timeShall We requite thoseWho turn away from Our Signs,With a dreadful penalty,For their turning away.(The Holy Quran VI:155-7 [6:155-7])From these verses, it seems that it is dangerous not to followthe Quran and disregard it. How can you reconcile this withfollowing the Prophet, as God also commands? Especially ifwhat the Prophet said abrogates, or replaces, the Quran?

Don’t worry, the following verses tell us that the Prophetcould not have given us any other religious teachings besidethe Quran:This is the utterance of an honorable messenger.Not the utterance of a poet; rarely do you believe....A revelation from the Lord of the universe.Had he uttered any other teachings.We would have punished him.We would have stopped the revelations to him.None of you could have helped him.(Quran: The Final Testament 69:40-47)These verses make it very clear to me that to follow theProphet we must follow the Quran. The Quran is the only teachinghe brought; following anything else is dangerous. The nextverse reinforces this thought:Verily, this is My Way,Leading straight: follow it:Follow not (other) paths:They will scatter you aboutFrom His (great) Path:Thus doth He command you,That ye may be righteous.(The Holy Quran VI:153 [6:153])Religious Practices | 119Rashad Khalifa’s translation of this verse makes this principleclearer:This is My path—a straight one. You shall follow it,and do not follow any other paths,lest they divert you from His path.These are His commandments to you, that you may be saved.(Quran: The Final Testament 6:153)To summarize: Chapter 6 Verses 155 to 157 tell us it is importantto follow the Quran. Chapter 69 Verses 40 to 47 tell us thatProphet Muhammad did not bring anything outside of the Qur-

120 | Women’s Rights, the Quran and Islaman that we need to follow. And Chapter 6 verse 153 tells us notto follow any other paths besides the path of the Quran.From all of these verses it is clear to me that we should befollowing only the Quran, not the Hadith. I know that for manyMuslims this is a shocking concept. They have been raisedwith the thought that Hadith is a critical source for Islam. However,there is absolutely no way of certifying any given Hadithas being valid. On the other hand, the Quran tells us that it isthe word of God (please see 4:82 and 17:85 for example).Would you rather take a chance following what the Prophetmight have said, or following what you know God does say? Forme, there is no contest. I’ll stick to the Quran!!!There are several verses that support this point. Here is theone that struck me the most forcefully.These are God’s revelations that we recite to you truthfully.In which Hadith other than Godand His revelations do they believe?(Quran: The Final Testament 45:6 – emphasis added)Please note that for emphasis, Rashad Khalifa chose not totranslate the Arabic word “Hadith,” which is usually translatedas “narration” or “exposition.” To me this verse says very clearlythat we should be following only the Quran, and no other“Hadith.”There is one more critical point that needs to be made here.Muhammad was not the founder of Islam. He was a followerof Abraham as the following verse shows.Then we inspired you (Muhammad)to follow the religion of Abraham....(Quran: The Final Testament 16:123)This shows that Muhammad followed Abraham’s religion.The following verse shows that the religious practices originallycame through Abraham, and Muhammad continued them. In theQuran, Abraham prayed:

“Our Lord, make us submitters to You,and from our descendants let there bea community of submitters to You.Teach us the rites of our religion, and redeem us....(Quran: The Final Testament 2:128)Thus God gave us the practices of our religion through Abraham.And the following verse again shows us that we followAbraham’s religion.And who turns awayFrom the religion of AbrahamBut such as debase their soulsWith folly?...(The Holy Quran II:130 [2:130])Religious Practices | 121Thus, God makes it very clear that Islam is the religion ofAbraham. Abraham was important in the founding of all threemajor monotheistic religions. Judaism and Christianity alsoclaim him. And in both religions we see forms of the originalpractices given to Abraham. For example, the motions shownin the Jewish prayer book match those of Salat (the MuslimContact Prayer) almost exactly. So do those of a priest givingMass. Before doing the Contact Prayer, the worshiper performsa symbolic ablution. Ablution is also a common practice amongthe three religions, and may have been the original basis for theChristian baptism. Charity is another common practice amongthe three religions, as is fasting in some form, and also the conceptof pilgrimage.To me the fact that Muslims are following the religion ofAbraham makes it even clearer that we should be followingonly the Quran as a source of our religion. We do not have anyHadith to follow from Abraham, the founder of our religion.So what does the Quran tell us as women about our religiouspractices? Our next chapters discuss each practice andthe women’s issues related to it.

122 | Women’s Rights, the Quran and IslamThis story is that of a beautiful Muslim from Sweden. When I firstmet her I was amazed that she was Muslim, because I had not thoughtof Sweden as being a country with Muslims. Then I realized that shehad an equal right to be amazed at my being Muslim. The beauty andpower of Islam is not restricted to those whom we expect to be Muslims.God guides those who are destined to be Muslims, no matterwhere they are from.A Journey to FaithAlthough I was curious about the Quran since I was a teenager,and had told myself that I would read it someday, the ideathat I would one day refer to myself as Muslim didn’t oncecross my mind. I simply figured that reading it should be partof every person’s basic education, as so many people in thisworld regarded it as their book of law.My father was a man of travel. His job would take us to differentparts of the world. Visiting him during one of his assignmentsin Asia, I met the man I would marry years later. Littledid I know that marrying this man, and eventually divorcinghim, would be a crucial part of a long journey of me findingmy way to God.I fell in love with him instantly, and was much too youngand inexperienced to be cautious. I had not yet tasted the gruelingconsequences of seriously bad choices to fear life. So whenhe asked me to marry him after six years of seeing each otherbriefly once or twice a year, dreaming, and exchanging youngpromises, I held my breath for a few seconds, then said yes.Hopeful I immigrated to start a new life with him. I was toldI had to convert to Islam before we could get married. I agreed,knowing very little to nothing about the religion. He practicedthe Shahadah with me, the phrase I had to repeat to declare mynew faith, and he groomed me into answering piously and cor-

Religious Practices | 123rectly to questions I might have to answer. I was also told thatI had to take on a Muslim name. He chose two for me. I wasamused and excited at the same time, but didn’t take any of itreally seriously. After all, we both knew it was all done so thatwe could get married.Gathered in the room for the conversion was my father whohad flown in for our engagement, several witnesses, and anAustralian lady convert, who was assigned the job of guidingme through the conversion process. There was also my husbandto-be,watching anxiously from a corner of the room. I was notin any way prepared for the emotional storm I was about toexperience that day. As I started uttering the words we’d beenpracticing together, “Ashadu An La Elaaha Ella Allah…“ somethingunexpectedly happened. A powerful feeling completelyoverwhelmed me, and my eyes were flooded with tears. AfterwardsI tried to make sense of what had happened. Was itbecause converting was such a profound expression of love formy husband? Something told me that this was not the case.After this experience I found myself occasionally chantingthe only ‘local’ Godly words I knew—the call for prayers. I wouldsing, cry, and talk to God during private moments. AlthoughI’d always believed in a higher intelligence and a purpose forall that is, I was still surprised at my new activities.Eventually, preparations for the official marriage ceremonywere under way. Everything was arranged, guests were invited,and gifts arrived. One gift was a videotape. I was told “astranger in the street” had given it to us. It was only a coupleof months later however, when my brother in law decided tohand it over, that I finally watched it. On the tape was an eloquentman called Ahmed Deedat talking to people about theQuran. He spoke some about Jesus, which kind of surprisedme since I did not know that Jesus was mentioned in theQuran. Wasn’t the Quran all about Muhammad? He also mentioneda new mathematical finding in the Quran, based on thenumber 19. I started asking people around me for more informationabout this, but to my great surprise, nobody could tellme anything.

124 | Women’s Rights, the Quran and IslamI was sent to take lessons on how to pray and read Arabic.The Australian lady, my tutor, helped me buy my first Quran,in English. I never got down to reading it, however, as I wastold that I couldn’t open it if I hadn’t washed in a certain way,uttering certain Arabic words. As I opened it and turned thepages, it had to be with my right hand, saying some more Arabicwords. Finally I was told that I could not open it during someother specific circumstances, during menstruation being one ofthem. Reading the Quran was hard (I thought then). Coveredfrom head to toe I tried to follow her instructions on how to positionmyself for the prayer. It felt like a very solemn moment,and I was enjoying the effort. But sitting in that peculiar position,with my toes bent in a certain way touching the floor, wasmuch too painful, physically, to go through with it. Prayingwas really hard (I thought then).Soon my tutor and I were becoming friends, and much moreinformal with each other. When realizing how non-religious thefamily I lived with really was, she said that she could not seeme staying with them for very long. I was surprised at her candor,and didn’t quite know what to make of her statement, asI didn’t see myself as a religious person. She seemed to see somethingelse however, long before I would.The marriage did not last long. Mercifully, God allowed meto return to my homeland with my newborn son. The first apartmentwe rented upon our return, turned out to be sitting righton top of a small mosque. After settling in I decided to knockon their door to ask for information about number 19 in theQuran. They all looked puzzled, and I was starting to think thatI would never find more information about it. Two years laterhowever, as I was starting to forget all about the Quran and itscode, my mother called to invite me to meet a new neighborclaiming to be Muslim. She made a point of telling me that shedidn’t cover her hair. After being briefly introduced I was quitetaken aback when one of the first questions she asked me was:“Have you heard about the number 19?”She gave me a translation of the Quran containing informationabout the code 19 the same day. That day my life changed.

Religious Practices | 125That day I realized that the Quran was the word of God, and Idecided to become a Muslim, in my heart. Years after that brieffirst encounter when uttering those words to convert, I was againfeeling my soul. Giving in to its needs, it was now crying of joy,shivering with life, and in need of care.During the months that followed I remember not wanting tosleep, spending most nights reading this wonderful scripture—the Quran. It was truly an awakening and healing experience.I found answers to questions I’d always had, and answers toquestions I didn’t even know I had, and I was feeling whole forthe first time in my life. Although it was all new and somewhatstrange, it was the most natural thing in the world for me. Everythinglooked different in my eyes, still everything was the same.Almost twelve years have passed since the day I decided tosubmit to God, the Lord of the Universe, and it still feels likemy journey has just begun. It has turned out to be quite a lonelypath, filled with lovely company. Lonely in the sense that, aswe are born into this world and as we leave, is how we travelin our spiritual journeys, as individuals.—Swedish Muslim

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13Shahada — Bearing WitnessTraditionally, to become a Muslim you go through a ceremonywhere you bear witness that there is only the One God.This bearing witness is known in Arabic as “Shahada,” and theceremony is often called declaring or taking your Shahada.Every book I have ever read about Islam talks about this asthe first of five Pillars of Islam. Where this concept of pillarscomes from, I am not certain. However, for me this experiencewas more of a “bull of inequity” than a pillar.When I was supposed to take my Shahada, of course I startedmy period. And because my periods were irregular, I wasspotting on and off a great deal. Trying to find a time that I could“become a Muslim” was almost impossible. At last, my hormonescooperated and I “officially” became a Muslim.The ceremony was simple, but the preparations were horrendous.My friend who was guiding me through the processhad given me book after book of Islamic materials to study.Most of them had been printed in Pakistan. They were clearlywritten by people whose first language was not English andthey were printed on paper that often bled from one side of thepage to the other. Needless to say, they were very difficult forme to make out, so I did not really get too much from them.However, now I think that was a blessing. I’m afraid that if Ihad really read and understood them, I probably would havebeen frightened away from becoming Muslim. The Islam theytaught was full of complex rules and regulations, especially forwomen. I don’t know that there was much, if anything, fromthe Quran in a single one of them.As I said, the ceremony was simple. My friend said therequired words in Arabic, and I struggled to repeat them. Afterwardswe had a wonderful dinner that he and some of his127

128 | Women’s Rights, the Quran and IslamAfghani friends had prepared. Everyone was very kind andcomplimentary.My friend had gone to a great deal of trouble to try to educateme properly about Islam, and to make my becoming aMuslim a special occasion. It was very kind of him, and I amgrateful. However, my understanding has changed. As I haveread the Quran and come to realize that God is the only onewho guides us, I have come to the conclusion that being a Muslimis a matter between you and Him alone. Becoming a Muslimrequires no ceremony; it is something that happens in yourheart.We had to keep postponing my taking of the Shahada becauseI was spotting. However, having God guide your heart does notrequire your body to be in any particular state. What if youwanted to become Muslim and were always spotting? WouldGod refuse you because your body was doing what He haddesigned it to do?If you had an oozing wound, that would be no impedimentfrom going through the Shahada ceremony, though that is certainlyas “impure” as a woman’s period. If a true physical impuritydoes not make you unacceptable as a new Muslim, whyshould a completely natural bodily process?Most Muslims believe that as part of the Shahada, they mustalso declare that Muhammad was God’s messenger. Clearly,all Muslims believe that Muhammad was God’s messenger.However, there is a growing recognition that the Quran forbidsmaking any distinction among the prophets and messengers.This is demonstrated in the following verse (and severalother verses). Adding just Muhammad’s name in the Shahada,and not the names of all those sent by God, is making such adistinction:...Each one (of them) believethIn God, His angels,His books, and His apostles.“We make no distinction (they say)Between one and another

Of His apostles.”...(The Holy Quran II:285 [2:285])Shahada - Bearing Witness | 129Yusuf Ali uses the word “apostles” in his translation of thisverse. Rashad Khalifa translates it with the word “messengers.”In either case, it is clear that we should not be making adistinction among those whom God sent.In fact, not only should we not be making a distinction, Godtells us that He decreed the same religion for all of the messengersand prophets:He decreed for you the same religion decreed for Noah,and what we inspired to you,and what we decreed for Abraham, Moses, and Jesus:“You shall uphold this one religion, and do not divide it.”...He guides to Himself only those who totally submit.(Quran: The Final Testament 42:13)Thus, God decreed just one religion, submission to Him alone.I believe that all of those who do submit to God alone form onecongregation, no matter what they call themselves.If there is just one congregation among those of different religions,then surely there should be just one congregation amongthose who follow the Quran. The verse immediately followingthe one above condemns breaking up into sects. However, there isa verse that is more straightforward and so I quote it here:Those who divide themselves into sects do not belong with you....(Quran: The Final Testament 6:159)Muslims should not be dividing themselves into Sunni orShia or any other sects. We should be one congregation with allother Submitters to God alone.In that ceremony long ago, I was told I was becoming a SunniMuslim. I did not know enough to object. I also added Muhammad’sname as I repeated the Shahada, but I would not do sonow. I would not want to take the chance that God would be dis-

130 | Women’s Rights, the Quran and Islampleased with me for making a distinction among His messengers.In fact, there is nothing in the Quran indicating that such aceremony should be performed. The Quran does speak of aShahada in the following verse.God bears witness that there is no god except He,and so do the angels and those who possess knowledge.Truthfully and equitably, He is the absolute god;there is no god but He, the Almighty, Most Wise.(Quran: The Final Testament 3:18)Thus the Shahada of God, the angels and those who possessknowledge is to bear witness that there is no god except God.There is no mention of any other being. God alone suffices.Surely if this is God’s own Shahada, it is the only one we shouldbe using!This Shahada is the same as the Jewish Shema, the first portionof which is:“Hear, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. You shalllove the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul,and with all your might.”(Deuteronomy 6:4-5 — The Torah: The Five Books of Moses)This is what Jesus called, “the greatest and first commandment”(New American Bible, Matthew 22:36-38).We have already heard part of Lory’s story at the end of Chapter7. Here is the story of how she became a Muslim.Becoming Muslim in Traditional IslamGod Most Gracious, Most Merciful, blessed me to read theQuran in December, 1978. I had been raised as a Roman Catholic

and knew almost nothing about Islam. By God’s mercy, I recognizedthe Quran and His divine truth. I realized I had beena Muslim (submitter) much of my life without knowing it. I waseager to begin the worship practices God had decreed in theQuran. I had been given an instruction booklet on the Muslimcontact prayers from an acquaintance and had learned how topray, but I didn’t know where to go for the Friday Prayer.I looked in the San Francisco telephone directory under“Islam.” After a humorous conversation with a kindly secretaryfrom the Shriners organization, I made contact with a gentlemanfrom the San Francisco Islamic Center. When he recoveredfrom his shock that an American woman had acceptedIslam because she had read the Quran and not because a husbandor fiancé had required her to do so, he explained that I musttake the Shahada (a ceremonial witnessing that only God is God).Within a few days I met him at the Islamic Center and proceededto take the Shahada. When I asked about attending the FridayPrayer, he and the other brother who had witnessed myShahada began to discourage me. They told me that attendingthe Friday Prayer was not mandatory for women. This confusedme because I had just read Chapter 62 [62:9] in the Quranenjoining those who believe to attend the Friday Prayer. It didnot say only believing men were to attend. I was told that therewas a Hadith (sayings of the Prophet Muhammad) which saidthat because women’s work was holy she was exempt from leavingher home to go to the mosque. I had never heard the word“Hadith” before. It was the first time, but unfortunately, it wasnot to be the last.—Lory, U.S.A.Shahada - Bearing Witness | 131

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14Salat — Contact PrayerThe Contact Prayer, or Salat, is known as the second pillarof Islam. It is a beautiful gift to us from God. It is the best meansin my experience of keeping God foremost in your thoughtsand your life.Ever since I can remember prayer has been special for me.Probably my first truly spiritual experience was when I was prayingat about the age of eight.I grew up next to a wash. It was called a river, but only hadwater in it after a heavy summer storm or when the snows onthe nearby mountains were melting. Most of the time it waslike a huge sand box for the neighborhood children to play in.When I was out of school I practically lived in this wash. It wasmy special refuge when I was upset.The day I am remembering was one of those upset times. Ido not remember what had happened, but I do remember sittingin the warm sand sobbing my heart out, praying to God,and wishing that I could be like the little lizard a few feet awaywho was the only other breathing creature in sight. Suddenlya deep peace descended upon me and I felt God’s healing presenceengulf me.I recognized that feeling immediately when I began to dothe Contact Prayers. It was as if my soul were being wateredagain after a long drought.But the traditional understanding of a woman’s ability toperform this most important practice was a major “bull of inequity”for me.The Contact prayer is an obligatory practice, which everyMuslim should perform within five specific periods of the day.Even in times of war, when attack could be imminent, Muslimsare commanded to pray (Quran 4:103-4). God provides for situationswhen the prayer cannot be done in its normal manner,then it can be done while walking or riding (Quran 2:239). He133

134 | Women’s Rights, the Quran and Islammakes the religion easy for us, and wishes for us convenience,not difficulty (Quran 5:6).But I was told I could not perform the Contact Prayer whenI was menstruating, because I was not clean. Unhappily I acceptedthis indignity, not knowing what else to do. However, thisedict kept a friend of mine from becoming Muslim. She simplywould not accept that she could not pray during the time of themonth when she needed it the most.Like the situation discussed in Chapter 12, the problem hereseems to lie with a misinterpretation of the Quranic verse forbiddingintimate relations between spouses during the wife’smenstrual period.In vain I looked for verses in the Quran that told me not topray. Instead I found verse after verse telling me just the opposite,and making it very clear that I must pray regularly. Hereis one such verse....EstablishRegular Prayer: for PrayerRestrains from shamefulAnd unjust deeds;And remembrance of GodIs the greatest (thing in life)....(The Holy Quran XXIX:45 [29:45])Here I am commanded to establish regular prayer. And I’mtold that the prayer restrains me from doing wrong. Am I notas much in need of this restraint when I am menstruating? Andmore importantly, how regular would my prayer be if I did notpray for one week out of four?The believers are described as praying regularly:And they observetheir Contact Prayers (Salat) regularly.(Quran: The Final Testament 23:9)

Perhaps one might argue that this just applies to men. However,the following verse makes it clear that this argument isincorrect.The Believers, menAnd women, are protectors,One of another: they enjoinWhat is just, and forbidWhat is evil: they observeRegular prayers....(The Holy Quran IX:71 [9:71])Salat - Contact Prayer | 135Both men and women must pray regularly. This makes sensenot only on an individual level, for each woman’s soul, but alsoin the society. Since the mother almost always takes care of thechildren while they are very young and the most impressionable,her regular prayer is a critical modeling for future generations.It would be most confusing for young ones if sometimes sheprayed and sometimes she did not.Then I found the following series of verses. To me they makeit clear I should not follow the wishes of someone telling me notto pray.Have you seen the one who enjoins. Others from praying?Is it not better for him to follow the guidance?Or advocate righteousness?...You shall not obey him; you shall fall prostrate and draw nearer.(Quran: The Final Testament 96:9-19)For those of you who are not familiar with the Contact Prayers,or Salat in Arabic, let me try to describe them.They are a practice that was originally given to the prophetAbraham. I have already noted the similarity of their motionswith those in the Jewish prayer and with the motions of apriest performing the mass. The Contact Prayers consist of five

136 | Women’s Rights, the Quran and Islamprayers said within specific time frames. The first is said duringthe dawn before the sun rises, the second a little after noon,the third later in the afternoon, the fourth after sunset before itis dark and the fifth after it is dark. Sometimes Muslims combineprayers, but it is my understanding from the followingverse that they should always be said within these specificranges of time....When ye are freeFrom danger, set upRegular Prayers:For such prayersAre enjoined on BelieversAt stated times.(The Holy Quran IV:103 [4:103])Thus, the prayers should be done “at stated times,” and notcombined.Each prayer consists of a set number of units: the dawn hastwo, the noon has four, the afternoon has four, the sunset hasthree and the night has four.Each unit begins in the standing position with the recitationin Arabic of the very short first chapter of the Quran (quotedbelow). Then you bow and repeat an Arabic phrase or one inyour own language glorifying God. Then you go into prostration,and again repeat another phrase glorifying God. If this isan odd numbered unit, you will stand up again. If it is evennumbered, you will repeat the Shahada, bearing witness thatonly God is God and that He has no partners. As you movefrom position to position you say “Allahu Akbar ” or “God isgreat.”Many have asked why the Contact Prayer must be said inArabic. My honest answer is that I believe it is better to do it inEnglish, or your native tongue, rather than not do it at all. However,from my own experience I believe that at least the shortfirst chapter should eventually be done in Arabic. I have triedboth. There were a number of months that I did it all in English.When I went back to my pitiful Arabic, there was a differ-

ence somehow. Perhaps it is that, especially in the case of thefirst chapter of the Quran, you are speaking God’s words asthey were revealed. It is not a translation, or an interpretation,but God’s actual words.I’ve also heard it said that the actual sounds of Arabic act asa combination to open the contact with God, like the combinationof a safe. Whatever the reason, as I mentioned above, therewas a distinct difference for me, a deepening in the prayer ofsorts. I’m not sure how else to describe it. Perhaps you have feltit yourself.Here is the English translation of that first chapter of the Quran,known variously as the Opener or the Key, or Al-Fatehah inArabic.In the name of God, Most Gracious, Most MercifulPraise be to God, Lord of the universe.Most Gracious, Most Merciful.Master of the Day of Judgment.You alone we worship; You alone we ask for help.Guide us in the right path;the path of those whom You blessed;not of those who have deserved wrath,nor of the strayers.(Quran: The Final Testament 1:1-7)Most Muslims recite other portions of the Quran besides thefirst chapter in some of their units. I am not comfortable doingso because to me the Contact Prayer is direct contact with myCreator. I feel like I am addressing Him directly, and most ofthe Quran is addressed to us, not to Him. It doesn’t feel rightto address God and then recite something totally disconnected,like a verse about Moses and Pharaoh. Also, recitation of anyverses that address anyone other than God breaks the commandmentin the following verse.“And the places of worshipAre for God (alone):Salat - Contact Prayer | 137

138 | Women’s Rights, the Quran and IslamSo invoke not any oneAlong with God;(The Holy Quran LXXII:18 [72:18])So you certainly do not want to recite any verses that addressanyone other than your Creator in the Contact Prayer.In the sitting position many Muslims pray for the families ofMuhammad and Abraham. However, this practice is like addingthe name of Muhammad to the Shahada, as mentioned in the lastchapter. It makes a distinction among God’s messengers, and Iam not comfortable doing so. Besides, we know from the followingthat our prayers will not help them....Every soul draws the meedof its acts on noneBut itself: no bearerOf burdens can bearThe burden of another….(The Holy Quran VI:164 [6:164])Not only will our prayer not help them, but praying for thefamilies of Muhammad and Abraham means that you are prayingfor Abraham’s father who threatened to kill him and Muhammad’suncle Abee Lahab who was the leader of the oppositionagainst the early Muslims. For Muslims this is an issue becausewe are told not to pray at the grave of those who would notfight in God’s cause (see Quran 9:83-4). Thus it only makessense not to pray for the dead who fought against His cause.Before the contact prayer is begun, you perform a symbolicablution, washing your face, arms to the elbows, wiping yourhead and washing your feet to the ankles. (See Quran 5:6.) Ifthere is no water available, or you are ill, you can perform thedry ablution as described in the following.O you who believe, do not observe the Contact Prayers (Salat)while intoxicated, so that you know what you are saying.Nor after sexual orgasm without bathing, unless you areon the road, traveling; if you are ill or traveling,

or you had urinary or fecal-related excretion(such as gas), or contacted the women (sexually)and you cannot find water, you shall observe Tayammum(dry ablution) by touching clean dry soil,then wiping your faces and hands therewith....(Quran: The Final Testament 4:43)Note that the first part of this verse is the only place whereGod gives us conditions for not praying. That is only if we areintoxicated, which we never should be if we are following theQuranic injunctions against intoxicants (see Quran 2:219 and5:90).Please also notice that this verse describes what things nullifythe ritual purity needed for prayer. It also indicates that ifyou are ill you should still pray but you can do the dry ablutionrather than washing.This verse thus answers the final argument I was given forwhy I could not pray during my period. I was told that at thistime it was like I was ill, and God was making it easy for meby allowing me to skip my prayer. This verse indicates that Ishould be praying even if I am ill.To me there is nothing in the whole Quran that indicates Ishould not be praying during my period. On the contrary, thereare many verses that indicate I must pray regularly. Also, theabove verses have shown that we should pray when we are ill,if we are afraid we will be attacked during times of war, evenif we must do it while walking or riding. It seems to me thatthere is never any reason not to do our Contact Prayers.Salat - Contact Prayer | 139There is one other issue for women related to the ContactPrayers, and that has to do with the congregational prayer onFridays, known as the Salat Al-Jumu’ah, or just Jumu’ah, or theFriday Prayer. In many parts of the Muslim world women arenot welcome in the mosque and do not attend the Friday con-

140 | Women’s Rights, the Quran and Islamgregational prayer. A large portion of my friends had never goneto the Friday Prayer, even though they were born and raised tobe Muslim women.However, the following verse tells all believers to participatein this weekly event.O ye who believe!When the call is proclaimedTo prayer on Friday(The Day of Assembly),Hasten earnestly to the RemembranceOf God,...(The Holy Quran LXII:9 [62:9])All believers, not just men, should follow this commandmentto “Hasten earnestly to the Remembrance of God.”In our community the Friday Prayer is a wonderful time. Itis the one time in the week that the entire community is together.The services are kept short so that those who are coming fromwork do not have to take much, if any, extra time for their lunchbreak. But those who can, stay after the prayer to visit a bit.A different brother leads the prayer each week, giving twoshort talks, known as khutbahs. These talks are given on Quranictopics or topics of community concern with examples fromthe Quran. They substitute for two of the units of the noon Salat(Contact Prayer). Between the talks, we turn to God in silentrepentance. After the second talk the brother leads two units ofSalat.If you are Muslim and find yourself alone or in a communitywhere you are not welcome in the mosque for the Jumu’ahprayer, please consider starting one yourself. All you need isone other person to follow this important commandment ofGod. You can rotate giving the khutbahs, just reading from theQuran to each other, if nothing else. Who knows, you may finda community growing. Many of my friends have found justthat.

Salat - Contact Prayer | 141In our community we get together again on Friday eveningsfor a Quran study lead by one of the sisters. (Of course anyonecan lead a Quran study. We have just chosen to give the sistersa chance on Friday nights to lead the study in rotation, like thebrothers who do the khutbahs in rotation at noon.)Most people come for both the Friday Prayer and the Quranstudy. So Friday is a wonderful community day for us, and myfavorite day of the week.[Editorial note: For additional information on the ContactPrayers and their origin, please see Direct Contact by IhsanRamadan with Lisa Spray, BSM Press, 2002.]The following story tells of the birth of a community. ThoughPatty and her husband began the Friday Prayers with just the two ofthem and a few others, it was not that long before I was able to attenda Friday Prayer in their home where there was barely room for us allto do the prayer!Once You StartAbout 12 years ago, my brother introduced to us the mathematicalmiracle of the Quran. When my husband and I examinedthe mathematical miracle of the Quran, it was so awesomeand showed us without a doubt that the Quran must be theword of God. [Editorial note: Please see Chapter 18 and Appendix3 for more information on the mathematical encoding ofthe Quran.] We began to read the Quran’s translation to seewhat was really written in this book. Certainly we didn’t findany of the cruel and inhumane rules that some governmentswere enforcing as Islamic Law in the Quran. What we foundinstead was guidance, light, encouragement and a religion andphilosophy that promoted only peace and love. I also found

142 | Women’s Rights, the Quran and Islamthe answer to a question that I had for a long time, “If there isonly one God then why are there so many religions?” I realizedthat all of the monotheist religions are the same and God commandedthe Prophet Mohammed to follow the religion ofAbraham. I also learned that God commands us not to acceptany information unless we as individuals verify it. This is socrucial to our daily lives. Many crimes, punishments andkillings in the name of religion could have been stopped ifpeople would have verified the information they were hearing.My husband and I were completely overwhelmed by whatwe read in the Quran. We realized for ourselves that what wasbeing practiced in many Muslim countries and communities isnot even similar to the teachings that are given in the Quran.When we first really learned about the Quran, we had theQuran with us everywhere we went. When one of us was driving,the other was reading the Quran out loud. We were soexcited that we wanted to do our religious obligations as soonas possible. We started praying 5 times a day and giving ourZakat [obligatory charity]. We also learned from the Quran thatwe had to do our Friday group prayers at noon. We would tryto go to the mosque in another town to do our group prayerswhenever we could. However, some Fridays we could not makeit and we were very sad. Fortunately we found out that as longas there are as few as two people, one giving the Khotbeh [khutbah],and one listening, the Friday Prayer can be observed.Locally, my husband and I started doing the Friday Prayerswith two friends and a co-worker instead of driving all theway to the other town. Soon, our group grew and we had theFriday Prayers in our house. Even at night we would haveQuranic studies, where anyone interested in learning about theQuran could gather, read, and discuss verses from the Quranwith others. Today, I always look forward to Fridays so I canlearn more and more about God’s commandments and how toapply them to my daily life.—Patty, Iran

15Zakat — Obligatory CharityFortunately, there are no “bulls of inequity” involved with theZakat, or obligatory charity. However, this third pillar of Islamis so critical, that it is worth a short discussion.The following verse contains God’s response to the prayerof Moses when he took seventy men to the place he met withHim, and they “were seized with violent quaking.”...He said: “With My PunishmentI visit whom I will;But My Mercy extendethTo all things. That (Mercy)I shall ordain for thoseWho do right, and practiseRegular charity....(The Holy Quran VII:156 [7:156])From this verse it is clear that giving the obligatory charityis critical, for it is one of the requirements for God’s mercy!Since it is so important, what else does God tell us in the Quranabout the obligatory charity? He tells us that it must be givenon the “day that the harvest is gathered.”...Eat of their fruitIn their season, but renderThe dues that are properOn the day that the harvestIs gathered....(The Holy Quran VI:141 [6:141])Thus, we must “render the dues that are proper on the day thatthe harvest is gathered.” That means that the obligatory charity143

144 | Women’s Rights, the Quran and Islam(dues that are proper) must be given on the day of harvest. RashadKhalifa translates this a bit more clearly as “give the due alms onthe day of harvest” (Quran: The Final Testament 6:141). For thoseof us who do not farm that would be when the money comesin… or when we “harvest” our paychecks.Yet, when I first was becoming a Muslim, I was told that Ineeded to give the obligatory charity only once a year, and thenjust on my savings. God’s command is to give it “on the day thatthe harvest is gathered.” Since God made giving the obligatorycharity a requirement for receiving His mercy, I want to give itevery time I receive income!!!How much do we give? From the time of Abraham, theamount has been set at two and a half percent of our net (incomeafter taxes). This is a very small amount, but when it is givenregularly, it can make a great deal of difference to both theindividuals who receive it and to society as a whole.Who receives it? God makes it very clear that it should go toneedy family members first, then the other categories listed inthis next verse:They ask you about giving: say, “The charity you give shall go tothe parents, the relatives, the orphans, the poor,and the traveling alien.”...(Quran: The Final Testament 2:215)In Deuteronomy 26:11-12 the Torah describes a form oftithing which is very similar to the Quran’s obligatory charity,though it was required only every third year. And after describingthe poor behavior of many when fasting, Isaiah gives us thefollowing:No, this is the fast I desire:To unlock fetters of wickedness....To let the oppressed go free...It is to share your bread with the hungry,And to take wretched poor into your home;When you see the naked, to clothe him,

And not to ignore your own kin.(Isaiah 58:6-7 - Tanakh: A New Translation...)Charity is encouraged in both the Torah and the Gospels, andmany Jews and Christians are very, very charitable. Godrequires Muslims to give so little, and He rewards us so much.He also encourages us to give other charity besides the obligatorycharity, and He encourages anonymous charity, as statedin these next verses:...If ye disclose (actsOf) charity, even soIt is well,But if ye conceal them,And make them reachThose (really) in need,That is best for you:It will remove from youSome of your (stainsOf) evil....(The Holy Quran II:270-1 [2:270-1])So it is best to give anonymously. Thus the charity remitsyour sins. Like the Quran, Jesus taught that charity is bestwhen done secretly (see Matthew 6:1-4).However, though it is good to give to charity, the Quranteaches that it is dangerous to be excessive, as these next versestell us:And render to the kindredTheir due rights, as (also)To those in want,And to the wayfarer:But squander not (your wealth)In the manner of a spendthrift.Verily spendthrifts are brothersOf the Evil Ones;And the Evil OneZakat - Obligatory Charity | 145

146 | Women’s Rights, the Quran and IslamIs to his Lord (Himself)Ungrateful.(The Holy Quran XVII:26-7 [17:26-7])Moderate charity, both obligatory and voluntary, is an importantpart of our religion, for women as well as men. And it is arequirement for us to attain God’s mercy.The following story is that of a very charitable sister who wishesto remain anonymous.Charity: Who Benefits?You cannot attain righteousness until you give to charity fromthe possessions you love. Whatever you give to charity, God isfully aware thereof.(Quran: The Final Testament 3:92)My personal experience has been that when I give charity, Ireceive much more than I give. There are immediate and verystrong positive feelings. It always makes me feel good. I grewup with a sense that people who need charity are deadbeats,lazy and undeserving. God has caused me to see how untrueand unfair that attitude is. He makes it clear that charity is theright of those who receive it; they are entitled to it. When I givecharity, I am simply the instrument through which the moneypasses to its rightful owner.I try to give anonymously as much as possible; it’s better forme and easier for the recipient. But sometimes you get to seethe results, how it has helped someone. A few years ago, a sisterslipped a ten-dollar bill into the purse of another sister whowas pregnant and the mother of two. She found the money andexclaimed, “This is perfect! I can get the sweater I really wanted.”It made everyone smile.

Zakat - Obligatory Charity | 147I have also found that God often compensates me in a realsense as well. Frequently right after I’ve given zakat, a checkwill come in the mail, something I wasn’t expecting. It remindsme that God is in charge, and if I think I don’t have enough tospare, it reminds me that God has more than enough.—A submitter who knows:Any charity you give is for your own good.Any charity you give shall be for the sake of God.Any charity you give will be repaid to you, without the leastinjustice.(Quran: The Final Testament 2:272)

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16Ramadan — The Month of FastingFasting during the Islamic month of Ramadan is known asthe fourth pillar of Islam. I fasted during Ramadan even beforeI became Muslim. I loved the way that my stomach growlingand realizing that I was thirsty made me think of God.I was quite upset when I was told that I could not fast on thedays that I had my period…. Yes, it was another “bull of inequity.”They tried to placate me by telling me that it was like I wassick, and God was making it easier for me. But my male friendswere fasting even when they had colds. There was no equalitythere.Eventually I found out that the Quran does not restrict womenfrom fasting at any time during Ramadan.For those of you who are unfamiliar with the practice, Ramadanis one of the lunar months of the Islamic calendar. Duringthis lunar month, Muslims do not eat or drink from the earliestlight of dawn until sunset. As you can imagine, the evening mealis usually quite festive.Here is the major Quranic passage on fasting.O you who believe, fasting is decreed for you, as it was decreedfor those before you, that you may attain salvation.Specific days (are designated for fasting);if one is ill or traveling, an equal number of other daysmay be substituted. Those who can fast, but with great difficulty,may substitute feeding one poor person for each day of breakingthe fast. If one volunteers (more righteous works), it is better.But fasting is the best for you, if you only knew.Ramadan is the month during which the Quran was revealed,providing guidance for the people,149

150 | Women’s Rights, the Quran and Islamclear teachings, and the statute book.Those of you who witness this month shall fast therein.Those who are ill or traveling may substitute the same numberof other days. God wishes for you convenience, not hardship,that you may fulfill your obligations, and to glorify Godfor guiding you, and to express your appreciation.(Quran: The Final Testament 2:183-5)Though it may sound strange, God makes it easy to fast. Thereis something that happens during Ramadan that is inexplicableexcept to say that God makes it possible. We see in theseverses that if you are ill or traveling, or if it really is a hardshipto fast, you may feed the poor instead. “But fasting is the best foryou, if you only knew.” Thus, even if you say that a woman whois menstruating is “ill,” it is still better for her to fast.There are situations where fasting is not a good idea, so Godgives a way to substitute righteous work for fasting. However,for most natural situations, like menstruation and even pregnancy,fasting is not a problem if you are careful to eat and drinkenough during the night. Many of my friends have fasted duringtheir pregnancies, and none with adverse effects. Of coursethey were in consultation with their obstetricians. In situationsdeemed unsafe, they have not fasted.Fasting during Ramadan is a Muslim practice that shouldnever be denied to women just because their bodies are doingwhat God has designed them to do.Fasting is another religious practice that Christians, Jewsand Muslims have in common. The Day of Atonement is a dayof fasting for Jews, and many Christians have practices of fasting.Lent may well be derived from the original fasting practicegiven to Abraham. In both the Jewish scripture and theGospels we are given directions on the proper attitude for fasting.Isaiah shows us how not to fast:...on your fast dayYou see to your business

Ramadan - The Month of Fasting | 151And oppress all your laborers!...you fast in strife and contention,And you strike with a wicked fist!Your fasting today is not suchAs to make your voice heard on high.(Isaiah 58:3-4 - Tanakh: A New Translation...)Jesus taught that we should not make a public display ofour fasting:“When you fast, you are not to look glum as the hypocrites do.They change the appearance of their faces so that others maysee they are fasting. I assure you, they are already repaid.”(Matthew 6:16 - New American Bible)In Muslim communities Ramadan is often a very socialtime. Because it is assumed that everyone is fasting, restaurants,tea houses, etc. are closed during the day. Most businessesshut down for part of the day. When evening comesand it is time to break the fast, the community comes aliveagain. Guests are often invited to break the fast and for manyMuslims, evenings are spent socializing. It is often known asthe time of “fasting and feasting.”As we just mentioned, Ramadan is often a very social time. Peopleoften visit one another. Here is the tale of one such visit. Thestory that follows it is the personal sharing of one who can teach usall about Ramadan and trusting in God.Muslims fast during Ramadan; they usually wake up beforedawn to eat something, so that they can fast during the day.Knowing this, here is the story of a Muslim born man who visitedduring Ramadan with a family that practiced the religion.The host asked his guest, “Will you study the Quran withus?”

152 | Women’s Rights, the Quran and Islam“I don’t have time!” he replied.They asked, “Would you like to observe the contact prayerwith us?”“I am not used to observing it,” he said.They asked, “Do you give to charity?““I can’t afford it!”They said, “Do you fast?”“I can’t stand it,” he replied.The host said, “So, we shall not wake you up for the mealbefore dawn.”“But I am a Muslim, I am a Muslim!”(As told by Irandokht, Iran)Ramadan“You’re Muslim—that means you don’t eat pork, right?”“Isn’t Allah the one you pray to?” “Are you married to an Arabor something?” These are all questions that I am asked when itis “revealed” that I am a Muslim. “Aren’t you supposed towrap your head up and wear a veil?” Well-meaning, but misinformedpeople ask these questions routinely. As a modern,American career woman and believer and worshiper of Godalone, most people do a “double take” when it is unavoidableand I must share with them that I won’t be eating. All I do issmile, perhaps giggle a bit, and tell them more....Ramadan is the most special time of the year for me. It is atime when I am keenly aware that God is omnipresent in mylife. It is actually the time when it is easiest for me to be the bestbeliever in God that I can be. God commanded that for a month

Ramadan - The Month of Fasting | 153we not eat or drink from dawn until sunset. For everybodyaround me this is the most difficult thing that anyone canimagine. For me it is the one and only time of the year that Ican actually resist the urge to put food into my mouth. I believeGod makes this time special and especially easy just for me!I am hypoglycemic and have been so for about 12 years.Every day I suffer from having to eat on a schedule to avoidhaving low blood sugar. Having hypoglycemia means constantlyhaving to think about food and having to have foodnear me. Not just any food, but the right amount of protein andcarbohydrates so as to avoid a miserable headache, grouchiness,blurred vision, impaired judgment and other side effects.It also means craving sugar and sweets! I must eat breakfastand I must eat again before noon or I get quite ill. In a perfectworld, this would be easy, but daily I seek out sweets like somesort of sugar addict and fight my pancreas for control of the situation!Ramadan is truly a miracle for me. Each and every day duringthis special time I eat only at night. I have found that if I eatalso in the morning before the sun rises that it is actually moredifficult to keep my blood sugar high enough to avoid thoseinevitable lows that are so common during the year. I have anice meal and dessert(!) in the evening; as well as lots of waterand I have no symptoms of hypoglycemia the following dayand every day during Ramadan. The day before Ramadanstarts and the day after Ramadan ends I must eat, eat, eat andagain the cycle starts. I’m sure there is a physiological reasonwhy during this month and this month alone my blood sugaris adequately controlled, but I prefer to give all of the credit toGod for making this a wonderful time. I even fasted forRamadan during both of my pregnancies and my children(praise God) were both born big, beautiful and healthy. Peoplewho know me well just marvel at how I don’t even act hungryduring Ramadan. This is simply because I’m not! God makesthis month so easy for me that I can hardly believe it.I know we should always be grateful when putting foodinto our mouths. Ramadan is God’s reminder that food should

154 | Women’s Rights, the Quran and Islamnever be taken for granted. There are people all over the worldless fortunate than ourselves; people who don’t have enoughto eat. I believe that this is God’s way of reminding us of justthis fact. Having enough to eat is a blessing from God. He hascreated so many beautiful foods to eat and pure water for us todrink. Let us rejoice and be glad!—Lourdes, U.S.A.

17Hajj PilgrimageThe fifth Pillar of Islam is the Hajj pilgrimage. Each Muslimshould make this pilgrimage to Mecca and its environs, whenand if they can afford it.This is not an easy practice, even now when transportationand modern lodgings are readily available. During the Hajj, literallymillions of people from all over the world come togetherin one small area of Saudi Arabia to worship God and fulfilltheir religious obligations.To make Hajj one must obtain a special Hajj visa from theSaudi government. If you are an unmarried woman from theWest (or anywhere else, for that matter) you must travel withan authorized Hajj group. If you are married to a Muslim, thetwo of you may be able to make your own arrangements. However,you must stay with your husband at all times, since as awoman you must always be accompanied by your husband or amale relative when in Saudi.Of course, this trip is expensive. Most Americans spend morethan two thousand dollars to make Hajj, and some spend a greatdeal more.Performing Hajj is quite strenuous. In a very few days, thousandsof people pour into Mecca for the Hajj. They come fromall corners of the world, and many Saudi’s regularly join them.Almost every year people are killed in the crush of the crowd.It is recommended that you make Hajj while you are still physicallystrong.Sadly, although this is a once in a lifetime experience for mostMuslims and the culmination of a great deal of preparation, the“bulls of inequity” plague Hajj.155

156 | Women’s Rights, the Quran and IslamWhen I made Hajj, I went with a group from New York. Therewere several young women in the group, and at least two ofthem ended up getting their menstrual periods while in Mecca.It was their understanding that they could not visit the SacredMosque that surrounds the Kaaba in their condition because theywere impure. (The Kaaba is the shrine Abraham built.) Indeed,the publications I was given when I made Hajj said that therequired circling of the Kaaba seven times, called circumambulation,was forbidden for women who began menstruating afterstarting the Hajj. However, there certainly is nothing in theQuran that places this restriction on women.There these young women sat in their hotel rooms, just minutesaway from the Kaaba. They had come half way around theworld to visit that ancient shrine built by Abraham. (To do sois part of the Hajj ritual.) They had spent a great deal of money,and expended enormous effort, and were finally at the focalpoint of their religion, the place all Muslims turn towards duringtheir Contact Prayers. But they were unable to even approachit!!!And why? Again, because of that same misunderstood verse!Because they had been told that Chapter 2 Verse 222 of the Quranmeant they were impure, and therefore forbidden from doingtheir religious practices, while on their periods. As a result,they may have lost their only chance to completely fulfill thislast obligation of the religion.To me this situation is criminal. If the Saudis allowed Hajj tobe done as the Quran indicates, it would not be quite as bad,because the Hajj would then not need to be limited to the fewdays in the year when the Saudis allow it to be done. TheQuran indicates that Hajj can be done any time during thefour Arabic months known as the Sacred Months.Hajj shall be observed in the specified months.Whoever sets out to observe Hajjshall refrain from sexual intercourse,misconduct, and arguments throughout Hajj....(Quran: The Final Testament 2:197)

Hajj Pilgrimage | 157So, if the Quranic timing were followed, it would not be sucha hardship on women. If they got their period and felt theywere impure, they could simply wait until it was over, then goon to complete the rites of Hajj. But when it all must be squeezedinto a short period of time, and one has booked tickets, takentime from work, etc., it often becomes impossible. Since part ofthe Hajj requires circling the Kaaba, if you cannot do this circumambulation,then you cannot truly complete your Hajj.Nowadays, women will often go to their doctors and get medicationsto stop their periods for the Hajj. However, this medicationdoes not work for everyone, as one of the young women Icame to know fairly well on the Hajj can attest. She was ayoung Middle Eastern student studying in the United States. Iam sure that Hajj was not an easy thing for her to do.Her periods were unusually long, and in spite of the medication,she began bleeding after going into the ritual state ofpurity for Hajj, called Ihram. (It is at that time that the pilgrimbathes, puts on special clothes and repeats the intention tomake Hajj.) According to the Saudi understanding, a womanin Ihram who begins her period must wait until the bleedinghas stopped before she can do the circumambulation of the Kaaba.Fortunately for my friend, her body finally cooperated and shewas able to complete her practices. However, I am sure shespent all of that time in an agony of uncertainty, not knowingif she would be able to complete her Hajj before she had toleave.To me it makes no sense that God would make things so difficultfor women. Especially since He says that He does not wishto make the religion difficult in the following verse on the ritualablution.O you who believe, when you observe the Contact Prayers(Salat), you shall: (1) wash your faces, (2) wash your arms to theelbows, (3) wipe your heads, and (4) wash your feet to theankles....God does not wish to make the religiondifficult for you; He wishes to cleanse you

158 | Women’s Rights, the Quran and Islamand to perfect His blessing upon you,that you may be appreciative.(Quran: The Final Testament 5:6, emphasis added)Though this verse does not apply directly to Hajj, it makes itclear that ritual ablution is just that, a ritual cleansing. In truth, weare never totally physically clean, at any time. This is true forall human beings, male or female, for our bodies are constantlyprocessing food and creating waste as a by-product. Whether ornot we excrete that waste, it is within us. And other waste isconstantly excreted, whenever we perspire or even breathe.So whether we are male or female, we are only ritually pureafter any ablution, including a total bath. Why then should awoman have such difficulty around her menstrual cycle? Thisis especially true for Hajj where a woman may only have onechance in her lifetime to perform this religious duty.Performing Hajj is not an easy or inexpensive matter. It requirespreparation and a certain maturity of faith. I will not tryto describe the details of the practices here. There are manyplaces you can read about them. (Just search on “Hajj” on anyof the .com booksellers, and you will come up with hundredsof references.) Rather, I think the following impressions will bemore valuable to you in really understanding what Hajj is allabout.Each person’s experience of Hajj is as unique as they themselvesare. Here is that of a wonderful fellow American whose narration Ifind especially valuable.Hajj“Oh, you’ve been on Hajj! Tell me all about it!!” Everyonewanted to hear details, but as I spoke of my experience, I noticed

Hajj Pilgrimage | 159that people seemed disappointed. I think they were looking fora miracle, some mystical transformation, some cosmic revelation.And while in a way all of that happened, it’s an intenselypersonal experience and it doesn’t lend itself to the telling. Thatsaid, I will tell of the things on my Hajj that were important tome.As a white American female, I was in for quite a culture shock.I knew a little of what to expect but I wasn’t prepared for thelevel of disregard for women and the subtle oppression. I steeledmyself to covering my head, but it was an ordeal and I dislikedit. I endured it because Hajj is a commandment and in orderto perform it, I had to abide by the cultural requirements ofSaudi Arabia. One day while shopping, an old woman coveredfrom head to toe in black pointed a gnarled finger at me andsaid in an ugly voice, “Haram! Haram! Haram!” With my verylimited Arabic I knew the word meant “forbidden” and I realizedseveral hairs in my bangs were showing under my headcovering. How awful! What a disgrace! After that, I was alwaysself-conscious about my scarf.But I didn’t let the silly restrictions of humans interfere withthe spiritual experience I had come to find. I asked God for Hishelp and clearly He gave it to me. Otherwise I could never haveput up with the huge and pushy crowds, the cumbersome garbor the attitude of suspicion and repression. Because God gaveme strength, I was able to tolerate all those things. I turnedmyself totally over to God, which is what we should do everyday of our lives; I recognized and accepted the fact that God isin full control of everything; I spent all my waking momentsremembering Him, commemorating Him and worshiping Him.And in my opinion that’s what Hajj should be about. It’s notthe practices of walking around the Kaaba or jogging betweenthe knolls of Safa and Marwah or tossing pebbles at stonecolumns. All of those things are symbolic gestures meant toput God foremost in our minds, and that’s the importance ofHajj.For me the most spiritual and moving time was the dayspent at Arafaat. Arafaat is a desert area just outside of Mecca.

160 | Women’s Rights, the Quran and IslamDuring Hajj, thousands upon thousands of tents dot the barrenlandscape, and the pilgrims spend the entire day—sunrise tosunset—in quiet contemplation and reflection. I used the timewell to celebrate God and thank Him for the many blessings inmy life. The Quranic verses 2:198-9 tell you to commemorateHim for guiding you and to ask Him for forgiveness. At sunset,everyone leaves Arafaat at the same time. It’s a huge traffic jamof people and cars, and ours was one of the last buses to leavethe parking lot. As we came over a hill I was struck by a mostamazing sight. Literally millions of people were walking alltogether—a sea of humanity, as far as the eye could see. Almostall of them were wearing white and all of them were there forone purpose—to worship God. Differences, such as skin color,national identity, wealth and poverty, were no longer visible.All that was left was the underlying desire to please God, tocomplete the pilgrimage that He had decreed, and in doing so,God willing, to grow closer to the ideal of a righteous person.It was not an earth-shattering moment, but for me it was verydeep and personal. Perhaps no one else even noticed. That’s whyHajj is an individual experience. You can learn all about howto perform the various rituals and talk to dozens of people whohave been on Hajj, but the moment in time will be yours alone;between you and God.—Lydia, U.S.A.

18Studying the QuranWhen I first started reading the Quran, I was very blessedthat I had not been told that I could not read it when I had mymenstrual period. Otherwise, it is quite likely that I wouldnever have bothered to try and read it at all. To be forbiddenfrom reading the scripture for about one quarter of the timebecause my body was doing what it was designed to do wouldhave made me furious. This “bull of inequity” would simplyhave been too much for me.Fortunately, by the time I heard that I was not supposed totouch the book when I was menstruating, I was already hookedon the Quran.Again this restriction is based on the same verse we havebeen discussing in the past several chapters (Quran 2:222),which restricts intimate relations between spouses during thewife’s period. However, in this case an additional verse isused.God tells us first that the Quran is in a well-guarded or protectedbook. Then comes the following verse, as translated byYusuf Ali, is:Which none shall touchBut those who are clean:(The Holy Quran LVI:79 [56:79])This verse has usually been taken to mean that people whohave not made ablution (the ritual wash described in Chapter14 on the Contact Prayer) and those who are otherwise “impure”(like menstruating women) are not allowed to handlethe Quran.161

162 | Women’s Rights, the Quran and IslamHowever, this makes no sense when one realizes that anyonewho is not already Muslim would never be allowed to readthe Quran. They would not know to wash first, and even ifthey did know, most would not bother.Believe me, if I had not read the Quran there is no way Iwould have ever become interested in Islam! What I “knew”about it was simply too scary.Surely God would not make the Quran so inaccessible to non-Muslims. Otherwise how would anyone learn enough to decideto be Muslim?Rashad Khalifa translates this verse in a way that makes agreat deal more sense to me. Rather than saying that one cannotphysically touch the book, he translates it as:None can grasp it except the sincere.(Quran: The Final Testament 56:79)Thus, if someone is not pure in his or her intentions, in otherwords they are insincere, they will not get anything out of theQuran. In that way they will not be able to touch it. This makesmore sense to me, because clearly anyone who walks into abookstore can physically pick up a Quran. Whether or not theyget anything out of it depends on their sincerity.For Muslims, the Quran is the source of their religion. Assuch, it must be read, not just wrapped up and placed in themost honored place in the home, as many Muslims have traditionallydone.The first revelation of the Quran begins “Read, in the name ofyour Lord, who created.” Although this was originally directedto Muhammad, I believe that God is addressing us all in thisverse. Reading the Quran is a critical part of any Muslim’s spiritualpractice.In fact, the entire first revelation focuses on studying thescripture:Read, in the name of your Lord, who created.He created man from an embryo.

Read, and your Lord, Most Exalted.Teaches by means of the pen.He teaches man what he never knew.(Quran: The Final Testament 96:1-5)Here God tells us that He teaches us what we never knew.Yet, Muslims are often told that the Quran is too difficult tounderstand; that only the scholars can interpret it, and that theHadith are required to explain it. Women are additionallyhandicapped because they are taught that they cannot eventouch the book for a good part of their adult lives.These are the teachings of men, not of God. God describesHimself as the teacher of the Quran. If God is your teacher, youdo not need scholars or Hadith to teach you:The Most Gracious. Teacher of the Quran.(Quran: The Final Testament 55:1-2)In this next section of verses, He also lets us know that if weare sincere, the meaning of the Quran will be made clear for us.To me the last verse of this passage indicates that Muhammadwas not to explain the Quran, but to leave things to God.Move not thy tongueConcerning the (Qur-an)To make haste therewith.It is for Us to collect itAnd to promulgate it:But when We havePromulgated it, follow thouits recital (as promulgated):Nay more, it isFor us to explain it(And make it clear):(The Holy Quran LXXV:16-19 [75:16-19])Studying the Quran | 163From the above two sets of verses it is clear that it was notfor Muhammad to explain the Quran. God is the one who teach-

164 | Women’s Rights, the Quran and Islames us and explains what we don’t understand in the Quran.However, this does not just magically happen. We must do ourpart.In fact, God tells us all to read the Quran in the morning (“atdawn” is the exact Arabic, though Yusuf Ali translates it as “inthe morning”):Establish regular prayers—At the sun’s declineTill the darkness of the night,And the morning prayerAnd reading: for the prayerAnd reading in the morningCarry their testimony.(The Holy Quran XVII:78 [17:78])What a nice way to begin the day, reading the Quran atdawn. Indeed, that is a good quiet time to read without interruptionsor distractions.One can read the Quran in several manners. It is nice to justopen at random and read. However it is also important to readthe entire Quran (73:4). To be able to accept the entire Quran,we must know what it says, so we must have read the wholebook.Here is a passage that to me makes it clear that both menand women should read the Quran, and indicates that it is partof our righteous works. Satan will always try to discourage usfrom doing righteous works. I believe that is why the Qurantells us to take refuge from him before we read.Anyone who works righteousness, male or female,while believing, we will surely grant them a happy lifein this world, and we will surely pay them their full recompense(on the Day of Judgment) for their righteous works.When you read the Quran, you shall seek refugein God from Satan the rejected.

He has no power over those who believe and trust in their Lord.(Quran: The Final Testament 16:97-99)These verses make it very clear that we all, male and female,should read the Quran, and we should seek refuge in Godbefore doing so.In this next verse, God makes it very clear that we shouldnot only read the Quran, but also study it carefully.Why do they not study the Quran carefully?Do they have locks on their minds?(Quran: The Final Testament 47:24)Studying the Quran | 165Note that this is for all Muslims, not just the men. Anotherverse (4:82) tells us that if we study the Quran carefully we willsee that it has no contradictions. If it were not from God, thatwould not be the case, especially given the manner in which itwas revealed over about twenty-three years.The following verse also is not addressed just to men, but to“the believers,” which includes men and women and indicatesthat studying the Quran can be one way of mobilizing for God.When the believers mobilize, not all of them shall do so.A few from each group shall mobilizeby devoting their time to studying the religion....(Quran: The Final Testament 9:122)Thus, studying the religion is a very important role in thesociety. And of course, from previous chapters we know thatthe source of our religion is the Quran.Studying the Quran is not only very important it can beextremely enjoyable. In an earlier chapter I mentioned that Ilove Fridays because that is the day for both the congregationalprayer and our community’s Quran study.In our community, the brothers rotate giving the FridayPrayer (known as the Jumu’ah Prayer). Then on Friday nightsthe sisters rotate giving the Quranic study, as we read through

166 | Women’s Rights, the Quran and Islamthe Quran “from cover to cover” (Quran 73:4). Thus we areblessed to hear the wisdom of everyone in the community.Even the older children often share their thoughts and questionsduring our study.This active participation by both men and women in thecritical activities of the community strengthens the communityand gives each individual the chance to grow spiritually.Preparing for and giving the Friday Prayer or the Quranicstudy are different from listening to others giving them.When my turn to lead the study comes, I find that preparingfor it gives me the opportunity to really delve deeply intothe verses that we are reading that week. I am always amazedat how much more there is in the section I am studying than Ifirst noticed.That is one of the real joys of the Quran. You can read it overand over and always gain more from each reading. When youare studying with other congenial people, it is even betterbecause they add insights from their different viewpoints andlife experiences.The Quran is interesting in another way, it moves from subjectto subject very much like our minds do. It is not like theTorah and the Bible, which have a more linear nature to them.The Quran is much more like our own stream of consciousness.Perhaps that is why I have found it to be so satisfying toread and study. I believe that it speaks to a deeper level thannormal books. Maybe it reaches this deeper level because it isin tune with the way our minds work.There is one more thing that I would like to cover regardingreading the Quran. Often I have heard that the Quran cannotbe translated, and must be read in Arabic. I do not accept thispremise.Yes, the Quran was revealed in Arabic, and Arabic hasmany shades of meaning in one phrase. However, if you arenot a native speaker of Arabic, I believe that God will teachyou the Quran through a good translation.

Studying the Quran | 167The Quran is the critical teaching of Islam. If it were truethat the Quran could only be read in Arabic, how would anynon-Arabic speaking person become a Muslim? Yes, someonecan tell you what the Quran says, but nothing has the awesomesplendor and power of God’s words themselves in your ownlanguage.In fact, the following verses indicate that translating theQuran is necessary:If we revealed this to people who do not know Arabic.And had him recite it (in Arabic), they could not possiblybelieve in it. We thus render it (like a foreign language)in the hearts of the guilty.(Quran: The Final Testament 26:198-200)From this it seems clear that the language you speak is notimportant. If you speak the most impeccable Arabic, but arenot open to guidance, the Quran will be as if it were written ina foreign language. The next verse shows that whether or notthe Quran was revealed in Arabic, it is a guide and a healingfor the believers, and will mean nothing to the disbelievers.If we made it a non-Arabic Quran they would have said,“Why did it come down in that language?”Whether it is Arabic or non-Arabic, say, “For those who believe,it is a guide and healing. As for those who disbelieve, they will bedeaf and blind to it, as if they are being addressed from faraway.”(Quran: The Final Testament 41:44)The Quran was revealed in Arabic. But no matter what languageis your native tongue, if it is meant to be your scriptureit will speak to your heart whatever translation you are reading.For those of you who have not read the Quran, or have notread all of it, let me encourage you to do so. I know severalpeople who really were not particularly interested in it orIslam, but began reading it for one reason or another, andbecame fascinated. As a matter of fact, I’m one of those people!

168 | Women’s Rights, the Quran and IslamEven if it does not speak to you as it has to me, reading theQuran will give you a much better understanding of the Muslimworld, and of yourself. Such an understanding is crucial inthis time of great change.What translation should you read?As I said earlier in this chapter, I believe that God will teachyou through any translation. However, if you are a native Englishspeaker I do recommend that you try Rashad Khalifa’stranslation. It has made a world of difference in my understanding.The English is modern and easy to read. Also, it wasthe first translation made by someone whose native tonguewas Arabic. Many consider Yusuf Ali’s translation one of thebest, but his native tongue was neither Arabic nor English butUrdu. I believe that the difference shows.There is one other thing I would like to mention aboutRashad Khalifa’s translation. As he was translating, he discovereda very fascinating numerical code imbedded in the Arabicof the Quran.In truth, this code was the answer to my last doubt aboutIslam. I had studied the Bible, and its history. There was noquestion in my mind that in all of the years of oral transmissionand then multiple translations of the Bible, some human errorhad been introduced into this document. How did I know thatthe same thing had not happened to the Quran?The numerical code that Rashad Khalifa discovered in theQuran was my answer. After careful study of this code, Ibelieve that it is so intricate and all encompassing that the Arabiclanguage had to be created around it in order for the Quranto make such wonderful sense and also conform to the mathematicalcode. Only God could do such a thing. The Quran hasto have come to us intact.This numerical code is based on the number 19. It is quiteamazing the way it permeates the fabric of the Quran. Forexample, the Quran begins with “In the Name of God, MostGracious, Most Merciful.” Each of the Arabic words in this

phrase occurs in the Quran in multiples of 19, and the phraseitself occurs a multiple of 19 times.The total number of chapters (suras) is 114 or 19 times 6. Thetotal number of verses is also a multiple of 19.The total occurrences of the word “Allah,” the Arabic wordfor “God”, is a multiple of 19. And if you add the verse andchapter numbers for those verses, the total is also a multiple of19.If you take each unique number that occurs in the Quranand add them together, the total is also a multiple of 19.The list goes on and on.I have provided Appendix 3 explaining the very basic aspectsof this code. Please review it and decide for yourself whatthis code means to you. At the end of that appendix I give referencesfor further study if you are interested. I think you willfind the numerical code worth further investigation.Indeed, God describes the believers as being those who doinvestigate everything:They are the ones who examine all words, then follow the best.These are the ones whom God has guided;these are the ones who possess intelligence.(Quran: The Final Testament 39:18)Being open to the truth, no matter where it comes from isone of the qualities of Islam that I treasure most. Islam is not anexclusive club, but an all-inclusive invitation. It is an invitationfor every human being—regardless of gender, race, creed ornationality—to make God their true Lord and Master, theirtrue priority.I believe that the Quran is one of our most powerful tools inmaking God our priority. Studying it is a reward in itself.Studying the Quran | 169

170 | Women’s Rights, the Quran and IslamFor many Muslims, Islam was very difficult until they beganreading and understanding the Quran for themselves. For many, readingthe Quran has been the key to finding their true selves, and discoveringtheir own relationship with God. I know of no more beautifulexample of this than the following story.Quranic RewardIn The Name of God, Most Gracious, Most MercifulI was very young, maybe seven or eight years of age whenI fell in love with God and had an immense yearning to observeGod’s religion. For years I observed God’s commands, by God’sGrace, without even knowing that they had been corrupted.However, my heart was never completely content and I alwaysfelt somewhat of a void. I would study the Quran a lot, butthey had scared us so much about asking any questions thatunfortunately, the laws of “hadith” had become a substitute forthe Quran and we had gotten used to it.I didn’t listen to music, although I loved it, for the books of“hadith” prohibited it. I even obeyed the so-called dress codefor women (covering my hair) for twenty-two years, until oneday, one of my relatives showed me the verse in the Quranregarding the dress code for women. It was then that I decidedto stop covering my hair; yet, I was afraid that I might havebeen wrong.In school, I had many classmates of different religions, andI always wondered, since God is One, then why were there somany different religions. To make matters worse, when welearned of the many contradictions in Islamic laws, I becamemore surprised and confused—especially when the people wouldsay that they were followers of the Quran and the prophetMohammed and yet they each followed different laws andteachings (sectism)! Yet, asking questions was taboo and I wouldhave been known as a sacrilegious person if I dared to ask them.I could feel a storm brewing inside me and I found refuge inwriting poetry to express my feelings:

I am bursting inside and I have no where to go but to GodO God, have compassion on me and show me the way to YouO God, forbid for me other than the path to YouFor I do not possess the wisdom, so please guide me to YouSo that I would be dedicated to You in Your pathAnd I would dedicate my life to You as a friend wouldShortly thereafter, God showered me with His mercy andwith the key and the knowledge of the hidden secret of the Quran[numerical code of the Quran]—discovered by Dr. RashadKhalifa, Ph.D. All doors opened to me and all the questionsthat I had were finally answered through the Quran, not “hadith.”The more my questions were answered by the Quran, the moreI trusted God, that maybe God had sent Dr. Khalifa in order toguide us out of the darkness into the light. Today, by God’sGrace, it has been sixteen years since I have wiped out all tracesof doubt in my mind regarding the guidance in the Quran.How sweet my life has become and how easy it is to carry outGod’s commands.One of my memories since this knowledge of the Quran hascome to me, is when I went to see one of one of the greatest“Islamic scholars” in Iran, for whom I, among many other Muslims,had great respect. I had many conversations with him,but whenever I would ask him a question, he would answerme with baseless “hadith,” and it would greatly upset him wheneverI would challenge that “hadith” with verses from the Quran.My very last conversation with him was the day he told me:“Sister, our conversations/arguments are a waste of time for me.No matter what I tell you, you read me verses from the Quran!”And I said to him: “Thank you, this has been the best complimentI’ve received all day!” Then I told him good-bye and Isaid: “I do not worship what you worship. To you is your religion,and to me is my religion.”Praise be to God, Lord of the Universe.—Parsa, IranStudying the Quran | 171

172 | Women’s Rights, the Quran and Islam

19In SocietyIn most cultures of the world, the position of women is notquite equal to that of men. Thus, in almost all groups of peopleit is possible to find “bulls of inequity” that affect women.In many Muslim communities, there are lots of inequities andlots of contradictions. To be truthful, I cannot even imagine whatit must be like to live as a woman in such a society. For me, theemotional conflict such circumstances would create would beterrible.One of the best areas to demonstrate both the inequities andthe contradictions is that of politics. In some Muslim countries,like Turkey, women’s rights have been a major political issuefor many years. In fact, women were given the right to vote inTurkey years before they had it in France. Yet the position ofwomen in Turkey before the revolution of 1908 was as bad orworse than anywhere else in the Muslim world. In fact, the OttomanTurks were probably the first to confine women in haremsand initiate severe veiling. The history of the harems of Turkishsultans is hair-raising—it was the virtual enslavement ofscores of “chosen” women for the personal pleasure of one man.Yet, modern Turkey is among the vanguard of Muslim nationsin striving for women’s equal rights.On the other hand, in much of the Muslim world women areseen as possessing characteristics that make them unfit forrational, intellectual pursuits, like voting.Given this climate, one would not expect to find women electedto national leadership in Muslim countries. Yet from 1988 to1990, and again from 1993 to 1996 Benazir Bhutto served as Pakistan’sprime minister. In the early 1990’s, Begum Khaleda Ziawas elected as the first woman prime minister of Bangladesh.173

174 | Women’s Rights, the Quran and IslamThen, in June of 1993, Turkey elected Tansu Ciller as the firstwoman to lead that country. All of this in an era where manyWestern countries, including the United States, have not yetelected a woman even to the vice-presidency, or its equivalent!!!It is noteworthy that one of the Muslim political “hot spots”of our own time, Indonesia, has a woman president. MegawatiSukarnoputri was initially elected to the vice-presidency, in spiteof a resurgence of Muslim fundamentalism in that country. Whenthe fundamentalist president was removed from office becausehe was not up to the job, she became president.It seems most ironic that women national leaders should beacceptable in societies I have always “known” to be unfair towomen, and unacceptable in my own “fair” society. I believethat once again I am staring my old friend culture in the face. Iam having to face my own cultural prejudice, my own tendencyto assume that my culture is the best, the most fair in all ways.These Muslim women rulers certainly demonstrate the falsehoodof the Hadiths that say any nation led by a woman willfail. More importantly, we know from the Quran that there isno problem with a woman leading a country. In fact, God givesus an example of a woman ruler in the story of Solomon andthe Queen of Sheba (or “Saba,” as Yusuf Ali writes it):But the Hoopoe tarried notFar: he (came up and) said:“I have compassed (territory)Which thou hast not compassed,And I have come to theeFrom Saba with tidings true.“I found (there) a womanRuling over them and providedWith every requisite; and sheHas a magnificent throne.(The Holy Quran XXVII:22-23 [27:22-23])

The people of Sheba were rich and prosperous and their queenwas a wise leader. Her wisdom is demonstrated by her responseto a letter sent by Solomon:(The Queen) said: “Ye chiefs!Here is—delivered to me—A letter worthy of respect.“It is from Solomon, and is(As follows): ‘In the nameOf God, Most Gracious,Most Merciful:“ ‘Be ye not arrogantAgainst me, but comeTo me in submission(To the true Religion).’ “She said: “Ye chiefs!Advise me in (this)My affair: no affairHave I decidedExcept in your presence.”They said: “We are enduedWith strength, and givenTo vehement war:But the command isWith thee; so considerWhat thou wilt command.”She said, “Kings, when theyEnter a country, despoil it,And make the noblestOf its people its meanestThus do they behave.“But I am going to sendHim a present, and (wait)To see with what (answer)Return (my) ambassadors.”(The Holy Quran XXVII:29-35 [27:29-35])In Society | 175These verses show a leader who clearly valued her advisors,yet had the wisdom to take her own council. Rather than respond

176 | Women’s Rights, the Quran and Islamaggressively and almost certainly provoke a military response,she decided to see how Solomon responded to her gift. In doingso, she not only avoided conflict but also opened the way to herown guidance.While the Queen of Sheba is the only woman leader mentionedin the Quran, she is an excellent example for any leader.The Quran thus makes it clear that women can lead.Does the Quran deal with the issue of women voting? Yes, Ithink so because one of the traits of the believers is that theydecide their affairs after consultation among themselves. Thisverse is among a series that describe the believers:Those who hearkenTo their Lord, and establishRegular prayer; who (conduct)Their affairs by mutual Consultation....(The Holy Quran XLII:38 [42:38])Clearly the verse does not refer to just men—as we womenare equally required to observe the prayer and charity.In today’s society conducting the group’s affairs “by mutualConsultation” can only be readily achieved in a democratic processwhere all mature members of the society have an equal inputinto the decision-making—an equal vote.Thus, all indications from the Quran are that women shouldhave equal political rights, both in leadership and in selectingthat leadership.In some Muslim countries, notably Iran, even when womenhave the right to vote, they are not allowed to participate in thejustice system. They cannot serve on juries, nor can they practicelaw or hold the position of judge. Given the traditionalMuslim view that women are too emotional for rational pursuits,such a stance is at least comprehensible, though incorrect.

In Society | 177Very often this position is defended by a verse from the Quranthat we have already examined. Here are the salient partsagain:O you who believe, when you transact a loan for any period,you shall write it down....Two men shall serve as witnesses; if not two men, then a manand two women whose testimony is acceptable to all.Thus, if one woman becomes biased, the other will remind her….(Quran: The Final Testament 2:282)We have already discussed this verse in reference to witnessing.It discusses financial transactions, the only situation wheretwo women substitute for one man. As we saw at the end ofChapter 11, in all other situations of witnessing women andmen are equal. With that in mind, I can only conclude that theQuran sees women as totally capable of the discerning thoughtrequired for witnessing, or any other legal activity.We may look to the Queen of Sheba again as the Quranicexample. As the ruler of her people, she must have frequentlybeen cast in the role of a judge.In the Old Testament we have another clear example. TheBook of Judges speaks of Deborah who led Israel and judgedfor them:Deborah, wife of Lappidoth, was a prophetess; she led Israel atthat time. She used to sit under the Palm of Deborah... and theIsraelites would come to her for decisions.(Judges 4:4-5 - Tanakh: A New Translation...)There is one other area of inequity and contradiction that Iwould like to discuss: the area of employment. In some partsof the Muslim world women can seek employment in any fieldthey choose (though some fields are still more acceptable thanothers, especially medicine and education). In other Muslim

178 | Women’s Rights, the Quran and Islamcountries, women cannot work outside of the home at all withoutthe written consent of their husbands, and then only in situationswhere they will not encounter men to whom they arenot related.Ironically, industrialization and increased wealth has madelife more confining for many women. In earlier times womenhad important roles to play as shepherdesses, weavers, etc. Thoseroles are now diminished.In another ironic twist, women who have had to fight for theirsurvival, like the women of Palestine, often have greater freedoms,and a wider range of employment opportunities. There aremany reasons for this. Sometimes, the structure of the extendedfamily has been so disrupted that there are no related menin the area to play the traditional roles. Women must then takethem on. In other cases, everyone in the family recognizes thatthe only way for the society to survive is for everyone to get aneducation, including women. This attitude has opened manydoors for women that had been historically shut.When I made the Hajj pilgrimage, I became acquainted witha number of extremely intelligent and capable Palestinian women.Actually, I met wonderful women from all over the world, butthe resourcefulness and ability of the women from Palestineespecially struck me. Most of these women had been forced tofind their own way in the world, and had done a magnificentjob of it.As a final irony, traditionalists use a Quranic verse to argueagainst women working. It is another verse that we have previouslydiscussed. Here I quote only the first portion, since it isthe portion dealing with our present subject:The men are made responsible for the women, and God hasendowed them with certain qualities, and made themthe bread earners….(Quran: The Final Testament 4:34)The traditionalist argument is that since the men are the breadearners, women should not work outside of the home. How-

ever the Quran does not specify that, and in fact provides examplesof women working outside of the home. These examplescome from the story of Moses. The first is the example of hisfuture wife and her sister shepherding their father’s sheep.They had to wait until all of the male shepherds had finishedwatering their flocks before they could water. This is howMoses met them and then eventually became part of the family.The second example is that of Moses’ mother. She wasemployed by Pharaoh’s household as a wet-nurse for her ownson.I believe the above verse simply says that the man providesthe living expenses for the family. There are other verses in theQuran that make it clear that any believer can work for gain:O ye who believe!Give of the good thingsWhich ye have (honourably) earned,And of the fruits of the earthWhich We have produced....(The Holy Quran II:267 [2:267])In Society | 179Note that this verse is addressed to the believers, not just thebelieving men. All believers must give to charity from the goodthings they earn.Here is just one more example of a verse that indicates womencan be employed:Proclaim: “If your parents, your children, your siblings, yourspouses, your family, the money you have earned, a business youworry about, and the homes your cherish are more beloved to youthan God and His messenger, and the striving in His cause,then just wait until God brings His judgment.”God does not guide the wicked people.(Quran: The Final Testament 9:24)The last sentence of this verse makes it very clear that thewhole verse is addressed to all people, both men and women.

180 | Women’s Rights, the Quran and IslamThus, both may have money they have earned and businessesabout which they worry.It only makes sense to me that there is no Quranic restrictionon women working outside of the home. However, I also believethat it is important to recognize that homemakers are performingwork that is at least as valuable as that of women who areemployed outside of the home. Sadly, in the West this is oftenno longer recognized. I have known women who felt judgedbecause they chose to focus their efforts on their families ratherthan working outside of the home. Friends and family sawthem unwilling to help their husbands with the economic burdenof a family.In this chapter we have seen that from a Quranic view womencan rule, can vote, can participate fully in the judicial systemand can be employed outside of the home. In all of these areasthere is great confusion about women’s roles in Muslim society.It is indeed a blessing that there is no confusion about theirroles in the Quran.The following story beautifully demonstrates the way that followingthe Quran alone answers the issues of women’s rights in society.This wonderful sister comes from a very different background frommy own, but for both of us the principle of God alone as found in theQuran was a lifeline.The Quran – The AnswerWhat was Islam for me growing up as a child? It was whatI learned from my family and school. My parents were spiritual.They followed the basic tenets of Islam with perseverance.Their way of life reflected tolerance, appreciation, and love. Compassionand forgiveness were synonymous with their name.They were respectful with each other. Islamic religious studywas a part of our school curriculum. From all these lessons,one was the strongest, the one about mandatory acts and commendableacts in Islam. The first specifies that there are oblig-

In Society | 181atory and forbidden acts to obey because they are from theQuran. The second is about exemplary conducts of the prophet,in what he said and approved. I went for what were easy classesin school because I was afraid that the teaching about theprophet would add more burdens, and require much to memorize.Prayer, Zakat (charity), fasting, Hajj (Pilgrimage), and abelief in God and the hereafter are all that are mandatory. Mydecision was made. I would follow what was mandatory.I was outgoing and curious, with a free spirit. This presentedme with a problem, as we reached the age of adolescence,because I began to realize that there existed a double standardfor what was expected from boys and girls. My brothers andcousins refused to take us with them to the beach. We wereclose to each other. I loved outdoor games. This situation madeus girls very sad. Our parents did not support the boys’ attitude.They would promise us a day or two at the beach withthem or with our uncles. My father started to take us to oursports activities and dance classes. The boys refused to be seenwith us in the street and started to complain about our activities.The years that followed taught me more about the socialproblems for women in my country. The injustice towardswomen was done under the guise of divine law. My hunger forfreedom made me decide against marriage unless I wouldhave the right to divorce if I needed to. The family was supportiveand girls had a life with respect in my family. I participatedin organized trips inside and outside my country. By age23, I met my husband. He agreed to raise our children to beMuslim if we had any. The decision was painful, leaving myfamily, but eventually I had the courage to follow my husbandto his home.As soon as I arrived in the United States I started to inquirewhere there was a Mosque. I contacted a few families who gatheredevery Sunday in someone’s home. We studied the Quranand discussed various topics prepared by volunteers. Nine yearslater, a mosque was built in my community. The group started

182 | Women’s Rights, the Quran and Islamto expand, and the organization started to change. Within theperimeter of the mosque a demand of unity was made. Aftermany debates and conflicts, Saudi Arabia’s system was establishedby Arab students attending a local university. Every Sunday,the lecture was about women. After so many lectures Ibegan to understand that it was intimidation. They were blamingus (women) for all the ills of society. Our voices should notbe heard, our footsteps were to be unheard, we needed to coverourselves completely. These lectures were challenged with myquestions. I never got straight and reasonable answers. I neededanswers for my kids, especially my daughter. I couldn’t concedeto a life that conflicted with my husband’s values. Neithermy parents nor my country imposed those strict rules! A campaignhad started in the local Mosque, which was directed onlytowards women. Men, who came from time to time to the mosqueby van, started to approach women and young women who didnot have the right head cover. These same men constructed aphysical barrier in the prayer room to physically separate themen from the women. Families who opposed the barrier concededto the demands of the Saudi Arabian students in the nameof unity for the Islamic community. An atmosphere of completeobedience replaced the days of open discussions.The youth became their next target. My daughter was 12 yearsold then. She would tell me about the lessons and the teachers.They were encouraging the youth to get married by sixteen forboys and younger for girls! Every lecture was to indoctrinatethe people to listen and obey an invisible religious dictatorship.Some parents liked what they heard, because they wereexperiencing problems with their adolescent children. Othersbrushed it aside as a weak “hadith.” This mosque was the placeto come and experience the police state they had left behind intheir native country. They desired to isolate their children fromthe society they were blaming for their problems. They believedthat America was teaching their children disrespect for the parentsand their values. When I wrote an article saying that segregationof the sexes does not guarantee righteousness and that

In Society | 183the consideration of feelings of all human beings is a matter ofgreat respect and attention, we started to have lectures aboutthe ills of the American society. They still had no answers to myquestions. I withdrew my presence from the mosque becauseit wasn’t what I was searching for. My children needed tomature with their family values and not with double standards.A few months later I was told that a scholar in religion wouldbe visiting our mosque. He was a great teacher from Syria. Hetalked about slavery. It was good, except when he said, “Thecaptured women in war become the property of the conqueringarmy. If they get pregnant they gain their freedom.” Thiswas supposed to alleviate prostitution! I have heard crazy storiesbefore, but this one is very ugly. My friend sitting next tome replied that she would never be free since she cannot havechildren. I truly was amazed at how the audience, with manyeducated people including doctors, was silent. At that time Iraqand Iran were at war. It is hard to believe that innocent womenwere subjected to aggression against their will. I objected to thisteaching and said that it was against human dignity and anabuse of women.After the lecture the audience was to take advantage of thisimportant gift and ask the scholar questions. A question cameabout the head cover. He was delighted to let us know that whenhe went the day before for a drive to see the town they saw awoman who had a car problem. They were able to help her.However, without her head cover they would not have beenable to know if she was a Muslim! I discussed this issue withthe scholar who was trying to stick to the importance of hidingthe hair; that did not convince me. I would cover my hair if Ihad a bad hairdo. Finally I had the courage to ask the questionthat I feared myself. “If the women shaves her hair so she doesnot use a hair cover ….” Just at that moment the call for prayerstarted. As is the custom, the people stood up and walked silentlyto the prayer room. During the prayer I started to cry becauseI was so lost and perplexed. My heart could not believe this nonsense.At that moment I made my decision to stay at home andteach my children Islam.

184 | Women’s Rights, the Quran and IslamMy husband continued to go to the Mosque because he hada position with the Mosque Board. One day, on our way backfrom shopping he stopped at the post office to pick up themosque mail. He handed it to me. The first paper on top was anewsletter with a headline NOT SUNNI NOT SHIA, JUST MUS-LIM. Well that got my attention! I was so happy to read somethingthat made sense to me. Six months later I decided to writeto the editor of the newsletter. This is when I was introduced tothe concept of following the Quran alone.I am still bathing in this blessing and pray that God keepsshowering me with the understanding of the Quran. Yes, in theQuran I found the reason why I couldn’t relate to hadith. Ineeded to be free to worship God, as He should be worshiped,alone. I did not need to change my appearance. All I needed wasthe Quran. I don’t need to make a statement of my religion ormy culture. My worry is to please God and to be a righteousperson. Praise be to God who allowed me to pursue the path ofenlightenment. He saved me from myself and the ignorantones. God is the Greatest. The pieces of this puzzle do fit right.There is no contradiction. May God continue to shower me andmy family with His grace. He made my children Submitters,what a gift. I feel free!—Naima, Morocco[Editor’s note: The newsletter that Naima read is the Submitter’sPerspective. It is published by Masjid Tucson, PO Box 43476,Tucson, AZ 85733-3476, USA.]

20True PowerMuslim women are indeed beset by many “bulls of inequity,”but that does not really reflect their true power.Women may not be the visible movers and shakers of asociety, but in truth they have tremendous power, no matterwhat the society’s perception, or their own perception for thatmatter.Women are the ones who raise the children. In this duty alone,they have the most important position in the entire society. Itis they who mold the future generations. They ultimately passon the core values of the society.In a very true sense, the society is what we learn in ourmothers’ laps. It has been quite well documented that a person’sessential values are well established by the age of seven,and the earlier years are more critical than the later, especiallyin the time period before seven. For instance, by the age ofthree, a child’s brain has grown to ninety percent of its full size.The child has already established many of his or her most basicvalues, and while they may be somewhat modified throughoutlife, the core is set.I have a very dear friend who has struggled against the racialand class prejudices established in her family since she becameaware that they existed… for over forty years. Though she canand does correct her attitude, it is still there to be corrected, andperhaps always will be. Our prejudices are among the valuesthat are almost knitted into our bones as we stand clingingto our mother’s knee.And in almost all cases our mothers are the ones who giveus these essential values. In all societies I am familiar with, it isthe mother who cares for the very young. In some situations, a185

186 | Women’s Rights, the Quran and Islamnurse or nanny will substitute for the mother, but these substitutesare usually women also.Only in very recent years has the phenomena of “Mr. Mom”arisen in the West. As the Western economic system forces moreand more mothers to work, there seems to be a growing involvementof fathers in the rearing of their children. Occasionallythe father stays home with the children, becoming “Mr. Mom,”while the mother pursues her career. Even so, the number ofinfant and toddling children actually raised by men is minimal.It is much more common for the mother to stay home while thechildren are very young, or for the children to be cared for byother women.The Quran recognizes the special role of mothers in the followingverse:And We have enjoined on man(To be good) to his parents:In travail upon travailDid his mother bear him,And in years twainWas his weaning: (hearThe command), “Show gratitudeTo Me and to thy parents:...(The Holy Quran XXXI:14 [31:14])Our mothers carry us in the womb for nine months, oftenwith great discomfort for much of that time. They endure thepain of childbirth to bring us into the world. And then theycare for our every need until we can begin to manage small bitsof our own care. Our fathers also expend a great deal of effortand worry over us as we grow. For all of this, God commands usto treat our parents well.Thy Lord hath decreedThat ye worship none but Him,And that ye be kindTo parents. Whether oneOr both of them attain

True Power | 187Old age in thy life,Say not to them a wordOf contempt, nor repel them,But address themIn terms of honour.And, out of kindness,Lower to them the wingOf humility, and say:“My Lord! Bestow on themThy Mercy even as theyCherished me in childhood.”(The Holy Quran XVII:23-24 [17:23-24])Our parents cared for us when we were totally helpless, andwhen we grew to be just capable enough to get ourselves intoterrible trouble. We have a tremendous amount for which torepay them.But what of our children? What do we owe them, and futuregenerations? I believe it is natural to want to give our childrenthe best we can. We learned that modeling from our parents,and in turn, we teach it to our children.Providing for our children physically is one thing. It is important,but giving them the latest fashions or the most popular toysis nothing compared to the values we give them. These valueswill sustain them for the rest of their time on this earth, and givethem the basis to make it a good and fulfilling life. Most important,the values they learn from us will help them prepare forthe eternity of the hereafter.And the values we teach our children determine what theywill teach their children. In teaching our children, we are essentiallycreating our culture, our society. Just as most of us will insome way care for our elderly parents, our children will somedaycare for us. Indeed, we will reap what we sow.There are innumerable types of values that our children learn.While we are not the only source of that learning, we do set theessential tone very early, and mostly by our modeling. There area few basic areas that I would like to discuss.

188 | Women’s Rights, the Quran and IslamMoralityI believe that most of human learning is done through modeling.We see others doing something and we realize that we canalso do it. If the person we are watching is someone we admire,then we believe that we should be doing what he or she is doing,so we can be like them.In the area of morality this is especially critical. One canexpect a child to lie if he hears his parent lying (Quran 9:119).If a parent cheats in a game, the child learns that cheating isokay (83:1-4). A parent who has a little “innocent” wine withdinner teaches his or her children that wine is good, and drinkingis acceptable (2:219). Parents who flirt outside of their marriagecan expect a child to pick up both the habit and the implications(17:32). When a cashier returns too much money to aparent, the way the parent handles the situation teaches thechild a profound lesson.Even something as simple as the movies we watch, the bookswe read or the songs we listen to impart moral lessons to ourchildren. In today’s society, I believe it is particularly importantto deliver the right message to the very young. As childrenget older, the parents can talk about what they are seeing orhearing, but a very young child just absorbs what is going onwithout any intellectual assessment.The old saying “Do as I say, not as I do,” does not work withchildren, especially when they are very young. We learn to dowhat we see our parents doing, in spite of what they may sayto us.My own family is a good example of the way in which themodeling affects children in this area. My parents were notreligious, but were very moral in the way that they treatedother people. They were honest and would never have evenconsidered cheating others. They were charitable and bothwere very hard workers.I believe that it was from that basic modeling that I, theirchild, drew the values that have made me who I am.

True Power | 189RighteousnessRighteousness is not turning your faces towards the eastor the west. Righteous are those who believe in God,the Last Day, the angels, the scripture, and the prophets; andthey give the money, cheerfully, to the relatives, the orphans,the needy, the traveling alien, the beggars, and to free the slaves;and they observe the Contact Prayers (Salat) and givethe obligatory charity (Zakat); and they keep their wordwhenever they make a promise; and they steadfastly perseverein the face of persecution, hardship, and war.These are the truthful; these are the righteous.(Quran: The Final Testament 2:177)This verse defines righteousness for us. Notice that righteousnessis not a matter of following a lot of ritual, or being prominentin a religious community. It is a much more private thing,something of the heart. It requires belief in God, the hereafter,the angels, the scripture and the messengers. And it requiresone to be charitable, to observe the prayers, to keep contractsand promises and to be steadfast.Again, all of these traits are best taught by modeling. A childwho sees his parents praying and is encouraged to join them,one who is taught to be charitable by example and instruction,one who sees his parents’ steadfastness and trustworthiness hasthe best modeling possible to follow.I always feel a little thrill when a tiny person joins ourprayer. There is something special and precious to me about theprayer of little children.Children are often drawn to the Contact Prayer (Salat), andmany children have a tendency toward charity. Almost all childrenare naturally honest (often embarrassingly so!), until theylearn to be otherwise.Of course, each child is an individual. And as they growinto maturity, each must find his or her own relationship withGod. Many will go through a period of exploration and rebel-

190 | Women’s Rights, the Quran and Islamlion. I believe that is part of human nature. However, the valuesthat are instilled when they were tiny children will alwaysbe there for them to return to.GratitudeProbably the most influential television program I have everwatched was one I caught by accident when I was home fromwork sick, depressed about my life, and generally feeling sorryfor myself. I was bored and turned on the TV looking for justabout anything to watch.Thankfully, I caught the last part of an Oprah Winfrey programwhere she talked about keeping a Gratitude Journal. Sherecommended writing at least one thing you are grateful forevery day, even if all you can write is “I’m grateful I can write.”I realized how far I had fallen from my normal sense of gratitude,and how much that was affecting my mood and my health.Indeed, God tells us that gratitude is crucial. One of myfavorite verses makes this very clear:Your Lord has decreed: “The more you thank Me,the more I give you.” But if you turn unappreciative,then My retribution is severe.(Quran: The Final Testament 14:7)You may be thinking, “Sure it is easy to be thankful whenthings are good, but things have been so bad lately….” However,this verse comes right after Moses is reminding his peopleof the terrible trial they went through when Pharaoh was“slaughtering your sons and sparing your daughters.” Fortunately,few of us must go through such terrible trials. Yet, how manyof us are ever grateful enough for all of the blessings God bestowson us?In fact, there are many blessings that we probably don’t evennotice. When was the last time we thanked God for keeping theenergy from the sun from burning up the earth? Or when havewe remembered that it was just a short time ago that all people

True Power | 191grew up without electricity and running water, and a greatmany still do? Do we ever think to be thankful that polio is nolonger the great crippler of children? There are millions of thingsthat we never even think about, much less are grateful for.Gratitude, like almost everything else, is first taught by modeling.When we express our gratitude both in front of and toour children, that modeling is stronger than anything we cansay to them about being grateful.I have a friend whose mother is one of the most negativepeople I’ve ever known. Her daughter has been Muslim formany, many years but constantly has to fight the negativityshe learned from her mother, sometimes failing for long periodsof time. Sadly, most people from similar situations do noteven realize the toxic nature of such negativity, and they gothrough their entire life in a cloud of negative misery. I believethat Oprah Winfrey’s show was so powerful for me becauseshe was sharing with the general public the miraculous healingthat gratitude can bring.EducationThe Quran never speaks of educational institutions like schoolsor colleges. However, it often speaks of learning. In fact, the firstrevelation was:Read, in the name of your Lord, who created.He created man from an embryo.Read, and your Lord, Most Exalted.Teaches by means of the pen.He teaches man what he never knew.(Quran: The Final Testament 96:1-5)As we saw in Chapter 18, reading the Quran is an importantaspect of being Muslim. Moreover, we must read for ourown understanding, we must think about what we read. Thisis clear in the following verse:

192 | Women’s Rights, the Quran and IslamYou shall not accept any information, unless you verify itfor yourself. I have given you the hearing, the eyesight,and the brain, and you are responsible for using them.(Quran: The Final Testament 17:36)Thus, we cannot just take what the scholars or religious leaderstell us. We must verify it for ourselves. This commandmentaffects all aspects of our lives, not just our religion. In order toverify things for ourselves, we must have enough knowledgeto be able to do so. In today’s modern world, I believe that formost of us acquiring that knowledge requires an education.Here also, what you model for your children is critical.When my older sister and I were young my mother had thetime to read to us every day. She often took us to the library.We saw her reading for her own enjoyment. By the time myyounger sister came along, my mother was working outside ofthe home and had little time to read to her or indulge in the literaryluxuries my older sister and I enjoyed. To this day, myolder sister and I are voracious readers, while my just as intelligentyounger sister rarely reads except what she must.CourtesyCourtesy is one of the things that make living in a group ofpeople bearable. God tells us in several places to treat each otherwell. Here, He tells us to greet each other courteously:When a (courteous) greetingIs offered you, meet itWith a greeting still moreCourteous, or (at least)Of equal courtesy.God takes careful accountOf all things.(The Holy Quran IV:86 [4:86])If you have ever been in a situation where people did notreturn your greeting, you will understand just how important

True Power | 193this commandment can be. It is most unsettling and can causea great deal of hostility.From my personal experience I believe that children wholearn basic courtesy have a great advantage over those who donot. Other people respond in kind when they are treated withcourtesy. Though it seems like a small thing, courtesy can makelife much more pleasurable.In this next verse, God tells us to treat each other “in the bestpossible manner:”Tell My servants to treat each other in the best possible manner,for the devil will always try to drive a wedge among them....(Quran: The Final Testament 17:53)Treating people well is always a good policy, spiritually andeven just from a selfish point of view. If you treat others well,they are much more apt to treat you well. This verse can referto courtesy, and leads into the next topic, tolerance.ToleranceMy parents came from fairly diverse backgrounds, and metin cosmopolitan San Francisco. Their life experiences taught themrespect for all cultures and peoples. They passed that respect on totheir children.As I mentioned in an earlier chapter, I think that it was theQuran’s principle of tolerance that first drew me to it. God tellsus that it does not matter what you call your religion, if you aresubmitting to God alone and lead a righteous life you will berewarded.Surely, those who believe,those who are Jewish, the converts,and the Christians; any of them who(1) believe in God and(2) believe in the Last Day, and(3) lead a righteous life, have nothing to fear,

194 | Women’s Rights, the Quran and Islamnor will they grieve.(Quran: The Final Testament 5:69 [and 2:62])The Quran teaches not only religious tolerance, but toleranceof racial and ethnic differences. In fact, God says those differencesare among His signs.Among His Signs.Is the creation of the heavensAnd the earth, and the variationsIn your languagesAnd your colours: verilyIn that are SignsFor those who know.(The Holy Quran XXX:22 [30:22])Finally, in this next verse God tells us why He made us asdifferent peoples.O people, we created you from the same male and female,and rendered you distinct peoples and tribes,that you may recognize one another. The best among you in thesight of God is the most righteous....(Quran: The Final Testament 49:13)We must recognize each other, and know that the differenceswe see are immaterial. They have nothing to do with who wereally are. Only our righteousness gives us value, and sets usapart in God’s eyes.FreedomOne of the great gifts that God has bestowed on us in theWest is freedom, especially freedom of religion. In fact theUnited States was founded on this critical freedom. This conceptis very Quranic:Let there be no compulsionIn religion: Truth stands out

True Power | 195Clear from Error: whoeverRejects Evil and believesIn God hath graspedThe most trustworthyHand-hold, that never breaks....(The Holy Quran II:256 [2:256])The word “Islam” simply means “submission,” submissionto God. Religious freedom is critical for true Islam, true submissionto God. God makes it very clear that He has decreed differentlaws and rites for different faiths.....For each of you, we have decreed laws and different rites.Had God willed, He could have made you one congregation.But He thus puts you to the test through the revelationsHe has given each of you. You shall compete in righteousness....(Quran: The Final Testament 5:48)God tests us through the differences in our faiths. It is ourduty to research for ourselves, to study and investigate, thentake the best. That is how God describes the believers:They are the ones who examine all words, then follow the best.These are the ones whom God has guided; these are the oneswho possess intelligence.(Quran: The Final Testament 39:18)To really submit, one needs to be free in all ways. Otherwise,how can you tell whether you are submitting because you areconvinced that it is right, or because that is all the societyallows you to do?Oppression is a horrible thing!!!!You may kill those who wage war against you, and you mayevict them whence they evicted you.Oppression is worse than murder....(Quran: The Final Testament 2:191—emphasis added)

196 | Women’s Rights, the Quran and IslamI have placed emphasis on the statement “Oppression is worsethan murder” because it is such an important concept. It is criticalfor all of us to know and teach this to our children. As soonas we allow oppression, we are killing the best of the society.This is true with the oppression of any group of people,whether based on gender, race, religion, etc.EqualityThroughout this book we have seen that men and womenare equal in God’s eyes. In this chapter we have seen that, asRashad Khalifa translates it: “The best among you in the sight ofGod is the most righteous” (Quran: The Final Testament 49:13.)This equality in the sight of God applies to all people, no matterwhat their social status:Those among you who cannot afford to marry free believingwomen, may marry believing slave women.God knows best about your belief, and you are equal to oneanother, as far as belief is concerned….(Quran: The Final Testament 4:25)Thus, it does not matter if we are male or female; white,black or brown; free or slave—we are all ultimately judged byour righteousness alone. We are all equal, though we may notbe treated equally. That is where mothers come in. Teachingequality is one of the most powerful things a woman can do.She may not see equal treatment in her own life, but for herchildren and her grandchildren, she has left a priceless legacy.As the guardians and teachers of our own culture, womenhave an unequalled opportunity to create major social change.It may not be immediate, but it will be long lasting. We owe itto ourselves, and even more to our children, to teach them thebasic Quranic principles of Morality, Righteousness, Gratitude,Education, Courtesy, Tolerance, Freedom and Equality.

True Power | 197A couple of years ago all the employees of my organization saw anamazing video by Jane Elliott. It illustrated the old maxim “you getwhat you expect,” but with an unexpected twist. This video convincedme that it is critical to treat everyone in the society with equality andrespect if you want to have a productive society. Here are my impressionsfrom that video.Blue-Eyes Brown-EyesJane Elliott was teaching fourth grade when Martin LutherKing was assassinated. Dr. King had been one of the people theyhad studied as a “Hero of the Month” in their class. The kidswere very confused by the assassination and in trying to answertheir questions, Jane Elliott devised a demonstration for themof what prejudice is. Later she arranged to have the exercisefilmed by an outside camera crew, and repeated it. We got tosee this film of children actually going through the exercise inthe late 1960’s.Jane Elliott divided the class into two groups, based on eyecolor. On the first day the children with brown eyes were “ontop.” They got extra recess time, and the entire class was toldhow good and intelligent the children with brown eyes were.Their successes were praised. They got to boss around the blueeyedchildren, and they took full advantage of the privilege.To make identifying kids from a distance easier, the kids withblue eyes had to wear a special collar. The class was told that theblue-eyed kids were unintelligent, lazy, and not trustworthy.They could not drink directly from the drinking fountain, norhave a second helping at lunch.Surprisingly, the brown-eyed children really excelled, evenwhere it seemed impossible. Dyslexic kids could suddenly spellwords they had never been able to spell and read words theyhad never been able to read. Conversely, normally bright, selfconfidentblue-eyed children became uncertain, timid underachievers.The results were profound.

198 | Women’s Rights, the Quran and IslamThe next day the roles were reversed. The blue-eyed childrenwere “on top” and received the preferential treatment.They got to take off their collars and put them on the browneyedchildren. Now it was their turn to be the bosses, and theirbehavior toward their former oppressors was no different fromwhat they had received. Again, the change in position reflectedin the kid’s academic performance and sense of self worth.This exercise deeply affected the children involved. For many,it changed their attitudes for life.Just watching the video had an enormous effect on me. Itmade me realize how very critical it is to treat people well, toencourage and treat them with courtesy. In short, it made merealize that when you treat people in the best possible manner,as the Quran commands, you enable them to be their very best,and thus to contribute the most to society.From a purely selfish standpoint, it only makes sense toenable all people, regardless of their race, sex, age, religion,ethnic background, etc., to do their very best. A productivesociety is a benefit for all of its members.It is one thing to watch a video like the one described above, it isquite another to have lived “the script.” In my years as a Muslim Ihave been blessed to meet some of the most beautiful sisters imaginablewho have come through the smelter of racial prejudice, refined andpurified to a degree that puts me to shame. Here is the story of onesuch sister.Muslim Sister / African AmericanIt is a complex task to explain what happens with AfricanAmericans who embrace Islam as their religion. There are clearlycultural differences from those born in countries where Islamis in widespread practice but there are also understandings

True Power | 199about race and this U.S. society that those who are not fromthis country have difficulty understanding. To live a doubleconsciousness of who you are not only as a person but as ablack person is a challenge. We speak as equal souls from Allahbut also as marginalized, historically second class citizens inthis society. African Americans who say “Allah” to referenceGod are often the first in their family to be called Muslim. Increasinglywe reflect second generation Muslims. There are hundredsof thousands of us. However, the growth in the numbersdoes not necessarily reflect a comfortable transition to Islam. Infact, for some it has been a difficult journey in many respects,one that reflects a great deal of struggle to hold onto the ropeof Allah’s mercy.The message of worshipping God alone and adhering to theteachings of the Quran was shared with me more than 13 yearsago by a wonderful sister from Egypt. But I declared a belief inworshipping one God, was making salat, fasting and strivingto be a Muslim more than 16 years before that. Washington D.C.,my birthplace, was like many urban settings, home to thousandsof African Americans who embraced Islam as practicedby Africans, Arabs, Persians and the Nation of Islam. In theearly sixties and seventies more than a dozen small, community-basedmasjids (mosques) were established in Washington byAfrican Americans. Houses, store fronts and even apartmentswere places of congregational worship right along with thelarger masjids established by the Nation of Islam and those primarilyservicing immigrant brothers and sisters. This periodreflected a searching time in the African American community.Nationally and internationally, black people were interestedin combating the lasting effects of a society based on whitesupremacy, racial inferiority, and wealth held in the hands ofa few. The vast majority of blacks worked low-income jobs tobarely escape the grip of poverty.In 1970, a friend from college asked me to come to one ofthese masjids in a big warehouse and there I saw a group ofblack men and women reciting, standing, bowing and pros-

200 | Women’s Rights, the Quran and Islamtrating on the floor. Their words were meaningless to me butthere was clearly a sense of unity of movement and voice. Mycuriosity was stirred but when I asked one of the women whatthey were doing she said so many unfamiliar words that Imerely nodded. (Months later I came to know those words aspractices in my own worship: khalima, salat, fajr, dhur, asr, maghrib,isha, zakat, seyam and hajj.) She had shared what she knewof the familiar ‘pillars’ of Islam and had overwhelmed me. Nevertheless,I stayed around the group. A few months later myfriend from college became my husband and we parented twosons. We were not introduced to hadith and sunnah [sunna] traditionsand were told that our worship reflected verses fromthe Quran. It was, for me, in my early twenties, an affirmationof what I already had known as a child raised as a Baptist andthen Jehovah’s Witness, God is! But so what? These earlier Christianteachings had not addressed race, class and gender oppression.These issues concerned me as a young black womanraised in the era of the civil rights struggle, the Pan Africanistmovement and women’s fight for equal treatment under thelaw. I could now practice a religion wherein God cared aboutmy belief but also my life as a black woman.As I studied the Quran I made connections between who wewere as submitters and who we were as African Americans. Thebook spoke of oppression and injustice and God’s love for thosewho fight against injustice. I began linking belief in God to anunderstanding of what many African Americans experience onan everyday basis—racism in an historically unjust, classist society.Islam provided answers: How can we raise our families,how to conduct business, why there is so much violence, andhow can we respond. Another sister and I started a school forour little community’s children. We understood the importanceof educating our children with a different belief system.We wanted our children to learn about reading, mathematics,science and social studies but not from a traditional nonreligiouscurriculum. We wanted them to develop a love for Allahand the things created by God, to be comfortable stopping andpraying in the day, to be reinforced by the day to day Muslim

True Power | 201fellowship an educational setting can support. I began to understandthe importance of studying the Quran and Allah’s systemof creation.What I did not understand was marriage in Islam. My husbandwanted to be married to someone else, pursued the relationshipand I left the group of brothers and sisters. I wentback to live in my mother’s home with my two small children.Confused, hurt and struggling, I started attending one of thelargest masjids [mosques] in Washington, D.C., the Islamic Center.The Islamic Center, built on embassy row, had muslimsattending prayers from all over the world, from Pakistan andIndonesia to the Sudan and Sweden. Over the next four yearsI went back to college, married again and got a bachelor’s degreein education. Working with a group of ‘sunni ’ muslims we establisheda school and summer camp at the Islamic center. It wasone of the largest muslim operated schools in the city, educatingprimarily African American children but also a few Iranianchildren. We surmised that many of the ‘foreign’ born muslimswere afraid to entrust their children’s education to black people.But the Iranians were not. They trusted us to care for theirchildren, volunteered to work with us and saw supporting theschool as their Islamic responsibility. My husband began workingat the Iranian embassy and began to study Shiite Islam. Severalother African American families began to contrast the practicesof Shiite and Sunni Islam and left one practice for theother, finding the message of the Iranians a more politicizedone that actively fought against the capitalist mindset of USculture. While my husband fully embraced the Shiite teachingsand traveled to Iran’s holy city of Qum, I remained ambivalentand continued to practice Islam the way I thought the Africansand Arabs did—the sunnah. But several events came togetherto change all that.Through friends I was encouraged to read a new translationof the Quran by Rashad Khalifa. It altered my life. Along withseveral other muslim brothers and sisters we began a regularstudy Quranic group at the home of my friend from Egypt. Theteaching of hadith and sunnah soon stood in conflict to what I

202 | Women’s Rights, the Quran and Islamread in the Quran. A small contingency of African Americansfrom Pittsburgh, New York and Washington D.C. attended thefirst national conference of submitters in San Francisco. We wereinspired by the camaraderie. Back home, my husband was furious.He was angry that I no longer wanted to practice Islamaccording to what we had learned at the Islamic Center, orwith followers of the Iranian leader, Imam Khomeini. I stoppedcovering my head; I changed my salat, no longer saying thefamiliar words of blessing on prophet Muhammed in my prayers.Perhaps what was even greater than his anger about my worshipwas that he wanted to be involved with another woman.He had met someone and again I was not going to be in apolygamous relationship. Despite more than twelve years togetherand four sons, we divorced. He remarried immediately.My sons remained in our family home with their father andhis new wife. Confused, hurt and struggling I went, once again,back to my mother’s house. But this time I was better prepared,I had the message of worshipping God alone. I had a degree ineducation and began teaching in the public schools. Allahblessed me so much. I was offered a fellowship to do my Master’sstudies at Miami University in Ohio. It was with great difficultythat I accepted the offer because it would mean leavingmy children in another city but Allah blessed me with supportand encouragement from all my friends. I not only receivedmy master’s but continued to study and got a doctorate as well.Every month I would drive back to Washington, D.C. to be withmy children, fellow submitters, to attend Jumaa prayers and getrevitalized in spirit.Allah has continued my blessings and I am now a tenuredfaculty member at a Midwest University. Four of my sons livewith me, make Jumaa prayers in our home, and sometimesshare the message of worshipping Allah alone with their friends.They too struggle with their identities and the images that thelarger society has of African American males. As their motherI have many concerns that they may stray from the righteouspath—the availability of drugs in our community, police bru-

True Power | 203tality, promiscuity—but I maintain them in my prayers, knowingthat Allah is the protector and guide.There isn’t much in the literature about African AmericanMuslim women. By “not much” I mean in comparison to thethousands of books, articles, and personal memoirs written by,and about, white women and their religious convictions. Closingthe gap is an important task because the folklore surroundingblack women’s lives are filled with whore stories, bitchtales, and matriarch myths. The mediated textual imagery andthe printed literature is grossly exaggerated because the realtruth is that many African American women are deeply religiousand have held onto their beliefs in God because it is theonly way to survive and be successful.—Khaula, U.S.A.

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ConclusionLooking back at those first days and months and years whenI read the Quran, certain that I could not become a Muslimbecause I knew Islam was unfair to women, I am reminded ofmy favorite Nasrudin story. Nasrudin is a folk hero knownthroughout the Muslim world. He is known by many names.He is called Mullah Nasrudin, Nasreddin Hodja or just Hodja,among others. The tales of his hilarious adventures brightenthe days of countless people.This story is one of the Turkish versions, told by a wonderfulTurkish brother in one of his khutbahs (or short talks givenduring the Friday congregational prayer). I hope my retellingwill be as enjoyable as his was.One evening after dinner, Hodja told his wife, “Tomorrow Iwill work in the wheat field, unless it is raining. If it is raining,I will go gather firewood in the woods.”She replied, “Say ‘In Shã Allah’ (‘God willing’), as the Qurantells us to do.”“Look,” he answered, “it is not a question of whether or notGod is willing. I have decided what I will do. Either it will rainor not. In either case I know what I will do.”She continued to argue with him for a short while, and thenjust gave up and went to bed.The next morning was bright and sunny. Hodja headed forthe wheat field. He was in such a hurry that he did not evenstop to eat any breakfast.On the road he met a group of soldiers. “Hey, old man, howdo we get to the next village?” they asked him.He really did not have time for such things, so he lied, “I donot know.”“Maybe this will help you remember,” they said as theybegan to beat him with their sticks.205

206 | Women’s Rights, the Quran and Islam“Oh, now I remember,” he screamed, but it was too late. Hehad made them angry, and they forced him to lead them to thenext village.It was a long way off, and the trail was rough and steep. Onthe way it began to rain. By the time they got to the next villageHodja was thoroughly soaked, muddy and very sore. Finallythey let him turn around and head for home.He finally got home about midnight. He banged on thedoor, hoping to wake his wife. Sleepily she called out, “Who isit?”“It’s me, Hodja...In Shã Allah!”Like Hodja, I was certain of what I knew. I knew that Islamwas unfair to women, and that I could never be a Muslim. I didnot say “In Shã Allah,” And God mercifully proved me wrong,and guided me.I hope the previous chapters have demonstrated how wrongI was. Islam, as practiced from the Quran, is totally fair towomen, and to everyone else. It is a religion of tolerance, justiceand freedom.Now I say I am Muslim, “In Shã Allah.” As I have slowly andconsciously handed my life more and more over to God, I havebecome more and more contented. It did not happen immediately,as God explains in this verse:We will certainly put you to the test, in order to distinguishthose among you who strive, and steadfastly persevere.We must expose your true qualities.(Quran: The Final Testament 47:31)Yes, we will be tested, not to show God who we really are,but to show ourselves. God already knows. If we continue to“strive and steadfastly persevere,” truly trying to submit our willto God’s will, there comes a point where certainty of who Hereally is enters our heart. I believe that as that happens, heavenbegins here:

Conclusion | 207Those who proclaim: “Our Lord is God,” then lead a righteouslife, the angels descend upon them: “You shall have no fear, norshall you grieve. Rejoice in the good news that Paradise has beenreserved for you. “We are your allies in this life, and in theHereafter. You will have in it anything you wish for; you willhave anything you want.”(Quran: The Final Testament 41:30-31)Rashad Khalifa puts the subtitle “Perfect Happiness: Now andForever ” above these verses.I have seen the truth of these verses manifesting in the livesof others. I see it happening in my own life, praise God. I hopeit is happening in yours, whether or not you call yourself Muslim.

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Appendix 1Quran Verse TranslationsThese are the verses refered to or quoted in the text. Youwill find them here in their numerical order, not in the orderthat they are quoted. They have been taken from WinQT, aQuranic search program available at the following Web site:www.submission.org. This program uses the text from RashadKhalifa’s translation, 1992 edition and includes his subtitles andfootnotes. Please note that I am leaving the format for theseverses as they come off of WinQT. You will find that the word“God” is in all caps. Rashad Khalifa used that to highlight theword, and showed the cumulative count and sum of chapterand verse numbers at the bottom of each of his pages. Thisdemonstrates the fact that the number of occurrences and thetotals of the chapter and verse numbers where the word ‘God’appears are both multiples of 19, as mentioned in Appendix 3.[1:1] In the name of GOD, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.**1:1 The first verse in the Quran represents the foundation upon which a superhuman19-based mathematical miracle is built. This important statement consistsof 19 Arabic letters, and every word in it occurs in the whole Quran in multiplesof 19 (see Appendices 1 & 29 for the details).*1:1-7 Sura 1 is God’s gift to us to establish contact with Him through the dailyContact Prayers. This fact is supported by an earth-shattering, simple-to-understand-but-impossible-to-imitatemathematical composition that challenges thegreatest mathematicians on earth, and stumps them; it is far beyond humancapabilities:(1) The sura number, followed by the numbers of verses, next to each other, give1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7. This number is a multiple of 19.(2) If we substitute the number of letters per verse in place of the verse numbers,we get 1 19 17 12 11 19 18 43. This number is also a multiple of 19.(3) If we insert the total gematrical value of every verse, we get 1 19 786 17 58112 618 11 241 19 836 18 1072 43 6009. This number is a multiple of 19.209

210 | Women’s Rights, the Quran and IslamVerse No. No. of Letters Gematrical Value1 19 7862 17 5813 12 6184 11 2415 19 8366 18 10727 43 6009Totals 139 10143(4) The number shown above includes all parameters of Sura 1 and consists of 38digits (19x2).(5) It is noteworthy that this 38-digit number is still divisible by 19 when wewrite its components backward, from right to left, as practiced by the Arabs.Thus, 6009 43 1072 18 836 19 241 11 618 12 581 17 786 19 1 is also a multipleof 19.(6) The mathematical representations mentioned above participate in numerousextraordinary mathematical phenomena to confirm all details of the five dailyContact Prayers (Appendix 15).(7) Many more astounding phenomena are given in Appendix One. Thus, thereader is handed, at the outset, tangible proof that this is God’s message to theworld.[1:2] Praise be to GOD, Lord of the universe.[1:3] Most Gracious, Most Merciful.[1:4] Master of the Day of Judgment.[1:5] You alone we worship; You alone we ask for help.[1:6] Guide us in the right path;[1:7] the path of those whom You blessed; not of those who havedeserved wrath, nor of the strayers.[2:34] When we said to the angels, "Fall prostrate before Adam," they fellprostrate, except Satan; he refused, was too arrogant, and a disbeliever.[2:35] We said, "O Adam, live with your wife in Paradise, and eat therefromgenerously, as you please, but do not approach this tree, lest you sin."[2:36] But the devil duped them, and caused their eviction therefrom. Wesaid, "Go down as enemies of one another. On Earth shall be your habitationand provision for awhile."Kill Your Ego*[2:54] Recall that Moses said to his people, "O my people, you havewronged your souls by worshiping the calf. You must repent to your Cre-

Appendix 1 | 211ator. You shall kill your egos. This is better for you in the sight of your Creator."He did redeem you. He is the Redeemer, Most Merciful.*2:54 It is the ego that led to Satan's fall. It is the ego that caused our exile to thisworld, and it is the ego that is keeping most of us from redemption to God'sKingdom.Unity of All Submitters[2:62] Surely, those who believe, those who are Jewish, the Christians,and the converts; anyone who (1) believes in GOD, and (2) believes in theLast Day, and (3) leads a righteous life, will receive their recompense fromtheir Lord. They have nothing to fear, nor will they grieve.All Believers Are Redeemed, / Regardless of the Name of Their Religion[2:111] Some have said, “No one will enter Paradise except Jews or Christians!”Such is their wishful thinking. Say, “Show us your proof, if you areright.”Submission: The Only Religion[2:112] Indeed, those who submit themselves absolutely to GOD alone,while leading a righteous life, will receive their recompense from their Lord;they have nothing to fear, nor will they grieve.**2:111-112 See 2:62 and 5:69.[2:128] "Our Lord, make us submitters to You, and from our descendantslet there be a community of submitters to You. Teach us the rites of our religion,and redeem us. You are the Redeemer, Most Merciful.[2:130] Who would forsake the religion of Abraham, except one whofools his own soul? We have chosen him in this world, and in the Hereafterhe will be with the righteous.No Distinction Among God’s Messengers[2:136] Say, “We believe in GOD, and in what was sent down to us, andin what was sent down to Abraham, Ismail, Isaac, Jacob, and the Patriarchs;and in what was given to Moses and Jesus, and all the prophets from theirLord. We make no distinction among any of them. To Him alone we aresubmitters.”Righteousness Defined[2:177] Righteousness is not turning your faces towards the east or thewest. Righteous are those who believe in GOD, the Last Day, the angels, thescripture, and the prophets; and they give the money, cheerfully, to the relatives,the orphans, the needy, the traveling alien, the beggars, and to free theslaves; and they observe the Contact Prayers (Salat) and give the obligatorycharity (Zakat); and they keep their word whenever they make a promise;and they steadfastly persevere in the face of persecution, hardship, and war.These are the truthful; these are the righteous.

212 | Women’s Rights, the Quran and IslamWrite A Will[2:180] It is decreed that when death approaches, you shall write a willfor the benefit of the parents and relatives, equitably. This is a duty upon therighteous.Fasting Emphasized and Modified*[2:183] O you who believe, fasting is decreed for you, as it was decreedfor those before you, that you may attain salvation.*2:183-187 Like all duties in Submission, fasting was decreed through Abraham(22:78, Appendices 9 & 15). Prior to revelation of the Quran, sexual intercoursewas prohibited throughout the fasting period. This rule is modified in 2:187 toallow intercourse during the nights of Ramadan.[2:184] Specific days (are designated for fasting); if one is ill or traveling,an equal number of other days may be substituted. Those who can fast, butwith great difficulty, may substitute feeding one poor person for each day ofbreaking the fast. If one volunteers (more righteous works), it is better. Butfasting is the best for you, if you only knew.[2:185] Ramadan is the month during which the Quran was revealed,providing guidance for the people, clear teachings, and the statute book.Those of you who witness this month shall fast therein. Those who are ill ortraveling may substitute the same number of other days. GOD wishes foryou convenience, not hardship, that you may fulfill your obligations, and toglorify GOD for guiding you, and to express your appreciation.Rules of War*[2:190] You may fight in the cause of GOD against those who attack you,but do not aggress. GOD does not love the aggressors.*2:190 All fighting is regulated by the basic rule in 60:8-9. Fighting is allowedstrictly in self-defense, while aggression and oppression are strongly condemnedthroughout the Quran.[2:191] You may kill those who wage war against you, and you may evictthem whence they evicted you. Oppression is worse than murder. Do notfight them at the Sacred Masjid, unless they attack you therein. If they attackyou, you may kill them. This is the just retribution for those disbelievers.The Four Months of Hajj / (Zul-Hijjah, Muharram, Safar, & Rabi I)[2:197] Hajj shall be observed in the specified months.* Whoever sets outto observe Hajj shall refrain from sexual intercourse, misconduct, and argumentsthroughout Hajj. Whatever good you do, GOD is fully aware thereof.As you prepare your provisions for the journey, the best provision is righteousness.You shall observe Me, O you who possess intelligence.*2:197 Hajj can be observed any time during the Sacred Months: Zul-Hijjah,Muharram, Safar, and Rabi I. Local governments restrict Hajj to a few days fortheir own convenience. See 9:37[2:198] You commit no error by seeking provisions from your Lord

Appendix 1 | 213(through commerce). When you file from `Arafaat, you shall commemorateGOD at the Sacred Location (of Muzdalifah). You shall commemorate Himfor guiding you; before this, you had gone astray.[2:199] You shall file together, with the rest of the people who file, andask GOD for forgiveness. GOD is Forgiver, Most Merciful.Recipients of Charity[2:215] They ask you about giving: say, "The charity you give shall go tothe parents, the relatives, the orphans, the poor, and the traveling alien." Anygood you do, GOD is fully aware thereof.Believers: The Ultimate Victors[2:216] Fighting may be imposed on you, even though you dislike it. Butyou may dislike something which is good for you, and you may like somethingwhich is bad for you. GOD knows while you do not know.Oppression Condemned[2:217] They ask you about the Sacred Months and fighting therein: say,"Fighting therein is a sacrilege. However, repelling from the path of GODand disbelieving in Him and in the sanctity of the Sacred Masjid, and evictingits people, are greater sacrileges in the sight of GOD. Oppression is worsethan murder." They will always fight you to revert you from your religion, ifthey can. Those among you who revert from their religion, and die as disbelievers,have nullified their works in this life and the Hereafter. These are thedwellers of Hell, wherein they abide forever.Intoxicants and Gambling Prohibited*[2:219] They ask you about intoxicants and gambling: say, “In them thereis a gross sin, and some benefits for the people. But their sinfulness far outweighstheir benefit.” They also ask you what to give to charity: say, “Theexcess.” GOD thus clarifies the revelations for you, that you may reflect,*2:219 The world now recognizes that the economic benefits from manufacturingalcoholic beverages and illicit drugs are not worth the traffic fatalities, braindamage to children of alcoholic mothers, family crises, and other disastrous consequences.Check with “Alcoholics Anonymous” and “Gamblers Anonymous”for more information. See also 5:90-91.[2:220] upon this life and the Hereafter. And they ask you about theorphans: say, “Bringing them up as righteous persons is the best you can dofor them. If you mix their property with yours, you shall treat them as familymembers.” GOD knows the righteous and the wicked. Had GOD willed,He could have imposed harsher rules upon you. GOD is Almighty, MostWise.Do Not Marry Idol Worshipers[2:221] Do not marry idolatresses unless they believe; a believing womanis better than an idolatress, even if you like her. Nor shall you give your

214 | Women’s Rights, the Quran and Islamdaughters in marriage to idolatrous men, unless they believe. A believingman is better than an idolater, even if you like him. These invite to Hell,while GOD invites to Paradise and forgiveness, as He wills. He clarifies Hisrevelations for the people, that they may take heed.Menstruation[2:222] They ask you about menstruation: say, “It is harmful; you shallavoid sexual intercourse with the women during menstruation; do notapproach them until they are rid of it. Once they are rid of it, you may haveintercourse with them in the manner designed by GOD. GOD loves therepenters, and He loves those who are clean.”[2:223] Your women are the bearers of your seed. Thus, you may enjoythis privilege however you like, so long as you maintain righteousness. Youshall observe GOD, and know that you will meet Him. Give good news tothe believers.Laws of Divorce[2:226] Those who intend to divorce their wives shall wait four months(cooling off); if they change their minds and reconcile, then GOD is Forgiver,Merciful.[2:227] If they go through with the divorce, then GOD is Hearer, Knower.[2:228] The divorced women shall wait three menstruations (before marryinganother man). It is not lawful for them to conceal what GOD creates intheir wombs, if they believe in GOD and the Last Day. (In case of pregnancy,)the husband's wishes shall supersede the wife's wishes, if he wants toremarry her. The women have rights, as well as obligations, equitably. Thus,the man's wishes prevail (in case of pregnancy). GOD is Almighty, MostWise.[2:229] Divorce may be retracted twice. The divorced woman shall beallowed to live in the same home amicably, or leave it amicably. It is not lawfulfor the husband to take back anything he had given her. However, thecouple may fear that they may transgress GOD's law. If there is fear that theymay transgress GOD's law, they commit no error if the wife willingly givesback whatever she chooses. These are GOD's laws; do not transgress them.Those who transgress GOD's laws are the unjust.Do Not Throw the Divorcees Out Onto the Streets[2:231] If you divorce the women, once they fulfill their interim (threemenstruations), you shall allow them to live in the same home amicably, orlet them leave amicably. Do not force them to stay against their will, as arevenge. Anyone who does this wrongs his own soul. Do not take GOD'srevelations in vain. Remember GOD's blessings upon you, and that He sentdown to you the scripture and wisdom to enlighten you. You shall observeGOD, and know that GOD is aware of all things.

Appendix 1 | 215[2:233] Divorced mothers shall nurse their infants two full years, if thefather so wishes. The father shall provide the mother's food and clothingequitably. No one shall be burdened beyond his ability. No mother shall beharmed on account of her infant, nor shall the father be harmed because ofhis infant. (If the father dies), his inheritor shall assume these responsibilities.If the infant's parents mutually agree to part, after due consultation, theycommit no error by doing so. You commit no error by hiring nursing mothers,so long as you pay them equitably. You shall observe GOD, and knowthat GOD is Seer of everything you do.[2:235] You commit no sin by announcing your engagement to thewomen, or keeping it secret. GOD knows that you will think about them. Donot meet them secretly, unless you have something righteous to discuss. Donot consummate the marriage until their interim is fulfilled. You shouldknow that GOD knows your innermost thoughts, and observe Him. Youshould know that GOD is Forgiver, Clement.Breaking the Engagement[2:236] You commit no error by divorcing the women before touchingthem, or before setting the dowry for them. In this case, you shall compensatethem—the rich as he can afford and the poor as he can afford—an equitablecompensation. This is a duty upon the righteous.[2:237] If you divorce them before touching them, but after you had setthe dowry for them, the compensation shall be half the dowry, unless theyvoluntarily forfeit their rights, or the party responsible for causing thedivorce chooses to forfeit the dowry. To forfeit is closer to righteousness. Youshall maintain the amicable relations among you. GOD is Seer of everythingyou do.[2:239] Under unusual circumstances, you may pray while walking orriding. Once you are safe, you shall commemorate GOD as He taught youwhat you never knew.[2:241] The divorcees also shall be provided for, equitably. This is a dutyupon the righteous.No Compulsion in Religion[2:256] There shall be no compulsion in religion: the right way is now distinctfrom the wrong way. Anyone who denounces the devil and believes inGOD has grasped the strongest bond; one that never breaks. GOD is Hearer,Omniscient.What to Give[2:267] O you who believe, you shall give to charity from the good thingsyou earn, and from what we have produced for you from the earth. Do notpick out the bad therein to give away, when you yourselves do not accept it

216 | Women’s Rights, the Quran and Islamunless your eyes are closed. You should know that GOD is Rich, Praiseworthy.Anonymous Charity Better[2:270] Any charity you give, or a charitable pledge you fulfill, GOD isfully aware thereof. As for the wicked, they will have no helpers.[2:271] If you declare your charities, they are still good. But if you keepthem anonymous, and give them to the poor, it is better for you, and remitsmore of your sins. GOD is fully Cognizant of everything you do.God is the Only One Who Guides[2:272] You are not responsible for guiding anyone. GOD is the only onewho guides whoever chooses (to be guided). Any charity you give is for yourown good. Any charity you give shall be for the sake of GOD. Any charityyou give will be repaid to you, without the least injustice.Write Down Financial Transactions[2:282] O you who believe, when you transact a loan for any period, youshall write it down. An impartial scribe shall do the writing. No scribe shallrefuse to perform this service, according to GOD's teachings. He shall write,while the debtor dictates the terms. He shall observe GOD his Lord andnever cheat. If the debtor is mentally incapable, or helpless, or cannot dictate,his guardian shall dictate equitably. Two men shall serve as witnesses; if nottwo men, then a man and two women whose testimony is acceptable to all.*Thus, if one woman becomes biased, the other will remind her. It is the obligationof the witnesses to testify when called upon to do so. Do not tire ofwriting the details, no matter how long, including the time of repayment.This is equitable in the sight of GOD, assures better witnessing, and eliminatesany doubts you may have. Business transactions that you execute onthe spot need not be recorded, but have them witnessed. No scribe or witnessshall be harmed on account of his services. If you harm them, it would bewickedness on your part. You shall observe GOD, and GOD will teach you.GOD is Omniscient.*2:282 Financial transactions are the ONLY situations where two women maysubstitute for one man as witness. This is to guard against the real possibilitythat one witness may marry the other witness, and thus cause her to be biased. Itis a recognized fact that women are more emotionally vulnerable than men.[2:283] If you are traveling, and no scribe is available, a bond shall beposted to guarantee repayment. If one is trusted in this manner, he shallreturn the bond when due, and he shall observe GOD his Lord. Do not withholdany testimony by concealing what you had witnessed. Anyone whowithholds a testimony is sinful at heart. GOD is fully aware of everythingyou do.

Appendix 1 | 217You Shall Not Make Any Distinction Among God’s Messengers[2:285] The messenger has believed in what was sent down to him fromhis Lord, and so did the believers. They believe in GOD, His angels, Hisscripture, and His messengers: “We make no distinction among any of Hismessengers.” They say, “We hear, and we obey.* Forgive us, our Lord. ToYou is the ultimate destiny.”*2:285 One of the major commandments is: “You shall not make any distinctionamong God’s messengers” (2:136, 3:84, 4:150). The believers react by saying,“We hear and we obey,” while the idol worshipers argue back to justify theirinsistence upon mentioning Muhammad’s name next to God’s, to the exclusionof all other messengers. The corrupted Muslims mention Muhammad in theirprofession of faith (Shahaadah) and during their Contact Prayers (see 72:18).The Most Important Commandment*[3:18] GOD bears witness that there is no god except He, and so do theangels and those who possess knowledge. Truthfully and equitably, He isthe absolute god; there is no god but He, the Almighty, Most Wise.*3:18 The proclamation of faith (Shahaadah) that is decreed by God is: "There isno god except God," in Arabic "La Elaaha Ella Allah" (see also 37:35, 47:19).The corrupted Muslims insist upon adding a second "Shahaadah" proclaimingthat Muhammad is God's messenger. This is by definition "Shirk" (idolatry) anda flagrant defiance of God and His messenger. Additionally, it violates the majorcommandments in 2:136, 2:285, 3:84, & 4:150-152 prohibiting any distinctionamong God's messengers. By proclaiming that "Muhammad is a messenger ofGod," and failing to make the same proclamation for other messengers such asAbraham, Moses, Jesus, Saleh, and Jonah, a distinction is committed and a majorcommandment is violated.Submission: The Only Religion[3:19] The only religion approved by GOD is "Submission." Ironically,those who have received the scripture are the ones who dispute this fact,despite the knowledge they have received, due to jealousy. For such rejectorsof GOD's revelations, GOD is most strict in reckoning.[3:31] Proclaim: “If you love GOD, you should follow me.” GOD willthen love you, and forgive your sins. GOD is Forgiver, Most Merciful.[3:32] Proclaim: “You shall obey GOD and the messenger.” If they turnaway, GOD does not love the disbelievers.[3:37] Her Lord accepted her a gracious acceptance, and brought her upa gracious upbringing, under the guardianship of Zachariah. WheneverZachariah entered her sanctuary he found provisions with her. He wouldask, "Mary, where did you get this from?" She would say, "It is from GOD.GOD provides for whomever He chooses, without limits."The Birth of John[3:38] That is when Zachariah implored his Lord: "My Lord, grant me

218 | Women’s Rights, the Quran and Islamsuch a good child; You are the Hearer of the prayers."Mary and Jesus[3:42] The angels said, "O Mary, GOD has chosen you and purified you.He has chosen you from all the women.[3:52] When Jesus sensed their disbelief, he said, “Who are my supporterstowards GOD?” The disciples said, “We are GOD’s supporters; webelieve in GOD, and bear witness that we are submitters [muslims].”Only One Religion Approved by God[3:85] Anyone who accepts other than Submission as his religion, it willnot be accepted from him, and in the Hereafter, he will be with the losers.[3:92] You cannot attain righteousness until you give to charity from thepossessions you love. Whatever you give to charity, GOD is fully awarethereof.[3:194] "Our Lord, shower us with the blessings you promised usthrough Your messengers, and do not forsake us on the Day of Resurrection.You never break a promise."God Responds[3:195] Their Lord responded to them: "I never fail to reward any workeramong you for any work you do, be you male or female - you are equal toone another. Thus, those who immigrate, and get evicted from their homes,and are persecuted because of Me, and fight and get killed, I will surely remittheir sins and admit them into gardens with flowing streams." Such is thereward from GOD. GOD possesses the ultimate reward.Grounds For Polygamy*[4:3] If you deem it best for the orphans, you may marry their mothers -you may marry two, three, or four. If you fear lest you become unfair, thenyou shall be content with only one, or with what you already have. Additionally,you are thus more likely to avoid financial hardship.*4:3 See Appendix 30 for a detailed discussion on polygamy.[4:4] You shall give the women their due dowries, equitably. If they willinglyforfeit anything, then you may accept it; it is rightfully yours.Women's Inheritance Rights[4:7] The men get a share of what the parents and the relatives leavebehind. The women too shall get a share of what the parents and relativesleave behind. Whether it is a small or a large inheritance, (the women mustget) a definite share.If No Will Is Left*[4:11] GOD decrees a will for the benefit of your children; the male getstwice the share of the female.* If the inheritors are only women, more thantwo, they get two-thirds of what is bequeathed. If only one daughter is left,she gets one-half. The parents of the deceased get one-sixth of the inheritance

Appendix 1 | 219each, if the deceased has left any children. If he left no children, and his parentsare the only inheritors, the mother gets one-third. If he has siblings, thenthe mother gets one-sixth. All this, after fulfilling any will* the deceased hasleft, and after paying off all debts. When it comes to your parents and yourchildren, you do not know which of them is really the best to you and themost beneficial. This is GOD's law. GOD is Omniscient, Most Wise.*4:11 Generally, the son is responsible for a family, while the daughter is takencare of by a husband. However, the Quran recommends in 2:180 that a will shallbe left to conform with the specific circumstances of the deceased. For example, ifthe son is rich and the daughter is poor, one may leave a will giving the daughtereverything, or twice as much as the son.[4:16] The couple who commits adultery shall be punished.* If theyrepent and reform, you shall leave them alone. GOD is Redeemer, Most Merciful.[4:19] O you who believe, it is not lawful for you to inherit what thewomen leave behind, against their will. You shall not force them to give upanything you had given them, unless they commit a proven adultery. Youshall treat them nicely. If you dislike them, you may dislike somethingwherein GOD has placed a lot of good.Protection for Women[4:20] If you wish to marry another wife, in place of your present wife,and you had given any of them a great deal, you shall not take back anythingyou had given her. Would you take it fraudulently, maliciously, and sinfully?[4:21] How could you take it back, after you have been intimate witheach other, and they had taken from you a solemn pledge?Incest Forbidden[4:23] Prohibited for you (in marriage) are your mothers, your daughters,your sisters, the sisters of your fathers, the sisters of your mothers, thedaughters of your brother, the daughters of your sister, your nursing mothers,the girls who nursed from the same woman as you, the mothers of yourwives, the daughters of your wives with whom you have consummated themarriage—if the marriage has not been consummated, you may marry thedaughter. Also prohibited for you are the women who were married to yourgenetic sons. Also, you shall not be married to two sisters at the same time—but do not break up existing marriages. GOD is Forgiver, Most Merciful.[4:24] Also prohibited are the women who are already married, unlessthey flee their disbelieving husbands who are at war with you. These areGOD’s commandments to you. All other categories are permitted for you inmarriage, so long as you pay them their due dowries. You shall maintainyour morality, by not committing adultery. Thus, whoever you like amongthem, you shall pay them the dowry decreed for them. You commit no errorby mutually agreeing to any adjustments to the dowry. GOD is Omniscient,

220 | Women’s Rights, the Quran and IslamMost Wise.[4:25] Those among you who cannot afford to marry free believingwomen, may marry believing slave women. GOD knows best about yourbelief, and you are equal to one another, as far as belief is concerned. Youshall obtain permission from their guardians before you marry them, andpay them their due dowry equitably. They shall maintain moral behavior, bynot committing adultery, or having secret lovers. Once they are freedthrough marriage, if they commit adultery, their punishment shall be half ofthat for the free women.* Marrying a slave shall be a last resort for thoseunable to wait. To be patient is better for you. GOD is Forgiver, Most Merciful.*4:25 This law proves that the punishment for adultery could not possibly bestoning to death as stated in the laws of corrupted Muslims (see 24:2).Men and Women Endowed With Unique Qualities[4:32] You shall not covet the qualities bestowed upon each other byGOD; the men enjoy certain qualities, and the women enjoy certain qualities.You may implore GOD to shower you with His grace. GOD is fully aware ofall things.Do Not Beat Your Wife*[4:34] The men are made responsible for the women,** and GOD hasendowed them with certain qualities, and made them the bread earners. Therighteous women will cheerfully accept this arrangement, since it is GOD’scommandment, and honor their husbands during their absence. If you experiencerebellion from the women, you shall first talk to them, then (you mayuse negative incentives like) deserting them in bed, then you may (as a lastalternative) beat them. If they obey you, you are not permitted to transgressagainst them. GOD is Most High, Supreme.*4:34 God prohibits wife-beating by using the best psychological approach. Forexample, if I don’t want you to shop at Market X, I will ask you to shop at MarketY, then at Market Z, then, as a last resort, at Market X. This will effectivelystop you from shopping at Market X, without insulting you. Similarly, God providesalternatives to wife-beating; reasoning with her first, then employing certainnegative incentives. Remember that the theme of this sura is defending thewomen’s rights and countering the prevalent oppression of women. Any interpretationof the verses of this sura must be in favor of the women. This sura’stheme is “protection of women.”**4:34 This expression simply means that God is appointing the husband as“captain of the ship.” Marriage is like a ship, and the captain runs it after dueconsultation with his officers. A believing wife readily accepts God’s appointment,without mutiny.Marriage Arbitration[4:35] If a couple fears separation, you shall appoint an arbitrator fromhis family and an arbitrator from her family; if they decide to reconcile, GOD

Appendix 1 | 221will help them get together. GOD is Omniscient, Cognizant.Major Commandments[4:36] You shall worship GOD alone—do not associate anything withHim. You shall regard the parents, the relatives, the orphans, the poor, therelated neighbor, the unrelated neighbor, the close associate, the travelingalien, and your servants. GOD does not like the arrogant show-offs.What Nullifies Ablution[4:43] O you who believe, do not observe the Contact Prayers (Salat)while intoxicated, so that you know what you are saying. Nor after sexualorgasm without bathing, unless you are on the road, traveling; if you are illor traveling, or you had urinary or fecal-related excretion (such as gas), orcontacted the women (sexually), and you cannot find water, you shallobserve Tayammum (dry ablution) by touching clean dry soil, then wipingyour faces and hands therewith. GOD is Pardoner, Forgiver.Nothing Bad Comes From God[4:79] Anything good that happens to you is from GOD, and anythingbad that happens to you is from you. We have sent you as a messenger to thepeople,* and GOD suffices as witness.*4:79 Muhammad was not given any proof of prophethood. Hence the expression“God suffices as a witness” (29:51-52). The gematrical value of “Muhammad” is92, and 92+79=171=19x9.Proof of Divine Authorship[4:82] Why do they not study the Quran carefully? If it were from otherthan GOD, they would have found in it numerous contradictions.**4:82 Although the Quran was revealed during the dark ages, you cannot findany nonsense in it; another proof of divine authorship (see the Introduction andAppendix One).You Shall Be Courteous[4:86] When greeted with a greeting, you shall respond with a bettergreeting or at least an equal one. GOD reckons all things.[4:102] When you are with them, and lead the Contact Prayer (Salat) forthem, let some of you stand guard; let them hold their weapons, and let themstand behind you as you prostrate. Then, let the other group that has notprayed take their turn praying with you, while the others stand guard andhold their weapons. Those who disbelieved wish to see you neglect yourweapons and your equipment, in order to attack you once and for all. Youcommit no error, if you are hampered by rain or injury, by putting downyour weapons, so long as you remain alert. GOD has prepared for the disbelieversa shameful retribution.The Contact Prayers[4:103] Once you complete your Contact Prayer (Salat), you shall remem-

222 | Women’s Rights, the Quran and Islamber GOD while standing, sitting, or lying down.* Once the war is over, youshall observe the Contact Prayers (Salat); the Contact Prayers (Salat) aredecreed for the believers at specific times.*4:103 Your god is whoever or whatever occupies your mind most of the day. Inorder to belong in God’s kingdom, and enjoy His grace and protection, the Quranexhorts us to remember God “always’’ (2:152 & 200, 3:191, 33:41-42). This profoundfact explains the numerous verses asserting that “most’’ of those whobelieve in God are going to Hell (12:106, 23:84-89, 29:61-63, 31:25, 39:38,43:87). See Footnote 3:191 and Appendix 27.[4:104] Do not waver in pursuing the enemy. If you suffer, they also suffer.However, you expect from GOD what they never expect. GOD is Omniscient,Most Wise.[4:124] As for those who lead a righteous life, male or female, whilebelieving, they enter Paradise; without the slightest injustice.Divorce Discouraged[4:128] If a woman senses oppression or desertion from her husband, thecouple shall try to reconcile their differences, for conciliation is best for them.Selfishness is a human trait, and if you do good and lead a righteous life,GOD is fully Cognizant of everything you do.Polygamy Discouraged*[4:129] You can never be equitable in dealing with more than one wife,no matter how hard you try. Therefore, do not be so biased as to leave one ofthem hanging (neither enjoying marriage, nor left to marry someone else). Ifyou correct this situation and maintain righteousness, GOD is Forgiver, MostMerciful.*4:129 See Appendix 30, entitled "Polygamy."[4:130] If the couple must decide to part, GOD will provide for each ofthem from His bounties. GOD is Bounteous, Most Wise.You Shall Not Bear False Witness[4:135] O you who believe, you shall be absolutely equitable, and observeGOD, when you serve as witnesses, even against yourselves, or your parents,or your relatives. Whether the accused is rich or poor, GOD takes care ofboth. Therefore, do not be biased by your personal wishes. If you deviate ordisregard (this commandment), then GOD is fully Cognizant of everythingyou do.[5:5] Today, all good food is made lawful for you. The food of the peopleof the scripture is lawful for you. Also, you may marry the chaste womenamong the believers, as well as the chaste women among the followers ofprevious scripture, provided you pay them their due dowries. You shallmaintain chastity, not committing adultery, nor taking secret lovers. Anyonewho rejects faith, all his work will be in vain, and in the Hereafter he will bewith the losers.

Appendix 1 | 223Ablution[5:6] O you who believe, when you observe the Contact Prayers (Salat),you shall: (1) wash your faces, (2) wash your arms to the elbows, (3) wipeyour heads, and (4) wash your feet to the ankles. If you were unclean due tosexual orgasm, you shall bathe. If you are ill, or traveling, or had any digestiveexcretion (urinary, fecal, or gas), or had (sexual) contact with the women,and you cannot find water, you shall observe the dry ablution (Tayammum)by touching clean dry soil, then rubbing your faces and hands. GOD does notwish to make the religion difficult for you; He wishes to cleanse you and toperfect His blessing upon you, that you may be appreciative.Mathematical Proof Supports Quranic Justice[5:38] The thief, male or female, you shall mark their hands* as a punishmentfor their crime, and to serve as an example from GOD. GOD isAlmighty, Most Wise.*5:38 The practice of cutting off the thief's hand, as decreed by the false Muslims,is a satanic practice without Quranic basis. Due to the special importance of thisexample, God has provided mathematical proof in support of marking the handof the thief, rather than severing it. Verse 12:31 refers to the women who soadmired Joseph that they ``cut'' their hands. Obviously, they did not ``cut off''their hands; nobody can. The sum of sura and verse numbers are the same for5:38 and 12:31, i.e., 43. It is also the will and mercy of God that this mathematicalrelationship conforms with the Quran's 19-based code. Nineteen verses after12:31, we see the same word (12:50).[5:39] If one repents after committing this crime, and reforms, GODredeems him. GOD is Forgiver, Most Merciful.Honoring Previous Scripture[5:44] We have sent down the Torah,* containing guidance and light.Ruling in accordance with it were the Jewish prophets, as well as the rabbisand the priests, as dictated to them in GOD's scripture, and as witnessed bythem. Therefore, do not reverence human beings; you shall reverence Meinstead. And do not trade away My revelations for a cheap price. Those whodo not rule in accordance with GOD's revelations are the disbelievers.The Gospel of Jesus: Guidance and Light[5:46] Subsequent to them, we sent Jesus, the son of Mary, confirming theprevious scripture, the Torah. We gave him the Gospel, containing guidanceand light, and confirming the previous scriptures, the Torah, and augmentingits guidance and light, and to enlighten the righteous.Quran: The Ultimate Reference[5:48] Then we revealed to you this scripture, truthfully, confirming previousscriptures, and superseding them. You shall rule among them in accordancewith GOD's revelations, and do not follow their wishes if they differfrom the truth that came to you. For each of you, we have decreed laws and

224 | Women’s Rights, the Quran and Islamdifferent rites. Had GOD willed, He could have made you one congregation.But He thus puts you to the test through the revelations He has given eachof you. You shall compete in righteousness. To GOD is your final destiny -all of you - then He will inform you of everything you had disputed.Minimum Requirements For Salvation[5:69] Surely, those who believe, those who are Jewish, the converts, andthe Christians; any of them who (1) believe in GOD and (2) believe in the LastDay, and (3) lead a righteous life, have nothing to fear, nor will they grieve.[5:90] O you who believe, intoxicants, and gambling, and the altars ofidols, and the games of chance are abominations of the devil; you shall avoidthem, that you may succeed.Witnessing A Will[5:106] O you who believe, witnessing a will when one of you is dyingshall be done by two equitable people among you. If you are traveling, thentwo others may do the witnessing. After observing the Contact Prayer(Salat), let the witnesses swear by GOD, to alleviate your doubts: "We willnot use this to attain personal gains, even if the testator is related to us. Norwill we conceal GOD's testimony. Otherwise, we would be sinners."[5:107] If the witnesses are found to be guilty of bias, then two othersshall be asked to take their places. Choose two persons who were victimizedby the first witnesses, and let them swear by GOD: "Our testimony is moretruthful than theirs; we will not be biased. Otherwise, we will be transgressors."[5:108] This is more apt to encourage an honest testimony on their part,fearing that their oath may be disregarded like that of the previous witnesses.You shall observe GOD and listen. GOD does not guide the wicked.Animals and Birds: Submitting Creatures*[6:38] All the creatures on earth, and all the birds that fly with wings, arecommunities like you. We did not leave anything out of this book.** To theirLord, all these creatures will be summoned.*6:38 Animals were among the creatures who took advantage of God’s offer torepent after committing the original sin (see the Introduction).**6:38 All information relevant to our eternal life of the Hereafter is contained inthe Quran. The true believers accept, without hesitation, God’s assertion: “Wedid not leave anything out of this book.’’ The importance of this statement, andsimilar statements, is reflected in the fact that each of them consists of 19 Arabicletters (Appendix 19).Greatness of God[6:95] GOD is the One who causes the grains and the seeds to crack andgerminate. He produces the living from the dead, and the dead from theliving. Such is GOD; how could you deviate![6:96] At the crack of dawn, He causes the morning to emerge. He made

Appendix 1 | 225the night still, and He rendered the sun and the moon to serve as calculationdevices. Such is the design of the Almighty, the Omniscient.[6:97] And He is the One who made the stars to guide you during thedarkness, on land and on sea. We thus clarify the revelations for peoplewho know.[6:98] He initiated you from one person, and decided your path, as wellas your final destiny. We thus clarify the revelations for people whounderstand.[6:99] He is the One who sends down from the sky water, whereby weproduce all kinds of plants. We produce from the green material multitudesof complex grains, palm trees with hanging clusters, and gardensof grapes, olives and pomegranate; fruits that are similar, yet dissimilar.Note their fruits as they grow and ripen. These are signs for people whobelieve.Zakat Must Be Given “On The Day Of Harvest”*[6:141] He is the One who established gardens, trellised and untrellised,and palm trees, and crops with different tastes, and olives, and pomegranate—fruitsthat are similar, yet dissimilar. Eat from their fruits, and give thedue alms on the day of harvest,* and do not waste anything. He does not lovethe wasters.*6:141 Zakat charity is so important, the Most Merciful has restricted His mercyto those who give it (7:156). Yet, the corrupted Muslims have lost this mostimportant commandment; they give Zakat only once a year. We see here thatZakat must be given away “on the day we receive income.” The proportion thatcame to us through Abraham is 2.5% of our net income.[6:153] This is My path—a straight one. You shall follow it, and do notfollow any other paths, lest they divert you from His path. These are Hiscommandments to you, that you may be saved.[6:155] This too is a blessed scripture that we have revealed; you shall followit and lead a righteous life, that you may attain mercy.[6:156] Now you can no longer say, “The scripture was sent down to twogroups before us, and we were unaware of their teachings.”Mathematics: The Ultimate Proof*[6:157] Nor can you say, “If only a scripture could come down to us, wewould be better guided than they.” A proven scripture has now come to youfrom your Lord, and a beacon, and a mercy. Now, who is more evil than onewho rejects these proofs from GOD, and disregards them? We will committhose who disregard our proofs to the worst retribution for their heedlessness.*6:157 The role of the Quran’s mathematical code is evident from the fact that thesum of the verse number (157) plus the gematrical value of “Rashad Khalifa”(1230), through whom the code was revealed, gives 1387, or 19x73.

226 | Women’s Rights, the Quran and IslamRequirements For Attaining God’s Mercy / The Importance of ZakatReligious Sects Condemned[6:159] Those who divide themselves into sects do not belong with you.Their judgment rests with GOD, then He will inform them of everything theyhad done.[6:162] Say, "My Contact Prayers (Salat), my worship practices, my lifeand my death, are all devoted absolutely to GOD alone, the Lord of the universe.[6:163] "He has no partner. This is what I am commanded to believe, andI am the first to submit."[6:164] Say, "Shall I seek other than GOD as a lord, when He is the Lordof all things? No soul benefits except from its own works, and none bears theburden of another. Ultimately, you return to your Lord, then He informs youregarding all your disputes."[7:19] "As for you, Adam, dwell with your wife in Paradise, and eattherefrom as you please, but do not approach this one tree, lest you fall insin."[7:20] The devil whispered to them, in order to reveal their bodies, whichwere invisible to them. He said, "Your Lord did not forbid you from this tree,except to prevent you from becoming angels, and from attaining eternal existence."[7:21] He swore to them, "I am giving you good advice."[7:22] He thus duped them with lies. As soon as they tasted the tree, theirbodies became visible to them, and they tried to cover themselves with theleaves of Paradise. Their Lord called upon them: "Did I not enjoin you fromthat tree, and warn you that the devil is your most ardent enemy?"[7:27] O children of Adam, do not let the devil dupe you as he did whenhe caused the eviction of your parents from Paradise, and the removal oftheir garments to expose their bodies. He and his tribe see you, while you donot see them. We appoint the devils as companions of those who do notbelieve.Lot: Homosexuality Condemned[7:80] Lot said to his people, "You commit such an abomination; no onein the world has done it before![7:156] “And decree for us righteousness in this world, and in the Hereafter.We have repented to You.” He said, “My retribution befalls whomever Iwill. But My mercy encompasses all things. However, I will specify it forthose who (1) lead a righteous life, (2) give the obligatory charity (Zakat),* (3)believe in our revelations, and*7:156 The importance of the obligatory charity (Zakat) cannot be over emphasized.As instituted in 6:141, Zakat must be given away upon receiving any

Appendix 1 | 227income—2.5% of one’s net income must be given to the parents, the relatives, theorphans, the poor, and the traveling alien, in this order (see 2:215).[7:157] “(4) follow the messenger, the gentile prophet (Muhammad),whom they find written in their Torah and Gospel. He exhorts them to berighteous, enjoins them from evil, allows for them all good food, and prohibitsthat which is bad, and unloads the burdens and the shackles imposedupon them. Those who believe in him, respect him, support him, and followthe light that came with him are the successful ones.”*7:157 Muhammad is prophesied in Deuteronomy 18:15-19 and John 14:16-17& 16:13.[9:24] Proclaim: "If your parents, your children, your siblings, yourspouses, your family, the money you have earned, a business you worryabout, and the homes you cherish are more beloved to you than GOD andHis messenger,** and the striving in His cause, then just wait until GODbrings His judgment." GOD does not guide the wicked people.*9:24 Since the odds are overwhelming against any human being to actuallybelieve and devote the worship to God alone (12:103, 106), it is virtually impossibleto see a whole family believe. Thus, most believers have been faced with thechoice: "Either me or God and His messenger." This choice is consistently statedby spouses of the believers, or their parents, their children, etc. Consistently,the believers made the right choice. This is a mandatory test for all believers(29:2).**9:24 The Quranic, mathematical evidence points specifically at God's Messengerof the Covenant. By adding the gematrical value of "Rashad" (505), plus thevalue of "Khalifa" (725), plus the verse number (24), we get505+725+24=1254=19x66.The Winners[9:71] The believing men and women are allies of one another. Theyadvocate righteousness and forbid evil, they observe the Contact Prayers(Salat) and give the obligatory charity (Zakat), and they obey GOD and Hismessenger. These will be showered by GOD’s mercy. GOD is Almighty,Most Wise.[9:83] If GOD returns you to a situation where they ask your permissionto mobilize with you, you shall say, "You will never again mobilize with me,nor will you ever fight with me against any enemy. For you have chosen tobe with the sedentary in the first place. Therefore, you must stay with thesedentary."[9:84] You shall not observe the funeral prayer for any of them when hedies, nor shall you stand at his grave. They have disbelieved in GOD and Hismessenger, and died in a state of wickedness.[9:119] O you who believe, you shall reverence GOD, and be among thetruthful.The Importance of Religious Education

228 | Women’s Rights, the Quran and Islam[9:122] When the believers mobilize, not all of them shall do so. A fewfrom each group shall mobilize by devoting their time to studying the religion.Thus, they can pass the knowledge on to their people when they return,that they may remain religiously informed.[10:84] Moses said, “O my people, if you have really believed in GOD,then put your trust in Him, if you are really submitters [muslims].”[12:31] When she heard of their gossip, she invited them, prepared forthem a comfortable place, and gave each of them a knife. She then said tohim, “Enter their room.” When they saw him, they so admired him, that theycut their hands. They said, “Glory be to GOD, this is not a human being; thisis an honorable angel.”[13:12] He is the One who shows you the lightning as a source of fear, aswell as hope, and He initiates the loaded clouds.[13:13] The thunder praises His glory, and so do the angels, out of reverencefor Him. He sends the lightning bolts, which strike in accordance withHis will. Yet, they argue about GOD, though His power is awesome.The Importance of Being Appreciative[14:6] Recall that Moses said to his people, "Remember GOD's blessingsupon you. He saved you from Pharaoh's people who inflicted the worst persecutionupon you, slaughtering your sons and sparing your daughters. Thatwas an exacting trial from your Lord."Appreciative vs Unappreciative[14:7] Your Lord has decreed: “The more you thank Me, the more I giveyou.” But if you turn unappreciative, then My retribution is severe.Guaranteed Happiness / Now and Forever[16:97] Anyone who works righteousness, male or female, while believing,we will surely grant them a happy life in this world, and we will surelypay them their full recompense (on the Day of Judgment) for their righteousworks.An Important Commandment*[16:98] When you read the Quran, you shall seek refuge in GOD fromSatan the rejected.*16:98 Our salvation is attained by knowing God's message to us, the Quran,and Satan will do his utmost to keep us from being redeemed. Hence this commandment.[16:99] He has no power over those who believe and trust in their Lord.Muhammad: A Follower of Abraham*[16:123] Then we inspired you (Muhammad) to follow the religion ofAbraham,* the monotheist; he never was an idol worshiper.*16:123 This informs us that all religious practices, which came to us throughAbraham, were intact at the time of Muhammad (see 22:78 and Appendix 9).

Appendix 1 | 229[17:23] Your Lord has decreed that you shall not worship except Him,and your parents shall be honored. As long as one or both of them live, youshall never say to them, “Uff” (the slightest gesture of annoyance), nor shallyou shout at them; you shall treat them amicably.[17:24] And lower for them the wings of humility, and kindness, and say,“My Lord, have mercy on them, for they have raised me from infancy.”[17:26] You shall give the due alms to the relatives, the needy, the poor,and the traveling alien, but do not be excessive, extravagant.[17:27] The extravagant are brethren of the devils, and the devil is unappreciativeof his Lord.[17:32] You shall not commit adultery; it is a gross sin, and an evil behavior.Crucial Advice[17:36] You shall not accept any information, unless you verify it foryourself. I have given you the hearing, the eyesight, and the brain, and youare responsible for using them.Treat Each Other Amicably[17:53] Tell My servants to treat each other in the best possible manner,for the devil will always try to drive a wedge among them. Surely, the devilis man's most ardent enemy.The Noon Prayer[17:78] You shall observe the Contact Prayer (Salat) when the sundeclines from its highest point at noon, as it moves towards sunset. You shallalso observe (the recitation of) the Quran at dawn. (Reciting) the Quran atdawn is witnessed.[17:80] And say, "My Lord, admit me an honorable admittance, and letme depart an honorable departure, and grant me from You a powerful support."Divine Revelation: The Source of All Knowledge[17:85] They ask you about the revelation. Say, "The revelation comesfrom my Lord. The knowledge given to you is minute."Remembering God Every Chance We Get[18:23] You shall not say that you will do anything in the future,[18:24] without saying, “GOD willing.”* If you forget to do this, youmust immediately remember your Lord and say, “May my Lord guide me todo better next time.”*18:24 This important commandment gives us daily opportunities to rememberGod.There is a Good Reason for Everything[18:78] He said, "Now we have to part company. But I will explain to you

230 | Women’s Rights, the Quran and Islameverything you could not stand.[18:79] "As for the ship, it belonged to poor fishermen, and I wanted torender it defective. There was a king coming after them, who was confiscatingevery ship, forcibly.[18:80] "As for the boy, his parents were good believers, and we saw thathe was going to burden them with his transgression and disbelief.**18:80 Adolf Hitler was a cute and seemingly innocent child. Had he died as achild, many would have grieved, and many would have even questioned God'swisdom. We learn from these profound lessons that there is a good reason behindeverything.[18:81] "We willed that your Lord substitute in his place another son; onewho is better in righteousness and kindness.[18:82] "As for the wall, it belonged to two orphan boys in the city. Underit, there was a treasure that belonged to them. Because their father was arighteous man, your Lord wanted them to grow up and attain full strength,then extract their treasure. Such is mercy from your Lord. I did none of thatof my own volition. This is the explanation of the things you could notstand."[19:95] All of them will come before Him on the Day of Resurrection asindividuals.[20:14] “I am GOD; there is no other god beside Me. You shall worshipMe alone, and observe the Contact Prayers (Salat) to remember Me.[20:117] We then said, "O Adam, this is an enemy of you and your wife.Do not let him evict you from Paradise, lest you become miserable.[20:118] "You are guaranteed never to hunger therein, nor go unsheltered.[20:119] "Nor will you thirst therein, nor suffer from any heat."[20:120] But the devil whispered to him, saying, "O Adam, let me showyou the tree of eternity and unending kingship."[20:121] They ate from it, whereupon their bodies became visible to them,and they tried to cover themselves with the leaves of Paradise. Adam thusdisobeyed his Lord, and fell.The Myth of Intercession[21:28] He knows their future and their past. They do not intercede,except for those already accepted by Him, and they are worried about theirown necks.**21:28 The myth of intercession is Satan's most effective bait (see Appendix 8).[22:18] Do you not realize that to GOD prostrates everyone in the heavensand the earth, and the sun, and the moon, and the stars, and the mountains,and the trees, and the animals, and many people? Many others amongthe people are committed to doom. Whomever GOD shames, none will

Appendix 1 | 231honor him. Everything is in accordance with GOD's will.[23:9] And they observe their Contact Prayers (Salat) regularly.Adultery[24:2] The adulteress and the adulterer you shall whip each of them ahundred lashes. Do not be swayed by pity from carrying out GOD's law, ifyou truly believe in GOD and the Last Day. And let a group of believers witnesstheir penalty.**24:2 Social pressure, i.e., public witnessing of the penalty, is the basic punishment(see also 5:38). The lashes shall be symbolic, not severe.[24:3] The adulterer will end up marrying an adulteress or an idol worshiper,and the adulteress will end up marrying an adulterer or an idol worshiper.This is prohibited for the believers.Dress Code for Believers*[24:30] Tell the believing men that they shall subdue their eyes (and notstare at the women), and to maintain their chastity. This is purer for them.GOD is fully Cognizant of everything they do.[24:31] And tell the believing women to subdue their eyes, and maintaintheir chastity. They shall not reveal any parts of their bodies, except thatwhich is necessary. They shall cover their chests, and shall not relax this codein the presence of other than their husbands, their fathers, the fathers of theirhusbands, their sons, the sons of their husbands, their brothers, the sons oftheir brothers, the sons of their sisters, other women, the male servants oremployees whose sexual drive has been nullified, or the children who havenot reached puberty. They shall not strike their feet when they walk in orderto shake and reveal certain details of their bodies. All of you shall repent toGOD, O you believers, that you may succeed.**24:30-31 Dressing modestly, therefore, is a trait of the believing men andwomen. The minimum requirements for a woman’s dress is to lengthen her garment(33:59) and to cover her chest. Tyrannical Arab traditions have given afalse impression that women must be covered from head to toe; Such is not aQuranic or Islamic dress.Encourage Marriage to Discourage Immorality[24:32] You shall encourage those of you who are single to get married.They may marry the righteous among your male and female servants, if theyare poor. GOD will enrich them from His grace. GOD is Bounteous, Knower.[24:33] Those who cannot afford to get married shall maintain moralityuntil GOD provides for them from His grace. Those among your servantswho wish to be freed in order to marry, you shall grant them their wish, onceyou realize that they are honest. And give them from GOD's money that He

232 | Women’s Rights, the Quran and Islamhas bestowed upon you. You shall not force your girls to commit prostitution,seeking the materials of this world, if they wish to be chaste. If anyoneforces them, then GOD, seeing that they are forced, is Forgiver, Merciful.God[24:35] GOD is the light of the heavens and the earth. The allegory of Hislight is that of a concave mirror behind a lamp that is placed inside a glasscontainer. The glass container is like a bright, pearl-like star. The fuel thereofis supplied from a blessed oil-producing tree, that is neither eastern, norwestern. Its oil is almost self-radiating; needs no fire to ignite it. Light uponlight. GOD guides to His light whoever wills (to be guided). GOD thus citesthe parables for the people. GOD is fully aware of all things.[24:41] Do you not realize that everyone in the heavens and the earth glorifiesGOD, even the birds as they fly in a column? Each knows its prayer andits glorification. GOD is fully aware of everything they do.You Shall Dress Modestly[24:60] The elderly women who do not expect to get married commitnothing wrong by relaxing their dress code, provided they do not reveal toomuch of their bodies. To maintain modesty is better for them. GOD is Hearer,Knower.[25:68] They never implore beside GOD any other god, nor do they killanyone—for GOD has made life sacred—except in the course of justice. Nor dothey commit adultery. Those who commit these offenses will have to pay.[25:69] Retribution is doubled for them on the Day of Resurrection, andthey abide therein humiliated.[25:70] Exempted are those who repent, believe, and lead a righteous life.GOD transforms their sins into credits. GOD is Forgiver, Most Merciful.[25:74] And they say, "Our Lord, let our spouses and children be a sourceof joy for us, and keep us in the forefront of the righteous."The Quran Must Be Translated[26:198] If we revealed this to people who do not know Arabic.[26:199] And had him recite it (in Arabic), they could not possibly believein it.[26:200] We thus render it (like a foreign language) in the hearts of theguilty.[27:22] He did not wait for long. (The hoopoe) said, “I have news thatyou do not have. I brought to you from Sheba, some important information.[27:23] “I found a woman ruling them, who is blessed with everything,and possesses a tremendous palace.Back in Sheba

Appendix 1 | 233[27:29] She said, “O my advisers, I have received an honorable letter.[27:30] “It is from Solomon, and it is, `In the name of GOD, Most Gracious,Most Merciful.’ **27:30 The ‘Basmalah’ included in this verse compensates for the ‘Basmalah’ thatis missing from Sura 9, 19 suras earlier. This restores the total occurrence of‘Basmalah’ to 114, 19x6. See Appendix 29 for details of a vast and profound miracleattached to this ‘Basmalah.’[27:31] “Proclaiming: ‘Do not be arrogant; come to me as submitters.’”[27:32] She said, “O my advisers, counsel me in this matter. I am notdeciding anything until you advise me.”[27:33] They said, “We possess the power, we possess the fighting skills,and the ultimate command is in your hand. You decide what to do.”[27:34] She said, “The kings corrupt any land they invade, and subjugateits dignified people. This is what they usually do.[27:35] “I am sending a gift to them; let us see what the messengers comeback with.”Lot[29:28] Lot said to his people, "You commit such an abomination, no onein the world has ever done it before you.The Contact Prayers (Salat)[29:45] You shall recite what is revealed to you of the scripture, andobserve the Contact Prayers (Salat), for the Contact Prayers prohibit evil andvice. But the remembrance of GOD (through Salat) is the most importantobjective.* GOD knows everything you do.*29:45 Your god is whatever occupies your mind most of the time (see 20:14 &Appendix 27).[30:21] Among His proofs is that He created for you spouses from amongyourselves, in order to have tranquility and contentment with each other,and He placed in your hearts love and care towards your spouses. In this,there are sufficient proofs for people who think.More Proofs[30:22] Among His proofs are the creation of the heavens and the earth,and the variations in your languages and your colors. In these, there aresigns for the knowledgeable.The Second Commandment[31:14] We enjoined the human being to honor his parents. His motherbore him, and the load got heavier and heavier. It takes two years (of intensivecare) until weaning. You shall be appreciative of Me, and of your parents.To Me is the ultimate destiny.[33:52] Beyond the categories described to you, you are enjoined from

234 | Women’s Rights, the Quran and Islammarrying any other women, nor can you substitute a new wife (from the prohibitedcategories), no matter how much you admire their beauty. You mustbe content with those already made lawful to you. GOD is watchful over allthings.Dress Code for Women[33:59] O prophet, tell your wives, your daughters, and the wives of thebelievers that they shall lengthen their garments. Thus, they will be recognized(as righteous women) and avoid being insulted. GOD is Forgiver, MostMerciful.[36:6] To warn people whose parents were never warned, and therefore,they are unaware.[36:7] It has been predetermined that most of them do not believe.[36:8] For we place around their necks shackles, up to their chins. Consequently,they become locked in their disbelief.[36:9] And we place a barrier in front of them, and a barrier behind them,and thus, we veil them; they cannot see.[36:10] It is the same whether you warn them or not, they cannot believe.**36:10 Everyone is already stamped as a believer or a disbeliever. See Appendix14.God's Messenger of the Covenant*[34:46] Say, "I ask you to do one thing: Devote yourselves to GOD, inpairs or as individuals, then reflect. Your friend (Rashad) is not crazy. He isa manifest warner to you, just before the advent of a terrible retribution."*34:46 By placing the gematrical value of "Rashad" (505) next to the value of"Khalifa" (725), then the sura number (34), and the verse number (46), we get5057253446=19x266171234.Signs of God[36:33] One sign for them is the dead land: we revive it and produce fromit grains for their food.[36:34] We grow in it gardens of date palms, and grapes, and we causesprings to gush out therein.[36:35] This is to provide them with fruits, and to let them manufacturewith their own hands whatever they need. Would they be thankful?[36:36] Glory be to the One who created all kinds of plants from the earth,as well as themselves, and other creations that they do not even know.[36:37] Another sign for them is the night: we remove the daylight therefrom,whereupon they are in darkness.[36:38] The sun sets into a specific location, according to the design of theAlmighty, the Omniscient.[36:39] The moon we designed to appear in stages, until it becomes likean old curved sheath.

Appendix 1 | 235[36:40] The sun is never to catch up with the moon - the night and the daynever deviate - each of them is floating in its own orbit.Follow the Word of God[39:18] They are the ones who examine all words, then follow the best.These are the ones whom GOD has guided; these are the ones who possessintelligence.[39:44] Say, "All intercession belongs to GOD." To Him belongs all sovereigntyof the heavens and the earth, then to Him you will be returned.The Best Deal[40:40] Whoever commits a sin is requited for just that, and whoeverworks righteousness—male or female—while believing, these will enter Paradisewherein they receive provisions without any limits.[41:11] Then He turned to the sky, when it was still gas, and said to it,and to the earth, “Come into existence, willingly or unwillingly.” They said,“We come willingly.”Perfect Happiness: Now and Forever[41:30] Those who proclaim: “Our Lord is GOD,” then lead a righteouslife, the angels descend upon them: “You shall have no fear, nor shall yougrieve. Rejoice in the good news that Paradise has been reserved for you.[41:31] “We are your allies in this life, and in the Hereafter. You will havein it anything you wish for; you will have anything you want.Language is Irrelevant[41:44] If we made it a non-Arabic Quran they would have said, "Whydid it come down in that language?" Whether it is Arabic or non-Arabic, say,"For those who believe, it is a guide and healing. As for those who disbelieve,they will be deaf and blind to it, as if they are being addressed from faraway."Only One Religion Monotheists vs Idol Worshipers[42:13] He decreed for you the same religion decreed for Noah, and whatwe inspired to you, and what we decreed for Abraham, Moses, and Jesus:"You shall uphold this one religion, and do not divide it." The idol worshiperswill greatly resent what you invite them to do. GOD redeems to Himselfwhomever He wills; He guides to Himself only those who totally submit.[42:38] They respond to their Lord by observing the Contact Prayers(Salat). Their affairs are decided after due consultation among themselves,and from our provisions to them they give (to charity).Which Hadith?*[45:6] These are GOD's revelations that we recite to you truthfully. Inwhich Hadith other than GOD and His revelations do they believe?*45:6-7 God condemns "Hadith" by name, and informs us that it is a blasphemousfabrication.

236 | Women’s Rights, the Quran and Islam40: The Age of Decision*[46:15] We enjoined the human being to honor his parents. His motherbore him arduously, gave birth to him arduously, and took intimate care ofhim for thirty months. When he reaches maturity, and reaches the age offorty,* he should say, "My Lord, direct me to appreciate the blessings Youhave bestowed upon me and upon my parents, and to do the righteousworks that please You. Let my children be righteous as well. I have repentedto You; I am a submitter."*46:15 God knows full well who deserves to go to Heaven and who deserves to goto Hell. It is His law that whomever He puts to death before the age of 40 shallgo to Heaven. God's immense mercy is reflected in the fact that most people havedifficulty accepting this divine mercy; they argue: “Put them in Hell!” SeeAppendix 32.Study the Quran[47:24] Why do they not study the Quran carefully? Do they have lockson their minds?[47:31] We will certainly put you to the test, in order to distinguish thoseamong you who strive, and steadfastly persevere. We must expose your truequalities.Believers Set the Example[49:11] O you who believe, no people shall ridicule other people, for theymay be better than they. Nor shall any women ridicule other women, forthey may be better than they. Nor shall you mock one another, or make funof your names. Evil indeed is the reversion to wickedness after attainingfaith. Anyone who does not repent after this, these are the transgressors.The Only Criterion For Distinguishing Among The People[49:13] O people, we created you from the same male and female, andrendered you distinct peoples and tribes, that you may recognize one another.The best among you in the sight of GOD is the most righteous. GOD isOmniscient, Cognizant.[50:16] We created the human, and we know what he whispers to himself.We are closer to him than his jugular vein.[52:20] They relax on luxurious furnishings, and we match them withbeautiful spouses.[55:1] The Most Gracious.[55:2] Teacher of the Quran.[56:35] We create for them mates.[56:36] Never previously touched.[56:37] Perfectly matched.[56:79] None can grasp it except the sincere.**56:79 The insincere who are not satisfied with the Quran alone are divinely preventedfrom understanding the Quran. This concept is repeated throughout the

Appendix 1 | 237Quran (17:45-46, 18:57). Consequently, they cannot understand this verse. Forexample, compare this translation of 7:3, 17:46, 41:44, and 56:79 with other translations.[58:1] GOD has heard the woman who debated with you about her husband,and complained to GOD. GOD heard everything the two of youdiscussed. GOD is Hearer, Seer.[59:23] He is the One GOD; there is no other god beside Him. The King,the Most Sacred, the Peace, the Most Faithful, the Supreme, the Almighty,the Most Powerful, the Most Dignified. GOD be glorified; far above havingpartners.Important Commandments to All Believers[62:9] O you who believe, when the Congregational Prayer (Salat Al-Jumu’ah) is announced on Friday, you shall hasten to the commemoration ofGOD, and drop all business. This is better for you, if you only knew.[65:6] You shall allow them to live in the same home in which they livedwith you, and do not make life so miserable for them that they leave on theirown. If they are pregnant, you shall spend on them until they give birth. Ifthey nurse the infant, you shall pay them for this service. You shall maintainthe amicable relations among you. If you disagree, you may hire anotherwoman to nurse the child.The Myth of Intercession Shattered[66:10] GOD cites as examples of those who disbelieved the wife of Noahand the wife of Lot. They were married to two of our righteous servants, butthey betrayed them and, consequently, they could not help them at allagainst GOD. The two of them were told, “Enter the Hell-fire with those whodeserved it.”Examples of the Believers: Pharaoh’s Wife[66:11] And GOD cites as an example of those who believed the wife ofPharaoh. She said, "My Lord, build a home for me at You in Paradise, andsave me from Pharaoh and his works; save me from the transgressing people."Mary[66:12] Also Mary, the Amramite. She maintained her chastity, then weblew into her from our spirit. She believed in the words of her Lord and Hisscriptures; she was obedient.[69:40] This is the utterance of an honorable messenger.[69:41] Not the utterance of a poet; rarely do you believe.[69:42] Nor the utterance of a soothsayer; rarely do you take heed.[69:43] A revelation from the Lord of the universe.Muhammad Forbidden from Issuing Any Religious Teachings[69:44] Had he uttered any other teachings.

238 | Women’s Rights, the Quran and Islam[69:45] We would have punished him.[69:46] We would have stopped the revelations to him.[69:47] None of you could have helped him.[72:18] The places of worship belong to GOD; do not call on anyone elsebeside GOD.[73:2] Meditate during the night, except rarely.[73:3] Half of it, or a little less.[73:4] Or a little more. And read the Quran from cover to cover.Muhammad Forbidden from Explaining the Quran[75:16] Do not move your tongue to hasten it.[75:17] It is we who will collect it into Quran.[75:18] Once we recite it, you shall follow such a Quran.[75:19] Then it is we who will explain it.[76:30] Whatever you will is in accordance with GOD's will. GOD isOmniscient, Wise.[83:1] Woe to the cheaters.[83:2] Who demand full measure when receiving from the people.[83:3] But when giving them the measures or weights, they cheat.[83:4] Do they not know that they will be resurrected?[96:1] Read, in the name of your Lord, who created.**96:1-19 From 96 to 114 is 19 suras. The first revelation (96:1-5) is 19 Arabicwords, 76 letters (19x4). The sura consists of 19 verses and 304 Arabic letters(Appendices 1 & 23).[96:2] He created man from an embryo.[96:3] Read, and your Lord, Most Exalted.[96:4] Teaches by means of the pen.[96:5] He teaches man what he never knew.[96:9] Have you seen the one who enjoins.[96:10] Others from praying?[96:11] Is it not better for him to follow the guidance?[96:12] Or advocate righteousness?[96:13] If he disbelieves and turns away.[96:14] Does he not realize that GOD sees?[96:15] Indeed, unless he refrains, we will take him by the forelock.[96:16] A forelock that is disbelieving and sinful.[96:17] Let him then call on his helpers.[96:18] We will call the guardians of Hell.[96:19] You shall not obey him; you shall fall prostrate and draw nearer.

Appendix 2The Quran’s WomenOne of the most powerful ways of combating the concept thatwomen are unequal in Islam is to look at the verses where specificwomen are mentioned. There are many individual womenmentioned in the Quran, both believers and disbelievers. A reviewof the verses about these women makes it clear that women, aswell as men, are judged on their righteousness alone.Please note that all of these verses are from Rashad Khalifa’stranslation because I find it much easier to read.Adam’s WifeThough the Bible names Adam’s wife Eve, the Quran nevermentions her by name. However, it does speak of her:We said, “O Adam, live with your wife in Paradise, and eattherefrom generously, as you please, but do not approach thistree, lest you sin.”But the devil duped them, and caused their eviction therefrom.We said, “Go down as enemies of one another. On Earth shall beyour habitation and provision for awhile.”(Quran: The Final Testament 2:35-36)The Quran does not lay the blame for Adam’s fall on Eve, asthe Bible does. Rather, Satan duped both Adam and Eve intodisobeying God.Another narration of this same incident, in Quran 7:19-25,tells us that both Adam and Eve repented:They said, “Our Lord, we have wronged our souls, and unlessYou forgive us and have mercy on us, we will be losers.”(Quran: The Final Testament 7:23)239

240 | Women’s Rights, the Quran and IslamThroughout the Quran, God is very even handed with Adamand Eve, making it clear that both were equally duped by Sataninto disobedience:O children of Adam, do not let the devil dupe you as he didwhen he caused the eviction of your parents from Paradise,and the removal of their garments to expose their bodies.He and his tribe see you, while you do not see them. We appointthe devils as companions of those who do not believe.(Quran: The Final Testament 7:27)Satan duped both, and we need to take care that we do notfall into the same trap!Noah’s Wife & Lot’s WifeThe wife of Noah is mentioned in the Quran only once:God cites as examples of those who disbelieved the wife of Noahand the wife of Lot. They were married to two of our righteousservants, but they betrayed them and, consequently, they couldnot help them at all against God. The two of them were told,“Enter the Hellfire with those who deserved it.”(Quran: The Final Testament 66:10)Right after this verse God cites the wife of Pharaoh and Maryas examples of believers. These verses make it clear that it doesnot matter who you are married to, be it a messenger of God oran enemy of God like Pharaoh, each one of us is individuallyresponsible for our own belief.Lot’s wife is mentioned in several other verses in the Quran,always indicating that she was doomed with the transgressors.Here is an example of such a verse where the angels were sentto destroy Sodom and Gomorrah:(The angels) said, “O Lot, we are your Lord’s messengers,and these people cannot touch you. You shall leave with yourfamily during the night, and let not anyone of you look back,

Appendix 2 | 241except your wife; she is condemned along with those who arecondemned. Their appointed time is the morning. Is not themorning soon enough?”(Quran: The Final Testament 11:81)The frequency with which the doom of Lot’s wife is mentionedseems noteworthy. It occurs eight times in the Quran, almostevery time the story of Lot is told. This frequency seems to highlightagain the fact that it doesn’t matter who you are marriedto; each individual is totally responsible for his or her own belief.Abraham’s WivesNeither of Abraham’s wives is mentioned by name in the Quran.Nor is their story told in any real detail. This probably indicatesthat the general story as given in the Bible is fairly accurate.Ismail’s mother Hagar is not referenced in the Quran exceptas part of Abraham’s family:Recall that Abraham said, “My Lord, make this a peaceful land,and protect me and my children from worshiping idols.“My Lord, they have misled so many people. As for those whofollow me, they belong with me. As for those who disobey me,You are Forgiver, Most Merciful. “Our Lord, I have settled part of my family in this plantless valley,at Your Sacred House. Our Lord, they are to observe theContact Prayers (Salat), so let throngs of people converge uponthem, and provide for them all kinds of fruits, that they may beappreciative. ”(Quran: The Final Testament 14:35-37)Isaac’s mother, Sarah, is mentioned twice. Both times are inreference to Isaac’s birth. The Quran does not give her name.Here is one of those references:When our messengers went to Abraham with good news, theysaid, “Peace.” He said, “Peace,” and soon brought a roasted calf.When he saw that their hands did not touch it, he became suspi-

242 | Women’s Rights, the Quran and Islamcious and fearful of them. They said, “Do not be afraid, we arebeing dispatched to the people of Lot.”His wife was standing, and she laughed when we gave her thegood news about Isaac, and after Isaac, Jacob.She said, “Woe to me, how could I bear a child at my age, andhere is my husband, an old man? This is really strange!”They said, “Do you find it strange for God? God has bestowedHis mercy and blessings upon you, O inhabitants of the shrine.He is Praiseworthy, Glorious.”(Quran: The Final Testament 11:69-73)Thus, Sarah was blessed miraculously with a child. This narrationis comforting to me, for her human response to God’sblessing reminds me that all of us can have doubts about thoseblessings at times, and still be righteous.The Women In Joseph’s StoryJoseph was Abraham’s great grandson. His father, Jacob, hadtwo wives. The envy and animosity among the sons of thosedifferent women is a good example of the difficulties that canarise in polygamous situations. Joseph’s story is also a goodexample of the way in which God controls even the bad situationsin His servants’ lives for their ultimate good. Joseph wassold into slavery in Egypt:The one who bought him in Egypt said to his wife, “Take goodcare of him. Maybe he can help us, or maybe we can adopt him.”We thus established Joseph on earth, and we taught him theinterpretation of dreams. God’s command is always done, butmost people do not know.When he reached maturity, we endowed him with wisdom andknowledge. We thus reward the righteous.The lady of the house where he lived tried to seduce him. Sheclosed the doors and said, “I am all yours.” He said, “May Godprotect me. He is my Lord, who gave me a good home. The transgressorsnever succeed.”

Appendix 2 | 243She almost succumbed to him, and he almost succumbed to her,if it were not that he saw a proof from his Lord. We thus divertedevil and sin away from him, for he was one of our devoted servants.The two of them raced towards the door, and, in the process, shetore his garment from the back. They found her husband at thedoor. She said, “What should be the punishment for one whowanted to molest your wife, except imprisonment or a painfulpunishment?”He said, “She is the one who tried to seduce me.” A witness fromher family suggested: “If his garment is torn from the front, thenshe is telling the truth and he is a liar.And if his garment is torn from the back, then she lied, and he istelling the truth.”When her husband saw that his garment was torn from the back,he said, “This is a woman’s scheme. Indeed, your scheming isformidable.“Joseph, disregard this incident. As for you (my wife), youshould seek forgiveness for your sin. You have committed anerror.”(Quran: The Final Testament 12:21-29)In the verses that immediately follow these, we learn thatJoseph was in the household of the governor, and it was thegovernor’s own wife who tried to seduce him:Some women in the city gossiped: The governor’s wife is tryingto seduce her servant. She is deeply in love with him. We see thatshe has gone astray.”When she heard of their gossip, she invited them, prepared forthem a comfortable place, and gave each of them a knife. She thensaid to him, “Enter their room.” When they saw him, they soadmired him, that they cut their hands. They said, “Glory be toGod, this is not a human being; this is an honorable angel.”She said, “This is the one you blamed me for falling in love with.I did indeed try to seduce him, and he refused. Unless he doeswhat I command him to do, he will surely go to prison, and will

244 | Women’s Rights, the Quran and Islambe debased.”He said, “My Lord, the prison is better than giving in to them.Unless You divert their scheming from me, I may desire themand behave like the ignorant ones.”His Lord answered his prayer and diverted their scheming fromhim. He is the Hearer, the Omniscient.Later, they saw to it, despite the clear proofs, that they shouldimprison him for awhile.(Quran: The Final Testament 12:30-35)While in the prison Joseph interprets the king’s dream and:The king said, “Bring him to me.” When the messenger came tohim, he said, “Go back to your lord and ask him to investigatethe women who cut their hands. My Lord is fully aware of theirschemes.”(The king) said (to the women), “What do you know about theincident when you tried to seduce Joseph?” They said, “God forbid;we did not know of anything evil committed by him.” Thewife of the governor said, “Now the truth has prevailed. I am theone who tried to seduce him, and he was the truthful one.“I hope that he will realize that I never betrayed him in hisabsence, for God does not bless the schemes of the betrayers.“I do not claim innocence for myself. The self is an advocate ofvice, except for those who have attained mercy from my Lord.My Lord is Forgiver, Most Merciful.”(Quran: The Final Testament 12:50-53)The governor’s wife tempted Joseph, and ultimately it mightbe said that she was the cause of his imprisonment. Yet, Godused that very imprisonment to Joseph’s great benefit. Thegovernor’s wife also obviously benefited from the whole testby repenting and turning wholeheartedly to God. Her commentson the self and the schemes of the betrayers show a greatgrowth in righteousness and wisdom.

Appendix 2 | 245The Women In Moses’ StoryWomen played a critical role in Moses’ life. The Quranicstory starts with his mother, his foster mother and his sister:We inspired Moses’ mother: “Nurse him, and when you fear forhis life, throw him into the river without fear or grief. We willreturn him to you, and will make him one of the messengers.”Pharaoh’s family picked him up, only to have him lead the oppositionand to be a source of grief for them. That is becausePharaoh, Hamaan, and their troops were transgressors.Pharaoh’s wife said, “This can be a joyous find for me and you.Do not kill him, for he may be of some benefit for us, or we mayadopt him to be our son.” They had no idea.The mind of Moses’ mother was growing so anxious that shealmost gave away his identity. But we strengthened her heart, tomake her a believer.She said to his sister, “Trace his path.” She watched him fromafar, while they did not perceive.We forbade him from accepting all the nursing mothers. (His sister)then said, “I can show you a family that can raise him foryou, and take good care of him.”Thus, we restored him to his mother, in order to please her,remove her worries, and to let her know that God’s promise isthe truth. However, most of them do not know.(Quran: The Final Testament 28:7-13)We see here examples of three quite remarkable women.Moses’ mother was able to overcome her natural fears and followGod’s inspiration to throw her baby into the river, evenknowing that Pharaoh would pick him up. Then God rewardedher by returning her son to her.Moses’ sister, a young girl who probably knew nothing aboutPharaoh except the horror stories she was bound to have heard,had the courage to follow her baby brother and to speak up tobring him back to his family.

246 | Women’s Rights, the Quran and IslamPharaoh’s wife must have been quite a woman to have beenable to convince Pharaoh not to kill the baby Moses, but raisehim as essentially an Egyptian prince. We do know that shewas a wonderful believer, because in another section of theQuran God cites her as an example of the believers:And God cites as an example of those who believed the wife ofPharaoh. She said, “My Lord, build a home for me at You inParadise, and save me from Pharaoh and his works; save mefrom the transgressing people.”(Quran: The Final Testament 66:11)Though we do not know too much about Moses’ wife, wedo know that God used her and her sister as a means of givingMoses a safe refuge in Midyan:He fled the city, afraid and watchful. He said, “My Lord, saveme from the oppressive people.”As he traveled towards Midyan, he said, “May my Lord guideme in the right path.”When he reached Midyan’s water, he found a crowd of peoplewatering, and noticed two women waiting on the side. He said,“What is it that you need?” They said, “We are not able towater, until the crowd disperses, and our father is an old man.”He watered for them, then turned to the shade, saying, “MyLord, whatever provision you send to me, I am in dire need forit.”Soon, one of the two women approached him, shyly, and said,“My father invites you to pay you for watering for us.” When hemet him, and told him his story, he said, “Have no fear. Youhave been saved from the oppressive people.”One of the two women said, “O my father, hire him. He is thebest one to hire, for he is strong and honest.”He said, “I wish to offer one of my two daughters for you tomarry, in return for working for me for eight pilgrimages; if youmake them ten, it will be voluntary on your part. I do not wishto make this matter too difficult for you. You will find me, Godwilling, righteous.”

Appendix 2 | 247He said, “It is an agreement between me and you. Whicheverperiod I fulfill, you will not be averse to either one. God is theguarantor of what we said.”(Quran: The Final Testament 28:21-28)Thus, we see that throughout Moses’ formative years, Godused women as an integral part of His protection and guidanceof Moses.Queen of ShebaWe mentioned the Queen of Sheba earlier in the book as anexample of a wise female ruler. The significance of her exampleshould not be lost here. She clearly had the support of herpeople and ruled with consultation rather than dictatorship.She was a peacemaker, not anxious to endanger her people forher own glory. And when presented with the truth, she acceptedit. Her story starts with the hoopoe bird’s report toSolomon:...(The hoopoe) said, “I have news that you do not have. Ibrought to you from Sheba, some important information.“I found a woman ruling them, who is blessed with everything,and possesses a tremendous palace.“I found her and her people prostrating before the sun, instead ofGod. The devil has adorned their works in their eyes, and hasrepulsed them from the path; consequently, they are not guided.”They should have been prostrating before God,the One who manifests all the mysteries in the heavens and theearth, and the One who knows everything you conceal andeverything you declare.God: there is no other god beside Him; the Lord with the greatdominion.(Solomon) said, “We will see if you told the truth, or if you are aliar.“Take this letter from me, give it to them, then watch for theirresponse.”She said, “O my advisers, I have received an honorable letter.

248 | Women’s Rights, the Quran and Islam“It is from Solomon, and it is, ‘In the name of God, Most Gracious,Most Merciful.’“Proclaiming: ‘Do not be arrogant; come to me as submitters.’ ”She said, “O my advisers, counsel me in this matter. I am notdeciding anything until you advise me.”They said, “We possess the power, we possess the fighting skills,and the ultimate command is in your hand. You decide what todo.”She said, “The kings corrupt any land they invade, and subjugateits dignified people. This is what they usually do.“I am sending a gift to them; let us see what the messengerscome back with.”When the hoopoe returned to Solomon (he told him the news),and he responded (to Sheba’s people): “Are you giving memoney? What God has given me is far better than what He hasgiven you. You are the ones to rejoice in such gifts.”(To the hoopoe, he said,) “Go back to them (and let them knowthat) we will come to them with forces they cannot imagine. Wewill evict them, humiliated and debased.”He said, “O you elders, which of you can bring me her mansion,before they arrive here as submitters?”One afrit from the jinns said, “I can bring it to you before youstand up. I am powerful enough to do this.”The one who possessed knowledge from the book said, “I canbring it to you in the blink of your eye.” When he saw it settledin front of him, he said, “This is a blessing from my Lord, wherebyHe tests me, to show whether I am appreciative or unappreciative.Whoever is appreciative is appreciative for his own good,and if one turns unappreciative, then my Lord is in no need forhim, Most Honorable.”He said, “Remodel her mansion for her. Let us see if she will beguided, or continue with the misguided.”When she arrived, she was asked, “Does your mansion look likethis?” She said, “It seems that this is it.” (Solomon said,) “Weknew beforehand what she was going to do, and we were alreadysubmitters.”She had been diverted by worshiping idols instead of God; she

Appendix 2 | 249belonged to disbelieving people.She was told, “Go inside the palace.” When she saw its interior,she thought it was a pool of water, and she (pulled up her dress,)exposing her legs. He said, “This interior is now paved withcrystal.” She said, “My Lord, I have wronged my soul. I nowsubmit with Solomon to God, Lord of the universe.”(Quran: The Final Testament 27:22-44)When the queen of Sheba submitted and accepted the truth,her people followed her.Mary & Her MotherThe Quran has a great deal of information about Mary. Thereis more about Mary than about most of the messengers Godtells us about. He tells us that Mary is an example of the believers:And God cites as an example of those who believed the wife ofPharaoh....Also Mary, the Amramite. She maintained her chastity, then weblew into her from our spirit. She believed in the words of herLord and His scriptures; she was obedient.(Quran: The Final Testament 66:11-12)Even before she was born, Mary’s mother dedicated her toGod:God has chosen Adam, Noah, the family of Abraham,and the family of Amram (as messengers) to the people.They belong in the same progeny. God is Hearer, Omniscient.The wife of Amram said, “My Lord, I have dedicated (the baby)in my belly to You, totally, so accept from me. You are Hearer,Omniscient.”When she gave birth to her, she said, “My Lord, I have givenbirth to a girl”—God was fully aware of what she bore—“Themale is not the same as the female. I have named her Mary, and Iinvoke Your protection for her and her descendants from the

250 | Women’s Rights, the Quran and Islamrejected devil.”(Quran: The Final Testament 3:33-36)God accepted the dedication from Mary’s mother. Her guardian,Zachariah, was so impressed by her that he prayed for sucha good child:Her Lord accepted her a gracious acceptance, and brought her upa gracious upbringing, under the guardianship of Zachariah.Whenever Zachariah entered her sanctuary he found provisionswith her. He would ask, “Mary, where did you get this from?”She would say, “It is from God. God provides for whomever Hechooses, without limits.”That is when Zachariah implored his Lord: “My Lord, grant mesuch a good child; You are the Hearer of the prayers.”(Quran: The Final Testament 3:37-38)As Mary grew, God continued to guide her. He sent His angelsto her:The angels said, “O Mary, God has chosen you and purified you.He has chosen you from all the women.“O Mary, you shall submit to your Lord, and prostrate and bowdown with those who bow down.”This is news from the past that we reveal to you. You were notthere when they drew their raffles to select Mary’s guardian.You were not present when they argued with one another.The angels said, “O Mary, God gives you good news: a Wordfrom Him whose name is ‘The Messiah, Jesus the son of Mary.He will be prominent in this life and in the Hereafter, and one ofthose closest to Me.’“He will speak to the people from the crib, as well as an adult; hewill be one of the righteous.”She said, “My Lord, how can I have a son, when no man hastouched me?” He said, “God thus creates whatever He wills. Tohave anything done, He simply says to it, ‘Be,’ and it is.“He will teach him the scripture, wisdom, the Torah, and the

Appendix 2 | 251Gospel.”(Quran: The Final Testament 3:42-48)And God then bestowed on Mary the honor of bearing achild through virgin birth—a child who was a prophet frombirth:Mention in the scripture Mary. She isolated herself from herfamily, into an eastern location.While a barrier separated her from them, we sent to her our Spirit.He went to her in the form of a human being.She said, “I seek refuge in the Most Gracious, that you may berighteous.”He said, “I am the messenger of your Lord, to grant you a pureson.”She said, “How can I have a son, when no man has touched me;I have never been unchaste.”He said, “Thus said your Lord, ‘It is easy for Me. We will renderhim a sign for the people, and mercy from us. This is a predestinedmatter.’ ”When she bore him, she isolated herself to a faraway place. Thebirth process came to her by the trunk of a palm tree. She said,“(I am so ashamed;) I wish I were dead before this happened, andcompletely forgotten.”(The infant) called her from beneath her, saying, “Do not grieve.Your Lord has provided you with a stream.“If you shake the trunk of this palm tree, it will drop ripe datesfor you.“Eat and drink, and be happy. When you see anyone, say, ‘I havemade a vow of silence; I am not talking today to anyone.’ ”She came to her family, carrying him. They said, “O Mary, youhave committed something that is totally unexpected.“O descendant of Aaron, your father was not a bad man, norwas your mother unchaste.”She pointed to him. They said, “How can we talk with an infantin the crib?”(The infant spoke and) said, “I am a servant of God. He has

252 | Women’s Rights, the Quran and Islamgiven me the scripture, and has appointed me a prophet.”(Quran: The Final Testament 19:16-30)Thus Mary was saved from the Torah’s punishment for adultery:stoning to death. The fact of her giving birth while still avirgin was proven by the miracle of her son speaking as a newborn.Given all that God tells us about Mary, the virgin birth, thehonor of being the mother of a prophet from birth, etc., it iseasy to see her as someone extra special. But God gives us herexample as the example of a believer. This means that any believercan attain the same status with God that Mary has. Anyonecan be as devoted to Him, anyone can worship Him as completely.It is something that all of us can and should strive for:The Messiah, son of Mary, is no more than a messenger like themessengers before him, and his mother was a saint. Both of themused to eat the food. Note how we explain the revelations forthem, and note how they still deviate!(Quran: The Final Testament 5:75)Before you say to yourself, well, Mary was a saint, and I cannever be that good, read this next verse:Those who obey God and the messenger belong with thoseblessed by God—the prophets, the saints, the martyrs, and therighteous. These are the best company.(Quran: The Final Testament 4:69)We all have the capability of being among that “best company”if we choose to strive to be one of the righteous!Muhammad’s WivesFor centuries Muslim women have looked to the Prophet’swives as role models. It is through his wives that a great manyof his sayings, or Hadith, were supposedly originally transmitted.Many Muslims have come to revere them. But what do we

Appendix 2 | 253really know about them? Actually, very little, and much ofwhat we think we know is probably inaccurate. However, theQuran does mention them several times.They are to be respected:The prophet is closer to the believers than they are to each other,and his wives are like mothers to them. The relatives ought totake care of one another in accordance with God’s scripture.Thus, the believers shall take care of their relatives who immigrateto them, provided they have taken care of their own familiesfirst. These are commandments of this scripture.(Quran: The Final Testament 33:6)God tells us that the Prophet’s wives are like our mothers.What does that mean for women who have been dead for overa thousand years? How do you treat your deceased mother (orin truth great, great… great grandmother whom you nevermet)? We have seen that God tells us to honor our parents (2:83,6:151, etc.). Clearly there can be no personal interaction, so howcan we honor women who are dead? I believe by respectingthem and not attributing anything to them that they would nothave done!The Prophet’s wives were very close to all the issues of earlyIslam. They knew, as few others did, the dangers of idolatry.They also knew what Muhammad really taught. It seems to mevery disrespectful of them to believe that they would have goneagainst the clear teachings of the Quran to take anything butthe scripture as a source of guidance. Therefore I do not believethat they would have intentionally begun the transmission ofHadith. Of course, as humans, they were bound to have sharedfrom the experiences of their lives, speaking of their deceasedhusband as any woman would. But it is very different to recallevents or discuss mutual memories and to relate the words oractions of the Prophet as a source of religious guidance. Wouldwe take the words of our own mothers about our deceasedfathers as religious guidance? I hope not!

254 | Women’s Rights, the Quran and IslamThe wives of the Prophet were in a special position in theearly days of Islam. Their actions and words could easily reflectnegatively on the message. As a result, they were required totake extra precautions in their dealings with other people:O prophet, say to your wives, “If you are seeking this life and itsvanities, then let me compensate you and allow you to go amicably.“But if you are seeking God and His messenger, and the abode ofthe Hereafter, then God has prepared for the righteous amongyou a great recompense.”O wives of the prophet, if any of you commits a gross sin, theretribution will be doubled for her. This is easy for God to do.Any one of you who obeys God and His messenger, and leads arighteous life, we will grant her double the recompense, and wehave prepared for her a generous provision.O wives of the prophet, you are not the same as any otherwomen, if you observe righteousness. (You have a greaterresponsibility.) Therefore, you shall not speak too softly,lest those with disease in their hearts may get the wrong ideas;you shall speak only righteousness.You shall settle down in your homes, and do not mingle with thepeople excessively, like you used to do in the old days of ignorance.You shall observe the Contact Prayers (Salat), and givethe obligatory charity (Zakat), and obey God and His messenger.God wishes to remove all unholiness from you, O you who livearound the Sacred Shrine, and to purify you completely.Remember what is being recited in your homes of God’s revelationsand the wisdom inherent therein. God is Sublime, Cognizant.(Quran: The Final Testament 33:28-34)As mothers to the believers, their responsibility was greater,as well as their reward.Given the Arab attitude toward feminine sexuality, it makesgreat sense that the prophet’s wives should have set themselvesapart from the people rather than risk endangering the reputa-

Appendix 2 | 255tion of the prophet, and the spread of the message. But the aboveverses make it clear that this was for wives of the prophet: “Owives of the prophet, you are not the same as any other women, if youobserve righteousness.”Because the prophet’s wives were in such a delicate position,the believers were required to treat them with care:O you who believe, do not enter the prophet’s homes unless youare given permission to eat, nor shall you force such an invitationin any manner. If you are invited, you may enter. Whenyou finish eating, you shall leave; do not engage him in lengthyconversations. This used to hurt the prophet, and he was too shyto tell you. But God does not shy away from the truth. If youhave to ask his wives for something, ask them from behind a barrier.This is purer for your hearts and their hearts. You are notto hurt the messenger of God. You shall not marry his wivesafter him, for this would be a gross offense in the sight of God.(Quran: The Final Testament 33:53)Even given all of the special circumstances of the wives of theprophet, they clearly were not kept totally sequestered fromthe rest of society. This is clear from the Quranic verse 33:33, asquoted above, where the wives are told not to mingle excessivelywith the people. Obviously they could mingle, just notexcessively. The fact that they did still interact with the peopleis also illustrated by the following verse:O prophet, tell your wives, your daughters, and the wives of thebelievers that they shall lengthen their garments. Thus, they willbe recognized (as righteous women) and avoid being insulted.God is Forgiver, Most Merciful.(Quran: The Final Testament 33:59)If they were never seen outside of their own householdsthere would be no need for them to worry about being insulted.

256 | Women’s Rights, the Quran and IslamGod tells us that the prophet and his wives were like parentsto the believers. He also makes it very clear that they werefallible human beings. The following verses illustrate this:O you prophet, why do you prohibit what God has made lawfulfor you, just to please your wives? God is Forgiver, Merciful.God has decreed for you the laws dealing with your oaths. God isyour Lord, and He is the Omniscient, Most Wise.The prophet had trusted some of his wives with a certain statement,then one of them spread it, and God let him know about it.He then informed his wife of part of the issue, and disregardedpart. She asked him, “Who informed you of this?” He said, “Iwas informed by the Omniscient, Most Cognizant.”If the two of you repent to God, then your hearts have listened.But if you band together against him, then God is his ally, andso is Gabriel and the righteous believers. Also, the angels are hishelpers.If he divorces you, his Lord will substitute other wives in yourplace who are better than you; submitters (Muslims), believers(Mu’mins), obedient, repentant, worshipers, pious, either previouslymarried, or virgins.(Quran: The Final Testament 66:1-5)These verses illustrate that there were difficulties within theprophet’s marriages, as in any marriage. The prophet and hiswives were only human.There is one other set of verses that illustrate the prophet’shuman fallibility in reference to his wives. This has to do withhis reticence to marry the divorced wife of his adopted son:Recall that you said to the one who was blessed by God, andblessed by you, “Keep your wife and reverence God,” and youhid inside yourself what God wished to proclaim. Thus, youfeared the people, when you were supposed to fear only God.When Zeid was completely through with his wife, we had youmarry her, in order to establish the precedent that a man maymarry the divorced wife of his adopted son. God’s commands

Appendix 2 | 257shall be done.The prophet is not committing an error by doing anything thatis made lawful by God. Such is God’s system since the early generations.God’s command is a sacred duty.Those who deliver God’s messages, and who reverence Himalone, shall never fear anyone but God. God is the most efficientreckoner.(Quran: The Final Testament 33:37-39)There is one last set of verses having to do with the wives ofthe prophet that we should look at. They give us a glimpse atthe society of the time:O prophet, we made lawful for you your wives to whom youhave paid their due dowry, or what you already have, as grantedto you by God. Also lawful for you in marriage are the daughtersof your father’s brothers, the daughters of your father’s sisters,the daughters of your mother’s brothers, the daughters of yourmother’s sisters, who have emigrated with you. Also, if a believingwoman gave herself to the prophet—by forfeiting thedowry—the prophet may marry her without a dowry, if he sowishes. However, her forfeiting of the dowry applies only to theprophet, and not to the other believers. We have already decreedtheir rights in regard to their spouses or what they already have.This is to spare you any embarrassment. God is Forgiver, MostMerciful.You may gently shun any one of them, and you may bring closerto you any one of them. If you reconcile with any one you hadestranged, you commit no error. In this way, they will bepleased, will have no grief, and will be content with what youequitably offer to all of them. God knows what is in your hearts.God is Omniscient, Clement.Beyond the categories described to you, you are enjoined frommarrying any other women, nor can you substitute a new wife(from the prohibited categories), no matter how much you admiretheir beauty. You must be content with those already made lawfulto you. God is watchful over all things.(Quran: The Final Testament 33:50-52)

258 | Women’s Rights, the Quran and IslamFrom these verses it is clear that it was an honor to be marriedto the prophet. A woman might forfeit a dowry in order tobe so honored, but the prophet might not wish to marry her. Ifthat forfeiture were then to be generalized to anyone whowould then chose to marry the woman, the prophet might feelcompelled to marry her rather than having her lose her dowry.These verses prevented that situation from coming up.Abee Lahab’s WifeOne of the last chapters of the Quran is devoted to one ofMuhammad’s uncles and his wife. They were leaders of thepersecution against the believers:Condemned are the works of Abee Lahab, and he is condemned.His money and whatever he has accomplished will never helphim.He has incurred the blazing Hell.Also his wife, who led the persecution.She will be (resurrected) with a rope of thorns around her neck.(Quran: The Final Testament 111:1-5)Thus we see that women can be among the best of the best,like Mary and Pharaoh’s wife. Or they can be among the worstof the worst like Lot’s wife and the wife of Abee Lahab.Let us strive to be among the best of the best!

Appendix 3The Quran’s Mathematical CodeMost of the following information is contained in Rashad Khalifa’stranslation of the Quran. (Please see Quran: The Final Testament,Appendix 1, pages 375-403.)This appendix is reproduced from my earlier book JESUS: Myths& Message, Universal Unity, 1992, pp. 195-202.SIMPLE FACTSThere are 114 chapters in the Quran, or 19 x 6.The total number of verses in the Quran is 6346, or 19 x 334.When you add the 30 different numbers which are mentionedin the Quran’s text: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 19,20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 99, 100, 200, 300, 1000, 2000, 3000, 5000,50000 and 100000 (i.e. one God, two brothers, etc.), the total is162146 or 19 x 8534.The first statement in Quran, “In the name of God, MostGracious, Most Merciful” consists of 19 Arabic letters. Knownas the ‘Basmalah,’ it prefaces every chapter except Chapter 9.Though missing from Chapter 9, exactly 19 chapters laterthe Basmalah occurs twice. Chapter 27 has this statement at itsbeginning and in verse 30. This makes the total number oftimes the Basmalah occurs in the Quran 114, or 19 x 6.It follows that since there are 19 chapters between the missingBasmalah and the extra one, that the sum of those chapternumbers is a multiple of 19. (The sum of any 19 consecutivenumbers is a multiple of 19.) But the total, 342, is also the exactnumber of words between the two occurrences of the Basmalahin Chapter 27. This number, 342, is 19 x 18.259

260 | Women’s Rights, the Quran and IslamEach word in the Basmalah occurs in the Quran a number oftimes that is a multiple of 19.⎯The first word ‘Ism’ (name) occurs 19 times.⎯The second word ‘Allah’ (God) occurs 2698 times or 19 x142.⎯The third word ‘Al-Rahman’ (Most Gracious) occurs 57times or 19 x 3.⎯The fourth word ‘Al-Raheem’ (Most Merciful) occurs 114times or 19 x 6.The first revelation that came to the prophet Muhammad,was 19 words.The total number of letters in the 19 words of the first revelationis 76, 19 x 4.Although they were first in order of revelation, these versesare placed at the beginning of Chapter 96 in the final order ofcompilation. This chapter is atop the last 19 chapters.Chapter 96 consists of 304 Arabic letters, or 19 x 16. Andthose 304 letters make up 19 verses.The last chapter revealed (Chapter 110) has 19 words, andits first verse is 19 letters.As mentioned above, the word ‘Allah’ (God) occurs 2698times (19 x 142). If you add the numbers of the verses wherethis word occurs, the total is 118123 or 19 x 6217.The main message in the Quran is that there is only ‘OneGod’. The number of times that the word ‘Wahed’ (one) is usedto refer to this concept of One God is 19.At the time of the revelation of the Quran letters were usedas numbers, in the same way that the Romans used their letters,now known as Roman numerals. The importance of theconcept of One God is underscored by the fact that if you takethe numerical values assigned to the letters of ‘Wahed’: W = 6,A = 1, H = 8, D = 4, the total is 19. These values are known asthe gematrical value of the letters. It is very interesting that thegematrical value for the Hebrew word ‘one’ or ‘Vahed’ is also19.

Appendix 3 | 261The word ‘Quran,’ in all of its grammatical forms, occurs in38 different chapters (38 is 19 x 2). When you exclude anyoccurrences where it refers to a Quran other than the actualQuran which we have (for example, one excluded verse refersto a hypothetical non-Arabic Quran), and add the chapter andverse numbers for those occurrences, the total is 4408, or 19 x232.The total number of times ‘the Quran’ is mentioned is 58times, but one of them refers to “a Quran other than this”which the disbelievers demanded. So the actual number of referencesto the actual book the Quran is 57 or 19 x 3.Within the 114 chapters of the Quran, 29 of them are prefixedwith certain letters of the Arabic alphabet, or ‘QuranicInitials.’ Intermixed between the first initialed chapter (Chapter2) and the last initialed chapter (Chapter 68), there are 38non-initialed chapters, or 19 x 2.In this same group of chapters, from Chapter 2 to Chapter68, there are 19 alternating sets of initialed and non-initialedchapters.The total number of verses making up this group of chaptersis 5263, 19 x 277.Within this group of chapters there are also 2641 occurrencesof the word ‘Allah’, or 19 x 139. Of course, that leaves57, or 19 x 4, occurrences of that word outside of this group.If you add the chapter and verse numbers of the 57 occurrencesof ‘Allah’ outside the initialed section, the total is 2432or 19 x 128.QURANIC INITIALSTwenty-nine chapters of the Quran begin with letters of theArabic alphabet. These are sometimes called the Quranic Initials.Rashad Khalifa’s search for an explanation of these QuranicInitials while he was translating the Quran led to the discoveryof the code imbedded in the Arabic text of this scripture. These

262 | Women’s Rights, the Quran and Islaminitials exhibit many aspects of the code, when looked at asindividual sets and when looked at all together.Let us begin by looking at the initials that use a single letter.The first one we will examine is the initial that has the Englishtransliteration of ‘Q’.THE INITIAL ‘Q.’ (Qaaf)There are several special phenomena having to do with theinitial Q. Perhaps it can be seen as standing for Quran. This isespecially so since there are two Q-initialed chapters, each with57 (19 x 3) Q’s in them. Thus the total of Q’s in both chapters is114 (19 x 6), the same number as the number of chapters in theQuran.The fact that both Q-initialed chapters contain exactly 57 Q’sis quite remarkable because the first one of them (Chapter 42)is more than twice as long as the second one (Chapter 50).There is another remarkable phenomenon in the sum of thenumber of each chapter with the number of verses in thatchapter. Chapter 42 has 53 verses; 42 plus 53 is 95, or 19 x 5. Ifwe look at the other Q-initialed chapter, 50, it has 45 verses; 50plus 45 is also 95.Dr. Khalifa’s idea that Q might stand for the Quran isstrengthened by discoveries made after his death (SUBMIT-TERS PERSPECTIVE, Masjid Tucson, December, 1990). Whenyou look at the chapters between and inclusive of those Q initialedchapters (Chapters 42 and 53) there are some interestingfacts. First of all, the total number of Q’s occurring in thatgroup of chapters is 456, or 19 times 24.Also, if you add the total number of verses in these 9 chaptersyou have 403. This number added to the sum of the chapternumbers, 414, is 817, or 19 times 43.Then, if you look at the gematrical value of the initials in theinitializing verses for those chapters, the total is 570 or 19 times30. (See the discussion of gematrical value earlier, in the sectionon the simple facts.)

Appendix 3 | 263Finally, let us examine the chapter numbers and verse numbersfor the six occurrences of the word ‘Quran’ in those chapters(42:7; 43:3 & 31; 46:29; 47:24 and 50:1). When you add justthe chapter numbers: 42 + 43 + 46 + 47 + 50, the total is 228, or19 times 12. Likewise, when you add the verse numbers: 7 + 3+ 31 + 29 + 24 + 1, the total is 95, or 19 times 5.THE INITIAL ‘N.’ (Noon)This initial prefixes only one chapter, number 68. Chapter68 is the last initialed chapter. In the case of this one initialonly, the letter’s name is spelled out in the Arabic⎯Noon WowNoon. The total number of occurrences of N in this chapter,including the two occurrences in the initial’s name, is 133, or 19x 7. Please note that not all Qurans have this letter’s namespelled out, but it is in many older Qurans.THE INITIAL ‘Š.’ (Saad)Š prefixes three different chapters, 7, 19 and 38. The totaloccurrences of Š in these three chapters taken together is 152,or 19 x 8.In modern copies of the Quran the Arabic word ‘Bastatan’ iswritten with a ‘Saad’ rather than the Arabic letter ‘Seen.’ Thiswould increase the count of ‘Saad’ by one, and it would nolonger be divisible by 19. But the oldest available copy of theQuran, the Tashkent copy, writes ‘Bastatan’ with a ‘Seen.’Rashad Khalifa includes a reproduction from that Tashkentcopy in his translation (QURAN: THE FINAL TESTAMENT,1989, p. 614).In most cases, the initials occur together in sets. Next, wewill examine some of these sets.THE INITIALS ‘Y.S.’ (Ya Seen)These two initials are found at the beginning of Chapter 36.The number of times that these two letters appear in this chapteris 285, or 19 x 15.

264 | Women’s Rights, the Quran and IslamThe Quran uses two different forms of ‘Y’ one of which isvery subtle for non-Arabic readers to distinguish. RashadKhalifa’s book QURAN: Visual Presentation Of The Miracle(Islamic Productions, 1982) shows every ‘Y’ and ‘S’ marked inthe Arabic text of Chapter 36.THE INITIALS ‘H.M.’ (Haa Meem)This set of initials is found initializing the seven consecutivechapters 40 through 46. The total occurrence of these two in allof these chapters is 2147, or 19 x 113.THE INITIALS ‘Á.S.Q.’ (Ayn Seen Qaf)Chapter 42 is the only chapter with a set of initials (H.M.) inthe first verse and another (Á.S.Q.) in the second verse. Ofcourse, the H’s and M’s figure in the counts for ‘H.M’ as mentionedabove. The number of times the letters of the second setof initials, Á.S.Q., are in Chapter 42 is 209, or 19 x 11.THE INITIALS ‘A.L.M.’ (Alef Laam Mim)‘A’ is the most common letter in Arabic, ‘L’ is the secondmost common, and ‘M’ is the third most common. This combinationof initials prefixes six chapters: 2, 3, 29, 30, 31 and 32. Inevery one of those six chapters, the total occurrence of A’s plusL’s and M’s is divisible by 19. Of course this means that whenlooking at all six chapters together, the grand total of all theseinitials is divisible by 19.THE INITIALS ‘A.L.R.’ (Alef Laam Ra)These initials prefix Chapters 10, 11, 12, 14 and 15. Again, ineach of those chapters the total number of A’s plus L’s plus R’sis divisible by 19.INITIALS ‘A.L.M.R’ (Alef Laam Mim Ra)This group of initials prefixes only Chapter 13. Their totalcombined frequency in that chapter is 1482, or 19 times 78.

Appendix 3 | 265INITIALS ‘A.L.M.Š.’ (Alem Laam Mim Saad)Chapter 7 is the only chapter prefixed by this combinationof initials. The total occurrence of these combined letters in thischapter is 5320, or 19 times 280.Note that the initial Saad also interacts with the Saads ofChapters 19 and 38 to produce a total of Saads that is divisible.(See the discussion of the Initial Saad above.)INITIALS ‘K.H.Y.Á.Š.’ (Kaaf Ha Ya ‘Ayn Saad)This longest set of initials begins Chapter 19. The joint totalof these initials in that chapter is 798, or 19 times 42.INITIALS ‘H.’ (Ha); ‘T.H.’ (Ta Ha); ‘T.S.’ (Ta Seen); and‘T.S.M.’ (Ta Seen Mim)These remaining four groups of initials interact in an interlockingand overlapping relationship which produces a combinedtotal of 1767 which is 19 times 93.MATHEMATICAL PROPERTIES OF THE INITIALEDCHAPTERS AS A WHOLEHalf of the Arabic alphabet, or 14 letters, are combined invarious different ways to make up 14 different sets of initials.These 14 sets initialize 29 different chapters. If you take thegematrical values of each of the 14 different letters occurring asinitials and sum them, you get 693. Add to that 29 for the numberof chapters and you get 722, or 19 times 19 times 2.Also, if you add the gematrical values of each initial (693again) to the chapter numbers where each first occurs (totalingto 295) you get 988, or 19 times 52. For example, ‘Alef’ has thegemetrical value of 1 and first occurs in Chapter 2; ‘Ha’ has thegemetrical value of 5 and it first occurs in Chapter 19...thosenumbers for all 14 initials give you the total of 988.You will find more of these relationships in Rashad Khalifa’sappendix, along with tables illustrating them. There is one

266 | Women’s Rights, the Quran and Islammore that is so remarkable that it must be included. For eachinitialed chapter take the chapter number, add the number ofQuranic Initials which prefix it and then add the number ofverses containing initials (this number will be 1 for all chaptersexcept 42, which has initials in two verses). As an example, thefirst initialed chapter is Chapter 2; it has 3 Quranic Initials thatoccur in 1 verse. When we add 2 plus 3 plus 1 we get 6. Let uscall this total the chapter total. When you sum all of the chaptertotals for the initialed chapters you get 931 or 19 times 49.This in itself is amazing enough, but there is more. If you multiplythe chapter number by the number of initials instead ofadding them, and then add the number of verses containinginitials, you still get a grand total which is a multiple of19⎯2052 or 19 times 108!You can illustrate for yourself how remarkable this is by tryingto duplicate it. You will see that this definitely is not amathematical property, and clearly indicates divine arrangement.In fact, you can try to duplicate just a few of these phenomenain a piece of literature. You will soon find how impossibleit is to make sense and still adhere to the mathematicalproperties.FURTHER READING:Appendix 1, QURAN: The Final Testament, Rashad Khalifatranslator, Universal Unity, 1992, pages 375-403.BEYOND PROBABILITY: God’s Message In Mathematics,Abdullah Arik, Monotheist Productions International, 1992.QURAN: Visual Presentation of the Miracle, Rashad Khalifa,Islamic Productions, 1982.THE COMPUTER SPEAKS: God’s Message To The World,Rashad Khalifa, Renaissance Productions International, 1981.

GlossaryAbee Lahab: Leader of the opposition for the early Muslims.He was an uncle of the prophet Muhammad.Abraham: The prophet who originally called the believers “Muslims.”He is known as the father of Islam, and it wasthrough him that all of the practices of Islam came. Muhammadwas a follower the religion of Abraham.Adultery: In the Quran, this refers to any sexual relations outsideof one’s own marriage. It applies to both married andunmarried offenders.Al-Fatehah: The first chapter of the Quran. This seven-versechapter is recited in each unit of the Muslim Contact Prayers.Al-Quran: See Quran. “Al” is an Arabic article, meaning “the.”Thus, Al-Quran is “the Quran.”Allah: The Arabic word for God.Arab: While the popular understanding of an Arab is anyonewho speaks the Arabic language, in the Quran this wordrefers to an individual of the Bedouin tribes in the ArabianPeninsula. While most Arabs follow the religion of Islam,most Muslims are not from these tribes, so are not Arabs inthe Quranic sense.Arafaat: The knoll near Mecca where Muslim pilgrims spendone day meditating on God during the performance of theHajj pilgrimage.Asr: The afternoon Contact Prayer.Bedouins: The once nomadic tribes of the area now known asSaudi Arabia. These are the Arabs referred to in the Quran.Contact Prayers: The prayers that Muslims perform each day.There are five Contact Prayers, each done during a specific267

268 | Women’s Rights, the Quran and Islamtime of the day. Please see the chapter on the ContactPrayers for further details.Culture: The customs, thought patterns, language, way of life,etc., of a distinct group of people.Dhur: The noon Contact Prayer. (Also spelled Zuher.)Fajr: The dawn Contact Prayer.Friday Prayer: The congregational prayer that Muslims attendaround noon every Friday.Gospels: The first four books of the Christian New Testament.Hadith: What has been understood to be the sayings of theprophet Muhammad. These sayings were not collected untilgenerations after the death of Muhammad. In general usage,this word can refer to an individual saying, or a collection ofthem.Hajj: The pilgrimage to Mecca that every Muslim must make atleast once if he/she can afford it.Haraam: The Arabic word meaning “forbidden” or “unlawful.”Haram: The Arabic word meaning “sacred.” For example Al-Masjid Al-Haram is the Sacred Mosque in Mecca.Harem: The women living in the women’s quarters of a Muslimhousehold where the tradition of having the women livein a separate part of the house is followed.Hijab: Literally translated from the Arabic as “a barrier.” Inthis book it refers to the traditional garments put on byMuslim women (usually over their normal clothes) whengoing out in public.Hoopoe: A crested bird with a long curved bill and distinctiveplumage. Found in Africa and Eurasia.Ihram: The ritual state of purity that every Muslim pilgrimmust enter and maintain during his or her Hajj.

In Shã Allah: The Arabic for “God willing.”Intestate: If someone dies intestate they die without having madea will.Isha: The night Contact Prayer.Islam: The religion of submission to God. Normally thought ofas the organized religion originated by the prophet Abrahamand taught by the prophet Muhammad. The Quran, however,makes it clear that all of the prophets taught the samereligion to their followers. The practices of Islam were givento the prophet Abraham. Muhammad was a follower of thereligion of Abraham, and was the man through whom Godrevealed the Quran.Ismail: Also spelled Ishmael. Abraham’s first son. His descendentswere the Bedouin Arabs.Isaac: Abraham’s second son. Isaac’s descendents were the Jews.Jacob: Abraham’s grandson.Juma prayer: See Friday Prayer.Jumu’ah: See Friday Prayer.Kaaba: The shrine Abraham built and dedicated to God. It isnow housed in the Sacred Mosque in Mecca, Saudi Arabia.This is the focal point towards which Muslims turn whenthey pray and to which they make their pilgrimage.Koran: Alternate spelling of Quran.Khutbah: Each of the two short talks given during the FridayPrayer. Each khutbah substitutes for one unit of the normalContact Prayer that is said during the Friday Prayer.Last Day: The Day of Resurrection. Christians sometimes knowthis as the Last Judgment.Mã Shã Allah: Can be translated “This is what God has givenme.”Maghrib: The evening Contact Prayer.Glossary | 269

270 | Women’s Rights, the Quran and IslamMasjid: Another term for mosque, or the formal place of worshipfor Muslims.Mecca: The city in Saudi Arabia where the Kaaba stands.Mohammed: Alternate spelling of Muhammad.Monogamy: Marriage to only one person at a time.Mosque: The formal place of worship for Muslims.Muhammad: The prophet through whom the Quran was revealed.He was born into the strongest of the nomadic ArabBedouin tribes in 570 A.D. and died in 632 A.D. He was afollower of the religion of Abraham, Islam.Muslim: A submitter. Generally thought to be a follower of thereligion of Islam. However, in the Quran, anyone who submitshis or her will to God is considered a Muslim.Obligatory Charity: A specific charity that must be given tothose in need, whenever income is received. Please see thechapter on the Obligatory Charity for details.Ottoman Turks: Refers to the Ottoman Empire (c. 1300-1900)when the Turks controlled much of southeast Europe,southwest Asia and northeast Africa.Polygamy: The practice of one man having multiple wives atthe same time.Prophet: In a traditional Muslim context this title generallyrefers to the prophet Muhammad.Quran: The holy scripture of Islam. Quran was revealed throughthe prophet Muhammad over 1400 years ago.Qur-an: A variation on the spelling of Quran.Quranic Islam: The practice of Islam based totally on the Quran,rather than the traditions ascribed to the prophet Muhammad,or any other source.Quraish tribe: The Bedouin Arab tribe into which the prophetMuhammad was born.

Ramadan: The ninth month of the Islamic calendar throughoutwhich Muslims observe a complete fast from the earliestlight of dawn to sunset.Safa & Marwah: The two knolls adjacent to the Kaaba. Part ofthe performance of the pilgrimage includes walking or trottingbetween them.Sacred Masjid: The large mosque that surrounds the Kaaba.Salat: The Arabic word for the Contact Prayers.Salat Al-Jumu’ah: The Friday Prayer.Sectism: The setting up and following of sects.Seyam: The Arabic word for fasting.Shahada: Literally “bearing witness.” Refers to bearing witnessto the fact that there is no god but God.Shia Muslims: One of the major Muslim sects.Sunna: What has been understood to be the practices of theprophet Muhammad.Sunni Muslims: One of the major Muslim sects.Glossary | 271Talaaq: Translated as “I divorce you.” Many traditional Muslimsbelieve that if the husband pronounces this three timesin succession the couple is irrevocably divorced.Tayammum: Dry ablution in preparation for the Contact Prayers.This is preformed when water is not available, or if one is ill.Torah: The first five books of the Jewish Bible.Urdu: The official language of Pakistan.Wudu’: The normal ablution in preparation for the ContactPrayers.Zakat: The Arabic word for the Obligatory Charity.Zujir: Alternate spelling for the noon Contact Prayer.

272 | Women’s Rights, the Quran and IslamBibliographyScriptural ReferencesCatholic Biblical Association of America. The New American Bible,Saint Joseph Edition: Translated from the Original Languages withCritical Use of All the Ancient Sources by Members of the CatholicBiblical Association of America, Catholic Book Publishing Co.,New York, 1970.New Revised Standard Version of the Bible. [www.devotions.net/bible/00new.htm] May, 2002.Jewish Publication Society. TANAKH; A New Translation of The HolyScriptures According to the Traditional Hebrew Text. The JewishPublication Society, Philadelphia, 1985.Jewish Publication Society. THE TORAH: The Five Books of Moses; Anew translation of The Holy Scriptures according to the Masoretictext. 1st Section. The Jewish Publication Society, Philadelphia, 1962.Ali, Abdullah Yusuf, Trans. The Holy Qur-an: Text, Translation andCommentary. Dar Al Arabia, Beirut, Lebanon, 1968.Khalifa, Rashad, Trans. Quran: The Final Testament, [Authorized EnglishVersion] With the Arabic Text. Translated from the Original.Islamic Productions, Tucson, AZ, 1992.Khalifa, Rashad, Trans. Quran: The Final Testament, [Authorized EnglishVersion]. Translated from the Original. Revised Edition. UniversalUnity, Fremont, CA, 1992.Other ReferencesArik, Abdullah. BEYOND PROBABILITY: God’s Message In Mathematics.Monotheist Productions International, Tucson, AZ, 1992.Khalifa, Rashad. QURAN: Visual Presentation of the Miracle. IslamicProductions, Tucson, AZ, 1982.Khalifa, Rashad. THE COMPUTER SPEAKS: God’s Message To TheWorld. Renaissance Productions International, 1981.

Index | 273IndexAAbee Lahab 138Ablution 121, 124, 138-139,157-158, 161Abraham 120-121, 129, 138,142, 144, 150Abu Bakr 27Abuse 58-59Acts, book of 15Adam 16, 55, 66Adultery 17, 18-19, 71-72, 111Afghanistan xv, 128African Americans 198-204Aggression forbidden ix, 44Aisha 27Al-Bukhari, 116, 117Alcohol 88-89, 139, 188Al-Fatehah 137Ali, Yusuf 9-10, 12, 21, 31, 32,34, 35, 51, 57, 97, 104, 113,129, 161, 164, 168, 174Alimony 96Allah 169. See also God, natureofAnimals 38-39Aquila and Pricilla 15Arabic language 17, 20-21, 33,34, 48, 52, 116, 127, 136-137,166-167Arafaat 159, 160Arbitration 93Arranged marriages 65, 69,71, 77-79Azan. See Call for prayers.BBangladesh 173Baptism 121Baptists 60, 200Bearing Witness 122-123, 127-131Bedouin Arabs 50Beating 58-63Bhutto, Benazir 173Bible 1, 9, 17, 18, 34-36, 49, 55,87, 98, 115, 166, 168. Seealso individual books ofthe Bible.Blum, Deborah 57Bombay 77, 78Book Of Heart-Mealting Traditions117Bain Sex 57Bride price. See DowryBukhari. See Al-Bukhari.CCalcutta 78Call for prayers 123Catholicism 1Charity 32, 61, 121, 143-147.See also Obligatory Charity.Chest, covering of 48-49Child custody 97Children, raising of 185-204Christianity 31, 34, 69, 121,145, 150, 193, 200Ciller, Tansu 174Circumambulation 156, 157Civil rights 200Congregational Prayer. SeeFriday Prayer

274 | Women’s Rights, the Quran and IslamContact prayer 22, 32, 47, 121,124, 133-142, 157, 181, 189,199, 202Conversion experience 2-6, 7,122-123, 130-131Corinthians 14, 49Courtesy 43, 192-193Courtship 59, 70-72Culture 7-9, 23, 49, 50, 56,103, 109, 174DDay of Atonement 150Deborah 177Deedat, Ahmed 123Deuteronomy 98, 130, 144Divorce 61, 71, 72-73, 76, 91-101, 111, 124, 181Dowry 18, 72, 74-76Dress code 47-54, 60 ,62-63,79EEducation 110, 180-181, 191-192, 200, 202Egypt 8, 51, 75, 99-101, 199,201Elliott, Jane 197-198Employment 177-180Engagement 70, 78, 123Ephesians 56Equality x, 9-22, 44, 57, 196Eve 16, 55, 66Exodus 18, 74FFasting 121, 150, 181. See alsoRamadanFinancial transactions 109-112, 177Fornication 19France 173Freedom ix, 194-196Friday Prayer 4, 131, 139-142,165, 202, 205GGalatians 15Gender differences 57, 68Gender roles 55-63, 99, 173-184Gender, linguistic 20Genesis 55, 56, 66God, nature of 21, 40-42, 45,63Gospels 35, 145. See also individualbooks.Gratitude 190-191HHadith xvi, 61, 79, 116-121,131, 163, 170, 171, 174, 182,200, 201Hafsah 27Hair, covering of 48-49, 124,170, 183, 202Hajj 47, 155-160, 181Handbook of Early MuhammadanTradition 117Harem 11, 24, 47, 173Hebrews 66Hijab. See VeilingHodja. See NasrudinHome makers 150Homosexuality 88-89Hoopoe, The 2-6Human interaction 43-44

Index | 275Hypoglycemia 153-154IIdeal Woman in Islam 117Ihram 157-158Illness 138, 139, 149Inanimate things 39-40India 21-22, 25, 51, 75-76, 77-79Indonesia 174, 201Inheritance 103-108Intercession 45, 46Intoxication 139Iran 46, 51, 52-54, 75, 76, 141-142, 151-152, 170-172, 176,183, 201Iraq 80, 183Isaiah 145, 151Islam & Submission 33-34Islamic calendar 149Islamic Center 201, 202JJehovah's Witness 200Jessel, David 57Jesus 13, 18-19, 34, 66, 98, 115,123, 129, 145, 151Jewish prayer 121, 135Jewish Shema 130Jews xiii, 31, 34, 69, 121, 145,150, 193John, book of 13, 19Joseph 17Judges, book of 177Judicial system 176-177, 180Jumu'ah. See Friday prayerJumaa. See Friday prayer.KKaaba 156, 157, 159Khadijah 27Khalifa, Rashad 12, 20, 26-28,31, 56, 58, 67, 73, 103, 110,111, 115, 120, 129, 162, 168-169, 171, 196, 201, 207Khomeini, Imam 202Khutbah 140, 205King, Dr. Martin Luther 197KITAB AL-RIQAQ 117LLent 150Leviticus 18, 115Lightning 37Loans. See Financial transactions.Lot's wife 86Love vs being in love 92-93MMalachi 98Maria the Egyptian 27Marriage 18, 19, 29, 55-63, 65-89, 92, 122-124, 181, 201Marriage ceremony 72, 81-89,123Marriage counselingMarriage prohibitions 18, 73-74Mary 86-88Masjid. See Mosque.Mass 121, 135Mathematical code. See underQuran.Matthew, book of 14, 66, 98,115, 130, 145, 151

276 | Women’s Rights, the Quran and IslamMecca 155, 159Men, in charge 55-63, 103, 111Menopause 113Menstruation 22, 94, 113-115,124, 127, 128, 139, 149, 150,156-158Miami University 202Mockery 43Modeling 35, 188, 189, 191,192Modesty 48, 49, 51Mohammed. See MuhammadMoir, Anne 57Moon 38Mormon polygamy 23-24Morocco 180-184Moses 34, 41, 98, 129, 143, 190Mosque 4-5, 63, 131, 142, 182-184, 199, 201Mothers 106, 135, 186-188Mr. Mom 186Muhammad 13, 27, 46, 50, 79,119, 120, 123, 128, 138, 142,163, 170, 202Muhammad, Imran 117Muhammed, Elijah 60Mullah Nasrudin. See NasrudinMullahs 22Music 170Muslim, Sahih 117NNasrudin 205-207Nation of Islam 60, 199National leaders, women as173-174Nature, verses on 36-40New York 202Noah 129Noah's wife 86Numbers, book of 104Nursing children 96-97, 100OObligatory charity 142, 143-147, 181. See also Charity.Old Testament 19, 24Old Testament prophets 24Omar 27Oppression 13, 44, 91, 116,159, 195-196, 200Oprah. See Winfrey, OprahOrganized Religion 2, 33, 45Orphans 25, 27Ottoman Turks 173PPakistan 75-76, 127, 173, 201Palestine 29Pan Africanist movement 200Paradise 12, 16, 69-71Parents 105, 106, 107, 186-187.See also Mothers.Paul 14-16, 24, 49, 56, 66, 87-88Paul, Elliot 5Persian New Year 52Personal responsibility 59, 79,85-86, 92Pharaoh's wife 86Pilgrimage. See HajjPillars of Islam 127, 133, 143,149, 155Pittsburgh 202Plants 39-40Politics, women in 173-176

Index | 277Polygamy 22, 23-30, 47, 60, 75,201, 202Pregnancy 95, 97, 150, 183, 186Prejudice and racism 185, 197-198, 198-203Priscilla 15Prostitution 80-81, 183Purdah. See VeilingQQiblah 32Qum 201Quran 9-22, 31-46abrogation of 117, 118aggression forbidden ix, 44freedom mandated ix, 194-196Islam’s source xiv, 116-120mathematical code x, 123,124-125, 141, 168-169, 171reading 99, 113, 124, 125,191translation 10-11, 12, 124,141, 166-167terrorism condemned ix,43-44vs Hadith 117, 118-121women's equality 9-22women’s protection 56-57,59-62, 109-111Quran study 60-61, 141, 161-172, 181RRacism. See PrejudiceRamadan 22, 52, 113, 149-154,181, 199Readers Digest 78Reading 191-192. See also underQuran, reading.Reconciliation 91-92, 93Religious freedom 193-196Repentance 17, 18, 140Repudiation 91, 100Respect 44Ridicule 43Righteousness x, 20, 32-33, 44,189, 194, 196Roman Catholic 130Romans, book of 16SSacred Months 156-157Sacred Mosque 156. See alsoKaaba.Safa and Marwah 159Sahih Muslim 117Salat. See Contact PrayerSalat Al-Jumu'ah. See FridayPrayerSan Francisco 202Satan 16, 164-165Saudi Arabia 50, 155, 159, 182Sects 129-130 See also Shiaand SunniSex on the Brain 57Sexual intimacy 72, 114-115Shahada. See Bearing witness.Sheba, Queen of 174-176, 177Shema 130Shia Muslims 76, 129, 184, 201Siddiqui, Abdul Hamid 117Siraz 52Slavery 19, 20, 65-66, 183

278 | Women’s Rights, the Quran and IslamSocial status 43, 173-184, 196Society, women in 173-184,185-204Solomon 174Spiritual growth 67-68, 114,115, 206-207Submission 33-34, 42, 129Submitter's Perspective 184Sudan 201Sufis 2, 3Sukarnoputri, Megawati 174Sunna xvi, 60, 79, 81, 118, 200,201Sunni Muslims 129, 184, 201Sweden 122-125, 201Syria 183TTaliban xv, 13Tehran 53Temporary marriage 76-77,80-81Terrorism ix, 43-44Testimony. See Witnessing.Thankfulness. See Gratitude.Theft 17, 20Thunder 37Timothy 15, 24Titus 24Tolerance 33, 160, 180, 193-194Torah 9, 19, 34, 104, 115, 144,166Translation. See under Quran.Turkey 24, 173, 174, 205Tyranny 44UUnited States of America 29,52, 57, 79-80, 88-89, 106-108, 110, 112, 130-131, 152-154, 158-160, 174, 181, 198-204Unity of religions 33-34, 129Urdu 3, 168VValues, teaching of 185-204Veiling 5, 22, 47-54, 62-63,124, 159, 182, 183. See alsoHair, covering of.Virgin birth 87Voting 173, 176, 180WWashington, D.C 199, 201, 202Wensinck, A.J. 117Widows 25, 27Wife abuse. See Abuse.Will, writing of 105, 106-108Winfrey, Oprah 190-191Witnessing 109-112, 177Women's quarters. SeeHaremWomen's roles 11, 173-184Wudu. See AblutionYYaqui Indians 1ZZachariah 87Zakat. See Obligatory Charity.Zia, Begum Khaleda 173