Equal Social Responsibilities
d and His apostle. It is they upon whom God will bestow His grace….”
(9:71)
The Arabic word “awliya” that is used in the Quran to show the mutual rights and
obligations of women in the society, underlines both the ‘responsibility’ and the
‘authority’ that men and women should equally share as inseparable members of
the society in which all individuals and groups whatever the differences among
them may be, have collective responsibility toward the society as a whole.
Enjoining the doing of what is right and forbidding the doing of what is wrong “alamr bilma’ruf wal-naby’an al’munkar” cover all the social and political activities
which are acknowledged now as human rights, and should be secured for both men
and women equally in the society. During the rule of Caliph Umar ibn al-Khattab
(634-644), a Muslim woman expressed publicly her opposition to the Caliph’s
suggestion of restricting the amount that a woman can ask for as a dowry, and the
Caliph had to withdraw his suggestions.