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8/14/2019 Can Muslims Choose a Woman to Rule Over Them
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Can Muslims choose a Woman to
Rule over Them?
Women in Islam
Written by Imran N. Hosein
THE QURAN AND THE RULE OF THE (MALE) IMAM
The Quran has delivered a stern warning concerning the choice of a
ruler: One day We shall call together all human beings with their
Imam (i.e., ruler). . . (Quran, al-Isra, 17:71). The word Imam, when
used in the Quran as well as in everyday language, refers to the rulerwho rules, governs or leads. The Quran also uses the word Imam to
mean a way or a book which leads or guides. However, in the context
of the Last Day and of divine judgment over all of mankind, it would be
irresponsible for anyone to exclude the meaning of the ruler who rules,
governs or leads for the word Imam in the above verse of the Quran.
Justice (as well as elementary common sense) demands that a leader
or ruler (who was misguided or rightly-guided) should be brought along
with his people when they are to be judged by Allah Most High.
Allah Most High Himself chose an Imam for mankind when He declared
to Abraham (peace be upon him): I hereby appoint you as the Imam
(leader) of mankind (Quran, al-Baqarah, 2:124). When Abraham
responded by querying whether Imams would also be divinely-
appointed from within his progeny, Allah Most High confirmed such
while dismissing the possibility that His covenant could ever include
those (as in modern-day Israel) who are wicked in conduct (Quran, al-
Baqarah, 2:124). Allah Most High then proceeded to appoint Imams, in
the form of Prophets, from Abrahams progeny. Among them were
Isaac and his seed in Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Aaron, David, Solomon andJesus, and Ishmael and his seed in Muhammad (peace and blessings of
Allah Most High be upon them all).
Finally, there is a prayer recorded in the Quran itself in which the
believing men pray to Allah Most High as follows: Our Lord! Grant
unto us wives and offspring who will be the comfort of our eyes and
grant that we may be Imams (i.e., leaders and rulers) over the
http://www.imranhosein.org/articles/31/79-can-muslims-choose-a-woman-to-rule-over-them.htmlhttp://www.imranhosein.org/articles/31/79-can-muslims-choose-a-woman-to-rule-over-them.htmlhttp://www.imranhosein.org/articles/31.htmlhttp://www.imranhosein.org/component/mailto/?tmpl=component&link=aHR0cDovL3d3dy5pbXJhbmhvc2Vpbi5vcmcvYXJ0aWNsZXMvMzEvNzktY2FuLW11c2xpbXMtY2hvb3NlLWEtd29tYW4tdG8tcnVsZS1vdmVyLXRoZW0uaHRtbA%3D%3Dhttp://www.imranhosein.org/articles/31/79-can-muslims-choose-a-woman-to-rule-over-them.html?tmpl=component&print=1&layout=default&page=http://www.imranhosein.org/articles/31/79-can-muslims-choose-a-woman-to-rule-over-them.pdfhttp://www.imranhosein.org/articles/31/79-can-muslims-choose-a-woman-to-rule-over-them.htmlhttp://www.imranhosein.org/articles/31/79-can-muslims-choose-a-woman-to-rule-over-them.htmlhttp://www.imranhosein.org/articles/31.html8/14/2019 Can Muslims Choose a Woman to Rule Over Them
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righteous (Quran, al-Furqan, 25:74). In every instance in which the
Quran has used the term Imam to mean ruler who rules, governs
or leads, that Imam has always been male and never female.
Three times in history Allah Most High chose someone as His
Messenger/Prophet and then ordained that that Prophet shouldestablish a state and then rule over that state. David and Solomon
ruled over the Holy State of Israel, while Muhammad (peace and
blessings of Allah Most High be upon them all) eventually ruled over a
state from the city of Madina. In all three instances these divinely-
appointed rulers were male and never female.
The Quran went on to declare that it was not only those Prophets
(David, Solomon and Muhammad peace be upon them all) who ruled
over the state who were men but rather, that all the
Prophets/Messengers of Allah Most High (124,000 in all) were all,
without exception, men: Nor did We send before thee (as Messengers)
any but men whom We did inspire (men who lived amongst people) in
human habitations (Quran, Yusuf, 12:109; al-Nahl 16:43; al-Anbiyah,
21:7).
There is a very clear implication in the divine choice of men, 124,000
times in all, and never even once a woman, as divinely-appointed
Prophets and Messengers. This implication is further confirmed in the
divine choice of the masculine gender (and not feminine) for pronouns
that refer to Him, even though He, Allah, is neither male nor female.
The names of angels are all masculine, even though they are neithermale nor female. The Quran has denounced those who gave feminine
names to the angels: Those who believe not in the Hereafter name
the angels with female names (Quran, al-Najm, 53:27). Finally, the
Quran recognized that women have rights similar to those exercised
against them in an equitable manner, but went on to declare that
men have a status or degree above them (i.e., above women)
(Quran, al-Baqarah, 2:228) and, in this connection, it further declared
that men are guardians over women with responsibility to not only
maintain but, also, to guard and protect them, thus making it
obligatory for women to obey their male guardians (Quran, al-Nisa,4:34).
SOLOMON AND THE RULE OF A WOMAN
The divine guidance on this matter was made even more explicit when
the Quran narrated at length the event in which Solomon (peace be
upon him) learnt to his surprise about a female ruler over the land of
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Saba (Biblical Sheba), and that the people of Saba also worshiped the
sun. Here is the narration:
And he (Solomon) searched among the birds and said: How is it that I
do not see the hoopee; is he (really) absent? Unless he provides me
with a proper excuse (for his absence) I shall inflict on him severepunishment, or even slay him. (Readers should note that Solomon was
taught the language of the birds and could thus converse with them.)
But he (the bird) was not long in coming, and he said: I have
discovered something of which you have no knowledge. I have come
to you from (the land of) Saba with sure (and certain) information. Lo! I
found a woman ruling over them, and she has an (abundance) of all
things, and she (also) has a mighty throne. (But) I found her and her
people worshipping the sun instead of Allah; and Satan made their
conduct (i.e., worshipping the sun and choosing a woman to rule over
them) to appear to them to be fair and proper, and thereby obstructedthem from the way (of Truth), so that they do not go on the right
(path): They do not worship Allah Who brings forth the hidden in the
heavens and the earth, and knows what you conceal and what you
make public. Allah; there is no God save Him, the Lord of the
tremendous Throne.
(Solomon) said: We shall see whether you speak the truth (concerning
the rule of a woman over Saba, and their worship of the sun) or
whether you are a liar. Go with this my letter and deliver it to them;
then turn away and see with what (answer) they respond.
(The Queen of Saba) said (when she received the letter): O chieftains!
Lo! A noble letter has been delivered to me. Lo! it is from Solomon,
and lo! it says: In the name of Allah the Beneficent, the Merciful; Do
not attempt to resist me! Rather, come to me in (a state of)
submission (to my authority)! She said: O chieftains! Advise me in this
matter. I do not decide on matters until you are present with me (to
advise me). They said: We are lords of might and lords of great
prowess (and hence capable of resisting Solomon), but it is for you to
take a decision (on the matter); so consider what you will command.
She said: Lo! When Kings enter a township, they ruin it and reduce thehonorable to a state of shame. That is how they act. Lo! I am going to
send a present unto them, and to see with what (answer) the
messengers return.
But when (the Queens envoy) came to Solomon (with expensive gifts),
he said: What! Do you seek to further your cause (in the matter
between us) with this wealth? That which Allah has given me is better
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than that which He gave you. Nay it is you (and not I) who exult in your
gift. Return unto them (i.e., return to the Queen and take these gifts
back with you). We verily shall come unto them with armed forces that
they cannot resist, and we shall drive them out from that (land) with
shame, and they will be abased.
(Quran, al-Naml, 37:20-37)
There is absolutely no evidence whatsoever to even suggest that
(Biblical) Sheba had committed, or was preparing to commit,
aggression against Solomons Holy State of Israel, or had acted in any
other way that could possibly have created a legal or even moral
justification for war (causus bellum). Yet Solomon promptly wrote to
the Queen with strict orders that she must not resist him but must
come to him forthwith in a state of submission to him.
There were many lands not under Solomons control where people
worshiped other than the One God. There is no evidence whatsoever
that he acted in a similar way with the rulers of such territories. One
also does not respond with war to a people who worship other than
Allah. There is no wisdom at all in such conduct. Rather the divine
guidance requires that people be invited to the truth with wisdom and
with a graceful exhortation.
Nor did the Queen of Sheba dismiss Solomons letter with disrespect
and arrogance. Rather she praised it as noble and sought to appease
him with gifts. Yet he firmly rejected her very friendly response and
delivered his declaration of war instead. He even went on to spell outthe fearsome consequences of such war for Sheba. The very clear
implication of this event has unfortunately been obscured by the
growth of fairy tales. In fact, Solomon acted as he did because divine
guidance did not for one moment tolerate the rule of a woman over
society or the state. There is no other possible explanation for
Solomons extraordinary conduct.
Those who, despite the divine guidance clearly represented in the
above, choose a woman as their leader/ruler, would find themselves
raised on the Last Day with their female leader, as they wait forjudgment before the One God! They would be horrified to learn that in
choosing a woman to rule over them, they committed the great sin of
excluding Allah Most High from their decision in the matter: And be
not like those who forget Allah (by excluding Him from their affairs);
and He made them (pay the price of) forgetting their own selves (i.e.,
their own human status). Such are a people (whose conduct is) very
sinful (Quran al-Hashr, 59:18-20).
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The above verse of the Quran (with our commentary in brackets) has
delivered the mother of all warnings to those who forget their Lord-God
by excluding Him from their decision in respect, for example, of
matters such as the rule of a woman. They are a misguided people
whose misguidance would eventually take them into the hellfire.
Modern Judeo-Christian Western civilization was the first to adopt
todays godless secularism which has excluded Allah Most High as
supreme over everything. Political secularism declared the separation
of politics from religion and in the process, dethroned Allah Most High
as Sovereign. It replaced His Sovereignty with the sovereignty of the
state, parliament and constitution. Having adopted secularism, the
godless West then proceeded to export that secularism to the rest of
the world (including Trinidad and Tobago).
It is blasphemous and hypocritical for a constitution that recognizes
the supremacy of God to then proceed to proclaim: This
Constitution is the supreme law of Trinidad and Tobago, and any other
law that is inconsistent with this Constitution (and such obviously
includes Gods law) is void to the extent of its inconsistency. Those
who excluded Allah Most High as Sovereign and instead, accepted the
sovereignty of the state and constitution, have a terrible surprise
awaiting them on the Last Day. The Quran declared that Allah Most
High would hold the whole world in His hands (as Mahalia Jackson once
sang) and would then ask: Who possesses sovereignty today? The
Quran then responded with: It is Allah, the One, the Irresistible (who
is Sovereign) (Quran, al-Ghafir, 40:16).
And so, Islam has rejected such secularism and has insisted on
recognition of Allahs Sovereignty and Supreme Authority over the
state and hence over the choice of leader/ruler of the state. Anyone
who instead recognizes the sovereignty of the modern secular state,
and dies with such in his record, would die with the biggest of all sins
(Shirk) hanging around his neck - a sin that Allah has warned He would
not forgive. Such a person would enter forthwith into the hellfire.
What should a believer in the One God do? The answer is we arepermitted to reside in a secular state and while residing in that state,
may support all that is good and oppose all that is evil. We must
refrain, to the best of our ability, from all conduct that would bring
Shirk upon ourselves. Prophet Muhammad acted in that way for 53
years of his life while he lived in pagan Makkah (prior to his flight to
Madina). Prophet Joseph acted in that way even while serving in
Egypts pagan government and Jesus, the Messiah, did the same while
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living under Roman rule in the Holy Land (peace and blessings of Allah
Most High be upon them all).
Why, we may ask ourselves, did Allah Most High choose only men as
His Prophets and Messengers? And why did Prophet Muhammad ordain
two animals be sacrificed as thanksgiving for the birth of a baby boy,while only one was to be slaughtered for the birth of a baby girl. Also,
why did the Prophet order men occupy the front rows of the Masjid,
while women were to occupy the back rows of the Masjid behind the
men, hence making it impossible for a woman to ever lead the men in
prayer?
Let us first dismiss the notion that men are intellectually, morally or
spiritually superior to women. Prophet Muhammad dismissed such
falsehood with his declaration that mankind would be raised on the
Last Day for judgment as equal before Allah as are the teeth of a
comb. Indeed he recognized the status of mother to be thrice
superior to that of father, and declared that paradise lies beneath
your mothers feet.
Rather, the implication is clearly recorded in the declaration of Prophet
Muhammad himself (peace and blessings of Allah Most High be upon
him) when he learnt that the Persian people had chosen their
Emperors as their new ruler. He declared: No people would ever be
successful who choose a woman to rule over them (Bukhari, Nisai,
Tirmidhi and Ahmad).
It can also be discerned in the conduct of the companions of the
Prophet and their successors for as long as the Muslim world remained
free from the control of todays essentially godless Judeo-Christian
European civilization. The ruler who ruled over the world of Islam, who
was known as Amir al-Muminin, Khalifa or Imam, was always male and
never female. Nor did Holy Israel ever have a woman as a ruler. It is
only in the modern age and as a direct result of western pollution of
Islamic civilization that the aberration of a womans rule over the
political order has occurred in a few parts of the Muslim world.
It is important for us to note that the divine guidance has never
wavered on the subject of the rule of the male in order to make
allowance for any special circumstances that would permit the rule of a
woman. Yet some scholars of Islam, particularly in the modern age in
which a Euro-feminist revolution is sweeping the world, have found it
expedient to argue that exceptional circumstances can permit the rule
of a woman. What such scholars have unwittingly done is to open the
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way for the permanent rule of women over an upside-down world
symbolized by the sun rising from the West.
The protagonists of this possibility cling hard to the example of Aisha
(may Allah be pleased with her) who, they claim, either led, or joined
with others in leading some men in battle against Ali (may Allah bepleased with him) in the Battle of the Camel. She was pursuing justice,
or she was led to believe that she was acting justly in the wake of
Uthmans assassination, while Ali, in his wisdom, recognized that
justice could not be enforced in a security vacuum. Hence he needed
to first restore security to the society and stability to the state before
he could enforce justice. It was this difference of views on the matter
which led to rebellion against Alis authority.
But the consensus of opinion all through the ages is that Ali was the
last of the four rightly-guided Khulafa (or Imams) who ruled over the
Muslims after the death of Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of
Allah Most High be upon him). It was therefore Aishas duty to submit
to Alis authority. Her conduct in this matter does not establish a
precedent that ought to be emulated.