Question:
The third question asks: What is the concept of equality between women and men in Islam? Does a girl working alongside a man in an atmosphere charged with corruption fall under this concept? If so, what is the meaning of the Almighty’s saying: “And stay in your houses, and do not display yourselves like that of the times of ignorance,…“ [Al-Ahzab: 33]? Is this command specific to the wives of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, or is it general for all Muslim women until the Day of Resurrection?
Answer:
Since we are on the topic of the question about equality, I would like to say: Equality has never been commanded in either the Qur’an or the Sunnah. Rather, the command in both the Book and the Sunnah is for ‘justice’ (‘adl). Allah the Almighty said: “Indeed, Allah orders justice and good conduct and giving to relatives” [An-Nahl: 90].
The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: “Fear Allah and be just between your children.” And he said: “Whoever has two wives and leans toward one of them will come on the Day of Resurrection with one of his sides leaning.”
No one who understands the implications of words can doubt that there is a vast difference between saying “justice” and saying “equality.” The apparent meaning of equality is to equate things that are different, and this goes against both reason and textual transmission. In contrast, our statement “justice” means giving every rightful owner what they deserve and putting every person in their proper place, and this is what accords with both reason and textual transmission.
Based on this, there is never any command in the Qur’an or the Sunnah to make women equal to men; rather, both contain the command for justice, as you have heard. What I would prefer from our writers and intellectuals is to use the term “justice” instead of “equality,” because the word “equality” contains ambiguity, multiple meanings, and confusion, unlike “justice,” which is a clear, manifest, and explicit word indicating that the intent is to give every rightful owner their due right.
If you ponder the Qur’an, you will find that most of what is in it is the negation of equality:
“Not equal among you are those who spent and fought before the conquering (of Makkah) (with those among you who did so later).” [Al-Hadid: 10]
“Not equal are those of the believers who sit (at home), except those who are disabled (by injury or are blind or lame, etc.), and those who strive hard and fight in the Cause of Allah with their wealth and their lives.” [An-Nisa: 95]
“Say: ‘Is the blind equal to the one who sees? Or darkness equal to light?’“ [Ar-Ra’d: 16]
And other similar verses that negate equality rather than affirm it.
I do not know of any evidence in the Book or the Sunnah that commands equality whatsoever. That being the case, justice dictates that a woman be given the duties and characteristics that befit her, and a man be given the duties and characteristics that befit him.
As for the participation of men and women in work that entails mixing, talking, looking, and the like, there is no doubt that this is contrary to what Islamic Shari’ah requires in the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him.
In the Book of Allah, the Almighty says as the questioner mentioned: “And stay in your houses, and do not display yourselves like that of the times of ignorance,…“ [Al-Ahzab: 33].
And the Almighty also says: “And when you ask (his wives) for anything you want, ask them from behind a screen, that is purer for your hearts and for their hearts.” [Al-Ahzab: 53].
If a man, when there is a need to address and speak to a woman, may only speak to her from behind a partition, how much more so when there is no need?!
And His saying, Exalted is He: “…that is purer for your hearts and for their hearts.” [Al-Ahzab: 53], indicates that if anything contrary to this occurs, it results in the pollution of the heart and the loss of purity. It is well known that if this is purer for the hearts of the Mothers of the Believers, then other women are even more deserving of purification and of keeping away from anything that pollutes the heart.
Accordingly, we say that the Qur’an and the Sunnah—indeed, the Qur’an—indicated that a woman should keep away from a man, and if the need arises for him to speak to her, he speaks to her from behind a partition.
As for the Sunnah, the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said regarding prayer: “The best of the men’s rows is the first and the worst is the last, and the best of the women’s rows is the last and the worst is the first.”
All of this is in order to keep women distant from men, even in places of worship.