Daughters-Burden or Blessing? Part II

Position of a daughter in Islam.

Daughter is not a burden rather she is a blessing for her parents. She is that door that can lead her parents to Paradise. And here is it’s proof:

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: If anyone cares for three daughters, disciplines them, marries them, and does good to them, he will go to Paradise. (Sunan Abudawood: Book 41, Hadith 5128)

‘A’isha, the wife of Allah’s Apostle (may peace be upon him), said: A woman came to me along with her two daughters. She asked me for (charity) but she found nothing with me except one date, so I gave her that. She accepted it and then divided it between her two daughters and herself ate nothing out of that. She then got up and went out, and so did her two daughters. (In the meanwhile) Allah’s Apostle (may peace be upon him) visited me and I narrated to him her story. Thereupon Allah’s Apostle (may peace be upon him) said: He who is involved (in the responsibility) of (bringing up) daughters, and he accords benevolent treatment towards them, there would be protection for him against Hell-Fire. (Muslim: Book 32, Hadith 6362)

Islamic guidelines which prevent female feticide.

The best way to save female child is spreading the message of Islam, which includes the awareness among Muslims about the following:

1. God consciousness. 

 

The Prophet (pbuh) said: Verily Allah, the Glorious and Majestic, has forbidden for you: disobedience to mothers, and burying alive daughters, withholding the right of others in spite of having the power to return that to them and demanding that (which is not one’s legitimate right). And He disapproved three things for you; irrelevant talk, persistent questioning and wasting of wealth. (Sahih Muslim: Book 18, Hadith 4257)

Following the Islamic guidelines increases the Taqwa (God consciousness) among the believers. And obviously, a person having Taqwa will always try to refrain from sinful deeds.

2. Equality of honor. 

Allah say’s: And We have certainly honored the children of Adam and carried them on the land and sea and provided for them of the good things and preferred them over much of what We have created, with [definite] preference. (Qur’an: Surah al-Isra, chapter 17,ayat/verse 70)

Reading the above ayat/verse we see that Allah has honored the “children of Adam” (both male and female) and not just men. When Allah (swt), our Creator has not preferred male over female then who are we to discriminate? 

3. Collective resistance against the exploitation of women/ Securing rights of women/ Implementation of Qur’anic laws of inheritance.

Many a times women are pressurized into a marriage with a man that they dislike. We know from the ahadith of Prophet Muhammed (pbuh) that a marriage without the consent of the girl is invalid. Women must not be deprived of this right of theirs. And the bridegrooms even after being told that truth go ahead with such an unlawful marriage. Allah (swt) say’s:

O you who have believed, it is not lawful for you to inherit women by compulsion. (Qur’an: Surah an-Nisa, Chapter 4, ayat/verse 19)

Here we see that marrying a woman against her will is haraam.

Although Allah (swt) has given women the rights of inheritance yet unfortunately they are often deprived of their share of property as well. It’s time we try to implement the Qur’anic laws of inheritance strictly so that the women in our society won’t be robbed off of their rights. 

4. Social & economic security/ Special care of orphan girls/Support from the ummah.

 

The best support from the Muslim ummah is Zakah. More the Muslims get attached to Islam, more of them will pay zakah which will contribute in redistribution of wealth and prevent its concentration in few hands. As Allah (swt) say’s:
Righteousness is not that you turn your faces toward the east or the west, but [true] righteousness is [in] one who believes in Allah , the Last Day, the angels, the Book, and the prophets and gives wealth, in spite of love for it, to relatives, orphans, the needy, the traveler, those who ask [for help], and for freeing slaves; [and who] establishes prayer and gives zakah; [those who] fulfill their promise when they promise; and [those who] are patient in poverty and hardship and during battle. Those are the ones who have been true, and it is those who are the righteous. (Qur’an: Surah al-Baqara, Chapter 2, ayat/verse 177)

We all know that zakah is obligatory on Muslims but how many of us really do pay zakah? We should not be in this delusion that it’s “our” money and by giving zakah we are being “generous” to poor people. Not at all! On the contrary Zakah is the right of those people and by giving zakah we are just delivering our responsibility and by not giving zakah we are stealing the rights of the poor people. And wouldn’t that amount to stealing from poor people? 

It will be a huge sin on our part if we have the means and yet don’t pay zakah, because then in a way we will also be responsible for female feticide.

And as for the orphan girls, we are commanded to be just to them:
And they request from you, [O Muhammad], a [legal] ruling concerning women. Say, ” Allah gives you a ruling about them and [about] what has been recited to you in the Book concerning the orphan girls to whom you do not give what is decreed for them – and [yet] you desire to marry them – and concerning the oppressed among children and that you maintain for orphans [their rights] in justice.” And whatever you do of good – indeed, Allah is ever Knowing of it. (Qur’an: Surah an-Nisa, Chapter 4, ayat/verse 127)

Although punishment prescribed in the Qur’an and Ahadith for those who abuse women would have been an important step as well but unfortunately that and the above mentioned laws can be fully implemented in an Islamic state only but by the help of Allah (swt) we as Muslims can and must do our bit individually to some extent as well.

 

 

Daughters-Burden or Blessing? Part I

Female feticide is an evil that has sunken its roots deep into our society. Even the penalty against sex determination doesn’t seem to put an end to this crime. This shameful act goes against ones conscience and it also collides with the teachings of Islam. In the pre-Islamic Arabia baby girls were buried alive and today they are either aborted even before coming into this world or thrown away.

In the age of ignorance Islam came as a mercy for the whole of mankind and provided women a reputable position in the society. It was made clear through the Qur’an that those parents who kill their female children shall be held accountable on the Day of Resurrection. Today it seems we are back to the age of ignorance and once again we need to be reminded of that warning:

And when the girl [who was] buried alive is asked
For what sin she was killed? (Surah at-Takweer, Chapter 81, ayaat/verses 8-9)

There is no need for beating around the bush when today everybody is well aware of this crime and its lethal consequences. But what we should first try to determine is the cause of this disease. That’s right, in my opinion female feticide is a sickness but what is the source of this sickness? There are three major reasons leading to increasing rate of female feticide:

Reason 1.

 

Although Islam doesn’t recognize the evil system of dowry yet unfortunately most of the people claiming to have deep love for Allah (swt) and His Messenger prophet Muhammed (pbuh) demand huge sum of dowry shamelessly from the parents or the guardians of the bride. 

When it comes to money and property they forget Allah (swt) and His commandments.

Reason 2.

 

Desire for a male child to carry on the name of the family is another reason. People usually get disheartened when a baby girl is born. There are people so cold hearted that they desert their babies in the municipal dustbins as though shedding away some stinking garbage & not fearing the slightest that Allah (swt) is watching them and will take retribution from them. Allah (swt) exposes their sinful feelings as:

And when one of them is informed of [the birth of] a female, his face becomes dark, and he suppresses grief. He hides himself from the people because of the ill of which he has been informed. Should he keep it in humiliation or bury it in the ground? Unquestionably, evil is what they decide. (Qur’an: Surah an-Nahl, Chapter 16, ayaat/verses 58-59)

Reason 3.

Pregnancy out of wedlock is yet another reason. However, in this case babies are aborted or deserted irrespective of their gender. That is why Quran commands us:

And do not approach unlawful sexual intercourse. Indeed, it is ever an immorality and is evil as a way. (Surah al-Isra, Chapter 17, aayaat/verses 32)