Women
Equality in Religious Philosophy: Hindu, Christianity and Islam
Hinduism
What is the view of Hinduism’s highest
scriptures (Sruti) on the position of women?
Religious scholars
agree that Upanishads are the highest among even the Sruti
scriptures. The philosophy of all the Upanishads is summarized in
four verses, which are called Mahavakyas (great utterances).
These
are:
·
aham
Brahmasmi (I am the spirit,
i.e. atman),
·
tat
tvam asi (That thou
art),
·
prajnanam
Brahma (Brahman is
pure consciousness) and
·
ayam
atma Brahma (this self
is Brahman).
In different ways and by different
words, all these four Mahavakyas simply confirm the fact that
an individual regardless of religion, race, culture, gender, color, cast,
creed or geographic location is atman clothed in a physical body. The
physical body we get is the result of our past karma. What we are
now is the result of our past practice and again practice makes us what we
shall be. The differences between individuals exist only at physical
level.
There are no spiritual differences between man and
woman. The husband and wife are the two sides of the same
coin. They are the two manifestations of the same atman. For this
very reason, Swami Vivekananda says, “The husband and wife are the two wings of
a bird.” This is the highest teaching of Hinduism and comes from its
highest scriptures.
The most important rite of the
Vedic wedding ceremony is Sapatpadi. Here the bride and
bridegroom take seven steps together around the nuptial fire (Agni) and make
the following seven wedding vows to each other:
“With God as guide, let us take,
the first step to nourish each other, the second step to grow together in
strength, the third step to preserve our wealth, the fourth step to share our
joys and sorrows, the fifth step to care for our children, the sixth step to be
together forever, and the seventh step to remain lifelong friends, perfect
halves to make a perfect whole.”
The words “perfect halves to make
perfect hole” is the final word of Hinduism on the relationship between husband
and wife. Thus Hinduism provides same religious rights and
privileges to women as it does to men. Neither is woman superior to
man, nor is man superior to woman. Both are “perfect halves to make
perfect hole.”
The following are quotes from other scriptures that further
confirm the equality between men and women in all religious and spiritual
aspects:
“Unite, O Lord, this couple like a pair of lovebirds. May
they be surrounded by children living both long and happy ” Atharva
Veda Samhita 14.2.64
“Let there be faithfulness to
each other until death. This may be considered as the summary of the highest
law for husband and wife.” Manu Smriti
9.101
“May our prayers and worship
be alike, and may our devotional offerings be one and the
same.” Rig Veda Samhita 10.191.3
“To call women the weaker sex is libel; it
is man’s injustice to women.” Mahatma Gandhi
“The wife is not the husband’s bond-slave but
his companion and his help-mate and an equal partner in all his joys and
sorrows---as free as the husband to choose her own path.” Mahatma
Gandhi
Christinity
Galatians 3:28 “There
is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and
female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”
Romans 2:11 “For
God shows no partiality.”
Islam:
“O mankind! Fear your Lord Who (initiated) your creation from a
single soul, then from it created its mate, and from these two spread (the
creation of) countless men and women.”
(al-Qur’an, 4:1)
This Verse clearly expounds that man or woman are created from a
single entity and are basically equal genders. As a gender, one is not superior
to the other.
“And according to usage, women too have rights over men similar
to the rights of men over women.”
(al-Qur’an, 2:228)
This Verse denotes that rights enjoyed by men are the duties of
the women and the duties of men are the rights of women. This implies a
similitude between both the genders. There is no right conferred on man that
woman may be deprived of because she is a woman.
“Men, however, have an advantage over them.”
(al-Qur’an, 2:228)
Here the Qur’an refers to man’s superiority by virtue of his
responsibility of protection and maintenance of woman and fulfillment of their
rights. Nature has made him stronger, more responsible and tolerant with
reference to mundane matters of life. So man is held superior to woman in the
grade of responsibility.
Social and societal structure of Islam is based on family system
which can be secure if made subservient to natural discipline:
“Men are guardians and managers over women.”
(al-Qur’an, 4:34)
The Arabic word ‘qawwam’ used in this Verse denotes support,
protection and supervision according to the Arabic usage. The relation between
rights and duties in Islam is reciprocal and cannot be compartmentalized.
However, man has been made more responsible in connection with the performance
of social and economic obligations. Maintenance of woman is the basic
responsibility of man in the Islamic Law. At no place has this responsibility
been placed on woman. Woman has been freed of the burden of social, political
and economic responsibilities. But they have been given more freedom than men
under certain rules and regulations and the opportunities for women to
capitalize on them are more than those enjoyed by men. For example on economic
matters the Qur’an says:
“Men will have a share of what they earn, and women will have a
share of what they earn.”
(al-Qur’an, 4:32)
For men is what they earn and for women is what they earn. But
woman has not been burdened with the financial responsibilities of family. It
has squarely been placed on the shoulders of man; he is responsible to ensure
the fulfillment of the rights of woman even though she may be earning herself.
It is not her responsibility to bear the financial burden of a family. Whatever
she earns is her personal income to which man cannot stake any claim legally.
However, it will be an act of benevolence on part of a woman if both of them
spend on the wellbeing of their children out of their volition. But whether she
earns or not she has been given the guarantee of complete economic maintenance;
man is responsible for that.
Men and women enjoy equal rights in all walks of life according
to teachings of Islam. Islam regards woman a complete legal personality. Like
man it has given woman the right to choose the head of the state, participate
in the legislative work and vote in the performance of state matters. Women
have been heads of states in Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Turkey.
