MARRIAGE AND WOMEN EMPOWERMENT

©Ibn Abdillah As-sudaisiy Al-Iloori

16th July 2022

Women empowerment is very important. We need to begin to take it seriously. If we empower them, we are only empowering ourselves and our family. Even though some women tend to be ungrateful towards their husbands no matter what they do to empower them, women empowerment is still the best thing considering the economic situation of this country. Some women are established by their husbands, but they will later use their wealth to fight their husbands, especially if they attempt to practise polygyny. Allāh's aid is sought.

However, it is sad to note that many men upon Sunnah can be so rigid and excessive in the interpretation of sharī'ah texts on whether or not women can work. These days, there are so much marital frictions relating to in-laws wanting their daughters to work or continue their education after marriage. Some of our brothers would promise their in-laws and later fail to keep to their promise. It can be more serious when a lady in question is someone her family put high hope on. For instance, some parents would feel a man who married their daughter shouldn't stop their trained chartered accountant from working with her certificate.

A woman also needs money to take care of herself and her needs. She would want to show kindness towards her parents and relatives. This requires serious financial commitments. Although the sharī'ah doesn't place specific obligation on a woman when it comes to maintenance of her own parent or relatives. But the same sharī'ah doesn't forbid her from spending on them according to her means, especially if her parent doesn't have male children and they need financial attention. We should never close our eyes on women empowerment. If a parent have only female children, who will take care of them, especially at old age if they have financial related problem? It is not easy for a woman to place her parent's financial burdens on her husband.

Therefore, if a woman has the prospect to create wealth by herself, she should be motivated by her husband. Our women can actually work with some precautions. With the modern developments in IT, women can create wealth while sitting in the corners of the rooms. We are in a digital era where many people now work from home using their certificates. We only need to be sure their economic interest does not jeopardise their religious obligations. 

When a man dies, some family members will take over his properties and live the wife and children to suffer. Many women have removed niqāb and hijāb on this account. Many inboxes are filled with more women seeking financial help than men on this account. It is interesting that some of our brothers are building schools and businesses incorporating their wives into the management board so that they can earn some income. This is a good development. But one of the best ways to protect our wives and children after us as suggested by an expert, Dr. Abdullahi Saliu Ishola of the Department of Islāmic Law, Kwara State University is to make some of our properties and investments a subject of Waqf (endowment) with special provisions for our immediate families in it. 

May Allāh guide us aright.