Careers for Muslim Women

It is a well known fact that a Muslim woman can have a career if she wishes as long as she does not compromise her primary duty as a mother and wife.
By Dr Nazreen Nawaz

The topic of what constitutes a successful woman has been a hotly debated issue over the past century. The current dominant view held in the West is that the successful woman is the one who has achieved a successful career, who is financially independent, and who owns her own house and car. Personalities such as Cherie Blair, who has apparently managed to juggle achieving a successful law career with being a mother of four and wife to the Prime Minister, are often quoted as role models. Alongside this is the belief that to be dependent upon a husband or father gives the woman an inferior status within society. There is the sentiment that a woman who is a mother or wife with no career has sold herself short in life or is even a failure. This may not be expressed openly but is evident in the manner by which many women feel about themselves when asked the question, ''What is your occupation?'' and the uneasiness they feel when they respond, ''I'm just a mother'' or '' I'm only a housewife''.
 

There is also an increasing shift in attitudes towards the gender roles in society, with the belief that the woman should have as much right to be the breadwinner within a family as the husband. A 1996 Cambridge University study, found that the belief within society that it was the man's role to earn the money in a family fell from 65% in 1984 to 43% in 1994. 45% of British mothers are in paid work and in the US, 78.7% of women with children between 6 and 17 are in the labour force. Such a view of success is encouraged within the society by the western governments who both praise those women who have achieved successful careers in their life and provide financial incentives for mothers to enter the workforce. The current UK Labour Government introduced a ''National Childcare Strategy'' in 1998 to provide thousands more child care places that would provide the mothers of the society a place to leave their children while they pursued their careers. They have also provided financial benefits such as the working families tax credit to make childcare more affordable. Jill Kirby of the ''Full-Time Mothers'' organisation commented, ''There are financial incentives to go out to work but no financial incentives to stay at home.''
 

Unfortunately, many Muslim women living in the West, having been affected by this mindset, have set their aspirations in life to pursue a successful career above all other goals. The belief is that it is a career that gives her status and respect within the society, so she will delay marriage or avoid marriage, seeing it as a hindrance to her career objectives. She will delay having children, have fewer children, or not have any at all with the belief that they will prevent her chances of promotion or excelling in her career. Those who do not work feel a consistent pressure from society to do so. The larger Muslim community has also been affected to a certain degree by this idea of what constitutes the successful woman, the result being, many parents pressurising their daughters to pursue a successful career, while the girl may want to seek an early marriage and the rewards of motherhood.
 

THE EFFECT OF THE WESTERN VIEW OF THE SUCCESSFUL WOMAN IN THE MUSLIM WORLD

A number of Muslim women living in the Muslim world have also been affected by this belief that career defines the successful woman. A recent edition of the magazine, ''Working Mother'' contained an article entitled, ''Courageous Afghan Moms Reclaim Career''. The editor in chief of the magazine wrote, ''Many women are pulled back to work by economic need. But, a growing group of Afghan women...are returning to their careers to regain the sense of accomplishment...they were forced to give up under Taleban rule.'' One sister interviewed for the article commented that she encourages Afghan women to fight for their rights, ''I try and tell women to stand on their feet, that they are equal to men. I tell them, 'Don't sit under your burqa. Don't sit inside the house. Get out and show your husband and children that you are a woman. You can work and make your own decisions'''. Such a view is encouraged in the Muslim world by organisations such as UNIFEM, the UN Population Fund, the UN Development Programme (UNDP) and other Non-Governmental Organisations. In a survey performed by UNDP in 2001 on the ''Portrayal of women in the media'' in Pakistan, they commented that women need to be portrayed and projected in bold and assertive roles in drama and other programmes on television and to breakdown the idea that the successful career woman is incompatible with the ideal wife and mother.
 

THE SOURCE OF THE WESTERN VIEWPOINT OF THE SUCCESSFUL WOMAN
 

This view that the successful woman is the one who holds a successful career emanates from the capitalist way of life that evaluates actions upon materialistic benefit and profit. Hence the woman who is a business woman, doctor, lawyer or accountant is seen as a success as she contributes economically to the society either in the service that she provides or the taxes that she pays to the state. However, the role of mother and wife does not directly contribute financially to the society and therefore is viewed in a negative light and not as a success. This is clearly reflected by a report published by the Institute of Fiscal studies in 2002 (a body that provides advice to the UK government) that commented ''…having children remains a significant barrier to the employment opportunities of mothers; and the lack of accessible and affordable childcare is having an adverse impact on mothers returning to the labour market. Put more bluntly - the current strategy is not working and there is a significant economic cost.''
 

The re-definition of gender roles corresponds to the understanding that the woman in society should have the right to pursue a career even as a mother and wife as much as the men in society and the husband and father. This view has its route in the concept of equality. Inherent in this idea is the belief that gender should not have an impact on how the roles of men and women in society are defined but that the roles should be equal and decided by the individual. The idea is that the women should have equal access to employment as the man, be able to perform the same types of jobs and duties as the man, and even decide for herself the role that she wants to take on within marriage - the breadwinner or nurturer of the children. The concept of equality in itself arose as a result of the oppression that women faced under the man-made laws of capitalism that were biased towards the man and treated the woman harshly. She was subject to dire living conditions, violence, and poverty and was not even viewed as a citizen under English law until 1850. As a consequence, a call for women's rights and equality arose with the belief that a woman could only achieve a better standard of living if she was able to have her own career and become financially independent as well as adopt equal roles with the men of the society. Around the Second World War, women were encouraged to enter the workforce to contribute to the economy of the country. Even in the Muslim world, the original call for liberation and equality of the Muslim woman by the western powers in the Uthmani Khilafah and following the destruction of the Islamic State was less to do with improving her status and welfare, and more to do with improving the economy of colonised lands. Bernard Lewis in his book, ''The Middle East'', writes in the Chapter entitled, ''From Freedom to Freedom'', ''A major factor in the emancipation of women was economic need...Economic modernization brought a need for female labour, which was augmented by mobilization for modern war... The economic involvement of women and the social changes resulting from it continued in the inter-war period and after, and even brought a few legislative changes in favour of women. These had some effect in social and family life.''
 

THE EFFECT OF THIS VIEW OF THE SUCCESSFUL WOMAN UPON THE FAMILY STRUCTURE

Placing the pursuit of a career as the main goal in a woman's life has resulted in a number of problems within the western societies. It has caused a strain on marriages and increased divorce due to the limited time the husband and wife spend with one another. Such a view has also caused problems in the rearing of children and the parent-child relationship within families due to the limited time the parents spend with their children. These problems have also affected Muslim families. The lack of clarity of the role of the husband and wife within the family has led to frequent arguments within many marriages unfortunately leading to divorce in a number of cases. With regards to children, the development of the close bond that should exist between mother and child and the nurturing of the Islamic personality is compromised. This is due to the limited time the mother spends with them and the parents having to resort to child care facilities as they both pursue their careers. The consequence is dire: the children adopting a non-Islamic identity, disobeying and neglecting the parents, and even engaging in actions such as drinking alcohol and drug abuse as they grow older.
 

THE SUFFERINGS OF THE SUPERWOMAN

Those who originally formulated the concept of equality between men and women believed that it would raise the woman out of the misery that she had been living in for years. However, the career woman today is no less miserable - only the reasons are different. The decision to delay having children or to not to have children at all due to career does not agree with the procreation instinct present in every woman and produces misery. The career woman, who does have children, feels constantly guilty about the limited time spent with them. In addition, she finds her life is a continual juggling act between being a wife, mother, and her work. In most families, her status as a career woman has not reduced her household duties. The sociologist, Joseph H. Pleck comments, ''All scholars agree that even in studies suggesting that husbands of employed wives do statistically more (housework), the increase is small in absolute magnitude and employed wives continue to do the bulk of the family work''. Her day is spent rushing from one responsibility to another: making breakfast for her family, preparing lunch for her husband and children to take to school, getting the children washed and dressed, doing the school run, rushing off to her job, performing a full days strenuous work, rushing to school to pick up the kids, taking them to after school classes, making the dinner, getting the children ready for bed and then the routine starts all over again. She feels that she is not able to perform any of her duties to the best of her ability because she is so tired, stressed, and miserable. In a book by Lisa Belkin called ''Life's Work: Confessions of an Unbalanced Mom'', she writes, ''Not a one of us seems to be able to give 100% of themselves to their job and 100% of themselves to their family, and 100% of themselves to taking care of themselves''.
 

EVALUATING THE CONCEPT OF EQUALITY

The idea that equality of gender roles in society should be viewed as the way forward for the woman is a grave mistake. The equality of rights of individuals under any governing system that is man-made can never be achieved whether it is between men and women, black or white, young or old. This is because when the human being makes the laws it will always be biased towards himself over others. So we see that even though Equal Pay Legislation has been in place for thirty years in the developed countries, women still continue to earn less for doing the same work as men. It also explains why after over a century of calling for equality and women's rights, the twentieth century in the UK ended with only 4% of judges being women, 11% of managers, and 2% of FTSE 100 directors being women. In addition, how can equality of roles be applied to the man and woman who are physiologically and anatomically different in their nature. As one writer wrote, ''A built-in tension exists between this concept of equality, which presupposes sameness, and this concept of sex which presupposes difference. Sex equality becomes a contradiction in terms, something of an oxymoron.'' It is like suggesting that the sun and the earth should have the same roles even though they are different in nature. When roles and duties in life are set in a manner that does not take into consideration the differing nature of the man and woman then this would cause oppression and misery as already discussed.
 

ISLAM AND THE CORRECT VIEW OF THE SUCCESSFUL WOMAN

Islam does not evaluate an action, a duty or an individual on the basis of how much they can contribute to the economy of the state. It evaluates an individual male or female based upon whether their action conforms to the command of the Creator (swt) and their level of taqwa (obedience to the Creator (swt)). The Prophet (saw) said in his final sermon,
''An Arab has no superiority over a non-Arab nor a non-Arab has any superiority over an Arab; also a white has no superiority over black nor a black has any superiority over a white except by taqwa and good action.''

The successful woman is therefore the one who is devoutly obedient to the commands of her Creator (swt). Considering the fact that it will be our deeds that will be the deciding factor of our destiny after death - paradise or hellfire - this is the correct view of success. In Islam, where the man and the woman share similar qualities in their nature, the obligation prescribed to both is the same such as the prayer, fasting, and Hajj. However, where the nature differs then different duties have been prescribed. So, the husband or father has been obligated with the responsibility of protecting the family and providing for them financially. The woman has been obligated with the primary role of looking after the house of the husband and his children - looking after their welfare and nurturing them with the Islamic culture. Allah (swt) has said:
''Men are the protectors and maintainers of women because God has given one more (strength) than the other, and because they support them from their means. Therefore the righteous women are devoutly obedient, and guard in (the husband's) absence what God would have them guard'' [ An-Nisa: 34].

Hence, in Islam the duty prescribed to the man is not viewed as better than the role of being a mother and wife but rather as a responsibility that needs to be fulfilled for which the man will be accountable to Allah (swt). Both duties compliment one another and are crucial for the family and society to function properly and with tranquillity. Allah (swt) says: ''And wish not the things in which Allah has made some of you excel others. For man is allotted from what they have earned, (and likewise) from the woman there is allotted from what they have earned'' [An-Nisa: 32].With regards to the idea of equality, as discussed above, this is a concept that arose from the human being making the law with his biased nature. Such a concept is therefore irrelevant and alien in Islam where all commands have been ordained by the Creator (swt) who is unbiased towards the man or woman. Furthermore, Islam does not allow the human being to decide for him or herself the roles in society that they adopt but rather it is prescribed by
Allah (swt). Allah (swt) says: ''It is not fitting for a believer, man or woman, when a matter has been decided by Allah and His Messenger, to have any option about their decision. If anyone disobeys Allah and His Messenger, he is indeed on a clearly wrong path.'' [ Al-Ahzab:36]

THE ISLAMIC RULING ON PERMITTED CAREERS FOR THE WOMAN

It is a well known fact that a Muslim woman can have a career if she wishes as long as she does not compromise her primary duty as a mother and wife. However, Islam has defined certain jobs or careers that the woman is not allowed to perform:

(1) Positions of ruling such as the Khalifah, Wali (governor), and Amil (mayor).

This is not because the woman is inferior to the man in the Islamic society but because there is a specific Islamic evidence forbidding it. In a hadith narrated by Abu Bakra (ra), the Prophet (saw) said, ''People who appoint (with the authority of ruling) a woman on them will never succeed''. The position of ruling in Islam is not viewed as one of honour and superiority but rather one of guardianship, responsibility, and accountability.
 

(2) Any profession that exploits her femininity.

The woman cannot engage in certain careers such as modelling and advertising where her femininity is the basis upon which the job is performed. Nor can she engage in any profession that involves her revealing her awrah (anything apart from the hands and face) or attracting attention to her beauty to those who are non-mahram to her (those she can legally marry). This is because the woman is viewed as an honour in Islam to be protected and her beauty or femininity is therefore not viewed as an economic commodity or a subject of discussion.
 

In addition to these two points, the Muslim woman should ensure that any job or career that she adopts is in line with all the other ahkam (rules) of Islam including the other limits of the Islamic social system. She should ensure that it does not involve being in khulwa (isolation) with a non-mahram man, that it does not bring doubt upon her reputation, that it does not involve socialising with men, and that as far as possible it does not require a close working relationship with the men of the society. Other than these restrictions, the woman is allowed to engage in various professions such as a businesswoman, doctor, nurse, engineer, scientist, teacher, or lecturer. Furthermore, within a community Muslim women have a great role to play with regards to caring for the interests of the community. How ironic it is that those men, who are uncomfortable about allowing their womenfolk to  study and work, then complain about the lack of female Muslim doctors. Thus it would be incorrect for husbands and fathers to prohibit their womenfolk from working especially since this is a right given to them by Allah (swt) and if these sisters have intelligence, abilities and skills which would be of great service to the community.
 

There were many Muslim women who performed various jobs during the time of the Prophet (saw). Saudah (ra), the wife of the Prophet (saw) used to tan the skins of animals and sell them making a considerable profit. There was a woman called Qilah who would buy and sell goods and was reported to have asked the Prophet (saw) a number of questions on the economic transactions permitted in Islam. Jabir ibn Abdullah's aunt used to perform farming and harvesting. There were various women who would nurse the injured during the battles. During the Khilafah of Umar (ra), he appointed a woman called Ash Shifa as the Qadi Hisba (judge of the market place).
 

CONCLUSION
The career woman in the west is viewed as no more than an economic commodity and is valued according to what she can financially contribute to the economy. Islam does not evaluate the woman in such a belittling manner but rather according to her obedience to the Creator (swt). She does not view herself as inferior to the man and therefore aspire to adopt his role and duties in society. Yes, she can have a career but she will not define her identity, success, self-worth nor measure her status by her career. In addition, she will not seek employment due to the pressure of the negative stigma in society associated with women who are mothers and do not have a career. She does not have to be a superwoman. Surely it is then the identity of the woman defined by Islam which is the choice of the intelligent woman.

 

Further Reading

The Honour of the Woman

Wealth Creation or Wealth Circulation

Mass Production = Mass Consumption

GDP=Gross Deception

The Western Work Ethic