The Chief Imam, Movement for Islamic Culture and Awareness (MICA), Lugbe Abuja, Sheik Yahya Ibrahim Girinya has cautioned Muslim women against seeking the so-called western world ‘women rights’ to avoid losing the privileges of the Allah given natural and spiritual fundamental rights.
He gave the admonition on Saturday in Mararaba, a suburb of the FCT at the third annual Ramadan lecture of the Forum for Islamic Guidance (FIG), with the theme, ‘Human Right and Gende in Islam: Muslimah in Focus’.
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The scholar said that Allah gave the women much rights like naming a surah on them in the Qur’an; forbid their being coarse into marriage except where they were young, and they needed to be guided, while being at liberty to choose their husbands if they have come of age.
“Let me warned you (Muslim women) not to be looking for rights from the western world as what Allah has given you was enough, even in excess and cannot be compared to any other rights that may be given to women anywhere,” Girinya said.
He also said that Muslims should be conscious that women were much disrespected by the so-called western world and the coming of prophet Muhammad change the course of women right by restoring and even enhancing their Allah given rights.
He also said that women should be empowered so as to be free of wants and be able to cater for the household in case the husband grow old and die, while they are still alive.
He said, “In days or weeks after the husband might have died, the reality would be clear as guest and visitors would not be frequent at the house again and the women have to be empowered to cater for the children and other needs of the household.
“Many women said they are not helping their husbands financially as they would want to marry more wives, who told you that he would not marry another woman even if you did not help him financially?”
He also said that it is women right to owned properties, and advised them to let their husbands know of the properties to avoid losing them to fraudsters.
He said, “Women also have rights to inheritance in Islam, unlike previously when women were considered parts of the properties to be inherited.”
He also cautioned men to uphold the rights of women as it is Allah given rights which must be upheld and which attract divine sanctions if violated.
Earlier, the Ameer of the forum. Dr. Busari Isa Az-Zubair, said, “Islam as we all know guarantees the right of men and women alike. Islamic provisions on the right of women in relations to the men folk is however often misconstrued.”
He attributed the misconception to lack of proper Islamic knowledge and awareness on the part of women thus the theme of the lecture.
