Are Women Less Than Men? Answer From Quran

We paint the picture of she is always lower than men. And straight away, all of us become hafidh of Qur'an, "Ar-rijalu qawwamuna 'ala an-nisa' (4:34). Men are superior to women. That is not the meaning of the Qur'an. No, no, no. Do not turn it. I am not done reading Majlis. Sallu 'ala Muhammad wa 'aali Muhammad. Yeah, Sallu 'ala Muhammad wa 'aali Muhammad [Allahumma Salli 'ala Muhammad wa Aali Muhammad].

OK. So straight away, they say men are superior to women, no! Men are in the service of woman. Men are there to be helpers of women, according to the tafseer of the Qur'an. Men are there to offer and be, at the behest of woman, you know, not to usurp and coerce her position in life. Now, I want to go and give examples of the Qur'an of a true role models of women and their role in society.

Number one. Maryam represents what? Chastity, right. According to the Qur'an. That a woman can live in a community of promiscuity and adulteressness and sexuality and come out with flying colours without the need and aid of a man by her side. Because Maryam did not have the aid of a husband by her side. Right. She did not have a man by her side. She went to the temple. She did her acts of worship.

She challenged everything that came in her position even when she was attacked, and she was told "Ya: ukhta Harun ma kana abuki amra'a saw'in? Wa ma kanat ummuki baghiya" (19:28). Oh the wife of Harun. Not Harun the prophet, huh? Means Harun..... Yes. Yeah the sister, Ya ukhta Harun, not the Prophet. But in in line of the fact that they are holy personalities. And your father was a good man. Your mother was a good woman. Why did you bring the child? Did she buckle? Did she crumble? No! She stood and withstand the challenge in front of everyone.

The daughter of Shu'aib. What is the example of the daughter of Shu'aib the working woman. The working woman. Why, she was a working woman. Her father was what? A Prophet or not. Shu'aib was a prophet or not? Was he the highest religious authority of his time or not? In his, you know, locality? He was right. He was. OK. He did not know that a woman can't work? He didn't know she has no right to financial independence, or to go and be part and parcel of the society and the community she was in. Yes, she can be! Within the parameters of her knowing and drawing the lines within the parameters of religion, of what is allowed and what is not allowed, right or wrong?

She went, she worked she knew, she said she doesn't have to mix with the men, she used to take and herd, you know, sheep she was a shepherd. One of the most difficult tasks to do, you know, to be a shepherd. She took them with her sister came across a pond of water. Men are watering the herds and cattle or sheep. She stands aloof with dignity and honour. But she's working. Then she observes Musa coming with respect. See, we need to raise the level of respect when it comes to the question of interaction between men, between women and men. We need that. We need it in practice, not in theory. Right, in practice.

So he comes gracefully. He said I see that you are taking a side path. She said, yeah. "La naski hatta yasdur al-ri'a" (28:23). We do not water our herd until the other shepherds move away. He said, Can I take your sheep? And the story you know what? Now here the practice, the girl goes back. Allahu Akbar.

Look about independence at its best. Decision-making at its best. Imagine if your daughter comes this day and she says baba, I want to talk to you where is it? Can you just come down please? First I'll make you latte okay? Can I make you a cup of tea? What is your favorite drink? Dad, you know what is my.. Tea! Karak. Okay. She goes, makes him, she says, I met...ya... Na'am? She hasn't finished ...... give her...... let her talk. I met a good man for marriage. Ya musibata! What a disaster! Why? What have I done in my life? Is this the way I raised you? I must have done something in my life that He gave me a daughter like you, that she has seen a man for marriage.... Ya Allah! Wa musibata! Right? Wa musibata.

Yet, the daughter of Shu'aib comes and she says, he says you came early home today, she said yeah we met a very good man. He watered our sheep for us. "Ya abati este'jeer", huh. Oh, my Dad, hire him. "Inna khayroon min istejarta il-qa'wiyyu il-ameen" (28:26). Oh, my dad hire him the best of people you can hire someone who's trustworthy and someone who is, good. Trustworthy, has the six pack, good, you should right. qawwy, ameen. Right?

Shu'aib straight away, he says call him. So she goes, she calls him gracefully, he said straight away. What is.....What is she telling him? That Musa is marriage material, or not? She's telling her Dad that Musa is marriage material, he straightaway understood. He's a Prophet, he knows, he knows. He said straightaway. Salam alaykum, Musa, Wa alaykum as-salam without formalities. "Inni ureedo in unkihaka ahada ibnatay"(28:27). I want you to marry one of my daughters, Musa says excuse me? He said, yes, my daughter likes you.

Ya Sateer! Ya Allah! Sheikh Jihad is going to be deported tonight. Tonight, this guy is a danger in our community, in our society. Get him out! Not my word. Allah's word, Allah's word. Right. Istihjr! Hire him. He says, yes, I'm willing because he knows she's a decent girl, too. She's a very good because something happened on the way that the air or the wind blew her dress somehow and she was directing him, for God's sake, walk behind me. Not walk behind me, because, she is lower than him, because he doesn't want to leave room for Shaytan.

He says, Now you tell me, where is the direction? Turn left and right. So he knows she's a good girl. So she's going to turn right. Turn left. This is the house. What a decent girl. Amazing. Yes, I'll marry her. I'll marry her. Not only would I marry her and I will honour her. Shu'aib says her mahr is that you serve me for eight years: "an ta'jurani thamaniya hejaj" (28:27). Musa said, no, no, no what is eight hejaj, I will make them ten!

Don't ask for the dowry of your daughter. If she's worth it, he will give her his heart. Don't raise it! If she's worth it, and she's worth it, he will give it, just like Musa said. He said no. Eight years is too much. It's too little. I'll give you 10 years. Ajeeb! He raised the dowry. He raised the dowry. Right.

Then another example. Asiya why Asiya? Asiya because she was in an environment of total corruption. Allahu Akbar! Maybe you need to read the museeba by yourself, brother, tonight. Honestly, I didn't realise the time, but I this is very important. Asiya, in the midst of corruption, in the midst of corruption, right. In the midst of corruption, Asiya.

Bilqees, oh, now the crux. Balqees head of state. Head of state, you cannot get any higher in position than that. Head of state, Queen of Sheba. Look what Al-Zamakhshari says. Al-Zamakhshari is an interpreter of the Qur'an. He says: she had a council of advisers working under her. All of them women. So she is the head of the state, the rest of the..... What is the number of her advisers? Listen, listen to this number. I was shocked, Wa Allah Al-Adheem, I was shocked. Three hundred and thirteen advisors! Allahu Akbar. The same number as Sahib il-'Asri wa az-Zaman, the supporters.

By the way, there is a riwaya in Al-Kafi that says among the élite of the advisers of Imam Al-Mahdi, ajjal Allahu ta'ala farajahu ash-Sharif. Three hundred and thirteen men and 57 women. The élite. Not workers, not workers, advisers, huh? The elite 313 men and 57 women in positions of leadership.