Islam: The Role of Gender, Storytelling, and Conflict

Introduction:

The emergence of the Muslim minority in Western nations has spurred discussion over which Muslim behaviors should be accepted, with many people considering certain customs a rejection. In Western countries, societies based on the Islamic belief system have wrestled with gender roles, the importance of myths and storytelling, and technology. Islamic law (Shari'a) is one of Islam's most important institutions. The Shari'a is drawn from the Qur'an and Hadith, which were compiled over a century after the prophet Mohammad's death and chronicle the prophet's sayings and practices. History is an essential part of Islam and the storytelling and myths in the Islamic teachings were based around 610 to 638 AD, centered in the Arabian middle east. Islam in Modern society is spread all around the world in which gender roles, the importance of myths and storytelling, and conflict to a great extent impact the acceptance and rejection of Islam.

Gender roles:

Rejection

For hundreds of years, men have unquestionably ruled most religious institutions. Historically, Muslim culture has been heavily gendered, with clear contrasts between women's and men's duties in both religious and societal aspects. Men are expected to be the caregivers and heads of their households, but women are expected to be submissive wives and mothers in charge of the home. More modern Muslims living in Western countries are split between respecting their religion's founding principles and the recent turn towards feminism in Western society and culture. Some components of gender roles in Islam, such as men providing for women and women being obedient and serving their spouses in exchange for their support, are rejected by women. Women's gender roles are not specified in the Quran. However, Islamic practice does.

This is partly due to the fact that men and women have distinct rights and cultural expectations at times. A man is meant to be the 'guardian of his family,' according to the Sahih Bukhari (9:89:252), but a woman is expected to be the 'guardian of her husband's home and his children. Because of the contemporary and modern era, Muslim women who live or are influenced by Western society reject this as they are influenced by feminism which go against these customs and believes that women should be able to have the freedom to do as she wishes without traditional female roles.

Another rejection of gender roles is the modesty in female clothing. Religiously both males and females are to dress modestly, covering certain parts of their bodies. For females the sheria and hadith (set of Islamic teachings passed down from the prophet Muhammad). One of the laws mentions to “cover their body with loose clothing and an extra cloth on their head to their chests”, to prevent males from having sexual desires in public. Some women reject this in islam because of the influence of Western culture and its freedom which they find it hard to do so in the 21st century. They say it is not “equal rights” and that men are not given the same commandment as them females. This is an aspect in Islam majority of women are rejecting due to the modern era and the influence of Western culture.

Acceptance

Despite some rejection of gender roles from Muslims, there is also some acceptance regarding the rights for women. For example, islam insists on a woman's freedom to decline a potential husband, has the right to divorce without pressure, and has the same right of education as men without any difference. The Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) has also stressed the need of pursuing knowledge in several ways: 'Seek knowledge from the cradle to the grave.' and 'Wisdom is the believer's lost property; he should take it even if it comes from the lips of a mushrik.' these sources from the hadith prove gender equality in education, and some parts of women's freedom in Islam that are accepted for the believes in Muslim society.

Importance of myths and storytelling:

Acceptance

Myths and storytelling in Islam play a huge role in the Islamic teachings to Muslims. Humans have utilized storytelling as one of the earliest methods of teaching each other since the dawn of time. Orality has shaped all Muslim communities from pre-Islamic periods to the current day in the form of myths and storytelling. The stories in the Quran and hadith are the main two sources of storytelling and myths that have been used to preach Islam to the world. It is considered the most sacred literature by Muslims, as it includes the ultimate instruction for all humanity. The Quran itself unlike other Abrahamic religions has not changed or been modified so the stories of the prophet and his miracles which are believed to be myths are not modified to. This to a large extent played a huge role on the followers of Islam as they know about the life, habits, and events encountered by the messenger of god (prophet Muhammad, pbuh). There is a huge acceptance of the myths and storytelling mentioned in the Quran and the hadiths as the holy book has not been changed or modified to. An example is the story of Habil and Kabil, two brothers and sons of Adam the first man on earth. As his best sacrifice, Habil, a shepherd, presented a healthy ram. Qabil, a farmer, on the other hand, was not willing to provide his best and instead offered some products from his property. Habil's sacrifice was accepted by Allah (SWT), but Qabil's was rejected. Out of jealousy, Qabil killed his brother. It is believed by Muslims that Allah is differentiating the good from the bad and teaching his people a lesson by storytelling. This is accepted by Muslims as stories from the Quran it is the main source of Islamic belief in Islam.

Rejection

There is some rejection in made-up myths and storytelling in Islam as well as different points of view from scholars in Islam. This has a major impact on Islamic society as they do not know what is right and wrong in terms of Islamic verses or Hadith from the Quran. An example is the English translation of the Arabic verse “of what your right hand possesses” from the Quran this verse has come up multiple times such as in chapters regarding captives taken after warfare. The literal meaning is men are allowed to sleep with their female slaves without nikah (marriage). There has been a major reaction from recent scholars who use different evidence from the Quran and hadiths to prove its meaning as something else. This rejection causes great confusion in Islamic society. The article “What is a captive that the right hands possess?” by Kamal Badr. He deviates from the verse's literal meaning and investigates the matter further. “It is by no means an implication of concubinage, for this is totally prohibited in Islam. Nor does it refer to purchasing female slaves from the market to be used to satisfy the sexual urge,” mentions Kamal Badr an Islamic scholar. Because of the English translation of the Arabic verse, it changes the meaning slightly thus changing the context of the story in the Quran.

Conflict:

Rejection

There is some major conflict in Islam on what is permissible and what is not because of the influence of traditional culture on Islam. Because of a lack of awareness and interpretation of Islamic teaching sources, conflicts over Islamic norms arise, as society's traditional culture creates things in Islam that were never there before. This causes misinterpretation on the religion as a whole by the believers of Islam and those from other religions. Women in Islam, for example, are viewed as incapable of leading. Meanwhile, the Qur'an and Hadith prove that leadership is not only a man's realm. Instead, Islam recognizes the dignity of both men and women, as both have equal rights and responsibilities in numerous areas. In chapters like Sura al-Ahzab, Ali Imran, and al-Baqarah, the concept of parallels that reflect justice is contextually confirmed. To summarize, the chapters mention gender equality in society necessitates an equitable social order, which can be achieved through recognizing women's leadership potential. It is the lack of in-depth knowledge of the Quran and Hadith because of the influence of society's culture and traditions which causes conflict in the religion.

Embedding culture in Islam is also a conflict for Muslims. There are some instances where religion and culture collide, religion influences culture, and culture influences how people practice religion. However, there is a clear contrast in between both in Islam.

Some people claim that Muslim women are oppressed by their religion, that they are compelled to wear full face coverings, they are denied education and are forbidden other essential rights. Yes, Muslim women, like women all over the world, have faced injustice and limited practices in terms of education, employment, and family responsibilities. Many of these oppressive practices, on the other hand, is rooted in local cultural traditions rather than Islam. In reality, Islam grants women a variety of privileges, some of which Western women did not have until the nineteenth century. In England, until 1882, women's property was given to their husbands when they married, while Muslim women always kept their own property. If their husband marries another woman, Muslim women could put stipulations in their marriage contracts, giving them the right to divorce.In many countries, Muslim women even preserve their own surname after marriage rather than their husband's name.

Conclusion:

Islam is a monotheistic religion built on revelations received by the Prophet Muhammad in the seventh century and later detailed in Islam's sacred text, the Qur'an. Based on its storytelling and myths, Islam is both a system of individual religion and behavior and a complete guide for the organization of society and state. Islam is an action-oriented worldview that includes elements such as gender roles, myths and storytelling, and conflict, all of which are rejected and accepted to a large extent by Islamic civilization.