It was the patriotic industrialists of the 19th century who...

It was the patriotic industrialists of the 19th century who unconsciously conspired to disrupt the domestic life of people. The first step towards the emancipation of our grandmothers was the law of 1882. According to it, the women of Great Britain became able to enjoy an unprecedented privilege. They were given the right to keep the money they earned with themselves. This law, representing high Christian and moral values, was enacted by the mill-owners in the House of Commons.

Since that year the women have been liberated from the drudgery of household work, and have instead become involved in the drudgery of the stores and factories". As you may observe, it was the industrialists and mill-owners of England, who, for the sake of their own material gains, took this step for the benefit of woman.

THE QUR'AN AND THE ECONOMIC INDEPENDENCE OF WOMAN Islam, 1400 years ago, laid down the following law: "Men have a portion of what they have earned and women have a portion of what they have earned" (Surah an-Nisa, 4: 32). In this verse the Holy Qur'an has recognised the title of both men and women to the fruits of their labour.

In another passage the Qur'an says: "The men have a portion of what (their) parents and the kin left and the women have a portion of what (their) parents and the kin left." (Surah an-Nisa,4 :7) This verse confirms the title of woman to her inheritance, which was not recognised by the pre- Islamic Arabs.

COMPARISON The Holy Qur'an granted economic independence to woman thirteen centuries earlier than Europe, with the difference that: (1) The considerations which motivated Islam were purely human, moral and divine.

There did not exist any such motives as the greed of the mill-owners of England who, to fill their own bellies, passed a law and then proclaimed loudly through-out the world that they had officially recognised the rights of woman, and had established equality between man and woman formally. (2) Islam gave equal rights to woman, but did not disrupt the basis of her domestic life, nor did it instigate the wives and daughters to revolt against their husbands and fathers.

Islam brought about a great revolution, but did so calmly and safely. (3) According to Will Durant all that the Western world did was to save woman from the drudgery of household work and to foist on her the drudgery in stores and factories. In other words, Europe opened one shackle and bound her hands and feet with another.