Rights and duties of daughters in Islam

Story by  Eman Sakina | Posted by  Aasha Khosa • 10 Months ago
Children going to school in Srinagar (Basit Zargar)
Children going to school in Srinagar (Basit Zargar)

 

Eman Sakina

A daughter is the blessing of Allah, the Almighty. Girls in Arab civilization were treated horribly before the introduction of Islam. When a daughter was born, the father felt ashamed. To get rid of this shame and disgrace, Arabs buried their daughters alive.  Islam arrived at a time when the Arab people used to treat girls most inhumanly; it ended darkness  and granted rights to sisters, daughters, wives, and newborns.

Friday Musings

Allah blesses deserving people with daughters. Islam gave huge respect and honour to daughters.

Islam gives the same freedom to a woman/daughter as it gives to a man/son. Some of them are listed below:

Islam gave them the right to education and work equally as the man for their family.

Islam gave a daughter the right to marry the person according to her wish.

Islam gave her the right to her father’s property. Her share is half of her brother’s share.

Islam gave her the right to ‘Khula’ – annul her marriage contract if she is not satisfied with her husband.

Islam gave her the right to sue the person who sexually harassed or abused her.

Islam gave her the right to live happily with or without a man. Man is not everything to her.

Islam gave her the right to speak and express her views and ideas in front of the public.

Islam gave her the right to be the world’s power and explain that without a woman, a man is nothing.

A daughter always belongs to the paternal family. Marriage does not break this bond. The Islamic social order makes detailed arrangements for fair treatment of the daughter.

Taking care of them, educating them, liberating them, and training them for tomorrow and a better life all come under the responsibility of parents to their daughters.

The daughter has a responsibility or duty to cover herself properly to live safely in society.

She must maintain her dignity and that of her family.

She must take care of her family.

She must be loyal to her husband after getting married.

She must be within limits when it is a matter of Na-mahram.

It could not be a better example than this to understand the importance of the rights of the daughter in Islam. Prophet said according to Anas. “He who raises two daughters until their puberty will be with me in Paradise like this” and he symbolized the proximity by showing two of his fingers with a slight gap between them.” (Muslim).

There exists an unfortunate myth amongst many Muslim communities around the world that suggests/states that “Daughters don’t inherit,” which is not true and is against the teachings of Islam. Daughters are to be treated equally, or if there is more than one daughter, they should receive two-thirds of the inheritance. This is in line with Islamic law and it is important for Muslims everywhere to understand this concept.

Allah Almighty says in Noble Quran: “To Allah belong the dominion of the heavens and the earth; He creates what He wills. He gives to whom He wills female [children], and He gives to whom He wills males. Or He makes them [both] males and females, and He renders whom He wills barren. Indeed, He is Knowing and Competent” (Quran, 49:50). This verse of the Holy Quran shows that Allah Almighty has the right or will to give whatever He wants to whom He wants to give. Allah is the One, based on His ultimate wisdom, who grants whomever He wills sons and daughters. He grants sons only to whomever He wills and daughters only to whomever He wills.

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So when you have a daughter don’t get upset instead be happy and celebrate this joy with all your family members and friends as daughters are the blessing of Allah Almighty.