Tradition Vs. Religion

Tradition Vs. Religion

Mr. Raid Qusti's name was mentioned in The New York Times' columnist Thomas Friedman's recent article, "The ABC's of hatred". Here is an article of Mr. Qusti that was published in the Arab News on May 12, 2004. The struggle between the fundamentalists, the severely restricted minded orthodoxy led factions of Muslims and the liberal Muslims have been waged for many years, and the change would probably come from within, by people like Mr. Qusti and Dr. Laila Al-Ahdab's couregous columns.

Tradition Vs. Religion
Raid Qusti, rqusti@arabnews.com

I would like to thank Dr. Laila Al-Ahdab from the bottom of my heart. I am grateful for her article which appeared in Al-Watan, “Which Is Right to Follow: Tradition or Religion?” It was an eye-opener for every Saudi — male or female — who wants to know the truth about how the current situation in the Kingdom regarding women has everything to do with our customs and traditions but very little with our religion.

In the article, Dr. Laila gave examples from Al-Bukhari and Muslim (the two most reliable sources of Hadith) of how there was no segregation between men and women in public life in early Islamic history and how women were a key factor in social development in almost every aspect of life. This is certainly not the case in our traditional society today. On the contrary, there are continuous calls from ultraconservative Saudis for Muslim women to take no part in public life and stay at home. The writer gave examples of various Hadiths narrated by Al-Bukhari and Muslim, of how early Muslim women attended sermons in mosques (not allowed in most cases here), advised rulers (doesn’t happen here), sold goods in the market (forbidden here since the powers say it would amount to sinful mixing), nursed and cared for the wounded and sick (largely unacceptable here because it involves mixing, which is said to be sinful), and other examples.

Other Hadiths in Al-Bukhari narrate how some female companions of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) asked him to allow them to fight in battle and permission was granted. One Hadith even mentioned how several men and women publicly discussed a topic — proof that mixing was a fact but that modesty and respect prevailed in early Islamic society. The writer also mentioned how, in various Hadiths, the Prophet’s companions greeted women in public, during visits and at weddings and other public ceremonies. A valid point which Dr. Laila brought up was that many of the traditions which we cling to — and even force on others — are alien to our religion in the light of Islamic history. In fact, some of these traditions are now backfiring. Terrorists are taking advantage of them for their own perverted reasons.

What I am specifically talking about is the abaya and covering a woman’s face in public. This is the norm in Saudi Arabia. The terrorists in Riyadh, however, managed to flee all the way to Jeddah because they were wearing abayas and covering their faces. They were assumed to be women and, as women, were virtually unapproachable. One newspaper even published a photo of several abayas in the villa raided in Jeddah where the terrorists were hiding. When a female journalist asked Foreign Minister Saud Al-Faisal what the government could do to stop terrorists from using abayas, the minister said the question should be directed to the Ministry of the Interior.

Terrorists are not the only ones who take advantage of the abaya. The abaya is also used in banks or in court. Some women impersonate others in order to take their lands or property based on a forged letter of power of attorney.

Recently, Sheikh Saleh Al-Hussein told Arab News’ sister publication, Asharq Al-Awsat, that women visiting the Kingdom are not required to wear the abaya. He said the proof was that millions of Muslim women come for Haj, all wearing their traditional clothes. I wish the sheikh would emphasize that Muslim women are not required to cover their faces; during Haj and Umrah it is stated in the Hadith that it is a violation to do so but some of the men and women who work in the Grand Mosque in Makkah need to be reminded of this. And though it is well-known that women should not cover their faces during Haj or Umrah — a fact that our religious scholars cannot dispute — some people in the Grand Mosque harass women whose faces are uncovered. An American Muslim told me of her experience when she visited the Grand Mosque for the first time. She said that as she stood in front of the Kaaba, she was gripped by the spirituality of the moment. As she stood there, a bearded man began yelling at her, “Cover your face!” Then he hit her on the back with his stick. How sad indeed that such people are allowed to call themselves Muslims. What is equally sad is that most of them are ignorant of the truth and tolerance of Islam.