>------
>
>
>                    Abu Muhammad Ibn Hazm al-Andaluci
>
>This is a glimpse into some of the intellectual debates Muslim scholars had in
>the past. This is a debate about the question of the prophethood of women,
from
>Ibn Hazm's al-Milal wal-Nihal. Muslims debated this issue without fear of
>sanction, and without relying on accepted dogmas.  Ibn Hazm (d. 456 Hijri)
>lived in the 11th century in Muslim Spain (Andalucia).  This is a piece from
>that era.  This is his position about this sensitive issue which is the
>Prophethood of women.  He has a strong argument.  What follows is his view
>and some other views of other Muslim scholars such as Qurtubi, Ibn Hajjar
>al-'Asqalani, Imam al-Nawawi and other Muslim scholars.  This piece is very
>relevant as we try to find out the position of women in our society and under-
>stand the differences between what we inherited as customs and what the Shari'a
>wants from us.
>
>                          Nubuwwa (Prophethood) of Women
>                                    Volume V, pp 17-19
>                  al-Fisal fi al-Milal wa-al-Ahwa'i wa-al-Nihal
>                                          By
>                  Abu Muhammad Ali Ibn Ahmad Ibn Hazm al-Andaluci
>
>(Abu Muhammad said)  This is an issue we know of no debate about it except here
>in Cordoba and in our time.  A group of people went on and denied that Prophet-
>hood could not be for women and made everyone that claims as such an innovator
>(Mubtadi').   Another group said that Prophethood is possible for women.  A
>third group abstained from discussing this issue.
>
>(Abu Muhammad said) We find no proof for those who claim that Prophethood is
>impossible for women other than that some of them denied it based on the
>Koranic verse:
>
>" (O Muhammad!) Whenever we sent before you Messengers to whom we have revealed
>Our messages, they were but men." (1)
>
>(Abu Muhammad said) This is a verse none can deny as nobody claimed that Allah
>(SWT) sent women Messengers.  The issue here is about Prophethood (Nubuwwa) and
>not Messengership.   Henceforth the need to understand the meaning of the word
>'Prophethood' in the language in which Allah (SWT) spoke to us (i.e. Arabic).
>
>We find that this word is taken from Inba' (prophecy) which means I'lam
>(revelation).  So whomever Allah (SWT) tells him about what will be before
>it comes to pass, or reveals to him informing him about a certain matter, then
>he is a Nabi (prophet) without any doubt.
>
>This (Prophethood) should not be understood as Ilham (inspiration) which is
>natural as Allah said in Surah al-Nahl:
>
>" And behold!  Your Lord has inspired the bees with this: 'Build thy hives in
>the mountains, and the trees and the creepers over trellis, then drink nectar
>from every kind of fruit, and follow the ways made smooth by your Lord.'  From
>its belly comes out a fluid of varying hues wherein is healing for mankind.
>Here is indeed a sign for those who ponder over it." (2)
>
>It should neither be understood as doubt (Zann) or illusion which none would
>assure its truthfulness except an insane person (i.e. a crazy person would
>think illusion or Zann as part of what we commonly label as 'truth').
>
>It neither should be understood as Kahana (sorcery) which is part of what the
>evil spirits (shayatin) try to get by listening to the heavens and as such get
>stricken by shooting stars. As Allah (SWT) says:
>
>" And We have always set against every prophet enemies from among satans of
>men and satans of jinns who have been inspiring one another with charming
>things in order to delude the minds.  But had your Lord willed, they would
>never have done so.  So leave them alone to continue false allegations."(3)
>
>Such sorcery was ended with the advent of the messenger of Allah (SWT),
>Muhammad (SAAW) (4).
>
>It is not part of Nujum (fortune telling), which can be learned.  Nor is it
>part of dreams which none can assure their truthfulness or lies.
>
>
>Revelation which is Nubuwwa (Prophethood) is meant from Allah (SWT) to inform
>that to whom it was revealed of what Allah wants to tell him.  This should be
>understood differently from all the previous cases.
>
>Allah makes to whom it was revealed fully aware and fully knowledgeable of the
>truthfulness of what was revealed to him - (Exactly) like his knowledge of what
>he can sense and the (obvious) deductions of his brain - with no doubt in them.
>
>(This revelation) can be transmitted by one of either ways: through an angel
>that comes to him or through a message directly revealed to him and this is a
>knowledge from Allah (SWT) to whom He gives, with no transmitter or teacher.
>
>If they deny that this is the meaning of Prophethood then let them teach us its
>meaning for they will not bring any single proof.
>
>Allah revealed in the Koran that He sent angels to women to deliver to them
>truthful revelations from Allah (SWT).  They gave glad tidings to the mother
>of Isaac (Sarah) of Isaac.  Allah says:
>
>"...And his wife was standing by; hearing this, she laughed.  Then we gave her
>the good news of Isaac, and after Isaac of Jacob.  She said,' Woe be me! Shall
>I bear a child now when I have grown extremely old, and this husband of mine
>has also become old? This is indeed a strange thing.'  The angels said,' What!
>Are you surprised at Allah's decree? O people of Abraham's household! Allah's
>mercy and blessing are upon you. Indeed, Allah is worthy of all praise and
>glory.'" (5)
>
>This is a direct address from the angels to the mother of Isaac about the
>blessing Allah will bless her with -Isaac, then after Isaac Jacob - then
>their testimony about the power of Allah and her astonishment of the matter of
>how Allah (SWT) makes things possible.
>
>This could not be an address from an angel except to a prophet - in one way or
>another - we find also that Allah (SWT) sent Gabriel to Mary mother of 'Isa -
>Jesus - (AS) with a message and told her:
>
>"...I am a mere messenger from your Lord and have been sent to give you a pure
>son." (6)
>
>This is a true Nubuwwa with a true revelation and a (clear) message from Allah
>(SWT).  Zacharias (AS) used to find with her Rizq (food) for this he asked
>Allah (SWT) to grant him a trustworthy son (7).  We found also that Allah re-
>vealed to (Yukabid) mother of Moses that she shall throw her son into the Yam
>(river) and she shall neither worry or have grief and promised her He shall
>return Moses to her and make him a prophet and a messenger.  With no doubt this
>is a true Nubuwwa (revelation) and a logical consequence of our premises.
>
>If she was not sure of the revelation that Allah would return her son to her,
>either that this was a mere vision or a feeling she had, she would be - by
>throwing her son in the Yam - committing a crazy act and a heinous crime
>against herself. If one of us did such an act he would be an extreme trans-
>gressor or a crazy person that deserves the agony and the (psychological)
>consequences he has to go through - (probably) in a bimaristan (a mental
>institution).
>
>Such logical analysis none could deny. Therefore it becomes - with assuredness
>- true that that which came to (Yukabid) - of throwing her son in the Yam - was
>a revelation, like that which was revealed to Ibrahim (AS) in his dream.  He
>was ordered to slaughter his son.  If Ibrahim (AS) was not a true prophet,
>and had he slaughtered his son for a dream he saw or a doubt he had in himself,
>it would be true that whoever does such an action would not be of the Prophets
>but an insane person.  This nobody would doubt.
>
>Hence their (the women's) Prophethood becomes obviously true. We find that
>Allah (SWT) while mentioning the prophets in Surah Mariam, He mentioned Mariam
>amongst them and then said:
>
>" These are the Prophets on whom Allah bestowed His favors. They were from the
>descendants of Adam, and from the seed of those whom we carried in the Ark with
>Noah, and from the seed of Abraham and of Israel. They were  from those whom we
>guided aright and made our chosen ones.  They were tender-hearted that whenever
>the Revelations of the Merciful were recited to them, they would fall down pro-
>strate, weeping." (8)
>
>This is a description of all of them.  One should not single her out as a
>special case, to be treated separately.
>
>Now the saying 'and his mother a Siddiqa' (Koran) does not deny her the right
>to be a prophet as Allah said: 'Joseph, O Siddiq!'(9).  and as is known he is a
>true prophet and a messenger; and this becomes now clear.  From Allah only one
>seeks guidance.
>We can also include along with them (Yukabid and Mariam) the wife of Pharao,
>as the prophet (SAAW) said:
>
>" There are many persons amongst men who are quite perfect but there are not
>perfect amongst women except Mary, daughter of 'Imran, and Asiya, wife of
>Pharao." (10) or as the Messenger of Allah (SAAW) said.
>
>Now perfectness (kamal) for men can only be for some messengers -for those who
>are 'less than them' are not perfect-.  His (the Prophet's) particularization
>to Mariam and Asiya (the wife of Pharao) was a privilege for both of them over
>all those to whom Prophethood was given from amongst women - with no doubt -,
>as those who are a degree less than them are not perfect.
>
>Henceforth it is clear that these two women became perfect more than any other
>women and even if these women were prophets.  From Koranic texts we find that
>Allah says:
>
>" (O Muhammad) , most surely you are of those who have been sent as Messengers.
>Of these Messengers, We have raised some above others in rank." (11)
>
>So the perfect of his gender is the one who excels in his perfection and none
>of his gender can reach him.  They are the messengers from amongst men, of whom
>we find our prophet Muhammad and Ibrahim (ASWS).
>
>                        =================================
>\