WOMEN

Some people maintain that except for anatomical differences., all the differences between men and women are a result of the way women are brought up, i. e., as a result of social influence. Those who oppose these views believe that the differences result from creation in the mother's womb and in the differences of the genes. According to scientists, sociologists, and psychologists, the dispute over nature versus nurture are resolved more easily. They state that one's personality is formed as a result of the joint influence of these two factors, i. e., nature and upbringing. Thus, there is no clear-cut distinction between men and women. Men and women are equal in terms of responsibility for their deeds in this life, but they have been created differently. What are these differences in creation?

Scientific studies have shown that the female embryo's heart beats faster, and girls mature faster. Newborn baby girls react differently under certain conditions. For example, they react more intensely when the sheet on them is removed, and they have stronger reactions to touch or pain. It has been determined that twelve-week-old baby girls look at human pictures longer than at colorful geometric shapes. It should also not be forgot­ten that female babies show more interest in other people than baby boys. Baby boys do not discriminate; they look at colorful geometric shapes longer than they do at human pictures.

In IQ tests, men and women usually get the same average scores. Nevertheless, sociologists and psychologists have studied the reasons for the phenomenon that women are not as predomi­nant as men in the areas of science, technology, and the arts, in terms of new Inventions and discoveries. They reached the conclu­sion that women arc not as entrepreneurial as men because they arc afraid of making mistakes and are affected by negative criticism.

Men and women are not exactly the same in terms of biolo­gy. The nature of women is different in terms of physiology and psychology. However, this does not mean that women are supe­rior to men or that men are more important than women. Women and men are like nitrogen and oxygen in the air. The air is not composed of only nitrogen or only of oxygen. It is the combination of these two elements that forms the air. One does not consider whether oxygen is more valuable than nitrogen. Every creature that lives on the face of the earth needs both oxy­gen and nitrogen to breathe. Thus, we can conclude that both sexes are equal to each other and complete one another. We are humans and we unite in humanity. Just as we are not separate, we cannot live apart either. We need each other. A poet expressed this truth as follows: "Women need men, the young need the old—in terms of knowledge and experience—the bow needs the arrow, every member of the world needs the other. "

Rumi's views on women are completely Islamic views, as is the case in all other issues. In this book, I have tried to explain Rumi's views on various issues with examples from his works so that one does not have the impression that his holiness has brought new, innovative ideas to religion. This great saint who says, "I am the slave and the servant of Qur'an, I am the dust on which Prophet Muhammad steps, " cannot be outside the Muhammadi path. He has not deviated from the Islamic path one iota on the issue of women, nor in any other issues. Any beliefs, life styles, or behavior that contradicts Rumi's views are un-Islamic heresies and innovations. In fact, Rumi has put the Islamic views, which were blurred with other beliefs originating from different regions, back on track. He has not made any changes in Islamic beliefs because Islam does not need reformation.

Since Rumi explains selected issues in his own way by giv­ing examples with a deeply meaningful, beautiful, and pleasant Narration, we would be better to understand the fundamentals of Islamic religion through his views. Some people who do not understand Islamic principles claim that women are looked down upon and are given fewer rights than men in Islam. For us to understand this issue better, it will be beneficial to review briefly what kinds of rights were given to women in different parts of the world before Islam and what Islam has introduced in this regard.

When we review briefly the status of women in different parts of the world before the emergence of Islam, we see the fol­lowing: In the ancient Indian judicial system, women had no rights in marriage, inheritance, and other transactions. In the Vedas, the holy book of the Hindus, women are described as creatures that are worse than hurricanes, death, or poison. At first, Buddha, the founder of Buddhism, did not admit women to his religion because they were creatures that followed their feelings. When his close friend, Ananda, asked him: "How are we going to treat women?" he answered: "You shall never look at them. " "What if we have to look?" "Then you shall not speak with them. " Ananda continued this line of questioning: "What if we have to speak?" The Buddha replied, "In that case you should be very careful with them. " Ananda used to feel sorry for women and protect them. On his insistence, after much hesita­tion, Buddha admitted women to the religion, but pointed out that this was very dangerous for Buddhists. Once he said to his dear friend Ananda, "If we had not admitted women in our reli­gion, Buddhism would continue unchanged for many centuries. But since women have come among us, I do not think that this religion will survive for long. "

In the Jewish judicial system, man was the ultimate author­ity in the family. Jewish women were like servants in their fathers1 homes. If the father wanted, he could sell his daughters. In the Jewish judicial system, a woman was a damned being because she could deceive and lead to evil. In ancient Iran dur­ing the Sasanid Empire, there were no rights or value given to women. It was legal to marry one's sister. In China, the ancient Chinese did not count women as human beings; they did not even think that it was necessary to give them a name. They would call women not by a name, but with a number like "1, 2, 3,... " Women were referred to as "pigs. "

In Ancient Greece and Rome, societies with which Western cultures are fascinated, women had no rights. Women were con­sidered to be merely childbearing machines. They were not seen worthy of love and affection because their anatomies were con­sidered to be inferior to that of men. Affection between men was very popular. While women were doing all the household work, men would enjoy themselves.

Around the time Islam emerged, the status of women was heart-breaking in the Arabian Peninsula. Women were deprived of any marriage, childbearing, or inheritance rights. Adultery was very widespread. A daughter was a financial burden and a moral disgrace to the family. The father, who had unlimited say in his family, did not see any harm in killing his daughter, often burying her alive. Islam came to rescue women, who were looked down upon and were denied all rights. It banned the burying alive of baby girls. It ordered that love and affection be shown toward women. Fifteen centuries ago, at a time when women were looked down upon all over the world, our Prophet said, "There is no doubt that women are counterparts, similar, and equivalent to men. " The Chapter of the Qur'an, al-Baqara., says: "Just as men have rights over women, women have rights over men. " In his well-known Farewell Sermon, the Prophet reminded us of women's rights: "O people, I recommend you to observe women's rights and fear God in this matter. God entrusted women to you. " ' Because the issue of women is a topic on which many ideas have been put forth, much has been said, and more particularly since some people claim that women are not valued in Islam, I have presented briefly the views of dif­ferent nations and different religions on the subject of women. I hope that this subject will be understood better before I go on to present Rumi's view on women.

Rumi's view of women centers around two points. On the one hand, Rumi has considered the higher aspects of women and glorified womanhood; on the other hand, he very realisti­cally described their human weaknesses, passions, and inclina­tions. Those who read Rumi's works carefully will notice that he often makes some light-hearted jokes or exaggerations for any topic to be better understood. In fact, in the story that begins with the caliph of Egypt falling in love with a female servant of the sultan of Mosul and goes on to depict the relationship of the young commander ordered to take the beautiful female servant to Egypt, he points out how much that female servant is addict­ed to physical pleasures and says: "That sweet beauty with a face like full moon was amazed by his power of manhood. " Then when describing the meeting of the same female servant with the caliph, he continues the story: "When the female servant saw the weakness of the caliph who was afraid of a mouse, she started to laugh out loud."

Again in the story, he tells the tale of a woman who has inter­course with a donkey. This story starts as follows: "A woman, due to the excessiveness of her lust and abundance of her ambition, made a donkey used to herself. "1' ' This story resembles very much the story of "The Golden Donkey" by the Latin author Apuleius (125-180 CE). Rumi wanted to teach a lesson using this tale, which was being spoken about among the public at that time. It is for this reason that, when Rumi tells this story, he recites the following couplet: "When the inclination of lust and the desire of lust make the heart deaf and blind, it sees even the donkey as Joseph, a piece of fire made up of light. "

These stories in the Mesnevi are not told to belitde women, but to show the nature and inclinations of human beings. Yet, at the same time that women are able to be so weak, if they had not been created with more sensitivity than men, and if their hearts were not filled with love and affection, then human beings could not have multiplied and populated the Earth. It is known that for a woman to give birth to a child is as difficult as facing death. Many young women have lost their lives when giving birth. After bringing a child into the world, it is not easy to bring that child up. A woman is faced with countless difficulties; she sacri­fices her sleep and feeds the child with her own milk. It is for this reason that the Prophet admired this duty of women and glori­fied them; and that Paradise has been placed, not under the father's feet, but under those of the mother. The Prophet, who honors women and sees them as honorable individuals, ordered us to avoid women who are slaves to their feelings and who can­not overcome their sensuality. '

God has put more love and affection into women's hearts than into the hearts of men. God has created women with this nature so that they may endure the difficulty of childbirth and motherhood. Women are more patient; they endure pain and suffering better than men. Women live longer than men. They resist illnesses better than men. These qualities are a gift from God to women. Moreover, when a woman keeps her feelings under control and overcomes her sensual desires, she leaves men behind on the path of God and attains the truth faster than men.

The fact that the love, affection, and mercy in women are plentiful is a gift from God not only for their children, but also for their spouses. Many great men, artists, and inventors are indebted in their success to the care, affection, and love of their spouses. Does the fact that women are weaker in physiology and more sensitive than men mislead men and women? Does it lead them astray from the true path? No. Rumi attaches importance to the dignity of women, as did the Prophet, whom he deeply loved and to whose rights he was wholeheartedly committed. The Prophet said: "If one falls in love with a woman, if he does not reveal his love to anybody, and stays chaste, and if he dies in this manner, he is counted as a martyr. "

Rumi criticizes and accuses men who want to take advantage of women's emotional vulnerability. He says the following in the Mesnevi'. "Whoever does something bad to his wife, know that that person becomes his own wife's panderer (he sells his wife) because the punishment for a bad deed is to be subjected to an equivalent mischief. The punishment of a crime is the equivalent of that crime. If you attract someone else's wife toward yourself for some reason, you are a cuckold just like him and even worse than him. This should not be misunderstood; Rumi did not want to belittle women by pointing out their human weakness­es. Are passions and sensuous desires only limited to women? Are men cleansed of these feelings? Women are human and so are men. This duality, having both good and evil feelings, is what it means to be human. Even though these feelings are natural, they lower one when one acts out of emotion. When one realizes one's humanity, then these feelings honor* one. Does the Qur'an not say: "Verily we have created man in the best pattern and then we abased him to the lowest of the low?" Like Rumi, most famous authors and philosophers of the world have discussed the issue of women in their works.

What did the great Rumi say about women centuries before the above-mentioned famous philosophers? Let us read his description of women in this section very carefully:

God has created woman for man to rejoice with her and to accompany man. Thus how can Adam be separated from Eve? How can he live without Eve? Even if a man exceeds Rustam, son of Zal, in bravery, or Hamza, the uncle of the Prophet, in courage, he is still the slave of his wife's orders. Even the Prophet, who enraptured the world with His beautiful and sweet words, would plead with his angered wife: "Talk to me, O little pink-white one!"

If water is poured on fire, it extinguishes it. Water is supe­rior to fire in terms of form and appearance. But put water in a bowl, the fire boils it. If a pot becomes an obstacle between the two, fire annihilates water and turns it into vapor.

Externally you are superior to woman, just as water is supe­rior to fire. But in reality, you are taken over by her. You arc defeated by her, and you need her. You cannot do without her; you want her and you love her. Such an attribute only can be found in humans. Love is little in animals. This is because of their specific nature.
In a Prophetic tradition our Prophet said: "Women usually dominate intelligent people and people of heart. But ignorant and crude people dominate women because they treat them very roughly anf harshly. Mercy, generosity, and love are rare in such people because their animal nature is dominant. Love and affec­tion are human feelings. Anger and lust are animal feelings.

Rumi's description of woman as "creator" in other writings should not lead us to false ideas. Here he is referring to women's honor as mothers and their ability to bring children into the world. Have not women given birth to the distinguished men of the world especially to the prophets? As mothers, women not only give their milk to their babies, but also their love, courage, patience, and endurance. The truth is if there were no women, there would be no life nor no humanity. The following Tradition of the Prophet is a testimony to how honorable a being a woman is: "I was made to love three things from your world: Woman, nice fragrance, and prayer, which is the light of my eye. " The fact that our Prophet mentions women before prayer shows how much importance he places on women.