The World Organization for al-Azhar Graduates continues its series of workshops for international students of various nationalities, including those from Nigeria, the Philippines, Indonesia, Libya, and Burkina Faso, at its headquarters in Cairo, where it held a workshop entitled “Misunderstood Hadiths on Women”.
Prof. Ayman al-Hajjar, a researcher at the General Secretariat of the Council of Senior Scholars, said that Islam honored women and placed them in an equal position with men, as the Prophet’s hadith came to confirm that women are the counterparts of men, they have rights equivalent to their responsibilities in fairness. Additionally, he stressed that Islam gives women great attention and looks at them with a view of honor and pride, and they are like men in honor and the right to life.
During the workshop, al-Hajjar discussed with the students the misconceptions raised and how to respond to them. He pointed out that Islam honors women, recognizing their significant status as the foundation for building families and developing societies. He explained that the issues concerning women fall into two categories. The first is arbitrary and severely oppresses women, stemming from a misinterpretation of religious texts due to ignorance and a lack of proper understanding of their true purposes. The second group takes an overly lenient view of women, exaggerating their status and nature.
Moreover, the researcher at the Council of Senior Scholars reviewed the hadiths that some people frequently cite regarding women’s issues, which they have misunderstood and interpreted superficially, leading to serious misinterpretations. He clarified the correct understanding of these hadiths and their intended purpose.
In conclusion, he noted that the Prophetic Sunnah Committee of the Council of Senior Scholars at al-Azhar has issued a book titled ‘Women’s Issues: Misconceptions and Responses’, which includes all the hadiths he presented in the lecture, along with others, to clarify their correct interpretation. A ‘PDF’ version of the book was given to the female international students to help them benefit from it and recognize the misconceptions promoted by some regarding the status of women in Islam, as well as how to respond to them.
