Introduction By Laleh Bakhtiar
Islam admits to all realities - hunger, ignorance, drug addiction, the need for divorce, the weakening of the weak by the strong, oppression and suppression (realities, according to realists, must be translated into real forms so they have no problem with imagination, ideology and ideas which they ignore). "But as opposed to realism, Islam does not accept the status quo but changes the realities "Says Ali Shariati, "It changes their essence in a revolutionary way. It carries realities along with its ideals. It uses realities as a means to reach its idealistic goals, its real desires, which are non-existent by themselves. Unlike realists, Islam does not submit to realities, but rather, it causes the realities to submit to it. Islam does not turn away from realities as idealists do. It seeks them out. It tames them. Through this means, Islam uses that which hinders the idealists as a composite for its own ideals." With this approach, an independence of thinking develops which, in order to succeed as an answer and not to cause deviation, must branch out from the society's historical roots. Face up to your realities. Tame them. Work through them to reach your ideals. ... Shariati develops the concept of Islamic social justice. In Islam it is not sufficient to tell one's self, "Thou shall not ... this or that." For there is a commitment by which each individual is bound by and that is to be an active participant in society opposing social ills. That is, one should say to one's self, "Thou shall not be an oppressor," but one is equally obliged to say to one'self, "Thou shall help the oppressed." ... Shariati takes us to the heart of Shi'ism - Fatemeh, the beloved daughter of Prophet Mohammed (PBUH). He describes the woman we could not see, the one we thought we knew but only after his guidance do we become aware of the fact that although we related each day directly to her spirit, she had been lost as a model for our daily lives. That is, we had an emotional attachment to her inner essence but we had removed her form. Shariati takes us to Fatemeh. He begins with the social customs of the Arabian Peninsula before her birth where according to custom, female children were buried alive at birth in order to save the family from the disgrace of having an unsuitable son-in-law. It was the revolutionary message of Islam which did away with this custom. God reveals through the Quran that the Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) had been given the abundant river of Paradise and through that river, he shall have abundant progeny although according to Arab beliefs at that time, a man without a son is called 'cut-off'. How could it be? The father of a daughter will have abundant progeny? His wife, over 50 years old, gives birth to a daughter, Fatemeh. God has kept the promise to the Prophet for through her, the progeny of the Prophet multiplies. Shariati then goes on to further enumerate the honors that Islam has bestowed upon women. There is only one person buried in the Ka'baa, the 'House of God' and that is a woman, a slave, Lady Hajar, the second wife of Prophet Abraham and mother of Prophet Ismail.
Shariati then goes on to further enumerate the honors that Islam has bestowed upon women. There is only one person buried in the Ka'baa, the 'House of God' and that is a woman, a slave, Hajar, the second wife of Abraham and mother of Ismail. Fatemeh spent her life in struggle, resisting poverty and difficulties. Her father was forced to spend three years in a valley with his family when his tribe imposed economic and social sanctions against his message of Islam. After the migration to Madinah, her new life as a married woman begins but she continues to face the same hardships and difficulties that she encountered since childhood. We learn of Fatemeh as a Muslim female child who defends her father against the elders of her tribe. Fatemeh is the one who, holding her father's hand, accompanies him into the bazaar, listens to his debates and walks with him to her home. Fatemeh, the Muslim woman, who stands at the door and defends her husband and her home when usurpers try to burn it down. Fatemeh tells the newly elected Caliph that he has displeased God and God's Prophet by not listening to the Prophet's advice and taking his own interests to heart. Fatemeh, who when she finds injustice and oppression speaks out with the totality of her being, not fearing the outcome of her words for she knows she speaks with the tongue of Truth. Let us turn to her last sermon and have her own words tell us what she really believed and practiced. When Fatemeh was ill with the final sickness which caused her death, the wives of the Emigrants and Companions of the Prophet went out visit her to ask how she was feeling. Abu Bakr had been elected Caliph and Ali was put aside. In reply to them, after asking for the blessings of God for her father, Mohammed, she said: "By God I am alive while I have nothing but contempt for this world. I detest your men. After I tried to show them who their real enemy was and they did not listen, I put them aside. "How ugly are the sharp edges of swords when they are broken and then play with people's efforts and struggles which so many have undertaken, destroying the fortifications, breaking spears, making devious decisions and standing on the precipice of material and personal self-desires. What a terrible future they are preparing for by causing the warth of God and thereby brining about permanent torment for themselves." ... "God says, ' If citizens are faithful and avoid wrong deeds, We will give blessings from heaven and earth to them. But they deny the truths so we captivated them for their deeds. From those who oppressed, the results of their actions will be returned to themselves. They cannot change the traditions of history.' ... "It is then that the destroyer of rights will lose and those who will come in the future will find and realize the terrible results of what the ancestors have done. So you should be satisfied with your daily affairs and live in peace prior to the storm and terrible revolts." For then, the sharp swords of the domination of the oppressors, anarchy and the rule of tyrants will overcome you. The oppressors will enslave you. No public assets except a small quantity will remain.. They will cultivate with force what you have planted with love. At that time you will only sigh for there will be nothing that you can do because you were blind and could not see the truth. They will oblige you because you have turned your faces from the right way and you did not accept it." Why have many Muslim women been lost to either outdated forms or new imports? Why has she been exploited? Shariati tells us in the words of Hazrat Ali, "two parties are required in order to bring about oppression. One is the oppressor and the other is the one who accepts oppression. Oppression cannot be one sided. An oppressor cannot perform oppression in the air. Oppression is like a piece of iron which is formed by the striking of the hammer of the oppressor upon the anvil of the oppressed." Thus, women themselves participated in the attack upon their values by allowing themselves to be oppressed and by not searching out their roots.
With the awareness which Shariati brings to us, our coming to know Fatemeh
brings about a responsibility and a commitment to those who first ask,
"Who am I" and then search out the answer in the Athens city and genuineness
of their own culture. The responsibility and commitment grows through love
and faith ... With Fatemeh as our model, we learn to fight injustice and
oppression. We turn from ourself to the others. We become actively involved
in society's ills because she as she really was, is our symbol, our model,
our heroine. This is not to deny the spiritual presence and essence of
Fatemeh who has inspired thousands of artists, poets, writers and artisans.
At one point we learn that the Prophet gave her a prayer instead of the
domestic help that she had asked for. She grew from this for this nourished
her spirit and strengthened her commitment ot God and the people. But it
is rather to complement it for as Rumi tells us, "The physical form is
of great importance; nothing can be done without the consociation of the
form and the essence. However often you may sow a seed stripped of its
pod, it will not grow; sow it with the pod, it will become a great tree."
And as every artisan knows, it is the clay itself which determines the
forms that can be created. Having awoken and become aware to the real Fatemeh
presented by Shariati, the Iranian women were able to arise and play a
major role in the Islamic Revolution of Iran. They fought against oppression
and injustice side by side with the men. Clothed in the modest dress of
what Fatemeh might have worn, they found no impediments to their freedom
to act, to fight, to resist. (End of Introduction)