Fatima Barkatulla – Why Choose Islam – Secrets of a Muslim Woman

			Secrets of a Muslim woman unveiled a mystery.
		

			When people see a Muslim woman on the local high street, covered from head to toe, exposing nothing
but her eyes or her face and hands, all sorts of thoughts can enter into their minds. Why would
anyone dress like that? It can't be her choice. Surely, some man is definitely forcing her to wear
that.
		

			Feelings can range from curiosity and pity to sometimes complete horror at what looks like a
religion that oppresses women. Maybe you too, have felt some of those things in the past. What
doesn't really seem to add up is that even though Islam seems to be the least appealing way of life
for women, more and more intelligent, educated, independent women in the West, are actually choosing
to live as Muslims. Now, why would they want to do that?
		

			Everyone seems to have an opinion on women in Islam. The French president has his opinion, Jack
Straw had his opinion, and probably even your local cabbie has something to say. Everyone's asking
everyone else except the women themselves.
		

			All this is a chance for you to hear from me and Muslim woman, in my own words, why I choose Islam.
		

			My name is Fatima, and I'm the mother of three young boys. I'm a journalist and I'm a Londoner, I
drive a Honda Jazz and I do the school run and shopping Tescos and do all the things that a busy mum
would do. And I'd like to share with you what it is to be a Muslim woman.
		

			The phrase women in Islam conjures up certain images in people's minds. Some may think of Islamic
practices such as wearing the hijab or the burqa, and how oppressive hiding away your whole body
must feel. Others may think of stories they've heard of in the papers, forced marriages, honor
killings, things that Islam actually totally condemns. But some crazy Muslims are guilty of doing.
And to be honest, if you thought of any of those sorts of things, I would completely understand.
Because most of the time when Islam is mentioned in the popular media, it's mentioned along with
those sorts of things with little explanation from a Muslim perspective. And on top of that, there
		

			are some Muslims out there who are doing terrible things that are either twisted interpretations or
cultural practices that have nothing to do with the religion of Islam. In fact, they're things that
Islam forbids.
		

			What wouldn't it be unfair to judge all Muslims and to judge Islam by the actions of just a few
people, if we want to look at any religion in a fair, rational way, using our common sense, we
should surely take a look at what the teachings of that religion are, and not judge it by what we've
heard in the media or by looking at what we've seen just some of its followers do. It would be
totally unfair of anyone to judge say, Christianity by the actions of the IRA, or what happened in
the Spanish Inquisition or what Adolf Hitler did, or anyone else who claims directly or indirectly
to be a Christian. If we want to know about Christianity, we should go to its sources, its founding
		

			fathers and see what they said. Likewise, it wouldn't be unfair to judge Islam by the actions of
some Muslims who are not being true to its teachings. If we want to look at Islam in a fair way, we
have to look at what the teachings of Islam are from its sources.
		

			To understand why I do the things I do as a Muslim woman, we really got to look at what the
essential teachings of Islam are. And I'd like to share that worldview with you in the hope that we
might understand each other better. Because the reason why I live as a Muslim is very much to do
with my whole worldview. The fact that I believe in an All Wise Creator, we sent guidance for us to
follow and messengers to teach us that guidance is inextricably linked to everything I do, even the
way I dress.
		

			Now, this is going to take a bit of explaining so I hope you'll bear with me.
		

			So what are the basic beliefs and teachings that for my worldview,
		

			I'm inviting you on a journey. I hope you'll accompany me. It's the journey that I took.
		

			Have you ever laid in bed at night and gazed up at the stars and wondered where this vast universe
came from?
		

			That's where the journey began for me.
		

			And you know, when I thought about the huge planets are distant stars, the millions of species of
animals, insects, birds and plants that there are on this earth, the blossom on the trees, a
colorful flower
		

			ours in sweet luscious fruits, the blue sky and the gentle spring breeze.
		

			And by thinking about all those things, and reflecting on them, I could see the evidence and the
science, a science for what the signs I mean are the signs that show us that there is a Creator, a
maker and a sustainer. These things couldn't just have come from nothing.
		

			In my human experience, I've never found something coming from nothing. My human experience tells me
that when I see something working according to precise laws and patterns, then someone or something
has definitely made it work that way, and put the order there.
		

			That's why if an archaeologist finds even the simplest piece of pottery in the desert, he can
examine that piece of pottery, and tell us about the civilization that made it he can tell us that
in order for people to have been able to make that piece of pottery, they needed to have clay. And
in order to set the pottery, they needed to bake the clay. And he might say that in order to be able
to shape the clay and bake the clay, they must have had such and such technology and come from such
and such time period.
		

			And he could say that there is no clay found in this area, the clay is 50 miles away, so they must
have transported it.
		

			And in order to transport the clay, they must have had these means of transportation, and such and
such tools. He could tell us this from just looking at that simple piece of pottery. And then the
archaeologist could read the writing on the pottery and tell us even more about the civilization
that made it.
		

			So for the archaeologist, the existence of this simple piece of pottery is conclusive proof of the
existence of the people who made it. He doesn't need to have met them, or seen them or their towns
or their ovens to know that they existed. Because the piece of pottery itself, which is the evidence
he has proves to him their existence and their level of advancement. And if what those people create
is not only sophisticated or functional, but is beautiful and intricate and looks good, then we have
an even higher level of appreciation for that society. Because it shows that not only do they have
technological abilities, but they have the sophistication to appreciate beauty. All these things
		

			would prove to us that the people who made the object or the technology existed and were
intelligent. Why? Because we don't find something coming from nothing. If someone told me that this
drinking glass that I'm holding in my hand came from nothing, I would never believe them. If they
claim that a volcano erupted and 1000s of particles flew through the air and landed and hid some
other materials and cause reactions, and then the rain fell and the particles cooled and that caused
this perfectly formed glass to appear. I'd say you out of your mind. Has anyone seen a glass
perfectly formed through a process of coincidences?
		

			No, of course they haven't. We don't find order spontaneously coming from chaos and disorder.
		

			The Quran the book that is the source of Islam's teachings encourages us to look at the universe to
reflect upon ourselves, and we will find clearer science. It tells us to look at the order in the
world around us, the vast universe with its billions of stars and galaxies and closer to home at the
impressive human body.
		

			Look at the order that exists in every system of the human body. Everything ticking along nicely
like a precise mechanism. Our lungs help us to take over 10,000 breaths a day, and our kidneys have
their essential purifying functions. And our hearts have been beating nonstop since we were in our
mother's wombs and still beat 100,000 times a day, pumping oxygen and nutrients around our bodies
non stop. And we don't even have to think about it.
		

			Our eyes are more advanced than the most advanced camera, our brain more competent than the latest
computer. All this sophistication and ordering that we see in every part of the universe
demonstrated to me the wisdom and knowledge and power of the one who ordered it.
		

			Now I hope I'm not sounding too preachy. I'm just trying to share with you the four processes I went
through that shaped the way I live my life. Why am I
		

			Think about how the universe began, and how it's expanding every moment. And I think about our blue
planet floating in orbit around the Sun, which is just one star out of 200 billion stars in our
galaxy alone. And our Milky Way galaxy is just one of billions and billions of other galaxies in the
universe. Thinking about these things, and thinking about how our earth is just the right distance
from the Sun for life to exist on it. If it was any closer, we would burn up. And if it was any
farther, we would all freeze to death and life would cease to exist.
		

			Thinking about how the Earth is just the right distance from the Sun for life to be able to exist on
it, I just can't accept that it's just a coincidence. I find it amazing how the Earth is spinning on
its axis at exactly the right rate 24 hours for one rotation,
		

			I wonder what would happen if the earth suddenly slowed down. So that one day and night took one
year, or 30 years, or 50 years, the sun would continuously be beating down on one part of the earth
and would dry out the plants and the surface of the Earth would overheat. And on the other side of
the Earth, it would be dark and cold for so long, that plants couldn't photosynthesize and grow,
life would cease to exist. Yet we see that because the Earth is a finely tuned mechanism. It is
teeming with life. And every year new species of life are discovered.
		

			When I think about that, and the perfect composition of the gases in the atmosphere, oxygen,
nitrogen, and carbon dioxide and other trace gases. All these are needed in just the right
proportion for life to be able to exist on Earth.
		

			And when I think about the ozone layer,
		

			the Earth is the only planet that has one that protects it sufficiently from the sun, and stops us
being harmed by it.
		

			So when I asked myself, did these things just happen accidentally? Is it all mere chance? I just
can't accept that.
		

			The more I think about it, the more it becomes clear that the Earth is a perfectly and precisely
balanced mechanism, more sophisticated and intricate, and the most sophisticated mechanical watches.
		

			Even the most basic building block of life, the cell is incredibly complex. Just one cell of the
human body is like a mega city, containing complex processes and systems allowing waste products out
and beneficial nutrients in each cell contains factories that produce substances and break down
chemicals. They contain the machinery to be able to reproduce themselves. Each cell has special
tasks and characteristics. The nerve cells are different to the skin cells and the blood cells are
not the same as the brain cells. So the simplest building block of life is so complex.
		

			Is it all just chance, no chance.
		

			You know, I can't see anything in our entire human experience to allow me to believe that these
things could be the product of random events, as some people claim,
		

			asking me to believe that is not reasonable or rational. In actual fact, it's rational and
reasonable to me to believe that there is an intelligence, there is a force, there is a power behind
all of this.
		

			The universe around us couldn't have created itself because a collection of stars, galaxies, atoms
and cells don't have the ability to create and design.
		

			And we know that we certainly didn't create it because we ourselves are in need of a creator.
		

			The Quran was the book that was telling me to use my intellect, and it contained reasonable rational
arguments for the existence of a creator. It told me that it's not just about blind faith, it has to
make sense. It has to be proof. And the proof is all around us.
		

			Just taking a fair and honest look at the universe around me made me realize that it didn't create
itself and it didn't come from nothing. So there must be one who brought it into existence. So if it
makes sense that there is a Creator, what about the nature of the Creator? What is the creator
light?
		

			The creator of the universe can
		

			cannot be of the same nature as this universe. Because if the creator was of the same nature as the
universe, then the Creator would also need a creator. And that Creator would need a creator and it
would go on forever and ever. And so nothing would be created. So the creator is not like the
creation.
		

			And since the universe is temporary, the creator is eternal, since the universe is in need of
someone to create it, and make the laws that make it work. A creator is self sufficient, he needs no
one.
		

			And the fact that the Universe works in harmony without conflict, points to the unity of the
Creator. Because if there was more than one Creator, the laws would conflict with each other and
there wouldn't be the harmony we see. This is what the Quran teaches us about God. And I'd like to
share with you some of the Quran teachings about God because I found it very refreshing.
		

			The Quran teaches us that he is one God is eternal, not limited by time because he created time.
He's self sufficient, he doesn't need anyone. And he brought this universe into existence and
maintains it continuously. God is not part of the universe, nor does God become something that is a
part of this universe, because that would mean he would take on the characteristics of creation.
He's not like human beings. He's not just some father in the sky. He's neither male nor female. I'm
referring to him as he because it's the most appropriate word in the language and because God refers
to himself as he in the Quran.
		

			In fact, the word that we use in Arabic for God, Allah is a very unique word. It can't have
different genders like the word God can, gods and goddesses. And it has no plurals like the word God
can have. And the word Allah is not a new word at all. It means the one who deserves to be
worshipped. The Quran talks about the nature of God and says that God does not take the form of
human beings. And it speaks to those who believe that Jesus is God. In reasonable and rational
terms. It informs us that Jesus was a great messenger of God, who never told people to worship
himself or his mother.
		

			It asks us that if God wanted to destroy Jesus, and Mary, and all that is in the heavens and the
earth, who could stop him. It reminds us that they ate food and walked on the streets like other
human beings, not characteristics of God. If you ever read the Quran, you'll find that it moves us
away from worshipping creation.
		

			It tells us don't worship the sun and stars and other human beings and idols. It tells us they
cannot benefit nor harm us. The things that people worship and call upon, can't even help
themselves. So why do human beings worship other human beings? Why do we allow other human beings to
tell us how to live?
		

			The Quran tells me that the one who made me is the only one who is worthy of my worship.
		

			I can call on him directly. I don't need any intermediaries. And that in reality was the message of
all the prophets. The men sent His Messengers by God. Prophets like Noah, and Moses, and Jesus, and
Muhammad, peace be upon them all.
		

			Sometimes the messages of the past prophets were changed by people, but they were all from the same
God. They all came with the same essential message with just some of the laws, they came with being
different.
		

			They told us to worship the Creator, and that means to obey Him and to live our lives as he tells us
to, because he knows us best.
		

			I didn't find anything unreasonable or irrational in the teachings I've just mentioned to you. When
we look at the creation around us. Everything seems to have a place and purpose and be working in
harmony and at peace with the natural world. Except for human beings, that is
		

			even the things we do every day, we do for a reason and the purpose. And if I asked anyone, why do
you go to work? They'd say something like I do it to use my talents for something worthwhile or to
earn some money. And if I asked, What's the purpose of this pen, you might say, to write words with
and we could ask about anything, and people would be able to tell us what the purpose of those
things was.
		

			So what about us
		

			What about human beings? What's the purpose of our lives? A creator that created such a vast and
remarkable universe and created within us the faculties to question and ask, Why am I here? Surely
he would answer the question and tell us what our purpose is.
		

			And yet, if you ask most people, why are you here? What's the purpose of your existence? They
wouldn't be able to tell us.
		

			The one who made us knows us and would surely tell us why we're here.
		

			If I bought a new laptop computer, a Sony VAIO, let's say, and they were features in it that I
wanted to know how to use, and I wanted some help troubleshooting, what would I look for in the box,
the instructions. Now if I picked up the instruction book, and it said Dell on it, I'd say, I don't
want instructions from Dell. I want instructions from the manufacturers and makers of the Sony VAIO.
		

			And yet for our lives, we allow other people to write the instructions to tell us how to live to
tell us how to dress to tell us what's right and wrong. We allow the government to tell us what is
moral and what isn't. When in fact, every year every month, they have to revise and improve the laws
they institute, and they realize some laws are not working and other laws need improving. In fact,
they themselves are in need of guidance.
		

			It makes sense to me that the Creator would tell us what the purpose of our lives is. He would tell
us how to best live our lives and how to worship him. He would tell us what pleases Him and what
displeases Him, and how to live a good life. He would give us an instruction manual.
		

			And I believe that that instruction manual is the Quran.
		

			The Quran is the only book that tells us about the Creator, in reasonable rational terms that
satisfy our intellects. It's a fully comprehensive instruction manual, revealed through an
extraordinary individual, Muhammad, peace be upon him.
		

			And it's the only book from God that still exists in its original form, word for word, letter for
letter, unchanged from the time it was revealed 1400 years ago, till today.
		

			Of course, God sent other books, the Torah, the gospel, but these books no longer exists in their
original forms. In the Quran, God tells us that he will preserve his word for all times. And that's
why you'll find that the Quran is the only book on earth that's been memorized word for word by
millions of people. You know, if all the copies of the Quran were taken and thrown into the ocean
today, we could produce a copy of the Quran probably by tomorrow, we just get a few people who have
memorized the Quran to recite, and we'd write it down and we would have it again, totally as it was
revealed 1400 years ago.
		

			That's the miraculous nature of the Quran.
		

			The Quran is a book that is internally consistent.
		

			I haven't found any contradictions in the Quran.
		

			In fact, the Quran tells us a lot about history and the natural world. Now, let me tell you a little
bit about Muhammad. Muhammad was an illiterate man. He didn't know how to read or write. And there
were no microscopes at his time. He wasn't a biologist. He was a simple Shepherd, who didn't know
about the universe and time and space and who had never left the Arabian Peninsula. So how could he
tell us about the microscopic world of the embryo. And yet, the Quran talks with authority on the
subject of these things and more. It talks about the planets and the moon, saying that they each
have their own orbits. The Quran speaks of the mountains being like pigs hammered into the ground
		

			keeping the earth stable. The Quran accurately says that the sun is a source of light, and that the
moon is a body that reflects light or that is lit up.
		

			The Quran tells us that if a person were to rise up into the atmosphere, he would find it hard to
breathe.
		

			So in other words, are and contains exactly what I'd expect the creator of the universe to tell me
about the universe about myself about my purpose in life.
		

			It tells me that the purpose of my existence is to find my Creator and to serve and worship Him and
submit to Him and tells me the laws that I must live by in order to achieve true
		

			Peace of mind in this life. And it also tells me about my death. Yes, it tells me that every soul
shall taste death. You know, it was in our DNA before we were even born.
		

			The surest thing in this life is that we will die.
		

			And this life is over in the blinking of an eye. But the Quran tells me that this life is not the
end, there will be life after this life, there will be a day of pure justice.
		

			And you know, there's something deep within human beings that desires and craves justice. When we
look at the world, and we see the justice is not done, we see that the powerful and rich often get
away with many evil crimes, and the poor and weak and defenseless, seem to suffer. There are people
who steal and murder, and yet they live a life of luxury. And there are people who live an honest,
righteous life, and yet they get nothing at the end of it. So it's something deeply acceptable and
appealing to our human mind and our nature, to know that those who committed crimes will not get
away with it. And those who lead righteous, good lives will be rewarded. So the belief in the Day of
		

			Judgment, a day of pure justice is deeply satisfying to my mind, and my instinct.
		

			And it makes total sense to me, that the creator of such a balanced and finely tuned universe would
be just and cause justice to prevail. And that's what the Quran told me, that will be brought to
account for everything we do, that God is merciful, but he is also severe in his punishment. And he
is just the fire of knowledge, God and worship God, as He commanded me to, then I will be rewarded
with Paradise, a wonderful place that no human being can imagine. And I'll even be rewarded by
seeing God. But if I reject God, if I disobey Him, when I know the truth, and I know all that God
has done for me, then there is a hellfire, and it is real, and I will be punished in it.
		

			The Quran didn't just come down from the sky, it was revealed to an extraordinary man, Muhammad.
		

			And when I researched into his life, I found that he was a man of the most impeccable character, his
morals and conduct and integrity was so outstanding that people would become Muslim just by
observing his character.
		

			And the prophets of God were like that. They were people chosen by God, who had such outstanding
character that it was a type of proof for us that they were messengers from God. Let me tell you a
little story about the Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him. There was a lady who used to wait for the
Prophet Muhammad to walk past her house. And she saw him as a troublemaker. So she would throw
rubbish on him every time he passed by her house, because she hated him so much. But one day, she
didn't throw any rubbish over him.
		

			And I, most of us, if we were in that situation, would have been happy would have been glad. But the
Prophet went and knocked on her door, and inquired after her asking, is everything okay? Are you
well? Is there anything I can do for you?
		

			She immediately declared her faith.
		

			I testify that there is nothing worthy of worship except the one God. And I testify that you
Muhammad, are the messenger of God. She understood that only a person of God could have such
character.
		

			I found that Muhammad was the first man in history to stand up in front of a whole nation of people
and speak about the rights of women. Really. A lot of people don't know this. But he was the first
world leader to tell men treat women kindly. The best of you is the one who's the best towards his
wife. respect women, respect the wombs that boy you
		

			once when a man came and asked him, Who has the most rights over me? Who should I serve the most and
take care of the most? He said, Your mother.
		

			And the man asked again, then who?
		

			And he said, your mother again. And a third time the man asked the Prophet, and then who? And he
replied again, your mother. And then when the man asked him the fourth time, he said, and then your
father.
		

			So you see, he elevated the status of women as mothers and as builders of society. So let's go back
in time for a moment 1000
		

			wasn't 400 years back to be precise. There's so much we take for granted as women living in the 21st
century. We have rights that women years ago never dreamed off.
		

			in Arabia, for example, before the coming of the Prophet Muhammad, women essentially belonged to
men. If a man died, his wife was part of the wealth that his heirs would inherit.
		

			Female babies used to be buried alive because families thought having boys was better. And girls
were just a burden.
		

			The message that the Prophet Muhammad came with, changed all of that. And it upset the men who
wanted to keep things the way they were.
		

			But this wasn't a message that he invented himself. This was a message from God.
		

			The prophet Muhammad told women that they were equal to men, just as important as men spiritually,
socially, as individuals and as members of society. Now, there was no religion on earth that was
telling women that at the time,
		

			the Quran gave women rights of inheritance. And it gave them the right to keep their family names
after they got married, because it's their identity. In European countries, women would change their
names when they got married, and it signified that they now belonged to their husbands. But in
Islam, a woman keeps her identity and her name. The Prophet Muhammad told men that women were to be
respected and not to use the sexual objects or abused. And he told them that they must take full
financial responsibility to provide a nurturer their marriage partners, and any children they
father, even if the marriage breaks up, it condemned the killing of baby girls. And he encouraged
		

			raising daughters with as much pride as sons. He said that women should never be forced to marry
against their will, and should be able to choose and refuse. These were all extraordinary things for
a man to be saying at the time, he encouraged women to study and learn. And in fact, his wife, Aisha
was one of the greatest and most knowledgeable jurists and teachers in Islamic history. So if there
are men in the world who are stopping women from being educated, they're going against the teachings
of Prophet Muhammad. These were all revolutionary ideas that are even relatively new to Europe and
the Western world. Yet Muhammad was saying these things 1400 years ago, women would come to the
		

			Prophet Muhammad from far and wide to learn from him, and they will always welcome to come and ask
him any questions they wanted. The woman never felt shy to come to Him for justice. For example, I
read about a young lady who was forced by her father to marry a man, she went straight to the
Prophet Muhammad and told him what her father had done. The Prophet Muhammad told her, she could
have her marriage and old, but she said that she came to him so that fathers would know that they're
not allowed to force their daughters into marriage. Look at how confident the women were, that if
they came to Muhammad, they would get justice, he would stand up for them. The Prophet Muhammad was
		

			known for his truthfulness and trustworthiness. Even people who didn't believe in him, would ask him
to look after their property because they knew how trustworthy he was. And everything I've read and
found about the Prophet Muhammad has led me to believe that he is one of the wonders of Islam.
		

			God sent us a man who excelled in every sphere of life. You know, many of us may have achieved
excellence in one area of life, in our private life, or as a businesswoman or a businessman or a
teacher, or as a general or a leader or judge. So how about a person who's able to be an excellent
example in every single field of activity as a husband, the Prophet Muhammad would race playfully
with his wife when no one was around, he would sew and mend his own clothes and help in the
housework. When his first wife died, he would constantly send gifts to her family, and would
remember her as his supporter.
		

			And he would even discuss political matters with his wives and take their advice. And as a leader,
the Prophet Muhammad was amazing. He was loved by everyone, he led the women and the men, they were
willing to lay down their lives for him, and he taught them the highest morals, concepts that were
only established in the modern world relatively recently. He spoke clearly, for example, against
racism, when one of the men around him insulted a black man. He told him that this was totally
unacceptable and was pure ignorance. He said, no white man has superiority over a black man and no
black man has superiority over white man, except in piety. These are things that
		

			No one said at the time. And as a teacher, the Prophet Muhammad was like no other. He was gentle and
his teachings were full of wisdom. Once when a Bedouin man, a man from the desert came and urinated
in the mosque, Muhammad's companions were going to jump him, they were so angry. But he said to
them, let him finish. On when the man had finished what he was doing. The Prophet spoke to him
gently and said, This is not the place for that. And he said, pour water on it, and that will clean
it. When the Bedouin saw this, he said, may Allah have mercy on me and Mohamed and nobody else. And
the Prophet replied, smiling, and explained to him that God's mercy is much more vast than that. So
		

			God not only sent us books, but also messengers who would teach us those books and be an example for
us. I think here I should explain to you what the word Islam actually means. Islam literally means
to submit to the will of God.
		

			So anyone who's submitting to the will of God, on his terms, is a Muslim. And Muslim just means one
who is in submission to the will of God. And that's what I as a Muslim strive to do. Sometimes I
don't get it 100%, right. But it's a journey like any other journey. I think each and every human
being submits to someone or some thing. Sometimes it's subconscious. Sometimes we're so used to
conforming to external expectations, that we don't even realize that we are conforming to for
example, we submit to peer pressure, or pressure from our friends or from the media. And this is
usually very subtle. people submit to societal pressures, or to the fashion industry or to the music
		

			industry, or at the very least, to their base desires. That feeling of I want this and I want that.
And it's really easy for a human being to allow their desires to lead them in life. But
unfortunately, it often ends in destruction, or a lack of fulfillment. And I know how that feels
from personal experience. What Islam did for me, was to give me a chance to break away from those
pressures.
		

			I realized that my Creator is the one I must submit to Him, because He knows what's good for me and
what's bad for me, I realized that my Creator is the one I must admit to because he knows me inside
out. He knows what's good for me and what's bad for me. Before that I had many things trying to
control me affecting my behavior, sometimes really subtly. By submitting to God, I became free. And
I strive to continue to submit to Him. I mean, it's an ongoing struggle and a journey. But the Quran
gives me a clear roadmap to follow. God tells me in the Quran, that in order to be successful, and
in order for me to find peace of mind and to purify my heart, I must submit and surrender to His
		

			will.
		

			That's the only way I'll attain peace.
		

			Islam showed me that men and women are different. We are physiologically and emotionally different.
We have different strengths. Men, for example, are on the whole, physically stronger than women.
That's why you'll never find Roger Federer playing tennis against Serena Williams, nor will you find
men racing against women at the Olympics. Our bodies are designed differently, as I'm sure you're
aware. That's why it's still not acceptable on the streets of London for a woman to walk around
*, but it is for a man too. So it made me realize that because we are different. Our roles in
society are different to
		

			we as women give birth to children and nurture them with the milk of humanity. Men can never do
that. God teaches men that their role is to take leadership and to nurture their families
spiritually and financially, to provide for their families and to take full financial responsibility
for their wives and children. And he teaches us that women are the nurturers of society. Our role as
mothers, as the first school is honored and supported in Islam. We don't have to contribute one
penny to the upkeep of the family. It's not our responsibility. We may work and earn money, and that
money is ours to do as we wish with. If we want to contribute to the family, it's our choice, or we
		

			don't have to work because God deems us irreplaceable as the homemaker and nurturer of the next
generation. So if we go back to the question I started with, why I as a Muslim woman cover myself, I
don't do it because a man told me to or because my
		

			Mom told me to No, I do it because God commanded me to cover myself in a certain way, while I'm in
the presence of men who are not closely related to me. So when I'm at home or with my close male
relatives, or in the company of women and children, I dress as I please, yes, I even go to the
hairdresser's and wear beautiful clothes and jewelry. But I just cover it up when I'm going to be in
the presence of men. That's because I accept and know that God knows the nature of men and women and
he knows what's good for us. So it's totally understandable to me, when God says in the Quran to the
men that they must lower their gazes to divert their daughters away from looking at women who are
		

			not closely related to them. And God tells me in the Quran to cover myself when I go outside without
a garments and head coverings, so that I might be recognized and respected and not molested in any
way or looked on in the wrong way. Now, I never walk around with my pin number on display would I?
How about my cache, or my most precious jewels, precious things are kept carefully. And that's what
women are in Islam. We are precious, not to be flaunted cheaply, but preserved under our robes for
people whom we choose to share our beauty with.
		

			And we all know that when we're dressed in a more covering way, a more modest way, men do show us
more respect, and behave in a more courteous way around us. I've never seen a man whistling a nun or
a Muslim woman who's covering herself. Essentially, they're both wearing the same thing. Even images
of Mary when you see them, she's covered in a very similar way to a Muslim woman. And yet society
seems to demonize the way Muslim women dress and respect the way that nons dress. When I dress as
the Quran tells me to people appreciate what I have to say and what my talents are, instead of
judging me for the way I look. Now, I've mentioned some of the reasons why I think that covering
		

			myself is a good thing. But that's not the essential reason why I cover myself when I go out. I do
it in obedience to the command of God. And it's as simple as that. As a Muslim, I believe that all
human beings came from one father and one mother, Adam and his wife Eve, and that it was not due to
Eve's temptation that Adam and Eve were taken out of paradise and put onto the earth. Both of them
were led astray by Satan. So unlike in Christianity, childbirth and menstruation are not punishments
from God. They're just part of our experience of womanhood, and have wisdoms behind them. Islam
taught to me that women are precious, that were much more than just our image and our vital
		

			statistics. Our purpose in life is much more than just to be a plaything for men or a commodity for
market forces to exploit. We're spiritual beings. Our actions and our intentions will be
acknowledged by God when He judges us, and will be rewarded equally to men. Islam made me realize
that to use a woman's body as a commodity is wrong to exploit her and tell her to cavort in public
for the pleasure of men might be some men. And it's wrong, it degrades her and lowers her status.
Unfortunately, today, although people claim and say that we as women are liberated, what doesn't
make sense is that women are used more now * objects than they ever have been in history. Islam
		

			taught me that my sexuality is a beautiful and sacred gift from God, that I should share with a man
who has committed to me through marriage won't use and abuse me or love and leave me. Islam raised
my status as a woman, and freed me from the pressures of society to conform to a particular image or
body shape, or to be a super woman who works from nine to five and then comes home and does the
housework to
		

			I found that it allows me to be true to my nature and that peace with it. I submitting to God, I
cease to feel pressure to go against my true nature. And that's truly liberating.
		

			I invite you to read the Quran to look into the life of Muhammad, to look into Islam further, and
take a fresh look at womanhood. And I hope that you to one day experience the sweetness of
submitting to our Creator.
		

			Thank you for listening. Why don't you visit secrets of a Muslim woman.com To find out more