First things first, you gotta be honest, right? Even if you're married, the number one priority in your life should be Allah. Can't argue with that one, can we? But wait, there's more! Are you following Shariah or just giving in to your whims and desires? Oof, that's a toughie. I mean, who doesn't love following their whims and desires, am I right?
Now, hold your horses, ladies. Don't go thinking that Shariah is all about tying you down and keeping you from enjoying life. You can totally be productive and have a career, get a job, and enjoy your life. The only problem is that some people out there seem to think that being productive means you have to ditch the hijab, hang out with non-mahrams, and travel without a mahram. Sorry to break it to you, but that's just not how it works in the wonderful world of Islamic Shariah.
And what's the biggest problem with Muslims these days, you ask? Well, it's simple really. We just can't seem to get our act together when it comes to syncing Islam with our daily lives. It's like we're all living in two separate worlds or something. But hey, if you're a good Muslim who prioritizes Allah above all else, then you should totally be seeking out what He ALMIGHTY has to say about women leaving their families to work. It's just common sense.
Balancing Career and Family in Islam - Introduction
Family and marriage are important social factors in Islam, and the tie between a husband and wife is highly cherished. Women have been permitted the ability to work and pursue their careers, but the family still takes priority in Islamic teachings. This raises the question: Should Muslim women prioritize their career over their husband and family?
While personal and professional development is vital, Islam urges women to strike a balance and prioritize their responsibilities to their families. This blog will look at the importance of family and spouse in Islam, as well as the role of Muslim women in combining their work and family life.
We encourage you to read the full article, but you can jumpstart to any section of your interest from here:
1- The Role of Muslim Women
Muslim women play a significant role in society and are responsible for fulfilling various roles. While some women choose to prioritize their career over family, Islamic teachings emphasize the importance of fulfilling the role of a wife and mother. In this section, we will explore the role of Muslim women as wives and mothers and the significance of these roles in Islam.
The Role of Muslim Women as Wives:
In Islam, marriage is considered a sacred bond between a man and a woman, and women are encouraged to fulfill their role as wives. This includes supporting and respecting their husbands, maintaining a loving and nurturing relationship, and creating a peaceful and harmonious home environment.
The Role of Muslim Women as Mothers:
Motherhood is highly valued in Islam, and Muslim women are encouraged to prioritize their role as mothers. This includes nurturing and raising their children in a loving and Islamic environment, teaching them the importance of morality, and ensuring their physical and emotional wellbeing.
The Importance of Fulfilling These Roles in Islam:
Islam emphasizes the importance of fulfilling the roles of a wife and mother, as these responsibilities contribute to the stability and harmony of the family unit. Moreover, fulfilling these roles is considered a form of worship and a means of attaining closeness to Allah.
2- The Importance of Balancing Work and Family
It can be difficult to balance work and family obligations, particularly for Muslim women who must adhere to strict cultural and religious expectations on their responsibilities to their families and households. Working outside the house has some benefits such as financial security, personal development, and professional fulfilment but it can also have big disadvantages such as being unable to care for the family, participating in mixed groups, and spending more time without a mahram, which could be harmful to Muslim woman's family life. In this article, we will discuss the value of a Muslim being able to successfully juggle career and family obligations while highlighting real-world instances of Muslim women who have done so.
Weighing the Pros and Cons:
While working outside the home can provide numerous benefits, it can also lead to potential drawbacks and challenges in maintaining a healthy work-life balance. Muslim women, in particular, may face unique challenges such as staying away from their children, compromising their modesty in mixed gatherings, and being without a mahram for longer periods of time.
A working woman can produce a machine or a device in her factory, while a practicing productive Muslim woman in her home, will produce a whole generation. ~Sh. Assim Al-Hakeem
It is important to weigh the benefits and drawbacks before making the decision to work outside the home.
Striking a Balance:
Islam places a great emphasis on the importance of family and encourages men and women to prioritize their family responsibilities. As Muslim women, it is crucial to balance our career aspirations with our duties towards our family and household. This can be achieved by effective time management, open communication with family members, and prioritizing responsibilities based on their importance.
Inspiring Examples:
Muslim history provides us with numerous examples of women who successfully balanced their work and family responsibilities. One of the most notable examples is the wife of the Prophet, Khadijah, who was a successful businesswoman and a devoted wife and mother. She was known for her intelligence, generosity, and her ability to balance her work and family responsibilities. Her life serves as an inspiration for Muslim women who strive to achieve a balance between their career and family responsibilities. But, this is to be noted that the FIRST priority for our mother Khadijah was to obey Allah, to obey and please her husband and to take good care of her family. Also, she followed the Islamic teachings of not mixing up with opposite genders if not needed and to do everything with her husband's permission.
FACT ABOUT KHADIJAH (RA): Did you know that the Quranic revelation on women covering their faces and staying at home was not yet revealed during the time when Khadijah, the Prophet's wife, ran her own business? Despite being a successful businesswoman, she lived a humble life and instilled the value of modesty in her daughters, who became known as some of the most modest women in the world. Take Fatima, for instance - she's widely recognized as the queen of Jannah (paradise) and was known for her piety and modesty. It just goes to show that Islam encourages modesty and devotion to family and community, while also supporting personal and professional growth. If you want to learn more about Sayyidah Khadijah RA then you might find these books helpful.
3- The Permissibility of Working Outside the Home
Whether or not it is permissible for Muslim women to work outside the home is a common concern nowadays. Islamic teachings on women and their social duties contain a variety of viewpoints and interpretations. The Islamic religion does, however, permit women to work as long as they fulfil their obligations to their families. The Islamic viewpoint on women working outside the home will be discussed in this article, along with the circumstances that make it acceptable.
The Islamic Perspective on Women Working Outside the Home
In Islam, women are totally allowed to work and follow their career goals as long as it doesn't conflict with the principles of Islam. Actually, there were some successful businesswomen during the time of the Prophet (PBUH) such as Khadija (RA). So, Islam doesn't forbid women from working outside their homes, but it rather provides them with guidance on how to pursue their careers while still staying true to Islamic values.
Islam Allows Women to Work as Long as Their Family Duties Are Fulfilled
Women in Islam are fully permitted to work and pursue their career goals, provided that they do not conflict with Islamic ideals. Khadijah RA, for example, was a successful businesswoman during the time of the Prophet (PBUH). Hence, Islam does not prohibit women from working outside the home; instead, it offers advice on how to do so while adhering to Islamic principles which will be discussed in section 4.
4- The Importance of Modesty in the Workplace
In today's world when there are huge fluctuations and everything is expensive, women are sometimes encouraged to pursue their careers and to find some job. However, for Muslim women, it is crucial to maintain their modesty even in the workplace. Modesty is an essential aspect of Islamic teachings, and it includes avoiding interactions as much as she can and if needed, then she shouldn't interact in ways that may compromise one's modesty. In this section, we will discuss the importance of maintaining modesty in the workplace and provide some tips for Muslim women on how to balance their careers and their faith.
Importance of Maintaining Modesty in the Workplace
Maintaining modesty is a big deal in Islam, and it applies to both dudes and ladies. When it comes to women, they're required to dress modestly and avoid any interaction with dudes that could put their modesty at risk. This includes not chatting it up with guys in a friendly or polite way and wearing appropriate clothing like the abaya, jilbab, and niqab. It's also a good idea for Muslim women to try to work in places where there are more women than men to avoid any sticky situations.
For Muslim women, putting faith first is always key - even in the workplace. It's important for women to avoid any unnecessary chit-chat with guys and only talk about work stuff. This helps them to maintain their modesty and steer clear of any confusion or drama.
Tips for Maintaining Modesty in the Workplace
For Muslim women pursuing a career, maintaining modesty can be challenging. However, with some practical tips, it is possible to balance their faith and career. Some of these tips include:
Dressing appropriately: Muslim women should wear clothing that covers their body appropriately. This includes wearing loose fitting Abaya, Jilbabs, hijab to cover their hair and Niqab to cover their faces.
Avoiding physical contact: Muslim women should avoid physical contact with men in the workplace. This includes shaking hands, hugging, or any other form of physical contact.
Maintaining a professional distance: The professional relationship between Muslim women and their male coworkers should be kept at a minimum. Only business-related conversations should be had; personal conversations should be avoided.
Seeking out female-only spaces: Muslim women should aim to find occupations that are exclusively for women or have a large female employee population. It will be simpler for them to preserve their modesty and steer clear of any uncomfortable situations as a result.
Pursuing Careers from Home: Working from home is a great alternative for Muslim women who want to keep their modesty while pursuing a job. As remote work has become more popular, many businesses now provide options for employees to work from home, enabling Muslim women to further their careers while upholding their modesty. Muslim women can fully manage their environment and minimise needless interactions with men by working from home. They can avoid physical contact with their male coworkers and dress comfortably and appropriately without worrying about the dress code. Also, working from home helps Muslim women better manage their time and strike a better work-life balance. There are many opportunities for Muslim women to work from home, including freelance writing, graphic designing, teaching, and virtual assistance. By pursuing a career from home, Muslim women can maintain their modesty and achieve their professional goals while staying true to their faith.
Conclusion:
We've reached the end of this little discussion about Muslim women and their career choices. And what's the verdict? Simple, really. Women who love and prioritize Allah will follow His teachings, no questions asked. If a woman doesn't have a need to work outside the home, she won't do it unnecessarily. It's just common sense, people.
But hey, if a Muslimah does decide to pursue her career, there are some conditions she should keep in mind. For starters, she should make sure that her modesty is not compromised, she's not secluding herself with non-mahrams, she's not traveling without a mahram, and she's not neglecting her duties as a wife and mother.
Now, we all know that Muslim women are encouraged to prioritize their responsibilities as spouses and mothers. But that doesn't mean they can't have a little side hustle on the side, It's all about striking a balance. And if you're a Muslim woman looking to have it all, just make sure you manage your time well and prioritize your obligations accordingly. It's really not rocket science.
Muslim history is chock-full of inspiring examples of women who successfully juggled their careers and family obligations. Take Khadijah RA, the Prophet's wife, for instance. She was an accomplished businesswoman and a dedicated wife and mother. If she could do it, so can you!
So there you have it, folks. The moral of the story is to Prioritize ALLAH, follow Islamic teachings and prioritize your duties to your families (As commanded by ALLAH) while pursuing your personal and professional development. It's really not that complicated, now is it?
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