WOMEN’S ETHICS
Morality refers to the way a person behaves socially in their interactions and dealings with others. In Islam, it is a clear command that at every such moment, people must act with good moral character. This command applies to women just as it applies to men.
It is obligatory upon you that whenever you speak, it should not be for the sake of falsehood, but for truth. Always speak with fairness. Do not accuse others without reason. Speak only in ways that reflect goodwill towards others. Your words should be used to express truth, not to conceal it. When the truth is presented to you, acknowledge it immediately. Never let lowly speech pass from your lips; your words should always reflect dignity and high human values. Your speech should be filled with humility, decency, gratitude, goodwill, and a readiness to accept the truth.
The Quran says: “To whoever does good deeds, man or woman, and is a believer, We shall assuredly give a good life.” (16:97)
From this we learn that righteous deeds and good character do not only benefit others—the first and foremost benefit of such actions returns to the individual who performs them.
When you speak the truth, you experience a unique kind of spiritual peace. Your personality becomes internally consistent and integrated. When a member of your family hurts you and you forgive them for the sake of God, and instead pray for their well-being, a fountain of compassion begins to flow within you, and its coolness reaches your heart and mind. When your son gets into a quarrel with another child and, in that moment, you take the side of truth rather than showing partiality for your own child, the sense of inner peace you experience is something no amount of money can buy.
The “good life” mentioned in the above verse is the very source of inner contentment and peace of mind in this world. And it is this same hayat tayyibah (good life) that makes a person worthy of the eternal gardens of Paradise in the Hereafter.
Who will enter Paradise? The woman or man who, in this life, achieved that good life—whose mind was illuminated by the light of God, whose heart overflowed with divine inspiration, whose chest became familiar with the storm of remembrance of God, whose eyes refused to see anything but the divine reality, whose hands rose only for the sake of God, whose steps moved only in pursuit of God’s will, and whose tongue, when it spoke, conveyed words of divine love and human compassion.
The Prophet of Islam said: “Treat others the way you would like to be treated yourself.” (Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith No. 13)
This principle applies equally to believing women and believing men. It is a very simple test by which any woman or man can immediately judge what is appropriate or inappropriate in their behaviour toward others.
Everyone knows that they dislike being spoken to harshly, so they should also not speak harshly to others. Instead, they should always greet people with kind words. Similarly, everyone knows that being treated with sincerity and goodwill feels good—therefore, they should treat others with that same goodwill, and never act with ill intent toward anyone. Everyone knows that when someone benefits them, it brings them joy—so they too should strive to be beneficial to others, never causing harm. Everyone knows that if someone obstructs their path, it feels unpleasant—so they must be careful not to become an obstacle in anyone else’s life.
Bad character generally stems from two sources: greed and anger.
Greed means wanting more than one’s rightful share. When either a man or a woman becomes consumed by greed, they inevitably begin to harm others. Anger, on the other hand, is the inability to tolerate things that go against one’s desires. This is a highly destructive mindset. The price for such behaviour is great—it leads to being deprived of God’s mercy.
