WOMAN AND THE
MODERN WORLD
Behind most great events, there is usually a woman, either directly or indirectly. This is why it is often said: “There is a woman at the beginning of all great things.”
Perhaps one of the most significant historical examples of this is Hagar, the wife of Abraham. Through her remarkable sacrifice, she marked the beginning of a new chapter in human history. It was a transformation whose influence was felt across the world.
Four thousand years ago, the world was very different from what it is today. At that time, belief in multiple deities was widespread across the globe. Over time, it developed into a full-fledged civilization—a culture shaped by belief in multiple deities. Everyone born into that world was influenced by this reality.
As a result of the widespread dominance of this culture, humanity became deeply immersed in superstition and ritual practices. People were deprived of the benefits that could have come under the influence of monotheism. At that time, by God’s command, Abraham devised a far-reaching plan. He settled his wife Hagar and their infant son Ishmael in the desert near Makkah.
Abraham was a prophet of God. It is estimated that he was born around 2160 BCE and passed away in 1985 BCE. Hagar was his wife. Settling her and their young son Ishmael in a barren desert, without water or vegetation, was an extraordinary act of sacrifice. Its purpose was to raise a new generation in a natural desert environment, free from the dominating influence of the polytheistic civilization.
Over successive generations, this lineage continued. Nearly twenty-five centuries passed before the descendants of Ishmael reached the intended number. Then, in 570 CE, the final Prophet, Muhammad ibn Abdullah (SAW), was born among them.
The descendants of Ishmael were a strong and dynamic people, endowed with many noble human qualities. Muhammad (SAW) received prophethood in Makkah in 610 CE and passed away in Madinah in 632 CE. During this period, guided by the Quran, he carried out a profound mission of calling people to the truth. As a result, hundreds of thousands of men and women accepted his message and joined his mission. This led to the emergence of a strong community of followers who went on to bring about the greatest revolution in history.
These were the people who first challenged the deeply entrenched system of monarchy. Then, under their influence, the long era of polytheism and superstition, which had continued for ages under royal patronage, came to an end.
Polytheism is the worship of natural phenomena such as the sun, the moon, rivers, and mountains. In a polytheistic system, these forces of nature were treated as objects of worship. With the decline of polytheism, however, the same forces became subjects of study and investigation. Thus, for the first time in history, the age of superstition gave way to the age of science.
The decline of superstition and monarchy gradually opened the way for an era marked by greater freedom, democracy, and social equality among different groups. As a result, a new world eventually emerged—the world we now call industrial civilization.
This is a story spanning nearly four thousand years. For nearly a thousand years after the Prophet of Islam (SAW), humanity continued to benefit from the sacrifices made by Hagar and by the women of later generations descended from her. For the past two centuries, however, humanity has struggled with the excessive dominance of materialism. In earlier times, the world struggled with idolatry; in the modern age, it has faced the challenge of materialism. This modern evil is no less serious than the evil of idolatry in earlier times. In the past, idolatry prevented the world from achieving material progress. In the modern age, however, material progress itself has become a new challenge, as it has distanced human beings from spiritual progress.
This decline has caused great harm, as it has deprived human beings of spiritual growth. The most troubling aspect of this decline is the complete breakdown of the value system. In contemporary society, personal desire has become the primary guide. The intense pursuit of material success continues in its most aggressive form. Personal pleasure has become the central aim, even when it is achieved at the cost of others’ well-being.
This situation calls once again for women like Hagar, whose sacrifices can help redirect the course of history and guide humanity away from the age of materialism to the age of monotheism.
The root cause of today’s destructive condition lies in the collapse of the family institution. For centuries, the family served as the primary centre of value-based education. Within the natural order, human beings were nurtured by mothers before entering the wider world. A child’s guardians, especially the mother, were the first source of moral guidance and value-oriented upbringing.
This is precisely why, in earlier times, the kind of moral crisis we now witness on a global scale did not occur.
In the modern age, under the influence of the women’s liberation movement and an extreme interpretation of gender equality, it came to be regarded as more respectable for women to leave their homes and work alongside men in every field. Such women promoted the slogan: “Don’t make coffee, make policy.”
As a result of this outlook, women increasingly entered the workplace, leaving the domestic sphere largely unattended. Consequently, several artificial problems emerged, including unemployment among men in public life and the moral decline of children within the home.
Some proposed addressing this moral crisis by introducing moral education as an elective subject in school curricula. This measure was adopted in many countries, but it proved entirely ineffective. The reason was that students in schools and colleges generally study only to pass examinations; they do not regard such subjects as part of their character formation.
The reality is that moral education and character formation can take place only in the same manner as they did in earlier times: under the guidance of mothers within the home.
Indeed, this is not an easy task. It requires altering the course of history itself. Such change can be achieved only through sacrifice and sustained effort. It cannot be accomplished merely by holding a few extension lectures on moral themes or by preparing pamphlets on “moral teaching” and including them in school syllabi.
In ancient times, when civilization was dominated by superstition, many individuals made great sacrifices to help pave the way for the scientific age. Among them was a group of remarkable women, the first notable figure being Hagar. Such women left behind the comforts of city life and embraced life’s challenges. They rejected luxury and ease in favour of simplicity and contentment. They gave up a life of comfort and chose one marked by hardship.
They turned away from personal pleasures and devoted themselves to the greater good of humanity. They lived in this spirit for several generations. Eventually, all doors of success opened for them. At that point, the poet’s words proved true for them: “If you seek a higher position, first humble yourself, for even a single grain must die in the soil before it can bear fruit.”
It is widely acknowledged that despite significant material advancement in the modern era, the better world to which humanity aspires has not yet been realized. Contemporary society may shine with material wealth, but negative trends are rapidly increasing within human communities, including hatred and violence, tension and mental instability, dissatisfaction, divorce, and the decline of human values.
The main reason for this situation is straightforward: both men and women have become engaged in work outside the home, which was once a centre of character formation.
This situation requires men and women to follow the established principle of division of labour and fulfill the responsibilities that nature has assigned to each of them. Men should continue to manage the material and institutional mechanisms of civilization, while women, by assuming responsibility for education, should devote themselves to nurturing the next generation of humanity. This division of labour is presented as the only viable way to build a new civilization; no alternative approach is considered capable of achieving this goal.
Women have traditionally been regarded as the primary teachers and trainers of humankind. In earlier times, women generally educated children within their own homes. During early childhood, almost every child received basic moral training under the supervision of the women of the household. However, in the modern era, the Industrial Revolution has altered this arrangement. Children are now sent to school from a very young age.
However, this should not be viewed as a problem. It simply indicates that the woman’s place of work has shifted. She has moved from the home to the school. In such a situation, it is the duty of women to understand these new circumstances and take charge of children’s education in schools, so that the task of nurturing human beings, which once took place mainly within homes, can now be carried out more systematically within schools.
Even today, a woman’s role in shaping future generations remains essential. However, with changing times, this role has assumed a new form. In the past, the home alone was sufficient for this responsibility; now, a woman must perform her natural role within the educational environment of schools.
This shift has created a new requirement: women must first prepare themselves. Only then can they effectively fulfill their role in the school setting. The new expectation is that women should acquire systematic education, gain proficiency in the modern science of education, and obtain formal academic qualifications. These qualifications will demonstrate their ability to manage the school—their extended workplace—and to fulfill their responsibilities there. In the present age, women cannot adequately perform this role without professional education.
