74 No god but God
more gender-neutral interpretation of the Quran and a more balanced
application of Islamic law while at the same time struggling to inject
their political and religious views into the male-dominated, conserva-
tive societies in which they live. Muslim feminists do not perceive
their cause as a mere social reform movement; they consider it a reli-
gious obligation. As Shirin Ebadi proudly declared while accepting
the 2003 Nobel Peace Prize for her tireless work in defending the
rights of women in Iran, “God created us all as equals.... By fighting
for equal status, we are doing what God wants us to do.”
The so-called Muslim women’s movement is predicated on the
idea that Muslim men, not Islam, have been responsible for the sup-
pression of women’s rights. For this reason, Muslim feminists
throughout the world are advocating a return to the society Muham-
mad originally envisioned for his followers. Despite differences in cul-
ture, nationalities, and beliefs, these women believe that the lesson to
be learned from Muhammad in Medina is that Islam is above all an
egalitarian religion. Their Medina is a society in which Muhammad
designated women like Umm Waraqa as spiritual guides for the
Ummah; in which the Prophet himself was sometimes publicly
rebuked by his wives; in which women prayed and fought alongside
the men; in which women like Aisha and Umm Salamah acted not
only as religious but also as political—and on at least one occasion
military—leaders; and in which the call to gather for prayer, bellowed
from the rooftop of Muhammad’s house, brought men and women
together to kneel side by side and be blessed as a single undivided
community.
Indeed, so successful was this revolutionary experiment in social
egalitarianism that from 622 to 624 C.E. the Ummah multiplied rap-
idly, both from the addition of new Ansar and from the influx of new
Emigrants eager to join in what was taking place in the City of the
Prophet. Though, in truth, this was still only Yathrib. It could not
properly be called Medina until after Muhammad turned his attention
away from his egalitarian reforms and back toward the sacred city of
Mecca and the powerful tribe that held the Hijaz in its grip.