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Similarities and Differences of the Roles of Abraham and of Women Between the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and Islam |
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Roles of Women and Abraham in LDS and Islam |
In order to understand the role of women in the Islamic faith as well as within the Church of Jesus Christ and Latter-day Saints (LSD Church), requires understanding of the sociological and historical factors present in these beliefs systems. Understanding of the conditions under which these groups surfaced will also help to impart a better understanding of their role. These methods will also help to give us an understanding of role that the patriarch Abraham (PBUH1) has played in the lives and cultures of these very different, yet strikingly similar faith groups. For members of the LDS Church2 women have always been treated as second class citizens, no matter how the current church presidency likes to color it. Unlike women of Islamic faith, they can not perform the religious duties of the priesthood. By Contrast, while Islamic women are exempt from certain duties, except in specific circumstances they are entitled to perform any and all of the duties and responsibilities of her male counterparts. The difference being that while woman members of the LDS Church are forbidden from holding leadership positions within the church, the Islamic woman is simply not required to do so; however there is no reason why she could not if she desired to. Another difference between the roles of women in each faith group is that while women within the LDS “are taught from their youth to prepare for marriage and homemaking, as well as for a vocation” (allaboutmormons.com), their Islamic counterparts are seldom prepared for any vocation outside the home. In some radical Islamic theocratic governments, women are not only forbidden from schooling, but are also from taking roles outside the home. The book, The Place of Women in Pure Islam states that the Qur’an holds “the works of men and women in equal regard and acknowledges that they are completely interdependent as to their very existence…” (debate.domini.org). In theory, this should mean that Islamic women are the equals of their male counterparts. However, in practice this is not the case. Since the death of the Prophet Mohammed (pbuh), “the condition of women in Islam began to decline and revert back to pre-Islamic norms” (arches.uga.edu). In some Islamic theocracies, such as Afghanistan’s Talibon, women have often been treated as little more than slaves. In some cases, women have been forced to submit not only to the will of their husbands, but all men, and in some extreme cases, are subject to beatings, rape and other forms of torture for small transgressions. Much of this is also true of woman members of the LDS Church. Although outwardly the view is that, with the acceptation of holding the priesthood, women are equal to their male counterparts in all other respects, sexism within the LDS Church has been an inescapable problem from the beginnings of the church. At that time, the official view of the church was that a "woman's primary place is in the home, where she is to rear children and abide by the righteous counsel of her husband" (McConkie 844). In the following message from 1978, then Church President N. Eldon Tanner further restated this position, and seems to indicate a growing displeasure within the LDS Church of the changing roll of women in today’s society: “Satan and his cohorts are using scientific arguments and nefarious propaganda to lure women away from their primary responsibilities as wives, mothers, and homemakers. We hear so much about emancipation, independence, sexual liberation, birth control, abortion, and other insidious propaganda belittling the role of motherhood, all of which is Satan's way of destroying woman, the home, and the family--the basic unit of society”. (lightplanet.com) Many Muslims share these views, and fears, as well. Modern Muslims have also had a hard time of reforming the role of women in their society. A society that is deeply rooted in tradition, and having a cultural history stretching back nearly 1500 years, it is difficult for Islam as a whole to accept the changing modern role of women in today’s society. As with other faiths, scripture is often used as backing for these beliefs. Rafiqul-Haqq and Newton quote the Qur’an as saying "And it is for the women to act as they (the husbands) act by them, in all fairness; but the men are a step above them”. (Qur’an 2:2283) as well as "Men have authority over women because Allah4 has made the one superior to the other.” (Q. 4:343) These and other quotes have helped to keep practices alive such as forced marriages, wearing of the hijab, (a garment which resembles a Christmas tree skirt that covers the entire body, with a fine mesh to see through) and even female circumcision. Polygamy has also played a part in the roll of women in both faith groups. Barbara Smith and Shirley Thomas say, in The Encyclopedia of Mormonism, that polygamy perhaps helped to provide “an unusual independence for women”. (allaboutmormons.com) Dr. Sherif Abdel Azeem defends polygamy in Islam as a natural balance between the fact that women out number men in most societies. (polygamy.com) Dr. Sherif also states that, though civil laws in many cases outlaw the practice, religious laws clearly do not. He also proposes the practice as “a viable solution to some of the social ills of modern societies” (polygamy.com). Though these are reasons that are today possibly accepted as viable, the truth lies in the history of the two faiths. The LDS Church, in its early days, allowed its members to take multiple wives. The belief of the church is that: “Polygamy was necessary at the time because there was ‘an abundance of women who wouldn't otherwise be able to be married, [and] old women [were] marrying into polygamy for financial support purposes...’ It is also widely believed that ‘only the first wife [was] having sexual relations with the husband, [and that]...such a small percentage practiced it means that polygamy really was an insignificant part of Mormon history and doctrine”. (religioustolerance.org) The LDS Church first introduced the concept of polygamy in the early 1840’s, and in so doing set the rights of women in his church back to what was essentially a form of slavery. Calling the practice the “Law of Abraham”, “Patriarchal Order of Marriage”, or “Celestial Plural Marriage”, Joseph Smith, founder of the LDS Church, often assigned women to the men of his church, often as rewards for services rendered. The more logical reason for the legality of the practice in LDS society at the time was likely that Smith simply wanted to have as many wives, as he could. It is on record that at the time of his death, “…forty-eight women … may have been married to Joseph Smith” (Jerald and Sandra Taylor, The Changing World of Mormonism, 231). Some sources suggest that the number may have been twice as many or more. The reasons for polygamy in Islam are more cultural. In the Arabic lands in which Islam sprouted from, just as in much of the Middle East at the time, the practice was common. Women where simply possessions, much like cattle, and this was their place in society. This is where the ruling men wanted to keep them because they where comfortable with this state of affairs and did not wish to change it. Though the Prophet Mohammed (pbuh) did do much to improve the lives of women of his time, he saw no reason why men should be restricted to a single wife. Polygamy is still practiced in some parts of the Muslim world, just as some LDS Church Members still covertly practice it. Though there is no real social problem associated with this practice, there is a social stigma associated with it. The fact that it is outlawed in most of the civilized world does little to curtail its practice. The fact that Abraham (pbuh) had two wives is a point that the LDS Church often used to support its beliefs in polygamy, as have many branches of Islam. So it is not entirely surprising that, In his quest to bring Christianity back to its roots, Smith “discovered” of The Book of Abraham, which he used in part to help propagate his beliefs and wishes. The Book of Abraham, translated from several Egyptian papyrus scrolls and fragments, is a part of The Pearl of Great Price, one of the four books considered scripture by the LDS Church. Smith "...claimed that he received divine inspiration, not in writing a new book of scripture, but instead in having discovered and translated an existing ancient work”. (www.bookofabraham.info) A small amount of validity is granted to his claim of an extra biblical book attributed to Abraham (pbuh) in that Islam accepts the existence of a similar work. This work is called the Sahifa, and is believed to be composed of scrolls dictated to the Prophet Abraham (pbuh). This work is no longer in existence, however like Smith’s Book of Abraham in the LSD Church; Islam considers Sahifa scripture. That Joseph Smith chose Abraham (pbuh) as his author of the Egyptian Scrolls speaks volumes about the respect garnered of the man and his legacy. That Islam also suggests that Abraham (pbuh) is a Prophet who left a book for future generations only supports this idea. Though Abraham (pbuh) plays a great roll in the LDS faith, his place in Islam is much greater. While Joseph Smith simply claimed to be a translator of scrolls and other texts, Mohammed (pbuh) claimed direct descendance through Abraham’s (pbuh) son, Ishmail. The story, as related in the Bible and accepted by the LDS Church, of Abraham’s (pbuh) willingness to sacrifice his son Isaac to the greater glory of God is well known. It is believed that, after the sacrifice was aborted, and “Sarah’s Jealousy on behalf of her son caused the family to split up”, (Maqsood 73), Ishmail and his mother became the forebears of the Arab peoples. However The story as related in the Qur’an differs in many ways, most significantly through it’s portrayal of Ishmail as the first and favored son of Abraham (pbuh). Islam believes that it was Ishmail, and not Isaac who was nearly sacrificed to Allah, and in this way, Islam can trace its way back through biblical history through Ishmail, not as the less favored son of a slave wife, but as the favored first son of Abraham (pbuh). Islam also teaches that the Ka’aba temple, an ancient cube shaped structure located in the heart of the city of Mecca, was originally built by Adam, the first created human and then later “rebuilt by Abraham [(pbuh)] the Prophet, and his son Ishmail” (Moqsood 5). To this day, the Ka’bab Temple serves as a focal point of worship for Islam. Abraham (pbuh), for the LDS Church, has become more of bane than a blessing. Though much of the teachings and basis for the church rest on the great patriarch, Smith’s insistence in trying to pass off his Book of Abraham as legitimate has caused no end of trouble for the church, and has become a common point of argument against the faith itself. The validity of the LDS Church rests on the acceptance of Smiths translation of many scrolls and texts, including those that comprise The Book of Abraham. It is commonly accepted outside of the LDS Church that Smith simply made up his various translations and texts as he went along. While Islam asserts that there is a book attributed to Abraham, the LDS Church claims to have it. It is possible, though unlikely that Smith intended to use this book as a bridge for opening relations with Islam. If this where the case, if backfired drastically. Islam sees the Bible, as it stands today, as fundamentally flawed. Only four books of the Bible are identified and accepted within Islam, and even these “are not to be identified with the contents of today’s Bible which are compilations and editions written many years after the time of the prophets concerned”. (Moqsood, 37) Islam teaches that Allah was not able to correctly convey his word to his chosen people, (The Hebrews) and [the Qur’an was] “orally dictated … directly to the Prophet Mohammed (pbuh) through the Archangel Gabriel”. (Livingston, Anatomy of the Sacred 133) Islam believes that only Mohammed (pbuh) was given Holy Scripture in its correct form, and that all other forms of scripture are fundamentally flawed, and therefore not valid. The LDS Church’s claims of having a book attributed to Abraham (pbuh) would not in any way build a bridge, but instead creates animosity and mistrust. Though both of these faiths are based, at their root, in the teaching of Abraham (pbuh), Abraham (pbuh) himself is a topic that would never allow these two faith groups to interact. While the LDS Church accepts the biblical story of Abraham (pbuh), as well as that of Isaac, Islam rejects this as false doctrine, and instead accepts only what is in the Qur’an. While both accept that Abraham (pbuh) wrote scripture to be passed down, Islam believes it is lost to the world while the LDS Church asserts that it is in their possession. Both faith groups see Abraham (pbuh) as he is portrayed in the Bible, a child of pagan parents who grew to be the favored of Allah. Both also see this man as the founder of their religion, and both also believe themselves to be living the kind of pious life lived by Abraham (pbuh). At the same time, both see the other as fundamentally flawed in their beliefs. Neither accepts as scripture the books that are attributed to Abraham by the other. While the opposing views on The Book of Abraham and on his role in their history separate these faiths inconsolably, their similar views of him as patriarch and prophet, as well as their similar views of the role of women, inexorably link together these two faith groups in perception if not in truth. Notes (1) Peace Be Upon Him (pbuh), an appellation used by Islam when referring to any of the Great Prophets. This appellation is used throughout. (2) Mormon is considered a derogatory term by some modern members of the church (3) The particular translation used is not specified (4) The Term Allah will be used throughout when referring to the Islamic Faith. The Term God is used when generalizing or referring to LDS Church Beliefs. Works Cited Smith, Barbara B. and Thomas, Shirley W. Roles of LDS Women. The Church of Jesus Christ of Ladder-day saints. 18 May 2003. <http://www.allaboutmormons.info/basic/family/mothers/women_roles_eom.htm> Godlas, Allan. Women in Islam: Muslim Women. 2003. University of Georgia. 20 May 2003 <http://www.arches.uga.edu/~godlas/Islamwomen.html> Rafiqul-Haqq, M and Newton, P. The Place of Women in Pure Islam. 1996. The Muslum-Christian Debate Website. 20 May 2003 <http://debate.domini.org/newton/womeng.html> McConkie, Bruce R. Mormon Doctrine. Salt Lake City, Bookcraft Inc., 1966. N. Eldon Tanner. The Role of Women. 1978. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. 21 May 2003. <http://www.lightplanet.com/mormons/basic/family/mothers/tanner_womanhood.htm> Azeem, Sherif Abdel. Women in Islam Versus Women in The Judaeo-Christian Tradition: The Myth & The Reality- Polygamy. Polygamy.com. 21 May 2003. <http://www.polygamy.com/Islam/Myth-Reality-Polygamy.htm> Robinson, B.A. THE MORMON CHURCH – POLYGAMY. 29 Jan. 2002. religioustolerance.org. 21 May 2003. <http://www.religioustolerance.org/lds_poly.htm> Taylor, Jerald and Sandra. The Changing World of Mormonism (Web edition) Moody Press, 1981. 20 May 2003. <http://www.utlm.org/onlinebooks/changecontents.htm > The Lost book of Abraham Video Synopsis. 28 May 2003. Bookofabraham.info. 15 May 2003 <http://www.bookofabraham.info/Synopsis.htm> Maqsood, Ruqaiyyah. World Faiths: Islam. Lincolnwood IL. NTC Publishing Group 1994 Livingston, James. Anatomy of the Sacred, fourth edition. Saddle River Upper NJ. Prentice-Hall 2001
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