SubhanAllah! These two trees have some overlapping branches, but we know that these are two different trees with different roots.
The point I want to make here is that sometimes we also come across some advocacies and movements that seem to have some similarities in branches, but we need to understand that even though few branches might be overlapping with each other, but because the roots are different, the trees are different, and the fruition will also be different.
Let me elaborate with two clear examples in light of what’s happening in present context –
Let’s first take – Feminism.
We often think Feminism is all about women’s right, and Islam also talks about women’s right, so feminism is in line with Islam and Islam is Feminism. Some even go to the extreme that the Prophet ﷺ was the first Feminist.
We need to understand that few branches might be overlapping initially, but the roots and fruition are completely different.
Like we know Feminism has different waves. The first wave of feminism spanned around 1848-1920, and talks about giving women their right as an individual to exist and their right to vote. But this first wave of feminism also had its flaws, as it was focussed on white women rights only. We can see that some branches overlap here with Islam, as Islam has abolished the Jahiliyyah concept of burying girls, and honoured them with dignity and honour. But here even in branches, even though few overlap, a lot of branches differ from Islam, as Islam also abolished the ‘Asabiyyah in terms of Nationalism and skin colour, whereas in first wave the voice for the rights were only confined for white women.
Second wave – Second-wave Feminism took place in the 1960s and ‘70s. It was built on first-wave feminism and challenged what women’s role should be.
Queer theory became more established.
In the wake of Feminist Betty Friedan’s best-selling book, The Feminine Mystique, published in 1963, women pushed against society’s expectation that they should become wives and mothers (and women, like men at that time, started worshipping their desires. Just like, we don’t care if men are having a poisonous cake called liberalism and capitalism, we want it too).
Traditional gender and family roles were questioned.
For this wave – Institution of marriage was thought of like a convenient concentration camp.
SubhanAllah! We know there is nothing like Queer in Islam, and Islam has clearly laid the gender roles, and marriage is sacred and a blessing in Islam. In Islam, both women and men have restrictions, just like the stars in the sky are restricted by gravity. Had gravity not existed, there would have been no stars left in the sky to mesmerize us. Similarly, had Islam not restricted men and women from certain actions, there would be no peace left on this world, and corruption would have become the norm (which it did become after Feminisim and liberalism’s freedom, with people being unable to define even what a woman is).
Third wave Feminism-
Many women more freely expressed their sexuality in how they spoke, dressed, and acted (i.e., they became even more enslaved to their desires).
The phrase “third-wave feminism” was coined in 1992 by Rebecca Walker, a 23-year old Black bisexual woman.
Third -wave feminists encouraged women to express their sexuality and individuality.
SubhanAllah! Needless to say there is nothing like identifying and being bi-sexual in Islam.
Also, Islam has the concept of haya (modesty). Being too expressive about sexuality in dress and speech is alien to Islam.
All in all just because only few branches got overlapped that too with the first wave of feminism doesn’t mean that Islam is in alignment with feminism.
The roots are different, the trees are different, and thus the fruition ended up being different.
Even if few branches might have overlapped in the beginning, the trajectories were different as the root of Islam are Divinely, and the roots of Feminism are mere whimsical, the roots of Islam were based on our all knowledgable unlimited Creator, while the roots of Feminism were based on our limited mundane desires.
Now, let’s take a second example – Parties and movements in today’s context who advocate for some Muslim rights and arms embargo on ‘Israel’ are often seen by muslims as their hope, and they believe that they are standing for rights of others and Islam also stands for the justice so it is in line with Islam.
SubhanAllah! Again we need to understand only if few branches are appearing to be overlapped, then that doesn’t mean that both the trees, roots and fruits are the same.
Their roots are embedded in man made laws (the weird solution they offer is two states).
Islam as a system is Divine and from our Creator, so they both can’t be compared, and to believe that enemy of my enemy is my friend is a fallacious thought as your allies can never be those who either hate Islam (left wing) or hate Muslims (right wing).
We should understand lesser of the two evils is also an evil, and we are an ummah who has been praised in surah ‘ali imran ayah 110 – for enjoining good and forbidding evil, not on choosing between the lesser of two evils.
May Allah Al-Haadi bless us with guidance. Ameen!