Are women in Islam obliged to do house chores?

What are the evidances?

Thanks :)

interesting question..

I'll give my personal interpretation.. and would like to hear from others what they have to say..

Let me start with this verse from the Quran:

"O mankind! Be mindful of your duty to your Lord, Who created you from a single soul, and from it created its mate, and from the two of them has scattered countless men and women (throughout the earth)"[Quran 4:1]

So, Allah sub7anahu wata3ala has created this world's population with two distinct sexes: male and female.. each has his duties and roles to fulfil.. and both compliment one another..

the prophet, may peace be upon him says:

(ßáßã ÑÇÚ æ ßáßã ãÓÄæá Úä ÑÚíÊå..... æ ÇáãÑÇÉ ÑÇÚíÉ Ýí ÈíÊåÇ æ ãÓÄæáÉ Úä ÑÚíÊåÇ)

That is, everyone has been given a duty and is thus responsible for fulfiling it.. and a woman has been given the responsiblity of her houshold and is responsible to look after it (properly)..

in Islam, women's main responsibilty is to manage their hoousehold, where as men's main role is to ensure financial security..

you think this responisbilty is degrading for women?!

why??

is managing a household degrading for you?! is the imrportant role of raising and taking care of children degrading and humiliating.. ?!! is the role of being a good housewife and a good mother degrading?!!

managing a household is not at all considered a less important or a less rewrading role than going out to work to ensure financial stability..

we know from many Quranic vesres and sayings of the prophet how motherhood is considered in Islam one of the most rewarding professions, if we may say..


Another thing, the fact that women are responsible to take care of teh household doesnt at all imply that men should not help out..

if we take a look at our prophet;s history, we would see how he used to help his wives in the household chores.. the simplest example is that he used to stitch his own clothes/sandals..


Whats more is that women are not forbidden to go out to work, if she is capable of maintaining a balanace in her life..and as long as it doesnt go against her soft nature... sayyida Khadeeja used to be a trader.. sayida Aisha was knwon for her knowedge of Islamic law, poetry and even Medicine.. and the prophet may peace be upon him says that seekingknowelge is fareetha (incumbent) upon all msulims (whether male or female)..


Thats all I have for now..

would like to hear from others...

Many of non-Muslims have the idea that "Muslim Women" are being taken for granted ! All they do is wash and clean, and walk 1 km. Behind their husbands.
You might think this is an exagguration of reality ?!

Well,
After Sept.11, many churches were concerned about the influence that this might have on the relationship of the "Christian" communities with "Muslim" communities in the U.S.
Anyways,
In one of the churches, they had a lecture about how should Christians react to Muslims around them.
One of the "MAIN" issues that was mentioned in the lecture is "Women's roles in Islam" ! What's really amazing is that the person who was lecturing is a Christian.
He showed his most admire to the Muslim women who run their houses behind their veils. The man gets the money. The women run the spendings. Have these women taken any "finance" courses to learn how to run the financial needs of their houses, childrend, and their husbands?! Of course not !

One other interesting point!!
The lecturer (I cannot recall his name) mentioned the "statistical findings" of home-staying moms, vs. working moms. in BOTH the US and the Middle East. Guess what? Complains come more often from working-moms. Divorce rates are higher among working mothers. This not meant to deny women's rights to work, but these are facts !
The truth is "Family" should ALWAYS come first in your priorities list and then, "IF" possible, consider other issues, like working.
That is not a "Middle Eastern" steroetype !
That is a fact mentioned by the Quran.
Even Non-Muslim countries, (including U.S.), approved its validity !

Good Luck to you All :)

Originally posted by Yaqeen
The lecturer (I cannot recall his name) mentioned the "statistical findings" of home-staying moms, vs. working moms. in BOTH the US and the Middle East. Guess what? Complains come more often from working-moms. Divorce rates are higher among working mothers. This not meant to deny women's rights to work, but these are facts !


One has to read these types of conclusions carefully. There may be other factors. For instance, perhaps the divorce rate is lower among women who don't earn money because they have no way to support themselves, so they feel that they are trapped in a bad marriage! Is this "better" than divorce?!

Personally I don't think so...

But, back to the topic, I think that all adults in a household are obligated to do house chores. Otherwise you end up living in a sty. It's an issue of being responsible for yourself more than religion...

The exception is when you are rich enough to hire someone to do it for you :p

I totaly agree with Bimzoori's reply..

each of us (men and women) has its own duties men mainly external and women internal of the house..

and they are both complement each other..

women can produce a better Ummah if she well prepared them in an Islamic way..

Women are not obliged to do a house chores, even washing her husband clothes is considered as sadaqa since its not part of her duties. They should be more concern about upbringing of kids and guardian of her husband's properties.

In the event when a man is financially well, he should provide a servant to help her.

Valuable inputs from everybody , tahnks :)

well , let me ask this:

- If women are supposed to stay at home, does that necessarily mean that their job is to wash and cook? is there something for the Quran or the Sunnah that says so? explicitly I mean not inferringly?

- And Why are women supposed to stay at home, what is the philosophy behind it do you think?

Thanks alot all :)