Man has ruled over women for thousands of years. The Buddha did not accept female disciples, and Christianity destroyed many wise women by burning them alive and calling them witches. However, Sufism recognizes a concept that concentrates on feminine divinity. In Islam, the two most common names for God are “Ar-Rahman” and “Ar-Raheem,” the most merciful and the most beneficent. Both share the same root, “Rahm,” which means the womb of a woman in arabic. This illustrates the concept of God’s mercy represented as being a mother's womb, a source of protection, a place where one grows and develops and is nurtured in exceptional ways. When I look at the history of the last three thousand years, almost the whole of womankind were barred from education and opportunity by men who have been repressing and condemning them to emphasize their male superiority. These chauvinistic men do not understand a very important and simple point, women are neither inferior to man, nor superior, they are two different categories of humanity which cannot be compared. Any person, man or woman, needs opportunity and education in order to grow. For this reason, my aim is to highlight the the role of women in men’s spiritual development in Sufism.
