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The subject of women has very often been the centre of much debate. Islam's portrayal of women in the West has usually been a poor one. Many people, when they think of women in Islam, have visions of a woman tied to a sink at home, having to do whatever her husband commands. This is usually accompanied by the ideas that women are not allowed to choose whom they marry and that their husbands will beat them. These stereotypes are due to the fact that what most people know about Islam is what they see in the papers, on TV, or what people tell them face to face. It is a great shame to hear people speaking unfavourably about Islam when they have not themselves read the Qur'an (The Muslim holy book) or Ahadith (plural for Hadith which is the ways and sayings of the Prophet Muhammad). Many of them may have never really spoken to a Muslim properly. Has anyone who believes these views gone up to a Muslim woman and asked her about these issues?

Though a lot of these things are easy to blame on the media portrayal of Islam, this does not mean that it can all be put down to media coverage. People have to understand that most 'Islamic' countries are led by regimes or governments that say they are following the true Islamic way of life but are actually drawn to the power of being in charge of people. An easy way to illustrate this is to look at all the Islamic countries and spot the differences between them. In some countries women can drive (eg Iran), in others they can not (eg Saudi Arabia); in some Islamic countries women are not obliged to wear Niqab (the face covering) while in others it must be worn.

If they are all following the Qur'an and Ahadith as they say they are, then surely they would all be the same but this is not the case.

That being said, people also have to ask if what they see on TV or in the papers is more or less reliable than the Qur'an and Hadith (that all true Muslims believe in and follow) in showing how women are, or should be, treated in Islam.

Are the leaders of Islamic countries really following the Qur'an and Ahadith, or are they following a different path?

Are the people in these countries following the Qur'an and Ahadith or are they tainting it with old cultural practices as well?

These are all important questions and issues that have to be addressed before someone can label women as being oppressed in Islam. This entry has been written to look at these questions and show how women are meant to be treated in Islam and so that those who wish to learn the truth about Islam and woman can do so.

To do this we will be looking at the best evidence of how women should be treated in Islam, the Qur'an and the Ahadith.

Historical Perspective

As part of the introduction it would be invaluable to take a look at history and see how different civilisations have treated women. One theory of why woman are portrayed as being abused in Islam is that of early India. In India, subjection was a cardinal principle. Day and night women must be held by their protectors in a state of dependence. The rule of inheritance was agnatic, that is, descent was traced through males to the exclusion of females.

In Roman law a woman was, even in historic times, completely dependent. If married, she and her property passed to the power of her husband, and like a slave, acquired for his benefit. A woman could not exercise any civil or public office, could not be a witness, surety, tutor, or curator, she could not adopt or be adopted and she could not even make a will or contract.

If we look at Athenian, Scandinavian, English and many more civilisations we see that women were all oppressed in similar ways.

Looking at Mosaic Law (the ancient law of the Hebrews, attributed to Moses and contained in the Pentateuch) we can see that even it has been influenced by these times. The right to divorce was exclusive to the husband, the woman was betrothed and the woman's consent for marriage was not required.

The position of the church, until recent centuries, seems to have been influenced by both the Mosaic Law and the cultural values dominant at the time. In the book Marriage East and West, pages 80 and 81 say:

Let no one suppose, either, that our Christian heritage is free of such slighting judgements. It would be hard to find anywhere a collection of more degrading references to the female sex than the early Church Fathers provide.

It goes on to explain that Woman was represented as the door of Hell, as the mother of all human ills. She should be ashamed at the very thought that she is a woman. She should live in continual penance on account of the curse she has bought upon the world. She should be especially ashamed of her beauty, for it is the most potent instrument of the Devil.

One of the worst of these attacks can be found in Tertullian which will not be printed here.

All this being said though, that was then, and not today. The point being made here is that all religions once believed that women were of less value than men, but changed their viewpoints in the 20th century. The question this raises is: Is Islam the same as the other religions, or is it different, and in either case, how has it changed its attitude towards women?

Woman and Islam

O people, observe your Lord; the One who created you from one being, and created from it its mate, then spread from the two many men and women.
- Al Qur'an 4:1

He (God) it is who did create you from a single soul and from it did create his mate, that he might dwell with her (in love).
- Al Qur'an 7:189

The spiritual side

The Qur'an provides unmistakable proof of a woman's equality to man in God's eyes.

For Muslim men and women, for believing men and women, for devout men and women, for true men and women, for men and women who are patient and constant, for men and women who humbles themselves, for men and women who give in charity, for men and women who guard their chastity, for men and women who engage in Allah's praise, for them has Allah prepared forgiveness and a great reward.
- Al Qur'an 33:35

So their Lord accepted their prayers, (saying): I will not suffer to be lost the work of any of you whether male or female. You precede one from the other.
- Al Qur'an 3:195

According to the Qur'an, Eve was not responsible and is not blamed for Adam's first mistake. Both of them together were disobedient to God, but both repented. God forgave them both, see Al Qur'an 2:36 and 5:20-24.

In Al Qur'an 20:121 the blame is actually put mostly on Adam and not his wife, which shows that Islam does not believe that the woman's nature is impure in any way as he gave in to temptation first. The Ayah reads :

In the result, they both ate of the tree, and so their nakedness appeared to them: they began to sew together, for their covering, leaves from the garden: Thus did Adam disobey His Lord, and allow himself to be seduced.
- Al Qur'an 20:121.

Here is a short note about this Ayah explaining its meaning. Where it says their nakedness appeared, it is saying they were closed in the garb of innocence and knew no evil. Now when disobedience to Allah had sullied their souls and torn the garments of their innocence, the sullied self appeared to each of them in all its nakedness and ugliness, and they had to resort to external things (leaves of the garden) to cover the shame of there self-consciousness. Also Adam had been given the will to choose; he made the wrong choice, and was about to be lost in the thrall of the evil ones, when Allah's grace came to his aid. His repentance (in Ayah 122 - 123) was accepted, and Allah chose him for His Mercy, as stated in Ayah 122.

A Muslim woman's religious obligations like daily prayers, fasting, poor-due, and pilgrimage are no different from a Muslim man's. Though due to some events they change to make it easier for her. During her menstruation period she is exempt from her prayers and fasting for example. She is also excused from fasting when pregnant and for an additional forty days after her child's birth and also if she is nursing her baby and there is a threat to her or her baby's life and is also relieved from her regular duty until her health permits.

Islam permits women to attend the place of worship but they are given the privilege to decide whether to offer prayers at home or at the mosque. This shows Islam's consideration for the woman, aware that she may be engaged in nursing her child or exercising some other duty that may render it difficult to attend Mosque. Islam fully accommodates a woman's psychological make up and takes in to consideration her physiological changes, thereby co-ordinating her responsibilities to complement her nature.

Social aspect

Despite the customary pre-Islamic acceptance of female infanticide among some Arab tribes, the Qur'an forbade this custom and considers it an abominable crime.

The girl who was buried alive is questioned, for what crime was she killed?
- Al Qur'an 81: 8-9).

It also condemns the attitudes of parents who reject their female children:

When news is bought to one of them, of the birth of a female child, his face darkens and he is filled with inward grief! With shame does he hide himself from his people because of the bad news he has had! Shall he retain her on sufferance and contempt, or bury her in the dust? Ah! What an evil choice they decide on.
- Al Qur'an 16: 58-59

These two verses from the Qur'an are saying that those who bury their daughters alive will suffer the Hellfire. The first one is speaking of the questioning from God on the day of the Resurrection. When the baby girl is questioned by God she can not answer this question and will go to Heaven. When the Father and those responsible are questioned he will not be able to give a response to satisfy God and so is condemned to hellfire.

Every child's life is important in Islam and is sacred. God though orders us to be kind and give just treatment to daughters. Prophet Mohammad (pbuh¹) said :

Whoever has a daughter and does not bury her alive, does not insult her, and does not favour his son over her, God will enter him into Paradise.
- Ibn Hanbal, No 1957)

And:

Whoever supports two daughters till they mature, he and I will come on the Day of Judgement like this (and he pointed with his two fingers held together).

The allowance to get an education is extended to women as well as men in Islam.

Seeking knowledge is compulsory for every Muslim
- Al Bayhaqi

(The term Muslim is used here in generic sense, including male and female)

Women as a wife

Marriage in Islam is based on equal partnership between man and woman. Besides perpetuating human life, marriage is stressed for our emotional well being, to provide us with a caring, loving and stable relationship and to foster mental and spiritual harmony between the sexes.

And among his signs is this: That He created mates for you from yourselves that you may find rest, peace of mind in them, and He ordained between you love and mercy. Lo, herein indeed are signs for people who reflect.
- Al Qur'an 30:21

Upon entering marriage the woman is allowed to keep her maiden name as a symbolic statement of her unique identity. Women also have the right to choose their marriage partner and cannot marry with out her free consent.

Ibn Abbas reported that a girl went to the Prophet (pbuh) and reported that her father had made her marry with out her consent. The Prophet (pbuh) told her that she had the choice of accepting the marriage or annulling it. It is reported² that the girl said :

Actually I accept this marriage but I wanted to let women know that their parents have no right to force a husband on to them.

A wife is generously taken care of in Islam. Together with all the required provisions for her welfare and protection at the time of marriage, Islam additionally gives the woman the right to a marriage gift (Mahr). This gift is from the husband as a symbol of his love and affection. This ownership of wealth does not transfer to the wife's in-laws, father or husband and is at the disposal of only the woman. The rules for married life in Islam are simple and in harmony with the natural dispositions of both sexes. Each partner takes the other partner's concerns and sentiments into account and both recognising the rights of the other:

If they (husband and wife) desire to wean the child by mutual consent and (after) consultation, there is no blame on them.
- Al Qur'an 2:233

They (women) have rights similar to those (of men) over them and men have a degree over them.
- Al Qur'an 2:228

The later verse is often misunderstood as an example of how men have more rights than women in Islam. This comes from misunderstanding of the Arabic used. The Arabic context of the verse refers to the male’s duty to economic maintenance and protection of the wife. Islam sees that males are physically stronger than women, and has so put a greater responsibility on to them concerning economic maintenance and protection, and overall leadership of the family. This responsibility does not imply superiority over the woman, as this would go completely against the spirit of equality and justice in Islam.

Men are the protectors and maintainers of woman because Allah has given the one more strength than the other and because they support them from their means
- Al Qur'an 4:19

The Prophet said: 'The best of you is the best to his family and I am the best among you to my family.'

The most perfect believers are the best in conduct, and the best in conduct are those who are best to their wives.
- Ibn Hanbal, No,7396

He further said :

Behold, some woman came to Muhammad's wives complaining against their husbands (because they beat them), those (husbands) are not best of you.

Here is another verse from the Qur'an that is always misunderstood by non-Muslims:

Men are the maintainers of women because Allah has made some of them to excel others and because they spend out of their property; the good women are therefore obedient, guarding the unseen as Allah has guarded; and (as to) those on whose part you fear desertion, admonish them, and leave them alone in the sleeping-places and beat them; then if they obey you, do not seek a way against them; surely Allah is High, Great.
- Al Qur'an 4:34

Some people, due to lack of knowledge or wilfully setting out to discredit Islam, give this verse as an example of how women are beaten in Islam. The Arabic word translated to hit in the Qur'an is not a good translation for that word. Its actual nearest translation would be to tap with the hand in a slight manner that does not leave any redness and is not on the face or sensitive part of the body and does not hurt the victim. It is much like the way a mother will give a gentle slap on the hand to a disobedient child. It is actually a sin to hit the woman any harder than this slight tap. The whole principle of it is also not liked by Islam and should be done when the wife has done something very bad multiple times with no remorse.

This 'hitting' can only be done after the husband has tried all other methods of reasoning as well.

Another thing to put in perspective is that the holy prophet Mohammad (pbuh) never hit any of his wives and the Prophet is the best example of how humans should conduct themselves. This is why Muslims follow the Hadith.

There is a Hadith that relates to women and hitting them, which is this:

Aisha and Muhammad where walking on the beach and Aisha was complaining about some thing. A woman walked up to the prophet and said: You are the prophet of Islam, how can you let her talk to you like that. His reply was: what should I do this, and he poked Aisha with his miswak (A certain type of twig used as a tooth brush)

This is a very misunderstood Hadith as people over look the characteristics of the prophet and Aisha and say that he is hitting her. Rather what was actually happening is the Prophet Muhammad was being slightly sarcastic to the women saying how can you let her talk to you like that. Or in other words Aisha's so-called complaining, was not bothering the prophet and instead of doing what the women expected i.e. telling her off, he instead jokingly prodded her with a twig.

Another Hadith quoted, that people say is debasing women is where the prophet Muhammad says that a woman is like a bent rib, and if you push her too hard she will snap. What is meant by this Hadith is that a woman has her own way of doing things, and that a man should accept this way. If he tries to change her way of doing things ie straighten the rib, she will break/snap. So men should try to understand the way women do things before they start criticising and trying to change them.

Divorce

It is the woman's right in Islam to decide and choose whom she marries; it is also her right to terminate an unsuccessful marriage. However to prevent irrational decisions taking place in the midst of a trauma that may be developing and for the sake of the family's stability Islam asks that both parties observe a waiting period of roughly three months (usually three menstrual cycles) before a divorce is finalised. This enables both husband and wife to cool down, assess the situation rationally and then be in a better position to make the right decision. The waiting period is also to make sure the woman is not pregnant. If she is pregnant then she is entitled to expect her husband to keep supporting her until the child is born and then to provide money for the child and any other children she may have from him. This right includes the same expenses the husband paid when they were man and wife.

When divorce is unavoidable, God instructs the husband to depart from his wife peacefully with no ill-will or malice:

When you divorce women, and they reach their prescribed term, then retain them in kindness and retain them not for injury so that you transgress the limits.
- Al Qur'an 2:228-232).

[This quote is not all four verses, and the translation I have seen does not suggest the husband 'has' to retain his wife after divorce - should it be:]

...when you divorce women and they reach their prescribed time, then either retain them in good fellowship or set them free with liberality, and do not retain them for injury, so that you exceed the limits, and whoever does this, he indeed is unjust to his own soul... (Qur'an 2:231)

Mother-ness

In Islam, kindness and obedience to parents is paramount and is enjoined after worship.

Your lord has decreed that you worship none save Him, and that you be kind to your parents.
- Al Qur'an 17:23)

And we have enjoined upon man to be good to his parents. His mother bears him in weakness upon weakness.
- Al Qur'an 31:14)

See also 46:15 and 29:8.

Once a woman becomes a mother in Islam, her seat of honour and dignity becomes elevated:

Paradise lies at the feet of your mother.
- Al-Nisa, Ibn Majah, Ahmad

It is also reported that a man came to the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and asked:

O messenger of God, who among the people is the most worthy of my good company? The Prophet (pbuh) replied 'Your mother'. The man then asked who came next and the prophet (pbuh) replied 'Your mother'. The man yet again asked who came next and the prophet replied yet again with 'Your mother'. The man then asked 'Then who else?' Only then did the prophet (pbuh) say 'Your father'.
- Bukhari and Muslim

It is the generous (in character) who is good to women, and it is the wicked that insults them.

Economic rights of women

The economic rights of women were denied prior to the emergence of Islam and have been denied in secular cultures after it and were only awarded to women as late as the 20th century. However Islam gives the right to personal ownership of wealth and property to women. Islam says that the right to her money, real estate or other property does not change when she marries. The woman also has the right to buy, sell, mortgage or lease any portion of her property, independently.

If a woman is married and her husband is niggardly then the wife has the right to take from her husband's property without consent to satisfy her own and her family's reasonable needs. This does not mean that she can take his money to buy jewellery without his permission what it means is if the husband does not give her enough money to clothe herself or children properly then she can take from his money without his permission.

Islam also gives women the ability to work like men do. The role of mother and wife is paramount and indispensable to society. Professionalism, hard work, and loving commitment are the natural skills that a woman as a mother, imparts. However Muslim women are free to pursue employment if they are able to, and with the agreement of their husbands if married. Any money a woman earns in a job is her money and if married it is not permissible for the husband to take it. The money can be spent as she wishes and does not have to contribute to the running of the household with it. Of course she can spend it on helping the family if she chooses to. History shows that women's contribution to Islamic civilisation has been in various professions such as teaching and medicine.

Islam also gives women the right to inherit, whereas in some other cultures women are themselves objects to be inherited. The woman is allotted a share of any inheritance and it is hers to do with as she pleases, no one has any rights over her to take possession of that money or property.

Men shall have a portion of what the parents and the near relatives leave, and women shall have a portion of what the parents and the near relatives leave, whether there is little or much of it; a stated portion.
- Al Qur'an 4:7

Normally her share is one half of the man's share. The variation that occurs is due to the financial responsibilities of the two sexes. The man is responsible for the financial stability of the family and the Woman does not need to worry about it. If a woman has no family to support her then it is considered the job of the community to provide for her. It is not fair if the man or the woman got all the money and neither is it fair for them both to have the same amount. As the Man has the responsibility of the family he is given a bigger portion to reflect on the extra expense he has to pay. For example if a married man with three children and a unmarried sister loses their parents then it would not be fair for them to both get an equal division of the wealth as it would be the brother's responsibilities to look after, clothe and buy food for himself the family and his sister whereas his sister's half can be spent as she pleases. Cynics may criticise this reasoning as specious and ask what if the case were where both children were unmarried - why should the son inherit twice as much as his sister?

Political aspect of Women in Islam

A study of Islamic history will show that through the ages there are plenty of examples of women's political rights in Islam. Women in Islam have always had the equal to men right of election, nomination to political office and right to participate in all public affairs. We find examples of women participating in serious debates with the prophet himself, see Al Qur'an 58:1-4 and 60:10-12. Also during the Caliphate of Omar Ibn al-Khattab, a woman proved to be correct in an argument to which the leader, with humility, declared before an audience: 'The woman is right and Omar is wrong.' This was to the woman's advantage in this case as the Caliphate was trying to set a upper limit to the amount a man can give his wife as a dowry.

Islamic dress

The view in the West of a Muslim woman is that she has to cover her whole body from head to foot. The truth is rather different though. Many people talk about the Hijab as being the sign of a woman's oppression though this is actually not a Qur'anic ruling but rather a Hadith one. Before continuing we must first distinguish one important thing about the Hijab. The Hijab is a scarf that covers the hair of the woman, not the face. The actual covering of the face is done by the Niqab³. An interesting point to be made is that the word hair is not found in any verse from the Qur'an in reference to covering it. Islamic scholars have recommended that a woman should cover her hair but this choice is actually hers, though in some countries they do not have the choice. This is not actually due to Islamic ruling but rather regimes like the Taliban which do not follow the Islamic rules properly.

This ruling was given because the prophet said that a woman should cover everything except this and this, and he indicated his face and his hands.

The scarf is mentioned in several Hadith and in the Qur'an but it is being described as drawn across a woman's bosoms. This is because in the days when the Qur'an was being written women were wearing tops that revealed a lot of cleavage and this is not allowed in Islam, so women were asked to draw their scarves over this area, to stop men looking at that area. We will come back to the headscarf in a bit. Let us focus on the dressing rules as a whole.

All Muslim should cover their bodies with clothes that are opaque and tight and must not add to a person's attractiveness. This means the garment itself should not accent the beauty of the wearer. Standard dress for a Muslim man and woman has the same rules. One should wear loose trousers and a loose top that is long enough to cover the groin and buttocks of a person. Many people say this is not fair, as the woman has to cover her beauty, but seem to forget that the man has an equally strict dress code, except that, in addition, men can not wear silk or gold.

Coming back to the veil, there is nothing written in any Hadith or Sura that it is essential for a woman to cover her face. From the Ahadith we are taught that the prophet Muhammad said that a woman should cover everything except this and this, indicating his face and hands. This Hadith does support the wearing of Hijab, but it is not saying women have to. One is not allowed to force a woman to wear a Hijab, but if she does wear one then this will please Allah. Another Hadith that mentions the Niqab is actually reported by Aishah (one of the Prophet's wives) and it says that she and the other wives had to cover their faces. But this was an order for the Prophet's wives and not all Muslims.

Islam is not the only religion to have women covering their heads. There are Jewish scriptures that suggest a woman should cover her head, and also in Christianity nuns cover their heads for the same reason that Muslim women cover theirs - which is as an act to show their Faith when in public. The reason why the Hijab and even the Niqab are in the forefront of people's minds is that Muslim scholars are taking a strong opinion on this issue at the moment. The problem with this is that a lot of them have not even got a beard and yet there is far more Hadith saying a man should have a beard than any Hadith that mentions that a Muslim must wear a head scarf. Meaning that at the moment we find a lot of Muslims making mountains out of mole hills on the subject of women covering the head while not looking at them selves and seeing there own faults. On one occasion there was a man talking about the hijab and he, him self was wearing shorts (which is not allowed for both sexes) and a tight t-shirt. So we can see that even toughing the Hijab is not actually a forefront thing these people are making it sound important, when them selves are not in proper Islamic dress.

The reason why both sexes have to cover up in Islam is so that when people are mingling with the opposite sex there is no lust or desire, as one can only see the head of the person talking to them or around them. It is also asked that both sexes avert their eyes away from those who are not dressed in a decent manner. This enables women and men to walk and talk to each other knowing that there is no question about their beauty coming into people's minds (though some cynics may say that this is not actually effective, and any covering may be more alluring than bare flesh). Anyway, men and women are both supposed to be treated the same.

Here is a link to a site with a little more information on the subject, though it is wrong in two places. It implies two things that can only be done by men, while Islam actually allows them to be done by either sex. Both have been dealt with in this entry though.

So what went wrong?

This is a question many people ask, but there is no short answer. Some say that after Islam reached its peak and then broke up [when was this? eg 14th Century AD] is when it first started, though there is no clear evidence to indicate whether this is the case. Many Muslims and non-Muslims feel that the West is to be blamed, and in some cases this is true. Examples of this can be seen with the emergence of the Taliban. This regime came to power due to American backing in the Russia - Afghanistan war. Most examples of women being mistreated come from Afghanistan. It is not generally realised that the Taliban actually overthrew an even worse regime (what is now known as the Northern Alliance). Another example is Iran. Everyone comments about the whole Salmon Rushdie episode after the leader of Iran put a fatwa⁴ for his death on him. Though he was actually never in any threat on his life as it was only an opinion, people use it as a example of mistreatment. But, as in Afghanistan, it was the West that put the Iranian government into power.

It is easy to blame the West for everything, but this is not entirely fair. Another problem with most of the countries that follow Islam is simply that the people in power are no longer (or never were) committed to the path of Islam, and are drawn to the power of being in charge.

Even though the people living in these countries want Shar'ria law, the government will not allow it as it will mean less power and money for the government. To keep the people happy they say they will impose Shar'ria law at some time, but when the time comes the government changes its mind. An example of this is Pakistan, where Shar'ria law has been repeatedly promised, and yet it never becomes a country following only the Shar'ria law.

So now we have looked at two cases of why this happens but is there a third reason? Yes, there is.

Muslims themselves, whoever or wherever, should struggle to increase their Faith, and work towards getting Shar'ria law peacefully put in place in every Muslim country. Instead many people get infused with false values, like pursuit of wealth, which makes it easier for them to be drawn away from Islam. This leads to a breakdown of the Muslim Umrah (unity), so we see examples of Muslims fighting Muslims. This leads people astray, they find themselves following a path that is not Shar'ria law, and this leads to the breakdown in Muslim countries seen around the world. Though these events are the actions of a few, it affects all Muslims.

The only way to combat this is for all Muslims to insist that their countries (countries with a predominantly Islamic population, not places like Britain and America) impose a proper Shar'ria-based system, then maybe in the modern world we can see what an Islamic state should really be like for ourselves and not what we read in the history books about the time of Muhammad (pbuh).

Other articles about Women and Islam in Islamicweb.com.

See General Information for explanation of Islamic terms and concepts.