Women in the Qur'an and Sunnah
In Islam there is absolutely no difference
between men and women as far as their relationship to Allah is concerned, as
both are promised the same reward for good conduct and the same punishment for
evil conduct.
The Qur'an says: And
for women are rights over men similar to those of men over women. (2:226)
The Qur'an, in
addressing the believers, often uses the expression,’ believing men and women'
to emphasize the equality of men and women in regard to their respective
duties, rights, virtues and merits. It says: 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 humble
themselves, for men and women who give in charity, for men and women who fast,
for men and women who guard their chastity, and for men and women who engage
much in Allah's praise, for them has Allah prepared forgiveness and great
reward. (33:35)
This clearly contradicts the assertion of the
Christian Fathers that women do not possess souls and that they will exist as
sexless beings in the next life. The Qur'an says that
women have souls in exactly the same way as men and will enter
Who so does that which is right, and believes,
whether male or female, him or her will We quicken to happy life. (16:97)
The Qur'an
admonishes those men who oppress or ill-treat women: O you who believe! You are
forbidden to inherit women against their will. Nor should you treat them with
harshness, that you may take away part of the dowry you have given them -
except when they have become guilty of open lewdness. On the contrary live with
them on a footing of kindness and equity. If you take a dislike to them, it may
be that you dislike something and Allah will bring about through it a great
deal of good. (
Considering the fact that before the advent of
Islam the pagan Arabs used to bury their female children alive, make women
dance naked in the vicinity of the Ka'ba during their
annual fairs, and treat women as mere chattels and objects of sexual pleasure
possessing no rights or position whatsoever, these teachings of the Noble Qur'an were revolutionary. Unlike other religions, which
regarded women as being possessed of inherent sin and wickedness and men as
being possessed of inherent virtue and nobility, Islam regards men and women as
being of the same essence created from a single soul.
The Qur'an declares: O mankind! Reverence your Guardian-Lord,
who created you from a single person, created, of like nature, his mate, and
from this pair scattered (like seeds) countless men and women. Reverence Allah,
through Whom you demand your mutual (rights), and
reverence the wombs (that bore you); for Allah ever watches over you. (4:1)
The Prophet of Islam (peace be upon him) said,
"Women are the twin halves of men." The Qur'an
emphasizes the essential unity of men and women in a most beautiful simile: They
(your wives) are your garment and you are a garment for them. (2:187)
Just as a garment hides our nakedness, so do
husband and wife, by entering into the relationship of marriage, secure each
other's chastity. The garment gives comfort to the body; so does the husband
find comfort in his wife's company and she in his. "The garment is the
grace, the beauty, the embellishment of the body, so too are wives to their
husbands as their husbands are to them." Islam does not consider woman
"an instrument of the Devil", but rather the Qur'an
calls her muhsana - a fortress against Satan because
a good woman, by marrying a man, helps him keep to the path of rectitude in his
life. It is for this reason that marriage was considered by the Prophet
Muhammad (peace be upon him) as a most virtuous act.
He said: "When a man marries, he has completed one half of his religion."
He enjoined matrimony on Muslims by saying: "Marriage is part of my way
and whoever keeps away from my way is not from me (i.e. is not my
follower)." The Qur'an has given the raison
d'ętre of marriage in the following words: And among His signs is this, that He
has created for you mates from among yourselves, that you may dwell in tranquility
with them; and He has put love and mercy between you. Verily in that are signs
for those who reflect. (30:21)
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be
upon him) was full of praise for virtuous and chaste women. He said: "The
world and all things in the world are precious but the most precious thing in
the world is a virtuous woman. He once told the future khalif,
'Umar: "Shall I not inform you about the best
treasure a man can hoard? It is a virtuous wife who pleases him whenever he
looks towards her, and who guards herself when he is absent from her."
On other occasions the Prophet said: "The
best property a man can have is a remembering tongue (about Allah), a grateful
heart and a believing wife who helps him in his faith." And again:
"The world, the whole of it, is a commodity and the best of the
commodities of the world is a virtuous wife."
Before the advent of Islam women were often
treated worse than animals. The Prophet wanted to put a stop to all cruelties
to women. He preached kindness towards them. He told the Muslims: "Fear
Allah in respect of women." And: "The best of you are they who behave
best to their wives." And: "A Muslim must not hate his wife, and if
he be displeased with one bad quality in her, let him be pleased with one that
is good." And:"The more civil and kind a
Muslim is to his wife, the more perfect in faith he is."
The Prophet (peace be
upon him) was most emphatic in enjoining upon Muslims to be kind to their women
when he delivered his famous khutba on the Mount of
Mercy at Arafat in the presence of one hundred and twenty-four thousand of his
Companions who had gathered there for the Hajj al-Wada (Farewell Pilgrimage).
In it he ordered those present, and through them all those Muslims who were to
come later, to be respectful and kind towards women. He said: "Fear Allah
regarding women. Verily you have married them with the trust of Allah, and made
their bodies lawful with the word of Allah. You have got (rights) over them,
and they have got (rights) over you in respect of their food and clothing
according to your means."
In Islam a woman is a completely independent
personality. She can make any contract or bequest in her own name. She is entitled
to inherit in her position as mother, as wife, as sister and as daughter. She
has perfect liberty to choose her husband. The pagan society of pre-Islamic
The worst calamity for a woman is when her
husband passes away and, as a widow, the responsibility of maintaining the
children falls upon her. In the Eastern World, where a woman does not always go
out to earn her living, the problems of widowhood are indescribable. The
Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) upheld the cause
of widows. Most of his wives were widows. In an age when widows were rarely
permitted to remarry, the Prophet encouraged his followers to marry them. He
was always ready to help widows and exhorted his followers to do the same. Abu Hurairah reported that the Prophet said: "One who
makes efforts (to help) the widow or a poor person is like a mujahid (warrior) in the path of Allah, or like one who
stands up for prayers in the night and fasts in the day."
Woman as mother commands great respect in
Islam. The Noble Qur'an speaks of the rights of the
mother in a number of verses. It enjoins Muslims to show respect to their
mothers and serve them well even if they are still unbelievers. The Prophet
states emphatically that the rights of the mother are paramount. Abu Hurairah reported that a man came to the Messenger of Allah
(peace be upon him) and asked: "O Messenger of
Allah, who is the person who has the greatest right on me with regards to kindness
and attention?" He replied, "Your mother." "Then
who?" He replied, "Your mother." "Then
who?" He replied, "Your mother." "Then
who?" He replied, "Your father."
In another tradition, the Prophet advised a
believer not to join the war against the Quraish in
defense of Islam, but to look after his mother, saying that his service to his
mother would be a cause of his salvation. Mu'awiyah,
the son of Jahimah, reported that Jahimah
came to the Prophet (peace be upon him) and said, "
Messenger of Allah! I want to join the fighting (in the path of Allah)
and I have come to seek your advice." He said, "Then remain in your mother's service, because
The Prophet's followers accepted his teachings
and brought about a revolution in their social attitude towards women. They no
longer considered women as a mere chattels, but as an
integral part of society. For the first time women were given the right to have
a share in inheritance. In the new social climate, women rediscovered
themselves and became highly active members of society rendering useful service
during the wars which the pagan Arabs forced on the emerging Muslim umma. They carried provisions for the soldiers, nursed
them, and even fought alongside them if it was necessary. It became a common
sight to see women helping their husbands in the fields, carrying on trade and
business independently, and going out of their homes to satisfy their needs.
'A'isha reported
that Saudah bint Zam'ah went out one night. 'Umar
saw her and recognized her and said, "By God, O Saudah,
why do you not hide yourself from us?" She went back to the Prophet (peace
be upon him) and told him about it while he was having supper in her room, and
he said, "It is permitted by Allah for you to go out for your needs."
The predominant idea in the teachings of Islam with regard to men and women is
that a husband and wife should be full-fledged partners in making their home a
happy and prosperous place, that they should be loyal
and faithful to one another, and genuinely interested in each other's welfare
and the welfare of their children. A woman is expected to exercise a humanizing
influence over her husband and to soften the sternness inherent in his nature.
A man is enjoined to educate the women in his care so that they cultivate the
qualities in which they, by their very nature, excel.
These aspects were much emphasized by the
Prophet (peace be upon him). He exhorted men to marry
women of piety and women to be faithful to their husbands and kind to their
children. He said:
"Among my followers the best of men are
those who are best to their wives, and the best of women are those who are best
to their husbands. To each of such women is set down a reward equivalent to the
reward of a thousand martyrs. Among my followers, again, the best of women are
those who assist their husbands in their work, and love them dearly for
everything, save what is a transgression of Allah's laws."
Once Mu'awiyah asked
the Prophet (peace be upon him), "What are the
rights that a wife has over her husband?" The Prophet replied, " Feed her when you take your food, give her clothes to
wear when you wear clothes, refrain from giving her a slap on the face or
abusing her, and do not separate from your wife, except within the house."
Once a woman came to the Prophet with a complaint against her
husband. He told her: "There is no woman who removes something to
replace it in its proper place, with a view to tidying her husband's house, but
that Allah sets it down as a virtue for her. Nor is there a man who walks with his wife hand-in-hand, but that Allah sets it
down as a virtue for him; and if he puts his arm round her shoulder in love,
his virtue is increased tenfold." Once he was heard praising the women of
the tribe of Quraish, "...because they are the
kindest to their children while they are infants and because they keep a
careful watch over the belongings of their husbands."
The Shari'ah regards
women as the spiritual and intellectual equals of men. The main distinction it
makes between them is in the physical realm based on the equitable principle of
fair division of labor. It allots the more strenuous work to the man and makes
him responsible for the maintenance of the family. It allots the work of
managing the home and the upbringing and training of children to the woman,
work which has the greatest importance in the task of building a healthy and
prosperous society.
It is a fact, however, that sound
administration within the domestic field is impossible without a unified
policy. For this reason the Shari'ah requires a man,
as head of the family, to consult with his family and then to have the final
say in decisions concerning it. In doing so he must not abuse his prerogative
to cause any injury to his wife. Any transgression of this principle involves
for him the risk of losing the favor of Allah, because his wife is not his
subordinate but she is, to use the words of the Prophet (peace be upon him),
'the queen of her house', and this is the position a true believer is expected
to give his wife. In contrast to these enlightened teachings of Islam in
respect of women, Western talk of women's liberation or emancipation is
actually a disguised form of exploitation of her body, deprivation of her
honor, and degradation of her soul!