Treatment of Women in Islam

Introduction

The treatment of women in various Muslim societies today should not be taken as necessarily reflecting the teachings of Islam. For example, the dangerous and oppressive practice of so-called female circumcision among Muslims in Somalia is a tribal custom that has nothing to do with the religion of Islam, and in fact is easily shown to be against Islamic teachings. In certain societies Muslim men have prevented women from leaving the house or from earning a legitimate income, and have held that this is in accordance with Islam. Non-Muslims, observing such practices, have often been misled into believing that they are part of Islam, which is not so. In Muslim societies, many beliefs and practices exist that have nothing to do with Islam, and have simply been handed down from the past. (John, 21)

Spiritual equality of women and men

Non-Muslims sometimes used to think that, in Islam, it was taught that women had no souls, but Muslims themselves have never believed this. The notion that women have no souls is contrary to the teachings of Islam. Maulana Muhammad Ali writes: “No other religious book and no other reformer has done one tenth of what the Holy Qur'an or the Holy Prophet Muhammad has done to raise the position of women. Read the Qur'an and you find good and righteous women being given the same position as good and righteous men. Both sexes are spoken of in the same terms.” (Maulana Muhammad Ali, The Holy Qur'an: Arabic Text, English Translation and Commentary, Introduction, Section 6)

The highest favor of God to human beings is divine revelation, and women are mentioned in the Holy Qur'an among those to whom God has spoken: “And We revealed to Moses' mother, saying, Breast-feed him, and then, when you feel that he is in danger, put him out on the river and do not be afraid or worried, because We will bring him back to you and make him one of the Message-Bearers.” (Holy Qur'an, 28:7) “When We revealed to your mother what was revealed.” (Holy Qur'an, 20:38) “And the angels said, O Mary, God has chosen you and purified you and has chosen you above all the women in the world.” (Holy Qur'an, 3:41) The Holy Qur'an speaks of Mary and Abraham in the same way: “And mention Abraham in the book” (Holy Qur'an, 19:41); “And mention Mary in the book” (Holy Qur'an, 19:16). Maulana Muhammad Ali comments: “No other religious book has given such a high spiritual position to woman.” The equality of men and women as spiritual beings is explicitly mentioned in the Holy Qur'an: “I will not waste the work of a worker among you, whether male or female, the one of you being from the other [i.e., you being alike and interdependent].” (Holy Qur'an, 3:194)

Islam recognizes women's property rights

According to the Holy Qur'an, a woman can inherit, earn and dispose of property: “Men shall have the benefit of what they earn and women shall have the ...