Are Women equally respected & treated as Men in Islam? -- by Jawan Sita   Back   Home  
Are women really to be respected and treated equally according to the Quran, the ultimate authority of Islam?
  • "4.11: A male shall inherit twice as much as a female."

  • "4.34. Men are in charge of women, because Allah hath made the one of them to excel the other, and because they spend of their property (for the support of women). So good women are the obedient, guarding in secret that which Allah hath guarded. As for those from whom ye fear rebellion, admonish them and banish them to beds apart; and scourge (beat) them. Then if they obey you, seek not a way against them Lo! Allah is ever High Exalted, Great."

  • " 4:15 If any of your women are guilty of lewdness, Take the evidence of four (Reliable) witnesses from amongst you against them; and if they testify, confine them to houses until death do claim them, or God ordain for them some (other) way"

  • 4:16 If two men among you are guilty of lewdness, punish them both. If they repent and amend, Leave them alone; for God is Oft-returning, Most Merciful

  • "Women have such honorable rights and obligations, but their men have a degree above them." (The Cow: 225)

  • "Men are superior to women." (The Cow: 225) "

  • Your women are a tillage for you, so come unto your tillage as you wish." (The Cow: 220)

  • "You (the Prophet) can suspend any of your wives as you will and receive anyone of them as you will; and whomsoever you desire of those whom you have set aside, it is no sin for you.." (The Confederates: 50)"

  • "IV/15: (For women) If any one of your women is guilty of lewdness ...confine them until death claims them."

  • "IV/16: (For Men) If two men among you commit indecency (sodomy) punish them both. If they repent and mend their ways, let them be. Allah is forgiving and merciful."

  • "Men are the managers of the affairs of women for that God has preferred in bounty One of them over another ..... Righteous women are therefore obedient ..... And those you fear may be rebellious admonish; banish them to their couches and beat them." (Women IV: 35)

  • "If a husband tells his wife to keep carrying a load of stones from that red mountain to that black mountain, she must obey him whole heartedly. " (Ibn-e-Majah, Vol. 1, ch. 592, p 520)

  • "By God, who controls the life of Muhammad, a woman cannot discharge her duty towards God until she has discharged her duty towards her husband: if she is riding a camel and her husband expresses his desire, she must not refuse. " (Ibn-e-Majah, Vol. 1, Ch. 592 p 520)

  • "Again, if a man is in a mood to have sexual intercourse, the wife must come immediately even if she is baking bread at a communal oven" (Tirmzi, Vol. 1, p 428)

  • PROPHET MUHAMMEDS INTENTIONS ON WOMEN WERE CLEAR : "Aisha said that she had a slave and a slave- girl who were married. She told the Prophet that she wanted to set them free. He said that she ought to free the slave (man) first." (Ibn-e-Majah, Vol. 2, ch. 130, p. 100)

  • The true Islamic value of woman becomes evident when we realise that her marriage is not substantive but precarious. If a man does not like his daughter--in-law, and tells his son to divorce her without giving a reason for it, he must do so. (Tirmzi, Vol. 1, p 440)

  • If a woman refuses to come to bed when invited by her husband, she becomes a target of the curses of angels. Exactly the same happens if she deserts her husband's bed (Bokhari, Vol. 7, p93)

  • "I have never seen any good from you." ( Bokahri, Vol. 7, p 96)

  • The Prophet said: "When wife vexes her husband, then houris of paradise utter curses on her saying, 'may God destroy you because he is with you only for a short time; he will shortly leave you to come to us.' (Ibn-e-Majah, Vol. 1, p 560)

  • The Prophet said, "A woman's evidence carries half the weight of that of a man…. it is owing to lack of wisdom on their part. However, they are also injurious to the dignity of faith and cannot be allowed to say prayer during the period of menstruation or observe fasting." (Mishkat, Vol. 1, p 19)

  • The Prophet said: "Beware of women because the calamity that the Israelite suffered was caused by women." (Mishkat, Vol. 2, p 70)

  • The Prophet said: "Misfortune is a part of womanhood, residence and horse." ( Mishkat, Vol. 2, p 70)

  • The Prophet said: "If Eve was not created, no woman would have been dishonest towards her husband." (Mishkat, Vol. 2, p 98)

  • The Prophet said: "When a woman dies, if her husband was pleased with her, she goes to paradise. (Mishkat, Vol. 2, p 102)

  • The Prophet said: "On the Day of Judgement, a husband shall not be questioned for beating his wife." (Mishkat, Vol. 2, p 105 )

  • " ..... women had become bold with their men, and so the Prophet authorised beating them. As a result seventy women, during one evening, gathered at the residence of the Prophet to complain ruefully against their husbands, who they thought, were not good people." (Ibn-e-Majah, Vol. 1, p 553)

  • A woman is forbidden to spend any money without the permission of her husband, and it includes giving food to the needy or feast to friends. (TR. P 265)

  • A wife is forbidden to perform extra prayers (NAFAL) or observe fasting (other than RAMADAN) without the permission of her husband. (TR. P 300)

  • A woman who seeks KHULA i.e. divorce from her man, without a just cause, shall not enter paradise. (TR. P 440) On the contrary, a husband can divorce his wife at will.

  • A woman in many ways is deprived of the possession of her own body. Even her milk belongs to her husband. (Sahii Bokhari P 27) She is not allowed to practise birth control either.
This article was published www.hinduunity.org. I am not against Islam. I did not read their holi book. For that matter.. I am not even fully aware of Hinduism. So, I am open to read about all religions, their teachings. My parents encouraged me to learn about other religions as well. This article, published in this website is very one sided I felt. Still the points they mentioned in the article generated some curiosity towards Islam and how it treats Women. So, wanted to share this with you all. Any one who has their say about this are welcome to send their comments to me.
You can read original article "Anti-Hindu Propaganda Debunked- Part I Women in Hinduism vs. Islam" at http://www.hinduunity.org/articles/editorials/womeninislam.html