Perhaps no aspect of Islam is more discussed, or more misunderstood, than its teachings about women. Cultural practices in some Muslim-majority societies are often mistaken for the religion itself. To understand Islam fairly, one must return to its actual sources: the Qur'an and the authentic teachings of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. There, one finds a set of rights and honours granted to women at a time when much of the world afforded them almost none.
Spiritual Equality Before God
The Qur'an is unambiguous: men and women are spiritually equal, created from a single soul, and equally accountable and equally rewarded before God. Faith and righteousness, not gender, determine a person's worth in His sight.
"Whoever does righteousness, whether male or female, while being a believer — We will surely cause them to live a good life, and We will surely give them their reward according to the best of what they used to do."
(Surah An-Nahl, 16:97)
The Qur'an addresses believing men and believing women side by side, promising them the same forgiveness and the same reward:
"Indeed, the Muslim men and Muslim women, the believing men and believing women… for them Allah has prepared forgiveness and a great reward."
(Surah Al-Ahzab, 33:35)
The End of a Cruel Age
Islam arose in a society where daughters were sometimes buried alive out of shame or fear of poverty. The Qur'an condemned this practice in the strongest terms, warning of a day when the buried infant girl herself will be asked for what crime she was killed:
"And when the girl who was buried alive is asked, for what sin she was killed…"
(Surah At-Takwir, 81:8–9)
Against this backdrop, Islam's elevation of women was nothing short of revolutionary.
The Right to Property and Inheritance
Islam granted women the right to own property, run businesses, and keep their own earnings, independently of any man, centuries before such rights were common elsewhere. A woman's wealth is her own; a husband has no claim over it. Islam also guaranteed women a fixed share of inheritance at a time when, in many places, they could inherit nothing:
"For men is a share of what the parents and close relatives leave, and for women is a share of what the parents and close relatives leave."
(Surah An-Nisa, 4:7)
Dignity in Marriage
In Islam, a woman cannot be married without her consent; her agreement is a condition of a valid marriage. She is entitled to a mahr, a marriage gift given to her, and to her alone. The Qur'an describes the relationship between spouses not as ownership but as mutual love, mercy, and companionship:
"And of His signs is that He created for you from yourselves mates that you may find tranquillity in them; and He placed between you affection and mercy."
(Surah Ar-Rum, 30:21)
The Prophet ﷺ set the standard for how men should treat women: "The best of you are those who are best to their wives." (Sunan al-Tirmidhi, 3895)
The Honour of the Mother
Islam raises the status of the mother above almost all others. The Qur'an commands kindness to parents, giving special mention to the mother's sacrifice:
"And We have enjoined upon man care for his parents. His mother carried him in weakness upon weakness, and his weaning is in two years…"
(Surah Luqman, 31:14)
A man once asked the Prophet ﷺ who was most deserving of his good company. He answered, "Your mother." The man asked again; he said, "Your mother." A third time; "Your mother." Only on the fourth did he say, "Then your father." (Sahih al-Bukhari, 5971; Sahih Muslim, 2548)
The Right to Education
Islam makes the pursuit of knowledge a duty, and it is a duty laid upon women no less than men. The Prophet ﷺ said:
"Seeking knowledge is an obligation upon every Muslim."
(Sunan Ibn Majah, 224)
The scholars of Islam understood the word "Muslim" here to include both men and women, making the education of women not a concession but a religious obligation. The result is visible from the earliest days of Islam: the women of the first Muslim community were scholars, jurists, narrators of prophetic tradition, teachers, and advisors. The Prophet's wife 'A'ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) was among the greatest scholars of her entire generation, men travelled to learn from her, and her teachings are studied to this day.
Further Reading
- The Qur'an. Read it for yourself, with translation and recitation.
- Sahih al-Bukhari & Sahih Muslim. The two most rigorously authenticated collections of the Prophet's ﷺ sayings.
- Riyad as-Salihin (Imam an-Nawawi), a beloved anthology of hadith on faith, character, and worship.
- The Sealed Nectar (Ar-Raheeq Al-Makhtum), an award-winning biography of the Prophet ﷺ.
- Muhammad: His Life Based on the Earliest Sources. Martin Lings.