Women's Right in Islam

Sex, colour, caste, wealth has got no criteria in Islam - The only criteria in the sight of God is ‘righteousness' (QS 49:13).

A) Equal Moral Duties for Men and Women:

"For Muslim men and Muslim 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 give in charity,
for men and women who fast and deny themselves,
for men and women who guard their chastity,
for men and women who engage much in God's praise,
God has prepared for them forgiveness and a vast reward."
(Surah Al Ahzab: QS 33:35)

This verse indicates that the spiritual duties, the moral duties, for the men and women in Islam are the same - Both have to believe, both have to pray, both have to fast, both have to give in charity, etc.

B) Economical Rights to the Women

An adult Muslim woman can own, she can dispose or disown any of her property without consulting any one, irrespective whether she is married or she is single.

In 1870, it was the first time in England, that the West recognized the rights of the married woman, where she was allowed to own or dispose any of her property without consultation. Islam gave economical rights to the women 1,300 years before the West.

Islam also gave the inheritance right to the women centuries ago. If you read the Qur’an - in several verses, in Surah Nisa, in Surah Baqarah and in Surah Maidah, it was mentioned that a woman has the right to inherit. And it has been fixed by God Almighty in the Qur’an.

C) Social Right of a Women

Islam prohibits, female infanticide. The killing of female children is forbidden in Islam. It was mentioned in Surah Taqwir, (QS 81:8 and 9), "When the female child is buried alive and when she questions you, for what crime was she killed."

Not only female infanticide has been prohibited, all sorts of infanticides has been prohibited in Islam, whether it be a male child or a female child.

It was mentioned in the Qur’an in Surah A’nam (QS 6:151) that, "Kill not your children for want of sustenance for it is God that will provide sustenance for you and for children."

A similar thing is mentioned in Surah Isra, (QS 17:31) which says… ‘Kill not your children for want of sustenance, for it is God that will provide sustenance to you and your children, for killing of children is a major sin."

In the Pre-Islamic Arabia, whenever a female child was born mostly she would be buried alive.  Thank God, after the spread of Islam this evil practice has been stopped and discontinued.

In Islam, it is compulsory that the man and women both should agree to marry. No one - not even the father can force their daughter to marry against her wishes.

There’s a Hadith in Sahih Bukhari, Volume 7, Book 62, Number 69, which says, "...that a lady she was forced by her father to marry against her wishes.  And she went to the Prophet (pbuh) and the marriage was invalidated."

According to Surah Nisa, Ch.4, Verse No.21, marriage is considered as a strong agreement, a strong contract. And according to Surah Nisa, Ch.4, Verse No.19, it says, "You are prohibited to inherit women against their will."

In another word, to get married the permission of both the parties are required. Thus, a woman in Islam is not married to a master that she could be treated like a slave but she is married to it's equal.

It was mentioned in the Qur’an in Surah Baqarah Ch.2, Verse No.228. It says that, ‘...the women  have been given rights similar against them (men) on equitable terms but the men have a degree higher...’.

Most of the Muslims have misunderstood this verse, when it says ‘a men have a degree higher’ - As I said we should analyze the Qur’an as a whole.

And it was mentioned in Surah Nisa, Ch. 4, Verse No.34 which says, ‘The men are the protectors and maintainers of the women, for God has given one of them more strength than the other and they give them their means’.

People say the word ‘Kawwam’ means, ‘one degree higher in superiority’ - But actually the word ‘Kawwam’ comes from the root word ‘Ikamah’. ‘Ikamah’ means for example  ‘when you give the Ikamah before prayers - You stand up’.

So ‘Ikamah’ means to standup - so the word ‘Kawwam’ means one degree higher in responsibility, not one degree higher in superiority.

Even if you read the commentary of ‘Ibnu-Kathir’ - He says that the word ‘Kawwam’ means one degree higher in responsibility, not one degree higher in superiority.

And this responsibility, should be carried out by mutual consent of both husband and wife. According to Surah Tawbah, Ch. 9, Verse No.71, it says, "The believing men and believing women are allies of one another."


Wallahu'alam