Women in Islam

Many believe that Islam is one of the world's greatest religions. Millions of men and women have found comfort and peace with Islam, as well as people of different creeds have learned to live together. Islam has enriched and inspired the lives of people all around the world and most of its traditions are from the Qur'an. Unfortunately, some have taken the words to mean hatred, violence, and even a ground for the oppression of women. Women have often been on the receiving end of this interpretation. Although much has changed for women since the beginning of Islam, many do not feel it has changed enough.

Islamic traditions claim that women and men are created equal. Although there are many different opinions and explanations of the Qur'an and what its verses mean, there are often many similarities between them. This paper intends to show that even though Islamic traditions claim equality for women that there are many contradictions to that claim.

Women in Pre-Islamic Society

Women endured humiliation of unimaginable proportions, were treated unfairly, and suffered great injustices before the messenger of Allah. Arabs believed that women should not be allowed to inherit from their husbands, parents or relatives, but men could. They believed that only those who could protect the tribe and territory should only be allowed to inherit; even the women themselves could be inherited after the death of a husband. Women were treated like possessions in their world and if the man had sons from another marriage, his eldest son would inherit the wife. The wife would not be allowed to leave unless she was able to pay a ransom for her life. (Shahidian, 2002)

If a woman's husband divorced her, she was forbidden to remarry. However, men were allowed to marry as many times as they saw fit. In the pre-Islamic times men could do anything to their wives whether it was unjust or unfair, there were no laws against such a thing.

The birth of a female was never welcomed or liked in a family. They considered the birth of a girl to be evil and a bad omen; they hated the birth of a girl. When a father would get news that his new arrival was a girl, he would become depressed and disappointed showing extreme sadness. Allah describes a father's reaction when receiving news that he had a daughter as, "When the news of (the birth of) a female (baby) is brought to any of them, his face becomes dark, and he is filled with inward grief! He hides himself from the people because of the evil of that whereof he has been informed. Shall he keep her with dishonor or bury her in the Earth? Certainly, evil is their decision." Hate for the female baby girls was so severe that they would bury them alive at a very early age, some even as they were newborns. Some of the reasons for doing so could vary depending on the social status of the family. Some felt that their daughters might bring them shame; others would bury them at an early age if the child had any kind of birth defect or was handicapped. (Alsheha, 2000)

Women's Rights in Islam

Despite the patriarchy of seventh-century Arabia, Islam empowered radical changes when it came to women and society. Because of the Qur'an women were now entitled to independent property, divorce, the right to testify in court, and explicit rights to inheritance. The Qur'an stated that both men and women were required to fulfill religious duties and that both men and women could both be punished for misdemeanors. (Yuan,2005)

The Qur'an may not have changed everything for the better for women, but there were certain behaviors that the Qur'an was definitely against. One inhumanely barbaric tradition of the pre-Islamic society that the Qur'an flatly prohibited was female infanticide. It does not condone murder, and most definitely not the killing of innocent little girls. The Qur'an also numerously mentioned the treatment of slaves and women, insisting Muslims treat them well. Unfortunately, many Muslims interpreted these citations into their own words. (Al-hibri, 2000-2001)

A'ishah, the prophet's favorite wife, was once beckoned as an advisor to the early jurists. She was an army general in the famous "Battle of the Camel". Once when the prophet was resting his head on her lap, he received a revelation. The prophet himself stated that we should learn "half our religion" from his wife A'ishah. However, after the passing of the prophet, even his wife would have no impact on what would happen to the status of Islam women in the next thousand years.

Islam's foundations were being developed during the Abbasid period and at this time the thinkers and leading scholars were exclusively male. They had no first hand experience with revelation and had not known the Prophet personally. They were often under the influence of intellectual and moral cultures antithetical to Islam. It was at this time that the men moved away from the ethical codes for females established by the Qur'an. Women again came again to be thought of as material objects and possessions. (Yuan, 2005)

Marriage

Marriage is considered one of the most virtuous and approved institutions by Islam. The family is considered the nucleus of the Islamic society and the only way to bring families into existence is through marriage. Allah says that a loving husband and wife help each other in continuing the human race and by nursing their children as well to become true servants of Allah. "When a man marries, he has fulfilled half of his religion, so let him fear Allah regarding the remaining half", said the Prophet. When a Muslim married, the Prophet considered it to be half of his religion because it shielded him from adultery, fornication, promiscuity, and homosexuality etc. Evils like these could lead to other evils like homicide, quarreling, and slanders are a few examples. (Rahman, 2007)

One of the rights women are entitled to under Islamic teachings is dowry. Unless a dowry has been approved, a marriage contract is incomplete. A dowry is a gift to the bride and is mandated by Islamic teachings. Dowry is the one right that cannot be taken away from a woman. Even if the bride approved, the dowry cannot be dropped or forfeited. After the contract of marriage the woman is free to do with her dowry as she pleases, if she chooses too she may give the dowry to her husband of her own free will. A husband may not take the dowry back that he has given his wife even if he decides that he would like a divorce; to do so would be a sin. (Al-sheha, 2000)

The Qur'an states that marriage should be based on mutual peace, love, and compassion. It also states