Does Islam oppress women?

The role and treatment of women in Islam is a controversial subject. The myths peddled by non-Muslims and even Muslims revolve around the idea that somehow women are inferior in Islam, women are inferior to men, women are not important characters or key personalities in the history of Islam. There's even the myth that men are allowed to beat women in order to discipline them. Then there's the whole issue of the hijab for women, how it is a sign of oppression towards women.

Once again these myths are inaccurate and false. No doubt there are many Muslims and even Muslim nations which oppress women, but there is nothing Islamic in their actions. When exploring all these myths, it's important to reflect on the quote by the historian George Bernard Shaw: "Islam is the greatest religion, but Muslims are the worst followers," and nowhere is this more apt then when discussing the myths about women in Islam. (I would also add that it's important to remember that quote whenever we discuss these myths and others that have tainted the perception of Islam today).

This is an important topic because of the attention it receives in the Western world today. When a non-Muslim is confronted with Islam and with Muslims, they rarely criticise our belief in God, our belief in the Prophet or in the Day of Judgement. Their attacks begin on our religion, by criticising how Islam treats women. It is on of the most misunderstood issues about Islam. We are familiar with the accusations: "Islam oppresses women," "Islam gives women no rights, etc etc. All are untrue, Islam does not oppress women but unfortunately some Muslims do. Many Muslim men do treat women badly, repressively and un-Islamically but it is important to make the distinction between what Islam says and what Muslims do.

Women are oppressed in Afghanistan, intimidated in Pakistan, treated unequally in Saudi Arabia, but criticise the Afghans, the Pakistanis and the Saudis, do not criticise Islam. Their actions are miles apart from what Islam prescribes and that it the focus of this particular topic. What does Islam say about women?

When discussing the role and importance of women in Islam, the best starting point is the Holy Quran. Some of the most favourable, sympathetic and gripping personality portraits in the Quran are of women. There is the Queen of Sheeba, the exemplary and renowned leader referred to in the story of Prophet Solomon. The mother of Moses who surrendered her son to the will of Allah. The wife of the Pharoah Firawn, Bibi Asiya, devoted to Allah and turning to him for protection against the oppression of her pagan husband. Then there is Bibi Maryam, the mother of Prophet Jesus. Her example is so important, there is a whole Surah, chapter in the Quran devoted to her - Surah 19, Surah Maryam.

Arguably one of the most important and crucial stories of a woman in the Quran, is the story of Bibi Hawwa, Eve - the first woman. The Biblical story of Eve is one of slander and dishonest allegations. Eve is accused in the Bible of leading Adam, Prophet Adam astray by encouraging him to listen to Satan and eat the fruit from the forbidden tree. The Bible blames the sins of mankind, the so-called "original sin" of man on the temptation of woman. Yet in the Quran, there is no mention of Eve being the sinner, of tempting Adam. When the story of the forbidden fruit is told in the Quran it always refers to two individuals - the man and the woman. Satan tempted them both: "And he swore to them both, that he was their sincere adviser. So by deceit he brought about their fall." (Surah 7, Verses 21-22) The Quran, unlike the Bible, does not blame all the sins of mankind on the "original sin" and more importantly it doesn't blame the sin of man on the temptation of woman.

In God's eyes there is no difference between man and woman. In God's eyes all that differentiates between one another is their level of piety and virtue, both men and women can achieve these types of excellence. On the Day of Judgement each individual, regardless of sex, will be judged according to their purity of beliefs, their actions and their behaviour: "Lo! the noblest of you, in the sight of Allah, is the best in conduct." (Surah 49, Verse 13)

On the Day of Judgement, God will not look at us and say "you are a man, you go to heaven, you are a woman, you go to hell." he will say, "you are a believer, you go to heaven, you are a non-believer, you go elsewhere." On this day it will not matter if we are men or women, it will only matter if we are believers. This is what Islam teaches us in the Holy Quran which goes on to describe the equality of men and women in great detail:

"And the believers, men and women, are protecting friends one of another; they enjoin the right and forbid the wrong, and they establish worship and they pay the poor-due, and they obey Allah and His messenger. As for these, Allah will have mercy on them. Lo! Allah is Mighty, Wise." (Surah 9, Verse 71)

" Whosoever doeth right, whether male or female, and is a believer, him or her verily we shall quicken with good life, and We shall pay them a recompense in proportion to the best of what they used to do." (Surah 16, Verse 97)

"If any do deeds of righteousness,- be they male or female - and have faith, they will enter Heaven, and not the least injustice will be done to them." (Surah 4, Verse 124)

"And their Lord hath heard them (and He saith): Lo! I suffer not the work of any worker, male or female, to be lost. Ye proceed one from another." (Surah 3, Verse 195)

And there is one verse which stands out when dealing with the issue of how Islam apparently treats women. This verse should be quoted to all Muslims and non-Muslims who feel that Islam is oppresive towards women, that they are somehow inferior to men:

"For Muslim men and 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 humble themselves, 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, and for men and women who engage much in Allah's praise,- for them has Allah prepared forgiveness and great reward." (Surah 33, Verse 35)

These verses were revealed in the 7th Century to an area of the world where women were being treated worse than animals. Such equality and values placed on both men and women were unheard of at that time. Compare with Europe, where only in the 16th Century, Christian scholars in France after long discussions decided that "a woman is a human being, but made to serve man." In England it was not until about 1850 that women were counted in the national population census.

It was as late as 1882 for a British law to pass that granted women the right to decide how their own incomes should be spent, instead of handing it over to their husbands. Islam, fourteen centuries ago, guaranteed the total financial independence of Muslim women; their right to own and dispose of property, to conduct business and trade without having to check with anyone. "To men is allotted what they earn, and to women what they earn: But ask Allah of His bounty. For Allah hath full knowledge of all things." (Surah 4, Verse 32)

Many Muslims try to claim that women are inferior to men in Islam. They argue that a woman's testimony is worth half that of a man's and therefore women are worth less then men. This all stems from a particular verse in the Quran, which unsurprisingly has been taken out of context:

"O ye who believe! When ye deal with each other, in transactions involving future obligations in a fixed period of time, reduce them to writing Let a scribe write down faithfully as between the parties: let not the scribe refuse to write: as Allah Has taught him, so let him write. Let him who incurs the liability dictate, but let him fear His Lord Allah, and not diminish aught of what he owes. If they party liable is mentally deficient, or weak, or unable Himself to dictate, Let his guardian dictate faithfully, and get two witnesses, out of your own men, and if there are not two men, then a man and two women, such as ye choose, for witnesses, so that if one of them errs, the other can remind her." (Surah 2, Verse 282)

This verse specifically refers to the dealings of business transactions, nothing else. At the time women were not allowed to testify at all. Islam gave them the right to testify in court, in business deals. Using that as a starting point, it is true that the Quran has instructed the believers dealing in financial transactions to get two male witnesses or one male and two female witnesses. Islam asks for this because at the time in the 7th Century, women were not experienced in being involved in such transactions, it was not their usual environment. However, the verse firstly asks for two male witnesses - it is not sufficient to have just one witness (male or female), and to equate from this that a woman's testimony across the board (not just in business transactions) is inferior to a man's is ludicrous.

If you want to play the numbers game this way, you can then flip it on its head by stating that not only is a woman's testimony equal to a man's, it can also nullify a man's testimony and even be worth four times that of a mans. When it comes to the far more sensitive issues of divorce and adultery, the woman's testimony is far more important in the Quran:

"As for those who accuse their wives but have no witnesses except themselves; let the testimony of one of them be four testimonies, (swearing) by Allah that he is of those who speak the truth. And yet a fifth, invoking the curse of Allah on him if he is of those who lie. But it would avert the punishment from the wife, if she bears witness four times (with an oath) By Allah, that (her husband) is telling a lie. And a fifth (time) that the wrath of Allah be upon her if he speaketh truth." (Surah 24, Verses 6-11)

If a woman denies her husband's accusation of unchastity, then she is not considered guilty. Similarly when it comes to the grave sin of adultery, the Quran describes:

"And those who accuse honourable women but bring not four witnesses, scourge them (with) eighty stripes and never (afterward) accept their testimony - They indeed are evil-doers" (Surah 24, Verse 4)

In this situation, four witnesses are needed to testify against a woman charged with adultery. One woman's testimony is worth that of four men. Accusations of adultery or unchastity are much more morally significant than business transactions. Two female witnesses are required in the latter simply because at the time of revelation it was not a field women were experienced in. The debate should be as to whether the ruling needs to be modified for the 21st century, not that it means women are inferior to men. If four men are required to prove the charge of adultery against one woman, anyone want to argue that women are four times superior to men (apart from the women readers!)? Islam and the Quran does not suggest that women are inferior to men.

Another important issue which again tries to indicate that women are inferior to men, is the issue of wife-beating. In many Muslim countries and in the UK, Muslim husbands try to claim that they have a right to beat their wives - it has lead to many cases of domestic abuse and further claims about how Islam oppresses women. It all stems from the following Quranic verse:

"As to those women on whose part ye fear disloyalty and ill-conduct, admonish them (first), (Next), refuse to share their beds, (And last) beat them (daraba) (lightly); but if they return to obedience, seek not against them means (of annoyance): For Allah is Most High, great (above you all)." (Surah 4, Verse 34)

Firstly the word 'daraba' has over 25 different meanings, "to beat" is just one possible interpretation and conveniently also the most oppressive, aggressive sounding. Secondly, everyone is quick to rush into the beating aspect of the verse, but what about the prior instructions to admonish and refuse to share beds, is that ever carried out? Thirdly, if we are to accept that it means "to beat," as Laleh Bakhtiar explains in her book, The Sublime Quran, there are further verses in the Quran which appear to contradict this instruction:

"When ye divorce women, and they fulfil the term of their ('Iddat), either take them back on equitable terms or set them free on equitable terms; but do not take them back to injure them, (or) to take undue advantage; if any one does that; He wrongs his own soul. Do not treat Allah's Signs as a jest, but solemnly rehearse Allah's favours on you, and the fact that He sent down to you the Book and Wisdom, for your instruction. And fear Allah, and know that Allah is well acquainted with all things." (Surah 2, Verse 231)

"And among His Signs is this, that He created for you mates from among yourselves, that ye may dwell in tranquillity with them, and He has put love and mercy between your (hearts): verily in that are Signs for those who reflect." (Surah 30, Verse 21)

The first verse above seems to indicate that a woman is treated better after divorce than in marriage, even though it is far more important to try and save a marriage rather than resort to a divorce - an act that is advised as a last resort in Islam. The husband may not hold back his wife from divorce by hurting, harming, injuring her or using force against her. The second verse clearly describes and encourages love and mercy between a married couple, where would "beating" fit in there?

Most importantly, if it does mean "to beat," it was an act never carried out by the Holy Prophet, and he had a few dodgy wives. In-fact, in many books of hadith the Holy Prophet has been quoted as saying "could any of you beat your wife as he would a slave, and then lie with her in the evening?" One can argue that the verse carries an instruction that although not carried out by the Prophet, does not mean that it is not allowed. However, we are also followers of the Sunnah of the Prophet and since he never carried out this instruction, us followers should also resist.

Laleh Bakhtiar goes on to argue that what makes far more sense is the interpretation of 'daraba' as "to go away." Using "to beat" as the interpretation goes against the moral and legal principles the Holy Quran, it makes far more sense to read "admonish them, then refuse to share their beds and lastly go away from them." When reading the Quran as a whole and not cherry-picking verses, the idea that men are allowed to beat their wives is abhorrent and wrong.

Now, it is true to say that today far too many women are condemned in the Muslim world, and in the developing world as a whole, but this is not due to Islam. It is due to the neglect of religious injunctions, the neglect of Islamic morality and the adoption of pre-Islamic ignorance by so-called Muslim leaders, so-called Muslim governments, so-called Muslim societies. The general treatment of women across the Muslim world goes completely against Islamic teachings. We have to start putting our prejudices and our ignorance to one side. We have to open our eyes to the realities of Islam, to the teachings of the Quran and to the life example of the Holy Prohpet. Now you know why I quoted George Bernard Shaw at the beginning of this piece.

Outside of the Holy Quran, we Muslims and we Shias in particular have the example of three great women, all of whom were unique in their own way. First is the example if Bibi Khadija, "Ummul-Momineen", mother of the believers and the first and favourite wife of the Holy Prophet. She was a wealthy businesswomen who dedicated all her money, material possession, to fund and support her husband as he started on his mission to spread the message of Islam. It would not have been possible without Bibi Khadija. He was married to her for more than 25 years and in that time did not marry anyone else.

The other two examples are her daughter and grand-daughter respectively. Bibi Fatima's (a.s.) status can best be exemplified by a hadith narrated by Bibi Aisha, who said that when the Holy Prophet would come to see Bibi Fatima (a.s.), she would stand up, kiss him and then seat him where she had been sitting. Nothing strange about this as all daughters should do the same. Bibi Aisha went on to say that when Bibi Fatima (a.s.) visited the Holy Prophet, he would immediately rise to his feet, kiss her and seat her where he had been sitting. Our Holy Prophet would stand whenever Bibi Fatima (a.s.) entered the room out of respect for her status, not as his daugther but as the mistress of the women of Paradise, as the most perfect of women.

Bibi Fatima (a.s.) is the centre of the Ahlul-Bayt, the Household of the Prophet. She is the axis of the Ahlul-Bayt in a way which no other memeber can ever claim to be. She was the daughter of the Holy Prophet, wife of Imam Ali (a.s.) as well as the mother of Imams Hasan (a.s.) and Hussain (a.s.). Thus, despite being the only woman in the Ahlul-Bayt, it is Bibi Fatima (a.s.) who unites the "Fourteen Infallibles" together.

Lastly, Bibi Zainab, grand-daughter of the Holy Prophet ensured that the Islam we follow and practice today was preserved after the tragic events of Kerbala. Along with the 4th Holy Imam, she stood up to the persecution by the so-called Muslim leader at the time, the tyrant Yazid (may Allah curse him), and ensured that the message of the Holy Prophet lived on. The religion of Islam was saved thanks mainly to the actions of the women of Imam Hussain's (a.s.) camp, following his martyrdom.

Islam does not oppress women, but unfortunately Muslims do. The Quran does not promote violence or aggression towards women, but unfortunately Muslims do. I cannot defend the actions of these Muslim countries and Muslim societies, but I can rightly highlight how it goes against the teachings of Islam. People will continue to argue about how Muslim men oppress women and they are right to do so. It is our responsibility to not only educate them about Islam but to educate ourselves and promote the true Islam and condemn the actions of the Muslim societies/communities who try to advocate that what they are doing is Islamic when it is the exact opposite. As with a lot of issues facing Muslims today, we need to correct ourselves and our actions in order to present the true Islam. Easier said than done. It is not all doom and gloom however, as a lot of women are converting to Islam despite all the apparent oppression. They are thankfully able to see through the actions of Muslims and evaluate and appreciate the true teachings of Islam.