Rights of Women in Islam
When Islam was introduced 1400 years ago, it gave women a wide range of rights. These rights cover different aspects of a woman’s life, from spiritual equality to financial independence. Let us explore the essential rights that Islam gives to women.
Islam honors women as mothers.
Islam gives much respect to women. It regards women as mothers who should be respected, obeyed, and treated well. A pleasing mother is part of pleasing Allah. Islam tells us that heaven is at the mother’s feet, meaning the best way to reach heaven is through the mother.
Furthermore, Islam forbids disobeying the mother or offending her, even by uttering a mildly disrespectful word. The mother’s rights are more important than the father’s, and the duty of care increases as the mother grows older and weaker.
Honoring parents in the Quran
All of that is mentioned in many texts of the Quran and Sunnah Prophetic traditions).
For example, Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“And We have enjoined on man to be dutiful and kind to his parents” [al-Ahqaf 46:15]
“And your Lord has decreed that you worship none but Him. Moreover, it would help if you were considerate of your parents. If one or both of them attain old age in your life, say not to them a word of disrespect, nor shout at them, but address them in terms of honor.
Moreover, lower unto them the wing of submission and humility through mercy, and say: ‘My Lord! Bestow on them Your Mercy as they did bring me up when I was young” [al-Isra 17:23, 24]
Honoring parents in the Sunnah
Ibn Majah (2781) narrated that Mu’awiyah ibn Jahimiah al-Sulami (may Allah be pleased with him) said: I came to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and said: O Messenger of Allah, I want to go for jihad (battle) with you, seeking thereby the Face of Allah and the Hereafter. He said, “Woe to you! Is your mother still alive?” I said, Yes. He said, “Go back and honor her.” Then I approached him from the other side and said: O Messenger of Allah, I want to go for jihad with you, seeking thereby the Face of Allah and the Hereafter. He said, “Woe to you! Is your mother still alive?” I said, Yes. He said, “Go back and honor her.” Then I approached him from in front and said, O Messenger of Allah, I want to go for jihad with you, seeking thereby the Face of Allah and the Hereafter. He said, “Woe to you! Is your mother still alive?” I said, Yes. He said, “Go back and honor her (lit. stay by her feet), for there is Paradise.” (Classed as sahih by al-Albani in Sahih Sunan Ibn Majah. Al-Nasai also narrated it with the words: “Stay with her for Paradise is beneath her feet.”)
Al-Bukhari (5971) and Muslim (2548) narrated that Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: A man came to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and said: “O Messenger of Allah, who is most deserving of my good company?” He said: “Your mother.” He said: “Then who?” He said: “Your mother.” He said: “Then who?” He said: “Your mother.” He said: “Then who?” He said: “Then your father.”
Moreover, there are other texts which we require more room to mention here.
Obligation on sons to spend on their mothers
One of the rights that Islam gives to a mother is that her son should spend on her if he needs it, as long as he can afford it. Therefore, for many centuries, it was unheard of among the people of Islam for a mother to be left in a nursing home, to be kicked out of the house for a son, or for her sons to refuse to spend on her. He would have needed to work for food if his sons were there.
Islam honors women as wives.
Islam provokes the husband to treat his wife in a good and kind manner and says that the wife has rights over the husband, like his rights over her, except that he has a degree over her because of his responsibility of spending and taking care of the family’s affairs.
Islam states that the best of the Muslim men is the one who treats his wife in the best manner, and the man is forbidden to take his wife’s money without her consent. Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“and live with them honorably” [al-Nisa 4:19]
“And they (women) have rights similar (to those of their husbands) over them to what is reasonable, but men have a degree (of responsibility) over them. And Allah is All-Mighty, All-Wise” [al-Baqarah 2:228]
And the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “I urge you to treat women well.” (Narrated by al-Bukhari, 331; Muslim, 1468)
And the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “The best of you is the one who is best to his wife, and I am the best of you to my wives.” (Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 3895; Ibn Majah, 1977; classed as sahih by al-Albani in Sahih al-Tirmidhi)
Islam honors women as daughters.
Moreover, Islam honors women as daughters and encourages us to grow them nicely and educate them. Islam states that raising daughters will bring a great reward. For example, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Whoever takes care of two girls until they reach adulthood, he and I will come like this on the Day of Resurrection,” and he held his fingers together. (Narrated by Muslim, 2631)
Ibn Majah (3669) narrated that ‘Uqbah ibn’ Amir (may Allah be pleased with him) said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) say: “Whoever has three daughters and is patient towards them, and feeds them, gives them to drink and clothes them from his riches, they will be a shield for him from the Fire on the Day of Resurrection.” (Classed as sahih by al-Albani in Sahih Ibn Majah)
Islam honors women as sisters and aunts.
Islam honors women as sisters and as aunts. Islam urges supporting kinship ties and forbids severing those ties in many texts. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “O people! Spread (the greeting of) salam, offer food (to the needy), uphold the ties of kinship, and pray at night when people are sleeping, and you will enter Paradise in peace.” (Narrated by Ibn Majah, 3251; classed as sahih by al-Albani in Sahih Ibn Majah)
Al-Bukhari (5988) narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Allah, may He be exalted, said to the ties of kinship: ‘Whoever upholds you, I will support him, and whoever breaks you, I will cut him off.'”
All of these qualities may coexist in a single woman: she may be a wife, a daughter, a mother, a sister, or an aunt, and she may be honored in all these ways.
Women enjoy these rights in Islam.
To conclude, Islam elevated the status of women and made them equal to men in most rulings. Therefore, like men, women are commanded to believe in Allah and worship Him. Furthermore, women are equal to men in terms of reward in the Hereafter. Women have the right to express themselves, to give sincere advice, to enjoin what is good and forbid what is evil, and to call people to Allah. Women have the right to own property, buy and sell, inherit, give charity, and give gifts. It is not permissible for anyone to take a woman’s wealth without her consent.
Women have the right to a decent life without facing aggression or being wronged. Women have the right to be educated; it is obligatory to teach them what they need to know about their religion.
Anyone who compares women’s rights in Islam with their situation during the Jahiliyyah (pre-Islamic days of ignorance) or in other civilizations will understand that what we are saying is true. We are sure that women are given the most incredible honor in Islam.
Rights of women in other civilizations There is no need to mention the situation of women in Greek, Persian, or Jewish society. However, even Christian societies had a bad attitude towards women. Theologians even met at the Council of Macon to discuss whether a woman was simply a body or a body with a soul. They thought that women most likely did not have a soul that could be saved and made an exception only in the case of Mary (Maryam, peace be upon her).
The French held a conference in 586 AD to discuss whether women had souls and, if so, whether these souls were animals or humans. In the end, they decided that they were human. However, they were created to serve only men.
During Henry VIII’s reign, the English Parliament issued a decree prohibiting women from reading the New Testament because they were considered impure.
Until 1805, English law allowed a man to sell his wife and set the wife’s price at sixpence.
In the modern era, women were thrown out of their homes at eighteen to start working and earn a bite to eat. If a woman wanted to stay in the house, she had to pay her parent’s rent for her room, food, and clothing. (See `Awdat al-Hijab, 2/47-56)
How can we compare this with Islam, which commands honoring and treating women well and spending on them?
Have the rights of women in Islam been neglected?
The basic principles regarding the changes in these rights have remained the same throughout the ages. However, there can be no doubt that during the golden age of Islam, Muslims applied the Sharia (Islamic law of their Lord) more. The rules of this Sharia include honoring the mother and treating the wife, daughter, sister, and women in general in a kind manner. The more religious commitment weakened, the more these rights were neglected, but until the Day of Resurrection, there will continue to be a group who adhere to their religion and apply the Sharia (laws) of their Lord. These people honor women more and grant them their rights.
Despite the weakness of religious commitment among many Muslims today, women still enjoy a high status, whether as daughters, wives, or sisters. At the same time, we recognize shortcomings, wrongdoings, and neglect of women’s rights among some people, and each will be responsible for himself.
Furthermore, Allah knows best.