Debunked! 5 Myths About Muslim Women
For more on this topic, see Does Islam Oppress Women? 5 Myths Animation Series
Concerns are often raised about the status of women in Islamic law. Misrepresentations and misconceptions about how women are treated by the shari’ah are often used to advance the notion that Islam is misogynistic.
By delving into the historic and contemporary nature and application of Islamic law, this infographic provides clarity, background, and explanation on five of the most common misrepresentations of Islamic law as they relate to women. It is adapted from the research paper Women in Islamic Law: Examining Five Prevalent Myths by Nazir Khan, Tesneem Alkiek, and Safiah Chowdhury.
Does Qur’an 4:34 justify violence against women?
This verse cannot be used to justify violence against women
“Men are the caretakers of women, as men have been provisioned by Allah over women and tasked with supporting them financially. And righteous women are devoutly obedient and, when alone, protective of what Allah has entrusted them with. And if you fear rebellion from your women, advise them [first], [if they persist], do not share their beds, [but if they still persist], then discipline them. But if they change their ways, do not be unjust to them. Surely Allah is Most High, All-Great.”
Qur’an 4:34
This verse cannot be used to justify violence against women, because:
- The Qur’an is always to be understood based on the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. Interpretation of the Qur’an is not left to people’s whims and desires.
- Ibn Abbas, the Prophet’s ﷺ cousin and foremost commentator on the Qur’an, explained the last resort in this verse as a symbolic gesture and not a call for physical violence.
- Ataa ibn Abi Rabah (d. 114H / 732CE), the student of Ibn Abbas and famous early Makkan jurist, understood this and therefore said about this verse, “A man does not hit his wife, but rather he simply expresses that he is upset with her.”
- Historical court records demonstrate that Muslim judges routinely ruled that husbands who caused physical harm to their wives were to be punished.
Qur’anic verses cannot be interpreted in isolation while ignoring the fundamental values of Islam established in other Qur’anic passages and the life of the Prophet ﷺ.
The facts
Islam affirms that marriage must be based on love and mercy
“And amongst God’s signs is that He created for you spouses from amongst you and placed between you love and mercy.”
Qur’an 30:21
Islam unequivocally condemns all forms of cruelty and abuse
“There is to be no harm nor reciprocating of harm.”
Prophet Muhammad ﷺ (Sunan Ibn Majah 2341)
“None hits except the worst amongst you (shirarukum).”
Prophet Muhammad ﷺ (Suyuti, Jami al-Saghir 1088)
Domestic violence is explicitly forbidden in Islam
“Do not strike the female servants of God.”
Prophet Muhammad ﷺ (Sunan Abi Dawud 2146)
“Do not hit [women] and do not revile [women].”
Prophet Muhammad ﷺ (Sunan Abi Dawud 2144)
The Prophet ﷺ never abused his wives in any form
His wife Aisha (ra) said he “never once hit a servant, a woman, nor struck anything with his hand.”
Sunan Ibn Majah 2060
“How could any of you strike his wife like striking a stallion camel and then hope to embrace her?”
Prophet Muhammad ﷺ (Sahih Bukhari 6042)
Islam enjoins kindness between spouses, not violence.
Can Muslim women initiate divorce?
Two of the three can be initiated by the wife.
There are multiple types of legal divorce in Islam: talaq, tafriq / faskh, and khul’. Two of the three can be initiated by the wife.
1. Talaq طَلَاق
Leads to the immediate dissolution of marriage.
Caveats
- The husband can delegate the power of initiating divorce to his wife.
- A woman can stipulate in her marriage contract the right to divorce.
- Divorced women are entitled to financial maintenance until the end of the waiting period.
- The ex-husband is required to pay child support, regardless of custody.
2. Tafriq / Faskh فَسْخ / تَفْرِيق
Dissolution of marriage through a judicial process.
Caveats
- The wife can keep her dower.
- The ex-husband is required to maintain her living expenses until the end of the waiting period.
- The ex-husband is required to pay child support, regardless of custody.
3. Khul’ خُلْع
Annulment of marriage in exchange for returning the dower.
Caveats
- The wife must return the dower upon divorce.
- A judge is not always required in divorce proceedings.
Women have assured protections in marriage and ways to seek divorce and separation.
Is a woman’s testimony worth half of a man’s?
Reliability was based on experience, not gender
“You who believe, when you contract a debt for a stated term, put it in writing… call in two men as witnesses. If two men are not there, then call one man and two women out of those you approve as witnesses, so that if one of the two women forget [or err], the other can remind her.”
Qur’an 2:282
Does this verse imply women are inherently less reliable than men? No, because:
1. Women were heavily involved in riwayah, or hadith narration
- Narrations of the actual words and actions of the Prophet ﷺ.
- The second major source of Islamic law, after the Qur’an.
- Male and female narrations were equally reliable, based only on (1) integrity and (2) reliable memory.
- Narration required the greatest care and need for reliability in testimony.
- Aisha, the wife of the Prophet ﷺ, was among the top five narrators of hadith.
2. Reliability was based on experience, not gender
- In the socio-cultural context of the time, men were generally more involved in the public realm (economic and political spheres).
- Women were generally more experienced in the private realm (domestic spheres).
- Female testimony was deemed superior in areas women were more involved in.
- Some scholars determined that the substitution of two women for a man was only intended to be applied to certain areas of law, and not even in all financial matters.
- Mu’awiyah once passed a judgement concerning housing based on the sole testimony of Umm Salamah.
“It is from the nature of the human being (tab’ al-bashar), whether male or female, that their memory will be stronger for matters that are of importance to them and with which they are more abundantly involved.”
Tafsir al-Manar
“And there is no doubt that the strength of evidence from the testimony of righteous women like Umm Darda or Umm Attiya is stronger than the strength of testimony from any ordinary man.”
Ibn al-Qayyim
Islam does not consider a woman’s testimony inherently less than that of a man.
Do Islamic inheritance laws favor men over women?
Islamic inheritance laws are based in a larger, complex system of Islamic finance, grounded in financial responsibility.
“Allah instructs you concerning your children: for the male, [inheritance is] what is equal to the share of two females. But if there are [only] daughters, two or more, for them is two-thirds of one’s estate. And if there is only one, for her is half…”
Qur’an 4:11
Does this verse mean that men always receive more than women? No, because:
Islamic inheritance laws are based in a larger, complex system of Islamic finance, grounded in financial responsibility.
| Women’s share compared to men’s | Number of situations |
|---|---|
| Women inherit less than men | 4 |
| Women inherit equal to men | 10 |
| Women inherit more than men | 16 |
All instances where there is a discrepancy between male and female heirs are due to either a difference in proximity or rank in relationship to the deceased, or the responsibility to financially provide for one another.
Islamic law also has the capacity to account for unique financial circumstances through the concept of wasiyyah (bequest). The objective of the distribution of wealth is to equalize all recipients amongst the deceased’s family, and to treat women with justice and dignity.
Islam was the first religion to assign inheritance to a woman, and her share is determined by her responsibilities, not her gender.
Does Islam call for men to oppress women through polygamy?
This verse did not establish or encourage polygyny: it restricted it to encourage fair treatment of women.
“And if you fear that you shall not be able to deal justly with the orphans, marry women of your choice, two, or three, or four; but if you fear that you shall not be able to deal justly (with them), then only one, or that which your right hands possess. That will be more suitable, to prevent you from doing injustice.”
Qur’an 4:3
Does this verse call for polygamy?
- Polygamy, or more accurately polygyny, is a practice that predates Islam and was prevalent in pre-Islamic Arabia. This verse did not establish or encourage polygyny: it restricted it to encourage fair treatment of women.
- “It was the custom of the Arabs, who had under their custody beautiful and rich orphan girls, to marry them without offering their fair dower.” (Aisha, ra) This verse ensured the protection of orphans at risk of abuse by their male guardians by terminating the practice of taking advantage of orphans.
- This verse stipulates that multiple wives must be treated fairly, and verse 4:129 shows men can never be perfectly fair. If the wives cannot naturally be treated fairly, then the Qur’an is indirectly stating that monogamy is preferred.
- Islam placed restrictions on polygamy in order to ensure justice for women. Women are allowed to stipulate monogamy in the marriage contract.
The objectives of the verse are clear
- Ensure fairness and protection for women.
- Regulate the practice of polygamy by removing potential avenues of abuse and equating it with noble goals and added responsibilities.
Where the above intent is not met, polygyny is discouraged and/or forbidden entirely.
Polygamy is not exclusive to Islam, nor even a predominantly Muslim practice
| Community | Polygamous |
|---|---|
| Muslims | 5.7% |
| Hindus | 5.8% |
| Buddhists | 7.9% |
| Jains | 6.7% |
| Adivasis | 15.25% |
Source: Muslim women and the surprising facts about polygamy in India, Scroll.in.
| Country | Polygamous |
|---|---|
| Republic of Congo | 31.9% |
| Zambia | 16% |
| Uganda | 15.8% |
| Central African Republic | 13.3% |
| Jordan | 3.8% |
| Iran | less than 1% |
Source: Michèle Tertilt, Polygyny and Poverty, Job Market Paper, University of Minnesota, 2003.
In the United States, an estimated 9.8 million people are in polyamorous relationships.
Source: Elisabeth Sheff, “How Many Polyamorists Are There in the U.S.?”, Psychology Today, May 10, 2014.
The predominance of polygyny in certain regions of Sub-Saharan Africa has been linked to the historical transatlantic slave trade rather than to religion.
Source: Dalton and Leung, “Why Is Polygyny More Prevalent in Western Africa? An African Slave Trade Perspective”, Economic Development and Cultural Change, Volume 62, Number 4, July 2014.
Polygamy is a practice that predates Islam. It is not strongly associated with any religion, but varies geographically and historically based on culture.
Islam did not introduce polygamy; rather, it restricted it with noble goals and regulations that ensure fair treatment.
Islam’s position on women has been one of its most frequently misrepresented aspects.
Islam’s foundation is built on the concept of justice1, and the Qur’an is explicit that God does not discriminate between genders2. The Prophet’s ﷺ emphasis on women’s rights was so central to his call that he reiterated it in his famous farewell sermon: “My parting counsel to you is to treat women with kindness for verily they are your partners and committed helpers.”
Serious progress in the realm of women’s rights will require setting aside preconceived notions, stereotyped tropes, and slogans, and listening to the experiences of Muslim women of all backgrounds.
- Ibn al-Qayyim writes, “For verily, God sent His Messengers and revealed His Scriptures so that humanity may establish justice.”
- “I will not lose sight of any who labors in My Way, whether male or female, you are of one another.” (Qur’an 3:195)
Continue exploring
- Read the research paper: Women in Islamic Law: Examining Five Prevalent Myths
- Watch the animation series: Does Islam Oppress Women? 5 Myths Animation Series
- Explore the topic: What Islam Says About Women