misconceptions about women in islam

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i`ll quote some of the points mentioned in the letter & show you the
Islamic rule on them :


-"The Koran allots daughters half the inheritance of sons. It decrees
that a woman's testimony in court, at least in financial matters, is
worth half that of a man's.
Under Shari'a, or Muslim law, compensation for the murder of a woman
is half the going rate for men."

about the inheritance issue :
First, the principle of women inheriting half the money is only
applicable in 45 percent of the cases. In the other 55 percent, women
inherit the same amount or sometimes even more. For example, a mother
and a father each inherit the sixth of their son's property when they
are not the only inheritors.

In addition, the laws of inheritance in Islam are proportional to the
duties of spending. Indeed, a man in Islam has the responsibility of
supporting his family, his brother's children (when his brother dies),
his parents (when they retire and do not have an income), his children
from his previous marriage (if he has them) and his household,
including his wife and children. A woman, on the other hand, does not
bear this responsibility. She has the freedom to use the money she
collects from her dowry or work as she pleases.

You might object here, saying that women today are working and helping
their husbands pay the expenses, which entitles them to share equality
with men. In fact, you should know that women's economic assistance to
their husbands, which has become the norm today, is only an answer to
the females' wishes. Islam does not oblige women to spend on their
households. It is a free choice many women have themselves taken today
to feel more liberated, so it does not entitle them to a bigger
portion of the inheritance.

about the testimony of a woman :

[ 2:282] O you who believe, when you transact a loan for any period,
you shall write it down. An impartial scribe shall do the
writing. ........ Two men shall serve as witnesses; if not two men,
then a man and two women whose testimony is acceptable to all. Thus,
if one woman becomes biased, the other will remind her. It is the
obligation of the witnesses to testify when called upon to do
so. ...... Financial transactions are the ONLY situations where two
women may substitute for one man as witness. This is to guard against
the real possibility that one witness may marry the other witness, and
thus cause her to be biased. It is a recognized fact that women are
more emotionally vulnerable than men. If the woman as a witness was
worth half that of a man, the verse would have stated so clearly. But
obviously that is not the case. Women's testimony in all other matters
are equal to that of a man or even supersedes his testimony as in the
case of a wife testifying against her accusation of adultery

about compensation for the murder of a woman is half the going rate
for men
This is totally false as both men and women are equally treated and
compensated according to the Quran. Such laws are found in the
fabricated books of Hadiths and Sunna and they are not the laws of God
in the Quran

2-178 "O you who believe! retaliation is prescribed for you in the
matter of the slain, the free for the free, and the slave for the
slave, and the female for the female, but if any remission is made to
any one by his (aggrieved) brother, then prosecution (for the
bloodwit) should be made according to usage, and payment should be
made to him in a good manner; this is an alleviation from your Lord
and a mercy; so whoever exceeds the limit after this he shall have a
painful chastisement. "
"For a woman to prove rape in Pakistan, for example, four adult males

of "impeccable" character must witness the penetration, in
accordance with Shari'a."
i guess that you should the verse from the quran to realize that it
has been twisted in your quote :
islam stood by the side of the woman if she`s been accused of
adultary, & the witnesses must be at least four to say such word about
her, but your quote is totally untrue & is not even in the quran , you
can read the whole quran & won`t find such thing , the real case is :
24-4 "And those who accuse free women then do not bring four
witnesses, flog them, (giving) eighty stripes, and do not admit any
evidence from them ever; and these it is that are the transgressors, "
24-5 "Except those who repent after this and act aright, for surely
Allah is Forgiving, Merciful. "

"In Islam, women can have only one spouse, while men are permitted
four."
read the verse about having more than one wife, very carefully. [4:3]
"And if you fear that you cannot act equitably towards orphans, then
marry such women as seem good to you, two and three and four; but if
you fear that you will not do justice (between them), then (marry)
only one or what your right hands possess; this is more proper, that
you may not deviate from the right course. "

What does it say? And what do you understand from it?

Man Supports And Protects Women
Do you understand that one must take on the role of supporter,
protector, provider, custodian and servant to the family (man's role)?

Woman Gives Birth - Raises Children

One must take on the role of carrying the child and delivering it and
then feeding it and raising it to become a true servant of Allah
(woman's role).

Not Equal - But Treated Fairly In Justice
Men and women are not the same nor are they "equal" as some folks
would have us believe. Whatever is on one side of an 'equals' sign
must be exactly the same as what is on the other side without any
difference in value, only in the way that it is expressed. How then
could we say that a man, who is unable to conceive or give birth and
then breast feed a baby is the equal to a woman who can?

Equal In Faith And Actions
They are equal in their beliefs and good deeds of course. But still
they are not the same as each other. Each one must fulfill their role
as humans.

Children's Rights Protected
Islam is also very much about rights. Children also have rights in
Islam. When a man dies his wealth is left to his family. How could the
court know who to give the wealth of a man, if he was one of several
husbands to a woman? How would a child know who his father was? No
society ever supported the concept of a woman being married to two or
more men at the same time.

Women's Right - Best Treatment
Almost every society supported the concept of a man having more than
one woman. Yet, they did not limit the number nor did they provide the
protection and maintenance that Islam insists on for each one. Islam
came to set things straight. Women were given rights. Men were
strictly ordered to treat their women with the very best of treatment.

Limit - Number in Marriage
When the verse was revealed the companions of Muhammad, peace be upon
him, did not run out with the attitude that they were going to get
four wives all of a sudden. Some of them already had much more than
that and these men had to divorce their wives, if they had more than
four. So this was not an order to go out and get four wives. It was an
order to begin limitations. And the first limitation was; No more than
four.

Limit - Equal Maintenance and Treatment
Second, the limitation of equal treatment for all of them. How could a
man keep more than one wife unless he was exceedingly wealthy and/or
exceedingly strong and virile?

Next, the limitation very clearly states; ".. but if you fear that you
shall not be able to deal justly (with them) then only one ..."
Woman's Right To Choose Any Husband She Likes -
Even If He Is Already Married
One very important point that is often overlooked by modern society is
the right that Islam gave to women which isn`t given to men. A man is
limited to marry only from the woman who is not already married.
Obviously, this provides rights for the children and the right to
inherit from the father. But Islam also permits the women to marry a
man who is already married to protect her in a society where the
number of women outnumbers the population of men. Additionally, the
woman has a large selection of men to choose from. In fact, she has
the right to choose from any man in the community as long as he does
not already have four wives. She also has the opportunity to see how
the other wife was being treated and go into a marriage knowing
exactly what to expect from her husband. After all, he must treat her
in the same way as he is treating the other wife.

Women Need Husbands - Allah Provided the Answer
The prophet, peace be upon him, predicted that in the Last Days the
women would outnumber the men to a great extent. Today we are seeing
this become a reality all over the world. Allah has already provided
for us for this occasion. After all, He is the One who makes it all
happen and He already knew that many women would come into Islam in
these days. He also knew many of the Muslim men would be killed or die
at an early age, just as it is happening these days. Allah these women
need husbands. Allah has given us the solution to all of life's
problems.

"Muhammad's favorite wife, A'isha, according to her biographer, was
six when they wed, nine when the marriage was consummated. In Iran
the legal age for marriage is nine for girls, 14 for boys"
Allah has willed for this to happen in order to keep the sirah (life)
of prophet Mohammad pbuh alive even after his death, because she had
fresh memory at a young age , remembered everything, & she was the
first one in number of Hadiths (sayings & acts of prophet Mohammad
pbuh) she narrated.
The Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was
the last of the Prophets and the best of creation; and 'A'isha was a
very intelligent and observant young girl with a very good memory.
'A'isha (may Allah be pleased with her) spent the next nine years of
her life with the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him),
and she grew into womanhood, she remembered all that she saw and heard
with great clarity, for to be the wife of the Prophet was even more
than extraordinary. So much happened around him - the Quran continued
to be revealed, verses by verses, and people's hearts were constantly
being turned over and transformed, including hers and she was a
witness of so much of all that took place. It is not surprising,
therefore, that a great deal of the knowledge that we still have
today, about how the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon
him) lived and behaved, was first remembered and then taught to others
by 'A'isha. It is thanks to this exceptional marriage, between a man
nearing the end of his life and a woman still near the beginning of
hers, that we know so much about the both of them

"Wives in Islamic societies face great difficulty in suing for

divorce, but husbands can be released from their vows virtually on
demand, in some places merely by saying "I divorce you" three
times."
a wife can demand for a divorce if she does not like her husband for
any reason. She can do so giving him back the bridal money he gave
her. This is lawful as proved in the Qur'an and the prophetic
narration: Allaah says (which means): {... Then if you fear that they
would not be able to keep the limits ordained by Allaah, then there is
no sin on either of them if she gives back (the Mahr or a part of it)
for her Al-Khul' (divorce).}[2: 229] , this case is called "Khulu"
The Prophet said to the wife of Thaabit Ibn Qays "Will you return his
garden?" She said, "Yes", then the Prophet ordered Thaabit to accept
the garden and divorce her." [al-Bukhaari]</SPAN>
</SPAN>the same case if a man divorces his wife, he has to pay for
her.


""Islam supposedly gives me the right to divorce,"
she says. "But what about my rights afterward?""
In Islam, the woman is not neglected after the divorce. Indeed
husbands are instructed to provide housing to the divorced wife until
her waiting period is completed

"Women's rights are compromised further by a section in the Koran,
sura 4:34, that has been interpreted to say that men have "pre-
eminence" over women or that they are "overseers" of women."

first let`s read the verse : 4-34 "Men are the protectors and
maintainers of women because of what Allah has preferred one with over
the other and because of what they spend to support them from their
wealth."

What does it mean that men are "protectors and maintainers" of women?
To answer this question, let us first look at the Arabic word that we
are translating as "protectors and maintainers". This word is
"qaww=E2m=FBn" the plural of "qaww=E2m".
This word - qaww=E2m - in turn, is an emphatic form of the word
"qayyim", which means a person who manages the affairs of others. The
qayyim of a people is the one who governs their affairs and steers
their course. Likewise, the qayyim of a woman is either her husband or
her guardian - the one who has to look after her and ensure that her
needs are met.
When Allah says: "Men are the qaww=E2m=FBn of women..." it means - and Allah
knows best - that men are held liable for handling the affairs of
women and are responsible for the women under their care. A husband,
therefore, has the responsibility of taking care of his wife,
protecting her, defending her honor, and fulfilling her needs
regarding her religion and her worldly life. It does not mean - as all
too many people have falsely assumed - that he has the right to behave
obstinately towards her, compel her, subject her to his will, suppress
her individuality, and thus heinously negate her identity.
His status as protector and maintainer is pure responsibility, pure
liability, and not so much a position of authority. It requires from
him that he uses his good sense, thinks carefully about what he does,
and exercises patience. It means that he cannot be hasty and offhanded
in his decisions. It does not mean that he can disregard his wife's
opinions and belittle her good person.

"beating is so prevalent in the Muslim world that social workers who
assist battered women in Egypt, for example, spend much of their time
trying to convince victims that their husbands' violent acts are
unacceptable."

this is what islam says :
prophet Mohammad pbuh said "Do not beat the female servants of Allah"

he said as well : "the best of you is the best to his wife"

he also said :"Some (women) visited my family complaining about their
husbands (beating them). These (husbands) are not the best of you."

In another Hadith the Prophet (p.b.u.h.) is reported to have said:
"How does anyone of you beat his wife as he beats the stallion camel
and then he may embrace (sleep with) her?"

" Each year hundreds of Muslim women die in "honor killings"-- murders
by husbands or male relatives of women suspected of disobedience,
usually a sexual indiscretion or marriage against the family's
wishes."

"There is no such concept in Islam that is called "honor killing".
Islam holds every soul in high esteem and does not allow any
transgression upon it. It does not allow people to take the law in
their own hands and administer justice, because doing so will be
leading to chaos and lawlessness. Therefore, based on this, Islam does
not permit such killings.

First of all, in order to sanction killing, it must be through a
binding verdict issued by an authoritative law court. Individuals
themselves have no authority either to judge cases or pass judgments.
Therefore, a Muslim should not sanction such killing because doing so
will be leading to the rule of the law of the jungle. A civilized
society cannot be run by such laws."


"Like all other religions, Islam strictly prohibits murder and killing
without legal justification. Allah, Most High, says, "Whoso slayeth a
believer of set purpose, his reward is Hell for ever. Allah is wroth
against him and He hath cursed him and prepared for him an awful
doom." (An-Nisa': 93)

The so-called "honor killing" is based on ignorance and disregard of
morals and laws, which cannot be abolished except by disciplinary
punishments.

"In Islam, there is no place for unjustifiable killing. Even in case
of capital punishment, only the government can apply the law through
the judicial procedures. No one has the authority to execute the law
other than the officers who are in charge.

Honor killing could be a wrong cultural tradition. It is unjust and
inhumane action. The murderer of that type deserves punishment."

"Female circumcision, also called female genital mutilation, is
another case

in point. It involves removing part or all of a girl's clitoris and
labia in an effort to reduce female sexual desire and thereby
preserve chastity."

female circumcision is more a cultural practice than a matter of
Islamic teachings. the had=EEth (sayings of prophet Mohammad pbuh) which
refer to the practice are all weak. The presence of that practice in
Egypt an Nubia up to this day is just a continuation of a practice
that has been around since the time of the Pharaohs. It is often hard
for people to give up deeply ingrained customs and cultural practiced.
They continue to be passed down from generation to generation.

Another example of the tenacity of custom is the practice among Indian
Muslims where the woman pays a dowry to the husband. This is a pre-
Islamic Indian custom that Islam declares false. Islam requires the
husband to pay a dowry to the wife. Nevertheless, this custom persists
among Muslims in both India and Pakistan, even though the history of
Islam in India goes back for many long centuries.

Likewise, Islam put an end to many pre-Islamic customs that
marginalized women and denied them their rights. It put an end to
people condemning each other's lineages. It put an end to the practice
of wailing at a person's burial. Nonetheless, these practices can
still be seen in some Muslim societies and are often regarded by the
people of those societies to be part and parcel of Islamic Law.

The Sh=E2fi`=EE school of law has been the prevalent legal school in Egypt
since its formative years. It may be that the scholars of the Sh=E2fi`=EE
school who promoted the view that female circumcision is obligatory
had been influenced by the prevailing culture of the region.

There is no evidence that this practice was widespread among the Pious
Predecessors. Moreover, the practice has never been prevalent in the
regions where Islam originated - Mecca and Madinah and the surrounding
areas of Arabia. It is extremely rare. If female circumcision had
truly been endorsed by Islamic Law, it would certainly have been
practiced and perpetuated in those regions. Only male circumcision is
practiced, due to the authentic evidence in the Sunnah that it is part
of the natural way (fitrah).

We conclude that female circumcision is merely a cultural practice
that has no prescribed Islamic ruling for it and that is supported by
no decisive ****ual evidence. It is simply a regional custom in the
places where it is practiced. We must then take into consideration
that many medical professionals consider it to have detrimental
affects for the girls who undergo the operation. On that basis, it
would be impermissible to allow this custom to continue. In Islamic
Law, preservation of the person - the life and bodily soundness of the
person - is a legal necessity. Anything that compromises this legal
necessity by bringing harm to the person is unlawful.

"They are required to cover their bodies--in varying degrees

in different places--for fear they might arouse the lust of men
other than their husbands.
But many Muslim women feel cultural and family pressure to cover
themselves."

Muslim women observe HIJAB (covering the head and the body) because
Allah has told them to do so.
"O Prophet, tell your wives and daughters and the believing women to
draw their outer garments around them (when they go out or are among
men). That is better in order that they may be known (to be Muslims)
and not annoyed..." (Qur'an 33:59)

Other secondary reasons include the requirement for modesty in both
men and women. Both will then be evaluated for intelligence and skills
instead of looks and sexuality. A Muslim school girl is quoted as
saying, "We want to stop men from treating us like sex objects, as
they have always done. We want them to ignore our appearance and to be
attentive to our personalities and mind. We want them to take us
seriously and treat us as equals and not just chase us around for our
bodies and physical looks." A Muslim woman who covers her head is
making a statement about her identity. Anyone who sees her will know
that she is a Muslim and has a good moral character. Many Muslim women
who cover are filled with dignity and self esteem; they are pleased to
be identified as a Muslim woman. As a chaste, modest, pure woman, she
does not want her sexuality to enter into interactions with men in the
smallest degree. A woman who covers herself is concealing her
sexuality but allowing her femininity to be brought out.


Often forgotten is the fact that modern Western dress is a new
invention. Looking at the clothing of women as recently as seventy
years ago, we see clothing similar to hijab. These active and hard-
working women of the West were not inhibited by their clothing which
consisted of long, full dresses and various types of head covering.
Muslim women who wear hijab do not find it impractical or interfering
with their activities in all levels and walks of life. Hijab is not
merely a covering dress but more importantly, it is behavior, manners,
speech and appearance in public. Dress is only one facet of the total
being. The basic requirement of the Muslim woman's dress apply to the
Muslim man's clothing with the difference being mainly in degree.
Modesty requires that the area between the navel and the knee be
covered in front of all people except the wife. The clothing of men
should not be like the dress of women, nor should it be tight or
provocative. A Muslim should dress to show his identity as a Muslim.
Men are not allowed to wear gold or silk. However, both are allowed
for women.
For both men and women, clothing requirements are not meant to be a
restriction but rather a way in which society will function in a
proper, Islamic manner


"Muslim countries tradition keeps ordinary women at home and off the
Street"

This also is not true. The social structure in the East where Islam
(Submission) prevails encourages the woman to make her house her first
priority but there is no prohibition whatsoever on women having to
work and earn their living. The Muslim (submitter) woman has been
given the privilege to earn money, the right to own property, to enter
into legal contracts and to manage all of her assets in any way she
pleases. She can hold a job or run her own business and no one has any
claim on her earnings including her husband. Historically, Muhammed's
first wife was a merchant who hired Muhammed to work for her. Muslim
women went along with their husbands, fathers and brothers during
battles to take care of the wounded and help in the back lines of the
troops..

"no right for woman to vote in islam"

This also is not true. Women in Islam (Submission) have the right to
vote, express their views on any public matter, run for an office and
even be the head of a state
Allah said in the Holy Quran :
60-12 "O Prophet! when believing women come to you giving you a pledge
that they will not associate aught with Allah, and will not steal, and
will not commit fornication, and will not kill their children, and
will not bring a calumny which they have forged of themselves, and
will not disobey you in what is good, accept their pledge, and ask
forgiveness for them from Allah; surely Allah is Forgiving, Merciful"
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