In every era, misconceptions about women’s rights in Islam have circulated — often shaped by culture, politics, or misinformation. Yet the Sharī‘ah, when properly understood, stands as one of the earliest and most comprehensive systems recognizing women’s dignity, independence, and moral worth.
It defines her rights as divinely granted, not socially negotiated.
Women’s Rights Under Sharī‘ah: Facts vs. Myths
1. Myth: Sharī‘ah Devalues Women
Fact: Islam elevated women from the status of property to that of full human beings with legal, spiritual, and social standing.
Before Islam, women in many societies had no inheritance, no property rights, and were often treated as commodities. The Qur’an restored their humanity and honored them as moral equals to men.
Allah says:
إِنِّي لَا أُضِيعُ عَمَلَ عَامِلٍۢ مِّنكُم مِّن ذَكَرٍ أَوْ أُنثَىٰ ۖ بَعْضُكُم مِّنۢ بَعْضٍۢ
“I will never deny any of you—male or female—the reward of your deeds. Both are equal in reward.” [Qur’an 3:195]
In Allah’s sight, dignity and reward are based on faith and deeds, not gender.
2. Myth: Men Are Superior to Women in Islam
Fact: Islam teaches that superiority lies in piety, not gender, wealth, or race.
The Prophet ﷺ said:
إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يَنْظُرُ إِلَى صُوَرِكُمْ وَلَا إِلَى أَمْوَالِكُمْ وَلَكِنْ يَنْظُرُ إِلَى قُلُوبِكُمْ وَأَعْمَالِكُمْ
“Indeed, Allah does not look at your appearance or wealth, but He looks at your hearts and your deeds.” [Sahih Muslim 2564]
While men and women have different roles in family and society, both are spiritually equal and equally accountable before Allah.
3. Myth: Women Have No Right to Education Under Sharī‘ah
Fact: Seeking knowledge is a religious duty for every Muslim, male and female alike.
The Prophet ﷺ said:
طَلَبُ الْعِلْمِ فَرِيضَةٌ عَلَى كُلِّ مُسْلِمٍ
“Seeking knowledge is obligatory upon every Muslim.” [Sunan Ibn Majah 224 | Sahih]
From the earliest Islamic centuries, women were scholars and teachers. ʿĀ’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) transmitted more than two thousand hadiths and was consulted by men on law and theology.
4. Myth: Women Have No Right to Work or Own Property
Fact: Islam granted women the right to earn, own, and manage wealth 1,400 years ago.
A woman’s income, business, or property belongs fully to her; she is not required to spend on the household — a duty placed upon men.
5. Myth: Islam Forces Women Into Marriage
Fact: Consent is a fundamental requirement for marriage under Sharī‘ah.
The Prophet ﷺ said:
لَا تُنْكَحُ الْأَيِّمُ حَتَّى تُسْتَأْمَرَ وَلَا تُنْكَحُ الْبِكْرُ حَتَّى تُسْتَأْذَنَ
“A previously married woman must not be married until she is consulted, and a virgin must not be married until her permission is sought.” [Sahih al-Bukhari 5136 | Sahih Muslim 1419]
Forced marriages are cultural violations of Islamic principles, not expressions of them.
6. Myth: Sharī‘ah Denies Women the Right to Divorce
Fact: Islam permits women to seek divorce (khulʿ) when the marriage becomes harmful or intolerable.
The Qur’an recognizes this right clearly:
فَإِنْ خِفْتُمْ أَلَّا يُقِيمَا حُدُودَ اللَّهِ فَلَا جُنَاحَ عَلَيْهِمَا فِيمَا افْتَدَتْ بِهِ
“If you fear that they cannot keep the limits of Allah, there is no blame upon either of them concerning that by which she ransoms herself.” [Qur’an 2:229]
A woman may initiate divorce, seek mediation, or appeal to a judge — all within her Sharī‘ah rights.
7. Myth: Women Receive Unfair Inheritance Shares
Fact: Islamic inheritance is based on financial responsibility, not gender value.
Men receive larger shares in specific cases because they are legally responsible for providing for their families, while a woman’s share is her own personal wealth. In many other cases, women inherit equally or more than men, depending on their relationship to the deceased. The system ensures fairness, not uniformity.
8. Myth: Sharī‘ah Encourages Domestic Oppression
Fact: Islam forbids all forms of cruelty, humiliation, or injustice in marriage.
The Prophet ﷺ said:
خَيْرُكُمْ خَيْرُكُمْ لِأَهْلِهِ وَأَنَا خَيْرُكُمْ لِأَهْلِي
“The best of you are those who are best to their families, and I am the best of you to my family.” [Sunan Ibn Majah 1977 | Sahih]
Sharī‘ah demands compassion, mutual respect, and mercy between spouses. Abuse is a grave sin, not a right.
9. Myth: The Hijab Is a Sign of Oppression
Fact: The hijab is a command from Allah, not from men, and it represents dignity, privacy, and devotion.
Allah says:
وَلْيَضْرِبْنَ بِخُمُرِهِنَّ عَلَىٰ جُيُوبِهِنَّ
“And let them draw their coverings over their chests.” [Qur’an 24:31]
Wearing the hijab is an act of faith and empowerment — a woman’s expression of obedience to Allah and her control over how she presents herself, not a symbol of subjugation.
10. Myth: Sharī‘ah Secludes Women From Public Life
Fact: The Prophet ﷺ said:
لَا تَمْنَعُوا إِمَاءَ اللَّهِ مَسَاجِدَ اللَّهِ
“Do not prevent the female servants of Allah from going to the mosques of Allah.” [Sahih Muslim 442]
Women in Islam are active members of the community — scholars, teachers, and contributors to social reform. Isolation is not an Islamic principle but a cultural distortion.
11. Myth: Islam Restricts Women’s Voices
Fact: Women spoke openly in the presence of the Prophet ﷺ, asked questions, corrected men, and offered counsel.
ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb (may Allah be pleased with him) once said, “A woman spoke the truth and Umar was mistaken.” Women’s voices were not silenced; they were respected when used for truth and knowledge.
Sharī‘ah, when applied as revealed, dignifies women as equal partners in faith and civilization. The oppression seen in some societies stems not from Islam itself but from the abandonment of its principles.
In truth, Islam was the first to recognize women’s legal, spiritual, and moral rights, placing them under the direct protection of divine justice.
