Women in Christianity and Islam

Whenever the topic of Islam is brought up among Westerners, it has

been my experience that the first objection that immediately springs
into their minds is: "But women are so extremely oppressed in
Islam." And, "But women are second class citizens in Islam." For
example, they see that Muslim women usually observe modest
standards in their clothing and they automatically equate their
modesty with oppression. They appear to feel that freedom is in some
way directly proportional to how little clothing one wears, and that
oppression is directly proportional to the degree of modesty one
exhibits in their clothing. Although this topic does not directly relate
to the main topic of this book, still it seems inevitable to touch on this
.subject even if only very briefly due to it's importance

The problem is twofold: First of all, those people who make such
objections usually only have a very superficial knowledge of what the
true teachings of Islam, and secondly, they do not realize what The
.Bible requires of all believing women

I was once passing through Canada with my parent's in law and their
family. As we walked down the street a Canadian Christian girl (in
her late teens to early twenties) passed by us with a group of her
friends. She looked at my mother in law who was dressed in modest
clothing and had a large scarf wrapped around her head such that
only her face was showing. She then stopped my mother in law and
said words to the effect of: "Why do you allow your men to oppress
".?you?. Why do you wear these clothes

Now, my mother in law is a university graduate, a straight A student,

highly respected by her peers, and gainfully employed as an inspector
of the public educational system back in my home country. My
mother in law has also distinguished herself in her study of the
English language and it's grammatical structure. However, she did
not have an extensive working knowledge of American and Canadian
pronunciation and slang, and thus, she missed the tone with which
.this question was delivered to her

I decided to move a reasonable distance away and let her handle this
situation herself. My mother in law was very happy to answer this
girl's question and went on to explain to her about our religion and
customs and how we prefer to dress modestly, and that Allah
Almighty requires us to do this. However, this was not the answer
this girl was looking for so she retorted: "Thanks for sharing!," then
.spun around and stormed off

Now, in my home country, our elders are quite used to being highly
respected by those who are younger than them and being served by
them. For this reason, it did not even occur to my mother in law that
this question could have been anything more than a young girl
respectfully asking an innocent question of a trusted elder, and I
hated to tell her otherwise. I would have hated for her to leave
Canada thinking that all Canadians or all Christians speak this way
to their elders since I know that this is not the true case. However,
.this episode did indeed sadden me

Many non-Muslims feel sorry for any Muslim women they see
adorned in their modest clothing. They feel that they are deprived
the freedom to roam around in more scant and revealing clothing.
Anyone who lives in a manner other that which they have become
accustomed to is seen by them to be oppressed and forced to live in
this manner. There are certain tribes in the Amazon jungle, in
Australia, and in Africa which have become accustomed to walking
around in a simple g-string around their waist. What would the
people of the West say if these people were to condemn the Western
habit of "forcing" their women to wear "excessive amounts of
clothing" and to demand that all women in the west immediately stop
wearing anything but the simplest g-string around their waist? What
if they were to say that the Western society should immediately stop
unjustly persecuting their women and preventing them from freely
roaming the streets wearing only a pair of socks? They would say
that the people making these demands have no morals or shame.
.Philosophers would have a field day with such a question

What if someone were to claim that it was immoral, discriminatory,

and unjust to separate men and women in different public bathrooms
just as it is not just to do so with blacks and whites. What if this
person were to then call (in the interest of equality, fairness, and
constitutional freedom of course) for a merging of men and women's
bathrooms into one "unisex" or "equal-opportunity" bathrooms for
both men and women? Once again, the philosophers would have a
field day. Anyone who follows the news will see that this may indeed
be where the USA is now headed. In the New York Post (31 Aug.
1994 or a little before) it was reported that women have now won the
right to appear topless in the New York subway system. Where will
.the USA be a few years from now? That is anyone's guess
Who has the power to determine what is decent and modest clothing?
Who is to determine what is decent and modest behavior? Muslims
assign this right to God alone. This is the essence of "Islam." "Islam"
means "The submission to the will of God." What God commands, a
Muslim does. They do not demand that God justify his commands
before they accept them. Once they have verified that a command is
.indeed from God then they abide by it without hesitation

We can indeed find this lesson in the story of Adam. In the Islamic
version of the story of Adam (slightly different than that of
Judaism/Christianity), Adam and Eve were created by God,
educated, clothed, and then allowed to inhabit heaven. They were
told by God that they could have anything their hearts desired except
they must not eat from the tree. Out of envy, the devil encouraged
them to eat from the tree and told them that it's fruit would make
them angles or immortal. They ate from the tree and immediately,
their bodies were revealed to one another, so they took to scooping up
the leaves off the trees in order to cover themselves. This is when
Allah sent them down to earth. What mankind learned from this
lesson is that just because a person does not know the wisdom behind
a command of God, and others tell him to disobey it, then if they do
not abide by it, by the time the reason for the command is made
.apparent to them it may be too late

Well then, what is the Biblical view on these matters? Actually, even
in this day and age there still remains traces in Christianity of the
common ancestry with Islam with regard to the accepted norms of
modest dress for Christian women as ordained by her Creator. In the
above figure we have an example of the sort of dress codes observed
by Christian nuns. We are strangely amazed to find that it is almost
the striking similarity it bears to the sort of outfit which most Muslim
women wear. Why is that? Well, although there are quite a number
of very pronounced differences between Biblical and Qur'anic laws
:in this regard, let us start with the Biblical view

:What the New Testament has to say

Timothy 2:11-14 "Let the woman learn in silence with all 1

subjection. But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority
over the man, but to be in silence. For Adam was first formed, then
Eve. And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was
 ".in the transgression

Corinthians 14:34 "Let your women keep silence in the churches: 1

for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they are commanded
to be under obedience as also saith the law. And if they will learn any
thing, let them ask their husbands at home: for it is a shame for
".women to speak in the church

Corinthians 11:5-10: "But every woman that prayeth or 1

prophesieth with her head uncovered dishonoureth her head: for that
is even all one as if she were shaven. For if the woman be not covered,
let her also be shorn: but if it be a shame for a woman to be shorn or
shaven, let her be covered. For a man indeed ought not to cover his
head, forasmuch as he is the image and glory of God: but the woman
is the glory of the man. For the man is not of the woman: but the
woman of the man. Neither was the man created for the woman; but
the woman for the man. For this cause ought the woman to have
".power on her head because of the angels

Corinthians 11:13: "Judge in yourselves: is it comely that a woman 1

"?pray unto God (with her head) uncovered

:What the Old Testament has to say

Genesis 3:12-16 "And the man (Adam) said, The woman (Eve) whom
thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat. And
the LORD God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast
done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.
And the LORD God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done
this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the
field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days
of thy life: And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and
between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou
shalt bruise his heel. Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply
thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth
children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule
".over thee

Leviticus 12:2-5 "Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, If a

woman have conceived seed, and born a MALE child: then she shall
be unclean SEVEN DAYS; according to the days of the separation
for her infirmity shall she be unclean. And in the eighth day the flesh
of his foreskin shall be circumcised. And she shall then continue in
the blood of her purifying THIRTY THREE days; she shall touch no
hallowed thing, nor come into the sanctuary, until the days of her
purifying be fulfilled. But if she bear a FEMALE child, then she shall
be unclean TWO WEEKS, as in her separation: and she shall
".continue in the blood of her purifying SIXTY SIX days

Ecclesiastics 7:26-28 "And I find more bitter than death the woman
who is a snare, whose heart is a trap and whose hands are chains.
The man who pleases God will escape her, but the sinner she will
ensnare....while I was still searching but not finding, I found one
upright man among a thousand but not one upright woman among
."them all

Leviticus 15:19-30 "And if a woman have an issue (her

period/menses), [and] her issue in her flesh be blood, she shall be put
apart seven days: and whosoever toucheth her shall be unclean until
the even. And every thing that she lieth upon in her separation shall
be unclean: every thing also that she sitteth upon shall be unclean.
And whosoever toucheth her bed shall wash his clothes, and bathe
[himself] in water, and be unclean until the even. And whosoever
toucheth any thing that she sat upon shall wash his clothes, and bathe
[himself] in water, and be unclean until the even. And if it [be] on
[her] bed, or on any thing whereon she sitteth, when he toucheth it,
he shall be unclean until the even. And if any man lie with her at all,
and her flowers be upon him, he shall be unclean seven days; and all
the bed whereon he lieth shall be unclean. And if a woman have an
issue of her blood many days out of the time of her separation, or if it
run beyond the time of her separation; all the days of the issue of her
uncleanness shall be as the days of her separation: she [shall be]
unclean. Every bed whereon she lieth all the days of her issue shall be
unto her as the bed of her separation: and whatsoever she sitteth
upon shall be unclean, as the uncleanness of her separation. And
whosoever toucheth those things shall be unclean, and shall wash his
clothes, and bathe [himself] in water, and be unclean until the even.
But if she be cleansed of her issue, then she shall number to herself
seven days, and after that she shall be clean. And on the eighth day
she shall take unto her two turtles, or two young pigeons, and bring
them unto the priest, to the door of the tabernacle of the
congregation. And the priest shall offer the one [for] a sin offering,
and the other [for] a burnt offering; and the priest shall make an
atonement for her before the LORD for the issue of her
".uncleanness
 :In other words, the Bible teaches us that

.Women should learn in silence and subjugation

.Women should not teach
.Women should not have authority over men but should remain silent

Adam and Eve were not equal in sin. Adam was not deceived but Eve
.was
Women are commanded to be under obedience to men. God ordained
that men shall for all time rule over women
Women must keep silent in Churches. It is shameful for them to open
their mouths therein. If they have a question they should ask their
husbands before going to church and then their husbands will ask for
.them in the church
.A woman should neither pray nor profess with her head uncovered
If a woman prays with her head uncovered then she might as well
.shave her head
Man was created in the image and glory of God, and Woman was
.created in the glory of Man, thus Man must have power over her
Any woman who delivers a male baby shall be unclean for one week.
But any woman who delivers a female baby shall be unclean for
TWO weeks. Thus, females make their mothers DOUBLY unclean as
.compared to males
While it is possible to find one upright man in every thousand, it is
impossible to find even one single upright woman in every thousand
Woman is a snare, her heart is a trap, and her hands are chains. The
.man who pleases God will escape her, but she will ensnare the sinner

If a woman had her period and touches a chair or a bed or anything

else then that item immediately becomes unclean. Anyone who then
touches those things shall also become unclean. They must then bathe
themselves and wash their clothes because they have touched an item
.that a menstruous woman has touched

:What the canonized saints of Christianity said about women

Woman is a daughter of falsehood, a sentinel of Hell, the enemy of"

(peace; through her Adam lost paradise" (St. John Demascene

Woman is the instrument which the devil uses to gain possession of"
(our souls" (St. Cyprian

Woman is the fountain of the arm of the devil, her voice is the"
 (hissing of the serpent" (St. Anthony

Woman has the poison of an asp, the malice of a dragon" (St."

(Gregory

St. Tertullian, while he was talking to his 'best beloved sisters' in the
faith, he said, "Do you not know that you are each an Eve? The
sentence of God on this sex of yours lives in this age: the guilt must of
necessity live too. You are the Devil's gateway: You are the unsealer
of the forbidden tree: You are the first deserter of the divine law:
You are she who persuaded him whom the devil wasn't valiant
enough to attack. You destroyed so easily God's image, man." Once
again, St. Augustine wrote to a friend, "What is the difference
whether it is in a wife or a mother, it is still Eve the temptress that we
must beware of in any woman." Centuries later, St. Thomas Aquinas
still considered women as defective, "As regards the individual
nature, woman is defective and misbegotten, for the active force in
the male seed tends to the production of a perfect likeness in the
masculine sex; while the production of woman comes from a defect in
the active force or from some material indisposition, or even from
some external influence." (all these quotations can be found in Karen
Armstrong's book, The Gospel According to Woman, London: Elm
Tree Books, 1986, pp. 52-62. See also Nancy van Vuuren, The
Subversion of Women as Practiced by Churches, Witch-Hunters, and
(.Other Sexists Philadelphia: Westminster Press pp.28-30

Orthodox Jewish men in their daily morning prayer recite "Blessed

be God King of the universe that Thou has not made me a woman."
The women, on the other hand, thank God every morning for
"making me according to Thy will" (Thena Kendath, "Memories of
an Orthodox youth" in Susannah Heschel, ed. On being a Jewish
(Feminist, New York: Schocken Books, 1983, pp. 96-97

According to the Jewish Talmud, "women are exempt from the study
of the Torah." In the first century C.E., Rabbi Eliezer said: "If any
man teaches his daughter Torah it is as though he taught her
lechery" (Leonard J. Swidler, Women in Judaism: the Status of
Women in Formative Judaism, Metuchen, N.J: Scarecrow Press,
(1976, pp. 83-93

According to Rabbi Dr. Menachem M. Brayer (Professor of Biblical

Literature at Yeshiva University) in his book 'The Jewish woman in
Rabbinic literature', it was the custom of Jewish women to go out in
 public with a head covering which, sometimes, even covered the
whole face leaving one eye free (Psychosocial Perspective, Hoboken,
N.J: Ktav Publishing House, 1986, p. 239). He quotes some famous
ancient Rabbis saying, "It is not like the daughters of Israel to walk
out with heads uncovered" and "Cursed be the man who lets the hair
of his wife be seen....a woman who exposes her hair for self-
adornment brings poverty." Rabbinic law forbids the recitation of
blessings or prayers in the presence of a bareheaded married woman
since uncovering the woman's hair is considered "nudity" (Ibid., pp.
316-317. Also see Swidler, op. cit., pp. 121-123). Dr. Brayer also
mentions that "During the Tannaitic period the Jewish woman's
failure to cover her head was considered an affront to her modesty.
When her head was uncovered she might be fined four hundred
zuzim for this offense." Dr. Brayer also explains that veil of the
Jewish woman wasn't always considered a sign of modesty.
Sometimes, the veil symbolized a state of distinction and luxury
rather than modesty. The veil personified the dignity and superiority
of noble women. It, also, represented a woman's inaccessibility as a
sanctified possession of her husband (24. Ibid., p. 139). It is clear in
the Old Testament that uncovering a woman's head was a great
disgrace and that's why the priest had to uncover the suspected
.(adulteress in her trial by ordeal (Numbers 5:16-18

St. Tertullian in his famous treatise 'On The Veiling Of Virgins'

wrote, "Young women, you wear your veils out on the streets, so you
should wear them in the church, you wear them when you are among
strangers, then wear them among your brothers..." Among the
Canon laws of the Catholic church today, there is a law that require
women to cover their heads in church (Clara M. Henning, " Cannon
Law and the Battle of the Sexes" in Rosemary R. Ruether, ed.,
Religion and Sexism: Images of Woman in the Jewish and Christian
.(.Traditions, New York: Simon and Schuster, 1974, p. 272

Some Christian denominations, such as the Amish and the

Mennonites for example, keep their women veiled to the present day.
The reason for the veil, as offered by their Church leaders, is "The
head covering is a symbol of woman's subjection to the man and to
God" : The same logic introduced by St. Paul in the New Testament
(Donald B. Kraybill, The riddle of the Amish Culture, Baltimore:
(.Johns Hopkins University Press, 1989, p. 56

Russian Orthodox women are expected to wear a head covering

when in the church. Most don't outside of it in America, but many in
 Russia and many other eastern Orthodox women all over eastern
Europe, Greece, and the middle east do wear scarves on their heads
all the time when in public

These are only a small sampling. For many more similar quotations
please obtain a copy of the 70 page book "Women in Islam Versus
Women in the Judaeo-Christian Tradition: The Myth & The
Reality," By Dr. Sherif Abdel Azeem, World Assembly of Muslim
.Youth

Continuing, according to the Old Testament, a childless widow must

marry her husband's brother, even if he is already married and
regardless of her consent, so that she might bear a child from him
.((Genesis 38

:Further, according to the Bible

If a man happens to meet a virgin who is not pledged to be married"

and rapes her and they are discovered, he shall pay the girl's father
fifty shekels of silver. He must marry the girl, for he has violated her.
"He can never divorce her as long as he lives

Deuteronomy 22:28-30

One must ask a simple question here, who is really punished, the man
who raped the woman or the woman who was raped? What is to
prevent someone from finding the best looking woman in town,
raping her, telling everyone about it, and then having the courts force
?her to be his wife for the rest of her life

According to Numbers 27:1-11, widows and sisters don't inherit at

.all. Daughters can inherit only if their deceased father had no sons

So what is the standpoint of the Qur'an with regard to women?

Women are indeed commanded by Allah to cover their heads and
wear modest clothing, however, in Islam this is not a sign of
denigration or subjugation to men, rather, it is a sign of chastity,
modesty, and the fear of God. It also designates this woman to all
men who might deal with her that she is to be dealt with respect. This
could be compared to the situation in the West when one meets a nun
or priest, how the nun's habit and the priest's robes signal those who
meet them that this person does not condone vulgarity of speech or
:evil actions. This is made apparent in the Qur'an in Al-Ahzab
 that is closer to their being recognized so that they shall not be …"
abused, and Allah is ever Forgiving, Merciful" Al-Ahzab(33):59 (also
(see Noor(24):31

What about the rights of women in Islam? Are they indeed, as the
popular propaganda would have us believe, "second class citizens"?
:Let us read the Qur'an

And they (women) have rights similar to those of men over them in"
"a just manner

The noble Qur'an, Al-Baqarah(2):228

And their Lord has heard them (and He says): Verily! I suffer not"
the work of any worker, male or female, to be lost. You proceed one
from another. So those who fled and were driven forth from their
homes and suffered damage for My cause, and fought and were slain,
verily I shall remit their evil deeds from them and verily I shall bring
them into Gardens underneath which rivers flow. A reward from
".Allah. And with Allah is the fairest of rewards

.The noble Qur'an, A'al-Umran(3):195

And covet not the thing in which Allah has made some of you excel"
others. Unto men a fortune from that which they have earned, and
unto women a fortune from that which they have earned. (Envy not
one another) but ask Allah of His bounty. Verily! Allah is Knower of
".all things

.The noble Qur'an, Al-Nissa(4):32

Unto the men (of a family) belongs a share of that which parents"
and near kindred leave, and unto the women a share of that which
parents and near kindred leave, whether it be little or much, a legal
".share

.The noble Qur'an, Al-Nissa(4):77

And whoso does good works, whether of male or female, and he (or"
she) is a believer, such will enter paradise and they will not be
".wronged the dint in a date stone
 .The noble Qur'an, Al-Nissa(4):124

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

The noble Qur'an, Al-Tauba(9):71

Whosoever does right, whether male or female, and is a believer,"

him 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

.The noble Qur'an, Al-Nahil(16):97

And of His signs is this: He created for you spouses from yourselves"
that you might find tranquillity in them, and He ordained between
".you love and mercy. Lo, herein indeed are signs for folk who reflect

The noble Qur'an, Al-Room(30):21

Whoso does an ill deed, he will be repaid the like thereof, while"
whoso does right, whether male or female, and is a believer, (all) such
".will enter the Garden, where they will be nourished without stint

.The noble Qur'an, Mumin(40):40

In the Qur'an, both Adam and Eve share the blame for eating from
the tree. This can be seen in the Qur'an in such verses as Al-
Baqarah(2):36, Al-A'araf(7):22-24. They were also both forgiven by
God Almighty for this sin. Actually, in one verse of the Qur'an
.(Taha(20):121), Adam is specifically blamed

Islam encourages spouses to take each other's council and to seek

mutual agreement in matters which affect them, for example, in the
:Qur'an, Al-Bakarah(2):233 we read

Mothers shall suckle their children for two whole years; (that is) for"
those who wish to complete the suckling. The duty of feeding and
clothing nursing mothers in a seemly manner is upon the father of
the child. No one should be charged beyond their capacity. A mother
 should not be made to suffer because of her child, nor should he to
whom the child is born (be made to suffer) because of his child. And
on the (father's) heir is incumbent the like of that (which was
incumbent on the father). If they desire to wean the child by mutual
consent and (after) consultation, it is no sin for them; and if you wish
to give your children out to nurse, it is no sin for you, provided that
you pay what is due from you in kindness. Observe your duty to
".Allah, and know that Allah is Seer of what you do

Husbands are commanded to treat their wives with kindness and

respect. In Al-Nissa(4)-19 we read

But consort with them in kindness, for if you hate them it may.."
".happen that you hate a thing wherein Allah has placed much good

:The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said

The best believers are the best in conduct, and the best of you are"
".those who are best to their wives

When Muhammad (pbuh) first became the prophet of Islam, the

Pagans of Arabia had inherited a similar disregard for woman as had
been passed down among their Jewish and Christian neighbors. So
disgraceful was it considered among them to be blessed with a female
child that they would go so far as to bury this baby alive in order to
.avoid the disgrace associated with female children

Through the teachings of Islam, Muhammad (pbuh) put a swift and

resounding end to this evil practice. Not only did he severely
discourage and condemn this act but he also used to teach them to
respect and cherish their daughters and mothers as partners and
:sources of salvation for the men of their family

:AbuSa'id al-Khudri narrated

The Prophet (pbuh) said: If anyone cares for three daughters,"

disciplines them, marries them, and does good by them, he will enter
".Paradise

(Narrated by Abu-Dawood)

:Abdullah the son of Abbas narrated

The Prophet (pbuh) said: If anyone has a female child, and does not"
bury her alive, or slight her, or prefer his male children over her,
".Allah will bring him into Paradise

(Narrated by Abu-Dawood)

:Muhammad (pbuh) is also sited in "Sahih Muslim" as saying

Whoever maintains two girls till they attain maturity, he and I will"
."come on the Day of Resurrection like this; and he joined his fingers

In other words, if one loves the messenger of Allah and wishes to be

with him on the day of resurrection in heaven, then they should do
.good by their daughters

To learn more about the rights of women in Islam, the issue of

modest dress codes, the issue of polygamy, and many other issues
which can not be covered here, I highly recommend the following
:books

Women in Islam Versus Women in the Judaeo-Christian Tradition:

The Myth & The Reality, By Dr. Sherif Abdel Azeem, World
.Assembly of Muslim Youth
The Status of Women in Islam," by Dr. Jamal A. Badawi, World"
.Assembly of Muslim Youth
Women's rights in Islam," by Lea Zaitoun, World Assembly of"
.Muslim Youth
Gender Equity in Islam," by Dr. Jamal Badawi, World Assembly of"
Muslim Youth