The rights Islam gives women

People hold many ideas about women in Islam. This lesson goes straight to the sources: what the Quran and the authentic teachings of the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, say about the rights of women. Whether you are a woman or a man, this is part of understanding your faith and of treating the people around you well.

Equal before Allah

In Islam, a woman's worth before Allah is the same as a man's. Her faith, prayers, and good deeds count fully, and she is rewarded for them just as a man is. Allah says:

Never will I allow to be lost the work of [any] worker among you, whether male or female; you are of one another.

Quran 3:195 (translation of the meaning)

In another verse, Allah lists qualities He loves, naming men and women side by side each time:

Indeed, the Muslim men and Muslim women, the believing men and believing women, the obedient men and obedient women, the truthful men and truthful women, the patient men and patient women, the humble men and humble women, the charitable men and charitable women, the fasting men and fasting women, the men who guard their private parts and the women who do so, and the men who remember Allah often and the women who do so...

Quran 33:35 (translation of the meaning)

The verse ends with Allah's promise of forgiveness and a great reward for all of them. Allah also promises a good life to whoever does good, "whether male or female, while he is a believer" (16:97).

Owning property and inheriting

A woman in Islam owns her own money and property. When she marries, she receives a mahr, a marriage gift from her husband, and it belongs to her:

And give the women [upon marriage] their [bridal] gifts graciously. But if they give up willingly to you anything of it, then take it in satisfaction and ease.

Quran 4:4 (translation of the meaning)

She also inherits from her parents and close relatives:

For men is a share of what the parents and close relatives leave, and for women is a share of what the parents and close relatives leave, be it little or much...

Quran 4:7 (translation of the meaning)

The exact shares are set out in detail a few verses later (4:11-12), and they depend on each person's relationship to the one who passed away. Providing for the household is the husband's responsibility, and a wife's own wealth remains her own. When the Prophet was asked about a wife's rights over her husband, he began: "To feed her when you eat, clothe her when you clothe yourself" (Sunan Abi Dawud 2142, graded hasan).

Consent in marriage

A woman cannot be married against her will. The Prophet said:

A previously married woman should not be married until her verbal consent has been sought, and a virgin should not be married until her permission has been sought.

Sahih al-Bukhari 5136 and Sahih Muslim 1419 (agreed upon)

When Khansa bint Khidam, may Allah be pleased with her, was married off by her father against her wishes, she went to the Prophet, and he declared that marriage invalid (Sahih al-Bukhari 5138).

Kindness and respect at home

The Quran tells husbands: "And live with them in kindness." (4:19). The Prophet made kindness at home a measure of a person's goodness:

(Sunan al-Tirmidhi 3895. Al-Tirmidhi graded it hasan gharib sahih, and al-Albani graded it sahih.) Mothers hold an especially honored place. A man asked the Prophet who most deserved his good companionship. He answered "Your mother" three times, and then "Your father" (Sahih al-Bukhari 5971 and Sahih Muslim 2548).

Learning and worship

Women in the Prophet's time were eager learners. Some women told him that the men were taking up all his time, and asked for a day of their own. He promised them a day, met them, and taught them (Sahih al-Bukhari 101). He also said:

If your wife asks your permission to go to the mosque, do not prevent her.

Sahih al-Bukhari 5238 and Sahih Muslim 442

Islam also gives men and women some different responsibilities in family life, such as the husband's duty to provide. These differences sit alongside equal worth before Allah, and scholars explain them in detail. If you meet a claim about women in Islam that worries you, the best step is to ask for its source, and to ask a trusted scholar.

Next, you will learn how to share Islam with others through good character, wisdom, and gentleness.