What rights to women have in Islam that they don't have in other Religions?

Question

There was a older post where it was said that Islam has given Women more rights than any other Religion.

What, exactally are those "rights"

Peace!

Where are all of the Muslim Experts?

Come on Ahmad you can do better than that.

Don't you have a standard 3 page cut and paste for this?

O.K., seems to be a tough one how about just 5.

Hey Ahmed, I can post links as well:
www.answeringislam.com

Answer 1

First, an interesting fact: Did you know that 4 out of 5 converts to Islam in U.S./Europe are women?

Read this article: http://www.themodernreligion.com/w_main.htm. It details how women in Islam are given far greater rights than in the Judeo-Christian tradition. This link is also good: http://www.islamfortoday.com/women.htm.

Since the reading on these web sites may be too advanced for you, here's a shorter version I made for your benefit:

Note: I am not trying to insult Judaism or Christianity, for which I have great respect. I am just answering the question. My apologies if I intentionally insult anyone.

1. Original Sin

-Christianity and Judaism: Eve tempted Adam (peace be upon them) to eat from the tree. Eve and womenkind are cursed to suffer pain in childbirth as a result" "I will greatly increase your pains in childbearing; with pain you will give birth to children. Your desire will be for your husband and he will rule over you." Genesis 2:4-3:24

-Islam: Eve and Adam both ate from the tree, thus both are equally guilty. They asked God for forgiveness and God forgave them. (7:19:23) Thus, there is no concept of Original Sin in Islam.

2. Female Sex Being Cursed

-Judaism and Christianity: The whole female sex is considered cursed as a result of Eve's actions. Women are considered wicked temptresses: "No wickedness comes anywhere near the wickedness of a woman.....Sin began with a woman and thanks to her we all must die" (Ecclesiasticus 25:19,24).

Women are supposed to be submissive to men in Christianity: "A woman should learn in quietness and full submission. I don't permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man; she must be silent. For Adam was formed first, then Eve. And Adam was not the one deceived; it was the woman who was deceived and became a sinner" (I Timothy 2:11-14).

-Islam: Women and men are both God's creatures and are equal before God.

"For Muslim men and women, for believing men and women, for devout men and women, for true men and women, for men and women who are patient, for men and women who humble themselves, for men and women who give in charity, for men and women who fast, for men and women who guard their chastity, and for men and women who engage much in Allah's praise-- For them all has Allah prepared forgiveness and great reward" (33:35).

"The believers, men and women, are protectors, one of another: they enjoin what is just, and forbid what is evil, they observe regular prayers, practise regular charity, and obey Allah and His Messenger. On them will Allah pour His Mercy: for Allah is Exalted in power, Wise" (9:71).

"And their Lord answered them: Truly I will never cause to be lost the work of any of you, Be you a male or female, you are members one of another" (3:195).

"Whoever works evil will not be requited but by the like thereof, and whoever works a righteous deed -whether man or woman- and is a believer- such will enter the Garden of bliss" (40:40).

"Whoever works righteousness, man or woman, and has faith, verily to him/her we will give a new life that is good and pure, and we will bestow on such their reward according to the best of their actions" (16:97).

O Mankind, keep your duty to your Lord who created you from a single soul and from it created its mate (of same kind) and from them twain has spread a multitude of men and women" (Qur'an 4:1).

The Creator of heavens and earth: He has made for you pairs from among yourselves ...Qur'an 42:1 1


3. Shameful Daughters

-Judaism and Christianity: Sons are considered better than daughters. The period of a mother's ritual impurity is twice as long for a baby daughter versus a son. (Lev. 12:2-5). The Bible says, "The birth of a daughter is a loss" (Ecclesiasticus 22:3).

-Islam: The Quran explicitly condemns female infanticide, a common practice amongst the pagan Arabs: "When news is brought to one of them of the birth of a female child, his face darkens and he is filled with inward grief. With shame does he hide himself from his people because of the bad news he has had! Shall he retain her on contempt or bury her in the dust? Ah! what an evil they decide on?" (16:59).

The Quran mentions the gift of a female birth, mentioning it first: " To Allah belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth. He creates what He wills. He bestows female children to whomever He wills and bestows male children to whomever He wills" (42:49).

Prophet Muhammad (SAW) promised those who were blessed with daughters of a great reward if they would bring them up kindly: "He who is involved in bringing up daughters, and accords benevolent treatment towards them, they will be protection for him against Hell-Fire" (Bukhari and Muslim).

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

4. Education of Women

-Judaism and Christianity: "As in all the congregations of the saints, women should remain silent in the churches. They are not allowed to speak, but must be in submission as the law says. If they want to inquire about something, they should ask their own husbands at home; for it is disgraceful for a woman to speak in the church." (I Corinthians 14:34-35). Some Jewish Rabbis firmly declared "Let the words of Torah rather be destroyed by fire than imparted to women", and "Whoever teaches his daughter Torah is as though he taught her obscenity."

-Islam: A woman in the Quranic conception has the right to argue even with the Prophet of Islam himself. No one has the right to instruct her to be silent. She is under no obligation to consider her husband the one and only reference in matters of law and religion. Following an incident regarding a woman who went to the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) to complain about her husband, the following verse from the Quran was revealed: "Allah has heard and accepted the statement of the woman who pleads with you (the Prophet) concerning her husband and carries her complaint to Allah, and Allah hears the arguments between both of you for Allah hears and sees all things...." (58:1).

5. Bearing Witness

-Judaism and Christianity: If a man accuses his wife of unchastity, her testimony will not be considered at all according to the Bible. The accused wife has to be subjected to a trial by ordeal. In this trial, the wife faces a complex and humiliating ritual which was supposed to prove her guilt or innocence (Num. 5:11-31). If she is found guilty after this ordeal, she will be sentenced to death. If she is found not guilty, her husband will be innocent of any wrongdoing.

Another interesting quote from the Old Testament: "If a man takes a wife and, after lying with her, dislikes her and slanders her and gives her a bad name, saying, 'I married this woman, but when I approached her, I did not find proof of her virginity,' then the girl's father and mother shall bring proof that she was a virgin to the town elders at the gate. The girl's father will say to the elders, 'I gave my daughter in marriage to this man, but he dislikes her. Now he has slandered her and said I did not find your daughter to be a virgin. But here is the proof of my daughter's virginity.' Then her parents shall display the cloth before the elders of the town, and the elders shall take the man and punish him. They shall fine him a hundred shekels of silver and give them to the girl's father, because this man has given an Israelite virgin a bad name. She shall continue to be his wife; he must not divorce her as long as he lives. If, however, the charge is true and no proof of the girl's virginity can be found, she shall be brought to the door of her father's house and there the men of the town shall stone her to death. She has done a disgraceful thing in Israel by being promiscuous while still in her father's house. You must purge the evil from among you." (Deuteronomy 22:13-21)

-Islam: It is true that the Quran has instructed the believers dealing in financial transactions to get two male witnesses or one male and two females (2:282). However, it is also true that the Quran in other situations accepts the testimony of a woman as equal to that of a man. In fact the woman's testimony can even invalidate the man's. If a man accuses his wife of unchastity, he is required by the Quran to solemnly swear five times as evidence of the wife's guilt. If the wife denies and swears similarly five times, she is not considered guilty and in either case the marriage is dissolved (24:6-11).

6. Vows

-Judaism & Christianity: A man must fulfill his vows, but a woman's vows are contingent on her husband's or father's approval: "But if her father forbids her when he hears about it, none of her vows or the pledges by which she obligated herself will stand ....Her husband may confirm or nullify any vow she makes or any sworn pledge to deny herself" (Num. 30:2-15)

-Islam: The vow of every man and woman is binding: "He [God] will call you to account for your deliberate oaths: for expiation, feed ten indigent persons, on a scale of the average for the food of your families; Or clothe them; or give a slave his freedom. If that is beyond your means, fast for three days. That is the expiation for the oaths you have sworn. But keep your oaths" (5:89). There is no distinction made based on gender.

Also: "O Prophet, When believing women come to you to make a covenant with you that they will not associate in worship anything with God, nor steal, nor fornicate, nor kill their own children, nor slander anyone, nor disobey you in any just matter, then make a covenant with them and pray to God for the forgiveness of their sins. Indeed God is Forgiving and most Merciful" (60:12).

7. Property

-Judaism & Christianity: In traditional Judaism, women had no separate property rights and everything she had was owned by her husband: "How can a woman have anything; whatever is hers belongs to her husband? What is his is his and what is hers is also his...... Her earnings and what she may find in the streets are also his. The household articles, even the crumbs of bread on the table, are his. Should she invite a guest to her house and feed him, she would be stealing from her husband..." (San. 71a, Git. 62a). Christianity had the same policy about property of women.

-Islam: There is no concept of dowry as in Judaism and Christianity because women are not considered a liability. Instead, the man gives the woman a gift upon marriage! The gift is considered the wife's property only. "And give the women (on marriage) their dower as a free gift; but if they, Of their own good pleasure, remit any part of it to you, take it and enjoy it with right good cheer" (4:4)

The wife's property and earnings are under her full control and for her use alone since her, and the children's, maintenance is her husband's responsibility. No matter how rich the wife might be, she is not obliged to act as a co-provider for the family unless she herself voluntarily chooses to do so. Spouses do inherit from one another. Moreover, a married woman in Islam retains her independent legal personality and her family name.

8. Divorce

-Judaism & Christianity: A husband can divorce a wife without cause and the woman is then considered "defiled": "If a man marries a woman who becomes displeasing to him because he finds something indecent about her, and he writes her a certificate of divorce, gives it to her and sends her from his house, and if after she leaves his house she becomes the wife of another man, and her second husband dislikes her and writes her a certificate of divorce, gives it to her and sends her from his house, or if he dies, then her first husband, who divorced her, is not allowed to marry her again after she has been defiled" (Deut. 24:1-4).

Also, "A bad wife brings humiliation, downcast looks, and a wounded heart. Slack of hand and weak of knee is the man whose wife fails to make him happy. Woman is the origin of sin, and it is through her that we all die. Do not leave a leaky cistern to drip or allow a bad wife to say what she likes. If she does not accept your control, divorce her and send her away" (Ecclesiasticus 25:25).

-Islam: Islam occupies the middle ground between Christianity and Judaism with respect to divorce. Marriage in Islam is a sanctified bond that should not be broken except for compelling reasons. Couples are instructed to pursue all possible remedies whenever their marriages are in danger. Divorce is not to be resorted to except when there is no other way out.

"Live with them (your wives) on a footing of kindness and equity. If you dislike them it may be that you dislike something in which Allah has placed a great deal of good" (4:19).

"The believers who show the most perfect faith are those who have the best character and the best of you are those who are best to their wives" (Tirmidthi).

"If a wife fears cruelty or desertion on her husband's part, there is no blame on them if they arrange an amicable settlement between themselves; and such settlement is best" (4:128).

And about equality between a husband and wife generally: Men and women are partners in marriage: "And among His signs is this: That He created mates for you from yourselves that you may find rest, peace of mind in them, and He ordained between you love and mercy. Lo, herein indeed are signs for people who reflect." (Qur'an 30:2 1).

9. Mothers

-Judaism & Christianity: "If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters--yes, even his own life--he can not be my disciple" (Luke 14:26).

-Islam: "Your Lord has decreed that you worship none but Him, And that you be kind to parents. Whether one or both of them attain old age in your life, Say not to them a word of contempt, nor repel them, But address them in terms of honor. And out of kindness, Lower to them the wing of humility, and say: 'My Lord! bestow on them Your Mercy as they Cherished me in childhood' " (17:23-24).

"A man asked the Prophet: 'Whom should I honor most?' The Prophet replied: 'Your mother'. 'And who comes next?' asked the man. The Prophet replied: 'Your mother'. 'And who comes next?' asked the man. The Prophet replied: 'Your mother!'. 'And who comes next?' asked the man. The Prophet replied: 'Your father'" (Bukhari and Muslim).

10. Inheritance

-Judaism & Christianity: A wife is given no share in her husband's estate, while he is her first heir, even before her sons. A daughter can inherit only if no male heirs exist. A mother is not an heir at all while the father is. Widows and daughters, in case male children remained, were at the mercy of the male heirs for provision. Numbers 27:1-11.

-Islam: Women are given less than men BUT a man's inheritance must be shared with his entire family including his wife, while a woman's share is hers only and she may choose how to use the money. Thus, women and men are treated justly with respect to inheritance.

"From what is left by parents and those nearest related there is a share for men and a share for women, whether the property be small or large --a determinate share" (4:7).

This is the same with wages from employment. Men's wages are for his whole family, and women's wages are for herself only, and she can choose how and on whom to spend it.

11. Widows

-Judaism & Christianity: A childless widow must marry her husband's brother, even if he is already married, so that he can produce offspring for his dead brother, thus ensuring his brother's name will not die out: "Then Judah said to Onan, 'Lie with your brother's wife and fulfill your duty to her as a brother-in-law to produce offspring for your brother' " (Genesis 38:8).

Widows and divorcees were looked down upon: "The woman he (the high priest) marries must be a virgin. He must not marry a widow, a divorced woman, or a woman defiled by prostitution, but only a virgin from his own people, so he will not defile his offspring among his people" (Lev. 21:13-15)

-Islam: Widows and divorcees have the freedom to marry whomever they choose. There is no stigma attached to divorce or widowhood in the Quran:

"When you divorce women and they fulfil their terms [three menstruation periods] either take them back on equitable terms or set them free on equitable terms; But do not take them back to injure them or to take undue advantage, If anyone does that, he wrongs his own soul. Do not treat Allah's signs as a jest" (2:231).

"If any of you die and leave widows behind, they shall wait four months and ten days. When they have fulfilled their term, there is no blame on you if they dispose of themselves in a just manner" (2:234).

"Those of you who die and leave widows should bequeath for their widows a year's maintenance and residence. But if they [the widows] leave (the residence) there is no blame on you for what they justly do with themselves" (2:240).

12. Politics

-Judaism & Christianity: As you can see above, women had a degraded position in the Torah and Bible So obviously they would not be considered fit to lead a country.

-In Islam, if a head of state is also the prayer leader, the woman can't be the head of state, because only men lead the prayer if the prayer includes other men.

However, in modern times, heads of state don't lead prayers. As stated above. 4 out of 7 of the countries that have had women heads of state have been Muslim countries (Pakistan, Turkey, Bangladehs twice). So clearly, there is no barrier to women being involved in politics, or even leading their countries. Why hasn't the U.S. had a female president?


Peace to you too!

Answer 2

1.The right of free gasoline.

2.The right to cover arms. ( As opposed to the right to bare ( Yes I meant bare instead of bear) arms.)

3. The right to cable TV. ( All 2 channels.)

4. The right to play soccer in a burlap sack dyed black. This gives them more endurance and is the main reason the US gets their asses handed to them in Womens soccer.

5.All the pistachios they can eat!

Answer 3

There are none..,cannot have any flesh showing,if they get raped they are stoned or killed,if they make eye contact with another male they are stoned or killed,they are not allowed to speak unless given permission when a male is present..,should I go on?

Answer 4

Any rights will be considered more because they had none before.

Answer 5

To wear long flowing dresses and veils over their faces in order to carry bombs to kill and BLOW UP Americans.."COWARDS"

Answer 6

the right to be subjegated

gee, how lucky they are

Answer 7

None.

Answer 8

http://www.answering-christianity.com/ac.htm you will find all rights