What is the difference between the Biblical and the Qur’anic attitude towards the female?

Question

Bible states that the period of the mother's ritual impurity is twice as long if a girl is born than if a boy is:

“Tell the Israelites: When a woman has conceived and gives birth to a boy, she shall be unclean for seven days, with the same uncleanness as at her menstrual period. On the eighth day, the flesh of the boy's foreskin shall be circumcised, and then she shall spend thirty-three days more in becoming purified of her blood; she shall not touch anything sacred nor enter the sanctuary till the days of her purification are fulfilled. If she gives birth to a girl, for fourteen days she shall be as unclean as at her menstruation, after which she shall spend sixty-six days in becoming purified of her blood”. (Lev. 12:2-5).


The Catholic Bible states explicitly that:



“The birth of a daughter is a loss" (Ecclesiasticus 22:3).

In contrast to this shocking statement, boys receive special praise:

"A man who educates his son will be the envy of his enemy." (Ecclesiasticus 30:3)

Jewish Rabbis made it an obligation on Jewish men to produce offspring in order to propagate the race. At the same time, they did not hide their clear preference for male children:

"It is well for those whose children are male but ill for those whose are female",

"At the birth of a boy, all are joyful...at the birth of a girl all are sorrowful",

and "When a boy comes into the world, peace comes into the world... When a girl comes, nothing comes."



A daughter is considered a painful burden, a potential source of shame to her father:



"Your daughter is headstrong? Keep a sharp look-out that she does not make you the laughing stock of your enemies, the talk of the town, the object of common gossip, and put you to public shame" (Ecclesiasticus 42:11).

"Keep a headstrong daughter under firm control, or she will abuse any indulgence she receives. Keep a strict watch on her shameless eye, do not be surprised if she disgraces you" (Ecclesiasticus 26:10-11).

It was this very same idea of treating daughters as sources of shame that led the pagan Arabs, before the advent of Islam, to practice female infanticide.

The Qur’an severely condemned this heinous practice:

"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).

It has to be mentioned that this sinister crime would have never stopped in Arabia were it not for the power of the scathing terms the Qur’an used to condemn this practice:

“He hides himself from the people because of the evil of that which is announced to him. Shall he keep it with disgrace or bury it (alive) in the dust? Now surely evil is what they judge”. (16:59)

“And when one of them is given news of that of which he sets up as a likeness for the Beneficent Allah, his face becomes black and he is full of rage” (43:17)

“And when the female infant buried alive is asked for what sin she was killed”(81:8-9).

The Qur’an, moreover, makes no distinction between boys and girls. In contrast to the Bible, the Qur’an considers the birth of a female as a gift and a blessing from God, the same as the birth of a male. The Qur’an even mentions the gift of the female birth 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).

In order to wipe out all the traces of female infanticide in the nascent Muslim society, Prophet Muhammad (S) 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).

“One who brings up three daughters or sisters and is patient in earning for their maintenance till the time they will be married (…) He and I will be in Paradise like this” (Saying this the Prophet (S) showed his index and middle fingers joined)”

And people asked him: “O Messenger of Allah, what if he brings up two of them {daughters/sisters}?”

He (S) replied: “even if two”.

“What if a man brings up only one daughter?” people persisted.

“Even if eh brings up only one daughter or sister” replied the Messenger of Allah (S). (Bihar al-Anwar, Vol. 104, p.99)

Answer 1

1. The Bible Convicts Women as the original
Sinners, (ie. Eve picking from the forbidden
tree){Genesis 2:4-3:24}. The Koran Clarifies it
was Adam Not Eve {Qur'an 7:19-25}

2. The Bible says "The Birth of a Daughter is a
loss" {Ecclesiasticus 22:3}. The Qur'an says both
are an Equal Blessing { Qur'an 42:49}

3. The Bible Forbids Women from Speaking in
church {I Corinthians 14:34-35}. The Qur'an says
Women Can argue with the Prophet {58:1}

4. In the Bible, divorced Women are Labeled as
an Adulteress, while men are not {Matthew 5:31-32}. The
Koran does Not have Biblical double standards
{ Qur'an 30:21}

5. In The Bible, Widows and Sisters do Not
Inherit Any Property or Wealth, Only men
do{Numbers 27:1-11}The Koran Abolished this
male greediness { Qur'an 4:22} and God Protects
All.


6. The Bible Allows Multiple Wives{I Kings 11:3}
In The Koran, God limits the number to 4 only
under certain situations (with the Wife's
permission)and Prefers you Marry Only One
Wife{ Qur'an 4:3} The Koran gives the Woman
the Right to Choose who to Marry.


7. "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? According to the
Bible, you have to spend the Rest of Your Life
with the man who Raped You.


The Prophet Muhammad Says {Volume 9, Book
86, Number 101} Narrated by Aisha:" It is
essential to have the consent of a virgin (for the
marriage)".


Would the Christian men Reading this prefer the
Women they know to Be Christian or Muslim?


8. The Bible also asks Women to wear veils as in
Islam {I Corinthians 11:3-10}, this lowers the
chance of rape, (God Forbid), see statistic link
below.


9. Women were given rights to Vote less than a
100 years ago in the (US), while the Quran (42:38) gave
Women Voting rights almost 1,500 years ago.

10. Islam has unconfined Women and has given them
the human right to reach for the sky. There have been
Muslim Women Presidents through out the centuries,
but to this date, the oppressive mentality of the
men in the Western U.S.A. has stopped any Women from becoming
Presidents in predominately Christian countries,
while the Muslim countries have voted for and
elected Female Presidents.


Here is a list of previous Female Muslim leaders:


Khadija bint Khuwaylid
Aishah bint Abu Bakr
Fatimah bint Muhammad
Barakah
Ramlah bint Abu Sufyan
Rumaysa bint Milhan
Umm Salamah
Asma bint Abu Bakr
Zaynab al-Ghazali
Maryum Jameelah

Answer 2

Honestly if you seek advice from a book on how to treat your mother differently from your father or sister from brother or daughter from son, you're pretty much in trouble from the getgo.

Both books were cast in concrete back when women were little more than chattel.

Answer 3

Jesus' death has brought women relief. That's the difference.
(Check the curse of the serpent in Genesis).
Christ's blood makes everything clean if you believe in Him.

Layla, both were blamed, espescially Adam. The Bible says because of the first Adam (Adam) we died and because of the second Adam (Christ), we live. Know that Adam has been blamed many more times than Eve.

Answer 4

You have presented a case that is purely a false dichotomy by your careful selection of certain passages to support your lies.
Obviously, the Catholic Bible contains several spurious books which do not agree with the rest of the Bible's text.

Answer 5

The most important difference is the Bible guides women to God, the quran guides them away from him. Eternally, that is the difference that will matter most.

Answer 6

Christians don't cause our women to sit down and bow while they are shot in the head. I saw this on the news a few years back in the Muslim country.

Answer 7

The Catholic Bible isn't the Bible. If you really want to know, look at the freedoms of women in the US, Canada, Australia & UK then compare them with the freedom and dignity given to women in Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan etc. There's your answer.

Answer 8

Both have been sufficiently twisted. I believe in a divine feminine.