Islam & the Status of Women
Islam has much to say about the status of women. The Koran is said to
have so exalted women that a whole sura, Sura an-Nisa, is named after
them. But the real question is this: what exactly does that sura teach?
The sura in Ayat 3 i.e. Sura 4:3, permits Muslims to marry as many as
four wives at one time and a man may divorce them (if need be) and
marry a whole new set of wives at random.
While there is a ceiling on the number of wives a Muslim can
have at one time, there is no limit on the number of concubines he
may accumulate (Sura 4:24 cf. Sura 33:50). It seems that the
economic position of a man determines the number of concubines he
may have. The appropriate definition of concubinism is legalized
adultery and prostitution. Adultery is defined as a married person
having sexual intercourse with someone other than his wife, while a
concubine is a woman not married to a man but living with him as if
she were his wife.
A Muslim can refuse to have relations with his wives if they
misbehave (no thanks to the chain of concubines he is entitled to keep).
A man can physically beat his wives if rebellion persists (Sura 4:34). A
women guilty of lewdness (adultery) is to be locked up in prison until
she dies (Sura 4:15), while a man, guilty of the same offence, just has
to repent to regain his freedom. (Sura 4:16).
Legal Status of Women
In a law court, the testimony of a man is equal to that of two
women. If a family inheritance is involved, a female beneficiary always
receives less than a male. In fact, the Koran directs: “To the male a
portion equal to that of two females” (Sura 4:11; 4:176).
The Koran beautifully sums up women’s status in Surat al-Baqara:
“your wives are as tilth (farmland) unto you; so approach your tilth
when or how ye will” (Sura 2:223). To say that wives must be passive
partners is an understatement. According to the Koran they are like
farmlands or landed properties while the husbands are husbandmen. As
farmlands have no will of their own, in Islam, neither do wives.
Islam has much to say about the status of women. The Koran is said to
have so exalted women that a whole sura, Sura an-Nisa, is named after
them. But the real question is this: what exactly does that sura teach?
The sura in Ayat 3 i.e. Sura 4:3, permits Muslims to marry as many as
four wives at one time and a man may divorce them (if need be) and
marry a whole new set of wives at random.
While there is a ceiling on the number of wives a Muslim can
have at one time, there is no limit on the number of concubines he
may accumulate (Sura 4:24 cf. Sura 33:50). It seems that the
economic position of a man determines the number of concubines he
may have. The appropriate definition of concubinism is legalized
adultery and prostitution. Adultery is defined as a married person
having sexual intercourse with someone other than his wife, while a
concubine is a woman not married to a man but living with him as if
she were his wife.
A Muslim can refuse to have relations with his wives if they
misbehave (no thanks to the chain of concubines he is entitled to keep).
A man can physically beat his wives if rebellion persists (Sura 4:34). A
women guilty of lewdness (adultery) is to be locked up in prison until
she dies (Sura 4:15), while a man, guilty of the same offence, just has
to repent to regain his freedom. (Sura 4:16).
Legal Status of Women
In a law court, the testimony of a man is equal to that of two
women. If a family inheritance is involved, a female beneficiary always
receives less than a male. In fact, the Koran directs: “To the male a
portion equal to that of two females” (Sura 4:11; 4:176).
The Koran beautifully sums up women’s status in Surat al-Baqara:
“your wives are as tilth (farmland) unto you; so approach your tilth
when or how ye will” (Sura 2:223). To say that wives must be passive
partners is an understatement. According to the Koran they are like
farmlands or landed properties while the husbands are husbandmen. As
farmlands have no will of their own, in Islam, neither do wives.
how many % of people are muslims in USA? very minor..then how can islam is responsible for this.fastest growing religion in usa is Islam..may be you can expect crime rate is to reduce after some decades once islamic population reached atleast half of the total population.
