Political Islam’s version of the story of women’s rights in Arabia is that: before Islam, women had no legal rights or any standing in society; that they had neither property nor inheritance rights because they themselves were considered property; that they were bought and sold into marriage and their male relatives kept the money. Muslims claim that all changed with Mohammed and Islam. Not only do they assert that Islam granted women rights and made them equal with men, they even go so far as to call Mohammed the first feminist. What does the historical record say, and more importantly, what does Islamic doctrine say? How did the advent of Islam ultimately affect the status of women?
In the tribal society of pre-Islamic Arabia, your social status depended not only on your sex, but also on your tribe, and your family’s status within your tribe. While some tribes were arranged according to a patriarchal hierarchy, women had the power in others. In those tribes it was the men who were deprived of property and other rights. They were not bought and sold like women in patriarchal tribes, but they were politically irrelevant. Perhaps a more honest assessment of Arabian society in Mohammed’s day is that it was not in any way egalitarian. Your position in society was determined by a confluence of factors.
Low status members of high status families were not necessarily stuck in lives deprived of all rights and privileges. They often had access to wealth, allowing them to bend or even break with tribal norms. Khadijah, Mohammed’s first wife, was one such person. As a member of one of the more powerful families in the patriarchal Quraysh tribe, she became a wealthy, powerful and well-respected businesswoman in her own right. That is how she met Mohammed. She hired him to run a caravan and trade merchandise on her behalf. She was impressed with his business acumen and honesty and proposed marriage to him. They were married for about 15 years before he started to preach Islam.
Khadijah supported Mohammed and Islam unconditionally. This ultimately cost her not only her fortune, but her life. Years of privation during the boycott of Banu Hashim caused her illness and death in 619 CE. Before Mohammed and Islam, she was powerful, wealthy and respected. Then she lost everything. Mohammed acknowledged all the years of unwavering emotional and financial support Khadijah gave him. He never forgot her after she died and often spoke highly of her. And yet, it is this view of women that is eternally enshrined in the Islamic doctrine:
“Men are in charge of women, because Allah hath made the one of them to excel the other, and because they spend of their property (for the support of women). So good women are the obedient, guarding in secret that which Allah hath guarded. As for those from whom ye fear rebellion, admonish them and banish them to beds apart, and scourge them. Then if they obey you, seek not a way against them. Lo! Allah is ever High, Exalted, Great.” Koran, 4:34
Allah says men are in charge because they are the providers. A woman’s right is to be supported financially by her husband. (What did Mohammed ever provide for Khadijah?) A woman’s responsibility is to obey her husband. In fact, her right to be provided for is contingent upon her obedience. (Did Allah “reveal” this verse to ensure Mohammed could control the wives he married after Khadijah’s death?) If a man even suspects or “fears” any rebellious behaviour from his wife, he can take “disciplinary action” just as he would with a slave or a child. Mohammed physically “disciplined” his wife, Aisha at least once that we know of:
“…Narrated Aisha…He struck me on the chest which caused me pain, and then said: Did you think that Allah and His Apostle would deal unjustly with you?…” Sahih Muslim, Book 4, Hadith 2127
Of course, Mohammed’s example was followed by others:
“…`Aisha said that the lady (came), wearing a green veil (and complained to her (Aisha) of her husband and showed her a green spot on her skin caused by beating). It was the habit of ladies to support each other, so when Allah’s Messenger came, `Aisha said, ‘I have not seen any woman suffering as much as the believing women. Look! Her skin is greener than her clothes!’…” Sahih al-Bukhari 5825
It’s not certain what dictionary Islamic apologists use to define the word “equality,” but it can’t be Oxford or Merriam-Webster. Women are expected to serve and obey and be grateful for the opportunity to do so. If a woman finds this difficult, she is probably going to Hell:
“Narrated Ibn ‘Abbas:
The Prophet said: “I was shown the Hell-fire and that the majority of its dwellers were women who were ungrateful.” It was asked, “Do they disbelieve in Allah?” (or are they ungrateful to Allah?) He replied, “They are ungrateful to their husbands and are ungrateful for the favors and the good (charitable deeds) done to them. If you have always been good (benevolent) to one of them and then she sees something in you (not of her liking), she will say, ‘I have never received any good from you.” Sahih al-Bukhari 29
Here are more details about women and hell:
“Narrated Abu Sa`id Al-Khudri:
Once Allah’s Messenger went out to the Musalla (to offer the prayer) of `Id-al-Adha or Al-Fitr prayer. Then he passed by the women and said, “O women! Give alms, as I have seen that the majority of the dwellers of Hell-fire were you (women).” They asked, “Why is it so, O Allah’s Messenger?” He replied, “You curse frequently and are ungrateful to your husbands. I have not seen anyone more deficient in intelligence and religion than you. A cautious sensible man could be led astray by some of you.” The women asked, “O Allah’s Messenger! What is deficient in our intelligence and religion?” He said, “Is not the evidence of two women equal to the witness of one man?” They replied in the affirmative. He said, “This is the deficiency in her intelligence. Isn’t it true that a woman can neither pray nor fast during her menses?” The women replied in the affirmative. He said, “This is the deficiency in her religion.” Sahih al-Bukhari 304
How can anyone claim that Islam honours women and keep a straight face?
Mohammed did occasionally say something in praise of women, mostly as mothers. Most of the time, though, his rhetoric made it clear that a woman’s status in Islamic society is considerably lower than a man’s—even in the case of slaves.
Islamic doctrine says that freeing slaves is a good deed:
“Narrated Asma’ bint Abu Bakr:
The Prophet ordered us to free slaves at the time of solar eclipses.” Sahih al-Bukhari 2519
“Narrated Asma’ bint Abu Bakr:
We were ordered to free slaves at the time of lunar eclipses.” Sahih al-Bukhari 2520
Unless it is a female slave who is freed:
“Narrated Maimuna, the wife of the Prophet that she manumitted her slave-girl and the Prophet said to her, ‘You would have got more reward if you had given the slave-girl to one of your maternal uncles.’” Sahih al-Bukhari 2594
Ok, so maybe female slaves didn’t count for much, but Islam gave free women choice in regard to when and who they married, right? Not always. This freedom was denied to Aisha, who was given in marriage to Mohammed by her father Abu Bakr when she was only six years old:
“Narrated By ‘Aisha :
The Prophet engaged me when I was a girl of six (years). We went to Medina and stayed at the home of Bani-al-Harith bin Khazraj. Then I got ill and my hair fell down. Later on my hair grew (again) and my mother, Um Ruman, came to me while I was playing in a swing with some of my girl friends. She called me, and I went to her, not knowing what she wanted to do to me. She caught me by the hand and made me stand at the door of the house. I was breathless then, and when my breathing became alright, she took some water and rubbed my face and head with it. Then she took me into the house. There in the house I saw some Ansari women who said, “Best wishes and Allah’s Blessing and a good luck.” Then she entrusted me to them and they prepared me (for the marriage). Unexpectedly Allah’s Apostle came to me in the forenoon and my mother handed me over to him, and at that time I was a girl of nine years of age.” Sahih al-Bukhari 5:58:234
“’A’isha (Allah be pleased with her) reported that Allah’s Apostle married her when she was seven years old, and she was taken to his house as a bride when she was nine, and her dolls were with her; and when he (the Holy Prophet) died she was eighteen years old.” Sahih Muslim 1422c
“Narrated `Aisha:
I used to play with the dolls in the presence of the Prophet, and my girl friends also used to play with me. When Allah’s Messenger used to enter (my dwelling place) they used to hide themselves, but the Prophet would call them to join and play with me. (The playing with the dolls and similar images is forbidden, but it was allowed for `Aisha at that time, as she was a little girl, not yet reached the age of puberty.)” Sahih al-Bukhari 6130
Not only was Aisha denied the right to a husband of her own choosing in adulthood, she was married off and then sent to live in a marital home and perform wifely duties while still a child. It cannot be stressed enough that Islamic societies are still practicing child and forced marriage today because Mohammed did it and they are still following his example. The Koran, which declares itself to be perfect, states 89 times that Mohammed set the perfect example for all people to follow for all time. Things have not changed for women in 1400 years of Islam and they are not going to change, ever, because you cannot improve on perfection.
Aisha wasn’t the only female who was robbed of her supposed marriage rights under Islam by its founder. Mohammed forced his cousin, Zainab to marry his adopted son, Zayd, an ex-slave who Zainab felt was beneath her. Her objection prompted Allah (Or, was it really just Mohammed?) to reveal this highly convenient verse:
“And it becometh not a believing man or a believing woman, when Allah and His messenger have decided an affair (for them), that they should (after that) claim any say in their affair; and whoso is rebellious to Allah and His messenger, he verily goeth astray in error manifest.” Koran 33:36
Because she was a very pious woman who wholeheartedly believed in Islam, she acquiesced to the union. A couple of years later, the story goes that Mohammed stopped by Zayd’s house to visit him, and caught a glimpse of Zainab in scant dress and began to lust after her. Zayd subsequently divorced Zainab when he heard Mohammed wanted her. Mohammed knew if he married her it would not go down well with his fellow Arabs because it was incestuous according to the morality of the Arab society. But Mohammed was ready with another highly convenient verse from Allah to justify his actions:
“And when thou saidst unto him on whom Allah hath conferred favour and thou hast conferred favour: Keep thy wife to thyself, and fear Allah. And thou didst hide in thy mind that which Allah was to bring to light, and thou didst fear mankind whereas Allah hath a better right that thou shouldst fear Him. So when Zeyd had performed that necessary formality (of divorce) from her, We gave her unto thee in marriage, so that (henceforth) there may be no sin for believers in respect of wives of their adopted sons, when the latter have performed the necessary formality (of release) from them. The commandment of Allah must be fulfilled.” Koran 33:37
Mohammed’s revelation of a new verse from Allah to justify his actions or achieve desired outcomes was a tactic that he used effectively on a number of occasions, especially in his dealings with women. Mohammed told men that they could marry up to four wives each, provided they could treat them all equally. Mohammed himself married far more, up to 11 or 13, depending on the source. Allah told Mohammed he did not have to limit himself to only four wives, and he also gave Mohammed some wiggle room in regards to equal treatment of his wives. Aisha, the clever girl, took notice:
“Narrated Aisha:
I used to look down upon those ladies who had given themselves to Allah’s Messenger and I used to say, “Can a lady give herself (to a man)?” But when Allah revealed: “You (O Muhammad) can postpone (the turn of) whom you will of them (your wives), and you may receive any of them whom you will; and there is no blame on you if you invite one whose turn you have set aside (temporarily).’ (33.51) I said (to the Prophet), “I feel that your Lord hastens in fulfilling your wishes and desires.” Sahih al-Bukhari 4788
Aisha had a valid point. Allah often “sent verses” that made life easier for Mohammed or that gave him something he wanted that was forbidden, or that backed up his “authority.” How can this behaviour be considered anything other than self-serving? How could outright lying and manipulation be a good example for anyone to follow?
So, how did Islam impact the lives of Arabian women? Well, it did give them some pocket money since Mohammed declared that women should have inheritance rights as well as the right to be paid their dowries. But it also made women permanently the wards of men. To be the ward of someone else is not freedom or equality. It is control. And because Islamic doctrine is timeless, the control is eternal and complete.
So, what do you think? Was Mohammed a feminist?