THE KORAN AND MOSLEM WOMEN
THE KORAN AND MOSLEM WOMEN -
A.GHOSHCHAPTER 7
The principal injunctions of the Koran on Moslem women
are as follows:
II/223:
Your women are a filth for you (to culti-
vate) so go to your filth as ye will, and
send (good deeds) before you for your souls,
and fear Allah, and know that ye will tone
day) meet Him. Give glad tidings to be-
lievers, O Muhammad).
IV/23:
Forbidden unto you are your mothers, and
your daughters, and your sisters, and your
father's sisters, and your mother's sisters,
and your brother's daughters and your sis-
ter's daughters, and your foster-mothers,
and your foster-sisters, and your mothers-
in-law, and your step-daughters who are
under your protection (born) of your women
unto whom ye have gone in- but if ye have
not gone in unto them, then it is no sin for
you (to marry their daughters)- and the
wives of your sons who (spring) from your
own loins. And (it is forbidden unto you)
that ye should have two sisters together,
except what bath already happened (of that
nature) in the past. Lo! Allah is ever
Forgiving, Merciful.
IV/15:
As for those of your women who are guilty
of lewdness, call to witness four of you
against them. And if they testify (to the
truth of the allegation) then confine them
to the houses until death take them or
(until) Allah appoint for them a way
(through new legislation).
II/230:
And if he bath divorced her (the third
time), then she is not lawful unto him
thereafter until she bath wedded another
husband. Then if he (the other husband)
divorce her it is no sin for both of them
that they come together again if they
consider that they are able to observe the
limits of Allah. These are the limits of
Allah. He manifesteth them for people
who have knowledge.
II/221:
Wed not idolatresses till they believe; for
lo! a believeing bondwoman is better than
an idolatress though she please you; and
give not your daughters in marriage to
idolaters till they believe, for lo! a believ-
ing slave is better than an idolater though
he please you. These invite unto the Fire,
and Allah inviteth unto the Garden, and
unto forgiveness by His grace, and ex-
poundeth thus His revelations to mankind
that haply they may remember.
IV/34:
Men are in charge of women, because Allah
bath 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 bath guarded. As
for those from whom ye fear rebellion,
admonish them and banish them to beds
apart, and scourge [1] them. Then if they
obey you, seek not a way against them.
Lo! Allah is ever High Exalted, Great.
XXIII/1-11:
Successful indeed are the believers
Who are humble in their prayers,
And who shun vain conversation,
And who are payers of the poor-due;
And who guard their modesty-
Save from their wives or the (slaves) that
their right [2] hands possess, for then they are
not blameworthy,
But whoso craveth beyond that, such are
transgressors -
And who are shepherds of their pledge and
their covenant,
And who pay heed to their prayers.
These are the heirs
Who will inherit Paradise. There they will
abide.
XXIV/6-7:
As for those who accuse their wives but
have no witnesses except themselves; let
the testimony of one of them be four testi-
monies, (swearing) by Allah that he is of
those who speak the truth;
And yet a fifth, invoking the curse of Allah
on him if he is of those who lie.
XXIV/60:
As for women past child-bearing, who have
no hope of marriage, it is no sin for them if
they discard their (outer) clothing in such a
way as not to show adornment but to
refrain is better for them. Allah is Hearer,
Knower.
LX/10:
O ye who believe! When believing women
come unto you as fugitives, examine them.
Allah is best aware of their faith. Then, if
ye know them for true believers, send them
not back unto the disbelievers. They are
not lawful for the disbelievers, nor are the
disbelievers lawful for them. And give the
disbelivers that which they have spent
(upon them). And it is no sin for you to
marry such women when ye have given
them their dues. And hold not to the ties
of disbelieving women; and ask for (the
return of) that which ye have spent; and let
the disbelievers ask for that which they
have spent. That is the judgement of
Allah. He judgeth between you. Allah is
Knower, Wise.
Note: Ghazzali, the renowned Islamic thinker had summed
the eighteen pains that had been visited on Moslem
women as a punishment of Eve's transgression in Para-
dise. The list eloquently shows the position of women
in Islam and how the social customs were backed up by
the prophet's religion.
They are: menstruation, childbirth, separation from
parents to get married to a stranger, pregnancy, not
having control over her own person, smaller share in
inheritance, liability to get divorced and inability to
divorce herself, having only one husband at a time
while the husband can have four wives at the same time
not counting the concubines, having to keep her head
covered within the four walls, having to stay secluded
within the four walls, her testimony having only half
the strength of a man's testimony, not being able to go
out alone but only when accompanied by a near rela-
tive, not being able to take part in Friday and festive
day prayers and at funerals, not being able to serve as a
judge or ruler, having to wait four months and ten days
after the death of a husband before remarrying [3] ,
having to wait three months after getting divorced by a
husband before remarrying, having very little merit
when compared to men and having half the sentence of
punishment for profligacy [4] when compared to that of a
man.
Footnotes
1. N.J. Dawood's Koran tanslates 'scourge' es 'beet'.
2. 'right hand' signifies 'won in battle by force of arms'.
3. the waiting period is to ensure that the woman does not
carry the child of the dead husband or the husband that
divorced her.
4. this punishment is really a relief instead of a 'pain'.
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