Women in Islam

According to Surah 2:282 of the Quran, the testimony of a woman is worth half the testimony of a man. Muhammad explains why in Sahih Bukhari 2658 The prophet said “Isn’t the witness of a woman equal to half of that of a man?”. The woman said “Yes”. He said “This is because of the deficiency of her mind.” The testimony of women is unreliable because women are stupid.

Muhammad also claims that women are morally deficient. In Sahil Bukhari 1052 Muhammad says that most of the people in hell are women. He tells us why in Sahih Muslim 142. “O womenfolk, you should give charity and ask much forgiveness for I saw you in bulk amongst the dwellers of hell.” A wise lady among them said “Why is it, Messenger of Allah, that our folk are in bulk in hell?”. Upon this the holy prophet observed “You curse too much and are ungrateful to your spouses. I’ve seen none lacking in common sense and failing in religion but (at the same time) robbing the wisdom of the wise besides you.” 

Since women are intellectually and morally inferior to men, they sometimes need to be disciplined. Allah tells Muslim men how to discipline their wives in Surah 4:34 of the Quran.  Man are in charge of women because Allah has made one of them to excel the other and because they spend their property for the support of women. So good women are the obedient, guarding in secret that which Allah has guarded. As for those from whom you fear rebellion, admonish them and banish them two beds apart, and scourge them. Then if they obey you, seek not a way against them.

In Sahih Bukhari 1525, Muhammad’s child bride Aisha sees a woman whose husband had beaten her so severely her skin turned green. Aisha takes the woman to Muhammad and says “I have not seen any woman suffering as much as the believing women. Look! Her skin is greener than her clothes.” This is Aisha, the mother of the faithful, saying Muslim women were being treated worse than pagan women. Why were Muslim women being treated worse? I suggest it has something to do with Allah’s commands in the Quran. If you are expecting Muhammad to punish the man for beating his wife until her skin turned green, you don’t understand Islam. Muhammad rebuked the woman for being a bad wife. 

If that’s how the Quran commands Muslims to treat their own wives, you can imagine what Allah and Muhammad have to say about non-Muslim women. Surah 23:1-6 and Surah 70:22-30 say that Muslims can have sex with female captives and slave girls. The Quran even allows Muslims to rape female captives who are married. In Surah 4:24 Allah tells his followers “Also prohibited are women already married except those whom your right hands possess.” Married women are prohibited (i.e. about sex) unless you possess them by capturing them in battle. The historical background of this verse is found in Abu Dawud 2150 “The Apostle of Allah sent a military expedition to Awtas on the occasion of the battle of Hunain. They met their enemy and fought with them. They defeated them and took them captives. Some of the companions of the Apostle of Allah were reluctant to have intercourse with the female captives in the presence of their husbands, who were unbelievers. So Allah, the exalted, sent down the Quranic verse: And all  married women are forbidden unto you save those captives whom your right hands possess. That is to say, they are lawful for them when they complete their waiting period.

Muslims come up to Muhammad and say “We know we’re allowed to have sex with a captive but these women have husbands. Isn’t that adultery?” Muhammad answered “Yes, but it’s okay with Allah.” 

So according to Islam, women are stupid and immoral and you can beat them and raped them even if they’re married and regardless of how young they are.