Islamic Concept of Gender Equality: Origins and Signs

Abstract

Islam is the religion of equality and gave equal rights to women. Its origin and signs started with the Holy verses of Quran, as Surah An-Nisa, Verse;124: states about equality,

وَمَنْ يَعْمَلْ مِنَ الصَّالِحَاتِ مِنْ ذَكَرٍ أَوْ أُنْثَىٰ وَهُوَ مُؤْمِنٌ فَأُولَٰئِكَ يَدْخُلُونَ الْجَنَّةَ وَلَا يُظْلَمُونَ نَقِيرًا

“And whoever does good deeds whether male or female and he or she is believer, these shall enter to the paradise and they shall not have dealt with injustice”. Various Hadith of the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) is about equality as Tarmizi, no:113: stated, “Women are equal with men in human rights”. Since, in Islam, there is no holy trinity, no God the Father, nor God the son. The concept of God in Islam is not as gender-specific as it is in Christianity. In the Quran's language, for God, masculine pronouns are used, but grammatically it is a neuter pronoun, which is the sign and origin of equality. Islam, 1400 years back, has given full equality to women. Islam ensures women’s equality. Though, some people have rancor against the religion Islam and womanhood. This trap of allurement includes leaving their husbands and children and embracing the so-called slogan of equality. The irony of ironies is that the West, wherein the 1870s women had no right to property, inheritance, where till 1920s women did not have the right to vote, criticize the Islamic way of treatment of women and concept of equality? Right and equality to property and vote in Islam, the first feminist movement (a movement for the rights of women) was launched by the Prophet (PBUH) of Islam in the desert of Arab as stated clearly in the aforementioned Hadiths. The only option with women is ISLAM.