--- title: "What Does Islam Teach About Women? | Islam Is Mercy" description: "In Islam, women and men are equal in worth before God. Women have rights to property, learning and consent in marriage, and mothers are deeply honoured." lang: en url: https://islamismercy.com/en/views/women-in-islam/ --- 1. [Home](https://islamismercy.com/en/) 2. [Islam's View On…](https://islamismercy.com/en/views/) 3. What Does Islam Teach About Women? # What Does Islam Teach About Women? Written by **Islam Is Mercy Editorial Team**· 4 min readAwaiting scholar review ## The short answer Islam teaches that women and men were created from a single soul and are equal in worth before God, who promises the same reward to believing women and men. Women have rights of their own — to own and inherit property, to seek knowledge, and to accept or refuse a marriage — and the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ taught that a mother deserves the best companionship of all. ## On this page 1. Created from one soul 2. Equal in the sight of God 3. Rights of her own 4. The honour of mothers 5. Different roles, equal worth 6. A closing thought Ask almost anyone what they have heard about women in Islam, and the answer is usually shaped by headlines rather than by the [Qur’an](https://islamismercy.com/en/glossary/quran/). This article goes back to the sources — what they actually say, what they do not say, and where the roles of men and women honestly differ. ## Created from one soul The fourth chapter of the Qur’an is called *An-Nisa*, “The Women”. It opens by reminding all of humanity where it came from: > يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلنَّاسُ ٱتَّقُوا۟ رَبَّكُمُ ٱلَّذِى خَلَقَكُم مِّن نَّفْسٍۢ وَٰحِدَةٍۢ وَخَلَقَ مِنْهَا زَوْجَهَا وَبَثَّ مِنْهُمَا رِجَالًۭا كَثِيرًۭا وَنِسَآءًۭ ۚ وَٱتَّقُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ ٱلَّذِى تَسَآءَلُونَ بِهِۦ وَٱلْأَرْحَامَ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ كَانَ عَلَيْكُمْ رَقِيبًۭا ﴿١﴾ > O mankind, fear your Lord, who created you from one soul and created from it its mate and dispersed from both of them many men and women. And fear Allah, through whom you ask one another, and the wombs. Indeed Allah is ever, over you, an Observer. [Qur'an, An-Nisaa 4:1](https://quran.com/4?startingVerse=1&translations=20)Saheeh International There is no story in the Qur’an of woman being created as an afterthought, or of Eve being blamed for humanity’s fall. In the Qur’an’s telling, Adam and his wife were tempted together, turned to God together, and asked for His forgiveness together (Qur’an 7:23). Neither sex carries an inherited guilt. ## Equal in the sight of God The Qur’an addresses men and women side by side, again and again. One verse lists ten beautiful qualities — submission to God, faith, devotion, truthfulness, patience, humility, generosity, fasting, chastity and remembrance of God — and names each one twice, once for men and once for women: > إِنَّ ٱلْمُسْلِمِينَ وَٱلْمُسْلِمَٰتِ وَٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَٱلْمُؤْمِنَٰتِ وَٱلْقَٰنِتِينَ وَٱلْقَٰنِتَٰتِ وَٱلصَّٰدِقِينَ وَٱلصَّٰدِقَٰتِ وَٱلصَّٰبِرِينَ وَٱلصَّٰبِرَٰتِ وَٱلْخَٰشِعِينَ وَٱلْخَٰشِعَٰتِ وَٱلْمُتَصَدِّقِينَ وَٱلْمُتَصَدِّقَٰتِ وَٱلصَّٰٓئِمِينَ وَٱلصَّٰٓئِمَٰتِ وَٱلْحَٰفِظِينَ فُرُوجَهُمْ وَٱلْحَٰفِظَٰتِ وَٱلذَّٰكِرِينَ ٱللَّهَ كَثِيرًۭا وَٱلذَّٰكِرَٰتِ أَعَدَّ ٱللَّهُ لَهُم مَّغْفِرَةًۭ وَأَجْرًا عَظِيمًۭا ﴿٣٥﴾ > Indeed, the Muslim men and Muslim women, the believing men and believing women, the obedient men and obedient women, the truthful men and truthful women, the patient men and patient women, the humble men and humble women, the charitable men and charitable women, the fasting men and fasting women, the men who guard their private parts and the women who do so, and the men who remember Allah often and the women who do so - for them Allah has prepared forgiveness and a great reward. [Qur'an, Al-Ahzaab 33:35](https://quran.com/33?startingVerse=35&translations=20)Saheeh International Elsewhere God promises that He will never let the good deeds of any believer go to waste, whether male or female (Qur’an 3:195). A woman’s prayer, her fasting, her charity and her character are worth exactly as much as a man’s. Her relationship with God is her own; no husband, father or priest stands between them. ## Rights of her own Islam gave women rights that, in many parts of the world, they would not receive for many centuries: - **Property and inheritance.** The Qur’an gives women a fixed share of inheritance (4:7) and says that women keep what they earn, just as men do (4:32). A married woman’s wealth remains entirely hers. - **The bridal gift.** At marriage the husband gives the bride a gift called the *mahr*. It belongs to her, not to her father or family (Qur’an 4:4). **Learning.** Women in the Prophet’s time were eager to learn their faith, and he made time for them: > …Some women requested the Prophet (ﷺ) to fix a day for them as the men were taking all his time. On that he promised them one day for religious lessons and commandments.… [Sahih al-Bukhari 101](https://sunnah.com/bukhari/3#:~:text=them%20as%20the%20men%20were)Grade: Sahih (in Sahih al-Bukhari) His wife Aisha became one of the great teachers of the early Muslim community, and over the centuries many women became respected scholars whom men travelled to learn from. **Consent in marriage.** A woman cannot be married against her will. When a woman complained that her father had married her to a man she did not want, the Prophet ﷺ cancelled the marriage: > Narrated Khansa bint Khidam Al-Ansariya: that her father gave her in marriage when she was a matron and she disliked that marriage. So she went to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) and he declared that marriage invalid [Sahih al-Bukhari 5138](https://sunnah.com/bukhari/67#:~:text=her%20in%20marriage%20when%20she)Grade: Sahih (in Sahih al-Bukhari) ## The honour of mothers The Qur’an reminds every person that their mother carried them through weakness and exhaustion before they were born (Qur’an 31:14). And when a man asked the Prophet ﷺ who most deserved his kindness, the answer was striking: > Narrated Abu Huraira: A man came to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) and said, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! Who is more entitled to be treated with the best companionship by me?" The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Your mother." The man said. "Who is next?" The Prophet said, "Your mother." The man further said, "Who is next?" The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Your mother." The man asked for the fourth time, "Who is next?" The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Your father [Sahih al-Bukhari 5971](https://sunnah.com/bukhari/78#:~:text=Who%20is%20more%20entitled%20to)Grade: Sahih (in Sahih al-Bukhari) The Prophet ﷺ named the mother three times before mentioning the father. In Muslim families, caring for one’s mother is not a sentimental extra — it is a religious duty and a path to God’s pleasure. ## Different roles, equal worth It would not be honest to say that Islam treats men and women as identical in every respect. It does not. The Qur’an gives husbands the responsibility of leading and financially providing for the family (4:34); a wife is never required to spend her own money on the household. In inheritance, a son usually receives twice the share of a daughter (4:11), which classical scholars explain by the son’s duty to support others — a duty his sister does not carry. There are also differences in some acts of worship and in some areas of law. Muslims understand these differences as a division of responsibilities within a family, not as a ranking of human value. The only ranking the Qur’an recognises is righteousness (49:13). Some readers will still find parts of this hard, and that is a fair conversation to have; we look at the most common concerns, including the more difficult verses, in [Are women oppressed in Islam?](https://islamismercy.com/en/questions/are-women-oppressed/) On some practical questions, scholars have long held different views — see [where Muslims differ](https://islamismercy.com/en/core/where-muslims-differ/). It is also important to separate Islam from the behaviour of some Muslims. Where women have been denied education, forced into marriage or cheated of their inheritance, that happened against these teachings, not because of them. ## A closing thought The picture that emerges from the sources is of women as full moral and spiritual persons: answerable to God for themselves, entitled to their own wealth and choices, and honoured especially as mothers. If you would like to go further, read about [marriage in Islam](https://islamismercy.com/en/views/marriage-in-islam/) or [why many Muslim women wear the hijab](https://islamismercy.com/en/questions/why-hijab/). ![What Does Islam Teach About Women?](https://islamismercy.com/_astro/why-hijab-info.DXPXPvUP_1Qmmog.jpg) ## Key takeaways - Men and women were created from one soul and are equal in spiritual worth. - The Qur'an gives women their own property, inheritance and earnings. - A woman's consent is required for her marriage. - Mothers are given a special place of honour. - Some roles and rulings differ — Muslims see this as shared responsibility, not a ranking of worth. ## Share this article [WhatsApp](https://wa.me/?text=What%20Does%20Islam%20Teach%20About%20Women%3F%20https%3A%2F%2Fislamismercy.com%2Fen%2Fviews%2Fwomen-in-islam%2F)[Telegram](https://t.me/share/url?url=https%3A%2F%2Fislamismercy.com%2Fen%2Fviews%2Fwomen-in-islam%2F&text=What%20Does%20Islam%20Teach%20About%20Women%3F)[X](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=What%20Does%20Islam%20Teach%20About%20Women%3F&url=https%3A%2F%2Fislamismercy.com%2Fen%2Fviews%2Fwomen-in-islam%2F)[Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fislamismercy.com%2Fen%2Fviews%2Fwomen-in-islam%2F) ## Sources - [Qur'an, An-Nisaa 4:1](https://quran.com/4?startingVerse=1&translations=20) - [Qur'an, Al-Ahzaab 33:35](https://quran.com/33?startingVerse=35&translations=20) - [Sahih al-Bukhari 101](https://sunnah.com/bukhari/3#:~:text=them%20as%20the%20men%20were) - [Sahih al-Bukhari 5138](https://sunnah.com/bukhari/67#:~:text=her%20in%20marriage%20when%20she) - [Sahih al-Bukhari 5971](https://sunnah.com/bukhari/78#:~:text=Who%20is%20more%20entitled%20to) ## Talk to a Muslim Have a question that isn't answered here? Ask a real person — no pressure, no judgement. [Ask your question](https://islamismercy.com/en/talk/) ## Keep reading [Hard Questions ### Are Women Oppressed in Islam? An honest answer that separates real cultural abuses from what the Qur'an and the Prophet ﷺ actually teach about women's dignity and rights. Read article](https://islamismercy.com/en/questions/are-women-oppressed/)[Islam's View On… ### What Is Marriage in Islam? In Islam, marriage is a sacred bond of tranquillity, love and mercy, built on mutual consent, a gift to the bride, and everyday kindness. Read article](https://islamismercy.com/en/views/marriage-in-islam/)[Hard Questions ### Why Do Muslim Women Wear the Hijab? Why many Muslim women cover their hair — the Qur'anic basis, the modesty asked of men too, and why the hijab must be a sincere choice of faith. Read article](https://islamismercy.com/en/questions/why-hijab/)