In the name of modesty, Islam has imposed unnatural restrictions on women. For example:
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Lower your gaze (Quran 24:31)
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Do not speak softly (Quran 33:32)
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Speak from behind a curtain (Quran 33:53)
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Stay in your homes (Quran 33:33)
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Do not display your adornments like the women of the former ignorance (Quran 33:33)
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Cover your entire body with a cloak (jilbab) (Quran 33:59)
With these unnatural restrictions, a disease of Islamic Ghayrah began to take root in Islamic society, leading to suspicion against women and, in some cases, their murder, or else chaining them alive with restrictions that turn their lives into a living hell.
This aspect of the disease is clearly evident in the following tradition.
... There was a young man amongst us who had been newly wedded. We went with Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) (to participate in the Battle) of Trench when a young man in the midday used to seek permission from Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) to return to his family. One day he sought permission from him and Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) (after granting him the permission) said to him: Carry your weapons with you for I fear the tribe of Quraiza (may harm you). The man carried the weapons and then came back and found his wife standing between the two doors. He bent towards her smitten by jealousy and made a dash towards her with a spear in order to stab her. She said: Keep your spear away and enter the house until you see that which has made me come out. He entered and found a big snake coiled on the bedding.
Please understand that this is a system that inevitably instils such intense jealousy in a person that they become paranoid, obsessive and insane. And, in their madness, they may immediately seek to kill their women merely for seeing them at the doorstep, in the name of Ghayrah.
As you can see in the tradition above, the companion merely saw his wife standing between the doors and instantly lost his mind that other man could also see her on the door. Without asking for an explanation, he was ready to kill her.
This may sound extreme, but it perfectly reflects how human psychology behaves when poisoned with religious brainwashing. When unnatural rules of “modesty” are drilled into a person’s head, the inevitable result is automatically this type of paranoia, madness and obsession in the name of Ghayrah.:
The False Equation of Ghayrah with Honour
Muslims claim that:
Islamic Ghayrah = Honour
But they are wrong, and it is something like:
Islamic Gharah = Shaming Islamic Culture
According to the concept of Islamic Ghayrah, if women are seen, spoken to, or visible in society., then it is a SHAME for a man. And Islamic society shame that man by calling him to be CUCKOLD [i.e. Dayouth (Arabic: دَيُّوث)]. It functions as a weapon in Islamic culture:
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It shames men by suggesting they are “less of a man” if they don’t police their women.
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It creates a peer-pressure system where a man’s masculinity is judged by how effectively he controls women.
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Women become symbols of their family’s izzat (honour), rather than human beings with agency. Thus, Islamic Ghayrah does not elevate honour, but it spreads shame like a virus, infecting both men and women.
True hounour is about "respecting" women and their "choices".
And the today's Secular Western Civilization is miles ahead than Islam in HONOURING women and their choices.
In contrast, Islamic Ghayrah reduces “honour” to nothing more than the visibility of a woman’s body or her interactions with men.
Islamic Ghayrah is not about honour at all, but about shame, control, collective policing and ownership of women.
The Hadith quoted above, illustrates that a Muslim man, trained under this system, becomes so paranoid that he nearly kills his innocent wife simply for standing at a door.
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Thus, such a system normalizes suspicion over trust.
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It makes men see their wives and daughters as potential “sources of shame” instead of companions or loved ones.
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It destroys family harmony by placing jealousy and fear above love and respect. This is not honour, but it is psychological abuse institutionalized as a virtue.
Unlike normal human honour, Islamic Ghayrah is not private, but it is collective.
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The entire community participates in monitoring women.
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Society whispers, judges, and labels: “His wife is too visible. His daughter talks too freely.”
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The man, to avoid being called Dayouth, must increase restrictions even if he personally trusts his women. Thus, men are enslaved by the expectations of other men, while women are enslaved under both.
If a man lies, cheats, or abuses others, society may overlook it. However, if his wife is seen talking to a man, his entire reputation collapses. It is not honour, but Double Standards and Hypocrisy of Islamic societies.
Muhammad’s rule of 4 witnesses utterly failed to control the violent obsession of his companions with ghayrah
Muhammad introduced the famous rule of four eyewitnesses in cases of adultery. But this rule contradicted the psychology of men steeped in Islamic shaming culture.
The contradiction becomes very clear when we examine the Incident of Ifk.
In order to defend Aisha’s reputation, Muhammad introduced a rule that even if a husband personally saw his wife committing adultery, he could do nothing unless he produced four separate eyewitnesses to the act. Without these witnesses:
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His claim would be rejected outright.
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He would be punished with 80 lashes for qadhf (false accusation), even if he is actually telling the truth.
But this rule clashed head-on with the violent ghayrah of Muhammad’s companions due to Islamic shaming culture.
One of them, Sa’d ibn ‘Ubada, openly rebelled against it. He said to Muhammad that if he caught his wife with another man, he would not wait to collect witnesses, but instead, he would immediately strike the man down. Muhammad tried to insist on the four-witness rule, but Sa’d swore he would rather kill on the spot.
Sa'd b. Ubada said: Messenger of Allah, if I were to find with my wife a man, should I not touch him before bringing four witnesses? Allah's Messenger said: Yes. He said: By no means. By Him Who has sent you with the Truth, I would hasten with my sword to him before that.
This outright rejection of 4 witnesses and open rebellion by a companion forced Muhammad to “resolve” the dilemma with the claim of a new revelation, i.e. the verses of li’an (mutual cursing).
According to this new ruling of li'an:
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A husband without witnesses could still accuse his wife of adultery.
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Instead of bringing witnesses, he would swear oaths of li’an against her.
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In this way, he would escape the punishment of 80 lashes for qadhf (i.e. wrongful accusation), even without having four eyewitnesses.
But even this adjustment failed to solve the problem. It was never effective in stopping killings in Islamic shaming culture in the name of Ghayrah.
Why Did the Killing Continue?
Despite li’an, the killing of women and girls in the name of Ghayrah continued in Muslim societies. There are two reasons:
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The rule of four witnesses had no wisdom in it.
It is absurd to require four eyewitnesses for such a private act. Everyone knows that adultery is usually hidden, not committed in front of an audience. This impractical rule could never calm the furious Islamic ghayrah of men who suspected their wives or daughters. -
Li’an applied only to husbands.
But what about ghayrah of fathers or brothers? If they suspected their daughters or sisters, they could not bring four eyewitnesses either. The result was predictable, i.e. in the grip of ghayrah, they resorted to killing their female relatives.
Even Muslims today can see the problem that the four-witness condition is devoid of any wisdom and irrational. It never protected women, and it never solved the madness of male ghayrah.
The Modern Fix: A Bid‘ah
That is why some modern Muslim states, like Pakistan, have modified the law. They now say:
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Four eyewitnesses are required only to apply the hadd punishment of adultery (stoning or 100 lashes).
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But even with fewer witnesses (like two or three witnesses) a judge can still impose a ta’zir punishment (a lesser discretionary penalty). Moreover, those two or three witnessess will not be lashed 80 times for Qadhaf if there exist no four witnesses.
However, such a ta’zir punishment is nothing but a bid‘ah (innovation) against the original Sharia. The companions themselves never accepted such a solution.
History provides a telling example. Al-Mughirah was once accused of committing zina with Umm Jamil. Three witnesses testified clearly, while the fourth (Ziyad) described the scene but said he did not actually see penetration.
‘Umar ibn al-Khattab refused to convict al-Mughirah (or even to give him any lesser ta’zir punishment). Instead, he ordered that the three witnesses to be flogged for failing to meet the four-witness standard. No ta’zir punishment was given, and none of the companions objected.
This incident is recorded with a sahih chain by Albani (link):
Umar asked Ziyad, the fourth witness, “Did you see the kohl stick enter the kohl container?” He replied, “No.” So Umar ordered the other three to be whipped. (Albani, Irwa al-Ghalil, hadith no. 2347)
This shows that the companions themselves never accepted ta’zir as a substitute for the four-witness rule.
In the end, Muslims are left with a rule that is impossible to apply, devoid of wisdom, and incapable of addressing the destructive power of ghayrah in a Islamic Shaming culture. That is why Muslim societies, past and present, have been plagued by the killing of women in the name of Ghayrah, and it is a direct outcome of this failed legislation.
And today, Muslims are forced to introduce bid‘ah laws in their countries, simply because the original Sharia was unable to deal with reality.
Islam OFFICIALLY turned women into "Cuckquean", taking away their Honour
Please think about it:
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In Islam, a man can OFFICIALLY sleep with 4 wives, and the wives are legally bound to kill their honour, and keep on acting as Cuckquaen.
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And a man can also OFFICIALLY rape DOZENS of captive/slave girls (not out of any "necessity", but only out of "LUST"), but all wives are still legally bound to bury their honour, and keep on acting as Cuckquaens.
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And the sexual relationship with captive/slave women is a TEMPORARY one (i.e. like Shia Muttah). An owner can buy a slave girl, rape her, and after fulfilling his lust, he can sell her further and buy for himself a new slave girl and start raping her. All that happened throughout the 14 centuries long history of Islamic slaver, and women were demanded to kill their honour.
The term cuckold [Dayouth (Arabic: دَيُّوث)] is the favourite term of Islamic preachers. However, have you ever heard the word Cuckquean from their mouths? No, while there exist no such term for women in Islam and in a Muslim society.
The WORST Case: Islam Forcing Women to stay with their Rapist/Adulterer Husbands and forgetting about any Honour
Muhammad at least gave right to men to accuse their women of adultery without 4 eyewitnesses through Li'an. However, do you know that he didn't give women even the right of Li'an.
What does it mean for women?
It means, if a wife sees her husband committing adultery:
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A woman is not even allowed to protest even if she sees her husband sleeping with her own sister or daughter, or with any other woman.
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If she protests and accuse him of adutery, and doesn't provide 4 eyewtinesses, then she will be lashed 80 times, even if she is telling the truth.
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Her only option is to kill her honour, and stay completely quite.
- And Islam doesn't even allow such a poor wife to get rid of her unfaithful and rapist husbands by taking DIVORCE. No, but Islam forces her to stay with that adulterer man.
In Islam, divorce is solely a right of the husband. Even Khul' خلع is also a right of the husband. In Khul', a wife has to offer ransom money to her husband. If he accepts the offer, then he can take the money and divorce her. But if he does not accept the offer, then no Islamic court can compel him to give divorce to his wife. Please read our article: Khul’ خلع (i.e. getting freedom from husband) is not a “right” of a woman, but it is still a “right” of a husband to either grant it or deny it
One of the prominent Islamic Fatwa websites, Islamweb.net writes (link):
Li‘aan Is Not Applicable from a wife against her Husband:
Li‘aan is only applicable when a man accuses his wife of committing Zina and she denies it, but when a woman slanders her husband, this does not, on its own, warrant Li‘aan (as Li’aan is only reserved for the men) … "If a woman accuses her husband of committing Zina, she would be liable for the Hadd of slander (i.e. 80 lashes)."
Another one of the prominent Saudi Salafi Fatwa websites is “Islam Question Answers”. It writes (link):
As for the wife, if she accuses her husband of zina (i.e. adultery), but she cannot produce four witnesses, then she should be given the hadd punishment for slander … If a woman slanders her husband, she should be given the Hadd punishment (of 80 lashes), .. If a woman knows that her husband has committed zina but she has no proof, namely four witnesses, then she should (only) advise him and remind him, and tell him to fear Allaah.
Thus, this Saudi Mufti is telling women they should not go to courts, but LIMIT themselves ONLY to advising their husbands.
The Quran is caught here making a false claim, when it claimed:
Quran 24:3:
ٱلزَّانِى لَا يَنكِحُ إِلَّا زَانِيَةً أَوْ مُشْرِكَةً وَٱلزَّانِيَةُ لَا يَنكِحُهَآ إِلَّا زَانٍ أَوْ مُشْرِكٌ
The fornicator does not marry except a [female] fornicator or polytheist, and none marries her except a fornicator or a polytheist
Quran 24:26:
ٱلْخَبِيثَٰتُ لِلْخَبِيثِينَ وَٱلْخَبِيثُونَ لِلْخَبِيثَٰتِ ۖ وَٱلطَّيِّبَٰتُ لِلطَّيِّبِينَ وَٱلطَّيِّبُونَ لِلطَّيِّبَٰتِ أُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ مُبَرَّءُونَ مِمَّا يَقُولُونَ
Impure women are for impure men and impure men for impure women, and pure women are for pure men and pure men for pure women. They are free from those scandals which the slanderers utter.
This is the brutal reality, i.e. Ghayrah in Islam is a privilege and weapon reserved only for men, while women are denied even the basic human right to protect their dignity.
The Cruel Double Standard: No Ghayrah for Slaves
The obsession with Ghayrah was strictly enforced for FREE Muslim women. Their behavior, dress, and even tone of voice were regulated under threat of suspicion, punishment, and honor-based violence. Men were told to lower their gaze, women were confined to their homes, and modesty became a tool of control. A single perceived transgression could ignite extreme jealousy, suspicion, or even deadly consequences.
But for a slave woman, then her body was public property for male desire.
The free Muslim man’s honor mattered only when applied to women he “owned” in a social sense, not when applied to actual human beings enslaved and sexually exploited.
In case of slave women:
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Slave women were prohibited by Muhammad to wear the Hijab. Umar Ibn Khattab used to beat them with a stick for wearing the Hijab, and told them not to resemble free Muslim women.
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Islam even forced slave women to move in public with naked breasts, as their nakedness was only from the navel to the knee.
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Despite slave women being half naked in public, no lowering of gazes was needed by men.
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They were put as sexual objects in the Bazaars of slavery, where Muslim men were not only watching them with lust, but they were even allowed to touch their private body parts.
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A Muslim owner raped slave girl without her consent in a "TEMPORARY" sexual relationship (like Shia Mutah). And after fulfilling his lust, he handed her over to his brother or to his slave. And once all of them fulfilled their lust, then she was sold to another master in the Bazaars of slavery. The 2nd master also raped her and sold her to the 3rd master, who again raped her, and again sold her.
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It was fully Halal (permissible) for two Muslim owners to swap their slave women, rape them in temporary sexual relationship, and then return them to their owners.
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If an owner got lust of the slave woman, who was a wife of his male slave, then the Muslim owner had the right to separate her from his husband, and to rape her for his lust. And after fulfilling his lust, he returned her to her husband (the male slave). So, what is about Ghayrah of slave husband who watches his master looking at his wife with lust, and then even raping the mother of his children? Islam compels him to bury his Ghayrah.
Please see all proofs of these evils of Islamic slavery in our article:
This shows the hypocrisy of Islamic Ghayrah, where “honour” wasn’t about protecting women, but it was about marking and branding them as property. Free wives and daughters were “guarded property,” while slaves were “usable property.”
Do you know who those slave women were?
- Many were innocent captives of wars. They never fought, never carried a weapon, and yet were dragged away as spoils of conquest.
- While others were simply born into slavery through the inhuman rule of "slavery by birth" in Islam. A child born to slave parents automatically belonged to their master. Imagine this cruelty. An innocent girl, whose only “crime” was being born to the wrong parents, was condemned for life as the sexual property of another.
None of these women had any fault. They were neither responsible for wars nor for the circumstances of their birth. And yet, Islam stripped them of all dignity and honour. The same “Ghayrah” that demanded women be hidden and veiled for protection, was deliberately denied to them. Their bodies were left exposed, their humanity erased. Islam took away all their honour and dignity (the so called Islamic Ghayrah).
Dear Muslim brothers and sisters!
Please listen to your own moral sense. Humanity does not lie. It tells you very clearly that no divine law would ever command one standard for one group of women and the exact opposite for another. These rules were human inventions, drawn from a society that normalized slavery and objectification, and they were codified into religious authority to justify lust, control, and oppression.
The System of Diyat: Further Strengthening the Obsession Caused by Ghayrah
The destructiveness of the Islamic system is not limited to spreading obsession in the name of Ghayrah; rather, the entire system supports and promotes this obsession.
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The first issue is with the Islamic Sharia law, under which a father who kills his child for any reason cannot be punished with qisas (retribution). The maximum penalty is that some money, called diyat, is paid to the mother, which remains within the household. (No “qisas” if a father kills his child)
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Under this law of qisas and diyat, murder within a family is practically no longer a crime. This means that if a brother kills his sister in the name of honor, the victim’s legal heir (i.e. her father and mother) can forgive the killer, their son.
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The only difference this law has made is that people now commit murders without fear, as it provides the killer the facility that, even if evidence proves they committed the murder, they can be freed by reaching an agreement with the victim’s heirs.
In fact, by granting women the right to inherit property, Islam has also put their lives at risk. Many brothers, unwilling to share property with their sisters, kill them on some pretext, and the victim’s legal heirs (i.e. the killer’s parents) forgive their son to save his life.
The Lesson and Results:
The lesson is:
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It is impossible to curb the obsession and insanity of jealousy in a Islamic Shaming culture in the name of modesty and Ghayrah.
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Due to this, thousands of girls are killed every year in Islamic countries. In Pakistan alone, 1,000 girls are killed annually in the name of honour (BBC News). The number of such killings is likely much higher, but most cases go unreported.
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The girls who are not killed have their lives turned into a living hell because so many restrictions are imposed on them in the name of honour that they cannot step onto the doorstep, go outside without a male guardian, or even converse with boys their age. Enjoying fresh air and leisurely walks becomes forbidden for them. They are not only confined to wearing hijab but are also imprisoned within the four walls of their homes.
For example, consider the following incidents:
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In Mecca, on March 11, 2002, a fire broke out in a girls’ school, resulting in the deaths of 15 female students. The reason was that, during the fire, they were trying to escape without their abayas, but the Saudi religious police prevented them from leaving the school because they were not fully covered in hijab (Link).
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In Dubai, an incident occurred where a young girl was drowning in the sea, but her Muslim father prevented rescuers from saving her because “non-mahram” men would touch his daughter (Link).
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Many women in our society cannot visit a doctor, even for severe illnesses, because the doctors are male.
All this obsession and chaos occur due to the unnatural system of Islamic Modesty and Islamic Ghayrah.
Hassan Radwan