When secular Western societies began granting women equal human rights, Islamic apologists started making excuse that:
- Granting women human rights on the basis of "equality" with men is actually an injustice to women.
- Islam provides a better system than the West, as it grants women rights not based on "equality" but on "equity."
However, this claim by Islamic apologists is nothing more than a deception—a manipulation of words to mislead.
When the West talks about granting rights on the basis of "equality," the context is to recognize women as "equal human beings" to men. But Islamic apologists distort this by reframing it as "physical equality" to discredit the concept.
In trutht:
- The West has granted women all rights as "equal human beings with equity".
- On the other hand, Islam neither recognizes women as equal to men in terms of humanity nor provides them with rights with equity.
Let us compare the women's rights vs. men's right in Islam to see the truth.
Divorce:
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(i) that the whereabouts of the husband have not been known for a period of four years; (ii) that the husband has neglected or has failed to provide for her maintenance for a period of two years; (iii) that the husband has been sentenced to imprisonment for a period of seven years or upwards; (iv) that the husband has failed to perform, without reasonable cause his marital obligations for a period of three years; continues to be so: (v) that the husband has been insane for a period of two years or is suffering from leprosy or a virulent venereal disease |
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Hijab
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Scientific Studies are showing that:
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Testimony
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Link: Women's testimony is ZERO (i.e. not even HALF, and absolutely not accepted in Islamic court) in the following serious cases of Hudud
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Women's testimony is also ZERO (i.e. not even half) in cases which are not related to women's affairs like:
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Women's testimony is only HALF in the following case:
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Inheritance
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Other Issues:
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Does Islam treats Women like QUEENS?
Islam places two key responsibilities solely on men, not on women:
- Dowry and Maintenance – Men are required to provide financial support, while women bear no such obligation.
- No Household Work – Wives are not obligated to cook or clean for their husbands (though fathers can require their daughters to do household work).
Islamic preachers often use these points to promote the idea that Islam treats women like queens. However, this claim is misleading and deceptive. Let’s uncover the truth behind these Islamic rulings.
Dowry and Maintenance:
| Women | Men |
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Hardships that women have to face in the name of Mahr (Dowry):
Hardships that women have to face in the name of Maintenance Money: Islam takes away many rights from a woman in the name of maintenance:
In simple words:
Islam even allows man to BLACKMAIL women to give up their rights to Dowry and Maintenance Money:
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The Islamic System of Dowry (Mahr) and Maintenance (Nafaqah) is Completely "Out of Balance" and Unjust to Both Men and Women The Islamic system of maintenance (Nafaqah) is fundamentally unbalanced because:
Comparison with the Western System: |
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Household Work (cleaning, cooking etc.):
For those, who don't know about it, here are some details:
Many classical scholars, including those from the Hanafi, Maliki, and Shafi'i schools, argue that a woman’s primary obligation in marriage is to be available for her husband in matters of companionship and intimacy, but she is not required to perform household chores.
Imam Ibn Hazm, a prominent scholar of the Zahiri school, stated in his work "Al-Muhalla" (Volume 9, Page 161):
1906 - مسألة : ولا يلزم المرأة أن تخدم زوجها في شيء أصلا ، لا في عجن ، ولا طبخ ، ولا فرش ، ولا كنس ، ولا غزل ، ولا نسج ، ولا غير ذلك أصلا - ولو أنها فعلت لكان أفضل لها وعلى الزوج أن يأتيها بكسوتها مخيطة تامة ، وبالطعام مطبوخا تاما وإنما عليها أن تحسن عشرته ، ولا تصوم تطوعا وهو حاضر إلا بإذنه ، ولا تدخل [ ص: 228 ] بيته من يكره ، وأن لا تمنعه نفسها متى أراد ، وأن تحفظ ما جعل عندها من ماله
1906 - Issue: It is not obligatory for a woman to serve her husband in any way at all—neither in kneading dough, nor cooking, nor arranging the house, nor sweeping, nor spinning, nor weaving, nor anything else. However, if she does so, it would be better for her, and it is incumbent upon the husband to provide her with fully stitched clothing and fully cooked food. Her only obligations are to treat him well, not to fast voluntarily when he is present without his permission, not to allow into his house anyone he dislikes, not to deny herself to him when he desires, and to safeguard what he entrusts to her.
The practice of women not performing household tasks in Islam originated from the cultural norms of Muhammad’s time, where women from noble Arab families were exempt from such household work—just as they had the privilege of wearing the hijab, a right not extended to lower-status women, prostitutes, or slaves.
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Household Work: Once again, Islamic preachers proudly claim that Islam treats women like queens because it does not require them to cook or clean. However, they deliberately deceive and hide the darker side of this Islamic ruling. Let's see the truth: 1. This Unfair Islamic Ruling Deserves Condemnation, Not Praise: Basic human reasoning makes it clear that this ruling is not something to be admired—it is completely unbalanced and unjust toward husbands. How can it be fair to expect a man to not only provide dowry and full financial support for maintenance, but also take on household chores after an exhausting day of work? And while the man has to work hard outside, the woman stays lazy in her bed and does nothing at home? 2. Credit of this unjust System goes to pre-Islamic Arab Society of the time of IGNORANCE: If you still insist on praising this unjust system, then credit should go to the pre-Islamic Arab society of Jahiliyyah, not Islam. This system treated women as mere commodities—valued only for providing sexual services and bearing children. In return, they received dowry and financial support. They were not required to cook or clean, but in exchange, they had to give up other fundamental rights—such as the freedom to leave the house without a man's permission. They were also expected to maintain their beauty, remain obedient at all times, and be available 24/7 to fulfill their husband's sexual demands. They were also expected to obey their husbands without question—any defiance could result in severe beatings, often leaving bruises. So, how can poor Muslim women, who had to endure such treatment, be considered "queens"? 3. Islam was not even for common Bedouin people, but only for NOBLE Families of Arab: Among wealthier or noble Arabs like the Quraysh in Mecca, women of status weren’t expected to handle domestic labor. Instead, men—especially husbands or heads of households—were responsible for providing sustenance and protection, often delegating tasks like cooking or cleaning to slaves or servants, or lower-status family members. On the other hand, rural or Bedouin women often had more hands-on roles out of necessity. The practice of women not performing household tasks in Islam originated from the cultural norms of Muhammad’s time, where women from noble Arab families were exempt from such work—just as they had the privilege of wearing the hijab, a right not extended to lower-status women, prostitutes, or slaves. The concept of a husband providing for his wife’s needs, which later crystallized as nafaqah in Islamic law, was copied from these pre-Islamic practices where a man’s honor and nobility were tied to such customs. 4. Even Muslims Themselves Are Trying to Move Away from This Unjust System Islamic apologists, although, proudly highlight this ruling when it suits their narrative, portraying it as proof that Islam elevates women by freeing them from household chores. However, at the same time, they are doing everything possible to distance themselves from it in practice. Islamic scholars have long struggled to justify this outdated and imbalanced system—essentially dethroning the so-called "Muslim queens" from their supposed thrones. Over time, they have developed different strategies to quietly sidestep or downplay these rulings:
5. A Balanced Approach in the Western System: Unlike Islam, the Western system maintains balance in household responsibilities. If a woman stays at home, she is generally expected to handle domestic tasks, while a working couple shares household duties more equally. Legally, a woman in the West can still refuse to cook or clean, and her husband cannot force her. However, the key difference is that Western law does not impose an obligation on the husband to provide her with a slave or servant, as Islamic law does. In the West, a man has the choice to stay with such a partner or separate, but he is not burdened with the legal duty of hiring a servant in the name of "maintenance." |
Unmarried Women in Islam: No Full Share in Inheritance, No Dowry, No Maintenance
Islamic claims about dowry and maintenance apply only to married women, leaving unmarried women without financial security.
In Islamic societies, many women remain unmarried due to various reasons:
- They are considered unattractive by societal standards.
- They are infertile and thus undesirable for marriage (according to entirely unhuman Islamic Instructions).
- They are widowed or divorced, while Islam encourages marrying virgins.
- Especially, widowed and divorced women with children may also choose to remain unmarried, as Islamic Sharia law takes away their custody rights if they remarry.
- They choose to remain unmarried.
Despite receiving no dowry or maintenance, these women still do not get an equal share of inheritance compared to men.
To make matters worse, Islamic society restricts their access to quality education, limits their career opportunities, and discourages them from working—yet it still denies them financial equality in inheritance.
Many such unmarried, widowed, or divorced women are then pressured into "Misyar Marriage", a humiliating arrangement where they receive neither full inheritance nor any financial support (dowry/maintenance) from a husband.
Islamists’ Claim: A Muslim woman has the right to demand payment for breastfeeding the child
Our Response:
This isn’t not woman's empowerment; it’s a grotesque distortion of nature, turning a mother into a hired milk dispenser. Imagine the absurdity—a woman holding her newborn hostage, haggling over a paycheck for an act as instinctive as breathing. Is this what you call a virtuous system? A mother’s bond with her child reduced to a transactional gig?
And let’s not gloss over the flip side: Islam grants the father the power to rip that same child from her arms and hand it off to any other woman with milk to spare. So much for maternal rights—apparently, they’re negotiable when a man decides otherwise. Picture the scene: a mother forced to watch her baby suckle at a stranger’s breast because the father flexed his divine privilege. That’s not a family; that’s a cattle auction.
Even if you squint and pretend this setup is somehow noble, don’t dare credit Muhammad or Islam for it. This isn’t some prophetic innovation—it’s a recycled relic from the pre-Islamic chaos of Jahiliyyah. Muhammad didn’t invent this; he just kept the old Arab playbook intact. Look at his own life: yanked from his mother Amina as a toddler, shipped off to the desert to be nursed by Halima, a Bedouin wet nurse, all arranged by his uncles. That’s not a divine blueprint; it’s a tribal hand-me-down, dressed up as revelation.
This system doesn’t honor women—it commodifies them, stripping motherhood to a paycheck and a power struggle. Call it tradition if you want, but it’s a tradition that cheapens the human soul.
A Challenge: Can You Name Any Right That Islam Grants to Muslim Women But the West Doesn't?
In the West:
- If a wife chooses to stay at home and take care of children, she is legally entitled to full financial support—without losing any other fundamental rights (unlike Muslim women, who lose various rights in divorce, inheritance, etc.).
- In case of divorce, she receives half of the property and wealth accumulated during the marriage.
In simple terms:
A Western woman gets all the financial benefits that Muslim women receive under the label of dowry or maintenance, but without sacrificing a long list of rights that Muslim women lose—such as:
- Unequal divorce rights
- Half inheritance
- Obligation to provide sexual services on demand
- Being reduced to a child-bearing role
- Losing child custody if they remarry
- bear her husband having sex with 3 more wives
- bear her husband raping dozens of slave girls in temporary sexual relationship.
- bear brutal beating from her husband.
- ... and a lot more
As for household work, we’ve already highlighted how unrealistic it is for a woman to be free from it unless her husband owns slaves or is wealthy enough to afford servants. In reality, 99.99% of Muslim women still do household chores. Actually, Muslim women have to do a lot more household work as compared to Western women—since in the West, husbands actively share domestic responsibilities.
(In this section, the same article is presented in a non-Table form)
Women's Rights in Islam: Where is the EQUITY?
Islam NEITHER grants women rights on the basis of Equity NOR on the basis of Equality.
A husband has the full right to divorce, but a woman does not. ,
Where is the equity?
The process of issuing three Talaqs (divorces) is designed to punish a woman under the guise of reconciliation. She is forced to remain in her husband's house as a captive for three menstrual cycles (roughly three months), during which she is prohibited from having sex and affection, while the husband is allowed to engage with other wives or even slave women.
Where is the equity?
Men alone hold the right to initiate a divorce. If a woman seeks a divorce, she must offer ransom money to her husband. If he accepts, she is granted her freedom. However, if he refuses, there is no way for an Islamic court to compel him to divorce her, leaving her trapped in an unhappy or abusive marriage with no recourse to escape.
Where is the equity?
A woman can seek a divorce only under specific, severe circumstances that often require years of hardship. These include:
- The husband's whereabouts being unknown for four years,
- The husband neglecting his duty to provide maintenance for two years,
- The husband being imprisoned for seven years or more,
- The husband failing to fulfill marital obligations for three years,
- The husband suffering from insanity or a debilitating disease for two years. These conditions result in prolonged suffering for the woman before she can receive any relief.
Where is the equity?
A husband can accuse his wife of adultery without the need for four witnesses, but if a wife accuses her husband of adultery (or rape) without four witnesses, she faces 80 lashes. This double standard reflects a severe lack of equity.
Where is the equity?
Only women are subjected to the hardship of ‘Iddah, the waiting period after divorce or the death of a husband. A woman must mourn her husband's death for 4 months and 10 days, during which she cannot remarry. In contrast, a man does not have to observe any mourning period and can remarry immediately.
Where is the equity?
If a divorced woman remarries, she loses custody of her children. This rule is based on the idea that she cannot provide proper sexual services to her new husband while caring for children from her previous marriage. This places a woman in an untenable position, losing custody of her children simply because of remarriage.
Where is the equity?
If a woman is divorced, even if the husband is at fault, she is forced to marry and have sex with another man in order to return to her first husband. This process, known as Halala, can be a form of sexual abuse and is a way for women to retain custody of their children after divorce. Without undergoing this humiliation, a woman could lose her children.
Where is the equity?
In Ila, a husband can refuse to engage in sexual relations with his wife for up to four months as a form of punishment. After four months, he may resume relations, then again leave her for another four months. This form of marital manipulation reflects the husband's control over the wife’s body, treating her as a possession.
Where is the equity?
If a man, in anger or by mistake, compares his wife to his mother or declares her to be like his mother, it becomes a form of separation. This is considered akin to divorce, and the woman is left to suffer due to the husband's words, without any recourse or justice.
Where is the equity?
Throughout these various practices, it is clear that women face significant hardship, with few options for recourse or escape. There is a striking lack of equity between men and women in these situations.
Hijab
- Only women are required to suffocate themselves by wearing the Hijab.
- Only their lives become dependent on male mahrams, as they cannot go out without a mahram man accompanying them.
- The Hijab becomes a hindrance to their education and professional aspirations.
- It limits their physical health and activities, as they cannot freely go out swimming, jogging, or playing sports in public spaces.
Where is the equity?
Scientific Studies Show:
- Hijabi women are suffering from hair loss.
- Hijabi women are experiencing baldness.
- Hijabi women are facing a receding hairline.
- Hijabi women are affected by fungi, candida, sticky hair, and bad odour.
- Hijabi women are enduring scratching, neck pain, and head pain.
- Hijabi women, especially minor girls who begin wearing the Hijab as young as age 3, are suffering from vitamin D deficiency.
Where is the equity?
Testimony
- A woman's testimony is ZERO (i.e., not even HALF, and absolutely not accepted in an Islamic court) in the following serious cases of Hudud (Link):
- Adultery
- Rape
- Murder
- Robbery
- Theft
- Hirabah
Where is the equity?
- A woman's testimony is also ZERO (i.e., not even half) in cases not related to women's affairs, such as:
- Nikah (marriage)
- Talaq (divorce)
- Raju’ (restitution of conjugal rights)
- Parentage
- al-Wakalah (agency)
- Wills/Testaments
Where is the equity?
- A woman's testimony is only HALF in the following case:
- Financial matters
Where is the equity?
Inheritance
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A daughter will inherit only half of what a son receives, while the son gets the full share. Where is the equity?
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A sister will inherit only half of what a brother receives, while a brother will get the full share. Where is the equity?
- If a man has no closer male relative (like father or son) then his wife will receive only 25%, while a distant male (like an uncle or his sons) relative will receive 75%. Link. But in a vice versa case, a husband gets a Full share. Where is the equity where a wife is getting even less than the distant male relative?
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If a man has no closer male relative (like father or son) then his mother will receive only 33%, while a distant male relative (like an uncle of his son) will receive 67.77%. Link. But in a vice versa case, a father gets a Full share. Where is the equity where a mother is getting even less than the distant male relative?
Other Issues:
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Wife Beating: Not only "light" but even brutal beating resulting in bruises is completely Halal in Islam in the name of disciplining her.
Where is the equity? -
Infertility: An infertile woman is considered to have no worth, should not be married, and can be divorced. Meanwhile, a woman cannot seek divorce from her infertile Muslim husband (double standards in Islam).
Where is the equity? -
Virginophilia: Islam demands not to marry a widowed or divorced woman in the presence of a virgin girl. But the same is not true about men and they could be married despite them being divorced or widowed, even in the presence of virgin men. [Double Standards of Islam]
Where is the equity? -
A father can even wed his minor daughter (even if she is breastfed) without her consent. And the husband can drive sexual pleasure by kissing her naked body, making her masturbate him, or rubbing his penis in her thighs (except for generation). Link.
Where is the equity? -
If a Foster Father lusts for his "Minor Adopted Daughter" due to her beauty or wealth, then he can forcefully give her into his Nikah. Link.
Where is the equity?
Does Islam treats Women like QUEENS?
Islam places two key responsibilities solely on men, not on women:
- Dowry and Maintenance – Men are required to provide financial support, while women bear no such obligation.
- No Household Work – Wives are not obligated to cook or clean for their husbands (though fathers can require their daughters to do household work).
Islamic preachers often use these points to promote the idea that Islam treats women like queens. However, this claim is misleading and deceptive. Let’s uncover the truth behind these Islamic rulings.
Dowry and Maintenance:
Islamic preachers boast a lot that Islam has made women QUEENS while it puts all the financial burden of dowry and maintenance upon husbands. Unfortunately, they don't tell the whole truth that:
- How women lose a lot of their rights due to this dowry and maintenance issue, which make their lives a hell.
- Moreover, if dowry and maintenance really means making women Queens, then it was the pre-Islamic Arab culture of the time of ignorance, which made them Queens, as they stipulated dowry and maintenance for wives, while Muhammad only copied it from them.
Hardships that women have to face in the name of Mahr (Dowry):
- In Islamic tradition, dowry (mahr) is seen as compensation for the sexual pleasure (tamtee') that a man derives from his wife, and the exclusive access to her body that he enjoys.
- At the same time, he is free to marry multiple wives and engage in temporary sexual relationships with numerous slaves., but she is not allowed to even talk to any other man without the permission of his husband.
- And she has to provide him with sexual services, whenever he demands it, even if she is travelling on the back of a camel and delivering a child (according to Muhammad).
- Thus, Mahr is the payment of those sexual services, which she is obliged to provide to her husband on DEMAND.
- In in name of Mahr money, she is also compelled to mourn his death for 4 months and 10 days (where she cannot marry any other person), even if she never loved him. But if the wife dies, then the husband has no obligation to wait, but he is free to have sex with other women/slave girls the same night.
- In the name of Mahr money, she is also compelled to undergo 'Iddah (waiting period) for 3 menstrual cycles if the husband divorces her. 'Iddah brings a lot of one-sided hardships and restrictions for women. Link.
- She also gets ZERO share from the property if her husband divorces her (Whereas in the West, a woman gets half the share from the property that they made during their marriage period). She is told to use that same Mahr money to survive if she is divorced.
Where is the equity?
Hardships that women have to face in the name of Maintenance Money:
Islam takes away many rights from a woman in the name of maintenance:
- She is prohibited to leave the house without the permission of her husband.
- She is even prohibited from visiting her parents without his permission.
- Her husband gets the right to beat her while he pays he money for maintenance.
- She receives financial support, but only at the cost of surrendering her right to work outside the home and earn her own income. In practice, it is nearly impossible for a woman to find employment without her husband's permission, especially in societies where Islamic norms are strictly enforced.
- If a husband mistreats and tortures his wife, she cannot initiate a divorce proceeding on her own. Even if the husband chooses to divorce her, she often lacks the means to support herself independently. As a result, she may be coerced into remarrying.
- However, if she does choose to remarry, Islam dictates that she will lose custody of her children (Link).
- She has the duty to put perfume and make her beautiful to provide him with sex services on demand.
Moreover:
- Women also have to become a "child bearing" machine for their husbands in the name of same Dowry/Maintenance. They cannot refuse to bear children if their husbands demand it.
- And they also have to look after the children at home in the name of same Dowry/Maintenance.
Where is the equity?
In simple words:
- Slaves are also fed and maintained.
- Prisoners in the prisons are also fed and maintained.
- And women in Islam are not much different than slaves and prisoners.
Islam even allows man to BLACKMAIL women to give up their rights to Dowry and Maintenance Money:
- Man can blackmail women into Misyaar marriage, where he has to give neither Mahr nor Maintenance money to women.
- Even in normal Nikah marriage, again men are fully allowed to blackmail wives to give up their rights to Mahr or Maintenance money by threatening them to divorce them, or by not treating them well.
- Muhammad himself blackmailed old lady Sawdah to give up her right to night turns by threatening her with divorce. Link
Where is the equity?
The Islamic System of Dowry (Mahr) and Maintenance (Nafaqah) is Completely "Unbalanced" and Unjust to Both Men and Women
The Islamic system of maintenance (Nafaqah) is fundamentally unbalanced because:
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Financial Burden Solely on the Husband:
The entire financial responsibility is placed solely on the husband, regardless of his circumstances. It does not consider whether the husband is poor, becomes ill, or loses his job. It essentially becomes a gamble because no one knows if he will face illness, unemployment, or other financial hardships in the future. Yet, in all such cases, the financial burden remains entirely on the husband. -
Mahr as a Gamble:
No one knows whether the marriage will last or end in divorce. If divorce happens, even as early as the following week, the wife is entitled to the full mahr amount, leaving the husband at a financial loss. For the husband, Islamic marriage becomes a gamble where he pays a hefty mahr upfront, assuming a lifetime commitment from his wife, only to face the risk of divorce shortly after.
Comparison with the Western System:
In contrast, the Western system is far more balanced. If the wife is wealthy, has a stable and successful business, and is in good health, she is expected to share financial responsibilities equally. This allows her to support her husband in times of financial difficulty. Moreover, the husband does not face the risk of gambling on a large dowry amount before the marriage.
This system ensures a more equitable and fair distribution of financial responsibilities, reducing the strain and risk placed on one individual in the marriage.
Household Work (cleaning, cooking etc.):
For those, who don't know about it, here are some details:
Many classical scholars, including those from the Hanafi, Maliki, and Shafi'i schools, argue that a woman’s primary obligation in marriage is to be available for her husband in matters of companionship and intimacy, but she is not required to perform household chores.
Imam Ibn Hazm, a prominent scholar of the Zahiri school, stated in his work "Al-Muhalla" (Volume 9, Page 161):
1906 - مسألة : ولا يلزم المرأة أن تخدم زوجها في شيء أصلا ، لا في عجن ، ولا طبخ ، ولا فرش ، ولا كنس ، ولا غزل ، ولا نسج ، ولا غير ذلك أصلا - ولو أنها فعلت لكان أفضل لها وعلى الزوج أن يأتيها بكسوتها مخيطة تامة ، وبالطعام مطبوخا تاما وإنما عليها أن تحسن عشرته ، ولا تصوم تطوعا وهو حاضر إلا بإذنه ، ولا تدخل [ ص: 228 ] بيته من يكره ، وأن لا تمنعه نفسها متى أراد ، وأن تحفظ ما جعل عندها من ماله
1906 - Issue: It is not obligatory for a woman to serve her husband in any way at all—neither in kneading dough, nor cooking, nor arranging the house, nor sweeping, nor spinning, nor weaving, nor anything else. However, if she does so, it would be better for her, and it is incumbent upon the husband to provide her with fully stitched clothing and fully cooked food. Her only obligations are to treat him well, not to fast voluntarily when he is present without his permission, not to allow into his house anyone he dislikes, not to deny herself to him when he desires, and to safeguard what he entrusts to her.
The practice of women not performing household tasks in Islam originated from the cultural norms of Muhammad’s time, where women from noble Arab families were exempt from such household work—just as they had the privilege of wearing the hijab, a right not extended to lower-status women, prostitutes, or slaves.
Once again, Islamic preachers proudly claim that Islam treats women like queens because it does not require them to cook or clean. However, they deliberately deceive and hide the darker side of this Islamic ruling. Let's see the truth:
1. This Unfair Islamic Ruling Deserves Condemnation, Not Praise:
Basic human reasoning makes it clear that this ruling is not something to be admired—it is completely unbalanced and unjust toward husbands. How can it be fair to expect a man to not only provide dowry and full financial support for maintenance, but also take on household chores after an exhausting day of work? And while the man has to work hard outside, the woman stays lazy in her bed and does nothing at home?
2. Credit of this unjust System goes to pre-Islamic Arab Society of the time of IGNORANCE:
If you still insist on praising this unjust system, then credit should go to the pre-Islamic Arab society of Jahiliyyah, not Islam. This system treated women as mere commodities—valued only for providing sexual services and bearing children. In return, they received dowry and financial support. They were not required to cook or clean, but in exchange, they had to give up other fundamental rights—such as the freedom to leave the house without a man's permission. They were also expected to maintain their beauty, remain obedient at all times, and be available 24/7 to fulfill their husband's sexual demands. They were also expected to obey their husbands without question—any defiance could result in severe beatings, often leaving bruises. So, how can poor Muslim women, who had to endure such treatment, be considered "queens"?
3. Islam was not even for Bedouin, but only for NOBLE Families of Arab:
Among wealthier or noble Arabs like the Quraysh in Mecca, women of status weren’t expected to handle domestic labor. Instead, men—especially husbands or heads of households—were responsible for providing sustenance and protection, often delegating tasks like cooking or cleaning to slaves or servants, or lower-status family members. On the other hand, rural or Bedouin women often had more hands-on roles out of necessity. The concept of a husband providing for his wife’s needs, which later crystallized as nafaqah in Islamic law, was copied from these pre-Islamic practices where a man’s honor and nobility were tied to such customs.
4. Even Muslims Themselves Are Trying to Move Away from This Unjust System
Islamic apologists, although, proudly highlight this ruling when it suits their narrative, portraying it as proof that Islam elevates women by freeing them from household chores. However, at the same time, they are doing everything possible to distance themselves from it in practice.
Islamic scholars have long struggled to justify this outdated and imbalanced system—essentially dethroning the so-called "Muslim queens" from their supposed thrones. Over time, they have developed different strategies to quietly sidestep or downplay these rulings:
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Keeping Muslim Women Uninformed:
The first tactic is ensuring that most Muslim women remain unaware of these rights. Even though Islamic law books clearly state that wives are not obligated to cook or clean, this information is rarely—if ever—shared in Friday sermons or religious teachings. Until recently, very few women even knew about these rulings, and it was only through social media that awareness began to spread. Yet, even today, a large number of Muslim women remain in the dark about these rights. -
Encouraging Voluntary Submission Through Fear:
If women do become aware of these rights, they are told that Allah will be pleased with them if they still choose to cook and clean. Otherwise, their husbands have full authority to divorce them without providing any reason, creating pressure to comply out of fear rather than genuine willingness. -
Altering the Original Ruling Over Time:
More than 700 years after these rulings were established, Islamic scholars like Ibn Taymiyyah attempted to modify them. In his legal collection Majmu' al-Fatawa, he suggested that household duties depend on a woman’s social background, stating (link):"This varies according to circumstances. What a Bedouin wife has to do (such as household work) is not the same as what an urban wife has to do."
This shift in interpretation shows an attempt to adapt Islamic rulings to changing societal norms, further proving that even Muslims recognize the impracticality of these laws.
5. A Balanced Approach in the Western System:
Unlike Islam, the Western system maintains balance in household responsibilities. If a woman stays at home, she is generally expected to handle domestic tasks, while a working couple shares household duties more equally.
Legally, a woman in the West can still refuse to cook or clean, and her husband cannot force her. However, the key difference is that Western law does not impose an obligation on the husband to provide her with a slave or servant, as Islamic law does. In the West, a man has the choice to stay with such a partner or separate, but he is not burdened with the legal duty of hiring a servant in the name of "maintenance."
Unmarried Women in Islam: No Full Share in Inheritance, No Dowry, No Maintenance
Islamic claims about dowry and maintenance apply only to married women, leaving unmarried women without financial security.
In Islamic societies, many women remain unmarried due to various reasons:
- They are considered unattractive by societal standards.
- They are infertile and thus undesirable for marriage.
- They are widowed or divorced, while Islam encourages marrying virgins.
- Especially, widowed and divorced women with children may also choose to remain unmarried, as Islamic Sharia law takes away their custody rights if they remarry.
- They choose to remain unmarried.
Despite receiving no dowry or maintenance, these women still do not get an equal share of inheritance compared to men.
To make matters worse, Islamic society restricts their access to quality education, limits their career opportunities, and discourages them from working—yet it still denies them financial equality in inheritance.
Many such unmarried, widowed, or divorced women are then pressured into "Misyar Marriage", a humiliating arrangement where they receive neither full inheritance nor any financial support (dowry/maintenance) from a husband.
Islamists’ Claim: A Muslim woman has the right to demand payment for breastfeeding the child
Our Response:
This isn’t not woman's empowerment; it’s a grotesque distortion of nature, turning a mother into a hired milk dispenser. Imagine the absurdity—a woman holding her newborn hostage, haggling over a paycheck for an act as instinctive as breathing. Is this what you call a virtuous system? A mother’s bond with her child reduced to a transactional gig?
And let’s not gloss over the flip side: Islam grants the father the power to rip that same child from her arms and hand it off to any other woman with milk to spare. So much for maternal rights—apparently, they’re negotiable when a man decides otherwise. Picture the scene: a mother forced to watch her baby suckle at a stranger’s breast because the father flexed his divine privilege. That’s not a family; that’s a cattle auction.
Even if you squint and pretend this setup is somehow noble, don’t dare credit Muhammad or Islam for it. This isn’t some prophetic innovation—it’s a recycled relic from the pre-Islamic chaos of Jahiliyyah. Muhammad didn’t invent this; he just kept the old Arab playbook intact. Look at his own life: yanked from his mother Amina as a toddler, shipped off to the desert to be nursed by Halima, a Bedouin wet nurse, all arranged by his uncles. That’s not a divine blueprint; it’s a tribal hand-me-down, dressed up as revelation.
This system doesn’t honor women—it commodifies them, stripping motherhood to a paycheck and a power struggle. Call it tradition if you want, but it’s a tradition that cheapens the human soul.
A Challenge: Can You Name Any Right That Islam Grants to Muslim Women But the West Doesn't?
In the West:
- If a wife chooses to stay at home and take care of children, she is legally entitled to full financial support—without losing any other fundamental rights (unlike Muslim women, who lose various rights in divorce, inheritance, etc.).
- In case of divorce, she receives HALF of the property and wealth accumulated during the marriage.
In simple terms:
A Western woman gets all the financial benefits that Muslim women receive under the label of dowry or maintenance, but without sacrificing a long list of rights that Muslim women lose—such as:
- Unequal divorce rights
- Half inheritance
- Obligation to provide sexual services on demand
- Being reduced to a child-bearing role
- Losing child custody if they remarry
- bear her husband having sex with 3 more wives
- bear her husband raping dozens of slave girls in temporary sexual relationship.
- bear brutal beating from her husband.
- ... and a lot more
As for household work, we’ve already highlighted how unrealistic it is for a woman to be free from it unless her husband owns slaves or is wealthy enough to afford servants. In reality, 99.99% of Muslim women still do household chores.
Actually, Muslim women have to do a lot more household work as compared to Western women—since in the West, husbands actively share domestic responsibilities.
Hassan Radwan