Everywhere you turn in the Islamic texts, women are treated as inferior. Internet jihadis are trying to saying that women are treated with the utmost respect. We could look at this from many angles, but let’s look at this one:
Narrated Abu Sa`id Al-Khudri:
Once Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) went out to the Musalla (to offer the prayer) of `Id-al-Adha or Al-Fitr prayer. Then he passed by the women and said, “O women! Give alms, as I have seen that the majority of the dwellers of Hell-fire were you (women).” They asked, “Why is it so, O Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) ?” He replied, “You curse frequently and are ungrateful to your husbands. I have not seen anyone more deficient in intelligence and religion than you. A cautious sensible man could be led astray by some of you.” Sahih al-Bukhari 304
So women are to go to hell because they curse and are ungrateful? What about the men? What happens to them if they curse and are ungrateful?
It doesn’t matter. A woman’s curse and ingratitude makes them hell-bound. And what should they do about?
Give more money.
This sounds and feels like a scam, does it not? Manipulating women to obedience behavior by threatening then with hell if they don’t stop, and then telling them they need to give more money?
One person online defending this says that this is about legal matters. So let’s look at the rest of the hadith:
The women asked, “O Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ)! What is deficient in our intelligence and religion?” He said, “Is not the evidence of two women equal to the witness of one man?” They replied in the affirmative. He said, “This is the deficiency in her intelligence. Isn’t it true that a woman can neither pray nor fast during her menses?” The women replied in the affirmative. He said, “This is the deficiency in her religion.” Sahih al-Bukhari 304
Note first of all that this is not answering the question as to why women are the majority of those in Hell. That has already been answered. This is a different question. Now the question is what is deficicent in our intelligence and religion.
First off, Islam’s messenger says it is because a woman’s testimony is half value of that of a man’s. This is what the Quran verse says. In no way does this give a woman greater value. In fact, it proves that that the Islamic teaches that women are half value in their contribution on matters.
Secondly, it says she is deficient in commitment because of her menses. Commitment is an act of the will. Menses is an act of the body but one that produces life for the family. This has nothing to do with commitment. It is false equivocation. It would be like saying a man is not committed because his face grows hair. Or that he has an Adam’s apple.
How is it that Allah creates a woman with menses to produce life, and then says she is not committed because of the very way in which he created her? Then would not this make Allah to blame?
Or is this just an attempt at a man to put a woman in her place and devalue her?