Through Force or Faith? — Page 289
Chapter 7 — Novelty in the Teachings of Muhammad 289 Teachings About Women Since Islam is attacked specifically with regard to the issue of women, a comparison between Islamic teachings concerning them and the teachings of other religions is presented. In Judaism and Christianity, a woman is considered slave to man (Genesis 3:16), and it is written that the man was not cre- ated for woman, but the woman for man (1 Corinthians 11:9). Discrimination between man and woman is to the extent that if a mother gives birth to a son, she shall be unclean for seven days; but if a daughter is born, she shall be unclean for two weeks (Leviticus 12:2,5). Islam has not made any such distinction nor has it given any such teachings; it proclaimed that man and woman are like garment to each other: َّنُه ٌساَبِل ْمُكَّل َو ْمُتْنَا ٌساَبِل َّنُهَّل ‘They are a gar - ment for you, and you are a garment for them’ ( S u rah al-Baqarah, 2:188). Men have rights over women just as women have rights over men: َو َّنُهَل ُلْثِم ْيِذَّلا َّنِهْيَلَع ِفْوُرْعَمْلاِب ‘And they (the women) have rights similar to those (of men) over them in equity ’ ( S u rah al-Baqarah, 2:229). Prior to Islam, woman were pronounced unclean during their menses. Thus, she was unclean even according to the Bible (Leviticus 15:19). And, it did not stop there; it was said that any- one who touched the woman during her impurity, that person would also be unclean till evening; everything that woman sat upon, shall be unclean; and whoever sat upon that spot, shall also be unclean until evening (Leviticus 15:20–25). In other words, during that period, a woman was the worst of untouchables. Islam says: