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Summary: Muslim Knowledge Guide: Women in Islam, Judaism and Christianity Across the Muslim World is presented here as a clear English account for Muslim readers, beginning with this scene: I have adjusted and shortened the order of the chapters. I am sharing this book not to attack followers of other religions. The content is objective, and the parts about Judaism and Christianity cite their own. The article keeps the original names, food details, mosque details, photographs, and cultural context while focusing on Women in Islam, Religious Comparison, Muslim Knowledge.

This article is an excerpt from a book by Canadian Muslim scholar Sherif Abdel Azeem.

The book is titled "

Women in Islam (Compared to Women in Judaism and Christianity)."

I have adjusted and shortened the order of the chapters. I am sharing this book not to attack followers of other religions. The content is objective, and the parts about Judaism and Christianity cite their own traditional scriptures, so there is no fabrication. Dr. Azeem wrote this book with a very humble and friendly attitude, and his citations are quite gentle.

I have always believed that Muslims should live among non-Muslims. The Quran allows Muslims to have friendly exchanges with non-Muslims. This helps us make comparisons and see our own strengths. If we only live among Muslims, many things become routine, just like air. We stop noticing them and forget to cherish them. Living with non-Muslims also promotes religious dialogue and encourages people to follow the right path, which is something the Quran allows us to do. "Invite to the way of your Lord with wisdom and good instruction, and argue with them in a way that is best. "(16:125)



The content is a screenshot from Islamic Law (Sharia).

The law clearly states that Muslims cannot interfere with the lives of non-Muslims. This includes not pouring out their wine, not stopping them from eating pork, and certainly not tearing down their churches. As long as both sides follow their own principles, we can communicate with their wise people.

Today, most Jews, Christians, and even Muslims do not practice their religion exactly as written in their scriptures. They choose what to believe based on their own understanding. Therefore, comparing the individual actions of believers from different religions is not representative and cannot be done. However, we can study the scriptures of these religions to trace their roots and compare how they describe certain topics. This article selects the most controversial issue, the status of women, for comparison.

Women in Islam (Compared to Women in Judaism and Christianity)

The status of women in Jewish and Christian traditions is undoubtedly shocking when measured by the standards of the late 20th century. However, it must be viewed within its proper historical context. This means that any objective evaluation of the status of women in Jewish and Christian traditions must take into account the historical circumstances in which these traditions developed.

There is no doubt that the views of Jewish legal scholars and church fathers on women were influenced by the ideas common in the societies where they lived. The Bible itself was written by different authors in different eras. These authors could not help but be influenced by the values and lifestyles of the people around them. For example, the extreme bias against women in the Old Testament laws regarding adultery is hard for us to explain with our way of thinking. However, if we consider the fact that early Jewish tribes cared deeply about their lineage, they had an extreme desire to define themselves as distinct from the surrounding tribes. In this context, only the sexual misconduct of married women could threaten the desire they valued so much. Considering this, we can understand this bias. Similarly, the various condemnations of women by church fathers cannot be separated from the misogynistic Greco-Roman cultural background of their lives. Therefore, it is unfair to evaluate Jewish and Christian cultural heritage without considering the relevant historical background. In fact, correctly understanding the historical background of Judaism and Christianity is also extremely important for understanding the significance of Islam's contribution to world history and human civilization.

1. The Sin of Eve

When Allah condemned Adam's actions, he pushed all the blame onto Eve: 'The man said, The woman you put here with me—she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it.' (Old Testament, Genesis 3:12) Allah then said to Eve: 'I will make your pains in childbearing very severe; with painful labor you will give birth to children.' 'Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you.' He then said to Adam: 'Because you listened to your wife and ate fruit from the tree about which I commanded you, You must not eat from it, cursed is the ground because of you.' 'Through painful toil you will eat food from it all the days of your life.' (Old Testament, Genesis 3:16-17) In the Islamic faith, the story of how humans were first created is mentioned many times, such as: 'O Adam!' Dwell with your wife in Paradise, and eat from it wherever you wish. But do not approach this tree; otherwise, you will become among the wrongdoers. ' But Satan whispered to them to reveal that which was hidden of their private parts.

He said: 'Your Lord did not forbid you from this tree except that you might become angels or become among the immortals.' ' And he swore to them: 'I am indeed a sincere advisor to you both.' ' He misled them with deception. When they tasted the fruit of the tree, their private parts became apparent to them, and they began to cover themselves with the leaves of Paradise. Their Lord called to them: 'Did I not forbid you from that tree?' Did I not tell you that Satan is a clear enemy to you both? ' They said: 'Our Lord!' We have wronged ourselves, and if You do not forgive us and have mercy upon us, we will surely be among the losers. ' (Quran 7:19-23) If you look closely at these two stories, you will find a clear difference. Unlike the Bible, the Quran treats the mistake made by Adam and Hawa equally. There is no hint in the Quran that Hawa ate the forbidden fruit before Adam, and she never tempted, incited, or deceived him. Also, the pain of childbirth for Eve (Hawa) is not a punishment from Allah. According to the Quran, Allah never punishes one person for the mistakes of another. Adam and Eve both committed the same sin, then they both asked Allah for forgiveness, and Allah forgave them.

2. The inheritance of Eve

In the Bible, Eve is portrayed as a temptress, and this negative image has deeply influenced traditional Jewish and Christian views. They believe all women inherited the traits of their first mother: sinfulness and deceit. Therefore, women are seen as untrustworthy, morally inferior, and evil. Menstruation, pregnancy, and childbirth are considered permanent punishments for women because of that sin. To better understand how this negative image of Eve affects all women, we need to look back at the accounts in some important Jewish and Christian scriptures.

First, let us look at an account from the ancient Bible: I found something more bitter than death: the woman who is a snare, whose heart is a trap and whose hands are chains. The man who pleases God will escape her. But the sinner is caught by her. The preacher says, look, among a thousand men, I found one upright man. But among all the women, I did not find one. I compared these things one by one to find the reason, and while my heart was still searching, I did not find it. (Old Testament, Ecclesiastes 7:26-28) In the Catholic Bible, we can read these sentences: Any wickedness is bearable, but not the wickedness of a woman... Any wickedness is small compared to the wickedness of a woman. (Ecclesiasticus 25:19, 26)

Jewish legal scholars list nine curses women suffer because they caused humanity to be expelled from paradise: a woman must endure nine curses and death throughout her life: menstrual bleeding, bleeding on her wedding night, the hardship of pregnancy, the pain of childbirth, the labor of raising children, covering her head as if in mourning, wearing earrings like a slave, having her testimony rejected in court, and finally, death. To this day, the daily morning prayer of Orthodox Jewish men includes this sentence: "Praise Allah, the King of the Universe, thank you for not creating me a woman." Jewish women, on the other hand, praise Allah in their morning prayer for "creating me according to your will."

Another dua found in many Jewish dua books says: "Praise Allah, who did not create me a non-Jew;" Praise Allah, who did not create me a woman; Praise Allah, who did not create me an ignorant person.

Let us hear what Saint Paul says: "A woman should learn in quietness and full submission." I do not permit a woman to teach or to assume authority over a man; she must be quiet. For Adam was formed first, then Eve. And Adam was not the one deceived; it was the woman who was deceived and became a sinner. (1 Timothy 2:11-14)

Saint Tertullian was even harsher than Saint Paul. When speaking to his "most beloved sisters" about faith, he said: "Do you know that each of you is Eve?" As long as the gender Allah ordained for you continues, the sin you committed will also continue. You are the gateway of the devil; You broke the seal of the forbidden tree. You were the first to disobey the command of Allah. You tempted Adam to sin—the devil originally did not dare to approach him. You destroyed the image of Allah—man—so easily. What is more, the death of the Son of Allah was also due to your rebellion.

Saint Augustine supported his predecessors. In a letter to a friend, he wrote: 'Whether wife or mother, they are no different as women; they are all the temptress Eve. We must be wary of any woman... I see no use for a woman to a man other than bearing children.'

Centuries later, Saint Thomas Aquinas still viewed women as a defect: 'Woman is defective and contemptible.' Man was created perfect, so his perfect attributes were able to continue. Woman was defective from the start, so her errors and defects will remain forever.

Finally, the famous reformer Martin Luther believed women were useless except for bearing as many children as possible: 'If they become exhausted or even die, it does not matter.' Let them die from childbirth; that is the task they came into this world for.

Because Eve existed as a temptress from the beginning, all women have been slandered time and time again. In short, in Jewish and Christian concepts, Eve and her female descendants have a sinful nature. Now, if we turn our attention to the Quran to see how it describes women, we will quickly find that the Islamic concept of women is fundamentally different from that of Judaism and Christianity.

Let us look at what the Quran says: '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.' (Quran 33:35) 'The believing men and believing women are allies of one another. They enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong and establish prayer and give zakat and obey Allah and His Messenger. Those—Allah will have mercy upon them.' Indeed, Allah is Exalted in Might and Wise. (Quran 9:71) Their Lord answered them: I will never let the work of any worker among you go to waste, whether male or female—you are one from another. (Quran 3:195) Whoever does evil will be repaid with the same evil. Any man or woman who does good and believes will enter Paradise and receive endless provision. (Quran 40:40) Whoever does good, whether male or female, and is a believer, I will surely give them a good life, and I will surely reward them for the best of what they have done. (Quran 16:97)

It is clear that the Quran makes no distinction when mentioning men and women. Allah created them to worship Him on earth, to do good deeds, and to avoid sin. Both men and women will be judged fairly by Allah. The Quran never says that women are a gateway for the devil or that they have a deceptive and seductive nature. The Quran also never says that men are created in the image of Allah. Both men and women are simply creations of Allah, nothing more.

According to the Quran, a woman's role on earth is not just to give birth; she is required to do as many good deeds as men. The Quran does not say that righteous women do not exist. Instead, it commands all believers to take pure women like the Virgin Maryam (Mary) and the wife of Pharaoh as role models: Allah sets the wife of Pharaoh as an example for those who believe. She said: My Lord! Build for me a house in Paradise near You. Save me from Pharaoh and his evil deeds. Save me from the unjust people, O Allah. Allah also sets an example for the believers in Maryam (Mary), the daughter of Imran. She guarded her chastity, so I breathed into her through My spirit. She believed in the words of her Lord and His scriptures, and she was one of the obedient. (Quran 66:11-12)

3. The shameful daughter

In fact, the views on women in the Bible and the Quran are completely different from the moment a girl is born. The Bible states that the period of ritual impurity for a mother after giving birth to a girl is two weeks, which is twice as long as the seven days required after giving birth to a boy (Old Testament, Leviticus 12:2-5). The Catholic Bible explicitly states: 'A daughter is a loss to her father' (Sirach 22:3). In sharp contrast to this shocking statement, boys receive special praise: 'He who instructs his son will make his enemy jealous' (Sirach 30:3).

Jewish legal scholars urged Jews to have as many children as possible to strengthen their people. At the same time, they did not hide their clear preference for boys: 'Even the father of a bad boy is better than the father of a girl,' 'When a boy is born, everyone is happy... when a girl is born, everyone is sad,' and 'When a boy comes into the world, peace comes with him... when a girl comes, she brings nothing.'

A daughter is considered a painful burden and a source of shame for her father: 'Keep a strict watch on a headstrong daughter, lest she make you a laughingstock to your enemies, a byword in the city and the assembly of the people, and put you to shame in public.' (Sirach 42:11) 'Keep a strict watch on a shameless daughter, lest she find an opportunity and indulge herself.' Be careful not to yield to a shameless eye; otherwise, do not be surprised if she offends you. (Sirach 26:13-14) This view of daughters as a source of shame is very similar to the views of the ignorant Arabs who buried infant girls alive before the rise of Islam. The Quran strictly condemns this heinous act: 'When one of them is told that his wife has given birth to a daughter, his face darkens and he is full of complaints.' He hides from his clan because of this bad news, wondering if he should keep her in shame or bury her in the dirt. Or should he bury her alive in the ground? Truly, their judgment is evil. (Quran 16:58-59)

If the Quran had not repeatedly condemned this ugly crime (Quran 16:59, 43:17, 81:8-9), this behavior of the ancient Arabs might never have changed. the Quran treats sons and daughters equally without any difference. Unlike the Bible, the Quran considers the birth of a girl to be a gift and blessing from Allah, just like the birth of a boy. The Quran even mentions the gift of daughters first: "To Allah belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth. He creates what He wills; He gives to whom He wills female children; and He gives to whom He wills male children. " (Quran 42:49)

In the early days of Islam, to completely end the crime of burying baby girls alive, the Prophet Muhammad promised a great reward to those who were given daughters and raised them well: "Whoever raises daughters and treats them well, he will be protected from the punishment of Hellfire. (Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim) "Whoever raises two girls until they reach adulthood, the distance between him and me on the Day of Resurrection will be like this; saying this, the Prophet held his fingers together. " (Sahih Muslim)

4. Education for women

The core foundation of Judaism is the Torah, or the Book of Law. However, according to the Jewish Talmud, women are exempt from studying the Torah. Some Jewish legal scholars claimed that it is better to burn the Torah than to let women touch it, and that whoever teaches his daughter the Torah is like teaching her lewdness and evil. St. Paul’s attitude in the New Testament was not enlightened either: Women should keep silent in the meetings, just as in all the churches of the saints. Because they are not allowed to speak. They must be submissive, just as the law says. If they want to learn anything, they can ask their husbands at home. Because it is shameful for women to speak in the meeting. (New Testament, 1 Corinthians 14:34-35)

Now, for the sake of fairness, let us ask: Does the Quran have a different view on this? The following story mentioned in the Quran can help us understand this. Khawla was a Muslim woman. Once, her husband Aws got angry and said to her: You are to me like the back of my mother. This was a way for Arabs in the pre-Islamic period to divorce their wives. The husband would cut off all marital relations and responsibilities, but the woman was not allowed to leave his house or marry anyone else. When Khawla heard this from her husband, she was extremely distressed. She went straight to the Prophet Muhammad to pour out her heart. The Prophet told her she should be patient, because there seemed to be no solution for such a matter. However, Khawla argued her case reasonably, trying to save this suspended marriage. Soon, verses from the Quran were revealed. Khawla’s appeal was granted, and Allah abolished this terrible custom. The 58th chapter of the Quran related to this is named Al-Mujadila, meaning 'The Pleading Woman': 'Allah has certainly heard the speech of the one who argues with you, [O Muhammad], concerning her husband and directs her complaint to Allah.' Allah hears your dialogue. Indeed, Allah is All-Hearing and All-Seeing. ' (Quran 58:1) In the Quran, women have the right to debate—even with the Prophet of Islam himself. No one has the right to order her to be silent. She is also not limited to only obtaining knowledge and religion from her husband.

5. Unclean women

Jewish laws and regulations are extremely restrictive and binding for women during their menstrual period. The Old Testament considers any menstruating woman to be unclean and defiled, and her impurity is even 'contagious.' Anyone or anything she touches becomes unclean until evening: 'When a woman has a discharge, if her discharge in her body is blood, she shall continue in her menstrual impurity for seven days; and whoever touches her shall be unclean until evening.' Everything on which she lies during her menstrual impurity shall be unclean, and everything on which she sits shall be unclean. Anyone who touches her bed shall be unclean until evening, and he shall wash his clothes and bathe in water and remain unclean until evening. Anyone who touches any object on which she has sat shall be unclean until evening. ' (Old Testament, Leviticus 15:19-23)

Because of her 'contagiousness,' to avoid any possibility of contact with her, a menstruating woman is sometimes 'banished.' She is sent to a special room called the 'house of uncleanness' to spend her entire menstrual period. The Talmud even suggests that a menstruating woman is 'deadly,' even without any contact: 'Our rabbis taught: If a menstruating woman passes between two men, if it is at the beginning of her period, she will cause one of them to die;' If she is at the end of her period, she will cause a dispute between them. (Talmud b Pes. 111a)

What is more, if the husband of a menstruating woman is contaminated—even by the dust on her feet—he is forbidden from entering the synagogue. A rabbi cannot preach in the synagogue if his wife, daughter, or mother is menstruating. 10. It is no wonder that many Jewish women still call menstruation a "curse" today. In Islamic belief, a menstruating woman is never considered "contagiously unclean," nor is she "untouchable" or a "curse." She goes about her daily life as usual, with only one exception: married couples avoid sexual intercourse during menstruation. Other than that, any physical contact between husband and wife is allowed. During this time, a menstruating woman is exempt from certain religious duties, such as namaz and fasting.

6. Giving testimony

Another issue where the Quran and the Bible differ is the matter of women giving testimony. The Quran commands believers to have two men, or one man and two women, as witnesses when drawing up contracts for business transactions (see Quran 2:282). However, the Quran accepts the testimony of men and women equally in other situations. In fact, a woman's testimony can overturn a man's: if a man accuses his wife of adultery without other evidence, the Quran requires him to swear solemnly five times to prove his words are true. However, if his wife denies it and swears solemnly five times to prove her innocence, she is not found guilty, and the marriage is dissolved (Quran 24:6-11).

On the other hand, in early Jewish society, women were not allowed to give testimony. Jewish jurists listed nine curses women suffered after humans were expelled from Paradise, and one of them is the inability to provide testimony (see Chapter 2). In Israel today, women are not allowed to provide evidence in Jewish religious courts. Jewish jurists explain that this is because the Bible records that Sarah, the wife of Abraham (Ibrahim), told a lie (Old Testament, Genesis 18:9-16). Jewish jurists use this event as evidence that women are not qualified to testify. This story from the Bible is mentioned more than once in the Quran, yet the Quran does not record Sarah lying at all (Quran 11:69-74, 51:24-30). In Western Christian societies, both church law and civil law prohibited women from providing any testimony until the end of the nineteenth century. If a man accuses his wife of adultery, her testimony is not considered according to the Bible. The accused woman must undergo a harsh examination. To confirm her guilt or innocence, she faces many complex and humiliating rituals during this examination (Old Testament, Numbers 5:11-31). After the examination, if she is proven guilty, she will be sentenced to death. If she is proven innocent, her husband does not suffer any punishment for this.

At the same time, if a man marries a woman and then accuses her of not being a virgin, her testimony is not accepted. Her parents must bring evidence of her virginity before the elders of the town. If the parents cannot prove their daughter's innocence, the woman will be stoned to death at the door of her father's house. If her parents can prove her innocence, her husband only needs to pay a fine of one hundred shekels of silver and is never allowed to divorce her: If a man takes a wife, and after sleeping with her hates her, and makes up charges against her, giving her a bad name, and says, I took this woman, and when I slept with her, I did not find proof of her virginity. The woman's parents shall bring the proof of the woman's virginity to the elders of the city. The woman's father will say to the elders, I gave my daughter to this man as his wife, but he hates her and has made false accusations, saying, I did not find proof of your daughter's virginity. But here is the proof of my daughter's virginity. The parents will then spread the cloth out before the elders of the city. The elders of the city will take the man and punish him, and fine him one hundred shekels of silver to give to the woman's father, because he brought a bad name upon a virgin of Israel. The woman will remain his wife, and he may never divorce her for as long as he lives. But if this matter is true and the woman has no proof of her virginity, they will bring the woman to the door of her father's house, and the men of her city will stone her to death. Because she committed a shameful act in Israel by acting promiscuously while in her father's house. In this way, you will purge the evil from among you. (Old Testament, Deuteronomy 22:13-21)

7. Adultery

Adultery is considered a crime by all religions. The Bible sentences men and women who commit adultery to death (Old Testament, Leviticus 20:10). Islam also punishes men and women who commit adultery equally (Quran 24:2). However, the Quran's definition of adultery is very different from the Bible's: according to the Quran, adultery refers to extramarital sexual relations involving a married man or a married woman. The Bible only defines extramarital sexual relations involving a married woman as adultery (Old Testament, Leviticus 20:10, Deuteronomy 22:22, Proverbs 6:20-7:27). If a man is found lying with a woman married to another man, both the man who lay with the woman and the woman must die. In this way, you must purge the evil from Israel. If a man is found sleeping with another man's wife, both the man who slept with her and the woman must die. (Old Testament, Deuteronomy 22:22) (Old Testament, Leviticus 20:10)

According to the definition in the Bible, if a married man sleeps with an unmarried woman, it is not considered a crime at all. The married man who has sex with an unmarried woman is not an adulterer, and the unmarried woman who has sex with him is not an adulteress. Adultery refers to a man—whether he is married or single—sleeping with a married woman. In this case, the man is considered an adulterer regardless of his marital status, and the woman is considered an adulteress. Simply put, adultery refers to improper sexual behavior involving a married woman. Extramarital behavior by a married man is not defined as a crime in the Bible.

Why is there this double standard of morality? According to the Encyclopedia Judaica, a wife is considered the private property of her husband, and adultery means an infringement on the husband's exclusive rights. As the husband's property, the wife has no right to infringe upon his rights. This means that if a man has sex with a married woman, he has infringed upon another man's property and is therefore punished. In Israel today, if a married man has an extramarital affair with an unmarried woman, the child born to them is considered legitimate. However, if a married woman has sex with another man—regardless of whether he is married—the child she has with that man is not only considered illegitimate, but as a bastard, is not allowed to marry any Jew, unless it is with an apostate or another bastard. This prohibition will continue for ten generations among their descendants until the stain of adultery gradually fades.

On the other hand, the Quran does not define any woman as a man's property. The Quran describes the relationship between husband and wife movingly: 'And of His signs is that He created for you from yourselves mates that you may find tranquility in them; and He placed between you affection and mercy.' Indeed in that are signs for a people who give thought. ' (Quran 30:21) This is the concept of marriage in the Quran: love, mercy, and peace, without any ownership or double standards.

8. Vows

According to the Bible, a man must fulfill the vows he makes in the name of Allah and cannot break his word. However, a woman's vows are not her own to make. If she is unmarried, her vow must have her father's consent. If she is married, she must get her husband's consent. If a father or husband disagrees with his daughter's or wife's vow, all her vows become invalid: 'But if her father expresses disapproval on the day he hears about any of her vows or her pledges by which she bound herself, then none of her vows shall stand... Any vow or binding pledge she makes to deny herself, her husband may confirm or nullify.' ' (Old Testament, Numbers 30:2-15)

Why can a woman not decide for herself? The answer is simple: because before marriage she is her father's property, and after marriage she is owned by her husband. A father has absolute control over his daughter, and if he wants to, he can even sell her! Jewish legal scholars point out: 'A man can sell his daughter, but a woman cannot sell her daughter;' a man can betroth his daughter to others, but a woman has no right to betroth her daughter.'

Jewish legal writings also point out that marriage shifts the power of control from the father to the husband: Marriage makes a woman the sacred and inviolable property of her husband. Clearly, if a woman is considered someone's property, she cannot make any promises without the permission of her master. The instructions in the Bible regarding women's vows had a deep negative impact on Jewish and Christian women until the early twentieth century. In the Western Christian world, a married woman had no legal status, and none of her actions had legal value. Her husband had the right to veto any contract, sale, or transaction she made.

In the West, the greatest inheritor of this Judeo-Christian legacy, women could not enter into any treaties because they were effectively someone's property. Because of the biblical view that women belonged to their fathers or husbands, women in the Western world suffered nearly two thousand years of enslavement. In Islam, every Muslim—whether man or woman—is responsible for their own vows, and no one has the right to negate the vows of others. If a man or woman fails to fulfill a solemn vow, according to the Quran, he or she must pay a penalty: Allah will not hold you accountable for your unintentional oaths, but He will hold you accountable for your intentional oaths. The penalty for breaking an oath is to feed ten poor people with the average food you provide for your own family, or to clothe them, or to free a slave. Those who cannot afford to feed the poor or free a slave must fast for three days. This is the penalty for breaking your oaths after you have sworn them. You should keep your oaths. Allah thus explains His signs to you so that you may be grateful to Him. (Quran 5:89)

The companions of the Prophet Muhammad, both men and women, often came before him to swear their allegiance. Women, just like men, came to the Prophet on their own to take an oath: "O Prophet!" If believing women come to you to pledge that they will not associate anything with Allah, will not steal, will not commit adultery, will not kill their children, will not falsely claim that someone else's son is their husband's, and will not disobey your reasonable commands, then accept their pledge and ask Allah to forgive them. Allah is truly the Most Forgiving, the Most Merciful. " (Quran 60:12) A man cannot take an oath on behalf of his daughter or wife, nor can he cancel the oath of any of his female relatives.

9. Headscarf

According to Dr. Menachem Brayer, a professor of biblical literature at Yeshiva University, Jewish law includes a custom where women cover their heads in public. Sometimes they even covered their faces, leaving only one eye visible. He quotes famous ancient Jewish legal scholars who said, "The daughters of Israel must not go out without their heads covered," and "A man who lets his wife's hair be seen by others is cursed... a woman who uses her hair as a decoration will bring poverty upon herself." If a married woman is present with her head uncovered, Jewish law forbids reciting blessings or dua in that space, because her hair is considered "nakedness."

Dr. Brayer also notes: "In the Tannaic era, a woman who failed to cover her head was considered immodest." She might be fined four hundred zuzim for this mistake. Dr. Brayer explains that a Jewish woman's headscarf was not just a sign of modesty; it was sometimes a symbol of status and luxury, representing the nobility and superiority of a high-ranking lady. At the same time, it represented a woman's inviolability, as she was considered the sacred private property of her husband. The headscarf signified a woman's self-respect and social standing. Women of lower social status often wore headscarves to try to give the impression of being noble. Since the headscarf was a sign of honor, it is easy to understand why ancient Jewish society forbade prostitutes from covering their hair. However, to look more respectable, prostitutes would often wear a special type of head covering. Jewish women in Europe kept the tradition of wearing head coverings until the 19th century. By then, their lives were mixed with a lot of the surrounding secular culture, and the outside pressures of European life forced many of them to stop wearing head coverings. Some Jewish women found that wigs were a more convenient way to cover their hair instead of a head covering. Today, most observant Jewish women no longer wear any head covering except when they are at the synagogue. But some of them, such as Hasidic women, still wear wigs.

What about Christian traditions? Everyone knows that Catholic nuns have covered their hair for hundreds of years. However, there is more to it than that. Saint Paul made some very interesting statements about head coverings in the New Testament: I want you to know that Christ is the head of every man, man is the head of woman, and God is the head of Christ. Every man who prays or prophesies with his head covered dishonors his head. Every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head, because it is just like having her hair shaved off. If a woman does not cover her head, she should have her hair cut off. If it is a shame for a woman to have her hair cut or shaved off, then she should cover her head. A man ought not to cover his head, since he is the image and glory of God, but woman is the glory of man. For man did not come from woman, but woman came from man. Neither was man created for woman, but woman was created for man. For this reason, a woman should have a sign of authority on her head because of the angels. (New Testament, 1 Corinthians 11:3-10) Saint Paul's theory on women wearing headscarves is that man is the image and glory of Allah, while the headscarf symbolizes man's authority over woman—woman was created for man.

In his famous book The Veiling of Virgins, Tertullian wrote: "Young women, wear your headscarves when you go out on the street, wear them in church, wear them among strangers, and wear them among your brothers..." In today's Catholic canon law, there is a rule requiring women to cover their heads in church. Certain Christian denominations, such as the Amish and Mennonites, still have women wear headscarves today. The reason, as their church leaders say, is that "covering the head is a symbol of a woman's submission to man and to Allah," which follows the same logic as Saint Paul in the New Testament.

From the evidence above, it is clear that the headscarf was not invented by Islam. However, Islam does support wearing a headscarf. The Quran requires both male and female believers to lower their gaze and cover their private parts, and it requires female believers to extend their headscarves to cover their necks and chests: "Tell the believing men to lower their gaze and guard their private parts; that is purer for them... And tell the believing women to lower their gaze and guard their private parts, and not to display their adornment except what is naturally exposed, and let them draw their veils over their chests and not display their adornment..." (Quran 24:30, 31)

The Quran clearly states that the headscarf is essential for modest and proper dress. But why is modesty important? The Quran remains very clear: "O Prophet! Tell your wives, your daughters, and the women of the believers to draw their outer garments over their bodies. This is more likely to make them recognized and not be harassed. " (Quran 33:59)

10. Polygamy

Now, let us address the important issue of polygamy. Polygamy is an ancient practice in many human societies. The Bible never condemns polygamy. On the contrary, the Old Testament and the writings of Jewish legal scholars repeatedly prove the legality of polygamy. People say King Solomon had more than 700 wives and 300 concubines (1 Kings 11:3). At the same time, King David is also said to have had many wives and concubines (2 Samuel 5:13). The Old Testament contains many instructions on how a man should distribute property to the sons born to his different wives (Deuteronomy 21:15-17). The only restriction on polygamy is the prohibition against marrying two sisters at the same time (Leviticus 18:18).

The Talmud suggests not taking more than four wives. European Jews maintained the practice of polygamy until the 16th century. Eastern Jews maintained polygamy until they set foot on the land of Israel (Israeli civil law now prohibits polygamy). However, polygamy is still permitted under religious law, which stands above civil law.

So, what is the view of the New Testament? According to Father Eugene Hillman in his insightful book, polygamy should be reconsidered: "In the New Testament, there is no explicit command requiring monogamy, nor is there any explicit command prohibiting polygamy." Moreover, in the time of Jesus, polygamy was prevalent in Jewish society, yet Jesus never said anything against it. Father Hillman emphasized the fact that the Roman Church prohibited polygamy by following the customs of Greco-Roman culture (establishing one legal wife while tolerating illegal cohabitation and prostitution). He cited the words of Saint Augustine: "Now, in our time, in order to maintain Roman tradition, it is no longer permitted to take another wife."

Churches and Christians in Africa often remind their European brothers that the Roman Catholic ban on polygamy is just a cultural tradition, not a true Christian prohibition.

The Quran also allows polygamy, but not without limits: "If you fear that you will not deal justly with the orphans, then marry those that please you of other women, two or three or four;" "but if you fear that you will not be just, then marry only one." (Quran 4:3)

11. Mother

Many parts of the Old Testament command people to honor their parents and condemn those who disobey them. For example: "Everyone who curses his father or his mother shall surely be put to death" (Old Testament, Leviticus 20:9) and "A wise son makes a father glad, but a foolish man despises his mother." (Old Testament, Proverbs 15:20) However, in some places, only the father is mentioned, such as "A wise son hears his father's instruction" (Old Testament, Proverbs 13:1), while the mother is never mentioned alone. the great hardship a mother endures through pregnancy, childbirth, and nursing is never highlighted as a reason to thank or treat her with special favor. a father can inherit from his children, but a mother cannot. It is difficult to find verses in the New Testament that require people to respect their mothers. On the contrary, the New Testament gives the impression that honoring one's mother is an obstacle on the path to Allah. According to the New Testament, a person is not worthy of being a disciple of Christ unless they hate their own mother. Jesus said: "If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple." (New Testament, Luke 14:26)

Moreover, the image of Jesus portrayed in the New Testament is one who is indifferent, or even disrespectful, to his mother. For example, when he was preaching among the crowd, his mother came to call him, but he did not care and did not go out to see her: "Then Jesus' mother and brothers came, stood outside, and sent someone to call him. There were many people sitting around Jesus, and they told him, 'Look, your mother and your brothers are looking for you outside.' Jesus replied, 'Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?' He looked around at those sitting in a circle and said, 'Look, my mother and my brothers!' Whoever does the will of Allah is my brother, sister, and mother.' " (New Testament, Gospel of Mark 3:31-35)

Some might argue that Jesus did this to teach people that religious bonds are not weaker than family bonds. However, if that were the case, he could have taught his audience without showing such indifference toward his mother. When a woman in his audience blessed the mother who gave birth to and raised him, Jesus did not agree and again showed the same disrespectful attitude: "As Jesus was saying these things, a woman in the crowd called out, 'Blessed is the mother who gave you birth and nursed you.' Jesus said, 'Blessed rather are those who hear the word of Allah and obey it.' " (New Testament, Gospel of Luke 11:27-28) If a mother with the status of the Virgin Mary was treated so rudely by her son Jesus Christ—as described in the New Testament—then how could an ordinary Christian mother expect to be treated well by her ordinary Christian son?

In Islam, honor, respect, and reverence are uniquely linked to the title of 'mother'. The Quran places the importance of honoring parents second only to the worship of Allah: "Your Lord has decreed that you worship none but Him, and that you be kind to your parents. If one or both of them reach old age in your care, do not say to them, 'Ugh!' ' Do not scold them, but speak to them with polite words. You should serve them with humility and say, 'My Lord!' Have mercy on them both, just as they raised me when I was young. ” (Quran 17:23-24)

The Quran emphasizes the great role of the mother as the one who gives birth and nurtures in many places: “I have commanded people to be kind to their parents—his mother carried him through weakness upon weakness, and his weaning is in two years—I said: ‘You should be grateful to Me and to your parents; to Me is the final destination.” ” (Quran 31:14) Prophet Muhammad once movingly described the special status of mothers in Islam: “A man came to the Prophet and asked: ‘O Messenger of Allah! Who among the people should I treat with the most kindness? ’ The Prophet said: ‘Your mother.’ ’ The man said: ‘And then?’ ’ The Prophet replied: ‘Your mother.’ ’ The man asked again: ‘And then?’ ’ The Prophet replied: ‘Still your mother.’ ’ The man continued to ask: ‘And what about after that?’ ’ The Prophet replied: ‘Next is your father.’ ’ (Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim) One of the few Islamic maxims that Muslims still faithfully follow today is: be considerate to your mother. The honor that Muslim mothers receive from their children is exemplary. The sincere, warm relationship between Muslim mothers and their children, and the deep respect that Muslim men show their mothers, often surprise Westerners.

12. Divorce

The three major religions have very different views on divorce. Christianity completely hates divorce. The New Testament clearly supports the idea that marriage cannot be broken. Jesus said: "But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, makes her the victim of adultery;" and anyone who marries a divorced woman commits adultery. (New Testament, Matthew 5:32) This firm wish is clearly unrealistic. It asks for a society with a level of moral perfection that humans have never reached. When a couple realizes their marriage cannot be saved, a ban on divorce does not help them at all. Forcing a couple with serious problems to stay together against their will is neither effective nor reasonable. It is not surprising that the entire Christian world now has to allow divorce.

Judaism is the exact opposite. It even allows divorce for no reason at all. The Old Testament gives a husband the right to divorce his wife if he finds something he does not like about her: "If a man marries a woman who becomes displeasing to him because he finds something indecent about her, and he writes her a certificate of divorce, gives it to her and sends her from his house," and if after she leaves his house she becomes the wife of another man, and her second husband dislikes her and writes her a certificate of divorce, gives it to her and sends her from his house, or if he dies, then her first husband, who divorced her, is not allowed to marry her again after she has been defiled, because that would be detestable in the eyes of the Lord. (Old Testament, Deuteronomy 24:1-4) These verses caused a lot of debate among Jewish scholars because they disagreed on the meaning of the words "indecent," "displeasing," and "dislikes." The Talmud records this disagreement: "The School of Shammai says a man cannot divorce his wife unless he finds her guilty of sexual immorality;" The School of Hillel says a man can divorce his wife even if she just breaks a plate." The jurist Akiba believed that a man could divorce his wife if he found a woman more beautiful than her. (Talmud, Gittin 90 a-b)

The New Testament follows the views of the School of Shammai, while Jewish law follows the views of the School of Hillel and the jurist Akiba. After the views of the School of Hillel became dominant, giving a husband the right to divorce his wife freely became an unbreakable tradition in Jewish law. The Old Testament not only gives a husband the right to divorce a wife who does not please him, it even considers it necessary to divorce a 'wicked woman': 'A wicked woman makes a man's spirit dejected, his face gloomy, and his heart wounded.' A husband's hands are weak and his knees are soft because his wife makes him miserable. Sin originated from a woman; because of her, we all must die. Do not leave a leak for water, not even a tiny one, and do not give a wicked woman any freedom. If she does not follow your instructions, you should cut her off from your side. (Sirach 25:31-36)

The Talmud records several behaviors of a wife that, if discovered by her husband, require him to divorce her: 'If she eats in the street, if she drinks water greedily in the street, or if she nurses her baby in the street, in any of these cases, the jurist Meir believes she must be divorced by her husband.' (Talmud, Git. 89 a) The Talmud also stipulates that a wife who has not given birth after ten years of marriage must be divorced: 'Our jurists teach us: if a man marries a wife and lives with her for ten years, and she still has not borne a child, he should divorce his wife.' (Talmud, Yeb. 64 a)

On the other hand, in Jewish law, a wife cannot initiate a divorce from her husband. She can only present sufficient reasons to a Jewish court and request the court's support. The reasons allowed for a woman to file for divorce are extremely limited, including her husband having physical defects or skin diseases, or her husband being unable to fulfill his marital duties. The court might support a wife's divorce petition, but it cannot dissolve the marriage because only the husband can write a letter of divorce to end it. The court can use persuasion, fines, detention, and excommunication to force a husband to write a letter of divorce for his wife. However, if a husband is particularly stubborn and refuses to give his wife a letter of divorce, he can keep her bound permanently, and no one can do anything about it.

Even worse, a husband can abandon his wife without giving her a letter of divorce, leaving her in a state of limbo where she is neither married nor divorced. In this situation, the husband can marry another woman, or even live with a single, unmarried woman and have children (who are considered legitimate under Jewish law). On the other hand, the abandoned wife cannot marry any other man because she is still legally a married woman. At the same time, she cannot live with another man because it would be considered adultery, and if she did so, her descendants for ten generations would be considered illegitimate. Women in this state of limbo are called agunah, which means a chained woman. 34 Today, there are about 1,000 to 1,500 agunah Jewish women in the United States, and as many as 16,000 in Israel. These women are blackmailed by their husbands and must pay them tens of thousands of dollars to get a letter of divorce.

Islamic rulings on divorce fall between those of Christianity and Judaism. In Islam, marriage is a sacred bond that should not be easily broken unless there are compelling reasons. When cracks appear in a marriage, both the husband and wife are taught to try their best to save and repair it. If all efforts fail, divorce is the last resort. Simply put, Islam allows divorce but tries to avoid it as much as possible.

Islam gives husbands the right to divorce their wives. However, unlike in Judaism, Islam also gives wives a right to divorce called khula, which allows them to end the marriage. If a husband divorces his wife, he cannot take back any dowry (mahr) he gave her, no matter how expensive it was: "If you want to replace one wife with another, and you have given one of them a great amount of gold, do not take any of it back." Would you take it back by slandering her and committing a clear sin? (Quran 4:20)

But if the wife chooses to end the marriage herself, she can return the dowry to her husband. Returning the dowry is a fair compensation for the husband, because he wanted to keep the marriage, but since she chose to end it, he must let her go. The Quran teaches Muslim men that they cannot take back any gifts given to their wives, unless the wife chooses to initiate the divorce: "It is not lawful for you to take back anything you have given them, unless both fear they cannot keep the limits set by Allah." If you fear they cannot keep the limits of Allah, then there is no sin if she gives something back to free herself. These are the limits of Allah, so do not cross them. (Quran 2:229) A woman came to the Prophet Muhammad and asked to end her marriage. She told the Prophet that she had no complaints about her husband's character or personality, but her only problem was that she no longer loved him and did not want to live with him anymore. The Prophet asked, "Will you return his garden (the dowry her husband gave her) to him?" She replied, "Yes." The Prophet then ordered her husband to take back the garden and accepted their divorce. (Sahih al-Bukhari)

In some cases, a Muslim woman may have to file for divorce for strong reasons, such as abuse by her husband, being abandoned without cause, or her husband failing to fulfill his marital duties. In these situations, a Muslim court will grant the divorce. In short, Islam gives Muslim women unmatched rights: she can end a marriage by returning her dowry, or she can seek a divorce through the courts. A Muslim woman will never be trapped by an abusive husband. Jewish women living in early Islamic society during the seventh century were drawn to these rights and often went to Muslim courts to ask for a ruling when seeking a divorce. However, Jewish legal scholars declared that divorces granted in Muslim courts were invalid. To stop this from happening, Jewish scholars gave Jewish women certain rights and treatment, trying to make Muslim courts less attractive to them.

Jewish women living in Christian countries did not get similar rights and treatment, because the divorce clauses in Roman law were not more attractive than those in Jewish law. Now, let us turn our attention to how Islam avoids divorce. The Prophet of Islam once warned believers: Of all lawful things, the one Allah hates most is divorce. (Sunan Abu Dawood)

A Muslim man cannot divorce his wife simply because he dislikes her. The Quran teaches Muslim men to treat their wives well, even if they do not like or even hate them: You should treat them well. If you dislike them, you should endure them, because perhaps you dislike a thing, and Allah has placed much good in that thing. (Quran 4:19)

Prophet Muhammad gave a similar instruction: A male believer should not dislike a female believer. If he dislikes her character, other aspects will make you like her. (Sahih Muslim) The Prophet also emphasized that the best Muslims are those who treat their wives well: The believer with the most perfect faith is the one with the best character; The best among you are those who treat their wives the best. (Jami at-Tirmidhi)

However, Islam is a realistic religion, and it recognizes that there are situations where a marriage may be on the verge of collapse. In such a state, kind words alone will not work. So, what should be done in this situation to save the marriage? The Quran provides some truly effective advice for couples facing marital problems caused by the misconduct of one partner. For husbands facing marital problems due to a wife's misconduct, the Quran gives four suggestions: As for those women whose stubbornness you fear, you may advise them, you may forsake them in bed, and you may strike them. If they obey you, then do not seek a way against them. Allah is indeed Exalted and Great. If you fear a breach between the two, then appoint an arbitrator from his family and an arbitrator from her family. If they both desire reconciliation, Allah will cause harmony between them. (Quran 4:34-35)

Try the first three suggestions first. If they are ineffective, then seek the intervention of both families. As mentioned in the text above, for a stubborn wife, striking her is a third, temporary measure that a husband may use as a last resort when he hopes to correct her wrong behavior (striking must not be heavy, and it is not permitted to strike the face or other sensitive areas). If this works, as the scripture says, the husband is not allowed to bully her in any way. If this does not work, the husband is not allowed to use the same method again, but should seek the final path, which is mediation by relatives.

Prophet Muhammad taught Muslim husbands that they must not use hitting as a method, except in extreme cases such as when a wife shows clear lewd behavior (not adultery). Even in such cases, it must only be a light tap. If the wife stops the lewd behavior, the husband is not allowed to cause her pain: If they show clear lewd behavior, you may sleep apart from them and hit them, but do not hit them hard. If they obey, you must not seek any way to make them suffer. (Jami at-Tirmidhi)

Beyond this, the Prophet of Islam forbids any unreasonable beating. Some Muslim women once complained to the Prophet that their husbands had hit them. Hearing this, the Prophet said firmly: Those who do this (hit their wives) are not the best among you (the Muslim community). (Sunan Abu Dawood) At the same time, the Prophet also pointed out: The best among you are those who treat their families well, and I am the best among you in treating my family. (Jami at-Tirmidhi)

The Prophet once advised a Muslim woman named Fatima bint Qais not to marry a certain man because he was known for hitting his wives. This woman narrated: I went to the Prophet and told him: Muawiyah ibn Abi Sufyan and Abu Jahm both want to marry me. The Prophet (advised) saying: Muawiyah is penniless, and Abu Jahm hits his wives. " (Sahih Muslim)

The Jewish Talmud mentions that hitting a wife can be a way to educate her. A husband does not have to limit hitting his wife to extreme cases like infidelity; he is allowed to hit her even if she simply refuses to do housework. he is not limited to light hitting; he can use methods like whipping or withholding food to force his wife to submit. For marital rifts caused by a husband's poor behavior, the Quran offers this advice: If a woman fears her husband's neglect or desertion, there is no sin on them if they reconcile. Reconciliation is better. (Quran 4:128)

In this situation, the wife is advised to seek reconciliation with her husband, whether or not family members get involved. It is clear that the Quran does not suggest the wife use the methods of sleeping apart from her husband or hitting him. The reason for this difference may be to protect the wife and prevent her from facing even stronger retaliation from a husband who is already in the wrong. If such violence occurs, it will only make the wife's situation and the marriage worse.

Some Muslim scholars suggest that a court can take these disciplinary measures against a husband on behalf of the wife. This means the court first admonishes the stubborn husband, then forbids him from sharing a bed with his wife, and finally administers a light physical correction. In summary, Islam provides Muslim couples with many effective suggestions to save troubled or failing marriages. If one spouse damages the marital relationship, the Quran requires the other to take effective measures to save this sacred bond whenever possible. If all measures ultimately fail, Islam allows both parties to divorce peacefully. view all