ISLAM CAME TO LIBERATE WOMEN: Contrary to What Western Media Often Potrays -

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By Doyin Odekunle

When many people in the West think about Muslim women, the image is predictable:
Oppressed.
Voiceless.
Uneducated.
Hidden behind veils.

However, the truth is different. Islam came at a time when women had little or no rights anywhere in the world, and it radically transformed their status.

Before the arrival of Islam, women were treated as objects rather than individuals in many parts of the world. In pre-Islamic Arabia, for example, women had no inheritance rights. They were often considered property to be inherited, bought, or sold. Newborn girls were sometimes buried alive because they were seen as a burden.

The situation wasn’t better in other regions. In ancient Greece and Rome, women were denied legal rights and confined to the home. In South Asia, widows were sometimes forced to burn themselves alive on their husbands’ funeral pyres (a practice called sati). Clearly, women everywhere faced a grim reality.

Then came Islam, a faith that radically uplifted the status of women, and for the first time, women were recognised as complete human beings with dignity, rights, and honour.

What Islam Gave Women:

The Right to Education
Islam made knowledge obligatory for both men and women. The Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said, “Seeking knowledge is an obligation upon every Muslim.” This included women, who went on to become scholars, leaders, and teachers in society.
The Right to Own Property and Wealth
Unlike other societies where women’s earnings were taken from them, Islam gave women financial independence. A woman could inherit, buy, sell, and manage her own wealth. Allah says “To men belongs a share of what they earn, and to women a share of what they earn.” (Quran 4:32)
The Right to Choose Their Spouse
Islam abolished forced marriages. A woman’s consent was made compulsory. The Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said, “A woman should not be married until her consent is sought.” (Sahih al-Bukhari)
The Right to Keep Their Identity
In many cultures, women lose their father’s names after marriage. Islam allows women to retain their lineage and identity. “Call them by [the names of] their fathers; it is more just in the sight of Allah.” (Quran 33:5)
Protection from Harm and Abuse
Islam redefined marriage as compassion and kindness. The Prophet said, “The best of you are those best to their wives.” (Al-Tirmidhi)
This was revolutionary in a world where abuse was normalised.
Spiritual Equality
The Quran makes men and women equal in their relationship with Allah. Both are rewarded equally for their deeds. Allah says: “Indeed, the Muslim men and Muslim women, the believing men and believing women… Allah has prepared for them forgiveness and a great reward.” (Quran 33:35)
The Right to Work
Islam does not restrict women from working or pursuing careers. Khadijah (RA), the Prophet’s wife, was a successful businesswoman.
The Right to Rest During Menses and Childbirth
Women are excused from prayer and fasting during menstruation and after childbirth, acknowledging the physical demands on their bodies. Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said: “When a woman menstruates, she is not to pray or fast, and it is a mercy from Allah for her.” (Sahih Muslim)
The Right to Divorce
Islam gave women the right to seek divorce, a protection in times when they were otherwise trapped in unwanted marriages. The Quran says:
“And when you divorce women and they have fulfilled their term, then either retain them according to acceptable terms or release them according to acceptable terms.” (Quran 2:231)

The media often confuses cultural practices with Islam. Instead of addressing cultural issues, many Western narratives unfairly blame Islam. But when we go back to the Quran and authentic Hadith, the truth is clear: Islam came to uplift, honour, and protect women.

Muslim women are not oppressed by Islam. We are empowered through it. Over 1,400 years ago, Islam gave us rights many societies only recognised in the last century.

Doyin Odekunle writes from Ibadan in Oyo State.