Women’s Role in Society and Family in Islam vs. the West
In Western discourse, Islam is
often reduced to a religion that restricts women’s freedom and prevents them
from engaging in public life, while Western societies present themselves as the
ideal model of liberty and equality. Yet this distorted image is far from the
truth of what Islam brought: rights granted to women more than fourteen
centuries ago, long before even the most advanced civilizations recognized
them. These rights respected women’s innate nature, preserved their dignity, and balanced their
family responsibilities with their active participation in social and
professional life.
Women’s Work Before and After Islam
Pre-Islamic
Arabia: Women as Property
Before Islam, women in Arabia had
no independent legal status. They were treated as dependents or even as
commodities that could be bought and sold. They were barred from inheritance,
inherited as part of family wealth, and forced into marriage by decision of
their guardian without regard to their own consent. In some tribes, infant
daughters were even buried alive out of fear of poverty or shame, a stark
reflection of the degrading view of women at the time.
It is true that some women from
higher social classes, such as Khadijah Bint Khuwaylid (may Allah be pleased
with her), took part in commerce and held esteemed social status. Yet these
cases remained rare exceptions that did not reflect the reality of the majority
of women in pre-Islamic society.
Islam’s
Revolution in Women’s Status
Islam revolutionized the status of
women, granting them an independent legal personality and economic rights they
could not have imagined before. Allah says, “For
men is a share of what the parents and close relatives leave, and for women is
a share of what the parents and close relatives leave, be it little or much -
an obligatory share.” (An-Nisa’ 4:7)
Thus, Islam affirmed a woman’s
right to inheritance as an independent human being, contrary to what had been
practiced before. It also granted her the right to a dowry (mahr), considered
her exclusive wealth over which she had full authority. Her financial
independence was established apart from the control of her husband or guardian.
A woman in Islam could buy, sell, and litigate on her own, recognized as a
complete legal entity with rights and obligations.
This reality was echoed by Catholic nurse Mary Haddad, who observed that “Islam recognized women as an
independent being with rights and responsibilities. It allowed her to keep her
family name after marriage. She could own property and dispose of it at will
without consultation or permission from husband or guardian.”
Nineteenth-Century
England Women
While Muslim women had long enjoyed such economic rights,
women in the West remained bound by injustice and subjugation. In England, for
instance, the legal doctrine of coverture
stipulated that a married woman lost her legal identity: she could not sign
contracts, own property, or initiate lawsuits in her own name, as the husband
was considered the sole legal representative of the household.
Reforms came gradually, beginning with the Married Women’s Property Act of 1870, which allowed a wife to retain
a portion of her income or inheritance, though still with limitations. This was
followed by the Married Women’s Property Act of 1882, which restored to married women
full legal identity: they could manage their property, buy and sell assets, and
initiate legal proceedings in their own name. Finally, the Act of 1893 confirmed equal property rights for married women and
unmarried women alike.
This late progress highlights the vast temporal gap between
Islam and other civilizations. Muslim women had secured their economic rights
over fourteen centuries earlier, while their Western counterparts endured long
centuries of struggle socially, legally, and politically—before achieving
similar recognition.
Historical Models of Working Women in Islam
Women’s work in the Islamic experience was neither an
exception nor a marginal phenomenon, but rather an integral part of the
flourishing of the Ummah, as long as she adhered to the Sharia guidelines that
preserved dignity and directed activity to the right path. It is enough to
review some honorable historical examples to see the extent of Muslim women’s
presence in various fields.
Khadijah (may Allah be pleased with her) was among the leading merchants
of Mecca, managing trading caravans, investing her wealth, and employing men to
work under her management. Her role was not limited to economic activity alone,
but she also financed the Islamic Da`wah in its early days and bore its burdens
alongside the Prophet (peace be upon him), becoming a great example of a
working woman with profound economic, social, and familial influence.
Islam did not deprive women of knowledge either; rather, it
opened its doors wide for them. The Prophet (peace be upon him) even designated
a special day to teach women at their request, as reported in Sahih Al-Albani
hadith: “Messenger of God, the men have a
monopoly of what you say, so appoint us a day on which we may come to you to
teach us some of what God has taught you.”
`A’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) became a scholarly reference
for both the Companions and the Followers, acknowledged by the Imams for her
vast knowledge of jurisprudence and hadith. Abu Musa al-Ash`ari said: “Never was a Hadith unclear to us - the Companions of the
Messenger of Allah - and we asked 'Aishah, except that we found some knowledge
concerning it with her.” (Narrated
by At-Tirmidhi) Shaykh Muhammad Akram An-Nadwi, in his encyclopedic work Al-Muhaddithat,
documented thousands of biographies of women who narrated hadith, issued
fatwas, and taught in mosques.
The female Companions also participated in battles, providing
water and tending to the wounded with the Prophet’s (peace be upon him)
permission. In Sahih Muslim it is reported: “The
Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) allowed Umm
Sulaim and some other women of the Ansar to accompany him when he went to war;
they would give water (to the soldiers) and would treat the wounded.” In Sahih Al-Bukhari, the roles of `A’ishah and Umm
Sulaim (may Allah be pleased with them) on the Day of Uhud are described as they
carried waterskins. Rufaydah Al-Aslamiyyah (may Allah be pleased with her) was
among the earliest women to practice nursing in Madinah; modern medical studies
have even explored her life and her role in organizing care for the wounded in
the Prophet’s Mosque.
Al-Shifa’ Bint Abdullah Al-Qurashiyyah (may Allah be pleased
with her) was among those who learned writing and taught Ḥafsah (may
Allah be pleased with her). In Tahdhib Al-Kamal, it is mentioned in her
biography: “`Umar Ibn Al-Khattab would give precedence to her opinion, he was
pleased with her, favored her, and sometimes appoint her over matters of the
market.”
Women’s participation was not limited to scholarly or medical
fields, but extended also to agricultural and craft work. Asma’ Bint Abi Bakr
(may Allah be pleased with her) narrated in Sahih Al-Bukhari: “I used to carry the date stones on my head from Zubair's
land given to him by Allah's Messenger.”
The Prophet (peace be upon him) also permitted the relative of Jabir
(may Allah be pleased with him) to go out during her waiting period after
divorce (`iddah) to tend her palm trees. (Sahih Muslim)
The Domestic and Social Role of Women in Islam and the West
Islam views motherhood and the
care of the family as a sacred and essential role in the building of
civilizations. Yet, it never confined women exclusively to it. Instead, it
opened for them the doors of work and social participation, while relieving
them of the burden of financial maintenance, which the Qur’an made the
responsibility of their guardian. Allah says,
“Men are in charge of women by [right of] what
Allah has given one over the other and what they spend [for maintenance] from
their wealth.” (An-Nisa’ 4:34) This relieves women of much of the strain
that modern societies impose on them.
Western studies reveal the extent of stress experienced by
working women today. According to a Gallup survey reported by AP News, 50% of
female employees in the United States say they feel stressed “a lot during the
day,” compared with 40% of men. Women also shoulder household duties during
work hours at a rate of 17% compared to 11% for men. In Britain, HSE statistics
indicate that women are twice as likely as men to be absent from work due to
psychological stress: 0.91 lost working days per year for women compared with
0.44 for men.
Health-wise, studies show that working women are at greater
risk of heart disease and strokes. French physician Marie Pezé explains that
workplaces designed according to “male standards” cause women to suffer
burnout, which negatively impacts their hormonal and cardiovascular health.
This is compounded by what is known as the “double burden,” as
women sleep about 25 minutes less per day than men due to household
responsibilities.
The burden increases further for Muslim women in the West due
to workplace discrimination. A University of Bristol study found that
unemployment among Muslim women stands at 18%, compared to only 4% among white
women with similar qualifications. In the United States, Carnegie Mellon
research in 2013 revealed that Muslim job applicants received 13% fewer
callbacks than Christians, sometimes up to seven times fewer. One study noted
that hijabi women are less likely to be hired than their non-hijabi counterparts,
even with equal qualifications.
Beyond discrimination, women in these so-called modern and
liberated workplaces also face harassment. According to the AAUW, 34% of female
employees reported sexual harassment by a colleague, 38% had to leave their
jobs, and 37% saw their career trajectories disrupted because of it. Zippia’s
data shows that between 54–81% of women have experienced workplace harassment,
yet 58–72% of them did not report it, with nearly half saying their careers
were adversely affected.
Islamic Guidelines for Women’s Work
Thus, Islam did not prohibit women from working; rather, it
affirmed it as an inherent right, equal to that of men. Allah says, “And their Lord responded to them, ‘Never will I allow to
be lost the work of [any] worker among you, whether male or female; you are of
one another.’” (Aal-`Imran 3:195) However, Islam laid down protective guidelines to
safeguard women from exploitation and degradation, so that she would not be
reduced to a distorted version of herself, as is being promoted in the West
today.
The original ruling regarding women’s work is that it is
permissible, and in some cases it may even be required, such as in the case of
a widow or a poor woman who needs income, or when society is in need of women
in specific fields like education and medicine. The Qur’an itself presents a
clear example in the story of the two daughters of Shu`ayb (peace
be upon him) who tended their father’s flock
due to his old age: “They said, ‘We do not water
until the shepherds dispatch [their flocks]; and our father is an old man.’”
(Al-Qasaṣ 28:23)
Among the most important conditions of women’s work in Islam
is that the work itself must be lawful. She may not participate in activities
that are forbidden or lead to what is forbidden. Islam has also required her to
uphold modesty and Islamic etiquette in both appearance and conduct, preserving
her dignity and protecting her from harassment or exploitation. Allah says, “And tell the believing women to lower their gaze and
guard their chastity and not expose their adornment except that which
[necessarily] appears thereof…” (An-Nur 31)
And He also says, “If you fear Allah, then do not
be soft in speech [to men], lest he in whose heart is disease should covet, but
speak with appropriate speech.” (Al-Ahzab 33:32)
Furthermore, Allah instructed that interaction with men should
be limited to necessity and without seclusion or exposure: And when you ask [his wives] for something, ask them from
behind a partition. That is purer for your hearts and their hearts.” (Al-Ahzab
33:53)
Islam also emphasized that work must never overshadow her
primary role in the family. She is first and foremost responsible for nurturing
the household and raising future generations, a central role no one can
replace. Still, she is not prevented from combining her responsibilities at
home with her work in society. Islam instead calls her to balance between the
two so she can fulfill her maternal mission while also contributing to the advancement of her community.
Scholars have addressed this matter in detail. Shaykh Yusuf Al-Qaradawi
held that women’s work is permissible, and at times obligatory, if there is a
need—whether personal or societal—provided that Islamic guidelines are upheld.
Likewise, Shaykh Ibn Baz confirmed that Islam never
prohibited women from work or trade, but allowed it for both men and women
alike, while stressing the necessity of observing hijab and avoiding sources of
temptation.
The Centrality of Motherhood and the Sanctity of the Family
Despite all this, the Qur’an
establishes a profound principle: “And abide in
your houses and do not display yourselves as [was] the display of the former
times of ignorance.” (Al-Ahzab 33:53)
This verse affirms that the home is the central sphere from which a woman’s mission begins. Motherhood
and nurturing are the greatest responsibilities that Islam has entrusted to
her. In her home, she carries out a vital mission that no institution on earth
can substitute: the making of the human being. The child does not receive his
first values from the school or the street, but from his mother’s embrace. She
lays the very foundations of his identity and belonging, making her role as a
mother greater than any other role she could assume. In truth, she is building
the very cornerstone of society.
Therefore, Islam elevated the
value of motherhood to a status that no other civilization has ever achieved,
placing the mother’s right to filial devotion above that of the father three times over.
Abu Hurairah narrated that a man came to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon
him) and asked: Who among the people is most
deserving of a fine treatment from my hand? He said: Your mother. He again
said: Then who (is the next one)? He said: Again it is your mother (who
deserves the best treatment from you). He said: Then who (is the next one)? He
(the Holy Prophet) said: Again, it is your mother. He (again) said: Then who?
Thereupon he said: Then it is your father.
(Sahih Muslim)
This exalted rank does not mean
paralyzing women’s potential or confining them within the walls of their homes. Rather, it is to emphasize the gravity of their
family role, not as Western thought tries to portray it.
The contrast is stark in
contemporary Western societies. In their misguided pursuit of so-called
liberation, they marginalized women’s role as mothers and undermined the value
of the family, leading to profound social crises: rising divorce rates, declining
marriage rates, aversion to childbearing, and widespread reliance on substitute
childcare institutions that can never replicate a mother’s embrace.
Eurostat (2022) reports that
nearly 69.3% of European children aged 3 up to the start of compulsory
schooling spend most of their time in daycare or early education institutions.
The United States shows similar trends, with about 40% of children aged 3–5
enrolled in daycare or preschool. These figures demonstrate how the erosion of
the stable family model has led substitute care institutions to replace the
mother’s role, creating an emotional and psychological void that cannot be
filled.
In fact, recent U.S. data (WifiTalents, 2025) highlights that
maternal absence may increase children’s risk of emotional distress by up to
50%. About 45% of such children experience loneliness, while 65% report
feelings of abandonment.
Thus, it becomes clear that Islam did not deprive women of
work. Rather, it outlined a balanced framework that preserves their dignity and
sanctifies their family role without excluding them from knowledge or public
life. Unlike modern materialist models that cast women into an unregulated
labor market, or oppressive systems that lock them in suffocating isolation,
Islam grants women their natural place as the foundation of the family and as
active contributors to society.
For Further Reading:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Resources:
- Mahasin Al-Islam Encyclopedia.
- Islam.web: Status of Women before Islam
- Alukah.net: Detailed Rulings on Women’s Work Between Prohibition and
Permissibility
- Al Jazeera.net: The Role of Muslim Women in the Prophetic Era
- Work-life balance isn’t working for women. Why?
- Marie Pezé, burnout specialist: 'Presenteeism at work penalizes women who work a double day'
- Muslim women much more likely to be unemployed than white Christian women
- The Hijab and Muslim women’s employment in the United States
- Islamophobia in the United States
- 17 Distressing Sexual Harassment Statistics [2023]: Sexual Harassment In The Workplace
- Shaykh Yusuf Al-Qaradawi Fatwa Regarding Women’s Work
- Shaykh Ibn Baz Fatwa Regarding Women’s Work
- New indicators on childcare participation and intensity
- Mother Absence Statistics
Follow us
