Table of Contents
Honor and Equality in Creation
Islam teaches that women and men share the same origin, the same humanity, and the same spiritual potential. The Quran describes the beginning of human life in terms that include both male and female without preference or contempt.
Allah says:
يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ اتَّقُوا رَبَّكُمُ الَّذِي خَلَقَكُمْ مِنْ نَفْسٍ وَاحِدَةٍ
وَخَلَقَ مِنْهَا زَوْجَهَا
وَبَثَّ مِنْهُمَا رِجَالًا كَثِيرًا وَنِسَاءً
“O mankind, fear your Lord, who created you from a single soul,
and created from it its mate,
and from the two of them spread many men and women.”
(Quran 4:1)
This verse was recited by the Prophet ﷺ in many important contexts, including sermons and legal matters, to remind people that women are not a lesser creation but part of the same “single soul.”
The Quran repeatedly affirms that honor with Allah is based on piety, not gender, race, or status:
يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ إِنَّا خَلَقْنَاكُمْ مِنْ ذَكَرٍ وَأُنثَى
وَجَعَلْنَاكُمْ شُعُوبًا وَقَبَائِلَ لِتَعَارَفُوا
إِنَّ أَكْرَمَكُمْ عِندَ اللَّهِ أَتْقَاكُمْ
“O mankind, We created you from a male and a female,
and made you into peoples and tribes so that you may know one another.
Surely the most honored of you in the sight of Allah is the most God-fearing of you.”
(Quran 49:13)
The Prophet ﷺ emphasized this equality in reward and responsibility. Allah says:
فَاسْتَجَابَ لَهُمْ رَبُّهُمْ أَنِّي لَا أُضِيعُ عَمَلَ عَامِلٍ مِّنكُمْ
مِّن ذَكَرٍ أَوْ أُنثَى بَعْضُكُم مِّن بَعْضٍ
“Their Lord answered them, ‘I do not allow the work of any worker among you to be lost,
whether male or female, you are from one another.’”
(Quran 3:195)
In the Seerah, women and men are equal in their humanity, their capacity for faith, their accountability before Allah, and their access to reward and nearness to Him.
This spiritual equality is the foundation upon which the Prophet ﷺ built practical reforms that changed the condition of women in belief, family life, society, and law.
Reforming the Status of Women in a Harsh Society
Before Islam, in many parts of Arabia, women were often treated as property. They could be inherited, deprived of basic dignity, and even buried alive as infants. The Quran records and condemns this custom:
وَإِذَا بُشِّرَ أَحَدُهُم بِالْأُنثَى ظَلَّ وَجْهُهُ مُسْوَدًّا وَهُوَ كَظِيمٌ
يَتَوَارَىٰ مِنَ الْقَوْمِ مِن سُوءِ مَا بُشِّرَ بِهِ
أَيُمْسِكُهُ عَلَىٰ هُونٍ أَمْ يَدُسُّهُ فِي التُّرَابِ
أَلَا سَاءَ مَا يَحْكُمُونَ
“When one of them is given the good news of a female,
his face becomes dark and he is filled with inward grief.
He hides himself from the people because of the bad news he has received.
Shall he keep her in disgrace or bury her in the dust?
Unquestionably, evil is what they decide.”
(Quran 16:58-59)
The Prophet ﷺ came into this environment and elevated the status of women with clear words and consistent practice. He made it a matter of faith to stop injustice against them. He said:
«اسْتَوْصُوا بِالنِّسَاءِ خَيْرًا»
“Treat women well.”
(al-Bukhari, Muslim)
He also said:
«اللَّهَ اللَّهَ فِي النِّسَاءِ»
“Fear Allah regarding women.”
(Ibn Majah, in the Farewell Sermon)
These statements are not only gentle advice. They are a direct call to men and to society to see women as people with rights, feelings, and honor.
Rights in Faith and Worship
Women in the Seerah are active believers, worshippers, and seekers of knowledge. The Prophet ﷺ did not restrict faith or worship to men. Women prayed, fasted, learned, and made hijrah. The same acts that elevate a man in the sight of Allah also elevate a woman.
The Quran gives an explicit list that removes any doubt:
إِنَّ الْمُسْلِمِينَ وَالْمُسْلِمَاتِ
وَالْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَالْمُؤْمِنَاتِ
وَالْقَانِتِينَ وَالْقَانِتَاتِ
وَالصَّادِقِينَ وَالصَّادِقَاتِ
وَالصَّابِرِينَ وَالصَّابِرَاتِ
وَالْخَاشِعِينَ وَالْخَاشِعَاتِ
وَالْمُتَصَدِّقِينَ وَالْمُتَصَدِّقَاتِ
وَالصَّائِمِينَ وَالصَّائِمَاتِ
وَالْحَافِظِينَ فُرُوجَهُمْ وَالْحَافِظَاتِ
وَالذَّاكِرِينَ اللَّهَ كَثِيرًا وَالذَّاكِرَاتِ
أَعَدَّ اللَّهُ لَهُم مَّغْفِرَةً وَأَجْرًا عَظِيمًا
“Surely the Muslim men and Muslim women,
the believing men and believing women,
the devoutly obedient men and devoutly 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 chastity and the women who guard it,
the men who remember Allah often and the women who remember,
Allah has prepared for them forgiveness and a great reward.”
(Quran 33:35)
Many women around the Prophet ﷺ asked questions, debated, and learned directly from him. They were not silent spectators. One example is when some women complained that men seemed more often mentioned in the Quran. Then this verse was revealed, listing both men and women clearly. This shows that Allah heard their concern, and the Prophet ﷺ gave space for their voices.
Women like Aishah رضي الله عنها became great scholars, narrating a large portion of the Sunnah. Men and women both learned from her after the time of the Prophet ﷺ. This reflects a right to pursue religious knowledge that is not limited by gender.
The Prophet ﷺ said:
«طَلَبُ الْعِلْمِ فَرِيضَةٌ عَلَى كُلِّ مُسْلِمٍ»
“Seeking knowledge is an obligation upon every Muslim.”
(Ibn Majah)
Scholars understood that this obligation includes women, because the word “Muslim” here is general, and the Seerah shows the Prophet ﷺ teaching women directly in specific gatherings and in the masjid.
Protection of Life, Honor, and Dignity
Among the greatest rights given to women in the Seerah is the protection of their lives and their dignity. Islam ended the killing of infant girls and treated it as a major crime. Allah says:
وَإِذَا الْمَوْءُودَةُ سُئِلَتْ
بِأَيِّ ذَنبٍ قُتِلَتْ
“And when the female infant who was buried alive is asked,
For what sin she was killed.”
(Quran 81:8-9)
This verse pictures the Day of Judgment when the oppressed girl will be asked, and the crime will be exposed. The Prophet ﷺ guided people who had lived in that dark time to repent and change. He taught them that raising daughters with kindness erases past sins and brings reward. He said:
«مَنِ ابْتُلِيَ مِنْ هَذِهِ الْبَنَاتِ بِشَيْءٍ، فَأَحْسَنَ إِلَيْهِنَّ، كُنَّ لَهُ سِتْرًا مِنَ النَّارِ»
“Whoever has been tested with any of these daughters, and treats them well, they will be a shield for him from the Fire.”
(al-Bukhari, Muslim)
In another narration he said:
«مَن كانَتْ لَهُ ثَلاثُ بَناتٍ، فَصَبَرَ عَلَيْهِنَّ، وَأَطْعَمَهُنَّ وَسَقَاهُنَّ وَكَسَاهُنَّ مِنْ جِدَتِهِ، كُنَّ لَهُ حِجَابًا مِنَ النَّارِ»
“Whoever has three daughters, and is patient with them, and feeds them, and gives them to drink, and clothes them from his wealth, they will be a barrier for him from the Fire.”
(Ibn Majah)
Here the Prophet ﷺ takes what some people saw as a burden, and turns it into a direct path to Paradise, by linking the right treatment of girls to salvation.
The Seerah also shows the Prophet ﷺ defending the honor of women against abuse, slander, and mockery. When the hypocrites spread lies about Aishah رضي الله عنها, Allah revealed verses to clear her name. Among them:
إِنَّ الَّذِينَ جَاءُوا بِالْإِفْكِ عُصْبَةٌ مِّنكُمْ
لَا تَحْسَبُوهُ شَرًّا لَّكُم بَلْ هُوَ خَيْرٌ لَّكُمْ
…
“Indeed, those who came with the slander are a group from among you.
Do not think it is bad for you, rather it is good for you…”
(Quran 24:11)
And then Allah set laws to protect honor:
إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يُحِبُّونَ أَن تَشِيعَ الْفَاحِشَةُ فِي الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا
لَهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ فِي الدُّنْيَا وَالْآخِرَةِ
“Indeed, those who love that indecency should spread among the believers
will have a painful punishment in this world and the Hereafter.”
(Quran 24:19)
The Prophet ﷺ applied these verses and punished those who accused chaste women without proof. This gave women a right to legal protection of their reputation.
Rights in Marriage: Choice, Kind Treatment, and Mutual Duties
Marriage in the Seerah is not just a contract for men. Women are partners, with rights concerning choice, kindness, and fair treatment. The Prophet ﷺ ended the practice of forcing women into marriage without their consent.
He said clearly:
«لَا تُنْكَحُ الْأَيِّمُ حَتَّى تُسْتَأْمَرَ، وَلَا تُنْكَحُ الْبِكْرُ حَتَّى تُسْتَأْذَنَ»
“A previously married woman is not to be married until she is consulted,
and a virgin is not to be married until her permission is sought.”
They said, “O Messenger of Allah, how is her permission?”
He said, «أَنْ تَسْكُتَ» “That she remains silent.”
(al-Bukhari, Muslim)
This hadith shows that:
A woman must be asked.
Her silence can count as permission when she is shy, but her clear refusal overrides family pressure.
There is also a report of a young woman who came to the Prophet ﷺ saying her father had married her to his nephew without her permission. The Prophet ﷺ gave her the choice to stay married or to cancel it. She said she accepted what her father chose, and only wanted to show women that they had a choice. This demonstrates that the Prophet ﷺ defended a woman’s right to agree or refuse.
After marriage, the Quran sets a clear standard for how women must be treated:
وَعَاشِرُوهُنَّ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ
“Live with them in kindness.”
(Quran 4:19)
The Prophet ﷺ explained this through his words and example. He said:
«خَيْرُكُمْ خَيْرُكُمْ لِأَهْلِهِ، وَأَنَا خَيْرُكُمْ لِأَهْلِي»
“The best of you is the best of you to his family, and I am the best of you to my family.”
(al-Tirmidhi)
Kind treatment includes gentle speech, fair spending, respect, and emotional care. In his Farewell Sermon, where he summarized essential teachings, he spoke strongly about women’s rights:
«اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ فِي النِّسَاءِ، فَإِنَّكُمْ أَخَذْتُمُوهُنَّ بِأَمَانِ اللَّهِ،
وَاسْتَحْلَلْتُمْ فُرُوجَهُنَّ بِكَلِمَةِ اللَّهِ…
فَلَهُنَّ عَلَيْكُمْ رِزْقُهُنَّ وَكِسْوَتُهُنَّ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ»
“Fear Allah concerning women. For you have taken them as a trust from Allah,
and made their private parts lawful by the word of Allah…
They have the right over you that you provide for them and clothe them in kindness.”
(Muslim)
In the Seerah, a woman’s consent to marriage is required, her maintenance is a right, and kind treatment is a religious duty on the husband, not a favor.
Women also have duties in marriage, but those are part of the general framework of family life and will be covered in other chapters. Here, the focus is that the Prophet ﷺ spoke about women as holders of rights before he spoke about their responsibilities. He anchored these rights in the fear of Allah.
Right to Separation from Harmful Marriage
The Seerah shows that when a marriage becomes harmful, a woman is not trapped without options. Divorce is not encouraged as the first choice, but women have the right to seek separation when living together becomes unbearable or unjust.
One famous example is the story of the wife of Thabit ibn Qays رضي الله عنهما. She came to the Prophet ﷺ and said:
“O Messenger of Allah, I do not blame Thabit for his character or his religion, but I dislike kufr in Islam.”
She meant that she could not continue as his wife, and feared that staying in the marriage would lead her to reject the rights he had over her. The Prophet ﷺ asked her if she would return the garden he had given her as mahr. She agreed. He then told Thabit to accept the garden and divorce her.
This type of separation is known as khulʿ. Its details belong to Islamic law, but the important point here is that the Prophet ﷺ listened to a woman’s personal situation, respected her feelings, and granted her a way out.
The Quran also shows Allah listening to a woman’s complaint in a family matter. A woman came to the Prophet ﷺ about her husband’s unfair words. Allah says:
قَدْ سَمِعَ اللَّهُ قَوْلَ الَّتِي تُجَادِلُكَ فِي زَوْجِهَا
وَتَشْتَكِي إِلَى اللَّهِ
وَاللَّهُ يَسْمَعُ تَحَاوُرَكُمَا
“Allah has indeed heard the statement of the woman who disputes with you concerning her husband and complains to Allah, and Allah hears your dialogue.”
(Quran 58:1)
This shows that a woman’s voice, pain, and arguments are weighty in the sight of Allah. The Prophet ﷺ responded to her situation based on the verses revealed, and set a pattern of making space for women’s grievances and rights in family disputes.
Financial Rights: Mahr, Property, and Inheritance
The Seerah established women as independent financial persons. They can own, buy, sell, gift, and manage their own money. Islam did not make a woman’s wealth automatically belong to her father, husband, or brother. This reform appears clearly in the Quran and in the life of the Prophet ﷺ.
One of the most obvious rights is the mahr, the marriage gift given directly to the woman, not to her family. Allah says:
وَآتُوا النِّسَاءَ صَدُقَاتِهِنَّ نِحْلَةً
“And give the women their dowries as a free gift.”
(Quran 4:4)
The Prophet ﷺ was clear that mahr belongs to the woman alone, and she can keep it or spend it as she chooses. In his marriage to Khadijah رضي الله عنها, even though she was a wealthy, respected woman, he accepted that she had her own property. Later, other wives of the Prophet ﷺ also received personal gifts and property.
The right of inheritance was another major change. Before Islam, women were often themselves inherited and did not receive a share of wealth. The Quran gave them fixed shares, in detail, and made it a command from Allah, not a favor from men. Among the verses:
لِلرِّجَالِ نَصِيبٌ مِّمَّا تَرَكَ الْوَالِدَانِ وَالْأَقْرَبُونَ
وَلِلنِّسَاءِ نَصِيبٌ مِّمَّا تَرَكَ الْوَالِدَانِ وَالْأَقْرَبُونَ
مِمَّا قَلَّ مِنْهُ أَوْ كَثُرَ نَصِيبًا مَّفْرُوضًا
“For men there is a share of what the parents and close relatives leave,
and for women there is a share of what the parents and close relatives leave,
whether it is little or much, a determined share.”
(Quran 4:7)
The Prophet ﷺ applied these rules in cases that came to him. Women would come asking about inheritance and he would decide according to these verses. This gave women a legal right that could be demanded and judged in an Islamic court.
Women also had the right to charity and to give from their own wealth. Zainab, the wife of Abdullah ibn Masud رضي الله عنهما, asked the Prophet ﷺ if charity given by a woman to her husband and orphans in her home counted. He said:
«لَهَا أَجْرَانِ: أَجْرُ الْقَرَابَةِ وَأَجْرُ الصَّدَقَةِ»
“She will have two rewards, the reward of maintaining family ties and the reward of charity.”
(al-Bukhari, Muslim)
This shows that a woman giving from her own wealth is rewarded and recognized, and that her charity is valid without needing a man to speak for her.
Right to Education and Participation in Community Life
The Prophet ﷺ gave attention to women’s education and participation in the life of the community. Women prayed in the masjid, listened to sermons, went out for Eid, and were involved in major events of the Seerah according to their ability and circumstance.
Some women asked the Prophet ﷺ for a special day, because the men were taking most of his time. A narration mentions:
“A woman came to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and said, ‘Messenger of Allah, the men have taken over your speech, so set aside a day for us.’ He promised them a day, met them, and taught them.”
This shows that women had a recognized right to learn the religion directly from the Prophet ﷺ, and he responded by giving them dedicated time.
His saying about seeking knowledge, as mentioned earlier, covers women as well. Aishah رضي الله عنها became a reference for questions in faith and law. The companions would say that they did not know anyone with more knowledge of certain matters than Aishah. This respect for a woman’s scholarship comes directly from the Seerah.
Women also participated in community needs. In battles, some women helped by giving water, nursing the wounded, and sometimes defending the Muslims. Umm Sulaym and others are mentioned in the narrations doing these acts in the presence of the Prophet ﷺ, and he approved of their participation.
In social consultations, women expressed opinions and were heard. At Hudaybiyyah, when many companions were hesitant to obey the Prophet’s order to end their ihram, it was Umm Salamah رضي الله عنها who gave advice. She told the Prophet ﷺ to go out, slaughter his animal, and shave his head without speaking. When he did so, the companions followed. This shows a woman contributing wise advice in a critical public situation, and the Prophet ﷺ accepting and acting on it.
The Prophet ﷺ did not confine women to ignorance or invisibility. He taught them, listened to them, accepted their advice, and allowed them to serve the community within the limits of modesty and Islamic law.
Rights in Motherhood and Family Respect
One of the strongest areas where the Seerah highlights women’s rights is the right of mothers to extra honor and care. Islam made serving parents a great act of worship, and the Prophet ﷺ repeatedly stressed a mother’s special place.
A man asked him:
“O Messenger of Allah, who is most deserving of my good companionship?”
He said, «أُمُّكَ» “Your mother.”
He asked, “Then who?”
He said, «أُمُّكَ» “Your mother.”
He asked, “Then who?”
He said, «أُمُّكَ» “Your mother.”
He asked, “Then who?”
He said, «أَبُوكَ» “Your father.”
(al-Bukhari, Muslim)
This triple emphasis raised the honor of mothers in a society that sometimes ignored their rights. The Prophet ﷺ taught that Jannah lies under their feet, as he said:
«الْجَنَّةُ تَحْتَ أَقْدَامِ الْأُمَّهَاتِ»
“Paradise is under the feet of mothers.”
(Ahmad, al-Nasa’i in al-Kubra, with supporting narrations)
The Seerah also shows the Prophet ﷺ himself being kind and respectful to older women, especially those who were friends of Khadijah رضي الله عنها. Even after Khadijah’s death, he would honor her friends, give them gifts, and treat them with respect. This is a living example of honoring women, especially in their roles as mothers, wives, and elders.
Protection from Abuse and Harm
The Prophet ﷺ worked to remove violence and cruelty from family life. Beating women was common in many cultures, but he repeatedly discouraged it, and described it as a sign of bad character.
He said:
«لَا تَضْرِبُوا إِمَاءَ اللَّهِ»
“Do not beat the female servants of Allah.”
(Abu Dawud)
Although there were complex social realities and some men insisted on harshness, his own practice set the standard. Aishah رضي الله عنها said:
“The Messenger of Allah ﷺ never hit anything with his hand, neither a woman nor a servant, except when he was fighting in the path of Allah.”
(Muslim)
He also said about the best men:
«خِيَارُكُمْ خِيَارُكُمْ لِنِسَائِهِمْ»
“The best of you are the best of you to their women.”
(al-Tirmidhi)
In disputes, he reminded men that strength is not shown by domination but by self-control. Though this hadith is general, it applies strongly in the home:
«لَيْسَ الشَّدِيدُ بِالصُّرَعَةِ، إِنَّمَا الشَّدِيدُ الَّذِي يَمْلِكُ نَفْسَهُ عِنْدَ الغَضَبِ»
“The strong one is not the one who overcomes people in wrestling.
Rather the strong one is the one who controls himself when angry.”
(al-Bukhari, Muslim)
By teaching this and living it, the Prophet ﷺ gave women a moral and religious shield against unnecessary harshness. In Islamic law, which grew from the Quran and Sunnah, harm and injustice are reasons to intervene in marriage and family relationships.
The Prophet ﷺ as a Model of Respect for Women
The strongest proof of women’s rights in the Seerah is not only in spoken rules, but in how the Prophet ﷺ himself interacted with women in his family and among the companions.
He listened when women spoke. He accepted their questions, even when they were shy or the topics were sensitive. He did not mock or belittle them. He showed affection and play in marriage, such as racing with Aishah رضي الله عنها and letting her watch the Abyssinians play with their spears in the masjid, while he stood and shielded her with his cloak.
He would stand up when his daughter Fatimah رضي الله عنها entered. He would kiss her, sit her in his place, and she would do the same for him. This behavior taught the community that daughters are a source of honor and love, not shame.
He also acknowledged women who made great sacrifices. Umm Ammarah (Nusaybah bint Kaʿb) رضي الله عنها defended him in battle. He mentioned her bravery and made dua for her. He praised the women of the Ansar, saying:
«نِعْمَ النِّسَاءُ نِسَاءُ الْأَنْصَارِ، لَمْ يَكُنْ يَمْنَعُهُنَّ الْحَيَاءُ أَنْ يَتَفَقَّهْنَ فِي الدِّينِ»
“How excellent are the women of the Ansar. Their shyness did not prevent them from gaining understanding in the religion.”
(Muslim)
In every stage of the Seerah, the Prophet ﷺ raised women from being objects in a harsh culture to being honored persons with spiritual, social, family, and financial rights, and he made good treatment of them a sign of true faith.
This transformation did not erase all cultural practices at once, and later Muslim societies sometimes failed to fully live up to his example. But the Seerah preserves his words and deeds so that the rights of women remain clear for all who wish to follow him.