Some people claim that Islam raised the status of women, but when we actually look into its own religious texts, that claim does not stand strong. Islam, when we look at its own main texts like the Quran, Hadith, Tafsir, and Sunnah, doesn’t just ignore women’s freedom. It actually breaks it down step by step. The common saying that “Islam gave women a higher status” is not just untrue, it completely twists the truth. Let’s break this myth using Islam’s own writings.
Let’s start with Surah An-Nisa (4:34), a verse that lays bare Islam’s stance on gender:
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. So righteous women are devoutly obedient, guarding in [the husband’s] absence what Allah would have them guard. But those [wives] from whom you fear arrogance – [first] advise them; [then if they persist], forsake them in bed; and [finally], strike them. But if they obey you [once more], seek no means against them. Indeed, Allah is ever Exalted and Grand.
This is not something hidden or unclear. In Islam’s teachings, men are given authority over women. Why? Because, according to the Quran, Allah favors men and because men are expected to provide money and support. And what is expected from women? Obedience. Not just regular obedience, but full and devoted obedience. If a woman does not follow this, the Quran gives a three-step punishment. First, the husband should speak to her and correct her. Second, he should stop sharing the bed with her. Third, he is allowed to hit her. Yes, the Quran gives permission to hit your wife if she disobeys or asserts herself. This is not raising the status of women. It is a clear system that gives men power and control.
Some Muslims try to defend this by saying that women have the right to inheritance or that men have the duty to provide. But what is the cost of this? Women are expected to live under control. You cannot just talk about the small benefits and ignore the serious restrictions that come with them. Even this one verse shows that male dominance in Islam is not just a cultural issue. It is something written clearly in its religious texts.
Then there’s Surat Al Nisaa, verse 24
Also (forbidden are) women already married, except those (captives and slaves) whom your right hands possess. Thus has Allah ordained for you. All others are lawful, provided you seek (them in marriage) with Mahr (bridal money given by the husband to his wife at the time of marriage) from your property, desiring chastity, not committing illegal sexual intercourse, so with those of whom you have enjoyed sexual relations, give them their Mahr as prescribed; but if after a Mahr is prescribed, you agree mutually (to give more), there is no sin on you. Surely, Allah is Ever All-Knowing, All-Wise.
It gets even worse. Islam forbids sexual relations with married women, except in the case of female captives. These women were taken from their homes and husbands during war and were then treated as property for Muslim men. An early Islamic scholar, Imam Ahmed, shared that some of Prophet Muhammad’s followers felt uncomfortable about being intimate with these married captives. But then a verse was revealed, saying that it was allowed. Their consent did not matter. The verse even described these women in a disrespectful and objectifying way. This is not about respecting or uplifting women. It is about allowing their mistreatment, with permission claimed to be from Allah himself.
The Hadith make things even worse. In both Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim, women are described as the majority of hell’s inhabitants, called “lacking in intellect,” and accused of being ungrateful and disrespectful. Another Hadith, Bukhari 4425, claims that any nation led by a woman is destined to fail. One of the most disturbing sayings from Prophet Muhammad says that if he were to allow anyone to bow before another, it would be wives bowing to their husbands. In one version, even licking pus from their husbands’ wounds would not be enough to repay their supposed debt. This is what Islam presents as respect for women—at best treating them as less than men, at worst denying them basic humanity.
From forced hijabs to honor killings, from marital rape to female genital mutilation, some defenders of Islam say, “Don’t blame the religion.” But the reality is, these practices are rooted in the Quran and Hadith. They are not misunderstandings—they are part of the original design. Islam gives men religious authority over women. If a woman disobeys, she is punished. Female slaves and captives are treated as property, their bodies used without their consent. This is not a misreading of the texts. It is the foundation they are built on.
ਧਨ ਪਿਰੁ ਏਹਿ ਨ ਆਖੀਅਨਿ ਬਹਨਿ ਇਕਠੇ ਹੋਇ ॥
ਏਕ ਜੋਤਿ ਦੁਇ ਮੂਰਤੀ ਧਨ ਪਿਰੁ ਕਹੀਐ ਸੋਇ ॥੩॥
They are not said to be husband and wife, who merely sit together. They alone are called husband and wife, who have one light in two bodies. ||3||
Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji: Ang 788
The Quran likens a woman to a field, to be used by a man as he wills:
“Your women are like a tilth for you (to cultivate), go unto your tilth as ye will.” Sura 2, verse 223
It legitimizes a man’s dominance over his wife in a marriage:
“Men are the maintainers of women…”
It also tells husbands to beat their disobedient wives:
“…those (women) on whose part you fear desertion, admonish them. and leave them alone in the sleeping-places and beat them; then if they obey you, do not seek a way against them.”
| Topic | Sikhi | Islam |
|---|---|---|
| Gender Equality | ✓ | ✗ |
| Marital Structures | Monogamy Only | Polygamy Allowed |
| Dominance of Husband | ✗ | ✓ |
| Dowry as Pre-requisite to Marriage | ✗ | ✓ From Husband to Wife |
| Forced Sex with One's Wife | ✗ | ✓ |
| Share of Inheritance | Equal Share | Women Receive Half |
| Worth of Women's Testimony | Equal Weight | Half That of a Man's |
| Keeping Concubines | ✗ | ✓ |
| Marrying Adopted Son's Wife | ✗ | ✓ Allowed |
ਭੰਡਿ ਜੰਮੀਐ ਭੰਡਿ ਨਿੰਮੀਐ ਭੰਡਿ ਮੰਗਣੁ ਵੀਆਹੁ ॥
ਭੰਡਹੁ ਹੋਵੈ ਦੋਸਤੀ ਭੰਡਹੁ ਚਲੈ ਰਾਹੁ ॥
ਭੰਡੁ ਮੁਆ ਭੰਡੁ ਭਾਲੀਐ ਭੰਡਿ ਹੋਵੈ ਬੰਧਾਨੁ ॥
ਸੋ ਕਿਉ ਮੰਦਾ ਆਖੀਐ ਜਿਤੁ ਜੰਮਹਿ ਰਾਜਾਨ ॥
From woman, man is born; within woman, man is conceived; to woman he is engaged and married. Woman becomes his friend; through woman, the future generations come. When his woman dies, he seeks another woman; to woman he is bound. So why call her bad? From her, kings are born.
Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji: Ang 473
ਦੇਖਿ ਪਰਾਈਆ ਚੰਗੀਆ ਮਾਵਾਂ ਭੈਣਾਂ ਧੀਆਂ ਜਾਣੈ
The Sikh ought to treat beautiful women of others as his mothers, sisters, and daughters.
Bhai Gurdas Ji Vaaran
Women are deficient in mind and religion:
Mohammed asked some women, “Isn’t the witness of a woman equal to half that of a man?” The women said, “yes,” He said, “This is because of the deficiency of the woman’s mind.” Vol. 3:826
Mohammed to women: “I have not seen any one more deficient in intelligence and religion than you.” Vol. 2:541
Women are a bad omen:
Mohammed said, “Bad omen is in the woman, the house and the horse.” Vol. 7:30
Women nullify prayers:
Mohammed said, “Three things corrupt prayer: Women, dogs, and donkeys.” Dawud, Salat 109
The majority of people in hell are women:
Mohammed said, “I was shown the Hell-fire and that the majority of its dwellers are women.” Vol. 1:28, 301; Vol. 2:161; Vol. 7:124
“Narrated ‘Imran bin Husain: The Prophet said, ‘I looked at Hell and saw that the majority of its inhabitants were women.” 1 Bukhari vol.4:464 р.305.
“Most hell-dwellers are women. They are ungrateful and unthankful to their husbands.” Bukhari vol.7:125,126 p.96
“Most of the women will be in Hell. They had abundant curses and were ungrateful to their husbands. They are deficient in reason due to two women’s testimony counting the same as one man. They are deficient in religion due to having to leave off prayer during menstruation”. Ibn-i-Majah vol.5:4003 p.320
Mohammed married a 6 year old girl (‘Aisha’):
“Narrated Aisha that the prophet married her when she was six years old and he consummated his marriage when she was nine years old.” Vol. 7:64
Allah hurries to please Mohammed’s sexual desires:
When the Koranic verse that allows Mohammed to postpone the turn of any wife was revealed, and when Mohammed said that Allah allowed him to marry his adopted son’s wife, Aisha (one of his wives) told him, “O Allah’s Apostle I do not see but that your Lord hurries in pleasing you!”
Even in times of severe trial and suffering, Sikhs were guided in their treatment of women prisoners of war by the highest standards of chivalry. In 1763, for instance, one of Ahmad Shah Durrani’s generals, Jahan Khan, was defeated by the Sikhs at Sialkot and a number of his female relations and dependants fell into their hands. Ali ud-Din writes in his Ibratnamah;
“as the Sikhs of old would not lay their hands on women, they had them escorted safely to Jammu.”
Another Muslim chronicler, Ghulam Muhaiy ud-Din, reviles against the Sikhs in his Fatuhat Namah-i-Samadi, but notices the esteem they had for women. He writes; “
[The Sikhs] look upon all women in the light of mothers.”
Prophet Muhammad promises women to his warriors:
“You see, God will soon make you inherit their land, their treasures and make you sleep with their women”.
– Ibn Hisham on page 182 Vol. II, of his famous book, “Al Rod Al Anf’, which all the researchers regard as a reliable reference.
| Topic | Sikhi | Islam |
|---|---|---|
| Respect for enemy women | ✔ | ✘ |
| Taking women as ‘war booty’ | ✘ | ✔ |
| Keeping of women as slaves | ✘ | ✔ |
| Sexual relations (i.e rape) with captured women (slaves) belonging to the enemy | ✘ | ✔ |
Praise From An Enemy Is Praise Indeed!
Qazi Noor Mohammed, a Muslim bigot, writes in his book, the JangNama:
“They (Sikhs/Khalsa) never kill a coward, nor pursue a fugitive. They do not deprive a woman, whether she comes of a well-to-do family or a poor one, of her ornaments and other possessions. There is not a trace of rape or debauchery among them, nor do they ever steal. Whether she is young or old, they always call a woman a Buriva (respectable term: Buriya means an old woman in Indian dialects) and if ever they come across a woman on the way, they would simply ask her to get aside. There is no thief among them; a housebreaker is never born in them”.
Now, let’s look at Sikhi, a religion that not only preaches equality but embodies it in every way. Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji, the eternal scripture of Sikhism, declares that men and women are equal in the eyes of God. Sri Guru Nanak Sahib Ji wrote, “From woman, man is born; within woman, man is conceived; to woman he is engaged and married. Woman becomes his friend; through woman, the future generations come. When his woman dies, he seeks another woman; to woman he is bound. So why call her bad? From her, kings are born.” Women are not seen as subordinates – they are the very foundation of life, honored and respected.
Sikh history shows that this is not just empty talk. Take Mai Bhago, for example, a warrior who led Sikh soldiers in the 18th century against Mughal oppression. Sikh women are not limited to obedience – they are empowered to lead, fight, and shape their own futures. Whether in religious ceremonies or community roles, Sikhi breaks down the barriers that restrict women, offering them freedoms that Islam does not.
Women can lead congregations, perform Kirtan, and serve as Granthis with no restrictions. Sri Guru Nanak Sahib Ji’s teachings, revolutionary for the 15th century, rejected practices like purdah and sati, promoting economic freedom and education. Women have equal inheritance rights with no gender-based discrimination in Sikh Rehat Maryada.
Islam’s treatment of women is indefensible. Its scriptures promote male dominance, justify violence, and strip women of their autonomy, whether as obedient wives or as captive objects. In stark contrast, Sikhi stands as a beacon of justice, where women are seen as equals, not subordinates. The choice is clear: remain in a faith that degrades half of humanity or embrace one that uplifts it. Any person with critical thinking and reason will leave Islam behind and embrace Sikhi. Sikhi isn’t just better; it is the most perfect and complete path, revealed by the Lord, offering true equality that Islam can only hope to achieve. Wake up and choose wisely. The outdated chains of Islam have no place in today’s world. Step into the light of Sikhi, where women stand strong, not bowed.
| Aspect | Islam | Sikhi |
|---|---|---|
| Leadership Roles | Hadith suggests nations led by women are doomed | Women can lead congregations and serve as Granthis |
| Domestic Violence | Quran 4:34 allows striking disobedient wives | No endorsement of violence, equality emphasized |
| Sexual Autonomy | Quran 4:24 allows sex with female captives | Women not objectified, no such practices |
| Spiritual Equality | Hadith labels women deficient in religion | Equal spiritual rights, same path to salvation |
| Inheritance | Women receive half | Equal inheritance rights for women and men |
