The Woman's Status In Islam & Christianity
Creation
Christianity:
When the woman (Eve) saw that the fruit of the tree was good
for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining
wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband
(Adam), who was with her, and he ate it...Then the man (Adam)
and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking
in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord
God among the trees of the garden. But the Lord God called to
the man, "Where are you?" He (Adam) answered, "I heard you in
the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid." And
he (God) said, "Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten
from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?" The man said,
"The woman (Eve) you put here with me – she gave me some
fruit from the tree, and I ate it." Then the Lord God said to
the woman, "What is this you have done?" The woman said, "The
serpent deceived me, and I ate." To the woman he (God) said, "I
will greatly increase your pains in childbearing; with pain you
will give birth to children. Your desire will be for your husband,
and he will rule over you." To Adam he (God) said, "Because you
listen to your wife and ate from the tree about which I commanded
you, 'You must not eat of it,' cursed is the ground because of
you; through painful toil you will eat of it all the days of your
life."
Genesis 3:6-17 |
Islam:
(God said): "O Adam! You and your wife dwell in the Garden, and
enjoy (its good things) as you wish: but do not approach this
tree, or you run into harm and transgression." Then began Satan
to whisper suggestions to them (Adam and Eve), bringing openly
before their minds all their shame that was hidden from them (before):
he (Satan) said: "Your Lord only forbade you this tree, lest you
should become angels or such beings as live forever." And he (Satan)
swore to them both, that he was their sincere adviser. So by deceit
he brought about their (Adam and Eve) fall: when they tasted of
the tree, their shame became manifest to them, and they began
to sew together the leaves of the Garden over their bodies. And
their Lord called to them: "Did I not forbid you that tree, and
tell you that Satan was an avowed enemy to you?" They said: "Our
Lord! We have wronged our own souls: if You do not forgive us
and do not bestow upon us Your Mercy, we shall certainly be lost."
Quran 7:19-23
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Female Gender vs. Male Gender
Christianity:
"...if a woman have conceived seed, and born a man child: then
she shall be unclean seven days...but if she bear a maid child,
then she shall be unclean two weeks..."
Leviticus 12:2-5
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Islam:
"To Allah belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth.
He creates what He wills. He bestows female children to whomever
He wills and bestows male children to whomever He wills."
Quran 42:49
"He who is involved in bringing up daughters, and accords benevolent
treatment towards them, they will be protection for him against
Hell-Fire."
Prophet Mohammed
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The Female Spiritual Essence
Christianity:
"I find 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 she will ensnare." "Look,"
says the Teacher, "this is what I have discovered: "Adding one
thing to another to discover the scheme of things-while I was
still searching but not finding- I found one upright man among
a thousand, but not one upright woman among them all."
Ecclesiastes 7:26-28
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Islam:
"And Allah sets forth, as an example to those who believe, the
wife of Pharaoh: behold she said: 'O my Lord! build for me, in
nearness to You, a mansion in the Garden, and save me from Pharaoh
and his doings, and save me from those that do wrong," "And Mary
the daughter of Imran, who guarded her chastity; and We breathed
into (her body) of Our spirit; and she testified to the truth
of the words of her Lord and of His Revelations, and was one of
the devout (servants)."
Quran 66:11-2
"Heaven is at the feet of the mothers."
Prophet Mohammed
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Menses
Christianity:
"When a woman has her regular flow of blood, the impurity of
her monthly period will last seven days, and anyone who touches
her will be unclean till evening. anything she lies on during
her period will be unclean, and anything she sits on will be unclean.
Whoever touches her bed must wash his clothes and bathe with water,
and he will be unclean till evening. Whoever touches anything
she sits on must wash his clothes and bathe with water, and he
will be unclean till evening. Whether it is the bed or anything
she was sitting on, when anyone touches it, he will be unclean
till evening."
Leviticus 15:19-23
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Islam:
Ali asked the Prophet Mohammed if when a man and a woman make
love then their clothes stick to them from the sweat of their
bodies, or if when a woman has her period her clothes stick to
her body, are the clothes considered unclean? The Prophet replied:
"No, the uncleanness is only in the semen and the blood."
Prophet Mohammed
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Sexual Relation During Her Menses
Christianity:
"Do not approach a woman to have sexual relations during the
uncleanness of her monthly period."
Leviticus 18:19
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Islam:
"They ask you concerning women's courses (period). Say: They
are a hurt and a pollution: so keep away (of making love) from
women in their courses, and do not approach them until they are
clean..."
Quran 2:222
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A Woman's Right to Education
Christianity:
"let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted
unto them to speak; but they are commanded to be under obedience,
as also saith the law, and if they will learn anything, let them
ask their husbands at home: for it is a shame for woman to speak
in the church."
1 Corinthians 14:34-35
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Islam:
"Seeking knowledge is obligatory on every Muslim man and
Muslim woman."
Prophet Mohammed
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Right to Inheritance
Christianity:
"Say to the Israelites, 'If a man dies and leaves no son, turn
his inheritance over to his daughter...'"
Numbers 27:8
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Islam:
"From what is left by parents and those nearest related there
is a share for men and a share for women, whether the property
be small or large – a determinate share."
Quran 4:7
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Dressing Modesty / Head Covering
Christianity:
"Now I want you to realize that the head of every man is Christ,
and the head of the woman is man, and the head of Christ is God.
Every man who prays or prophesies with his head covered dishonors
his head. And every woman who prays or prophesies with her head
uncovered dishonors her head...If a woman does not cover her head,
she should have her hair cut off; and if it is a disgrace for
a woman to have her hair cut or shaved off, she should cover her
head"
1 Corrinthians 11:3-6
"I also want women to dress modestly, with decency
and propriety, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or expensive
clothes, but with good deeds, appropriate for women who profess
to worship God"
1 Timothy 2:9-10
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Islam:
"O Prophet! Tell your wives and daughters, and the believing
women, that they should cast their outer garments over their persons
(when abroad): that is most convenient, that they should be known
(as such) and not molested. And Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful."
Quran 33:59
"...they (believing women) should not display their beauty and
ornaments except what (must ordinarily) appear thereof; that they
should draw their veils over their bosoms and not display their
beauty except to their husbands, their fathers, their husbands'
fathers, their sons, their husbands' sons, their brothers or their
brothers' sons, or their sisters' sons, or their women...or small
children who have no sense of the shame of sex..."
Quran 24:31 |
Polygamy
Christianity:
"After he left Hebron, David took more concubines and wives in
Jerusalem, and more sons and daughters were born to him."
2 Samuel 5:13
"He (Solomon) had seven hundred wives of royal birth and
three hundred concubines..."
1 Kings 11:3
"And Lamech took unto him two wives: the name of the one was
Adah, and the name of the other Zillah."
Genesis 4:19
"If a man have two wives, one beloved, and another hated, and
they have born him children, both the beloved and the hated; and
if the first-born son be hers that was hated: then it shall be,
when he maketh..."
Deuteronomy 21:15
"If he take him another wife; her food, her raiment, and her
duty of marriage, shall her not diminish."
Exodus 21:10 |
Islam:
"If you fear that you shall not be able to deal justly with the
orphans, marry women of your choice, two, or three, or four; but
if you fear that you shall not be able to deal justly (with them),
then only one... to prevent you from doing injustice."
Quran 4:3
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Prohibition in Marriage
Christianity:
"Do not take your wife's sister as a rival wife and have sexual
relations with her while your wife is living."
Leviticus 18:18
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Islam:
"Prohibited to you (for marriage) are: your mothers, daughters,
sisters...and two sisters (the wife and her sister) in wedlock
at one and the same time..."
Quran 4:23
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Divorce
Christianity:
"...Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits
adultery against her. And if she divorces her husband and marries
another man, she commits adultery."
Mark 10:11-12
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Islam:
"O Prophet! When you do divorce women, divorce them at their
prescribed periods, and count (accurately) their prescribed periods:
and fear Allah your Lord..."
Quran 65:1
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The Divorcee & Widow
Christianity:
"...who marries the divorced woman commits adultery."
Matthew 5:32
"The woman he (the priest) marries must be a virgin. He must
not marry a widow, a divorced woman, or a woman defiled by prostitution,
but only a virgin from his own people."
Leviticus 21:13-4
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Islam:
"If any of you die and leave widows behind, they shall wait concerning
themselves four months and ten days: when they have fulfilled
their term, there is no blame on you (marrying widows) if they
dispose of themselves in a just and reasonable manner..."
Quran 2:234
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The Respect of Parents
Christianity:
"Then he (Jesus) went down to Nazareth with them (his parents)
and was obedient to them..."
Luke 2:51
"For Moses said, 'Honor your father and your mother', and, 'Anyone
who curses his father or mother must be put to death."
Mark 7:10
"Each of you must respect his mother and father..."
Leviticus 19:3
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Islam:
"He (God) has made me (Jesus) kind to my mother, and not overbearing
or miserable."
Quran 19:32
"And We have enjoined on man (to be good) to his parents: in
travail (pains of childbirth) upon travail his other bore him,
and in two years was his weaning: (hear the command), "Show gratitude
to Me and to your parents: to Me is (your final) Goal."
Quran 31:14
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