Short answer
The Qur'an honours women far more than the Bible does. In the Bible's law, a mother is unclean twice as long after giving birth to a girl as after a boy. A father may sell his daughter. The New Testament tells women to keep silent in church. 1 Timothy says this is because Eve, not Adam, was deceived. The Qur'an says Satan deceived them both, and both asked God's (﷾) forgiveness. It says God (﷾) gives daughters and sons as He wills. It holds up two women, Pharaoh's wife and Mary, as examples for all believers. The Prophet (ﷺ) said that daughters raised with kindness become a shield from the Fire for the one who raised them. He told a man to stay with his mother, for Paradise is beneath her feet.
Full explanation
A daughter's birth in Leviticus
After a son, the mother is unclean (kept from holy things) for seven days. Then she purifies for thirty-three more. After a daughter, both periods are doubled: two weeks, then sixty-six days.
“Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, If a woman have conceived seed, and born a man child: then she shall be unclean seven days; according to the days of the separation for her infirmity shall she be unclean. And in the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised. And she shall then continue in the blood of her purifying three and thirty days; she shall touch no hallowed thing, nor come into the sanctuary, until the days of her purifying be fulfilled. But if she bear a maid child, then she shall be unclean two weeks, as in her separation: and she shall continue in the blood of her purifying threescore and six days.”
Laws on daughters and wives
Exodus lets a father sell his daughter as a maidservant. A wife who grabs her husband's attacker by the private parts to save him is to lose her hand. A betrothed girl (one promised in marriage) who is lain with in a town is stoned with the man, because she did not cry out. Her silence is taken as consent.
“And if a man sell his daughter to be a maidservant, she shall not go out as the menservants do.”
“When men strive together one with another, and the wife of the one draweth near for to deliver her husband out of the hand of him that smiteth him, and putteth forth her hand, and taketh him by the secrets: Then thou shalt cut off her hand, thine eye shall not pity her.”
“If a damsel that is a virgin be betrothed unto an husband, and a man find her in the city, and lie with her; Then ye shall bring them both out unto the gate of that city, and ye shall stone them with stones that they die; the damsel, because she cried not, being in the city; and the man, because he hath humbled his neighbour’s wife: so thou shalt put away evil from among you.”
A bride accused of not being a virgin
A husband may charge that his bride was not a virgin. If the proof of her virginity is not found, she is stoned at her father's door. Deuteronomy fines a husband whose charge is disproved. But it puts the burden on her parents to produce the proof. If they cannot, she dies. The Qur'an puts the burden of proof on the accuser. It sets a court's penalty of flogging for anyone who accuses a chaste woman without four witnesses, and his testimony is never accepted again. A husband with no witnesses must swear to it under oath. His wife clears herself by swearing in return, and her four oaths stand equal to his.
“Then shall the father of the damsel, and her mother, take and bring forth the tokens of the damsel’s virginity unto the elders of the city in the gate:”
“But if this thing be true, and the tokens of virginity be not found for the damsel: Then they shall bring out the damsel to the door of her father’s house, and the men of her city shall stone her with stones that she die: because she hath wrought folly in Israel, to play the whore in her father’s house: so shalt thou put evil away from among you.”
“And those who launch a charge against chaste women, and produce not four witnesses (to support their allegations),- flog them with eighty stripes; and reject their evidence ever after: for such men are wicked transgressors;-”
“And for those who launch a charge against their spouses, and have (in support) no evidence but their own,- their solitary evidence (can be received) if they bear witness four times (with an oath) by Allah that they are solemnly telling the truth;”
“But it would avert the punishment from the wife, if she bears witness four times (with an oath) By Allah, that (her husband) is telling a lie;”
Silent in church, because of Eve
Paul, a Christian missionary of the first century, commands women to keep silence in the churches and to ask their husbands at home. He says it is a shame for a woman to speak in church. 1 Timothy, written in Paul's name, forbids a woman to teach. It grounds the rule not in custom but in Eden: Adam was formed first, and Adam was not deceived, but the woman was. Genesis itself says the husband was with her and ate too. It lays pain in childbirth on the woman alone.
“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 any thing, let them ask their husbands at home: for it is a shame for women to speak in the church.”
“Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection. But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence. For Adam was first formed, then Eve. And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression.”
“And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.”
“Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.”
A woman in her period
In Leviticus a woman in her period is set apart for seven days. Anyone who touches her, her bed or anything she sat on is unclean until evening. The Companions of the Prophet (ﷺ) asked about the custom of not eating with such a woman or sharing a house with her. The Prophet (ﷺ) told them to do everything except intercourse.
“And if a woman have an issue, and her issue in her flesh be blood, she shall be put apart seven days: and whosoever toucheth her shall be unclean until the even. And every thing that she lieth upon in her separation shall be unclean: every thing also that she sitteth upon shall be unclean. And whosoever toucheth her bed shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the even. And whosoever toucheth any thing that she sat upon shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the even. And if it be on her bed, or on any thing whereon she sitteth, when he toucheth it, he shall be unclean until the even.”
Anas reports that among the Jews, when a woman had her period, they would not eat with her or share a house with her. The Companions asked the Prophet (ﷺ) about this, the verse on menstruation (2:222) was revealed, and the Prophet said: do everything except intercourse.
How Christians read these passages
Christians say the laws of Moses were given to ancient Israel and are not binding on the church. They say that in Christ there is neither male nor female.
“There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.”
In the Qur'an, Satan deceived them both
The Qur'an never blames Eve alone. Satan whispered to them both and swore to them both. By deceit he brought about their fall. Both of them then asked their Lord's forgiveness. Where the Qur'an names one of them for the lapse, it names Adam, and it says God (﷾) turned to him with guidance. No curse falls on Eve's daughters. Childbirth is spoken of as a hardship for which the mother is honoured, not a sentence.
“Then began Satan to whisper suggestions to them, bringing openly before their minds all their shame that was hidden from them (before): he said: "Your Lord only forbade you this tree, lest ye should become angels or such beings as live for ever." And he swore to them both, that he was their sincere adviser. So by deceit he brought about their 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 unto them: "Did I not forbid you that tree, and tell you that Satan was an avowed enemy unto you?"”
“They said: "Our Lord! We have wronged our own souls: If thou forgive us not and bestow not upon us Thy Mercy, we shall certainly be lost."”
“In the result, they both ate of the tree, and so their nakedness appeared to them: they began to sew together, for their covering, leaves from the Garden: thus did Adam disobey his Lord, and allow himself to be seduced. But his Lord chose him (for His Grace): He turned to him, and gave him Guidance.”
“We have enjoined on man kindness to his parents: In pain did his mother bear him, and in pain did she give him birth. The carrying of the (child) to his weaning is (a period of) thirty months. At length, when he reaches the age of full strength and attains forty years, he says, "O my Lord! Grant me that I may be grateful for Thy favour which Thou has bestowed upon me, and upon both my parents, and that I may work righteousness such as Thou mayest approve; and be gracious to me in my issue. Truly have I turned to Thee and truly do I bow (to Thee) in Islam."”
| Question | The Bible | The Qur'an |
|---|---|---|
| Who was deceived? | Adam was not deceived; the woman was (1 Timothy 2:14). | Satan whispered to them both and deceived them both (Qur'an 7:20-22). |
| Who is named for it? | The woman. Yet Genesis says her husband was with her and ate too (Genesis 3:6). | Where it names one of them, it names Adam, and says God (﷾) turned to him with guidance (Qur'an 20:121-122). |
| What follows for women? | Women are to keep silent in church and may not teach (1 Corinthians 14:34-35; 1 Timothy 2:12). | No curse falls on Eve's daughters. Childbirth is a hardship for which the mother is honoured (Qur'an 46:15). |
Daughters and mothers
The Qur'an says God (﷾) gives daughters or sons as He wills. It condemns the man whose face darkens at the news of a daughter. The Prophet (ﷺ) said that a man who is tested with daughters and treats them well will find them a shield from the Fire. He said that whoever raises two girls to adulthood will be with him on the Day of Resurrection. Asked who most deserves a man's good company, he said "your mother" three times before "your father". He told a man who wanted to go to war to stay with his mother, for Paradise is beneath her feet.
“To Allah belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth. He creates what He wills (and plans). He bestows (children) male or female according to His Will (and Plan), Or He bestows both males and females, and He leaves barren whom He will: for He is full of Knowledge and Power.”
“When news is brought to one of them, of (the birth of) a female (child), his face darkens, and he is filled with inward grief! With shame does he hide himself from his people, because of the bad news he has had! Shall he retain it on (sufferance and) contempt, or bury it in the dust? Ah! what an evil (choice) they decide on?”
Aisha reports that a poor woman came to her with her two daughters, and she had only one date to give. The mother split it between her two daughters and left. When Aisha told the Prophet (ﷺ), he said that whoever is tested with daughters and treats them well, they will be a shield for him from the Fire.
Anas ibn Malik reports that the Prophet (ﷺ) said: whoever raises two girls until they come of age will come on the Day of Resurrection with me like this, and he held his fingers together.
Abu Huraira reports that a man asked the Prophet (ﷺ) who most deserves his good company. The Prophet said: your mother. The man asked three more times who came next, and the answer was your mother, then your mother, and then your father.
Mu'awiya ibn Jahima reports that his father Jahima came to the Prophet (ﷺ) wanting to go out and fight, and asked his advice. The Prophet asked whether he had a mother. When he said yes, the Prophet told him to stay with her, for Paradise is beneath her feet.
Women as examples for all believers
The Qur'an sets two women as the example for every believer, men included. One is the wife of Pharaoh, who asked God (﷾) for a home near Him and to be saved from Pharaoh. The other is Mary, who guarded her chastity and believed her Lord's words. The Qur'an promises that no one's work will be lost, male or female. It lists believing men and women side by side for the same reward.
“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 Thee, 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).”
“And their Lord hath accepted of them, and answered them: "Never will I suffer to be lost the work of any of you, be he male or female: Ye are members, one of another: Those who have left their homes, or been driven out therefrom, or suffered harm in My Cause, or fought or been slain,- verily, I will blot out from them their iniquities, and admit them into Gardens with rivers flowing beneath;- A reward from the presence of Allah, and from His presence is the best of rewards."”
“For Muslim men and women,- for believing men and women, for devout men and women, for true men and women, for men and women who are patient and constant, for men and women who humble themselves, for men and women who give in Charity, for men and women who fast (and deny themselves), for men and women who guard their chastity, and for men and women who engage much in Allah's praise,- for them has Allah prepared forgiveness and great reward.”
A share of her own
In the Bible's law of inheritance a daughter inherits only if there is no son. The widow is not named among the heirs at all. The Qur'an gives women a fixed share of what parents and relatives leave. It gives the wife her own fixed share of her husband's estate. A son receives twice a daughter's share, because Islam puts the whole cost of the family on him, while what she inherits is hers alone. And where Exodus lets a father sell his daughter, the Prophet (ﷺ) said Allah (﷾) Himself will oppose the man who sells a free person.
“And thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel, saying, If a man die, and have no son, then ye shall cause his inheritance to pass unto his daughter. And if he have no daughter, then ye shall give his inheritance unto his brethren. And if he have no brethren, then ye shall give his inheritance unto his father’s brethren. And if his father have no brethren, then ye shall give his inheritance unto his kinsman that is next to him of his family, and he shall possess it: and it shall be unto the children of Israel a statute of judgment, as the Lord commanded Moses.”
“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.”
“Allah (thus) directs you as regards your Children's (Inheritance): to the male, a portion equal to that of two females: if only daughters, two or more, their share is two-thirds of the inheritance; if only one, her share is a half. For parents, a sixth share of the inheritance to each, if the deceased left children; if no children, and the parents are the (only) heirs, the mother has a third; if the deceased Left brothers (or sisters) the mother has a sixth. (The distribution in all cases ('s) after the payment of legacies and debts. Ye know not whether your parents or your children are nearest to you in benefit. These are settled portions ordained by Allah; and Allah is All-knowing, Al-wise.”
“In what ye leave, their share is a fourth, if ye leave no child; but if ye leave a child, they get an eighth; after payment of legacies and debts.”
“And if a man sell his daughter to be a maidservant, she shall not go out as the menservants do.”
Abu Hurayra reports that the Prophet (ﷺ) said Allah will be the opponent of three people on the Day of Resurrection, among them the man who sells a free person and consumes the price.
Verse by verse
Galatians 3:28 — Epistle to the Galatians, chapter 3, verse 28
“There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.”
Cited for
In Christ there is neither male nor female, so the Bible teaches that women are equal.
The response
The verse speaks of belonging to Christ. It did not stop the New Testament from forbidding women to teach or to speak in church. And 1 Timothy gives a reason that does not depend on custom: Adam was formed first, and the woman was the one deceived.
Where it lands — Equality in salvation sits beside a rule, grounded in Eden, that women keep silent.
Leviticus 12:2-5 — Torah, Vayikra, chapter 12, verses 2-5
“Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, If a woman have conceived seed, and born a man child: then she shall be unclean seven days; according to the days of the separation for her infirmity shall she be unclean. And in the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised. And she shall then continue in the blood of her purifying three and thirty days; she shall touch no hallowed thing, nor come into the sanctuary, until the days of her purifying be fulfilled. But if she bear a maid child, then she shall be unclean two weeks, as in her separation: and she shall continue in the blood of her purifying threescore and six days.”
Cited for
Uncleanness after childbirth is ritual, not moral, and the Law is not saying a daughter is worth less.
The response
Ritual or not, Leviticus doubles the time for a girl. The Qur'an treats the birth of a girl as God's (﷾) gift and condemns anyone who greets it with a darkened face.
Where it lands — Leviticus marks a daughter's birth differently from a son's; the Qur'an does not.
Mark 10:14 — Gospel of Mark, chapter 10, verse 14
“But when Jesus saw it, he was much displeased, and said unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God.”
Cited for
The Old Testament laws were for Israel. The Jesus of the New Testament Gospels is gentle, and he blessed the little children.
The response
Christians believe Jesus is God, and Hebrews says he is the same yesterday, today and for ever. On that belief the God (﷾) who gave these laws is the same one Christians worship. Muslims hold that Jesus was a prophet and servant of God (﷾), so none of these laws can be laid at his door. Muslims also hold that God (﷾) gave Moses the Torah, but that men later changed its text. So these laws are judged as the Bible now has them.
Where it lands — The Christian cannot separate the God (﷾) of these laws from Jesus without giving up the claim that Jesus is God.
Perspectives
Mainstream Christian
Christians hold that men and women are equal in Christ. They say the harsh laws of the Old Testament belonged to ancient Israel, and that the church is not bound by them.
Paul writes that in Christ there is neither male nor female.
Rebuttal
The verse speaks of belonging to Christ. The same New Testament still forbids women to teach or speak in church, and 1 Timothy bases that on Eden. The Qur'an promises believing men and women the same reward (33:35).
The Islamic perspective
The Qur'an and the Prophet (ﷺ) honour women as daughters, wives and mothers, and give women rights the Bible's laws deny them. The Qur'an blames Eve for nothing Adam did not share.
Leviticus doubles a mother's uncleanness after the birth of a daughter.
The Bible's law allows a father to sell his daughter. It orders a wife's hand cut off for defending her husband in a certain way. And if a betrothed woman was attacked in a town, it presumes from her silence that she consented, and stones her with the man.
The Bible's law stones a bride on her husband's charge, unless her parents can produce the proof of her virginity. The Qur'an flogs any man who accuses a chaste woman without four witnesses. And it lets a wife clear herself by oath.
Leviticus makes anyone who touches a woman in her period, or her bed, unclean. The Prophet (ﷺ) allowed everything with her except intercourse.
Paul silences women in church. And 1 Timothy forbids them to teach, because Adam was formed first and Eve was deceived.
The Qur'an says Satan deceived Adam and his wife together, and that God (﷾) forgave Adam. So no guilt rests on women.
The Qur'an condemns grief at the birth of a daughter, and the Prophet (ﷺ) promised reward for raising daughters well.
The Prophet (ﷺ) placed the mother first in a person's good company, and said Paradise is beneath her feet.
The Qur'an makes Pharaoh's wife and Mary examples for all believers. And it promises equal reward for good works by men and women.
The Qur'an gives women and wives fixed shares of inheritance. Numbers names the daughter only if there is no son, and never names the widow.