Throughout Islamic scripture and history, women have been relegated to a secondary, subordinate status—often justified under the banner of divine command. While many contemporary Muslims argue that Islam gave women rights ahead of its time, a deeper investigation into the Qur’an, Hadith, and Islamic jurisprudence reveals a consistent pattern: Islam institutionalizes inequality between men and women and codifies it into religious practice.
This article draws from the extensive critiques presented in the book Exposing Islam to highlight how Islamic doctrine systemically marginalizes and controls women, often in cruel and dehumanizing ways.
The Qur’an itself lays the foundation for male superiority and female inferiority. Verses such as:
Qur’an 4:34 – “Men are the protectors and maintainers of women because Allah has made one of them to excel the other…”
This verse establishes male dominance as divinely ordained. A man is not just a caretaker, but a controller. The passage continues, allowing men to beat their wives if they fear disobedience—a horrifying moral justification for domestic abuse.
Qur’an 2:282 – “And bring to witness two witnesses from among your men. And if two men be not (at hand) then a man and two women…”
This verse legally enshrines the idea that a woman’s testimony is worth half that of a man. In any judicial system based on Islam, this is not equality—it is blatant devaluation.
Qur’an 4:3 – “Marry of the women who seem good to you, two or three or four…”
Islam grants men the right to marry multiple women but offers no reciprocal right to women. The Qur’an sets no requirement for a woman’s consent if her husband chooses another wife. This directly leads to emotional, psychological, and financial strain on women trapped in polygamous systems.
Furthermore, Prophet Muhammad’s own marriage to Aisha, who was only six years old when the marriage contract was drawn and nine when consummated (as recorded in Sahih Bukhari), normalizes child marriage in Islamic jurisprudence.
The Qur’an and Hadith permit and even encourage the possession of female slaves (what your right hands possess) for sexual use:
Qur’an 4:24 – “And also forbidden to you are married women except those whom your right hands possess…”
This legitimizes rape by allowing sex with captive women even if they are married. Islamic scholars historically debated the “etiquette” of sex with slave girls—not whether it was moral.
The Prophet himself kept female slaves such as Mariyah the Copt and Safiyyah, both of whom were acquired as war spoils and used as concubines.
Islamic dress codes, including hijab, niqab, and burqa, are not simply modesty guidelines—they are instruments of control.
Qur’an 33:59 – “O Prophet! Tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers to draw their cloaks (veils) all over their bodies…”
This implies that women are responsible for controlling male behavior through how they dress. Women who do not cover themselves are seen as inviting harassment or sin.
Rather than teaching men self-control, Islam places the burden of modesty and morality on women, isolating them socially and psychologically.
Men hold nearly all the power in marital matters:
Triple talaq allows men to divorce women instantly without justification.
Women must go through a long, humiliating process to obtain divorce (khula), often requiring the husband’s consent.
In inheritance, women receive half the share of their male counterparts (Qur’an 4:11).
Custody laws favor the father after a certain age, and women lose rights to their children after divorce in most classical interpretations.
Women are blamed for sexual violence committed against them. The requirement of four male witnesses to prove rape (based on Qur’an 24:4) often means victims are accused of adultery themselves, risking punishment or even death by stoning.
Honor killings, while not explicitly Islamic, are rooted in the Islamic concept of family honor tied to female sexuality. Apostasy laws disproportionately target women who try to escape forced marriages or convert out of Islam.
In the case of triple talaq, if a man wants to remarry his ex-wife, Islamic law mandates she must first marry another man, consummate the marriage, and then be divorced before remarrying her first husband.
This “halala” requirement degrades a woman into a transactional object. Some clerics openly offer themselves for “temporary halala marriages”—a religiously sanctioned form of prostitution.
Islam claims to be a religion that elevates women—but the textual and historical evidence shows a consistent theme of control, suppression, and abuse. While many Muslims reinterpret or ignore these teachings, the foundational sources remain unchanged.
Modern Muslims may seek reform, but you cannot reform something while denying the rot at its roots.
The book, Exposing Islam, bravely unveils these facts with thorough references and historical accuracy. This article draws on your work to present an undeniable truth: Islam is not a liberator of women—it is their jailer.