There are many ‘misconceptions’, all over the world, about the Islamic understanding of women. Misconceptions is emphasised because the nature of the Qur’an and Sunnah is such that it is so complex and intricate that it is open to many interpretations. However, on certain things, the Qur’an or the Sunnah make it completely explicit, for instance that men and women are equal in the eyes of God because souls are without gender

Also, many people in ‘the west’ take the treatment of women in ‘Muslim’ countries to define how Islam commands women be treated, however some of this is more cultural than religious. In fact, Muslim women have had rights for over 1400 years that were only granted to Western women in the 19th and 20th centuries.

The difference between the roles of women in genuine Islam compared to how it is commonly stereotyped can be highlighted by the views of Yvonne Ridley who “used to believe that the Quran advocated beating of women, subjugation and intolerance” but “when she actually looked in the Quran and read it, she became convinced it was truly a message from God. She left Church of England and Christianity to become a Muslim.”

Many Muslims believe that there is purposely a ‘misinformation campaign’ directed at ‘Westeners’ which preaches the view that Islam condones oppression of women and preaches inhumane practices. They believe that this campaign manipulates the ideas of Muslim women having to dress modestly (though men do too) and of men being able to have more than one wife without fully knowing about the intricacies of these concepts in Islam.

However, understandably, many Muslims would take offence at this. For instance, what is “inhumane” about dressing modestly? The nature of modesty is such that it is a positive thing, especially considering the antonym is indecency. Surely that is the point of ANY religion? To allow one to better oneself however? This shows that Allah wants women to be protected and knew, in his omniscience, what the state of humanity would be today. The covering of women is not just for the safety of men but also for the safety of men, it is a well known phrase in Muslim circles that “the first look is forgiven, the second is forbidden” surely it is MORE ‘inhumane’ to not just condone, but ENCOURAGE women to dress in a way that is more likely to get them harmed? Many Muslims believe so, however people may argue that if a woman gets raped, it’s not her fault, it’s the man’s for not being able to control himself. However, although this is true, it is a matter of PRINCIPLE… it would be more shocking to know that a woman was raped who was dressed decently and modestly and clearly not wanting attention than one that seemed to be begging for it. Although no rational being would blame either women in that scenario, it is a case of what is more counter intuitive- for Muslims and non-Muslims alike.

In Islam, mothers are given a very high status. The prophet Muhammad (pbuh) is said to have said that ‘paradise lies at the feet of your mothers’. Parents are given guidelines on how to treat children and are not just advised but commanded to treat every child equally and contrary to popular belief, daughters should be regarded as blessings to families. However, the feminist philosopher Simone de Beauvoir considered the roles of wife and mother to be a hindrance to women's freedom, and believed that women could only escape the trap of femininity by assuming the role of a professional career woman.

However, the irony of the feminist movement in the Western world was that, rather than demanding men act more moral, it gave women the freedom to act just as amorally as the men which in turn benefitted the men. Women who had protested against the degrading practices of pre and extra marital sex were then following suit. In contrast to this, Islam encourages men and women to get married for many reasons inculuding stability, safety, security and companionship. It states in the Qur’an that “And among His Signs is this, that He created for you mates from among yourselves, that you may dwell in tranquillity with them, and He has put love and mercy between your (hearts): verily in that are Signs for those who reflect. (al-Rum 30:21).”

The understanding of religious texts depends very much on how literal your approach is. Whilst there are clear cut categories in Christianity: Fundamentalist, Liberal and conservative, it is not this way in Islam. Many people believe that, since all the prophets were male, the Quran places men above women in terms of religion, however many believe it is just a reflection of the patriarchal society that the texts came in to being in.

People may argue against this that there is also a lot of mention of women in the Qur’an and the Prophet’s wives, along with Mary and other women, have elevated status’s, even more than that of some men mentioned. In particular, A’isha (RA) and Khadija (RA) are mentioned a lot in hadith and Sunnah, and this is significant as they are known to have been confident and outgoing, in contradiction to the view that in Islam women must be timid and restrained.

The idea that Khadijah has an elevated status is noteworthy as it reveals how Islam feels about women who work. Khadijah was known to be wealthy and a famed businesswomen and Islam encourages women to fend for themselves, even allowing them to keep their wages for themselves, though men necessarily have to look after their families. However, there must be a distinction made between a ‘working woman’ and a ‘career woman’ as there has to be a balance there. It goes without saying that her family come first, and they must be looked after.

Having said this, in Islam it is mostly men who are considered to be the heads of the families. Many Muslims say this is because by nature, not only are men physically stronger but more rational whilst females are naturally emotional. Women may seek leadership in family life only so long as they have no children and has no worry about educating and training them. After having children she can ill afford to shoulder extra responsibilities, for her functions as a mother must surely be too difficult for her already and so, as part of the balancing out in marriages, the man must accept accountability for all external matters.

This does not, however, allow the man dictatorship, The Qur’an says : “consort with them in kindness”. Islam commands mutual empathy and understanding, as husband and wife, as each others ‘garments’, they should co-operate and consult each other in terms of family issues for ultimately it is their duties as a unit.

As a wife, contrary to popular misguided beliefs, a woman can be expected, in Islam to be treated well. Indeed, the Prophet (pbuh) said that “the best among you is he who is good to his wife”. Although many people believe that in Islam, a woman must do ANYTHING a man tells her, regardless, this is not true. Although a woman is commanded to be obedient to her husband, this is only insofar as what he is asking is lawful in Islam, and he will be held accountable if he treats her unjustly.

In terms of a woman’s role as a sexual partner, although she must (with exceptions) have sex with her husband when he wants it, this should not be seen as a burden. In Islam, women’s sexuality is acknowledged, accepted to the degree that she is allowed to divorce an impotent man. Considering marriage in Islam should be balanced and harmonious, not only should the woman also want to have intercourse with a man when he requires it, but he should be understanding and know when not to ask.

In conclusion, the way the role of women in Islam is perceived is based a lot on the society we’re brought up in and the way that our conceptual schemes are constructed. Many people do not know much about Islam and indeed in fairness, taken at face value, to people brought up in a liberal western society, it would be counter intuitive. Having said that, this shows the importance of not formulating views which are ill-educated. For instance, many people believe that the fact that a woman is COMMANDED to do things for her husband is unfair, but so is a man commanded if it is about equality. But even when it’s not about equality, what a woman is asked to do is hardly cruel, but in fact surely what people want from marriages anyway- sexual compatibility, faithful partners and taking care of each other’s possessions.

Also, it should be understood that in Islam, there is always a reason for everything: for example the fact that legally a woman’s testimony is worth than half of that of a man’s doesn’t mean that SHE is worth but half of a man but that it is rather a clever step taken towards securing a reliable hearing. ‘The woman is by her very nature vehemently emotional, impressionable and liable to digress from the real facts of the case in hand. Therefore it is wise to have another woman along with her "so if the one erreth the other will remember,"’ and that there is a difference between what is PERMISSIBLE and what is liked; as is the case with polygamy which is permissible but so complicated to cope with following strict shariah guidelines that it is not recommended.