# Women Rights: Islam Vs. Christianity! - Freedom, Hijab, Polygamy… @DrSabeelAhmed

- Language: en
- Published: 2026-08-26
- Canonical: https://blog.towardseternity.com/en/blog/women-rights-islam-vs-christianity-freedom-hijab-polygamy-at-drsabeelahmed
- Source video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hWagR0fCuw4
- Channel: Towards Eternity

This is the cleaned transcript of the source video. The speech is unaltered.

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Christians, especially women, often ask about Islam, Why do Muslim women wear the headscarf? Isn't that a restriction? The oldest continuous university in the whole world, the foundation was laid by a Muslim lady wearing the hijab. Before the Prophet came, women were subjugated. They were taken as property. They were literally inherited. People judge Islam, unfortunately, by the cultural practices, by what they see on the social media. But Islam should be judged based upon the guidance and the rights and the empowerment Islam has given to women. Almost every single prophet of the Old Testament, they were polygamous. Unlimited polygamy. No restrictions. No responsibility.

Islam came to limit polygamy. Close to 18,000 non-Muslim women in this country, when they look into women's rights in Islam, they are converting to Islam. Assalamualaikum Dr. Sabeel Ahmad. Welcome again to Towards Eternity. and treated as a second class in different societies. Today we have gathered the questions that constantly come up in social media. If you're ready, let's begin. Throughout history, women have been treated unfairly and treated as a second class in different societies. Women are suppressed, you know, oppressed, Can you tell us about the status of women in Islam? So people, when they look about women in Islam, they may think, you know what?

Women are suppressed, you know, oppressed, no rights, second class, no freedoms. The reality is so much different. People judge Islam, unfortunately, by the cultural practices, by what they see on the social media. But Islam should be judged based upon the guidance and the rights and the empowerment Islam has given to women in the Qur'an, which is the Word of Allah, and through the examples of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). You are so much right when you look into the women in the history, before the Prophet came, women were subjugated. They were taken as property and they were literally inherited.

But when Islam came, when Allah gave the guidance through Muhammad (pbuh), empowerment was given to women. Equality in the reward was given to women and the freedoms were given to women. Can you mention some of them? Really quick list. First and foremost, the right to education. Not until 1844, in this country, women in America, they won the right to go into higher education, universities and graduating, right? Islam gave that right to women way back in the seventh century. Not only Islam gave that right, Islam made it obligatory for both males and females to gain education. Not only empowered... Muslim women were so empowered by that obligation, and that right to gain education.

The oldest continuous university in the whole world, look at the phrase, the oldest continuous university in the whole world, the foundation was laid by a Muslim lady wearing the hijab. Her name is Fatima al-Fihri. In the year 859, in the country of Morocco, in the city of Fez. Who says this? The Guinness Book of World Records and Unesco. Second right Islam has given to women would be, women have the right to inherit. See, if you look into the Old Testament, if a father has two sons and a daughter, the daughter does not get inheritance. Zero inheritance, by the way, because there is a son. The son gets all the inheritance. But if they are only daughters, now they get some inheritance.

But Islam guaranteed inheritance to the women. As wives, as mothers, as daughters, as sisters, right? So, guaranteed inheritance for women. When it comes to owning property, you know, in this country, not until the mid 1800s. White women in this country, right? Not Black, not brown, not Chinese, not Indian. White women, white married women in this country, in the state of Illinois, they won the right to own property in 1861, in this state, in Chicago. Islam gave that right in the seventh century, right? Look at this, seventh century compared to like 13 centuries after. Two more important rights that Islam has given to women is the right to initiate divorce.

So in the Old Testament, she doesn't have that right. Even in Catholicism, she doesn't have that right. Islam gave that right because in reality, we know that not every marriage is going to be ideal marriage forever. There may be friction, right? Some people are caught into a marriage in which they want to get out. Islam is practical. So Islam gave the right to women to initiate the divorce. Other faiths, they don't have it. Islam has that right for women. And also, you know, she has a responsibility in the home to take care of the children in the household. But the financial responsibility, she has zero. She can be the Bill Gates. She can be the Jeff Bezos of women.

She can be the billionaire, the most wealthy person in the whole world. Even then, she doesn't have to spend a penny on the home, on the family. She could, right? She could. She doesn't have to. It is the responsibility of the husband, 100% financially. So these are some of the rights that Islam has given to women. So important, you know, advice to my non-Muslim brothers and sisters. Do not judge Islam by the cultural practices, the social media. Judge Islam by reading the Qur'an, and look into the wonderful life of Muhammad (pbuh). Amazing fact, amazing fact. One amazing fact. Of all the misconceptions people have about Islam, the number one is women in Islam.

However, when our non-Muslim sisters and brothers, when they look into Islam and look into the right, the respect, the empowerment Islam has given to Muslim women, they are converting to Islam. So, close to 18,000 non-Muslim women in this country, when they look into women's rights in Islam, people are converting. 18,000 each year. In the UK, about 5000 each year. In the Islamic law, the women receive half as much inheritance as men. Aren't these contradictory to justice and degrading for women?

Okay, some people look at the inheritance laws and they say Before the guidance of the Qur'an came in the seventh century to humanity, And obviously the reason is the man, as he is growing up, he will have financial responsibility as he is married. 100% financial responsibility for the family. A lady, she has zero, by the way. The wife has zero financial responsibility. So it does make sense that he inherits more finances because now he needs to spend the finances on the family. A lady, she does not have to spend the finances. That means, you know, she does not have to inherit as much. So, for that reason there is a disparity.

So if you look at it from the Biblical point of view, from Islamic point of view, again, this one is much more just. It's more common sense and it takes into the practical aspect of a family. Christians, especially women, often ask about Islam, Why do Muslim women wear the headscarf? Isn't that a restriction? Isn't that an oppression? You know, when I went to Columbus, there was an open house. In the open house, a question came by a Christian lady. She said, "Why do women have to be forced to wear the hijab?" You know, look at Iran at that time, the hijab controversy was going on. I mentioned to her, you know, "We all wear clothes. Why do we wear clothes?" I mentioned and she knows.

"Sake of decency and modesty." "So, wearing the hijab is also for the sake of decency and modesty, right?" Because I want to logically deal with her. So then I mentioned to her, to that Christian lady, "Is it okay that anyone can dress any which way? Our girls, our boys, our elders, anyone. Or there should be some kind of a, you know, modesty laws in the society?" She said, "There has to be modesty laws, or else people may go out naked or shirtless for women." So there have to be some modesty laws. So, who is going to decide what those modesty laws should be? Would that be the culture? That will not make sense, because one person says this, second person may say that. It becomes subjective.

So modesty laws and all the laws, these should be coming from the Creator who knows us good, who knows us better, what is beneficial to us and to the society. He is the one who gave the concept of modesty laws in Islam. So, quickly, women wear that hijab of modesty because they are obeying the Creator. It's an obligation for them. It is in the Qur'an, two places. Chapter number 24, Verse number 31, and Chapter 33, Verse number 59 to be exact. So then I give an analogy, a quick analogy to the people that you know, in schools and colleges, there is a dress code. You have to wear shorts to some extent. You cannot wear short shorts, for example.

You have to, you cannot wear the hoodie, things of that nature. So, laws are even in schools and colleges. If you work in the hospital, there are certain laws that you know, certain attire you have to wear. If you go to a restaurant, right? No shirt, no shoes, no service, something like that. So Allah has given us laws of modesty. Then I say to my Christians and to the Jews and others, that the laws of modesty are not only for the females, they are also for the males. Modesty in Islam is not just about what we wear. It's modesty of the eyes. I cannot look and stare and lust after a woman. But modesty laws are not only in Islam.

Even if you look into Judaism, a Jewish lady who is married, she cannot show her hair. A Christian lady, especially when she is going to the church, she cannot show her hair. So, the concept of hijab is there even in the Old and the New Testament. So in the Book of First Corinthians, Chapter 11, Verse number five and six, a Christian lady has to wear the hijab. She cannot show her hair. If she shows her hair, it's dishonor. It is as if she has to shave her hair, right? Mary, the mother of Jesus, who is a symbol of chastity, she used to wear it. So when Muslim women, when they are wearing the hijab, she's taking Mary, the mother of Jesus, as their role model, also.

You know, one time I was giving a lecture. Christians came from the Amish church. They came after the lecture. I saw that every single one of them, they were covering their hair. So I asked them the question. "My dear sisters, you are all wearing the hijab like Muslim ladies. Tell me the reason." They said, "We are following the Bible. The Bible commands us to wear the hijab or to cover our hair." So hijab is there in all the cultures, even in the secular world. Exactly for the same reason. They should be judged and appreciated for their modesty and chastity, and for their personality and the blessings that Allah has given to them. In Islam, if a man wants, he can marry up to four women.

How appropriate is it for this day and age? Why is there such a regulation? Really important. Before the guidance of the Qur'an came in the seventh century to humanity, every culture, every faith before that time, they used to have the concept of polygamy, having more than one spouse. Unlimited polygamy. No restrictions. No responsibility. Islam came to limit polygamy. It says in the Qur'an, Chapter number four, Verse number three, "Marry two, three, up to four. But if you cannot do justice, marry only one." So what Islam did, what Allah did, what the guidance of the Qur'an did was, first and foremost, it restricted polygamy from unlimited to up to four maximum. Number one.

Number two, what Islam did was, now it gave responsibilities to the husband that if you want to marry more than one or even one, 100%, you have to take care of the spouses. Financially, right, every which way. Lodging and the clothing and the food, they have to be equal and the same if you want to marry more than one. So, restriction of polygamy and giving the responsibilities to the husband and the rights to the women. It's not an obligation. It's not an encouragement. It's a permission in certain circumstances. Like in Afghanistan, for example, right? Many men, they may have passed away in the battle. Now you have excess of women.

They could just live their life as is, but they would be deprived of children, warmth of the family and support of the husband. So they will be deprived of that. But Islam wants everyone to benefit and be protected by a home. Not only that, by the way, even if you look into the Old Testament. Old Testament, there's... Almost every single prophet of the Old Testament, they were polygamous. Whether it be Moses, may that be, you know, Abraham, you know, three wives or two wives, David. In the Old Testament, God does not prohibit polygamy. God does not restrict polygamy. God does not condemn polygamy. So if any Jew or Christian tells me, you know what, polygamy is wrong, come on.

How come Islam says that? I would say if it is wrong, where is the prohibition of polygamy in the Old Testament? No restriction of polygamy by Jesus (pbuh) in his time. He did not restrict it. He was just following that culture over here, right? When you look into the American culture, there is a survey that came out by Chicago Tribune. A typical male in this country, they have at least seven extra girlfriends or extramarital affairs or premarital affairs. Actually, when I compare to India, India allows more than one wife for Muslim men. So there are less number of Muslims with more than one wife compared to Hindus who have more than one wife. So even though it's allowed, it's quite rare.

Because if a man marries, he has to be 100% responsible, or else there would be consequences on the Day of Judgment.