Introduction 6 Position of this Study 7

Conclusion to Salvation in Islam

As we will see later in this study, there are a vast number of issues that we could examine in order to make a direct comparison between the Quran and the Bible. In this chapter I have focused merely on the one most important subject of all, namely salvation.

It should be quite clear by now that the requirements for Muslim “salvation” are long and complex. He is required to spend his lifetime in total obedience to the words of his prophet and god, be constantly asking forgiveness for his wrong-doing, be always doing good works (according to the teachings) and ultimately, Allah will choose whether he feels each person is worthy, with the possibility that such a decision was known all along and a person may be cast into hell anyway, no matter what he does in his life.

It should also be noted that the Quran provides short cuts to “salvation”, one of the most notable being martyrdom through “Jihad”. This method invariably involves death while engaged in the struggle to further the cause of Islam. In other words, killing the “infidel” who oppose them [sic].

Over the centuries, Christendom in its various forms, has also tried to spread the false doctrine of “salvation by works” either as a stand-alone requirement, or combined with God’s Grace. Either way, these doctrines are wholly unbiblical.

When compared to God’s salvation by Grace alone, it must be very obvious that the Quran and the god of Islam have no connection whatever to the one true God Jehovah and His Word, The Bible.

Chapter 3: Women in the Quran vs Women in the Bible

In the previous chapter, we provided a comparison between the two books on the most important doctrine of all, that being salvation. Now we will look at comparison again, only this time from the perspective of criticism rather than straightforward comparison.

While we cannot cover all the subjects contained in the Quran, what follows is a selection of some of the most important and far reaching issues that show the stark contrast between Islam and Christianity (or any other faith for that matter).

Attitudes towards Women and Marriage

Women form at least half the human population. It makes good sense then to begin our critical analysis of Islam on how it views our female population.

Western society has been guilty of the suppression of women over the millennia. This cannot be denied. The reasons for this are many and varied and most stem from sin and a misunderstanding of Christian doctrine on the matter. Even so, today’s society has gone a long way to recognise the status of women as being no less than that of men.

We must always recognise that women are different from men, not just in physicality, but often also in thinking and behavior. The long term battle for women has always to be to have the male population accept that those differences are valuable and that their difference from men is not a weakness, but complimentary and useful.

So now in the 21^st century, there is a greater understanding of these ideas. However, this understanding has yet to reach the Islamic communities throughout the world. The reasons for this are based on the teachings of the Quran, which reinforces that age old desire for men to want to feel they are the dominant sex. In this, the Quran performs extremely well.

Women and Marriage in the Quran

Let us take a look at some of the teachings from the Quran:

Surah 4:31-33

And covet not the thing in which Allah hath made some of you excel others. Unto men a fortune from that which they have earned, and unto women a fortune from that which they have earned. (Envy not one another) but ask Allah of His bounty. Lo! Allah is ever Knower of all things. (32) And unto each We have appointed heirs of that which parents and near kindred leave; and as for those with whom your right hands have made a covenant, give them their due. Lo! Allah is ever Witness over all things. (33) Men are in charge of women, because Allah hath made the one of them to excel the other, and because they spend of their property (for the support of women).
The quote above is speaking in the context of earnings and sharing accordingly. Be aware that “….what your right hand possesses….” Refers to slaves.

So here, Allah has put men in charge of women because it would seem, that men have been made to be greater than (“excel”) women.

Let’s take a look at another quote:

Surah 33:50-52

 O Prophet! Lo! We have made lawful unto thee thy wives unto whom thou hast paid their dowries, and those whom thy right hand possesseth of those whom Allah hath given thee as spoils of war, and the daughters of thine uncle on the father's side and the daughters of thine aunts on the father's side, and the daughters of thine uncle on the mother's side and the daughters of thine aunts on the mother's side who emigrated with thee, and a believing woman if she give herself unto the Prophet and the Prophet desire to ask her in marriage - a privilege for thee only, not for the (rest of) believers - We are Aware of that which We enjoined upon them concerning their wives and those whom their right hands possess - that thou mayst be free from blame, for Allah is ever Forgiving, Merciful. (50) Thou canst defer whom thou wilt of them and receive unto thee whom thou wilt, and whomsoever thou desirest of those whom thou hast set aside (temporarily), it is no sin for thee (to receive her again); that is better; that they may be comforted and not grieve, and may all be pleased with what thou givest them. Allah knoweth what is in your hearts (O men), and Allah is ever Forgiving, Clement. (51) It is not allowed thee to take (other) women henceforth, nor that thou shouldst change them for other wives even though their beauty pleased thee, save those whom thy right hand possesseth. And Allah is ever Watcher over all things.(52)
Firstly, this section makes it quite clear that “..those that thy right hand possesses…” is referring to female slaves. So let us list all the women that Islam permits a man to either marry or own:

• 
  Wives paid for by dowry
  
• 
  Female slaves
  
• 
  Women gained through spoils of war
  
• 
  Daughters of aunts and uncles
  
• 
  Any believing woman who gives herself in marriage to the prophet Mohammad (a special privilege for him ONLY).
  

That last verse (52) shows that if the beauty of a slave woman is not to a man’s liking, then he can change her for another. It’s a little like taking a pair of shoes back to the store and exchanging for something nicer!

So essentially, the Quran teaches that a man may have almost any woman he wishes as his wife or concubine.
Now regarding marriage:
Surah 4:1-5

O mankind! Be careful of your duty to your Lord Who created you from a single soul and from it created its mate and from them twain hath spread abroad a multitude of men and women. Be careful of your duty toward Allah in Whom ye claim (your rights) of one another, and toward the wombs (that bare you). Lo! Allah hath been a watcher over you. (1) Give unto orphans their wealth. Exchange not the good for the bad (in your management thereof) nor absorb their wealth into your own wealth. Lo! that would be a great sin. (2) And if ye fear that ye will not deal fairly by the orphans, marry of the women, who seem good to you, two or three or four; and if ye fear that ye cannot do justice (to so many) then one (only) or (the captives) that your right hands possess. Thus it is more likely that ye will not do injustice. (3) And give unto the women (whom ye marry) free gift of their marriage portions; but if they of their own accord remit unto you a part thereof, then ye are welcome to absorb it (in your wealth). (4) Give not unto the foolish (what is in) your (keeping of their) wealth, which Allah hath given you to maintain; but feed and clothe them from it, and speak kindly unto them. 
A recurring theme in the Quran is the mention of women and marriage within the context of ownership and finance. One could get the impression that women were seen just as much as a commodity to be bought and sold, the same as any other goods.

More importantly in this quote, is the clear instruction that a man may marry up to four women at once as well as the “use of” any slave women in his possession.

Women and Marriage in the Bible

Perhaps the most important thing to say now is to point out that the Quran was written some 600 years after the Gospels and that’s at least 2000 years from when Moses wrote the first five books of the Old Testament. So the Quran is relatively newly arrived on the scene when it comes to divine (or otherwise) scripture.

Why mention this? Well it is necessary to place the Quran into its proper historical context in terms of its writing and its attitudes. So let’s do that now:

• 
  2000bc (approx.) – Moses writes the Pentateuch
  
• 
  0 to 200ad (approx.) – New Testament Gospels and Epistles written by various authors
  
• 
  650ad (approx.) – Muhammad recites the Quran (which is largely written down over the next 200 years)
  

Now we have something of a simple timeline from Moses to Muhammad. The writings of Moses describe the attitudes towards women within the Israelite group. A study on that subject is beyond the scope of this book, but we should be honest and forthright in our admission that the life of women even among the Israelites was not particularly good, by today’s standards.

They had many controls over their movements and behavior. Men were allowed to marry more than one woman, and they were able also to have concubines. The rights of women were also severely curtailed and indeed, women were given into marriages for financial gain.

Yet of the Old Testament, there are some facets of womanhood that shine out in sharp contrast to the women of the Quran.

Firstly, Women in the Old Testament were very able to attain levels of status often equal to that of men. One of the most notable was Miriam (Exodus 15:20), the prophetess and elder sister of Moses and Aaron. Another was Deborah, appointed as a Judge of the Israelites.

Secondly, stories abound in the Old Testament of the pivotal roles played by women in the history of the Israelites. Examples of which are:

• 
  Eve
  
• 
  Sarai and Hagar, Abraham’s wife and servant
  
• 
  Jael – the wise woman who killed the leader Sisera after he fled from battle with the Israelites.
  
• 
  Hannah – the mother of the prophet Samuel
  
• 
  Abigail – a brave and virtuous woman who became the wife of David
  
• 
  Esther – as a Jewish queen of the Persian King Ahasuerus – she helped foil a plot to kill the Jews.
  

By way of comparison, let us now look at the few women of note mentioned in the Quran:

• 
  Aasiyah bint Mazaahim – a story of a woman tortured and murdered by her husband and believed she saw heaven then smiled as she was killed. (Surah 66:11)
  
• 
  Hawwa – the wife of Adam (Surah 4:1)
  
• 
  Sara – the wife of Abraham (Surah 11:71-72)
  
• 
  Hajirah (Hagar) – servant of Abraham and mother of Ismail. (Surah 2:158)
  
• 
  Maryam bint ‘Imraan – Radhiallaahu anhumaa ajma'een – the Quran mistakes the Miriam (daughter of Amram, sister of Moses) for the Mother (Mary) of Jesus!
  
• 
  Aisha – the 6 year old wife of the 50 year old Muhammad.
  
• 
  Khadeejah bint Khuwaylid – another wife of Muhammad, famous for supporting and believing in Muhammad, despite others thinking he was “strange”.
  

Despite the restrictions on the rights of women in the Old Testament, they still had the ability to make significant differences to the development of Israel. Whereas in the Islamic world, women never rise to any significant account, or are simply abused (as in the case of the 6 year old Aisha) and simply murdered.

You might notice another interesting point, and that is how the Quran seems to follow the story of the Old Testament, beginning with the creation of Adam and Eve. This is a theme that runs throughout the Quran, in an attempt to lend credibility to the writing.

The Virtues of a Woman

Without resorting to an in depth study of the Bible at this point, now consider some basic attitudes in the Bible regarding women and marriage, their attributes, behavior and responsibilities:

1. 
   Trustworthy (Proverbs 31:11)
   
2. 
   She will always do good for her husband (Proverbs 31:12)
   
3. 
   Works willingly to supply the needs within the family (Proverbs 31:13)
   
4. 
   She uses wisdom in buying the food and household items (Proverbs 31:14)
   
5. 
   She works with a distinct plan to provide the necessary meals for the family (Proverbs 31:15)
   
6. 
   She will even grow food in the garden (Proverbs 31:16)
   
7. 
   She uses wisdom (Proverbs 31:18 & 26)
   
8. 
   She is kind and generous to those in need (Proverbs 31:20)
   

(Read up on these scriptures for yourself)

The Bible is also clear what a good and virtuous woman/wife should NOT be:

1. 
   Idle – doing nothing with her time (1Timothy 5:13)
   
2. 
   Gossiping – (1 Timothy 5:13)
   
3. 
   Be concerned with the affairs of others (1 Timothy 5:13)
   

In the Jewish and Christian tradition, the wife is not regarded as a servant or slave and she is not beaten. She is a respected partner with a wholly differing role in the family to the man. She uses wisdom and intelligence, as well as working hard to do the best possible job to support her family. She is not subservient to the man, having lesser value, however there is the recognition of the natural physical differences and attributes between the sexes.

The woman is destined to have children, and looking after the children forms a large part of her duties.

A wife is not hidden away and forbidden to go out. To perform her tasks, she would be expected to spend much time outside the home, finding food and other items needed for the family. Chaperones were not required and neither were veils.

The husband trusts her to do what is right (Proverbs 31:10-11). Women are treated with respect and are given authority for one of the most important tasks, as:

• 
  The MAN worked to provide food
  
• 
  The WOMAN worked to provide the clothing (Proverbs 31:13 & 21-22)
  

While this system of family management has endured successfully for thousands of years, it is only in more recent times (since the 1960’s) that women and men have sought to change this balance, which God provided in His great wisdom. I will leave it to your own judgement to decide if this is a beneficial thing.