Equal before God
The Quran speaks to women directly, and promises the same reward to anyone who does good:
Whoever does good, whether male or female, and is a believer, We will give them a good life, and reward them according to the best of what they did.
Quran 16:97
The Quran also doesn't blame Eve for the first sin. It says Adam and Eve made the mistake together and asked God's forgiveness together (7:23).
Rights from the start
From the 7th century, Islam gave women rights that many societies only recognised much later. A Muslim woman has the right to:
- own property and keep her own earnings, with no duty to spend them on the household (4:32)
- inherit from her parents, husband and relatives (4:7)
- accept or refuse a marriage proposal: the Prophet ﷺ said a woman may not be married without her consent
- receive a marriage gift (mahr) that belongs to her alone (4:4)
- get an education: the Prophet ﷺ said that seeking knowledge is a duty on every Muslim
- ask for a divorce
Mothers, wives and daughters
A man asked the Prophet ﷺ, “Who most deserves my good company?” He said, “Your mother.” The man asked, “Then who?” He said, “Your mother.” “Then who?” “Your mother.” “Then who?” “Then your father.”
Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim
The Prophet ﷺ said: “The believers with the most complete faith are those with the best character, and the best of you are those who are best to their wives.”
Jami' at-Tirmidhi
He also promised that whoever raises daughters with love and care will be close to him in Paradise.
Women who shaped Islam
- Khadijah ran a successful trading business, proposed marriage to the Prophet ﷺ, and was the very first person to accept Islam.
- Aisha was one of the greatest scholars of early Islam. She passed on more than 2,000 sayings of the Prophet ﷺ, and senior companions brought their questions to her.
- Fatima al-Fihri founded al-Qarawiyyin in Fez, Morocco, in 859. It still teaches today and is often called the oldest existing university in the world.
- Nusaybah bint Ka'b defended the Prophet ﷺ with a sword at the Battle of Uhud.
About the headscarf
The Quran asks both men and women to dress and behave modestly, and it addresses men first (24:30–31). For many Muslim women, the headscarf (hijab) is an act of worship, a daily reminder of who they are, and a way of being seen for their minds rather than their looks.
It has to be her choice. The Quran says “there is no compulsion in religion” (2:256), and forcing a headscarf on someone, or forcing it off, goes against that.
Honestly, the best way to learn about it is to ask a woman who wears one. Most are glad you asked.
Quran quotes are English translations of the meaning, adapted from Saheeh International and M.A.S. Abdel Haleem. Tap a reference to read the verse in Arabic with other translations.