Want geniune opinions from muslims
I’m posting this because I genuinely want to learn from other Muslims, not to start an argument.
I’m a career-oriented Muslim woman, and like anyone else, I believe I have the right to dream, learn, build a career and have ambitions for my life. Recently, I came across a statement from an Islamic scholar saying that women should essentially be kept “chained at home.” I found the wording quite hurtful, and it made me question how different Muslims understand this issue.
I’m sharing the article here for context: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kochi/women-should-stay-confined-to-homes-kerala-islamic-scholar-kanthapuram-defends-purdah-remark/amp_articleshow/133641311.cms
I’m not posting this to attack the scholar or to claim that I know more than people who have studied Islam deeply. I genuinely want to understand the different perspectives within Islam.
How do you personally understand the Islamic position on women pursuing education, careers and ambitions outside the home?
Are there particular Qur’anic verses, hadith, or scholarly interpretations that you think are important to this discussion?
I would especially appreciate thoughtful responses from people with different viewpoints. Please keep the discussion respectful and avoid attacking the scholar, women, or other Muslims.
I’m here to learn and understand, not to win an argument.
@FaridaSpeaks1976
I hope you have healthy discussions and I'm sorry you were hurt by it 💛
@FaridaSpeaks1976 I m sorry you feel that way
@TheGirlWithDreams back handed sympathy
@TheGirlWithDreams back handed sympathy
@TheGirlWithDreams. back handed sympathy
@FaridaSpeaks1976 I don't claim deep scholarly expertise, but as someone who tries to read and learn about our faith, this topic comes up often enough to make you pause. Honestly, I am not familiar with this particular scholar, but using phrasing like women being "chained at home", as if we are animals rather than human being... really make you question what kind of scholar speaks this way, or if he really is one in the first place.
Because such harsh and degrading language directly contradicts the manners taught in the Quran. In Surah Al-Isra (17:53), Allah commands us,
"And tell My servants to say that which is best."
Nusaybah bint Ka'ab (Umm Amarah RA): She marched right out to the battlefield of Uhud when many men stepped back, taking severe wounds to protect the Prophet (PBUH).
@MeilleureAmie very well explained I was about to say the same. Islam is the religion who set rights for women how could that scholar say like that.
Hi. I was born into the religion and don't practice it, but at this point I think it's about letting go of whatever was said and done to minorities and women. if we are to follow the verses to a t, a lot of people are going to lose a lot of rights very fast.
i don't think this man or any men that say similar things and back it with ideologies are right but unfortunately the prophet kind of is aiding them here because he did call women half-wit which some scholars love to say isn't actually what he said (naqis al aql, literally translates to half-wit and they use it in sharia to give women half the rights of men so i dont even know where argument comes from), so if the question is, "is he right to say it?" no he's not and neither were the people from 1405 years ago but if it's "does he have any backing in the religion to claim this?" the answer is a very sad yes.
@serenereading
(i had over 12 years of mandatory religious studies and Quran reciting classes so I when I said I don't practice it, I don't mean I'm just talking vibes and know nothing. it kind of gets maddening at one point. it just all comes down to what you're willing to take from the teachings I guess)
@serenereading I don't support women oppression
Nobody does but what he said is valid
@serenereading I really appreciate where you're coming from, and I completely acknowledge that you have years of formal study behind you. I certainly don't claim to have that same depth of specialized academic training, but from my own reading and perspective, I still wanted to share what I see.
You mentioned that if we are to follow the verses 'to a t,' people would lose rights fast. But honestly, that is precisely the core issue... if we take texts and verses entirely out of their historical and cultural context and read them strictly word-for-word without deeper study, we wouldn't be able to do justice to any ancient religion, philosophy, or text. And yes, maybe rights would be snatched away quickly ...not because of the religion itself, but because of the lack of understanding by the very person taking those texts forward out of context.
Take words like naqis, for example. Arabic is an incredibly rich and nuanced language. It was never meant to imply a biological or permanent "half-wit" flaw. In classical texts, it refers to specific, situational lacks. Lacking in ritual practice simply because women are legally and temporarily excused from prayers and fasting during menstruation, and lacking in legal exposure (aql) because women at the time were generally not managing public market contracts day-to-day. Much like an expert in one field lacking specialized knowledge in another. It is about situational familiarity, never an inherent intellectual deficit.
And when you kindly mention that the answer is a 'sad yes' to whether there is religious backing for claiming women should be confined, I feel the premise itself is mistaken. While different madhabs outlined specific criteria for travel or asking permission to leave the house, there is no backing whatsoever in the religion, historically or textually, that women should be chained or locked away at home ...like prisoners. Conflating standard legal guidelines or social etiquette with a mandate for total domestic imprisonment creates a narrative that simply never existed.
Every sacred text requires understanding its background, environment, and how the Prophet and his companions actually lived it out. When we look at the lived reality of early Islam, the women weren't locked away. They were trading, teaching, and even defending the community on the battlefield.
So while some voices, past and present... try to build a case for confinement, those arguments rely on taking historical rulings completely out of context. When we look at the holistic spirit, the linguistic depth, and the actual practice of the faith, the true framework paints a completely different picture.
@MeilleureAmie dude many Islamic nations actually banned women from leading isnt that proof ? You are a woman so atleast support women
@SensitiveGirld I just want to gently say that nothing in my previous response, or anywhere in my writing, implies that I don't support women or women in leadership.
And yeah, I haven't come across any such universal Islamic ruling banning women from leadership at all, if a country or nation restricts women, that represents the political choices of that specific government and that country alone ...it doesn't represent the religion itself. If you think there are Quranic verses or authentic hadiths that imply an absolute ban on women in leadership, please feel free to point them out. I will gladly research their context, when and where they were revealed, and their scope, and we can look at it together.
@MeilleureAmieI I Get it. But the thing is when you say take it in context you really take out what was said, because jn what way is the meaning "aql" is going to change? It's not gonna, it's still intellect. Problem is this whole "take it in context" thing is said about ideologies and religions and I personally think we should be able to criticise outdated ideas and wrongs. I mean nobody would take it if someone were to say something along these lines in this day and age. Nobody would take it if it was a random person saying it.
We don't need to make excuses, we just need to able to say if things are wrong when they're wrong because defending things like this leads to extremism and someone like this random cleric taking it as evidence for pushing a prejudice or a baseless accusation and idea. I don't mean it only for Islam, just in general.
@serenereading I completely hear your point, but there's a misunderstanding about what I'm defending. I am not defending oppression or confinement. I've denied that entirely.
But I have to genuinely question, that... how does understanding the linguistic and historical context of a classical text lead to ...extremism? If you look closely at what is actually going on in the world, the exact opposite is true. It is precisely the failure to understand context that leads to extremism. Extremism relies on taking isolated statements literally out of context to force a rigid, harmful agenda. Looking at what a statement actually meant in its original setting prevents that kind of distortion.
When you said that the Prophet (PBUH) kinda 'aided' this by supposedly calling women 'half-wits' and using that to strip away rights, that is the exact result of taking a translation forward as-is without looking at its context. That is why it is so crucial to clarify the linguistic details, because failing to do so is what creates severe misunderstandings and fuels harmful ideologies in the first place.
The meaning of aql isn't arbitrary, but Arabic words cannot be flattened by simple translation. In Arabic, the physical brain or clinical IQ is entirely different, whereas aql refers to practical reasoning, understanding, and situational familiarity, which can vary across domains and ...with experience. When the Prophet (PBUH) used the phrase naqisat al-aql, he was specifically addressing situational familiarity with public commerce and formal witness documentation at that time. It was never a biological decree declaring women permanent 'half-wits' or intellectually defective. So recognizing context isn't making excuses... it's being precise, I believe.
@MeilleureAmie ok i get your point but you're kind missing my point. Context is important but that doesn't make what was said right. Intentions are also important but they also don't make it right to say. Even if those words were uttered in defence or explanation, it doesn't lessen the insult. I'm saying what was said was not okay at its core and the way it's used right now makes it worse. Extremism doesn't come from finding the reason or why the words were said, it comes from the refusal to move on from those words and call them wrong, which is what's happening with a lot of these dudes coming out and taking women's rights, based on this and that hadith or verse. We just have to accept that somethings might've worked before and could've been a defence hundreds of years ago but it won't work now. That's what I'm trying to say. But that's just my opinion it's okay to have differing ones.
@FaridaSpeaks1976
I am Irish and have only recently discovered Islam. It was difficult for me to understand the culture, but the Quran is a nice book that speaks very clearly and directly.
I did have an issue with two sections of it's texts, the caning of extra marital affairs, and the rigid instructions on dress code for females.
I think the scholar you are referring to is voicing his personal opinion and preference rather than Allah's will.
I think Islam is going through the same period that Catholicism did at the same age. I believe there are better days ahead for the faith.
The treatment of women and girls in Afghanistan is appalling and I hope that Allah sends his true Khalifa to repair and redeem very soon.
I found guidance in Islam when I was searching for Jesus. I do believe in Muhammad (pbuh) and I know he truly saw the future. I believe these are the times that we have been warned of, and I pray that Jesus and Mahdi are recognised soon.
Muslims have been persecuted for as long as I can remember, and they should be helping each other remove the chains instead of adding more to their wives and daughters.
That's my opinion as a non-Muslim, but still a believer. You are not a sinner for feeling or thinking these things.
These are very different days to when the Quran was written. In those days there were no governments or laws except for tribal laws. Muhammad changed all that for the better, but I do hope that change and clarity will come again soon. For all faiths
@FaridaSpeaks1976
@FaridaSpeaks1976 I saw you are on break , hope you are alright, wishing you the best ❤️
@FaridaSpeaks1976 Any, like ANY person is dutiful to seek information, our father, mother, us. We, as humans essentially try to understand whats and whys around us. Thats intristic, any human brought to the world chases how we were in here, what do we have to do. Thats pretty core, and NONE of the muslims, none of humans should be undertaught about their seeking of meaning.
As for the issue of woman and society, I used to hate the idea of staying at home. See, I am RESTLESS, I cant stay on spot and any authority, wheter its my family or any potential husband was suffocating thought for me. Later, I have started reflecting a lot. I as a baby, as my mother narrated, that I had a sever depression at age of 2. My mother had to overwork, and was exhausted, and my nanny was doing something shady nobody knew. That, actually, with my current financial stress and desire for stability I thought it was too much for woman to both work and care for kids, and go make money. And so unfair for small babies to be seperated from mothers.
If you ask me, and what I am doing, Im pursuing to teach children being a good person and want to make an impact on their lives as a teacher! I seek to keep away from spaces crowded with men. Im sure you can find a very suitable job for yourself! Its alright if you try to sustain yourself with your work! Good luck!
@needhelpwithOCD Society feels kind of women-led to me, if you teach one woman, you change the entire nation. I kind of feel sad about the current cases, and most of the addictions feel like lack of familial bonds with fathers and mothers like Ipad addiction and drug addictions :/ Whatever we feel, is less of a weight when we share it with close ones.
