Friday, June 13, 2025

Challenging the Islamic Narrative on Women: A Theological and Scholarly Critique

By Dr. Maxwell Shimba, Shimba Theological Institute

Introduction

The value and dignity of women have been central questions throughout human history and across religions. The Islamic tradition, particularly as articulated in certain hadiths, has often been critiqued for its portrayal of women in ways that seem to denigrate their moral and spiritual status. One such narration is found in Sahih Muslim 1403a, which states:

“The woman advances and retires in the shape of a devil, so when one of you sees a woman, he should come to his wife, for that will repel what he feels in his heart.”
(Sahih Muslim 1403a, sunnah.com)

This article aims to challenge this narrative, analyzing it in light of biblical theology, Christian ethics, and reasoned academic discourse. We contrast it with the teachings of Christ and the broader Christian tradition regarding the human person, sexuality, and the intrinsic worth of women.

1. The Islamic Hadith: Context and Implications

The cited hadith from Sahih Muslim presents several theological and ethical problems:

Reduction of Women to Objects of Temptation:
Women are portrayed as agents of temptation, likened to the devil, whose mere presence is a cause for male lust and a threat to spiritual integrity.
Blame Shifting and Moral Evasion:
The responsibility for a man's lust is shifted away from the man and onto the woman, suggesting that the antidote to temptation is the act of marital intercourse, rather than personal moral discipline or spiritual renewal.
Spiritual Devaluation:
The hadith implicitly denies women spiritual agency, reducing their role to a test or a snare rather than co-bearers of the image of God.

These implications run contrary to the ethical, psychological, and theological advances made in both modern scholarship and ancient Judeo-Christian traditions.

2. The Biblical and Christian Worldview: Women, Temptation, and the Mind

Contrast the above with the Christian Scriptures, which uphold a radically different vision for women and human sexuality:

A. Women as Image-Bearers

From the beginning, Scripture affirms the full dignity and equality of women:

Genesis 1:27: "So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them."

Here, both men and women are declared bearers of the Imago Dei, possessing inherent value and moral agency.

B. The Heart of Temptation: Responsibility and Renewal

Jesus’ teaching is both searching and liberating. He does not externalize the source of temptation, nor does He blame women:

Matthew 5:27–28:
"Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery:
But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart."

The locus of sin is within—the heart and mind—not in the body of another. This is a radical internalization of ethical responsibility. Lust is not provoked by the mere presence or form of a woman, but by the condition of the human heart.

C. The Discipline of the Mind

Paul the Apostle further clarifies the Christian approach to intrusive or sinful thoughts:

Romans 12:2:
"And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind..."

Philippians 4:8:
"Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest... think on these things."

2 Corinthians 10:5:
"...bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ..."

The Christian ethic is not to flee to a physical remedy (such as intercourse) but to actively renew the mind and bring thoughts into submission to Christ.

D. The Prayer for Purity

Psalm 139:23–24:
"Search me, O God, and know my heart... And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting."

The pursuit of purity is a spiritual journey of inward transformation, not an external circumvention of temptation.

3. Academic and Ethical Critique of the Islamic Narrative

A. Psychological Analysis

Modern psychology affirms that sexual temptation originates internally. External stimuli may trigger, but never cause, lustful thoughts; responsibility lies within the individual. The Islamic hadith, by externalizing the blame, stunts personal growth and moral maturity.

B. Historical and Theological Context

The Quran itself at times upholds the dignity of women (e.g., Quran 33:35), yet the hadith literature—compiled centuries later—often undermines this by introducing misogynistic elements inconsistent with the Quran’s loftier principles and utterly alien to biblical revelation.

C. The False Prophet and the Dignity of Women

Jesus, regarded in Islam as a prophet, but in Christianity as Lord and Savior, never spoke of women in such dehumanizing terms. The fruits of the so-called “final prophet’s” teachings in the hadith betray a moral and spiritual regression.

Isaiah 26:3:
"Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee."

Peace and purity are the results of a mind anchored in God, not of fleeing to carnal remedies or blaming others.

4. Conclusion: Towards a Theological Recovery of Human Dignity

A theology that reduces women to objects of temptation and blames them for men’s failings is not merely antiquated—it is fundamentally contrary to the gospel of Christ and to reason. True spiritual life, according to Christian revelation, is a matter of inward transformation by the Spirit, personal responsibility, and the mutual upholding of the dignity of all people—men and women alike.

The Christian tradition calls us to:

Reject misogynistic narratives that demonize women.
Embrace inward renewal and personal accountability for our thoughts and actions.
Affirm the equal dignity and spiritual potential of both sexes, as co-heirs of grace (1 Peter 3:7).

In the final analysis, only a renewed mind, submitted to the Lordship of Christ and rooted in the knowledge of God, can overcome the “carnal mind” and lead to life and peace (Romans 8:6).

Dr. Maxwell Shimba
Shimba Theological Institute

References

Sahih Muslim 1403a (sunnah.com/muslim:1403a)
The Holy Bible (KJV): Genesis, Psalms, Isaiah, Matthew, Romans, 2 Corinthians, Philippians, 1 Peter
The Quran (33:35)
Scholarly works on psychology of temptation and gender ethics