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The Veiling of Oppression: Women and Structural Misogyny in Islam
Dr. Maxwell Shimba
Shimba Theological Institute, New York, NY
Abstract
This article examines the structural and theological underpinnings of women’s subjugation within Islam. Drawing upon primary Islamic texts—the Qur’an and Hadith—it demonstrates how misogynistic attitudes are embedded within the very foundation of the religion. While Muslim women across history and in contemporary societies continue to face oppression justified through these texts, many nevertheless defend such practices as expressions of faith. This paper seeks to highlight the tension between scriptural misogyny and women’s lived realities, arguing that what is often framed as “submission to God” is, in fact, submission to patriarchal structures sanctified through religion.
Introduction
The treatment of women in Islam remains a pressing subject in both academic and interfaith dialogue. While apologists attempt to portray Islam as a liberating force for women, the textual evidence from the Qur’an and Hadith reveals a persistent pattern of misogyny. The Qur’an and the canonical Hadith collections establish frameworks that subordinate women, strip them of agency, and justify violence against them. These prescriptions, rather than isolated aberrations, constitute systemic elements of Islamic theology and praxis.
Scriptural Foundations of Misogyny
Qur’an 4:34: The Divine Mandate of Domestic Violence
Qur’an 4:34 explicitly grants men authority over women, prescribing physical discipline when men “fear disobedience”:
“As to those women on whose part ye fear disloyalty and ill-conduct, admonish them, refuse to share their beds, and beat them.”1
This verse enshrines the idea of male guardianship (qiwāmah) and legitimizes violence as a divinely sanctioned disciplinary measure. Such a framework reduces women to subordinates under male control.
Women as Deficient in Intelligence and Religion
In Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī (no. 304), Muhammad declares that women are “deficient in intelligence and religion.”2 This teaching has been used for centuries to justify restrictions on women’s roles in law, education, and leadership. It not only delegitimizes women’s intellectual capacity but also frames their spirituality as inherently inferior.
Women as the Majority in Hell
The Hadith further depict women as morally and spiritually defective. In Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī (no. 1052), Muhammad claims:
“I looked into Hell and saw that the majority of its inhabitants were women.”3
This portrayal demonizes women collectively, casting them as morally culpable by nature and reinforcing patriarchal suspicion toward female autonomy.
Women Equated with Donkeys and Dogs
In Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim (no. 2742), Muhammad asserts that a woman, like a dog or a donkey, can nullify a man’s prayer if she passes in front of him.4 Such a statement not only dehumanizes women but situates them among animals considered ritually disruptive, underscoring their perceived impurity in the religious imagination of Islam.
Sociological Implications: Misogyny as Sacred Norm
These textual examples illustrate that misogyny is not incidental but structural within Islam. The Qur’an and Hadith provide theological scaffolding for patriarchal domination, which is then codified into Islamic jurisprudence (sharī‘ah). The result is a religious system that normalizes female subjugation, while socializing women themselves into defending this oppression under the guise of faith.
The Tragedy of Internalized Oppression
One of the most striking features of this dynamic is the internalization of subjugation by Muslim women themselves. As Leila Ahmed notes, Islamic gender norms create a “paradox of liberation and subjugation” where women may defend their very chains as symbols of piety.5 Submission is recast as virtue, and questioning oppression is framed as impiety. This internalization explains why many Muslim women continue to embrace practices that curtail their freedom, seeing them not as imposed restrictions but as divine mandates.
Conclusion
The evidence demonstrates that the subjugation of women in Islam is not merely a cultural artifact but a doctrinal reality rooted in foundational texts. The Qur’an and Hadith establish a pattern of misogyny that has shaped Muslim societies for centuries. While contemporary voices seek to reinterpret or mitigate these texts, the underlying problem remains: Islam was built upon the anxieties of a man who feared women’s independence, intelligence, and equality, and who cloaked his personal biases in divine authority. The tragedy is that generations of women have embraced these biases as faith, mistaking oppression for devotion and submission for spiritual virtue.
References
Qur’an 4:34, translation by Abdullah Yusuf Ali.
Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, Book 6, Hadith 304.
Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, Book 29, Hadith 1052.
Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, Book 4, Hadith 2742.
Ahmed, Leila. Women and Gender in Islam: Historical Roots of a Modern Debate. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1992.
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