There are many verses about women in the Quran. Some of them mentioned various stories with different morals. The other contained the social rights that women should have, as they suffered from oppression before Islam.
The pagan life of Arabs is called “The Ignorance Age” (Jahiliyah), where men didn’t respect or appreciate women. They buried them alive when they were born. Also, they don’t have the right to inherit.
After the revelation of the Quran, women gained many rights they lost, such as marriage and legacy rights. They became equal to men in humanity, as Islam raised their position in society.
Here we will learn the following:
- Lady Maryam (Mary) In The Quran
- Lady Hawaa (Eve) in the Quran
- UM Mousa in the Quran
- Queen Bilquis in the Quran
- Many women mentioned in the Quran with no Names
- Where in the Quran does it talk about women’s rights?
- Does the Quran say to wear a hijab?
- What is haram for a woman in Islam?
- How Does Quran Honor Women?
Women mentioned in the Quran
Allah (SWT) mentioned more than ten women in the Quran. Some of them were symbols and ideals of wisdom and faith, and the others represented the Disbelieving of Allah and disobeying his orders to warn the believers of the consequences of distrust. In this article, we will highlight the most prominent women mentioned in Quran:
1. Lady Maryam (Mary) In The Quran
Maryam is the mother of the Prophet Issa (AS). She is the only woman that Allah mentioned by her name in the Quran. Moreover, in the Quran, there is Surah Maryam which Allah mentioned in her story.
She had an exalted position in Islam for her purity and devotion {And remember when the angels said, “O Mary! Surely Allah has selected you, purified you, and chosen you over all women of the world} (3:42) Al Imran.
In Surah Maryam, Allah mentioned her story of giving birth to the Prophet Issa (AS). Her story is one of the miracles that Allah mentioned in the Quran.
Maryam was pregnant, although no man had ever touched her {She wondered, “How can I have a son when no man has ever touched me, nor am I unchaste?”} (19:20) Maryam.
Her miracle was evidence of Allah’s great ability {He replied, “So will it be! Your Lord says, ‘It is easy for Me. And so will We make him a sign for humanity and a mercy from Us.’ It is a matter already decreed.” (19:21) Maryam.
2. Lady Hawaa (Eve) in the Quran
Hawaa is the first woman that Allah (SWT) created on earth. He created her after the creation of Prophet Adam (AS). She was Adam’s (AS) spouse.
Their story included a test for them from Allah {Allah said, “O Adam! Live with your wife in Paradise and eat from wherever you please, but do not approach this tree, or else you will be wrongdoers.” (7:19) Al A’raf.
Hawaa lived with Adam (AS) in paradise. They sinned when they disobeyed Allah, as Satan persuaded them to eat from the tree-bearing fruit that Allah forbade them to eat {Then Satan tempted them to expose what was hidden in their nakedness. He said, “Your Lord has forbidden this tree to you only to prevent you from becoming angels or immortals}.” (7:20) Al A’raf.
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3. UM Mousa (The mother of Prophet Moses) in the Quran
The story of Prophet Moses’s (AS) mother represented the strong faith in Allah’s wisdom and plan. She gave birth to his son at a hard and dangerous time. It was the age of Pharaoh when male children were killed.
Allah (SWT) mentioned her story in Surah Qasas. It started when she got a direct message from Allah “Wahi” to put her child into the river {We inspired the mother of Moses: “Nurse him, but when you fear for him, put him then into the river, and do not fear or grieve. We will certainly return him to you, and make him one of the messengers} (28:7) Al- Qasas.
She executed Allah’s order as she had strong faith and trust in him. Her son was safe as Pharaoh’s family picked him up from the river, then they raised him in Pharaoh’s home {And it so happened that Pharaoh’s people picked him up, only to become their enemy and source of grief. Surely Pharaoh, Hamân, and their soldiers were sinful} (28:8) Al-Qasas.
4. Queen Bilquis in the Quran
Bilquis was the Queen of the Sheba kingdom. She had a majestic throne and was known for her wisdom. Allah (SWT) mentioned her in the story of Prophet Solomon (AS). She was a disbeliever.
Prophet Solomon (AS) invited Queen Bilques to believe in Allah {The Queen later announced, “O chiefs! Indeed, a noble letter has been delivered to me} {It is from Solomon, and it reads: ‘In the Name of Allah—the Most Compassionate, Most Merciful} (27:29) (27:30) Al-Naml.
Furthermore, Prophet Solomon invited her to visit his palace. When she entered his palace, she was impressed by the magnificent place and surprised when she found her throne.
She accepted Prophet Solomon’s invitation to believe in Allah and convert to Islam {“ At last she declared, “My Lord! I have certainly wronged my soul. Now I fully submit myself along with Solomon to Allah, the Lord of all worlds”} (27:44) Al-Naml.
The other women that Allah (SWT) mentioned in Quran are:
- Asiyah (Pharaoh’s wife).
- Zulaykha (Aziz’s wife).
- Prophet Moses’s (AS) Wife.
- Prophet Moses’s (AS) sister.
- Sarah (Prophet Abraham’s (AS) wife).
- Prophet Muhammed’s (PBUH) wives.
- Prophet Lot’s (AS) wife.
- Prophet Noah’s (AS) wife.
- Imran’s wife.
- Abou Lahab’s wife.
5. Many women mentioned in the Quran with no Names
There are many women mentioned in the Quran without mentioning their names. For example:
- The wife of our Prophet Zakaria, and Sara the wife of Prophet Ibrahim (PBUT).
- The wife of the Egyptian King (Zulekha) in the story of Prophet Yusuf (PBUH).
- The wife of Prophet Moses (PBUH) is in several references as well as his sister.
- The wife of Pharaoh was set as an ideal for believers known in Islamic history with “Asiyah bint Muzahim”.
- Khawla bint Tha’laba is referred to at the beginning of Surah al-Mujadalah where Allah narrates her story.
- The wife of prophet Noah as well as the wife of prophet Lot (PBUT).
- The wife of Imran who is the mother of Lady Mariam.
- The wives of the Prophet were referred to many times.
You can go deeper to know more about the stories of women by joining Quran courses with a female Quran teacher online.
Where in the Quran does it talk about women’s rights?
There are many references in the Quran where Allah refers to the rights of women and urges Muslims to keep their rights.
1. Right of Inheritance
After the advent of Islam, women had the right to inherit like men. Allah (SWT) clarified this right of legacy in elaborate in Surah An-Nisa {Allah commands you regarding your children: the share of the male will be twice that of the female. If you leave only two or more females, their share is two-thirds of the estate} (4:11).
2. Right of Worship
In Islam, women are equal to men in doing the worships which Allah ordered {The believers, both men, and women, are guardians of one another. They encourage good and forbid evil, establish prayer and pay alms-tax, and obey Allah and His Messenger. It is they who will be shown Allah’s mercy. Surely Allah is Almighty, All-Wise} (9:71) Al-Tawba.
3. Marriage Rights
In the Quran, Marriage should occur with permission and acceptance of women as Allah says {O believers! It is not permissible for you to inherit women against their will} (4:19) An-Nisa.
Men in Islam give Woman’s families before marriage a dowry. It’s a specific sum of money called “Mahr” {Give women you wed for their due dowries graciously. But if they waive some of it willingly, then you may enjoy it freely with a clear conscience} (4:4) (An-Nisa).
Furthermore, The husband should spend his money on his wife after marriage {Men are the caretakers of women, as men have been provisioned by Allah over women and tasked with supporting them financially} (4:3) An-Nisa.
4. Divorce Rights
There are also many verses in Quran referred to divorced woman’s rights in Islam such as the husband shouldn’t take the dowry he gave to his previous wife after divorce {If you desire to replace a wife with another and you have given the former even a stack of gold as a dowry, do not take any of it back. Would you still take it unjustly and very sinfully} (4:20) An-Nisa.
In Islam, the man should retain or divorce the woman honorably after the waiting period {When you divorce women and they have almost reached the end of their waiting period, either retain them honorably or let them go honorably. But do not retain them only to harm them or to take advantage of them. Whoever does that surely wrongs his own soul}
According to the whole previous verses in the Quran, Woman has an independent personality. She has a high value in society. Also, she is equal to the man in Islamic laws.
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Does the Quran say to wear a hijab?
Allah (SWT) mentioned the hijab in many verses in Quran as {And tell the believing women to lower their gaze and guard their chastity, and not to reveal their adornments except what normally appears. Let them draw their veils [and drop it down] over their chests, and not reveal their hidden adornments} (24:31) Al-Nur.
Therefore, Hijab is one of the most mandataries in Islam for women. It’s a headcover that a woman wears besides her modest clothes.
What is haram for a woman in Islam?
“Haram” in Islam means forbidden matter by Allah. There are many general and female-proscribed matters that women should adhere to for obeying Allah. We will highlight the most prominent of these prohibited matters:
- Marrying a non-muslim man.
- Wearing immodest clothes.
- Revealing hair while going outside.
- Wearing perfume outside the home.
- Going outside without the permission of her husband.
- Applying makeup outside the home.
How Does Quran Honor Women?
The Quran included many verses about women’s stories and rights. The most prominent women that Allah (SWT) mentioned in the Quran are Maryam (the mother of Prophet Issa (AS)), Hawwa (Prophet Adam’s spouse), and Balquis (Queen of Sheba).
Additionally, Women in Islam gained many social rights that didn’t exist in the ignorance age before Islam. These rights raised women’s position in society. She got rights in inheritance, worship, marriage, and divorce.
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