Disregard for Women in Islam

The Qur’an and Allah claim that women have less knowledge and intelligence than men – has science found any evidence for this?

A few days ago, in a television discussion, an Islamic religious scholar, a self-proclaimed Grand Mufti of Bangladesh, the Pir of Jainpur, Dr. Sayyed Muhammad Enayet Ullah Abbasi, firmly claimed that modern science has proven that women’s brains are smaller than men’s, and therefore their intelligence and knowledge are less—which, according to him, justifies the Qur’an and the words of the Prophet Muhammad in Islam.

Come, let us first look at the relevant Qur’anic verses and Hadiths—

“…And bring to witness two witnesses from among your men. And if there are not two men available, then a man and two women from those whom you accept as witnesses—so that if one of the two women errs, then the other can remind her.“

– Surah Al-Baqarah, Ayah: 282

“Narrated from Abu Sa‘id al-Khudri (ra): Once, on the occasion of Eid al-Adha or Eid al-Fitr, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) was going towards the Eidgah to perform the Eid prayer. As he passed by the women, he said: O womenfolk! Give charity regularly. For I have seen that you are the majority of the inhabitants of Hell. They asked: For what reason, O Messenger of Allah? He said: You curse frequently and you are ungrateful to your husbands. Despite having deficiency in intellect and religion, I have not seen anyone more capable than you of robbing the intellect of a cautious man. They said: Where is the deficiency in our religion and intellect, O Messenger of Allah? He said: Is not the testimony of a woman equal to half the testimony of a man? They replied, ‘Yes’. He then said: That is the deficiency in her intellect. And does she not refrain from prayer and fasting during menstruation? They said, Yes. He said: That is the deficiency in her religion.”
(1462, 1951, 2658; Muslim 1/34, Hadith 79, 80; Ahmad 5443) (A.P. 293, I.F. 298)

– Sahih al-Bukhari (Tawheed Publications), Hadith No. 304

Narrated from Abu Sa‘id al-Khudri (ra) from the Prophet (peace be upon him). He said, is not the testimony of women half that of men? Those present said, of course, half. He said, this is because of the deficiency in women’s knowledge.
(304) (Adhunik Prakashani: 2466, Islamic Foundation: 2482)

– Sahih al-Bukhari (Tawheed Publications), Hadith No. 2658

“Muhammad ibn Rumh ibn Muhajir al-Misri (rh) … narrated from ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (ra). The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: O women! Give charity and seek forgiveness in abundance. For I have seen that the majority of the inhabitants of Hell are women. A wise woman asked: O Messenger of Allah! What is the reason that we are the majority in Hell? He said: You curse a lot and you show ingratitude to your husbands. And I have not seen any group more deficient in religion and intellect, yet more capable of overpowering the minds of wise men, than you. The questioner asked: O Messenger of Allah! In what lies the deficiency of our intellect and religion? He said: The proof of the deficiency of your intellect is that the testimony of two women is equal to the testimony of one man. And a woman refrains from prayer for a few days (every month) and breaks her fast in Ramadan (due to menstruation); this is the deficiency in her religion.”

Abu Tahir ibn Hadd narrated a similar hadith with this chain. (Islamic Foundation: 145, Islamic Center: 149–150). Hadith Academy No.: 144, International No.: 79

– Sahih Muslim (Hadith Academy), Hadith No. 144

Again, in some cases Islam, the Qur’an, and Hadith give women’s testimony 0% value. There is no definition of rape in Islam, nor any specific punishment. Where the judgment of rape is carried out under the heading of zina (fornication/adultery), there must be four adult male eyewitnesses who have directly seen the penetration and withdrawal of the penis into the vagina. Even if 1,000 women testify, Islam will not accept it.

And one more ridiculous point is that the Allah, Qur’an, Hadith, and Islam which hold that human knowledge, intellect, conscience, and emotions reside in the heart located in the chest, are now eager to accept that, according to modern science, these are brain-based, and then use brain size to defend Islam! Islam does not even accept that human knowledge resides in the brain, so why are they so concerned about the difference in brain size between men and women? They should rather focus on the claim that it is the heart, not the scientifically proven brain, that is everything!

From many other Qur’anic verses and Hadiths, countless examples can be shown where Islam has portrayed women as dishonoured, insulted, despised, neglected, subordinate to men, and as the property of men. Women have been portrayed as spoils of war, as objects of enjoyment for men, likened to donkeys, horses, and black dogs, as harmful for men, with their only role being to bear children and serve their husbands, and with no independent identity of their own. However, in this article we will not discuss those; we will stick only to the discussion of whether women’s knowledge and intelligence are less than men’s.

How scientifically accurate is this claim? Is brain size really a measure of intelligence? What does modern neuroscience say about this question?

First: Is the difference in brain size real?

It is true that on average, the adult male brain is slightly larger than the female brain. However, to understand this difference, we need to look at some comparative analyses.

The main reason for this difference is not intelligence, but body size. Since the male body is on average larger, their brains are also somewhat larger. I am 4/6 inches taller than Einstein; in that sense, my brain size may be slightly larger than his—does that mean my intelligence and knowledge are greater than his? Notably, the brain mass per kilogram of body weight—known as the encephalization quotient—is almost identical in men and women.

Important information: The weight of Einstein’s brain was only 1,230 grams—less than the average male brain. Yet he was the greatest scientific genius of the twentieth century. This itself proves that there is no simple relationship between brain mass and intelligence.

Second: What does science say?

Until the beginning of the twentieth century, many scientists also believed that a bigger head meant more intelligence. But modern neuroscience has completely rejected that idea. In a large study conducted in 2018 on more than 3,000 people (Nave et al., Psychological Science), it was found that brain size can explain only about 2% of the variation in overall intelligence.

More importantly, although there are differences in the structure, connectivity, and functioning of male and female brains, their overall cognitive ability is the same. In some areas women are ahead (such as verbal memory and language skills), and in some areas men are (such as mental rotation). But in overall intelligence, neither side is superior.

“Brain size and intelligence are not straightforwardly correlated. What matters is the complexity of neural connections, not the gross volume of brain tissue.”
– David Wechsler, psychologist and inventor of the IQ test

Third: How does intelligence actually work?

Modern neuroscience tells us that intelligence does not depend on the number of neurons, but on the complexity of synaptic connections between neurons, the degree of myelination, and the efficiency of communication between different brain regions. Elephants and whales have brains much larger than human brains—but are they more intelligent than humans?

Moreover, intelligence is not a single entity. Harvard psychologist Howard Gardner proposed the Theory of Multiple Intelligences—linguistic, logical-mathematical, spatial, musical, interpersonal, intrapersonal, etc. In each of these dimensions, both women and men have equal potential.

Fourth: Historical and social context

In the nineteenth century, scientists like Paul Broca tried to prove women and Black people “inferior” by measuring brain size. Later it was proven that their methods were flawed and biased. This chapter of history warns us that attempts are often made to legitimize prejudice using scientific language. The same claim is now made by self-proclaimed Islamic scholars and many ordinary Islamists.

Warning: Whenever someone says “science has proven” to support a claim, it is necessary to verify it. There is a long history of using the name of science to establish unscientific claims—this is called “scientism”.

Gifted women in history

Marie Curie: She was the first person in history to win the Nobel Prize twice, and the only person to win it in two different scientific disciplines. In 1903 she received the Nobel Prize in Physics (for the discovery of radioactivity) and in 1911 the Nobel Prize in Chemistry (for the discovery of radium and polonium).

Indira Gandhi: If one were to make a list of the most influential and successful prime ministers of India, almost everyone would mention her name without hesitation. Without her presence and intervention, the greatest achievement of the Bengalis—the victory in the great Liberation War of Bangladesh in 1971—might have been very difficult.

Margaret Thatcher: Many prime ministers have come and gone in the history of the United Kingdom—how many of their names do people remember? But her name remains in everyone’s mind. Margaret Thatcher was one of the most influential prime ministers in the history of the UK and its first female prime minister. Because of her policies, strong personality, and uncompromising political stance, she was known worldwide as the “Iron Lady”.

Angela Merkel: All of Europe and Germany still feel her absence. Angela Merkel is Germany’s first and only female chancellor. She is known as one of the most influential and long-serving leaders in modern world politics. The people of Germany affectionately called her “Mutti” or “mother”.

Queen Isabella: Islamists will not be able to forget that it was under her leadership that 800 years of Muslim rule in Spain came to an end. In history, Queen Isabella (Isabella I of Castile) was one of the most powerful and influential visionary rulers. Her reign as Queen of Castile from 1474 to 1504 not only changed the history of Spain, but also turned the course of the world’s map and history. She was the main patron of Columbus’s voyage that led to the “discovery” of America.

These are just a few names. In history, there are countless such intelligent, influential, and powerful women because of whom the world, human civilization, science, art, literature, humanity, and education have advanced greatly.