By Aboo Aamir
(Malik Odyssey is a Nigerian young man who became a renegade some months ago)
He cited the longest verse in Surah Al-Baqarah, where Allah mentions that in a financial transaction involving borrowing, the testimony of two women is equal to that of one man, as proof that:
1. The Qur’an is illogical, and
2. Allah is unjust to women.
The murtadd relies on his shallow understanding of the Arabic language to support the first claim, and on his general ignorance of Islam to make the second.
To respond: the Qur’an explicitly mentions this rule in the context of financial transactions, to establish a legal foundation, not to demean women or reduce their worth.
In legal principles, it is not sentiment or modern notions of fairness that dictate rules, but the wisdom and objectives of the law itself.
However, being a Book of Wisdom, the Qur’an never legislates without reason.
Why then does it stipulate that the testimony of two women equals that of one man in this specific context?
Let us examine this from a historical perspective. How were women generally treated at the time this verse was revealed, whether in the Arabian Peninsula or under Roman law?
Even if Roman practices seem distant, the Arab customs of that era were not much different. The Arab woman of that time was often regarded as sub-human. She had no voice in her family, let alone in society. She was treated as property. Few women, like Khadījah (may Allah be pleased with her), had wealth or influence.
A girl child was seen as a burden and a source of shame, and in some cases, buried alive.
Then Islam came to empower her. It declared her the caretaker of the home. It gave her the right to own property, to inherit from her relatives, and to be honoured as the first school for the best of men.
Islam commands men to care for her as a daughter, a wife, or a mother. It says that a son who disobeys her in righteousness may be denied Jannah. Islam affirms that women are the counterparts of men in religious obligations. It teaches that she can even surpass men in piety.
Yet, as a matter of law and societal order, Islam gives the man a degree of leadership over her. It instructs that she should not compete for superiority with men, makes the husband the head of the family, and expects her to avoid assuming roles designated for men.
Islam recognizes that a woman may be more intelligent than a man, yet acknowledges that she is generally less emotionally steady. Her monthly cycle often affects her emotions and stability.
Even though she has great influence due to her femininity, she generally lacks the same physical or structural capabilities as men.
Men lead wars. Men become traditional rulers. Men don’t race against women in the same 100 meter track. She would not face a man in boxing or wrestling.
This ties into today’s transgender debate.
Historically, men have led in technological and scientific advancements, electricity, the atom, gravity. Even your mentor, Charles Darwin, with his flawed theories, was a man. Microsoft, Tesla, Apple, and even ChatGPT, these were pioneered by men.
Malik, what has become of Western women today? Many of them are parading half-naked and are reduced to catwalks.
Yet Islam does not deny women excellence in knowledge. Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) was among the greatest scholars and narrators of Hadith. Numerous female scholars emerged in Islamic history, though men eventually outnumbered them.
So, Islam—as a logical and divine religion—places women where they are most honoured and effective. Don’t compare yourself with men in worldly matters; instead, strive to surpass them in matters of the Hereafter.
Thus, in the legal framework of Islam, when it comes to financial transactions, two women stand in place of one man so that if one forgets or falters, due to perhaps her emotional nature, the other may remind her and offer support.
You asked: can't men forget too? Yes, they can. But in financial dealings, men tend to be more emotionally consistent. Women are more easily exploited in business, and that is why 99% of the world's wealthiest individuals are men. Even in Nigeria, only a few women like Folorunsho Alakija stand among many wealthy men.
Malik, do you get it now?
You can never defeat the Qur’an.
Try again if you will.
(I just stumbled on one of his videos today, though I was aware of when he became a kaafir. May Allaah guide him back to Islam).
