The status of women in Islam is often under the scanner. Do Muslim women face oppression? Are they mentioned in the Quran? Do they have rights? Well, the answers are in the pages of Suran Nisa. There are many lessons and Islamic laws from Surah Nisa we can learn from. Here’s summarizing a few.
Women who cannot be married
Surah Nisa gives details of muharramaat – women with whom marriage is prohibited like your mother, sister, aunt, daughter (to name a few). Some of them are prohibited forever, while others are not permanently prohibited and may become lawful under some particular circumstances.
The right to inherit
In pre-Islamic times, women did not have the right to inheritance. In fact, a girl child would be buried alive because the ignorant society did not value them. Islam elevated the status of women through Surah Nisa and gave them the right to inherit. It said that if the deceased leaves only daughters, and if there are two or more daughters then they will receive two-thirds of the inheritance and the remaining one-third will go to the other heirs.
Other important verses from Surah Nisa
Quran (4:40)
Indeed, Allah never wrongs ˹anyone˺—even by an atom’s weight.1 And if it is a good deed, He will multiply it many times over and will give a great reward out of His grace.
Quran (4:80)
Whoever obeys the Messenger has truly obeyed Allah. But whoever turns away, then ˹know that˺ We have not sent you ˹O Prophet˺ as a keeper over them.
Quran (4:82)
Will they not then ponder on the Qur’an? If it had been from other than Allah they would have found therein much incongruity.
Quran (4:86)
And when you are greeted, respond with a better greeting or at least similarly. Surely Allah is a ˹vigilant˺ Reckoner of all things.
Qur’an – 4:18
However, repentance is for those who knowingly persist in sin until they start dying, and then cry, “Now I repent!” nor those who die as disbelievers. For them We have prepared a painful punishment.
Qur’an – 4:31
If you avoid the major sins forbidden to you, We will absolve you of your ˹lesser˺ misdeeds and admit you into a place of honour.
Qur’an – 4:12
You will inherit half of what your wives leave if they are childless. But if they have children, then ˹your share is˺ one-fourth of the estate—after the fulfilment of bequests and debts. And your wives will inherit one-fourth of what you leave if you are childless. But if you have children, then your wives will receive one-eighth of your estate—after the fulfilment of bequests and debts. And if a man or a woman leaves neither parents nor children but only a brother or a sister ˹from their mother’s side˺, they will each inherit one-sixth, but if they are more than one, they ˹all˺ will share one-third of the estate—after the fulfilment of bequests and debts without harm ˹to the heirs. This is˺ a commandment from Allah. And Allah is All-Knowing, Most Forbearing.
Quran (4-111)
And whoever commits a sin—it is only to their own loss. Allah is All-Knowing, All-Wise.
Also Read: Lessons from Surah Aal-e-Imran
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