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Islam's view of woman and the First Sin |
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Written by Ali Unal
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Tuesday, 07 February 2006 |
It is not the tone of Islam that brands woman as the product of the devil or the seed of evil. Nor does the Qur’an place man as the dominant lord of woman who has no choice but to surrender to his dominance. Nor was it Islam that introduced the question of whether or not woman has any soul in her. Never in the history of Islam has any Muslim doubted the human status of woman or her possession of soul and other fine spiritual qualities.
Unlike other popular beliefs, Islam does not blame Eve alone for the First Sin. The Qur’an makes it very clear that both Adam and Eve were tempted, that they both sinned, that God’s pardon was granted to both after their repentance, and that God addressed them jointly (2:35-36;7:19, 27; 20:117-123). In fact the Qur’an gives the impression that Adam was more to blame for that First Sin, from which emerged prejudice against woman and suspicion of her deeds. But Islam does not justify such prejudice or suspicion because both Adam and Eve were equally in error, and if we are to blame Eve we should blame Adam as much or even more.
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Islam & Humanity 