How Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) honoured women?

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In Islam, women are respected and they are not oppressed.

“In Islam, women are not loved, have no rights, and are subjugated,” you may have heard. It’s possible that some of the things mentioned about Muslim women are untrue. When we examine the life of Prophet Muhammad s.a.w., we can discover that these assertions are completely false.

Despite the fact that he was sent at a period when women were largely seen to be inferior and undervalued, he led by example with his courteous treatment of women. Although Islam recognises that men and women are not the same, the Quran explicitly states that they are equal in creation and in Allah’s sight:

يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلنَّاسُ ٱتَّقُوا۟ رَبَّكُمُ ٱلَّذِى خَلَقَكُم مِّن نَّفْسٍ وَٰحِدَةٍ وَخَلَقَ مِنْهَا زَوْجَهَا وَبَثَّ مِنْهُمَا رِجَالًا كَثِيرًا وَنِسَآءً ۚ وَٱتَّقُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ ٱلَّذِى تَسَآءَلُونَ بِهِۦ وَٱلْأَرْحَامَ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ كَانَ عَلَيْكُمْ رَقِيب ًا

“Greetings, humanity! Remember your Lord, who formed you from a single soul, then produced its mate (Adam and Eve), and through them, innumerable men and women. And remember Allah, in Whose Name you make your appeals to one another, and (respect) family connections. Allah, without a doubt, keeps a close eye on you.”

(An-Nisa 4:1)

His marriages were built on mutual love and respect, with Muslim wives who were not repressed and were well-treated by their husbands.

Prophet Muhammad s.a.w. treated his wives the way they should be treated throughout his life. His presence, sensitivity, and affection satisfied them, and the love he showed them was unparalleled. The tranquillity and affection of marriage are well encapsulated in the Quran:

وَمِنْ ءَايَـٰتِهِۦٓ أَنْ خَلَقَ لَكُم مِّنْ أَنفُسِكُمْ أَزْوَٰجًا لِّتَسْكُنُوٓا۟ إِلَيْهَا وَجَعَلَ بَيْنَكُم مَّوَدَّةً وَرَحْمَةً ۚ إِنَّ فِى ذَٰلِكَ لَـَٔايَـٰتٍ لِّقَوْمٍ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ

“And one of His signs is that He made partners for you from yourselves so that you may find peace in them, and He placed affection and tenderness between you.” Indeed, there are indicators for persons who think in that.”

30:21 (Surah Ar-Rum)

Khadijah r.a., his first wife, was a source of emotional and spiritual solace for him. When he first heard the revelation, it was Khadijah r.a. who instilled trust in him. Throughout his effort to uplift humanity, he looked to her for support and strength.

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His wife, Aisyah r.a., was the one with whom he spent his final days, and Prophet Muhammad s.a.w. treated her with gentleness and romance throughout their marriage. They frequently exchanged pleasant words, played together, and drank from the same area in the cup.

He gave women the opportunity to take on public responsibilities. Muslim women were empowered by Prophet Muhammad.

Muslim women played prominent responsibilities throughout the time of Prophet Muhammad s.a.w., despite the societal norms of the period. His wife, Aisyah r.a., was a scholar who was frequently consulted on religious problems by other friends r.a. and spoke herself openly in the public domain. She also applauded the Ansar women for not allowing their shyness to prevent them from asking questions about Islam and learning about their religion.

Following the death of Prophet Muhammad s.a.w., Aisyah r.a. continued to teach the companions r.a. She was one of the most learned people at the period since she was the closest person to the Prophet s.a.w. She inherited a large number of hadiths from the Prophet s.a.w., which she continued to pass on to others. She was a crucial figure in transmitting the word of the Prophet s.a.w. and established herself as a key figure in the Islamic tradition. One of the legacies she left for future generations is her contributions to Islamic learning.

Prophet Muhammad was incredibly fond of his daughter.
Fatima r.a., the daughter of Prophet Muhammad s.a.w., was never shy about expressing his love for her. He would stand up for her, kiss her, take her hand, and make her sit in his place when she entered the room. His love and admiration for Fatimah r.a. was so strong that the Prophet s.a.w. is said to have said,

فَاطِمَةُ بَضْعَةٌ مِنِّي، فَمَنْ أَغْضَبَهَا أَغْضَبَنِي

“Fatima r.a. is a part of me, and whoever irritates her irritates me.”

(Bukhari)

Fatima r.a., in turn, was a huge fan of the Prophet s.a.w. She was brave enough to stand her ground and protect her father from people who tried to harm him from a young age. She took such good care of him that she was dubbed “the father’s mother.”

Prophet Muhammad empowered women and gave rights

The Prophet s.a.w. uplifted the status of women from that of being the property of men to that of equal status in the society with accorded rights and dignity. The Prophet s.a.w. paid special attention to the women in his society, who previously had been denied any rights, freedom and space. He was patient and kind to them, and he genuinely cared about their situation.

Several women had come to him inquiring about the issue of divorce (khul’) including the wife of Thabit ibn Qay. Thabit’s wife came to the Prophet s.a.w. and told him that she had nothing to reproach her husband with as far as religion was concerned, but that she did not want to be guilty of infidelity regarding Islam (by failing to respect his rights as a husband or betraying him through her thoughts or behaviour) (by failing to respect his rights as a husband or betraying him through her thoughts or behaviour). She agreed when the Prophet s.a.w. asked if she was willing to return the garden he had given her as dowry. Thabit was then asked to accept the separation by the Prophet.

Over 1400 years ago, our Prophet s.a.w. taught the world the true worth of women. He empowered women and urged them to reach their full potential as good servants of Allah s.w.t. through Islam. In light of this, may we continue to uphold the traditions of our beloved Prophet Muhammad s.a.w. by honouring the ladies in our lives.

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