some Muslim countries do carry forward laws which are limiting to women, such as the restriction to drive a car or be employed, and to stay at home and wear the veil. Such countries do not rule by any kind of Shari’ah (Islamic law) and thus introduce their own cultural judgments on the issue of women equality. With reference to marriage, parents simply suggest a number of appropriate men for their daughter and do not force the girl to make a decision against her will. Just as in Western culture, both parties are allowed to bring terms or conditions to the marriage and although rare, divorce is an option in worst case scenarios. Ultimately, Islam sees the woman as an individual in her own right regardless of whether she is single or married. Both wife and husband are expected to dress appropriately under all circumstances. Furthermore, it was the Qur’an and the Islamic faith that set limits to the number of wives (four maximum) that a man can marry. However, this is strictly based on the ability of the man to provide equally for all of his wives. This makes the institution more humane, thereby dissolving the practice of treating women as physical property and ultimately granting them equal rights. In addition, all wives require separate housing. Generally, polygamy is not encouraged, although its purpose is to provide compassion and tenderness towards widows and orphans. As mentioned earlier, the battles fought during Muhammad’s prophecy was a consequence of his mission. Islam does not condone the killing of innocent people. War is considered a last resort to defend oneself. The Qur’an states “Fight in the cause of God against those who fight you, but do not transgress limits. God does not love transgressors” To maintain peace around Medina, Muhammad “undertook visits to neighboring tribes in order to establish treaty relations with them which would make Medina secure against attacks by them&...
