God Arises
The Challenge of The Qur’an
~ 343 ~
hand, Islam says that men and women are equal,
yet at the same time women are allotted an inferior
position in Islamic society. They then cite the fact
that the testimony of two women is considered
equal to that of one man. This is a total
misunderstanding. It is true that in Islam the
testimony of two women is, under normal
circumstances, considered equal to that of one man.
But the basis of this rule is not discrimination
between the sexes. It is something quite different, as
is made clear in the verse of the Quran where it has
been laid down. The verse deals with the written
recording of debts:
‘And take two male witnesses. If there are not
two men, then one man and two women—
you may select the witnesses of your choice. If
one woman forgets, the other will be able to
remind her.”
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The wording of the verse shows quite clearly that
the basis of this rule is—not discrimination between
the sexes—but rather the memorizing ability of
women. The verse alludes to a biological fact—that
women are not as good at remembering things as
