The Status of Women in the Age of Ignorance (Jahiliya)
Corrupt cultures and erroneous customs in human societies imposed various forms of oppression and hardship on women, subjecting them to exploitation. Here, we will highlight some examples of the different forms of injustice against women in the so-called “civilized” countries of the Jahiliya era.
Greece: The Greeks considered women to be born from the devil and did not allow them to participate in any activities. Women were used solely for satisfying sexual desires and as servants. They could be easily traded or transferred to strangers, much like livestock.
Rome: Although the Romans made significant progress in laws and rights, they did not consider women worthy of resurrection on the Day of Judgment because they believed women lacked a human soul. In the Roman view, women were seen as symbols of the devil and evil spirits. As a result, they avoided laughing or speaking with them. Women were always under guardianship, needed a custodian, and after the death of their husbands, they were inherited like property.
China: In China, when a girl was born, her relatives would express deep regret and sympathy to her father and family. Girls were often killed at birth, abandoned in the desert, or given to slave traders. The Chinese believed that God created boys, while the devil created girls. Therefore, in their view, boys were blessings, while girls were seen as cursed. In this society, it was also common to sacrifice maidens to false gods.
India: In Indian society, the status of women had been degraded to that of slaves. A man could lose his wife in gambling, and at times, a woman could have multiple husbands. If her husband died, she could not remarry and would face constant humiliation and insults. In such cases, she became a servant to her deceased husband’s family. Some women would commit self-immolation after their husband’s death to escape the torment and misery of life.
Egypt: Whenever the Nile River’s water levels dropped, a young girl was adorned and drowned in the river to restore the water flow to normal.
Africa: In certain African cultures, women were sold in groups like livestock.
The author of the book Women in Sassanid Law writes: “In the Sassanid Empire, according to ancient customary laws, a woman was not considered a person but rather a thing. In other words, a woman was not regarded as an individual with rights but as something that could be owned.”
In “Scandinavian” countries, namely Sweden, Norway, and Denmark, women were deprived of social rights and the right to inherit. In France, in the year 586 AD, after much debate, it was finally acknowledged that women were also human, but they were believed to be created to serve men. Under Napoleon’s civil law and the previous laws of France, strict conditions were imposed for women to inherit, resulting in 90% of women being deprived of inheritance rights. In Australia, Oceania, and Africa, women were considered akin to domestic animals, used solely for profit, and lived dependent lives.
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