1400 years ago, Islam passed the law of women’s financial independence and ordered: To the men a share from what they have earned and to the women a share from what they have earned. (4:32) In another verse the Qoran ordained: To the men a share of what parents and kinsmen leave and to the women a share of what parents and kinsmen leave. (4:7)

It means that for men there is a share in the wealth, which their parents or relatives leave behind at death and for women there is a share in what their parents and kindred leave behind on their death.

This verse has established the right of inheritance of women. There is a long history regarding the dispute as to whether a woman has a right of inheritance or not. To which we will refer, if God wills, afterwards. The Arabs of the pre-Islamic period didn’t wish to grant the right of inheritance to women, but the Qoran firmly established that right. ------------------------------------------A comparison----------------------------

So the Qoran gave financial independence to women 13 centuries before European women achieved it, with the difference that first of all, the motive of Islam in giving financial independence to women was nothing but Islam’s humanitarian aspect and its sense of divine and communal justice. In the case of Islam, There were no such initiatives as the avarice of the factory-owners of England, who, in a desire to get more and more profits, got this law passed and then trumpeted throughout the world that they had given official recognition to female rights and had acknowledged the equality of the rights of men and women.

Secondly, Islam gave financial independence to women, but, according to the author of the famous book “The Story of Civilization”, Will Durant, did not destroy family ties and did not ruin the basis of the family. It did not set up wives to confront their husbands and daughters to confront their fathers in rebellion and revolt. Islam brought about a great social revolution with these two verses, but quite a peaceful, harmless and safe one.

Thirdly, all that the Western world did, according to Will Durant, was that it relieved woman of the drudgery of her housework and imprisonment her in stores and factories for hard work and toil. In other words, Europe took one set of collars and chains off the body of woman and stuck on another set, no less heavy than the former ones. But Islam freed woman from the bondage and slavery of man within his house and outside it, on the land and, by making it compulsory for man to provide for the upkeep for the whole family, freed woman from all sorts of obligations and impositions on her own spending, as also the spending of the other members of the family.

From Islam’s point of view woman, despite her having a right in agreement with the human instinct to earn, save and add to her wealth, is in no manner responsible for procuring the necessities of life. These things should not put a strain upon her and should not deprive her of her pride, beauty and honor, which are always associated with her peace of mind and tranquility.

Anyhow, what can we do? The eyes and ears of some of our writers are too tightly closed for them to think over these indisputable historical and philosophical realities.