The Quran says that women and men are created from a single soul, are equal in worth before God, and receive the same reward for faith and good deeds. It also gives women specific rights in marriage, property and inheritance, and asks both men and women to dress and behave modestly. Scholars have explained its verses on family roles in detail for centuries.
This guide quotes the verses directly, for Muslims who want to understand them better and for anyone curious about how Islam's holy book speaks about women.
Key takeaways
- The Quran teaches that men and women were created from one soul and are equal in spiritual worth (Quran 4:1).
- Quran 33:35 lists ten qualities of faith and names women and men side by side for every one of them, promising both the same forgiveness and reward.
- The Quran gives women the right to own property, keep their own earnings, receive a marriage gift (mahr) and inherit from relatives.
- Modesty is asked of men first (24:30) and then of women (24:31 and 33:59), which is the main Quranic basis for the hijab.
- Verses on family roles, such as 2:228 and 4:34, are explained at length in classical and modern scholarship.
Are men and women equal in the Quran?
The Quran's starting point is shared origin. In the opening verse of Surah an-Nisa, the chapter whose name means "The Women," all of humanity is traced back to one soul.
O mankind, fear your Lord, who created you from one soul and created from it its mate and dispersed from both of them many men and women. And fear Allah, through whom you ask one another, and the wombs. Indeed Allah is ever, over you, an Observer.
"Allah" is simply the Arabic word for God, and Arabic-speaking Christians use it too. In Quran 3:195, God adds that no one's work is lost, "whether male or female; you are of one another."
What does Quran 33:35 say about spiritual equality?
Classical commentators, including Ibn Kathir, mention reports that Quran 33:35 was revealed after women asked why the Quran seemed to address men more often. The answer named women and men side by side, quality by quality.
Indeed, the Muslim men and Muslim women, the believing men and believing women, the obedient men and obedient women, the truthful men and truthful women, the patient men and patient women, the humble men and humble women, the charitable men and charitable women, the fasting men and fasting women, the men who guard their private parts and the women who do so, and the men who remember Allah often and the women who do so - for them Allah has prepared forgiveness and a great reward.
Other verses repeat the promise "whether male or female."
And whoever does righteous deeds, whether male or female, while being a believer - those will enter Paradise and will not be wronged, [even as much as] the speck on a date seed.
Whoever does righteousness, whether male or female, while he is a believer - We will surely cause him to live a good life, and We will surely give them their reward [in the Hereafter] according to the best of what they used to do.
Notice that 16:97 promises a "good life" in this world too. The Quran also calls believing men and women "allies of one another" (Quran 9:71).
What does the Quran say about women's rights?
In seventh-century Arabia, women often had little legal standing. Against that background, the Quran set out clear rights.
- The right to life. The Quran condemns the pre-Islamic practice of burying infant girls alive, describing the girl being asked on Judgment Day, "For what sin she was killed" (Quran 81:8–9).
- The right to earn and own. "For men is a share of what they have earned, and for women is a share of what they have earned" (Quran 4:32).
- The right to inherit. Women receive "an obligatory share" of what parents and relatives leave (Quran 4:7).
- The right to a marriage gift. The husband gives the wife a mahr, which belongs to her alone (Quran 4:4).
- Protection from forced treatment. Quran 4:19 forbids "inheriting" women against their will and commands kindness.
O you who have believed, it is not lawful for you to inherit women by compulsion. And do not make difficulties for them in order to take [back] part of what you gave them unless they commit a clear immorality. And live with them in kindness. For if you dislike them - perhaps you dislike a thing and Allah makes therein much good.
One chapter, al-Mujadila ("She Who Disputes"), opens by honoring a woman who brought a complaint about her husband to the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him): "Certainly has Allah heard the speech of the one who argues with you" (Quran 58:1).
What does the Quran say about marriage?
The Quran describes marriage as a source of calm, love and mercy, and calls it one of God's signs.
And of His signs is that He created for you from yourselves mates that you may find tranquillity in them; and He placed between you affection and mercy. Indeed in that are signs for a people who give thought.
In another verse, spouses are called "clothing" for each other (Quran 2:187). The image suggests closeness, comfort and protection.
Consent is central. In a hadith recorded in both Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim, the Prophet said that a woman should not be married without her consent being sought. He is also reported in Jami at-Tirmidhi to have said, "The best of you are those who are best to their families, and I am the best of you to my family."
The Quran permits up to four wives only on the condition of justice, adding "if you fear that you will not be just, then [marry only] one" (Quran 4:3). It allows divorce "with good treatment" (Quran 2:229), and scholars of Islamic law explain the detailed rules.
What does the Quran say about hijab?
The word "hijab" today usually means a woman's headscarf, but the Quran discusses modesty with other words. It addresses men first, telling them to lower their gaze and guard their chastity (Quran 24:30). The next verse addresses women.
And tell the believing women to reduce [some] of their vision and guard their private parts and not expose their adornment except that which [necessarily] appears thereof and to wrap [a portion of] their headcovers over their chests and not expose their adornment except to their husbands, their fathers, their husbands' fathers, their sons, their husbands' sons, their brothers, their brothers' sons, their sisters' sons, their women, that which their right hands possess, or those male attendants having no physical desire, or children who are not yet aware of the private aspects of women. And let them not stamp their feet to make known what they conceal of their adornment. And turn to Allah in repentance, all of you, O believers, that you might succeed.
The Arabic word translated "headcovers" is khimar. A second verse speaks of an outer garment called a jilbab.
O Prophet, tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers to bring down over themselves [part] of their outer garments. That is more suitable that they will be known and not be abused. And ever is Allah Forgiving and Merciful.
Based on these verses and the Prophet's teaching, the four main Sunni schools of law hold that an adult Muslim woman covers her hair in front of men outside her close family. They differ over whether the face and hands must also be covered, and a minority of modern writers read the verses differently. The Quran itself frames modesty as a shared value and ends 24:31 by calling "all of you, O believers" to turn to God.
Which verses about women do scholars discuss most?
Some verses are often raised in conversations about women in Islam. They are best read with the scholarly explanation that has always accompanied them, as our guide to Christians and Jews in the Quran also shows.
Quran 2:228 and the "degree"
Quran 2:228 discusses divorce. It says "due to the wives is similar to what is expected of them, according to what is reasonable," and then that men "have a degree over them [in responsibility and authority]." Commentators note that the verse first affirms mutual rights, and many explain the "degree" as greater responsibility within the family rather than greater worth.
Quran 4:34 and family leadership
Quran 4:34 describes men as responsible for women and for financial support, and it outlines steps for serious marital conflict. It is one of the most discussed verses in the Quran. Classical scholars placed strict limits on its final step and treated it as a last resort to avoid divorce, never as a license for harm. They also pointed to the Prophet's own example: his wife Aisha said, in a report in Sahih Muslim, that he never struck a woman or a servant. It is worth studying with a trusted teacher and a full tafsir.
Inheritance and witness
Quran 4:11 gives a son twice a daughter's share in some cases. Scholars explain this alongside the duties the Quran places on men to pay the mahr and support the family, while a woman's wealth stays her own. Quran 2:282 asks for two women witnesses in place of one man for a written debt contract. Scholars have discussed whether this applies only to financial documents, and many note it does not apply to all testimony.
Women honored in the Quran
Mary, the mother of Jesus, is the only woman named in the Quran, and a whole chapter carries her name (see Mary in the Quran). Others are honored without being named, including the mother of Moses, who trusted God and placed her baby in the river (Quran 28:7), and the wife of Pharaoh, held up as an example for all believers (Quran 66:11). The Queen of Sheba is described as a wise ruler who chose to submit to God (Quran 27:44).
Read these verses with context on Quran Universe
Every verse quoted here can be read on Quran Universe in Arabic with the Sahih International translation, word-by-word meanings, a short verse card explaining its context, and the full Tafsir Ibn Kathir. Surah an-Nisa and Surah an-Nur are good places to start, and our guide on what tafsir is explains how scholars read them.
Frequently asked questions
What does the Quran say about women in one sentence?
The Quran says women and men come from one soul, are equal in spiritual worth, and are promised the same reward for faith and good deeds. It also gives women defined rights in marriage, property and inheritance.
Does the Quran say women are equal to men?
Yes, in worth and in their relationship with God. Verses such as 33:35, 4:124 and 16:97 promise identical reward to both, while the Quran assigns some different family responsibilities.
Is hijab mentioned in the Quran?
The Quran does not use the word "hijab" for a headscarf, but it tells believing women to draw their khimar (head covering) over their chests (24:31) and to wear an outer garment (33:59). Mainstream Sunni scholars see these verses as the basis for covering the hair.
What rights does the Quran give women in marriage?
A wife has the right to a marriage gift (mahr) that is hers alone, to financial support, and to be treated with kindness. The Quran describes marriage as built on "affection and mercy" (30:21), and authentic hadith require that a woman's consent be sought.
Which woman is named in the Quran?
Mary (Maryam), the mother of Jesus, is the only woman mentioned by name in the Quran. Surah 19 is named after her, and the angels tell her that God has "chosen you above the women of the worlds."