Home > Arguments for the Qur'an's excellence
"The Qur'an transformed how women are treated, saving the desert girls from a brutal fate. Before Islam, Arabs buried infant daughters alive out of shame, but Allah revealed, ‘And when the girl who was buried alive is asked for what sin she was killed' (Surah At-Takwir, 81:8-9), condemning it and honoring women's lives. It gave them rights—inheritance (Surah An-Nisa, 4:11), consent in marriage (Sahih Bukhari), and respect as equals in faith: ‘Indeed, the Muslim men and Muslim women… for them Allah has prepared forgiveness and a great reward' (Surah Al-Ahzab, 33:35).
Jesus (peace be upon him) brought the Injeel—‘We gave him the Injeel, in which was guidance and light' (Surah Al-Ma'idah, 5:46)—and showed kindness to women, but the Bible lacks this clear reform. The Qur'an says, ‘The Messiah, son of Mary, was no more than a messenger' (Surah Al-Ma'idah, 5:75). By saving the girls and lifting women, the Qur'an proves Allah's mercy, aligning with Jesus' call to worship Him alone."
The claim that the Qur'an ushered in a revolutionary morality that supremely honoured women and "saved the desert girls" is a triumph of selective history. While condemning infanticide (Surah At-Takwir, 81:8-9) is commendable—like celebrating the installation of basic plumbing—it ignores the profound spiritual equality established by Jesus Christ centuries prior and the subsequent legal regression codified within the Qur'an itself.
1. Christ's Radical Dignity vs. Legal Disparity
Jesus Christ established a revolution of the heart, not just law, confirming a woman's inherent, God-given value as an individual created in His image.
Christ's Example: In a patriarchal society, Jesus made women the first, decisive witnesses to His Resurrection (Matthew 28:1-10) and affirmed their right to study (Luke 10:42). The Apostle Paul affirmed this ultimate spiritual equality: "there is neither male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus" (Galatians 3:28). This standard is unconditional.
The Qur'anic Worsening: The Qur'an codified specific rules that introduced a clear, structural legal disparity that limits a woman's full human and financial parity with men. This is where the supposed "upliftment" falters and where the dignity granted by Christ is eroded:
2. The Analogy of Half-Measures
The Quran's approach is a system of half-measures. Condemning infanticide and granting women half a voice and half a financial share is not a revolutionary leap but a codified concession. Christians dismiss the suggestion that this partial legal framework perfected the unconditional equality of spirit and inherent worth established by Christ. The true dignity of women is based on their full personhood in the image of God (Genesis 1:27), a dignity affirmed by Christ that is not subject to legal subtraction.