Women are Entitled to Inheritance in Islam long before Manmade Laws - Dr Zakir Naik
Dr. Zakir Naik addresses a common question about why women inherit half of what men receive in Islam, arguing that Islam granted women inheritance rights 1,400 years before Western laws did so in the 19th century. He references multiple Quranic verses that govern inheritance, with the primary division rules found in Surah Nisa.
Summary
Dr. Zakir Naik opens by framing the topic as the 16th most common question non-Muslims ask about Islam: why does a woman inherit half of what a male inherits? Before addressing the ratio, he contextualizes the issue historically, pointing out that for centuries women were not permitted to inherit property in most religions and even under European law. He notes that it was only in the 19th century — around the 1800s — that Western legal systems began allowing women to own or inherit property.
Naik argues that Islam, by contrast, granted women the right to inherit 1,400 years ago, positioning this as evidence of Islam's progressive treatment of women relative to its historical context. He then catalogs the numerous Quranic verses that address the subject of inheritance, including Surah Baqarah (chapter 2, verses 140 and 280), Surah Nisa (chapter 4, verses 7–9, 19, 33, and 176), and Surah Ma'idah (chapter 5, verses 106–108). He clarifies that while many verses touch on inheritance, the primary and most detailed rules governing the division of inheritance are found in Surah Nisa, chapter 4, verses 11 and 12.
Key Insights
- Dr. Zakir Naik argues that women were not permitted to inherit property in most religions or under European law for many centuries, and that Western legal systems only granted women this right in the 19th century (around the 1800s).
- Naik claims that Islam granted women the right to inherit property 1,400 years ago, framing this as a major historical distinction between Islamic law and other legal and religious traditions.
- Naik identifies the question of why women inherit half of what men do as the 16th most common question posed by non-Muslims about Islam, indicating it is a frequently contested and misunderstood topic.
- Naik enumerates at least seven distinct Quranic references across multiple chapters (Baqarah, Nisa, and Ma'idah) that address inheritance, suggesting the topic is treated comprehensively within the Quran.
- Naik specifies that while many Quranic verses touch on inheritance, the core rules for dividing inheritance are concentrated in Surah Nisa, chapter 4, verses 11 and 12.
Topics
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