SECULAR CONTRADICTIONS

The Challenge of The Qur’an ~ 343 ~ hand, Islam says that men and women are equal, yet at the same time women are allotted an inferior position in Islamic society. They then cite the fact that the testimony of two women is considered equal to that of one man. This is a total misunderstanding. It is true that in Islam the testimony of two women is, under normal circumstances, considered equal to that of one man. But the basis of this rule is not discrimination between the sexes. It is something quite different, as is made clear in the verse of the Quran where it has been laid down. The verse deals with the written recording of debts: ‘And take two male witnesses. If there are not two men, then one man and two women— you may select the witnesses of your choice. If one woman forgets, the other will be able to remind her.”21 The wording of the verse shows quite clearly that the basis of this rule is—not discrimination between the sexes—but rather the memorizing ability of women. The verse alludes to a biological fact—that women are not as good at remembering things as