By Editorial Staff

In Islam, why are two women witnesses equivalent to only one man’s witness? Isn’t it stated in the Qur’an?

O you who believe! When you deal with each other, in transactions involving future obligations in a fixed period of time, reduce them to writing Let a scribe write down faithfully as between the parties: let not the scribe refuse to write: as Allah Has taught him, so let him write. Let him who incurs the liability dictate, but let him fear His Lord Allah, and not diminish aught of what he owes. If they party liable is mentally deficient, or weak, or unable Himself to dictate, Let his guardian dictate faithfully, and get two witnesses, out of your own men, and if there are not two men, then a man and two women, such as ye choose, for witnesses, so that if one of them errs, the other can remind her. (Al-Baqarah 2:282)

Doesn’t this indicate that Islam degrades women?

The above is one of the most common misconception spread about Islam…

It is not true that two female witnesses are always considered as equal to only one male witness? It is true in only certain cases.

There are about five verses in the Qur’an that mention witnesses, without specifying male or female. The above is the only verse in the Qur’an that says two female witnesses are equal to one male witness. And this is the longest verse in the Qur’an and deals with financial transactions.

So, what does this really mean?

Learn the detailed answer to this misconception in the video below by Dr. Zakir Naik …