Feminism, Atheism and Islam: A Critical Perspective

✒ Muhammad Fayaz, Nadapuram

2 October 2026, 0 21 Rabi al-Thani 1448 AH

In modern times, Muslim women live in the midst of a major ideological tug-of-war between traditional religious teachings and contemporary Western agendas. On one side stands commitment to the Islamic laws ordained by the Creator; on the other are various temptations and trials such as feminism and atheism. Furthermore, the patriarchal behavior of men emerging on social media platforms also causes discomfort to women.

It also continuously raises doubts regarding the status of women in Islam. An in-depth, factual analysis of these issues is essential to serve as a clear guide for every young woman seeking the truth amidst these trials.

The Origins of Western Feminism

In Western nations, the groundwork for the feminist movement was laid by the French writer Simone de Beauvoir. Her book, The Second Sex, is often described as the "Bible of Feminism." To understand why such a movement emerged in the West, one must examine its historical context.

Simone de Beauvoir grew up in a Western-Christian culture where misogyny was at its peak. John Chrysostom, one of the most prominent scholars of the European Church, taught that "you will not find any beast more harmful than a woman.”

Prominent Catholic theologian Thomas Aquinas argued that women are inferior to men. The Book of Ecclesiastes in the Bible states: "woman is more bitter than death." Jean-Jacques Rousseau, a pioneer of the Enlightenment, literally said that women are entirely unfit for knowledge or wisdom. Simone de Beauvoir opens her book with a famous quote by Pythagoras: "There is a good principle which created order, light, and man, and an evil principle which created chaos, darkness, and woman."

De Beauvoir's feminism was an extreme reaction against such a decayed culture. Consequently, she despised men, despised marriage and the home, and hated being a woman itself. However, in her practical life, she lived in great contradictions. While provoking women by telling them, "Be strong and independent; you are not obligated to submit to men," in her own life, she desired complete submission to her lovers. Six hundred love letters written by her to her American lover, Nelson Algren, are available in French. In one of them, she wrote: "I will be obedient! I will sweep the house, I will wash the dishes, I will do nothing that you dislike!" Even more astonishingly, Simone de Beauvoir agreed to become the secondary partner of the existentialist philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre.

She consented to becoming his mistress, practically accepting polygamy. Their arrangement was: "Three days for me, and three days for the first woman." Furthermore, she was dismissed from her teaching job for procuring underage schoolgirls from the school where she worked to satisfy Sartre's sexual demands.
While Simone de Beauvoir was outwardly the face of feminism in Western countries, the true driving force behind the entire feminist project, who prepared its schemes, was her lover Jean-Paul Sartre, the founder of existential philosophy.

He declared: "I am not a nymphomaniac; I am promiscuous." Promiscuity and incest represent sexual relations, with incest referring specifically to sexual intercourse between close blood relatives (such as parents and children, or brothers and sisters) who are forbidden from marrying or engaging in sexual relations.

Human beings cannot completely alter their innate nature. Feminism is contrary to human nature it runs counter to the natural order upon which Allah created both man and woman. Allah knows best the place of a man in a woman's heart, and the place of a woman in a man's heart.

"I am a low-down scoundrel," he openly declared! Sartre also remarked about himself: "My heart is filled with disgust because I engaged in excessive sexual relationships with women!" In short, feminism was brought forth by a male wolf who resided in Simone de Beauvoir's home.

At the age of seventy, Sartre lost his sight and suffered from diabetes and diabetic ulcers. Even at that age, he had six mistresses. This was stated by Hazel Rowley, who researched their lives and wrote a book about them.

Sartre convinced Simone de Beauvoir that marriage was patriarchal, whereas a lover was a warrior. Sartre had a Christian maid to serve him. Seeing the filth of this old man's youthful excesses, that maid ran away from the house! The proponents of enlightenment convinced feminists that a woman's body is a revolution and that nudity provokes and disturbs men, and therefore they should provoke them more and more. The male wolves were standing far away, laughing! We are in a war of awareness! We are talking about a group of people trying to destroy this world. I consider the feminist project to be the most dangerous project in this world!

Human beings cannot completely alter their innate nature. Feminism is contrary to human nature! It runs counter to the natural order upon which Allah created both man and woman. Allah knows best the place of a man in a woman's heart, and the place of a woman in a man's heart.

"...And among His signs is that He created for you mates from among yourselves, that you may find tranquility in them, and He placed between you affection and mercy..." (Qur'an 30:21).

A marriage in which this affection and mercy are mutually expressed and lived out is both satisfying and beautiful. A society comprised of such individuals is a mentally healthy society. Therefore, we have no connection whatsoever to Simone de Beauvoir or her (Western) societies.

The Status of Woman in Islam

In contrast to Western misogynistic thought, Islam grants women authority, honor, and security. Islam prescribes a punishment of eighty lashes for anyone who questions a woman's self-respect and accuses her of unchastity: "And those who accuse chaste women and then do not produce four witnesses - lash them with eighty lashes and do not accept from them testimony ever after. And those are the defiantly disobedient" (Qur'an 24:4).

This severe punishment and disgrace are imposed merely for harming a woman with a single word! Is there such a law anywhere else in any religion or ideology in the world?

A person who raises and protects two daughters until they reach maturity is promised the status of standing alongside the Prophet on the Day of Resurrection!

Islam grants three times greater priority to the mother over the father as the person most deserving of good companionship among humanity (Bukhari, Muslim).

Islam does not approve of the Western practice of pushing women into nursing homes as they age. It is because Islam teaches the virtue and reward of caring for elderly parents and seeking their pleasure that the number of elderly Muslim parents in old-age homes remains negligible.

A History of Deceit

Before the internet reached our homes, feminists were fooling the world by raising these claims! They spread propaganda claiming that abuse was most prevalent and rapes occurred most frequently in Islamic societies. They also alleged that Muslim men thought only about polygamy. However, as the internet became widespread and statistics could be examined, we discovered that we were the victims of a massive smear campaign.

Abuse is most prevalent in feminist societies. In France, the birthplace of Simone de Beauvoir and the cradle of the Enlightenment, the rate of abuse is 35%! The average across the European Union is 31%. No one is safe from abusers there! The United States, Britain, Germany, and Sweden top the global list for rapes.

The "British National Survey of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles" reported that an average man there has an average of 14.14 lifetime sexual partners. While Westerners criticize the legal polygamy of Muslims, in practice, they engage in illicit relationships with numerous women. It is clear that feminism is turning women into a cheap commodity to satisfy the sexual desires of men.

The words written by Arwa Saleh, an Egyptian leftist feminist, before her suicide in 1997 are noteworthy: "Women's liberation is the cheapest way to possess them"

The conservative thinker Carrie Lukas strongly challenges the traditional claim that feminism and the Sexual Revolution guaranteed true liberation for women. In a traditional social system, a relationship with a woman obligated a man to fulfill responsibilities such as marriage, family, and security. However, the culture of "casual sex" introduced by advocates of sexual freedom served only to completely relieve men of such social and family responsibilities.

Lukas describes men who use women for temporary needs without any commitment as "wolves waiting to devour." She clarifies that what actually occurred in the name of sexual liberation was merely society "normalizing" these unfaithful and irresponsible male tendencies.

Feminism handed women over as a free treat to young men! Men get what he wants, but when she becomes pregnant, suffers labor pains, or faces the expenses of child-rearing, he offers her no assistance! Who won in this war, women or men?

In the name of enlightenment, a woman there surrenders her body to wolves virtually for free for the price of a cup of tea. When she becomes pregnant, the man abandons her. As a result of this, in 2024 alone, 41 million fetuses were killed through abortion worldwide. According to World Health Organization estimates as well, approximately 73 million abortions take place globally every year. The Western world has degenerated into such a pitiful state that 'baby boxes' have to be set up to deposit infants on the street instead of killing them.

Feminists criticize that "Muslim men marry multiple wives"; at the same time, they engage in illicit relations with multiple sexual partners.

There are many young women who turned to atheism claiming that religion restricts women's freedom. It is true that religion restricts the freedom of women; at the same time, it restricts the freedom of men as well. The very foundation of taklif is controlling one's own desires. Desires need to be controlled and it is upon this that reward and punishment rest.

"So as for he who transgressed and preferred the life of the world, then indeed, Hellfire will be his refuge. But as for he who feared the position of his Lord and restrained the soul from lower desire, then indeed, Paradise will be his refuge" (Qur'an 79:37-41).

Thus, taklif means restraining oneself from evil desires. "So remain on a right course as you have been commanded..." (Qur'an 11:112). Not according to one's own desires!

It is either religion or atheism; there is no third way. Does atheism grant women her rights? Is it a safe haven?

If we set religion aside, we cannot even know the meaning of the word 'woman'! In the atheist world, there is no such thing as a 'woman' instead, there is only 'a beautiful animal'! The term 'woman' does not merely refer to a body made of flesh and blood, but rather to a metaphysical existence beyond the physical world. This is a word that does not belong to this materialist, atheist world!

From an atheistic perspective, we originated from a jungle, is that true or not? At the very bottom of the ladder of human evolution, stands the position of woman! In the 19th century, during the era when Charles Darwin introduced the theory of evolution, the misogyny and racial biases prevalent in Victorian European society even influenced scientific conclusions. Darwin arrived at certain personal racial and cultural prejudices, asserting that natural selection acted more strongly on men due to their involvement in hunting and warfare, and that men were consequently more developed both mentally and physically.

Charles Darwin stated that the ultimate difference in favor of man over woman always places him in a higher position than her.

"The brain size of women is closer to that of gorillas than to that of the developed men of Paris, France... This inferiority is so obvious that no one can contest it... I apologize for this harsh and racial talk!"

This was reported by Gustave Le Bon (1879), one of the most prominent figures in evolutionary theory of the last century.

There is a difference between equality and justice! This kind of mechanical equality is an injustice done to women; it erases her unique characteristics and runs counter to her innate nature. Islam does not teach mechanical equality; rather, it teaches natural "justice."

The structure and nature of male and female brains are entirely different. The female brain is structured to prioritize empathy and emotions, whereas the male brain possesses a greater capacity for analytical processing.

When a person strays away from religion, they are merely fooling themselves: "And who would be averse to the religion of Abraham except one who makes a fool of himself?" (Qur'an 2:130).

However, within religion, women are the twin halves of men. In terms of soul, sanctity, and moral responsibility, there is no distinction between man and woman. The existence of one is completed through the other. Both are equal components originating from the same source, ordained to complement each other. In the journey of life, a woman stands by man through his ups and downs.

Prophetic sayings such as "The best among you are those who are best to their wives" clearly illustrate the consideration Islam bestows upon women.

Regarding marriage, the Qur'an states: "...and they (women) have taken from you a solemn covenant" (4:21). The Qur'an also commands: "...and live with them in kindness" (4:19).

From an atheistic perspective, Professor Richard Dawkins presented the "gene-centered view of evolution" in his book The Selfish Gene. In it, he stated: "All living beings (humans, animals, plants, bacteria) are merely 'survival machines' or 'vehicles' for genes to be passed on to future generations.”

This worldview shattered the family system in Western countries. People began to think, "Why should I marry when I can satisfy my sexual desires for free?" Consequently, the majority of children are born out of wedlock! Is this respecting a woman's innate nature? Man engages in sexual relations and abandons woman, leaving her to shoulder all the responsibilities alone! The concept of the traditional family husband, wife, and children has virtually turned into a museum piece in the West! This is the direct result of man's perspective regarding women!

The Difference Between Equality and Justice

The argument that complete equality must be established between man and woman in every aspect is the greatest injustice done to women. There is a difference between equality and justice! This kind of mechanical equality is an injustice to women; it erases her unique characteristics and runs counter to her innate nature.

Islam does not teach mechanical equality; rather, it teaches natural "justice." The structure and nature of male and female brains are entirely different. The female brain is structured to prioritize empathy and emotions, whereas the male brain possesses a greater capacity for analytical processing. This is why, among the 225 scientists who received the Nobel Prize in Physics, only 5 were women, and why women constitute 90% of the nursing field while men make up 90% of engineering. This does not indicate female inferiority, but rather a natural, innate distinction.

Suzanne Venker stated: "When I force a woman to do the same job and carry out the same responsibilities as a man, I am making her less happy. Her mental state breaks down! Her unique attributes are destroyed! Her innate nature is erased!"

How human emotionality and rationality are interwoven is a fascinating subject in psychology. As noted by the renowned Egyptian psychiatrist Professor Ahmed Okasha, there are fundamental differences in how men and women approach their emotions and reason.

(To be continued)