Human Rights In Islam

D) The Testimony of Men and Women in Islam

        Islam does not rely upon a woman's testimony in serious crimes such as adultery, and relies upon the testimony of women in matters concerning women that are understood only by women. In other matters the testimony of two women is equal to the testimony of a man and since Islam demands the testimony of two men in most matters, a man must corroborate the testimony of the two women.

        The reason for this discrimination is that God Almighty created women with extremely emotional and sensitive natures in order to enable them to fulfil their vital duties in life, the most important of which is the role of motherhood and all the love and affection it demands. Motherhood requires a sensitive, tender and compassionate nature and a woman's emotions are usually stronger than her reasoning and this in itself is not a shortcoming in a woman's character. Occasionally a woman's emotions overwhelm her to the extent that she may not be able to estimate an event clearly and may interpret it in a manner that may not be precise, without her realising it. Islam accordingly takes this into consideration and in order to ensure that justice is executed, ordains the above mentioned laws of testimony regarding women.

        The reason why the testimony of two women is equal to the testimony of one man is built upon the basis  that there is hardly any possibility that two women would be emotionally affected in the same way by the same event. They can also correct each other's testimony if one of them forgets a fact or misunderstands a matter. This is mentioned in the following Quranic verse "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". 57