WERE ALL GREAT MINDS MISOGYNISTS?

Is Islam a misogynistic religion? Or was Islam just stating things about women that have been stated by intellectuals and philosophers before and after the advent of Islam? Let us see a few examples, shall we!

Confucius, probably the greatest Eastern philosopher who ever trampled the earth, said:

"It is the law of nature that women should be held under the dominance of men."

"One hundred women are not worth a single testicle." 

Aristotle, the constructor of the post-Socratic Western philosophy and the mentor of Alexander the Macedonian, said:

"A proper wife should be as obedient as a slave."

"The female is a female by virtue of a certain lack of qualities; we should regard the female nature as afflicted with a natural defectiveness." 

Mahatma Buddha, the founder of Buddhism and the greatest Eastern religious-philosopher of all time (probably after Krishna), said:

"Women, with their two-fingered wisdom, have a difficult time (understanding my teachings)."

Krishna, the so-called author of Bhagvad-Gita and the assumed reincarnation of Vishnu in the Vedic religion, said:

"All those who take refuge in me, even maybe (those of) lower birth, women, vaishyah and shudrah, even they will attain the supreme destination."

John Knox, the famous Scottish Presbyterian theologian, said:

"Women, in her greatest perfection, was made to serve and obey man, not to rule and command him."

Samuel Butler, the English poet and satirist (not to be confused with the author of Erewhon), said:

"The souls of women are so small that some believe they've none at all"

Soren Kierkegaard, the famous weird-named existentialist philosopher, social critic and theologian, said:

"What a misfortune to be a woman!"

Thomas Alva Edison, the greatest inventor in the history of mankind (apologies to Tesla!), said:

"Direct thought is not an attribute of femininity. In this, woman is now centuries ... behind man."

Jean-Jacques Rousseau, one of the well-known names in the history of Enlightenment philosophy, said:

"Women, in general, are not attracted to art at all, nor knowledge, and not at all to genius. The search for ... axioms in science ... is beyond a woman's grasp."

St. Paul, the co-founder of the Western Christianity and the author of most of the books (letters, to be honest) in the New Testament, said:

"A woman should learn in quietness and full submission. I do not permit a woman to teach or to assume authority over a man; she must be quiet. For Adam was formed first, then Eve. And Adam was not the one deceived; it was the woman who was deceived and became a sinner. But women will be saved through childbearing—if they continue in faith, love and holiness with propriety."

We read in Sotah and I have no idea what part of Talmud this is:

"Rabbi Eliezer says: Anyone who teaches his daughter Torah is teaching her promiscuity ... Rabbi Eliezer fears that the woman will use the cunning she achieves by learning the wisdom of the Torah to engage in promiscuous behavior."

Now, we can safely quote Qur'an - the sacred scripture of the Muslim faith - and Prophet Muhammad - peace and blessings be upon him and his purified progeny - and Ali ibn Abi Talib - the foremost philosopher in the Islamic history - with a challenge to show exactly what goes wrong when Islam says such apparently-misogynistic stuff about womenfolk but nothing sounds disgusting when the entire mankind says similar things about the fair sex!

Qur'an said:

"Men are in charge of women by what God has given one over the other and what they (men) spend from their wealth ..."

Qur'an said:

"... But the men have a degree over them ..."

Abu Sa'id al-Khudri said:

"Once Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) went out to the musalla (to offer the prayer) of `Id-al-Adha or Al-Fitr prayer. Then he passed by the women and said: "O women! Give alms, as I have seen that the majority of the dwellers of Hell-fire were you (women)." They asked: "Why is it so, O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)?" He replied: "You curse frequently and are ungrateful to your husbands. I have not seen anyone more deficient in intelligence and religion than you. A cautious sensible man could be led astray by some of you." The women asked: "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! What is deficient in our intelligence and religion?" He said: "Is not the evidence of two women equal to the witness of one man?" They replied in the affirmative. He said: "This is the deficiency in her intelligence. Isn't it true that a woman can neither pray nor fast during her menses?" The women replied in the affirmative. He said: "This is the deficiency in her religion.""

Ali ibn Abi Talib was recorded by Sharif al-Radi saying:

"O people! Women are deficient in faith, deficient in shares and deficient in intelligence. As regards the deficiency in their faith, it is their abstention from prayers and fasting during their menstrual period. As regards deficiency in their intelligence it is because the evidence of two women is equal to that of one man. As for the deficiency of their shares that is because of their share in inheritance being half of men. So, beware of the evils of women. Be on your guard even from those of them who are (reportedly) good. Do not obey them even in good things so that they may not attract you to evils."