EQUALITY

Justice and equality are words often used by Muslims. They claim that Islam is the religion of justice and equality. Is that so?

One of the Quranic verses is commonly called the "law of equality":

> O ye who believe! the law of equality is prescribed to you in cases of murder: the free for the free, the slave for the slave, the woman for the woman. But if any remission is made by the brother of the slain, then grant any reasonable demand, and compensate him with handsome gratitude, this is a concession and a Mercy from your Lord. After this whoever exceeds the limits shall be in grave penalty. S. 2:178 Yusuf Ali

However, on a second look, this name drips with irony since it is actually a law of inequality. It states that the life of a woman and the life of a slave does not have the same value of the life of a free man. For a detailed discussion of this law is found in Islam's Unjust Punishments: Examining the Quran's Ruling on the Consequence of Premeditated Murder.

The worst inequality is the difference in treatment of Muslims and non-Muslims, see for example the articles in the section Being a non-Muslim under Islamic rule, and the entry on UNBELIEVERS.

Also within the Muslim community, there is considerable inequality, most notably the inequality between men and women, cf. the section on Women in Islam.

One of the proverbial principles of equality is the formulation of the GOLDEN RULE. Interestingly, Islam is only major religion that does not teach the Golden Rule. In fact, Islam opposes it in many ways.

Articles specifically on the issue of inequality:

- Equality for All in the Ummah?

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