THE POWER TO FORGET 

Is one man equal to two women? 

 

Allah Almighty says:

“Call two witnesses from among your men. If two men are not available, then one man and two women from among those you accept as witnesses, so that if one of the two women errs, the other may remind her.” (al-Baqarah 2:282)

This verse is often quoted to suggest that Islam considers women inferior to men, or that a woman’s worth is somehow half that of a man. This interpretation is incorrect. There is no indication anywhere in the Qur’an or Sunnah that women are inferior in the sight of Allah Almighty. Spiritual worth, moral responsibility, and human dignity are shared equally by men and women.

The misunderstanding arises when this verse is detached from its context. The ayah concerns financial contracts and debt, an area that historically lay outside the everyday experience of most women at the time of revelation. Testimony in Islam is not a measure of personal value or intelligence; it is a mechanism to safeguard rights and ensure accuracy.

Where a woman is giving testimony in her area of expertise, her testimony is fully accepted on its own. The requirement of two female witnesses in this specific context is not a comment on women’s general ability, intellect, or reliability. Rather, it is a protective measure designed to reduce error in matters that carry legal and financial consequences.

Some suggest that the verse implies women are inherently forgetful or less capable of recall. This reading is unfair and overly simplistic. Islam recognises that men and women are created with different strengths and dispositions, not as a hierarchy, but as a complementary design. These differences are not deficiencies; they are part of the balance Allah placed within human society.

Women are endowed with emotional depth and sensitivity that are essential for nurturing, caregiving, and sustaining family life. These qualities are strengths, not shortcomings. Men, likewise, are created with qualities that suit other responsibilities. Together, these differences allow families and societies to function in balance.

Emotions, however, can influence perception in high-pressure situations such as legal disputes or interrogations. In matters of testimony related to debt, Allah Almighty, in His wisdom, placed safeguards to ensure justice is preserved. If the matter is not within a woman’s usual experience, she is given the support of another woman, so that testimony is strengthened rather than weakened.

This should not be twisted into a claim that women are less intelligent. When Allah addresses believers, He assigns men and women equal accountability before Him. Responsibilities may differ, but worth does not. Islam does not frame men and women as competitors; it allows them the space to be different without ranking one above the other.

Attempts to erase all distinctions between the sexes often assume that sameness is the only path to dignity. Islam takes a different approach. It recognises natural differences while affirming equal human value. These differences are observable in biology, psychology, and social roles, yet they do not imply that every man excels where every woman does not, or vice versa. Individuals vary, and Islam recognises this.

Just as commands such as modest dress for women are often misrepresented as oppression rather than protection, this verse is frequently misunderstood. Allah Almighty does not exclude women from giving testimony; He ensures that when they do, they are not left isolated or vulnerable in legal proceedings.

History itself refutes the idea that women are incapable of accuracy or learning. Women have excelled in scholarship, medicine, law, teaching, and religious sciences. There have been women jurists and scholars, preservers of knowledge, and authorities in memorisation and narration. Women have also long been the custodians of family history, social ties, and complex organisational responsibilities.

Why, then, does the verse mention error or forgetting?

Because forgetting itself is not a flaw. It is a necessary part of human functioning. Without forgetting, life would be unmanageable. Forgiveness, healing, and emotional resilience depend upon it. Even biologically, there is evidence that hormones associated with bonding, childbirth, and caregiving are linked to selective memory processes. This is not a failure of the mind; it is part of human design.

The verse does not state that women are incapable of accurate recall. It simply establishes a safeguard in a specific legal context. Allah, in His infinite knowledge, knows the nature of His creation better than they know themselves.

For Muslims, the foundation of faith is trust in divine wisdom. We do not weigh Allah’s commands against social trends or ideological frameworks. Just as we obey dietary laws without demanding justification, we submit to Allah’s guidance in legal and social matters with trust.

Allah Almighty says:

“The only response of the believers, when they are called to Allah and His Messenger to judge between them, is to say, ‘We hear and we obey.’ These are the successful.” (al-Nūr 24:51)

And He says:

“It is not for a believing man or woman, when Allah and His Messenger have decided a matter, to have any choice in it. Whoever disobeys Allah and His Messenger has clearly gone astray.” (al-Aḥzab 33:36)

Whether Allah requires the testimony of one man and two women, or one woman and two men, the believer’s response is the same: submission rooted in trust. His commands are not arbitrary. They are grounded in wisdom, justice, and mercy, even when that wisdom is not immediately apparent to us.