The Testimony of Women

The testimony of two women is regarded as equal to that of one man. While dealing with matters of debt, the Quran says:

“When you contract a debt for a fixed period, put it in writing. And call in two male witnesses from among you, but if two men cannot be found, then one man and two women whom you judge fit to act as witnesses so that if either of them forgets, the other will remember.” (2:282)

Recent research has testified to this law in the Quran as perfectly natural. A report quotes a Soviet scientist saying that men have a more remarkable ability to memorize and process mathematical information than women, but females are better at words. Speaking to the Tass News Agency, Dr Vladimir Konovalov said, “Men dominate in mathematical subjects due to the peculiarities of their memory. The stronger sex shows greater difficulties in processing and adapting language material.” (The Times of India (New Delhi) January 18, 1985)

As indicated in the Quranic verse initially quoted, whenever there is to be any delay in payment after the conclusion of a business transaction, there must be witnesses, either two men or one man and two women. The phrase, “so that if either of them forgets, the other will remember,” clarifies that memory has to be considered next in importance to justice in such credit dealings. When biological studies have shown a woman’s memory to be weaker than a man’s, it is entirely by the facts of nature to stipulate that there should be two female witnesses in place of one man. This command thus sets a value upon memory per se. This is a practical requirement, and it does not discriminate against women or grant superiority to men.