Islam is a sexist religion?

I'm sure we all aware of this statement, from the media, or from other people around us, or even from our own thought, when we think about it base on our shallow understanding of Islam.
I guess its normal, we all human, logical being, faith doesnt come by without deeper understanding and thinking.

Therefore sometime, even Muslims themselves believe in this statement, and some even try to reinterpret the Quran because they think there are bias in the interpretation as it was translated by males, therefore it is from male perspective.
Probably this is an unnecessary step, because what I believe, we don't need 'new' interpretation, as the most important thing is, to understand the meaning behind what had been interpreted.

As a Muslim, we believe in all things Allah had told us to, its in the faith.
But, how you as a Muslims, going to face such remark on Islam. Is your current methodology is wise enough?
Or if you are still searching, you want the answer and you feel that your faith is not strong enough.

Even if you are not a Muslim, but you are open minded, and want to learn what Islam actually is, and why there are the so called 'sexist rules' in the religion,
Or you have been irked and unsatisfied, by the common answer from a Muslim regarding Islam. for example, When u asked, why a Muslim women need to cover up?, they replied with the common stereotypical: to prevent her from being raped. Of course this doesnt make sense.

There are answers for this.
Perfect Justice: Debunking the male bias myth by Yasir Qadhi

The introduction transcript

The topic that has been assigned for me for today, is entitled perfect justice debunking the male bias myth. In other words the topic is about explaining to non Muslims in our time even many Muslims why is it there are so many gender specific rules. Gender different rules in Islam.

Why do our women have to wear hijab and not man?

Why is it that a man is allowed to practice polygamy and not women?

Why is it that the inheritance is different?

Why, Why Why?

So many questions arise from non Muslims and even in our times for many Muslims They are questioning the fundamentals of their religion. The fundamentals of Fiqh. The fundamentals of Usul. The fundamentals of male female interaction and they are wondering why is our religion is so different from what we see around us today. From the environment we have been raised in and so I’m trying to explain in this talk in a nutshell our proper methodology of response.

How do we response to these allegation Somebody comes and tell us Islam is a very Chauvinistic religion? Its a sexist faith? It prefers men over women? And they list a number of things such as polygamy, such as hijab, such as inheritance, such as this and that, witnesses in the court and they list a number of things and they say look, look at this type of religion, its making women backwards, and is promoting male chauvinism and making men better than women. How do we response to these allegation? how do we defend our faith from these accusations?

Now the topic that I’m talking about is very common, is very common you’d heard it so many times on human rights in Islam, in fact I may even go so far as to say that this has become a staple topic for many conventions and many speakers. So much so that an average talk that is advertise with this topic in mind, would not even generate a great response because its cliché been there done that. I’ve heard this conversation before So let me reassure you that although the topic might indeed be very common. In fact one of the most common topics at Muslim conventions and gatherings. Let me be so bold as to state that the response you’ll hear today insyaAllah is a very very unique response It is a response that is rarely heard It is a response that I personally believe is a much better and perfect response than the traditional, than the stereotypical response that is given to these questions

Because and I claim perhaps very boldly and Ill justify this claim that the traditional methodology of responding to these allegations by traditional methodology I’m referring to answers that all of you know.

Why is a men is allowed to have more than one wife and a women isn’t? Well because during the times of war its men who dies and the women is more numerous because there is orphans because you know more widowers.

Why is it that u know the inheritances is more for the men vs. the women? Well because the men has more financial obligation than a women, so you have these (excuse me) stereotypical responses okay.

And I state quite boldly and Ill defend this insyaAllah that these responses have not, cannot and will not succeed in doing justice to our religion These traditional responses, they will not succeed in solving this bias In solving this perception that non Muslims and unfortunately many Muslims who are now grounded in their religion have of our religion with regards to male female interactions.

I hope, above transcript of the introduction had intrigue your interest in watching and listening to the video below. Mark your planner for an hour date with this Yasir Qadhi’s lecture, because I think it is the best lecture providing the best answer in this issue.

to download, find the link here

About Yasir Qadhi
Yasir Qadhi was born in Houston, Texas and completed his primary and secondary education in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. He graduated with a B.Sc. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Houston, after which he was accepted as a student at the Islamic University of Madinah. After completing a diploma in Arabic, he graduated with a B.A. from the College of Hadith and Islamic Sciences. Thereafter, he completed a M.A. in Islamic Theology from the College of Dawah.
His published works include Riya'a: The Hidden Shirk, Du'aa: The Weapon of the Believer, and An Introduction to the Sciences of the Qur'an.
Yasir Qadhi is currently pursuing his doctorate, in Religious Studies, at Yale University in New Haven, CT. At AlMaghrib Instiute he teaches the Light of Guidance and the Light Upon Light seminars, which focus on aqeedah.