The Women’s Rights Advancement and Protection Alternative (WRAPA) and Islamic scholars have raised concerns over the misuse of Islamic teachings to justify violence and discrimination against women in Nigeria.
Speaking at the presentation of a research-based publication on women’s rights in Islam in Abuja, WRAPA Secretary-General, Saudatu Mahdi, said many women still face barriers in accessing justice due to poverty, lengthy court processes and limited awareness of their rights.
She noted that repeated adjournments and the high cost of litigation often force women to abandon legal cases.
Mahdi explained that WRAPA established community-based arbitration centres, known as HAKAMIN Councils, across several states to provide quicker and more accessible dispute resolution mechanisms for women.
According to her, the initiative began in seven North-West states, including Kano, Kaduna, Katsina and Sokoto, focusing on issues such as child custody, divorce, consent in marriage, economic empowerment and women’s right to seek redress.
She stressed that the project was designed to promote women’s rights within Islamic teachings across Nigeria and not only in the North.
Also speaking, Director of the Centre for Islamic Civilisation and Interfaith Dialogue at Bayero University Kano, Taufiq Hussaini, said the publication was the outcome of years of research involving Islamic scholars, Qadis, Imams and academics.
He said the research addressed misconceptions surrounding Qur’anic verses often cited to deny women access to education, healthcare and economic opportunities.
According to Hussaini, the findings were converted into guided Friday sermons to help Imams address violence against women and family-related issues from an Islamic perspective.
He maintained that Islam does not support violence against women or the denial of their fundamental rights, adding that some harmful cultural practices and male-dominated traditions are wrongly presented as Islamic teachings.
On the issue of wife-beating, Hussaini said Islamic teachings emphasise dialogue and reconciliation, noting that references in classical texts were symbolic, non-harmful and not intended to inflict injury.
“Islam does not endorse abuse, injuries or violence against women,” he said.
The scholar also cited historical figures such as Khadijah and Fatima al-Fihriya as examples of women’s contributions to commerce and education in Islamic history.
In a separate interview, Imam of the National Mosque Abuja, Khalid Abubakar Ali, described the publication as an important tool for addressing family and societal challenges.
Ali said the sermons contained in the book would help strengthen relationships within families and promote moral values in society.
He urged Imams and Muslim families across Nigeria to embrace the teachings in the publication, stressing that building a peaceful and morally upright society is a collective responsibility.
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