Position of Women before Islam:

The relation between man and women over the span of history had remained deprived of justice among many successive generations.;She was disdainfully treated, browbeaten and didn't have the right to choose for herself, neither did she have the right to lead her own life and history bears witness unimpeachably towhat she suffered at the hands of man in many societies though these were civilized and of high intellect orientation. Likewise, in the pre-Islamic paganism, woman was subject to man and not endowed with a free will.

As for marriage, women had no power of free choice about whom to marry; the father or any other male guardian had the absolute decision in this regard. Dowry was to be given to him, not to the girl. She was dealt as a mere chattel; marriage was just like a sale or a deal, not a human relationship  based on mutual rights and respect. They used to be an object of sex, persecution and exploitation. Marriage was usually considered a means for satisfying men’s lust, not for raising families.

In his noteworthy study about the etymology of the Arabic word "Ba'l," Dr. Jawad Ali traced them back far into the history of the south peninsula; he found that the old Arabic texts called the husband “Ba'el" which, at the time, meant "the Master" and called the wife "Ba'elah" which literary meant "the women in the possession of the Husband." That is why she was dealt as a bequest. Therefore, according to ancient Hebrews, a brother had the right to take his brother's wife once he died, leaving no children, as the brother  was  the legitimate heir to his brother’s property that included his wife. The same tradition was adopted by pagan Arabs before Islam; the nephew inherited this right from his father.

This is the same concept that gave the relatives of the deceased, in case he died leaving no children behind, the absolute right to marry his widow, In other words, his son or relatives had the top priority over others in the regard; he can marry her or prevent her form marrying until death. 

When Islam downed, it abolished considering woman as a property that could be inherited, giving widows the choice whether to marry or not and whom to marry after Iddah (period of waiting before remarrying). God says in this regard what means:

“And the ones of you who are taken up, (i.e., those who die) and leave behind (them) spouses, (the spouses) (i.e., the widows. The following verb is in the feminine plural) shall await by themselves for four months and ten (days); (This is the Iddah "term" for a widowed woman before she can remarry) so, when they have reached their term, then there is no fault in you whatever they perform (with) themselves with beneficence; and Allah is Ever-Cognizant of whatever you do.” 2:234

 Islam strictly forbids a man to treat his wife with harshness or put pressure on her until she gives up some of the dowry or until she dies to inherit her property, a custom which some pre-Islamic pagan Arabs used to. God says in this regard what means:

“You who have believed, it is not lawful for you to inherit women against their will; (Literally: through compulsion) neither pose problems for them that you may go away with some (part) of what you have brought them…” 4:19

  Also Islam strictly prohibits marrying stepmothers, God says in the Holy Quran in this regard what means:

“And do not marry women that your fathers married, except what has already gone by; surely that is an obscenity and detestation, and an odious way.” 4:22

 Therefore, Qur’an establishes these three provisions to abolish the pre-Islamic custom of inheriting widows and its consequents.

          Among the many grievances that woman suffered before the advent of Islam is the unrestrainedly repetitive divorce, which gave  blind eyes to women feelings, their rights and  their interests, it was a divorce that was exercised by man according to his temper. So Islam, in Sura Al-Bakra, has codified some laws to stop this manipulation on the part of man and has limited the number of divorces to only two times after which man has no right to take her back. God says what means:

“A divorce is only permissible twice: after that, the parties should either hold together on equitable terms, or separate with kindness.” 2:229

    As for inheritance, pre-Islamic pagan Arabs had the right to distribute their properties just as they pleased. The only main rule was that neither women nor even male relatives of the mother were entitled to inherit; only mature male relatives of the dead were allowed to inherit. Islam has annulled all these injustices, giving women definite considerable shares of inheritance that, we can say for the sake of brevity, has put her on equal respectful footing with man.

 Furthermore, in the pre-Islamic period, female infanticide was the norm, and hatred for women was the prevailing attitude.

Islam condemns female infanticide and acknowledges females’ right to life:

Among the many forms of humiliating females was the custom of burying female children alive for fear that they should incur shame and poverty on their fathers, a custom that could not go uncritical but strongly condemnedand suppressed by Islam, that came to extricate those pagans form the quagmire of paganism. The Holy Quran says about this abomination what means:

“And when one of them is given the tidings of (the birth) of a female, his face lingers blackened and he is ever-repressed (with sorrow). He hides himself from (Literally: overlays himself beyond) (the sight) of the people because of the odious tidings (given) him, whether he should retain it in degradation or shove it in the dust. Verily, odious is (the way) they judge!” 16:58,59. He also says (what means): “And when the female infant buried alive will be asked: For whichever guilty deed she was killed.” 81:8,9, and He also says (what means): “And do not kill your children in apprehension of want; We provide for them and for you (too); surely, the killing of them is a great sin.” 17:31

Disposing of female infant babies was something stupefying and  heart breaking as these females babies were buried alive, there were  various ways: A girl might be left until she culminated six years- an age of doom because it was their custom to bury children at this age. A father, in order to conceal their malicious intent, used to invent lies saying to their women: "perfume the child and dress her up because I am going to take her to visit our relatives."  

Once they reached a well that he had already prepared, he allured the helpless miserable child saying: “Look inside it!” Then, he pushed her to fall into the well, heaping on her earth. Others made a woman give birth on the brink of a hole so that if the born was a girl, they would throw it into the hole piling up sand on her. Even those who did not practise female infanticide, used to give her abject humiliating life until she was strong enough to graze their animals; they thendressed her down and sent her to pasture their camels. There were many other forms of female humiliations and injustices.

     That was the pagan Arabs’ perspective of women status untill Islam budded into life to close this chapter, Islam denouncedsuch customs and prohibited female infanticide for which man will stand accountable and severe punishment will be meted out on Judgment Day.

           So, Islam treats men and women equally, giving all of them the right to life; it considers violating this right a great sin conflicting with God’s will and His Dispensation to honour mankind.

   Contrary to the then prevailing concept of preferring to beget males because they could share in wars and earn money, Islam insists of the great advantages of having daughters.

The Prophet Mohammad (peace be upon him) says:

“If a man brings up his daughter well, nourishes her well, and shares with her the gifts which God has bestowed upon him, she will bring him fortune and will facilitate his passage from Hell to Heaven.”

 Also, Abu-Hurriyra, one of the most famous Hadith narrators, narrates that the Prophet says:

"Whoever takes care of three daughters will enter Paradise." So a man asked how about two daughters, the Prophet (peace be upon him) said "he, too, will enter Paradise," so the man asked how about one daughter and the Prophet (peace be upon him) answered "he, too, will enter paradise."Moreover, the Prophet Mohammad (peace be upon him) says: “Daughters are the best of your children.” He (peace be upon him) also says: “The best amongst you is the one who has a first-born daughter.”

          Also Ana's narrated the prophet says:

"The similitude of the Muslim who goes to the market and buy something to his children is like the person who gives alms to the poor, let him start with his female children, for whoever brings joy to a female is like crying out of fear of God, and he who cries out of fear of God will be safeguarded by God from the Fire.”

So, as shown above, Islam has brought laws that rectified the unjust treatment that women suffered and determined for her the correct status in society vis-à-vis man's and equated between them as regard the right to honourabl life that God has chosen for the human race including man and woman. God says (what means):

“And indeed We have already honored the Children of Adam and carried them on land and sea, (Literally: in the land the sea) and provided them of the good (things), and graced them over many of whom We created with marked graciousness.” 17:70. Self-explanatorily, “children of Adam” include both men and women.