DELUSIONAL TAKE: “Prophet Mohammad is the Greatest Feminist of All Time” Says Journalist Arfa Khanum Sherwani

A STATEMENT made by Indian journalist Arfa Khanum Sherwani on X has taken people by shock, with many calling it rage-baiting. The statement was made on August 26, 2026, Eid-e-Milad-un-Nabi (Mawlid), when Arfa said that Prophet Muhammad was the greatest feminist of his time. Soon, her post garnered millions of views, with many commenting on her post with evidence to challenge her statement and others criticizing her.

Arfa wrote in the post that Muhammad was a reformer who improved the social and legal position of women and tried to give women similar rights as others. “Prophet Muhammad, the greatest feminist of his time, who emancipated women,” Arfa wrote. She then went on to mention how Muhammad challenged the patriarchal order of his time. She wrote, “Inheritance, consent, divorce. 1400 years ago, he challenged the patriarchal order of his time.”

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Islam and Women Rights

The comment section of her post then became a battleground, with many starting discussions about Islam and its role. As per the famous narration in Sahih al-Bukhari 5134, Prophet Muhammad married Aisha when she was just six years old, and then, when she turned nine, he consummated the marriage. One person added a screenshot of this with a comment, “Nice ragebait, dear.”

In Afghanistan, the Taliban, a terrorist group, have stripped women of their rights, including education and employment, and banned women from parks, gyms, and sports. Many traditional interpretations of Islam also include specific rules that assign different legal rights and responsibilities to men and women.

Netizens React to Arfa Khanum Sherwani’s “Greatest Feminist” Remark 

Her post started a discussion online about the historical role of Islam, Islamic practices concerning women, and Prophet Muhammad. One person named Kushal Mehra shared a long message trying to explain that no religion is feminist and that all women are treated badly. In his post, he wrote, “Wait what? No religions are not feminist. All of them treat women in a bad way. This is a direct verse from the Quran Surah Nisa 4.34.”

He then went on to write the verse: “Men are the caretakers of women, as men have been provisioned by Allah over women and tasked with supporting them financially. And righteous women are devoutly obedient and, when alone, protective of what Allah has entrusted them with.1 And if you sense ill-conduct from your women, advise them ˹first˺, ˹if they persist,˺ do not share their beds, ˹but if they still persist,˺ then discipline them ˹gently˺.2 But if they change their ways, do not be unjust to them. Surely Allah is Most High, All-Great.”

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Many others commented on the post, with one writing, “He was so dedicated to feminism that he married his stepson's wife to prove a point. Truly the G.O.A.T. of feminism.” Another wrote, “So marrying a 6-year-old was emancipating women?” One other wrote, “Islam was apparently quite modern for its time in THAT region. Because the rest of that region was even more backward.” Many other people said that they thought the account of Arfa was a parody account, but later realised it was not.

Another person listed practices in Islam which they argued were not feminist: “1. Child marriage, 2. Polygamy (bigamy+), 3. Triple talaq, 4. Inheritance inequality, 5. Testimony inequality, 6. Wife-beating allowance, 7. Concubines / female captives, 8. Mut’ah (temporary marriage).” Another person wrote, “First learn to wear hijab. You have been enjoying the secularism of India too much to keep yourself protected from your own religion!”

Who Is Arfa Khanum Sherwani?

Arfa Khanum Sherwani is an Indian journalist and the senior editor of The Wire. On her X handle, she has written that she is an award-winning journalist who has worked in politics, policies and social justice. She has previously worked with NDTV and Rajya Sabha. She has also been awarded the Chameli Devi Jain Award for Outstanding Women Mediapersons, the Red Ink Award, and the Sahitya Samman. Arfa is known for her strongly opinionated political and social commentary.

(Edited by Harsh Pandey)

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