The Qur’an explicitly states while addressing the Prophet ﷺ: And We did not send before you any but men, to whom We revealed. (Surah al-Anbiyāʾ 21:7)

From this verse, it is clear that only men were appointed as messengers. However, this does not mean that women were entirely excluded from receiving divine inspiration.

The Qur’an itself mentions that certain women were the recipients of divine communication. The mothers of the prophets Mūsā and ʿĪsā (peace be upon them) are cases in point. They were guided and instructed through divine messages. These communications, however, are technically classified not as nubuwwah (prophethood) but as ilhām—a kind of spiritual inspiration.

Famous Qur’anic commentators like Imam Ibn al-Jawzī, Imam al-Suyūṭī, Muqātil ibn Sulaymān, and al-Ṭāhir ibn ʿĀshūr all report that Ibn ʿAbbās, a companion and cousin of the Prophet ﷺ, referred to this kind of inspiration as ilhām.

So, even if a woman receives ilhām, it does not confer upon her the status of prophethood. This distinction is crucial. But why were women not chosen as prophets?

While we cannot decisively state the divine wisdom behind God’s choices, some rational observations can be made:

1. Prophethood is an Extremely Burdensome Responsibility

Being a prophet involves bearing a heavy message, confronting resistance, enduring hardship, and delivering divine truth to people who may ridicule or harm you. Women, by their nature and social roles, are generally not suited to this level of confrontation and public burden. Exempting women from this burden is in itself an expression of divine mercy.

2. The Human Body and Gender Dynamics

A woman’s physical form naturally arouses more attraction in men. If a female prophet were tasked with preaching to large groups of men, it could create social complications, distractions, or temptations on both sides. In order to avoid such fitnah (trial), Allah did not assign women to this highly public-facing role.

3. Gendered Psychological Dispositions

Men and women are created with different psychological orientations. A man is, in general, more equipped to endure the emotional challenges, battlefield responsibilities, and direct confrontations often required of a prophet. While some women may be exceptions, the general emotional intensity and vulnerability associated with femininity could render the prophetic burden more difficult for women to bear.

Even in modern times, we observe how many women in leadership positions—no matter how capable—often face moments of emotional overwhelm. It’s not a sign of weakness but a natural disposition. To assign them prophetic burdens would be to go against that very nature.

4. Physiological Realities

Women’s bodies are designed to go through menstruation, pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum recovery—all of which can physically and emotionally limit one’s availability for leadership or constant public duties. A prophet, by contrast, must be constantly accessible to the public and available for guidance, war, diplomacy, and social reform. The rhythms of female physiology would make such continuous availability difficult.

5. The Priority of Motherhood

Women are blessed with the noble responsibility of motherhood—a role that demands full emotional, physical, and spiritual attention. They are the first caregivers, nurturers, and moral educators of humanity. Prophethood, with all its public demands, would potentially conflict with this God-given responsibility. To free them from the burden of prophethood is to honour and protect the sacred role of motherhood.

It must be emphasized: this is not a matter of spiritual inferiority. In terms of access to divine closeness, moral elevation, and knowledge, women are on par with men.

In fact, the Qur’an presents two women—Āsiyah, the wife of Pharaoh, and Maryam, the mother of ʿĪsā (peace be upon him)—as examples for all believers, male and female:

And God sets forth an example for the believers: the wife of Pharaoh … and Mary, daughter of ʿImrān. (Surah al-Taḥrīm 66:11–12)

Thus, not choosing women as prophets was not an act of exclusion or devaluation, but rather, a reflection of divine mercy and wisdom, considering both the demands of prophethood and the natural constitution of women.