The lecture was delivered by Mahmoud Khalaf Jarade Issaoui, Imam and preacher at the Sheikh Abdul Kader al-Kilani mosque in Baghdad, on "The honour given to the woman in the Prophet's.

The lecturer drew on the Koranic verse: "And Allah only wishes to remove all abomination from you, ye members of the Family, and to make you pure and spotless".

The lecturer underlined that the verse details the status of the Prophet’s wives and women in the Muslim society in general, who are entitled to enjoy a privileged status compared to the harsh treatment they endured before the advent of Islam.

The house of the Prophet included his wives, mother, daughters, grandchildren, aunts and even servants, Jarade Al Issaoui said, adding that the Prophet’s treatment of his family was generous and exemplary in all respects.

The gentle and kind treatment of the Prophet towards his wives and family members is inspired from the teachings of the Quran, which honors women by endowing them with equal rights to men and defining obligations that have nothing to do with the degrading status suffered by women before the arrival of Islam, the lecturer explained.

He added that the concerns of spreading the message of the Koran and building the nascent Muslim state did not prevent the Prophet from showering his family with love, magnanimity and compassion.

The Prophet story with his first wife, Khadija, is an example of the Prophet’s kind and gentle treatment of his wives, the lecturer said, citing several examples of the fair and affectionate aspects of the prophet’s marital life.

The professor underscored the particular role played by the Prophet’s wives in terms of spreading the teachings of Islam and their contribution in building the nascent Muslim state. He mentioned in this respect the prophet’s wife, Aicha, who was among the prominent narrators of the hadiths (traditions about the Prophet’s life).

Jarade Al Issaoui said he chose the lecture’s theme because of the hostility campaigns orchestrated by the detractors of Islam who attempt to distort historical facts and mar the original image of Islam with a total disrespect to the universal values it espouses.

These denigration campaigns, which also aim at offending Muslims’ feelings, cannot overshadow the shining reality of Islam’s magnanimity, he said, adding that impartial Orientalists did not miss to highlight the generous and human qualities evinced in the Prophet’s private life.

In this respect, the lecturer shed light on Karen Armstrong's book: “Muhammad: A Prophet for Our Time,” which calls on the west to radically review their opinion about Islam through a careful reading of the prophet’s contribution to humanity.

Morocco is committed to promoting the true image of Islam and reflecting its principles of justice and tolerance, the lecturer said, citing several achievements in the field of promoting women conditions, notably the new Moudawana (family law) which grants women equal rights to men.