AN ADDITIONAL, NOT A SUPERIOR QUALITY

AN ADDITIONAL, NOT A SUPERIOR QUALITY Here is a verse of the Qur’an which reads: “Men are the protectors and maintainers of women, because God has made some of them to excel others.”58 Fadilah is the Arabic word used in the scriptures to indicate the additional, masculine quality of protectiveness. For a household to be properly run, it should, of necessity, have a guardian. Guardianship is rightly entrusted to the family member who is best qualified to undertake this responsibility — namely, the husband, for protective­ness is a virtue which has been granted by nature in greater measure to men than to women. Far from mentioning absolute masculine superiority, the above-quoted verse only implies that man is the master in the home because of the additional attributes with which he has been endowed by nature. Faddala ba’dahum ‘ala ba’d is an Arabic expression meaning “excelled some on other,” which occurs several times in the Qur’an. For instance, various kinds of crops and fruits grow from the same soil and water. Of this the Qur’an says: “And in the land, there are adjoining plots: vineyards and corn fields and palm-groves, the single and the clustered. Yet We make some excel others in taste. Surely in this there are signs for men of understanding.”59 The following is an excerpt from a commentary on this verse by ‘Abdullah Yusuf ‘Ali, well known Commentator on the Qur’an: “The date palm, the crops of food grains, and the grape-vine are all fed by the same kind of water: yet how different to all vegetation. The fruit or eatable produce may vary in shape, size, colour, flavour, etc. in endless variety.”60 All Commentators on the Qur’an have placed emphasis on this difference and variety, rather than on some fruits being superior, in an absolute sense, to some others. That is to say, each fruit has some particular quality to it as regards color, and taste, which is not found in other fruits. Similarly there are differences between men and women. Just as women have uniquely feminine qualities, so also do men have uniquely masculine qualities. That is why God enjoins us not to be jealous of others’ qualities: Do not covet the favors by which God has exalted some of you above others. To men is allotted what they earn, and to women what they earn.61 That is, each has been blessed with different sets of attributes. So what others have should not make one jealous. On the contrary, one should avail of whatever talents have been bestowed upon one and, in the processs, make a positive contribution to family and social life. It is a fact that women are not physically as strong as men, but their physical weakness in no way implies their inferiority to men. The eyes are the most delicate parts of our body, while the nails by comparison are extremely hard. That does not mean that the nails are superior to the eyes.