2. THE QUALITIES OF A BELIEVING WOMAN

2. The qualities of a believing woman ~ 31 ~ but for both sexes. These are the qualities that form the basis of Islam, and are the true means of salvation in the world to come. 30. Abu Dawud, Sunan, Kitab al-Jihad, 3/5. 31. Qur’an, 22:46. THE EXAMPLE OF MUSLIM WOMEN Just as men function on different planes of religiosity, so do women have their own separate spheres of religious effectiveness. Let us first consider their everyday level of existence in which adherence to their religion broadly means paying the dues of God and men in purely personal matters. In particular, it means true belief in God and the carrying out of His commandments; strict adherence to justice in all worldly transactions; withstanding the temptations of the self as instigated by Satan; paying what is due to God in terms of one’s wealth and life; giving the hereafter priority over the present world; being guided by Islamic ethics in dealing with one’s family, relatives and friends; invariably dealing