4. THE STATUS OF WOMAN

4. The status of woman ~ 53 ~ 4. THE STATUS OF WOMAN IN ISLAM, a woman enjoys the same status as that of a man. In the words of the Qur’an, “You are members, one of another.”43 There is no difference between man and woman as regards status rights and blessings both in this world and in the hereafter. Both are equal participants so far as the carrying out of the functions of daily living is concerned. If Islam stresses the division of labor between the sexes rather than sexual equality, it is because it does not countenance the idea of either sex suffering from the feelings of degradation and inferiority resulting from any imitation of the opposite sex. As the Prophet once observed: “Those men are cursed who try to resemble women, and those women are cursed who try to resemble men.”44 The biological division of human beings into male and female is the result of purposeful planning on the part of the Creator. And there can be no human progress without constant respect being shown for this division. Any attempt to cross the dividing line laid down by the Almighty is akin to breaking