4. THE STATUS OF WOMAN

4. The status of woman ~ 54 ~ down the whole system of nature, a procedure which can lead only to destruction. Man and woman in the eyes of Islam are not the duplicates of one another, but the complements, there being in each quite incontrovertible, biological differences which lead to the natural separation of sphere and occupation. This division of labor permits the shortcomings of one sex to be compensated for by the strengths of the other. Islamic precepts for men and women are based on their respective, natural constitutions. It is now an established biological fact that there is a difference in their physiological structure, a difference which gears men to work which is external to the home, and women to a life led mainly indoors within the home. This biological difference has not only been the determining factor in the societal division of labor, but has also necessitated the framing of special Islamic laws to ensure justice for both sexes. 43. Qur’an, 3:195. 44. Al-Bukhari, Sahih, Kitab al-Libas, (Fath al-Bari, 10/273).