FOREWORD

FOREWORD In Islam, there is no difference between man and woman regarding status, rights, and blessings in this world and Hereafter. Both men and women are equal participants in life, following the principles of being ‘equal in respect and different in roles.’ Man and woman, in the eyes of Islam then, are not duplicates of one another but complements. This concept permits the shortcomings of one sex to be compensated for by the strengths of the other. Men and women can be likened to a cart running on two wheels. Each of the wheels contributes equally to the running of the cart. Even if only one of the wheels goes out of order, the cart will stop. The way a cart traverses its path with the help of the two wheels, precisely in the same way, with the cooperation of men and women, the life system can be run efficiently. Similarly, when it comes to the establishment of a home and the raising of a family, men and women have their separate roles to play. But each is vital. Each is indispensable to the other. For them to come together, function in unison, and live in harmony, there must be mutual respect and a prevailing sense that a difference in biological function does not imply inequality. The biological division of human