WOMEN IN ISLAM

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. Thus, the biological division of human beings into male and female is the result of purposeful planning by the Creator. The Wisdom of Creation The Quran states: “O Mankind, fear your Lord, who created you from a single soul. He created its mate from it, and from the two of them, countless men and women (throughout the earth) spread. Fear God in whose name you appeal to one another, and be mindful of your obligations with respect to ties of kinship. God is always watching over you.” (4:1) Fear of God and honouring of one’s fellow men—this is the twin foundation of Islam laid down in the Quran in the above verse. According to most commentators who have penetrated the meaning of the Quran, ‘it’ in the above verse refers to ‘species.’ Eve was created not from Adam himself—but from the same species as Adam. In several other verses from the Quran, the word ‘soul’ has been used to mean ’species’—for example “God has created for you spouses of your kind.” (16:72) Another of His signs is that He created for you from among