WOMEN IN ISLAM

In the material world, every atom consists of positive and negative particles. In the plant and animal worlds, there are males and females. The human world consists of men and women. This pairing system of the world means that everything functions in a pair fashion. In other words, nature works on the principle of complementarity rather than in an independent manner. Observing this natural fact, one can say that using the term ‘gender equality’ to express the relationship between men and women is not realistic. The correct statement based on nature is: ‘Men and women are equal in respect and different in roles.’ ROLE OF WOMEN IN HISTORY Both men and women, each being equal, have a different sphere of action. In contributing to social activity, the men undertake whatever is more challenging, while the women deal with whatever is lighter. The Quran says that men are in charge of, that is, they are ‘maintainers’ of women (4:34). This leads to a common misconception that Islam gives a higher status to men than women. According to this verse of the Quran, it does not mean that men have a distinctive status over women— being maintainers of women has never been intended as a form of discriminatory treatment. It rather concerns the practical management of the home, for which the man is held responsible. However, this does not mean a woman will never be allowed to shoulder these responsibilities.