WOMEN IN ISLAM

It is a fact that women in general are not physically as strong as men but their physical weakness in no way implies their inferiority to men. The eyes are the most delicate parts of our body, while the nails by comparison are extremely hard. That does not mean that the nails are superior to the eyes. Just as two different kinds of fruits will differ in colour, taste, shape and texture, without one being superior or inferior to the other, so also do men and women have different qualities which distinguish male from female without there being any question of inferiority or superiority. They are endowed by nature with different capacities so that they may play their respective roles in life with greater ease and effectiveness. This makes it clear that, although males and females differ from one another biologically, they are equal in terms of human status. No distinction is made between women and men as regards their respective rights. This is all for the good if they are to be lifetime companions. Men and women in the eyes of Islam then are not equal duplicates of one another, but rather complement each other. This concept permits the shortcomings of one sex to be compensated for by the strengths of the other. In respect of innate talents all individuals, be they men or women, differ from one another. Yet their need for each other is equal. All are of equal value. One is not more important or less important than the other. Similarly when it comes to the establishment of a home and raising a family, men and women have their separate roles to play. But each is vital. Each is indispensable to the other; and for them to come together, function in unison and live in harmony; there must be mutual respect. The prevailing sense is that a difference of biological function does not imply inequality. For the biological division of human beings into males and females is the result of the purposeful planning of our Creator. In ancient times women had come to be considered inferior and were deprived, among other things, of the right to inherit property. Islam for the first time in human history gave them their due legal rights over property. According to the Quran Women shall have a share in what their parents and kinsmen leave; whether it be little or much, it is legally theirs. THE QURAN, 4: 7