Woman in Islamic Shari‘ah
3. Womanhood in Islam
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daughter as he might be on his son, for he knows
that boys are made of sterner stuff than girls. The
latter tend to break under severe pressure. For this
reason females are more prone to suicide than
males. Sometimes a trivial matter can drive a
woman to suicide, or cause her to have a nervous
breakdown. In likening a woman to a rib, the
Prophet was expressing this fact of life in
metaphorical terms. Ribs have a slight curve in
them. There is good reason for them to be made that
way. They should be left in their natural state. No
attempt should be made to straighten them.
The Prophet used a parable to explain the delicacy
of women’s nature, pointing out that they should be
treated in accordance with their nature. Their
delicate emotional constitution should always be
borne in mind. God has created them that way, and
He has done so for good reason. They should be
treated kindly. If they have to be told something, it
should be done tactfully, in a gentle tone.
Abruptness and severity will break them, as a rib is
broken by any attempt to straighten it. Once, when
the Prophet was on a journey, he saw some women
riding on a camel. The man leading the camel made
