Woman in Islamic Shari‘ah
4. The status of woman
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whatever talents have been bestowed upon one
and, in the processs, make a positive contribution to
family and social life.
It is a fact that women 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 fruit will differ in
color, taste, shape and texture, without one being
superior or inferior to the other, so also do men and
women have their different qualities which
distinguish the male from the female without there
being any question of superiority or inferiority. If
men and women have been endowed with different
capacities, it is so that they will play their respective
divinely predetermined roles in life with greater
ease and effectiveness. Certain feminine abilities
will be superior to certain masculine abilities, and
vice versa simply because their natural spheres of
application are different. Success in life for both
men and women can be attained only if they devote
