Woman Between Islam and Western Society
5. Position of Woman in the Islamic Shari‘ah
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memory. When biological studies have shown a
woman’s memory to be weaker than a man’s, it is
quite in accordance with the facts of nature to
stipulate that there should be two female witnesses
in place of one man. This command thus sets a
value upon memory perse. This is a matter of
practical requirement, and does not discriminate
against women or grant superiority to men.
AN ADDITIONAL, NOT A SUPERIOR QUALITY
Here is a verse of the Qur’an which reads: “Men are
the protectors and maintainers of women, because
God has made some of them to excel others.”
58
Fadilah
is the Arabic word used in the scriptures to
indicate the additional, masculine quality of
protectiveness. For a household to be properly run,
it should, of necessity, have a guardian.
Guardianship is rightly entrusted to the family
member who is best qualified to undertake this
responsibility — namely, the husband, for
protectiveness is a virtue which has been granted by
nature in greater measure to men than to women.
Far
from
mentioning
absolute
masculine
superiority, the above-quoted verse only implies
