Woman Between Islam and Western Society
5. Position of Woman in the Islamic Shari‘ah
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to some others. That is to say, each fruit has some
particular quality to it as regards color, and taste,
which is not found in other fruits. Similarly there
are differences between men and women. Just as
women have uniquely feminine qualities, so also do
men have uniquely masculine qualities.
That is why God enjoins us not to be jealous of
others’ qualities:
Do not covet the favors by which God has
exalted some of you above others. To men is
allotted what they earn, and to women what
they earn.
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That is, each has been blessed with different sets of
attributes. So what others have should not make
one jealous. On the contrary, one should avail of
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
