Woman Between Islam and Western Society
6. The Rights of Husband and Wife
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able to perform either of the two duties properly.
That is why her economic maintenance has been
entrusted to her husband so that the proper upkeep
of the home and family is guaranteed. At the
beginning of marital life a man makes this pledge
symbolically by giving the woman a sum of money
in the form of
mahr.
MAINTENANCE
The specific monetary form of the symbolic pledge
is called “maintenance.” Each office brings with it
responsibility, that of a man being the upkeep of his
wife.
In the home, man is the protector (the head). This is
because man is by birth the stronger sex in the
physical sense. This in no way means that he is
superior to woman in the absolute sense. Whatever
superiority he has relates only to those traits which
make a man deserving of the office of maintainer.
The wording of the above mentioned verse (4:34)
means that everyone is superior to others in some
particular respect. The distinguishing features
required for becoming a maintainer
(qawwam)
are
more numerous in men than in women, that is why
