The Life & Character of the Seal of Prophets (sa) – Volume III — Page 48
Seal of the Prophets - Volume III 48 Equality of Rights Between Man and Woman Subsequently, in the discussion of equality, a very critical question is that of the equality between man and woman. In other words, today, where one class God-forbid, wishes to keep women suppressed below their feet like a shoe, another class is bent on giving women so much freedom as if they are beyond even the watch of their husbands in matters of administration. Furthermore, a group in Europe does not even shy away from attributing to Islām the belief that Islām does not even accept that a woman has a soul. That is to say that she is only a machine, in the likeness of an animal, whose life comes to an end upon her death. However, the Holy Qur’ān refutes all these false ideologies. First and foremost, Islām teaches that in the effort and striving for good deeds and in the acquisition of their results, man and woman are equal; and that the results of everyone’s deeds are equivalent. Therefore, God the Exalted states in the Holy Qur’ān: ٍ بَعْض مِّن ذَكَرٍ اَوْ اُنثَىٰ بَعْضُكُم مِّن اُضِيعُ عَمَلَ عَامِلٍ مِّنكُم لَا اَنِّي “O Ye People! I Who am your Creator and Master do not suffer the work of any worker from among you, whether male or female, for you are a part of one race and the branches of one tree. ” 1 Moreover, with relevance to the specific rights of husband and wife, Allāh the Exalted states: َّ عَلَيْهِن وَلَهُنَّ مِثْلُ الَّذِي “Just as wives have been made responsible for the various rights of husbands so too have husbands been made responsible for the various rights of wives. ” 2 The meaning of this Qur’ānic verse is that in the matter of rights and responsibilities, husband and wife are equal. As such, husbands have been made responsible for certain obligations while wives have also been made responsible for certain obligations, and both shall be questioned about their responsibilities. 1 Al-e-‘Imran (3:196) 2 Al-Baqarah (2:229)