The Quest of a Curious Muslim — Page 49
49 matters a husband has the final say because of the responsibilities that men have. A man is not only the breadwinner of the house, but he has to help the wife take care of the internal matters of a house as well. In addition to this, a man is the guardian of a woman and is responsible for protecting her. In light of all these responsibilities, a man has been given a final say in certain matters and such situations where things might get out of hand and can ruin a family. But a very important point that needs to be understood is that immediately after granting this right to men, God warns men and reminds them that He is Mighty. This reiterates the fact that the husband is not free to use the authority as he pleases but he will be held accountable for any unjust actions. If the husband misuses this authority, God will deal with him accordingly. This thought, that God Himself will punish any man who does not carry out his responsibilities with justice is enough to shake any man to the core. The fact that a man has been given this slight authority is not a matter of gender inequality or a matter of celebration for men. This is a grave misunderstanding. This authority