Islam And Gender Quality

Generally, people believe that religion encourages gender inequality. They also believe that Islam makes men superior to women and allows men to force, coerce and violate the rights of women. However, it is very essential to point out the fact here that Islam is a just religion that cares much about the rights of women in specific. rnIn actuality, gender inequality arises from political, economic and social factors. It is promoted as an essential element of Islam; however, it is a strong element of the culture of a nation. Islam promotes gender equality rather than gender inequality. Treating women equal to men in status forms an essential and fundamental part of the Islamic jurisprudence and teachings. rnEvidence from Quran for Gender EqualityrnOne can present various verses from the Holy Quran and different Hadith that will eventually prove that Islam promotes gender equality. Allah says in the Holy Quran, “O mankind! Fear your Lord Who (initiated) your creation from a single soul, then from it created its mate, and from these two spread (the creation of) countless men and women.” (al-Qur’an, 4:1)rnThis verse shows that man and woman were both created as equal human beings. As a gender, any one of them is not superior to another. Allah says in the Holy Quran, “And according to usage, women too have rights over men similar to the rights of men over women.” (al-Qur’an, 2:228)rnThis verse shows that the rights of men and women are equal. Therefore, men do not have any right that is not provided to women as well. Allah says in the Quran, “Men, however, have an advantage over them.” (al-Qur’an, 2:228)rnThis means that Allah has created men to be superior to women with regard to their responsibility of protecting and safeguarding the rights of women. Men have the additional responsibility to fulfill the rights of women. This is because naturally, men are physically stronger than women. They are also more tolerant when it comes to the day to day activities of life. Therefore, men are superior to women with regards to their responsibility. Allay says in the Quran, “Men are guardians and managers over women.” (al-Qur’an, 4:34)rnRights and ResponsibilitiesrnAllah has made man more responsible than woman when it comes to the fulfillment of duties and obligations. For a man, the basic responsibility is to take care of his women. Women on the other hand, are free from this social and economic burden. rnFrom an Islamic point of view, women are not burdened with any financial responsibility. Even if the woman earns herself, she will still have the right to the earnings of his partner. Whatever a woman earns, it is her personal wealth and the husband cannot claim it legally. rnTherefore, Islam provides equality to both genders in all walks of life. Man may be superior in terms of responsibility and his physical strength, however, this does not mean that women is weak and incapable of making decisions for herself.rnConclusion rnTherefore, it is important to have the basic knowledge about the teachings of Islam regarding gender equality. Teach Quran to your children to inculcate the Islamic teachings regarding the rights of women in Islam.