6- Psychological differences:Women tend to beautify themselves (putting make up and the like). There are Psychological differences between men and women:1. In emotions:Women’s emotions are stronger than men’s. Thus, they have more ability to take care of children, parents, brothers, and sisters. Their emotions can be arisen faster than men’s. This characteristic is suitable for women’s first mission which is to bring up her children and provide them with high emotions as well as with milk.
A woman came to the Prophet PBUH and said to him:O, messenger of Allah, my husband took me as a wife when I was young, beautiful, and wealthy, and now that I got old, out of shape, my family are scattered, and my wealth is gone, he said to me: You are to me like my mother, and I have children from him. If I leave them they will be lost, and if I take them they will be hungry2. In will:Woman’s will is weaker than man’s, as she is so demanding yet forgetful, she walks away from what she wants, she is moody, and she hesitates a lot.
Thus, she is less cohesive, less determined, and less firm than man. The question to be asked is: What is the wisdom behind all that? These characters match her mission. Had wome had the same characters as men, they would have been in disagreement which leads to divorce. All these characters in women are meant to be suitable for her mission as a wife, a mother, and an educator for her kids.
A woman’s relation to her children is based on tenderness, love and passion. Because children’s minds are emotion and desire oriented. Women can’t deal with children with weak emotion and stubborn will. That’s why mothers are usually closer to their children than fathers.3. In braveness:Men and women differ in braveness too. Women are usually less brave than men, and because of that they follow familiar ways and jobs that are in harmony with their nature, and that is because the woman is a daughter and a wife, and we should not forget about the role of protectiveness and maintenance that is assigned to men in the family, Allah says:(Men are the protectors and maintainers of women, because Allah has made one of them to excel the other, and because they spend (to support them) from their means.)[Al Nisaa, 34]Woman is less impulsive than man who is molded to be initiative, explorer, cruiser for the unknown, and creative in such aspects, and he is supported by the woman who pushes him forward as she doesn’t have his braveness.7- Religious differences:There are religious differences between man and woman as follows:1. Moral and cultural responsibility:Allah the Almighty assigned man to a moral responsibility for his family, Allah says:(O you who believe! Ward off from yourselves and your families a Fire (Hell) whose fuel is men and stones, over which are (appointed) angels stern (and) severe, who disobey not, (from executing) the Commands they receive from Allah, but do that which they are commanded)[Al Tahreem, 6]Dear brothers:(Ward off from yourselves and your families a Fire (Hell))[Al Tahreem, 6]Some interpreters said: order them to leave sins and perform acts of worship, and by doing so you are warding off hellfire from them.
Whereas, other interpreters said: the word “families” includes the wife and children.
Omar, May Allah be pleased with him, asked the Prophet PBUH about the interpretation of this Ayah, so the Prophet PBUH said:To prevent them from what is forbidden by Allah, and order them to do what is enjoined by Allah and by that you will be warding them off fireThis is the meaning of the Ayah, and according to it, every believer is assigned to ward off hellfire from his family by ordering them of performing acts of worship and forbidding them from committing sins. Hence, Imam Ali, May Allah be pleased with him, said:Teach yourselves and your families the good and rear themSome scholars concluded that man should seek knowledge in general, and should seek all the knowledge needed to rear his wife and kids in particular, how so? How to ward off hellfire from the family? What is necessary to complete the Fard (obligatory duty), is a duty itself, what completes a Wajeb (mandatory ), is a mandatory itself, and what completes a Sunnah is Sunnah, hence, if Allah ordered you to ward off hellfire from your family by guiding them to Allah’s path, ordering them to be obedient, and prohibiting them from sinning, that requires that you abide by all that yourself. It was said in the noble Hadith:Let Allah have mercy on the man who said: O my family, pray, fast, perform Zakat, take care of the wretched, the orphans, and take care of your neighbor, perhaps Allah will put you together in paradise (by doing all that)Allah might reunion man with his family in paradise if he ordered them and they responded, and he prohibited them and they were prohibited. Allah says:(Ward off from yourselves and your families a Fire (Hell))[Al Tahreem, 6]So parents have great responsibility in raising their children, the Prophet PBUH said:Neglecting one’s own dependents is a reason enough for a man to commit a sin[Muslim, Abu Dawud, and Ahmad]The hadith indicates that it isn’t enough to provide your children with food, money, and sustenance, it is more important to acquaint them with Allah’s orders and prohibitions, follow up on their religious duties, and make sure they don’t commit sins.2. Spending:Dear brothers, man is assigned by Allah to religious, moral, and ethical responsibilities towards his family, in addition to his responsibility to spend on them. Thus, it was said: seeking sustenance is obligatory after the religious duties. In other words, after fulfilling your religious duties, you are demanded of another duty, which is to seek sustenance and to make a living.The Prophet PBUH touched the hand of Ibn Masood once and found it so rough because of hard work, so he raised it and said to His companions: ((Allah and his messenger love this hand (i.e. indicating that Allah and his messenger love those who work hard))Spending on wife and kids and providing them with their needs of food, drink, house, and clothes, is an essential responsibility within man’s available income and is considered as an act of worship. Basically, any permissible handcraft practiced in permissible ways to sustain yourself and your family and of which you spend on the poor and serve Muslims without leaving your religious duties, is considered as an act of worship. Some scholars said: If permissible matters were accompanied with good intensions they will turn into acts of worship, Allah says:(Let the rich man spend according to his means, and the man whose resources are restricted, let him spend according to what Allah has given him. Allah puts no burden on any person beyond what He has given him. Allah will grant after hardship, ease)[Al Talaq, 7]And in another Ayah Allah says:(but the father of the child shall bear the cost of the mother’s food and clothing on a reasonable basis)[Al Baqara, 233]This is the religious difference between man and woman, as Allah assigned man to religious, moral, and ethical responsibilities, and assigned him to spend on his wife and children. It is considered as an act of worship to make a living in order to spend on your family.