. Normative teaching of Islam

Now, let us see the normative teachings of Islam with regard to the status and role of women in society. We will have thus the criteria by which one can judge the practice of Muslims and evaluate their compliance with Islam.
The principles extracted from the verses of the Quran and the words of the Prophet are in themselves, for Muslims, absolute, but the way they are implemented can differ to suit the diverse times, places, needs, the historical situations and the changes brought in the life of Muslims.
Now we will see the status of women in the Quran and Sunnah.
The status of women in the Quran and Sunnah

We shall go through:
I. The spiritual aspect.
II. The economical aspect.
III. The Social aspect.
IV. The political aspect.
V. The legal aspect.

I. The Spiritual Aspect

The Quran provides evidence that men and women are having the same human spiritual nature, and the same duties and responsibilities.
a. The same human spiritual nature:
1. God says in the Quran:
“O Mankind! Fear your Guardian-Lord, who created you from one soul, and created of like nature, his mate, and from them two scattered countless men and women”[4:1].
2. Both men and women are recipients of the “divine breath”, because they are created with the same human spiritual nature as said above.
3. Allah has invested both genders with inherent dignity and has made men and women, collectively, his trustees on earth.
4. The Quran doesn’t blame women for “the fall of man”. Adam and Eve are hold equally responsible for their sin in the Garden. Eve is never singled out for blame.
5. The Quran does not view pregnancy and childbirth as Eve’s punishment for having eaten from the forbidden tree. It rather esteems pregnancy and childbirth as sufficient reasons for the love and respect due to mothers from their children.
b. Duties And Responsibilities:
- Men and Women have the same religious and moral duties and responsibilities. The Quran says:
“Never will I suffer to be lost the work of any of you, be he male or female: you are members of one another”[3:195].
- According to Prophet Muhammad’s saying:
“Women are but twin-halves of men “ (shaqa’iq).
This hadith relates directly to the issue of gender equality: The male is worth one half and the female the other half. Can “one half” be better or bigger than the other half?
c. Criterion for “superiority”:
The Quran is quite clear about the claimed superiority or inferiority of any human. It says:
“O mankind! We created you from a single pair of a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes, that you may know each other. Verily the most honored of you in the sight of Allah is one who is the most righteous of you. And Allah has full knowledge and is well acquainted with all things”[49:13].
Our having been created by the One and Only creator implies our basic equality before Him: He is just to all. Being a faithful creature, servant and worshiper of the One God is at the heart of one’s real spirituality and humanness.
Being created “from a male and a female”, referring to Adam and Eve means that all mankind belongs to the same family, with one common set of parents. Each component of the pair is as necessary and as important as the other one and hence is equal to him or her.
Nowhere does the Quran state that one gender is superior to the other. Some interpreters of the Quran mistakenly take the Arabic word “Quewamah” for superiority. But “Quewamah” means in fact “to take care of”, “to provide for”.
The Quran makes it clear that the sole basis for the superiority of any person is piety and righteousness, not gender, color or nationality.

II. The Social Aspect
What’s new Islam had brought to the social aspect of women’s life?
a. As a Daughter
1. The Quran ended the cruel pre-Islamic practice of female infanticide, “wa’d”.
2. The Quran went further and rebuked the unwelcoming attitude of some parents upon hearing the news of the birth of a baby girl, instead of a baby boy.
3. Parents are duty bound to support and show kindness and justice to their daughters.
4. A crucial aspect in the upbringing of daughters that greatly influences their future is education. Education is not only a right, but also a responsibility for all males and females.
b. As a Mother
1. The Quran elevates kindness to parents to a status second only to the worship of Allah:
“And we have enjoined on every human being (to be good) to his/her parents: in travail upon travail did his/her mother bear him/her and years twain was his/her weaning: hear the command show gratitude to Me and to your parents: to Me is your final destination”[31:14].
2. Naturally, the Prophet specified this good behavior to his followers, rendering to mothers an unequaled status in human relationship.
A man came to the Prophet asking: “O Messenger of Allah, who among the people is the most worthy of my good companionship?”. The Prophet said: “Your mother”, the man asked: “Then, who is next”. The Prophet said: “Your mother”, the man asked: “Then, who is next”. The Prophet said: “Your mother”, the man further asked: “Then, who is next”. The Prophet said: “Your father”.
c. Towards Women in general
Prophet Muhammad taught kindness, care and respect towards all women, he said:
“I commend you to be kind to women”.
“It is the generous among you who is good to women and it is the wicked who insults them”.
d. As a Wife