“They are clothing for you and you are clothing for them.”
Men and women all descended from a single person — the Prophet Adam (peace be upon him). Islam does not accept for either of them anything but justice and kind treatment.
“And for women are rights over men, similar to those of men over women.”
-Qur’an 2:228
Men and women worship Allah in the same way, meaning they worship the same God (Allah), perform the same acts of worship, follow the same scripture, and hold the same beliefs. Allah judges all human beings fairly and equitably.
Allah emphasises the just treatment and reward due to both men and women in many verses of the Qur’an:
“Allah has promised to the believers, men and women, gardens under which rivers flow, to dwell therein, and beautiful mansions in gardens of everlasting bliss.”
-Qur’an 9:72
God created men and women to be different, with unique roles, skills and responsibilities. These differences are not viewed as evidences of superiority or inferiority, but of specialisation. In Islam, the family is of central importance. The man is responsible for the financial well being of the family while the woman contributes to the family’s physical, educational and emotional well being. This encourages cooperation rather than competition. By fulfilling their mutual responsibilities, strong families are created and hence strong societies. Also, emotionally, neither men nor women live a happy life without one another. Allah describes this beautifully by saying: They are clothing for you and you are clothing for them. -Qur’an 2:187
The Prophet (Muhammad peace be upon him) also encouraged men to treat their spouses in the best way, “The best of you are those who are best (in treatment) to their wives.”
(Riyad as-Salihin 1/628)
-source: Women’s Rights in Islam (Islamic Pamphlets website)
