What man earns will be his and whatever the woman earns will belong
to her (4:32).
It will thus be seen that Qur'an treats man and woman as equals in all
respects. The fact is that mankind will attain human stature only
when it speaks about man and woman in terms of human beings,
and not with reference to sex distinction. Woman (like man) has her
own personality, and the relation of personality to personality
cannot be a relation of means and end; all personality is an end in
itself.
II. Woman (Mother)The rudiments of family life are also found even in the animal
world. The young of most animals are helpless when they are born
and cannot survive if they are left to themselves. The task of
looking after them is performed sometimes by the female and, in
some cases, by both together. Among the birds, male and female
participate in bringing up the young. In some kinds of fish, the
female is indifferent to the young, while the male provides for them
and protects them from danger. Among mammals, care of the
young is the chief concern of the female. Some animals, however,
let their young fend for themselves at an early age. The human infant
remains helpless and in need of parental care for a much longer
period. The protracted infancy of the human child necessitates
close association of parents with the children over a number of
years. In this close companionship, tender emotions germinate and
develop. Strong ties of love and affection bind the parents and
children closely and permanently. Home is the stage on which the
members of the family play their respective roles. Home symbolises
happiness, peace, security and mutual sympathy. It is the field for
satisfying social contacts and fruitful co-operation. Under parental
care, the individual not only attains physical maturity but also
becomes a humanised and socialised being. The family is the matrix
in which his personality is shaped and moulded. Membership of the
family prepares him for membership of society. Society is only the
family enlarged. By virtue of the training he has received in
sympathy, tolerance and co-operation, he takes his rightful place in
society as a free and responsible person.
Woman 296