Question:

Gender has a unique approach in Islāmic term. Please explain.

Answer:

Your question is not clear. May be you are wishing to know the role, rights and obligations of each sex. For Islam male and female are two equal parts of humanity, which complement each other. There is no perception of superiority of one and inferiority of the other. Both are equally treated, held accountable and rewarded or punished for their exclusive acts. Islam does not believe that Adam was tempted by Eve to commit what in the Biblical literature is called the Original Sin, which then necessitated crucifixion of the son.

Men and women are, however, different in some other ways – anatomy, sentiments, psychology etc. – yet, per force, have to come and live together (to make a family, the foundation brick of human society and civilization). There is a natural division of responsibilities, obligations and rights for both. Those who raise objections to the Islāmic gender scheme, only fail to understand and appreciate it in its totality. For instance, they find the female share in inheritance discriminative, because they forget or overlook that a lady has no financial obligation in the Islāmic Family System. That her tasks being pre-dominantly in-house, she is totally absolved of numerous duties without least affecting her rights and rewards. She is the beloved as child and as grown up girl, the source of peace, comfort and solace as wife, and the most respected individual in family and society as mother.

Other cultures seem to have lost most of this gender treatment even by way of principle. Muslims at large also give a distorted picture of Islam. What we have briefly noted above, is based on the Qur’ān and Sunnah, and makes, what you can call, a unique approach, distinctly prominent and refreshing.

Let it be realized that women, before Islam, were meted out inhuman treatment. Just to give a few examples. Ramayana, the sacred Hindu scripture (composed in the late sixteenth century) recommends in unequivocal terms: Drums rustic, untouchables, animal, woman – deserve they all a thorough thrashing (Tulsi Das – Rama Charistra Manasa). Under the ancient Roman law (as was the case in the pagan Arab at the time of Qur’ānic revelations), after the death of her husband, a widow’s sons or in-laws, especially brother-in-laws, had the legal right over her (Encyclopedia Biblica). The same authentic source notes about woman in Judaism and Christianity that: the girl’s consent is unnecessary and the need for it is nowhere suggested in the Law. According to David and Vera Mace (Marriage: East and West), the great Christian scholar Saint Tertulian addressed woman to tell her: You are the Devil’s gateway; you are the unsealer of that forbidden tree; you are the first deserter of the divine law; … you destroyed so easily God’s image, man. If one needs to know how Tertulian came to believe and make his most scathing attacks on womenfolk, just go through Genesis 3:1-7, 12 and 16 in the Testament. Even till the recent past, the West believed: women, blacks and apes belonged the same species. The Biblical tradition (interpolated, of course) is that: it was Woman who misled Adam and caused him to be ousted of the Paradise.

Muĥammad (peace be upon him) and the Book he was given, categorically denied all these charges. It was announced that with respect to humanity there was no difference between man and woman; both are equal servants of Allah, to be rewarded or punished based on their personal deeds; that men [though are qawwām or administrators in the family] are not masters; that marriage is a contract between two free parties; that, because of natural difference in biology, physique and structure, and not because of any difference in status, men and women are to perform their duties in their respective areas. They are so equal that the Qur’ān [2:187] says: [They (wives) are your (husband’s) garments, and you are their garments].

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