Hello everyone! Welcome to Common Qs.
Todays question asks
is the status of men higher
 than that of women is islam?
This is Joe, 
today he's checking his emails 
Oh look! It seems as though Joe
has received an email from his childhood friend Ali.
Ali has gotten married a year ago
and is inviting Joe over for dinner.
Joe has never been invited to 
a Muslim household before
but decides to accept the invite.
While Joe has never been to a Muslim home,
he has heard many rumors on how there are
strict rulings on how Muslim men and women behave.
He knows from hearsay that men in Islam 
have many more rights
and are said to be more important
than Muslim women.
Joe doesn't understand why 
these different rulings exist for the different sexes.
He has heard Muslim women
are treated very badly in Islam,
they are beaten, 
made to give in to the husband’s 
whims and do all the chores at home.
In reality however Muslims
live a very balanced life. 
Muslim men and Muslim women
have the equal amount of rights in Islam.
The Quran states that humans (men and women) 
are created from one substance
which makes them equals to each other.
However equality does not mean sameness.
So perhaps 'equality'
is not the best word to use here.
Rather equity fits much better
to the stance that Islam takes on gender rights.
What is equity you ask?
Well, imagine three people 
decide to try to look over
a fence that is quite tall.
These people are all of varying heights.
'Equality' would mean 
that all stand on the same patch of ground 
and try to look over the fence.
While the conditions are all the same
and thus 'equal' the result isn't
because not everybody will be able to
look over the fence.
Now, 'equity' on the other hand
focuses on the result all being equal for all.
 It gives those people that don't
have the same strengths an opportunity
to have the same options and chances.
It might mean that the conditions
aren't the same,
but that everyone has the means 
to access a fair outcome.
However, the bigger idea within the Quran and Islam
 is that there should be equity between the sexes.
This means that whilst the man and woman
have the same potential 
to attain to perfection and salvation, 
each manifests attributes of perfection 
to varying degrees. 
There are attributes of perfection
that the woman manifests more than 
the man such as her nurturing,
her mercy and her beauty.
There are some attributes of perfection
that the man manifests more than the woman
such as his strength and sustaining/providing abilities.
Anthropologists have observed
such differences and attributes 
throughout all cultures,
from the jungles of the Amazon 
to the deserts of the Sahara.
Hence, based on such differences 
differences of composition and constitution,
each sex is assigned with different responsibilities.
Nevertheless, their access to perfection
and salvation is equal.
What do you think? 
Share your thoghts with HAQ.
