- His words:
“Men are caretakers of women because Allah has given some of them advantage over others and because they spend of their wealth. Righteous women, therefore, are devoutly obedient, guarding what is to be guarded in their husbands’ absence, because Allah has guarded it. But those from whom you fear rebellion—admonish them, then leave them alone in their beds, then strike them. If they then obey you, do not seek a way against them. Surely Allah is Most High, Most Great.” (Qur’an 4:34)
• This verse combines a declarative statement with a command. It states that men are charged with guardianship over women in both religious and worldly matters: they must see to it that their wives fulfil Allah’s rights, safeguard His obligatory duties, refrain from every sin and corruption, and be cultivated upon noble character and refined etiquette. They are likewise responsible for their wives’ material entitlements—maintenance, clothing, housing, and everything that stems from these.
• “Because Allah has given some of them advantage over others and because they spend of their wealth” means that this guardianship rests on the superiority Allah has granted men over women and on the benefits men confer upon them. That superiority manifests itself in several ways:
– All positions of public authority are confined to men, as are prophethood and messengership. (1)
– Bodily jihad is a duty peculiar to them.
– Attendance at the congregational and Friday prayers, and similar obligations, are required of them.
– They excel women in intellect, composure, sound judgment, patience, resilience, and physical strength.
• Their hand is also the upper one in the realm of expenditures: most kinds of spending and many charitable enterprises are shouldered by men. In this too they surpass women, as observation attests.