Page 332 - Bigotry: The Dark Danger

Bigotry:
The Dark Danger

As shown in the first verse, inheritance in Islam is a right enjoyed
both by men and by women. The second verse describes the distribu-
tion of that inheritance, based on people's needs and responsibilities.

Looking at the Qur'an as a whole, we see that the maintenance of
the mother, wife, daughter or sister is a responsibility bestowed not
on them, but on a son, husband, father or brother; this applies through-
out a woman's entire life. In other words, a son, husband, father or

brother is responsible for a woman under his protection until the end
of her life.

For example, when a woman gets married she is given a dowry
by her husband. In the view of the Qur'an, the dowry is given directly
to the woman, not to the family. After marriage, the physical mainte-
nance of the woman and her children is the total responsibility of the
man. As we shall be seeing in detail in due course, that maintenance

and financial responsibility continues, even in the event of divorce.
Any and all expenses not imposed on woman are therefore the re-
sponsibility of a man.

The fact that the financial care of a woman is the responsibility
of a man does not mean that any restrictions are imposed on her,
however. It does not also mean that woman is a needy entity. The

precautionary measure here is a symbol of the value attached to
women and is intended that a woman never suffers throughout her
life. A woman is free to live as she wishes, free to work or not, earn
money or not, start a business or not and govern a company and
even a state, just as she wishes. Her being under male protection in
financial terms does not restrict her social life, stop her from being

free or sealed up indoors like a prisoner. A woman being under the
protection of a man also does not mean that he has any right of com-
mand over her; the Qur'an says nothing about a man being able to
command a woman. The financial responsibility imposed on men is

330