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Gender Roles in Islam


Family Roles in Islam based on the Qur'an

The family sphere and the roles in which women and men play therein is an important element in Islamic culture. Gender roles viewed from an Islamic perspective are based on the Qur'an and the stress it places on the importance of the family dynamic As with any socio-cultural group, gender roles vary depending on the conservative or liberal nature of the specific group.

Although there are no clearly defined roles for men and women in the Qur'an, it is strongly implied that each gender provides equally significant contributions to the family realm.

In chapter 4 verse 34 in the Qur'an, it states that "men are the protectors and maintainers of women", clearly placing men in a leadership role within the household. As the head of the household, a man is therefore expected to adequately provide for wife and children. It is implied that a noble "husband’s responsibilities commit him to support his wife and children, provide education for his offspring, be kind and attentive to his spouse, and be good to his affines” . These values have remained rather consistent throughout the history of Islam. It was the husband’s job to protect his wife(s), as it was culturally understood that women do, and should, rely on men. This is viewed not in a restricting reliance but as an arrangement to protect women from the distress and inconveniences of the public arenas . It is because of this ideology that women traditionally do not contribute to the household financially, leaving men to be the sole breadwinners.

The woman’s role in the home, although different from men, is also of great value and importance in Islamic culture. From a very young age, little girls traditionally grew up in the women’s quarters of the house: the harim. The harim was the part of the house where the female members of the family and the household lived. It was normally out of bounds to all males except the master of the house, his sons and perhaps a physician. Here, young girls are familiarized with domestic activities and were taught Islamic laws and values.

However, "these interpretations are too subjective and too time-specific to be regarded as universal and should be considered a part of the history of the Islamic family dynamic " Peer Edit - Sara Aboitiz

You have a really strong paragraph about men's roles.You give clear examples of what is expected from men according to the Qur'an. I think it would be helpful to add verses or quotes from the Qur'an in the women's paragraph as well. I think this paragraph needs a few more details about what women are expected to do in the harim. Maybe expand on what these domestic activities are. Another thing that would make this page more complete would be to add contemporary practices if possible. You could make a new subsection under your last sentence about the present Islamic family dynamic. So far you covered the essentials of what someone would need to know about the Islamic family sphere and gender roles.