Men Are In Charge of Women

LESSON # 499 FROM HOLY QUR’AN

Men Are In Charge of Women

Surah NISAAA’  (WOMEN) - Chapter - 4)

Verses –34a of 176, Section –6/24 (Part – 5)

Men are in charge of women, because Allah hath made the one of them to excel the other, and because they spend of their property (for the support of women). So good women are the obedient, guarding in secret that which Allah hath guarded.

‘Ar-rijaalu  qawwaamuuna  ‘alan-nisaaa-‘i  bimaa  fazzalal-laahu  ba’-zahum  ‘alaa  ba’-zinw-wa  bimaaa  ‘anfaquu  min  ‘am-waalihim.  Fas-Saalihaatu  qaa-nitaatun  haafi-zaatul-lil-gaybi  bimaa  hafi-zallaah.

  

Lesson

Qawwaamuuna – (In charge, caretaker, and governors), this word’s singular is Qawwam, which has been derived from Qayyaam. There may be two aiming meanings of this word:

·         The ruler and the monitor.

·         The person, who provides surety, guarantee and security.

Many religious interpreters have described the meaning of qawwaamuuna  ‘alan-nisaaa-‘i as ‘the Sponsoring and providers of livelihood to the women, and their protectors.

Grades of men and women have been mentioned in this verse and it has been described that the men are senior to the women. Therefore, due to difference of their both grades, the difference will also be about them and this difference depends entirely on wisdom. Women and men are not equal. If the women wish equality and balance with the men, then it will be totally improper and unreasonable. Allah Almighty has appointed the men to look after the women, in charge of them and their caretakers. Following reasons have been described about the excellence of the men:

·       The man has been bestowed excellence over the woman. This excellence is with regard to carnal and spiritual, as well as knowledge and practice too.

·       The men spend their wealth on the women. They are responsible to provide them money or its value incumbent on the husband, daily food, clothes, expenses of maintenance, necessities of life, for affairs of housekeeping and at each time of exigency etc.

Two responsibilities of good-natured women have been described in the Noble Qur’an:

·       They obey their men.

·       In the absence of husband, they protect themselves and preserve the wealth of their husbands according to the order of Allah Almighty, that is to say; they keep the duties of their married state and do not embezzle in the right of their husband.

In the modern period, echo of mutual equation between men and women is elevating by the people of new (false) illuminated countries. The women are claiming equality of the men. For us, this verse of Holy Qur’an renders good service of flambeau of the way. In addition, these western nations have been viewing the vicious results of their civilization with their open eyes. Instead of following such nations blindly, it is our duty to get advice from this verse of Noble Qur’an and produce a pattern for others.   

Transliterated Holy Qur’an in Roman Script & Translated from Arabic to English by Marmaduke Pickthall, Published by Paak Company, 17-Urdu Bazar, Lahore, Lesson collected from Dars e Qur’an published By Idara Islah wa Tableegh, Lahore (translated Urdu to English  by Muhammad Sharif).