Women as Equal Partners

And among His Signs is this,

that He created for you mates

from among yourselves that

you may dwell in tranquillity with them,

and He has put love and mercy

between your (hearts),

verily in that are signs for those who reflect.

[ Quran 30:21 ]

Islam brought women from the position of chattel in marriage to that of equal partners. In the matter of divorce, she changed from a completely impotent bystander, to one who could initiate divorce proceedings and claim her rights of dowry and inheritance. From a position of legal nonetity, she became a legal personality in the full sense of the term, able to hold property, entitled to a just share of her husband's and family's inhereitance property. Socially, with education equally required of her as well as of every man by Islam, she rose to a position of social and cultural influences and service. Even in religio-cultic practices and duties, woman was asked and expected to play a role equal to that of man, in so far as her special physical characteristics and maternal duties allowed.