[Author’s Name]
[Institution’s Name]
Essay on Experiencing the World's Religion
In Muslim societies women and men are expected to behave in accordance with social, cultural or religious codes (gender roles). These are created to distinguish between what is considered to be ‘masculine’ or ‘feminine’. These gender roles are learned within a particular social and cultural context and are affected by factors such as education and economics.
According to the Islam, God created woman and man simultaneously, of like substance, and in like manner. Several verses state that God created man and women from a single life-cell or being. Both man and women have male and female components and both together form the human species. It is a clear teaching of the Qur'an that man and woman are equal in the sight of God, and the Qur'an uses both feminine and masculine terms and imagery to describe the creation of humanity from a single source.
Woman was not created to serve the ends of man, nor vice versa: both were created to serve God's purpose. Both are called upon equally to be righteous, and women and men are "members" and "protectors" of each other.The actual role and rights of women in Islam has been misunderstood due to general ignorance and lack of knowledge about the Islamic system and way of life as a whole. Distortion of the media is also the main reason for lack of proper knowledge. In terms of religious obligations, such as the Daily Prayers, Poor-due, Fasting, and Pilgrimage, the Muslim woman is no different from the Muslim man (Ishaque, 1980).
The Muslim woman is accorded full intellectual and spiritual equality with man. The Muslim woman is greatly encouraged to practice her religion and enhance intellectual and religious faculties throughout her life. In her relationship with men both are to observe modesty of dress and behavior and strict rules of morality which discourages and prohibits unnecessary and unwanted mixing of the sexes.....
