Islam respects the Woman:

In the Islamic society the woman has an honored position and,
beside
her legal and civil rights, enjoys special respect, love,
affection
and the gentle feelings which she deserves most.

Is she not the compassionate mother, the beloved wife and the
affectionate daughter? The best expression of this reality is
provided
by the following verses from the Glorious Qur'an.

"And We have
enjoined man concerning his parents - His mother bears
him in weakness upon weakness, and his weaning takes two years -
Be
grateful to Me and to your parents.

To Me is the eventual coming.

And
they strive with you to make you associate with Me that of
which
you have no knowledge, do not obey them.

Keep company with them in
the
world kindly, and follow the path of him who repents to Me.

Then
to Me
is your return, and I shall inform you of what you did.

"
The Holy Qur'an (31: 14&15)
"And We have commanded man to be kind towards his parents.

With
trouble did his mother bear him, with trouble did she bring him
forth;
and the bearing of him and the weaning of him was thirty months;
until
when he attains his maturity and reaches forty years, he says:
My
Lord! Arouse me that I may give thanks for your favour which you
have
bestowed upon me and my parents, and that I may do good which
pleases
you.

And be gracious to me in the matter of my offspring.

Surely
I
turn to you and surely I am of those who submit
(Muslims)".

The Holy Qur'an (46:15)
"Your Lord has decreed that you worship none save Him, and (you
show)
kindness to parents.

If one them or both of them reach old age
with
you, say not Fie' to them nor repulse them, but speak to them
a
generous word, And make yourself submissively gentle with
compassion
and say: Oh, Lord! Have mercy on them both as they did care for
me
(when I was) little.

"
The Holy Qur'an (17: 23&24)
"And of His signs is this: He created mates for you from
yourselves
that you may find rest in them, and He ordained between you love
and
mercy.

Most surely there are signs in this for a people who
reflect.

"
Holy Qur'an (30: 21)
"..

And treat them (women) kindly".

Holy Qur'an (4: 19)
"..

And they (women) have rights similar to those (of men)
over
them in a just manner".

Holy Qur'an (2: 228)
"When you have divorced women, and they have reached their
prescribed term, then either retain them in honour or release them
in
kindness".

Holy Qur'an (2: 231)
The Traditions of the Prophet, like the Qur'an, also lay emphasis
on
the honor and status of the woman and grants her a respectable
place
in society.

When a Tradition speaks of a woman and her social
position, it surrounds her with a frame of love, endearment
and
affection, especially when it speaks of the mother, the wife and
the
daughter.

The Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.), addressing the Muslims on the
occasion of the farewell Pilgrimage warned them against the
values
which he feared would be neglected after him, and referred to
woman as
one of the important issues about whom he
said:
"Observe your duty to Allah in respect to the women, and
recommend
them to be well treated.

"
According to the Imam Jafar Al-Sadiq (a.s.), the Prophet stressed
his proximity to woman and her position in his life, by
saying:
"It is of the manner of the Prophets to love
women.

"
He is also quoted to have said:
"I do not think that a man gets better in faith without loving
women
better.

"
A man once sought the Imam Al-Sadiq's (a.s.) advice concerning
women,
saying that as his wife, who was agreeable to him, had died, he
wanted
to marry again.

The Imam told him, "See where you put yourself, whom
you take as a partner in your life, and to whom you disclose
your
religion and secrets.

So, if you have to, then marry a virgin
known to
be righteous and of good behavior".

A man came to the Prophet (s.a.w.) and asked him, "O Messenger
of
Allah! Whom should I be more dutiful to?"
The Prophet (s.a.w.) replied, "To your mother.

" He asked, "Then to
whom?" He replied, "To your mother.

" The man again asked, "Then to
whom?" The prophet said, "To your father.

"
It is narrated that a foster-sister of the Prophet (s.a.w.)
visited him
one day.

He was very pleased with her, spread out his cloak for
her to
sit on, and conversed with her merrily.

After she went away,
her
brother arrived, but the Prophet did not receive him as warmly as
he
had received his sister, Later on when some one asked him the
reason
for receiving the sister more courteously than her brother,
although a
man, the Prophet replied, "Because she was more dutiful to her parents
than he.

"
Abu Khadijah quotes the Imam Al- Sadiq (a.s.) as follows:
"A man came to the Prophet and told him," "A girl was born to me.

I
brought her up till she reached puberty, I then dressed her,
adorned
her, brought her to a well and pushed her into it.

The last thing
I
heard was her pitiful cry: O father!' So, what atonement may
I
offer?"
The Prophet asked him, "Is your mother alive?" He replied, "No.

" He
asked, "Do you have an aunt? He
said, "Yes," The Prophet instructed
him, "Then be dutiful to her, as she is like a mother, this will be
your atonement for what you have done.

"
Abu Khadijah asked the Imam; "When the incident took place?"
He
replied, "During the period of Ignorance.

As they used to kill the
girls for fear that they would be taken captive and give birth
to
their children among other people".

The Imam Al-Sadiq (a.s.) is also quoted to have
said:
"Whoever provides sustenance for three girls or three sisters,
Paradise will surely be his.

" He was asked.

"What if two? He
said,"
Even if two.

"He was also asked.

" What if one? "He said, Even if
one.

'
The Imam Abu Al-Hasan Al-Rida (a.s.) is quoted to have
said:
"The Prophet (S.A.) said "Allah the Exalted is more kind to
females than
males.

Whoever brings pleasure to a woman of his close
relatives,
Allah will please him on the Judgement
Day".

The Imam Al-Sadiq (a.s.) said:
"Sons are a favor and daughters are good deeds, Allah
questions
about the favors, but rewards the good deeds.

"
The above were some of the
examples from Islamic texts concerning
woman.

It is clear that Islam has called her to be honored,
affectionately treated and cared for in an unprecedented way,
which no
other civilization, culture and society has ever done.

What we have just related is a proof of the spirit of Islam,
which
came to honor mankind, protect their rights and to spread the
wings
of mercy all over the world.

We have not sent you but as a mercy to the worlds.

"
The Holy Qur'an (21:
107)
Therefore, Islam, through the above-mentioned text, speaks
respectfully of woman- the mother, the wife, the daughter, the
sister,
endears her and takes care of her, stressing her being worthy
of
affection, mercy and generosity.

It recommends woman before
recommending man.

It regards the love of woman as a sign of
faith.

Nay, it even raises this love of woman to the level of being a
prophetic conduct', and it looks at her as a trustee who looks
after
a person's wealth, religion and secrets.