In the divine scheme of regulation of the relationship between men and women, Islam has assigned a position of dignity and honour to woman. Such beneficent regulation is essential for peace, comfort, happiness, continuation of the species and progress.
The Holy Quran emphasizes that God in His perfect wisdom has created all species in pairs, and so men and women have been created of the same species; as is said:
“He created you from a single being; then of the same kind made its mate.” (39:7)
“He has made for you mates of your own kind.” (42:12)
“O mankind, be mindful of your duty to your Lord, Who created you from a single soul and from it created its mate and from the two created and spread many men and women. “(4:2)
“He it is Who has created you from a single soul and made there from its mate, so that the male might incline towards the female and find comfort in her.” (7:190)
“Of His Signs it is that He has created mates for you of your own kind that you may find peace of mind through them, and He has put love and tenderness between you. In that surely are Signs for a people who reflect.” (30:22)
Islam teaches that the faculties and capacities bestowed by God upon man are a divine bounty and must be beneficently employed:
“Allah brought you forth from the wombs of your mothers, when you knew nothing, and gave you ears and eyes and hearts that you may employ them beneficently.” (16:79)
This means that they must be exercised at their proper time and on their appropriate occasion, in which case they would be fostered and multiplied. But their neglect or misuse would attract divine wrath.
Some religious disciplines mistakenly esteem celibacy more exalted spiritually than conjugal life. Islam disapproves of celibacy and condemns it. The Holy Quran says:
“They devised monasticism as a means of seeking Allah’s pleasure. We did not prescribe it for them, and they did not observe it duly.” (57:28)
The whole concept of monasticism originated in the notion that woman was an inferior type of creation and association with her was degrading and demoralizing. The Church Fathers laid the responsibility of man’s fall upon woman, and represented her as being without a soul and an instrument of the devil.
Islam denounced this attitude, and raised woman to a position of spiritual equality with man. It held that man and woman complemented each other and were a means of mutual fulfilment. For instance it is said:
“They are a garment for you and you are a garment for them .” (2:188)