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Ruru

The region of the Middle East and its inhabitants have always been a wonder to the Europeans, dating back to the years before the advent of Islam and the years following the Arab conquest. Today, the Islamic world spreads from the corners of the Philippines to the far edges of Spain and Central Africa. Various cultures have adopted the Islamic faith, and this blending of many different cultures has strengthened the universal Islamic culture. The religion of Islam has provided a new meaning to the lives of many people around the world. In the Islamic world, the religion defines and enriches culture and as a result the culture gives meaning to the individual. Islam is not only a religion, it is in its own way a culture. It may be this very fact that the Europeans have not yet understood, as to how religion plays a significant role in the life of a Muslim. One of the more commonly misunderstood aspects of the Shariah is the role of the family, in particular the role of the women in the family and in the society in which she lives in. The actual role of a woman in a particular Muslim community may vary according to the part of the world she lives in, nonetheless all Muslim women abide by the same fundamental rules and regulations which the religion clearly defines. Both the Quran and the Hadith are detailed sources that describe the role of women in Islamic History. The rights and responsibilities of a woman are equal to those of a man, although are not identical with them. The difference is understandable because men and women are not identical but are created equals. Equality is desirable, just, fair: but similitude is not. People are not created identical but they are created equals. With this distinction in mind, there is no room to imagine that women are inferior to men. The fact that Islam gives women equal rights- but not identical – shows that it takes into due consideration, acknowledges her and recognizes her independent personality. The position of the woman...