In the Quran, God declares, “…In God’s eyes, the most honored of you are the ones most mindful of Him: God is all knowing, all aware” (49:13).
Islam clearly establishes that men and women are equal in front of God. At the same time, it does recognize that they are not identical. God created men and women with unique physiological and psychological attributes. In Islam, these differences are embraced as vital components to a healthy family and community structure with each individual contributing their own distinctive talents to society.
Hence, God’s rules apply to both genders, but in diverse ways. For example, both men and women are required to cover their bodies out of modesty, but not in the same way. Different restrictions apply to both genders as well. So much hype is created around Muslim women that most people do not even know men are prohibited from wearing silk clothing and gold ornaments. Therefore, God has ordained different commands for men and women while encouraging both to be modest.
In short, men and women are to focus not on their appearance or limitations, but rather optimize their intellect, skills, and resources to the mutual goal of establishing peace and prosperity in their society.
