Jews, Christians and Muslims in Praise Of Woman

One-half of entire humanity consists of women. As for man, he is child of woman. Humanity’s seed rests in woman’s womb. This resting place is a blessing. "Then We placed him as (a drop of) sperm in a place of rest, firmly fixed"; Quran 23:13

Messiah is among men but no man claims to be father of such a pious soul. A virtuous woman has been honored to be the mother of messiah. No man in Jerusalem could carry such a holy seed. A woman did bear and nurture it.

How can man be deemed equal of woman? (When she was delivered, she said: "O my Lord! Behold! I am delivered of a female child!"- and Allah knew best what she brought forth- "And no wise is the male Like the female. I have named her Mary, and I commend her and her offspring to Thy protection from the Evil One, the Rejected.") Quran 3:36

Traditions tell of woman to be made out of Adam’s rib, so curved are her features and live are her performances. And why not? Adam was child of clay and Eve of living Adam. In nomenclature of Adam there is a tint of clay, while in that of Eve there is a touch of life. Life is eternally associated with woman.

Potentialities of man are dead and waste without woman. Seeds without soil are ultimately drained. Man has been lodged with talents, the only way to reveal them is through woman. "Your wives are as a tilth unto you"; Quran 2:223

So sublime are her qualities that no wicked ways of mankind can spoil them. The precious and virtuous human nature has been fortified by the pious strength of her sublimity.

Wordsworth has visualized a perfect woman through these worthy words:

“A perfect woman nobly planned,

To warn, to comfort, to command.”

Power of woman is far greater than what the history of humankind Has recorded or the stories have been framed to tell it. More than two millennium back Thucydides said:

“It is a great glory in a woman to show no more weakness than is natural to her sex and not to be talked of either of good or evil by men.”

Conforming to this wise verdict glorious women have so exercised their powers that mankind has rarely or never talked of them.

The greater virtue of woman is in her adjusting, compromising, adapting and co-coordinating capabilities. A nineteenth century American poet H.W.Longfellow has described her like this:

“As unto the bow the cord is,

So unto the man is woman.

Though she bends him she obeys him,

Though she draws him yet she follows.

Useless each without the other.”

Her calm and quiet temper along with her sober and modest nature proficiently gives human shape to a clot of blood. Mankind’s chaotic produces have been beautifully shaped by this obedient artist. Skills of sculptors like Pygmalion may hardly be compared with such lofty performances. His imitation is painfully performed and its result is a non-living statue. Her performance is natural and its result is a living creature. Natural performances do not make history, artificial imitations do.

Natural performances are life’s lofty functions. For such elegant performances, harmonious conjugal relationships are of crucial importance. A slightest objection against ones partners’ status or a slightest doubt or ill feeling about his or her behavior destroys the harmony entirely. These are delegate issues. Gentle approach towards them is advisable. Ailing nerves need dressing. You expose them and they trouble you more.

Many a trouble arises when lofty manners of communications are ignored. Modern times have lost the classical sublimity of expressions and behaviors. Social and cultural themes today face crude styles of expressions. Protests, arguments, legal provisions etc. are all painful operations exposing the injuries to further infections. Only sublime literature may provide a healing effect.

A nineteenth century poet Laureate A. Tennyson has put woman in the following comparision:

“Man for the field and woman for the hearth,

Man for the sword and for the needle she,

Man with the mind and women with the heart,

Man to command and woman to obey,

All else confusion.”

Comparisions may be endless. More important than comparision is the tone with which it has been carried out. Truth may be bitter but its telling is in want of sweetness. Commanding and obeying are processes of life and they never denote superiority or inferiority of status. Commanding may be an obligation and obeying a right. It all depends on ones attitudes towards the processes of life. Man and woman have to assume different careers with an attitude of understanding and cooperating with each other.

Specialization and division of labor are products of understanding. These processes are signs of development and they streamline the human and social activities. No understanding means no tolerance, which in turn means no specialization and hence no development. Understanding is a mother’s lap for modern civilization.

“Man for the field and woman for the hearth” is an age-old division of work. Human civilization and even the human race is the result of this division. Dark room at home develops the human image in woman’s womb more properly. Send her in the open field and the dazzling light of the sun may make the human image blurred, while the red light of the fireplace facilitates the process. Dark corner of the house is not only her dignity it is also mankind’s necessity. Home is a lab in which human image is developed.

Woman provides a healing touch to humanity as is beautifully expressed, “man for the sword and for the needle she”. Sword is to cut and needle to sew. “Man with the mind and woman with the heart”. Man is blessed when he thinks through his heart. One not conscious of his own conscience is ignorant.

Concepts of superiority and subordination are products of egos. What is important is proper performance of the allotted obligations. Both the superior and the subordinate are obliged to perform their assigned functions. Commanding and obeying are both equally respectable processes. If guided by reason commanding is an obligation and obedience a virtue. When the two take form of ‘one flesh’ as Masiha has instructed all these earthly explanations become meaningless.

Disgrace lies in disturbing the established processes, dignity in passing through them.