By Maulana Wahiduddin Khan | The Sunday Guardian | July 16, 2022
The second chapter of the Quran says: “Your wives are a tilth for you. Go then, into your tilth as you will. Do good deeds, and fear God and know that you shall meet him. And give good tidings to believers.” (2:223)
In this verse, the words ‘do good deeds’ sum up the basic theme. This central idea explains the full verse, which means that one should be engaged in activities which are beneficial for the future. Man must prepare himself for all the different tests in life, so that he may gain a place in the world to come. This should be the goal of a person in life. The verse further says that one should try to understand how a woman relates to this goal in life. God has created woman to support man in life, just as the field supports the farmer in the subsistence of life.
This verse of the Quran was revealed in Makkah at a time when people were debating about the role of women in life. People those days knew only two things about women: sexual satisfaction and the continuation of the human race.
But the Quran says that over and above those two things, a woman extends a supporting hand in building a successful life. Therefore, man should utilize this provision, gifted by nature, and work at building successful lives for themselves. Any other concept of a woman—less dignified than this—belittles a woman’s position. A man and a woman come together in marriage so that they may unitedly play their part in building a greater role in human life.