Maintaining a balance between responsibility and
authority is an important issue in modern Organizational
Theory. There can be a difference of opinion
regarding the extent of power (authority) delegated
for performing a particular duty (responsibility);
but obviously, if someone is assigned a duty
he must be given a reasonable degree of authority
that is necessary to perform his tasks. For
example, if we assign the Police Department
the task of prevention of crime in a society,
we will have to give the necessary degree of
authority to the personnel of that department.
In case we refuse to do so then the department
cannot be held responsible for any crime committed
in the society. As stated earlier, there can
be a difference of opinion regarding the extent
of the authority given to perform a particular
duty but the basic principle that every responsibility
must entail adequate authority cannot be questioned.
Keeping the above explanation
in mind, consider the concept of the "society".
Society has generally been defined as the web
of relationships
and interactions among human beings. A closer
look at society shows that its basic and primary
unit is the family; actually, society, as a whole,
is nothing more than the various family groups
that comprise it. Therefore, in building a stable
society, it is of utmost importance that this
basic and primary unit should be given all the
stability that it can be given. It is only for
this reason that most, if not all the teachings
of Islam regarding the social set up are directed
towards achieving this particular end. Obviously,
one of the most important requirements for providing
stability to the institution of family is to
build it up on a sound basis and to define its
authority/responsibility hierarchy. If you look
at the referred verse closely, you shall see
that it is actually giving this definition. The
verse reads as follows:
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"Men [as husbands] are responsible for
their women because God has made the one superior
to the other [in different spheres] and because
they spend of their wealth. Therefore, righteous
women are obedient [to their husbands] and guard
their secrets as God has also guarded secrets.
As for those from whom you fear refusal of obedience,
admonish them and [if this does not effect their
behavior then] leave them alone on their beds
and [if even this does not effect their behavior
then] beat them." (Al-Nisaa 4: 34)
Marriage between two
individuals is the beginning of the formation
of a family and for a family
to be properly constituted and organized, which
in turn would result in a stable society, the
referred verse has given it a responsibility/authority
structure. A typical family normally consists
of a man, a woman and their children. An important
point to note in this verse is that rather than
defining the whole responsibility/authority structure,
the verse has restricted its definition to the
responsibility/authority relationship between
a man and his wife. The reason for restricting
this definition only to a man and his wife, and
not mentioning the position of children, is also
quite obvious. It is only here that man, in general,
has and can commit a mistake. Obviously, no one
will object when we say that parents - father
and mother - are jointly and severally responsible
for the proper upbringing and well being of their
children. However, when it comes to man and wife,
we may, by "rashly" applying the principle
of equality, make a mistake. Thus, it is only
in the case of the husband-wife relationship
that the Qur'an has provided its guidance.
According to the referred verse, it is actually
the men (as husbands) who are ultimately responsible
for providing their women with an atmosphere,
which is conducive for their well being (in this
world as well as in the hereafter) and, as a
result, for the whole family. Two reasons have
been given for delegating the position of the
head of the family unit to men. Firstly, because
it is they who have been made responsible for
earning the livelihood for all the family members;
and secondly, because, in comparison to women,
they are more suited physically and emotionally
to be given this responsibility, just as women
are more suited for a number of other responsibilities.
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After declaring the responsibility of the man
as the head of the family, for the smooth functioning
of the household, women are advised and persuaded
to recognize the heavy responsibility placed
on their husband's shoulders and to remain obedient
to them. It is in this context that the husbands,
for the purpose of fulfilling the responsibility
placed on their shoulders, are advised to admonish
their wives if they feel that their wives refuse
to be obedient to them and thereby hinder them
in fulfilling the responsibility that has been
placed on them. In case their admonition turns
out to be in vain, they should then avoid conjugal
relations with them to make them realize the
gravity of their disobedient attitude. In case
even this step fails to improve the wives' behavior,
the husbands are then advised to beat them lightly.
We may determine in
the light of the referred verse of the Qur'an
that unless the matter is
of the nature of "Nushooz" or refusal
to accept the position of the other and thus
may ultimately result in the breaking of the
household, the man should not resort to beating.
Obviously, in the stages of admonition and restrain
from conjugal relations, the matter shall be
brought under extensive discussion and views
shall be exchanged thoroughly. Seen in this perspective,
the referred verse has actually provided a safeguard
for women against domestic abuse and beating.
Men, in other words, have been restrained from
resorting to any kind of physical punishment,
unless it is determined that the matter is one
of "Nushooz". They are not allowed
to take any such action on the basis of any trivial
difference of opinion.
As should be obvious from the above explanation
the stated authority is given to a man only to
fulfill the responsibility of maintaining a peaceful
and smooth running of the family. If women are
allowed to show disrespect towards the responsibility
assigned to the man, it is quite likely that
the same attitude is transferred to the other
members of the family and an environment of complete
anarchy is allowed to take charge. It must also
be kept in mind that such situation of anarchy,
if left unchecked for some time, in the basic
unit of the society, i.e. the family, can find
its way to the very roots of the whole society
and then destabilize its whole structure. Islam
does not want such a situation to materialize
and it is only to prevent it that it has given
the referred commandment.
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