“Then, when she (the wife of ‘Imran) gave birth to her (Mary), she said, ‘O my Lord! I have given birth to a female child!’ - And Allah knew better what she brought forth – ‘and the male is not as the female…’.”

[III; 36]

 It is unanimously agreed among Muslim scholars that women are equal to men in respect of religious obligations, honor, and responsibilities. But women are unlike men in a lot of other things. In their physical structure, psychological composition, social status, power and nature of perception, women have special qualities that differ from those of a man. If someone who has male and female children watches their movements, sports, hobbies and interests, he will certainly find out how much they differ. A young girl , while still too young, has her own hobbies, interests and ambitions that are completely different from those of her young brother, although features of masculinity or femininity have not yet come to light.

 Psychologists, particularly those who are specialized in childhood and adolescence psychology, determine that a female has biological and psychological qualities different from those of a male. Moreover, a female’s physical body differ clearly from that of a male.

 The following are some opinions of scientists concerning the material and physical differences between men and women. After a lot of study and research, one of the specialist doctors said: “In all races, a mature woman is usually ten centimeters shorter than a mature man. She is also lighter; and her skeleton is lighter than that of a man’s skeleton. Also, the structure of a woman’s body makes her less able to move than man is; and her muscles are one third weaker than those of a man, but her cellular tissue, which has a lot of blood vessels and sense-nerves, is better than his. Her cellular tissue allows her to store a layer of fat that gives her feminine shape.

 A man’s brain is 100 grams heavier than that of a woman; and the rate of a man’s brain to his body is 1\40, while that of a woman is 1\44. There are fewer folds in a woman’s brain; and the coils in her brain are less regularly arranged. The gray part of a woman’s brain (i.e. the perceptive part of the brain) is smaller in area than that of a man’s brain. But centers of feeling, exauthorment, and agitation are much more active in a woman than in a man. A woman’s breast and lungs are narrower than those of a man; but her breathing is faster than his. A woman’s heart is smaller in size than that of a man, but her pulse is quicker.

 Such minute differences between men and women in respect to the heart, breathing, centers of feelings, brain, skeleton, stature, and weight show clearly that they have been created by Allah, the All-Wise, the All-Aware. Such differences stand behind making the woman loveable and desirable to the man, and vice versa. To this effect, Allah, All-Mighty, says,

“And among His Signs is that He created for you wives from among yourselves, that you may find repose in them; and He has put between you affection and mercy. Verily, in that are indeed Signs for a people who reflect.”

[XXX; 21]