The wife...

The wife, however, is under a duty to obey the lawful and just commands of her husband. As a mother the woman occupies a unique position. She is placed upon an almost divine pedestal. She must be obeyed (save where obedience would lead to injustice), revered and her feelings never hurt. The Prophet has said that while both parents must be obeyed and respected, the father's place is three rungs below that of the mother.

The woman is the pivot of the family, and Islam holds the family as being the most important unit of the society. From the moment of conception to birth and up to the attainment of puberty, it is the mother who shapes the mind, the thinking and the behavior of that future member of the society. The Prophet repeatedly emphasized the importance of the upbringing of children and the role of the mother.

He is reported to have said: “It is better to bring up your children so that they have good manners and morals than to spend your wealth for the pleasure of Allah.” There are also several traditions of the Prophet and the Imams about the treatment and conduct of pregnant mothers. Dress The Qur’an commands both men and women to `lower their gaze and be modest'.

The women have been further commanded `not to display their ornaments except what appears thereof and to wear their head-coverings over their bosom and not to display their ornaments except to their husband (and other members of their family within the prohibited degree of marriage e.g. a son, father, brother, uncles excluding uncles by marriage etc.)'.