Imran Ahsan Karim-Mirza, Australia
The Holy Quran states:
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلنَّاسُ ٱتَّقُواْ رَبَّكُمُ ٱلَّذِي خَلَقَكُم مِّن نَّفۡسٖ وَٰحِدَةٖ وَخَلَقَ مِنۡهَا زَوۡجَهَا وَبَثَّ مِنۡهُمَا رِجَالٗا كَثِيرٗا وَنِسَآءٗ
“O ye people! fear your Lord, Who created you from a single soul and created therefrom its mate, and from them twain spread many men and women.” (Surah an-Nisa, Ch.4: V.2)
Similarly, the Holy Quran states:
فَجَعَلَ مِنۡہُ الزَّوۡجَیۡنِ الذَّکَرَ وَالۡاُنۡثٰی
“Then He made of him a pair, the male and female.” (Surah al-Qiyamah, Ch.75: V.40)
The contemporary discourse on Islamic teachings regarding gender segregation, role definitions and expectations based on physical constitution is extensively scrutinised within the framework of modern social constructs based on feminism and equal rights for women.
Hazrat Mirza Tahir Ahmad, Khalifatul Masih IVrh, in his insightful lecture titled Islam’s Response to Contemporary Issues, addressed the criticisms posed by Western feminist movements, modernists and atheists with remarkable clarity. In this article, I attempt to complement it with evolutionary evidence about our species, the role of genders understood through modern evidence and the alignment of Islamic teachings.
Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IVrh articulates a vision of what Islam aspires to offer society, presenting a comprehensive and thoughtful perspective. He stated, “According to Islam, women must be emancipated from exploitation and playing a role of being mere instruments of pleasure. They must have more time to themselves to discharge their responsibilities towards their homes and the future generation of mankind.
“To build a family life around the pivotal figure of a mother requires the strengthening of other blood relationships and the restoration of a genuine affinity with kith and kin. Even though each unit may live separately, this larger family concept is supported and promoted by Islam for many reasons […].” (Islam’s Response to Contemporary Issues, p. 102)
These reasons include preventing societal imbalances and promoting stronger love and affection in family relations.
The evolutionary evidence
The journey of human evolution is nearly 3 million years old. However, some of the modern species emerged nearly 500,000 years ago. Our species, the Homo sapiens, emerged on the scene some 300,000 years ago. The gender division of labour among Homo sapiens and earlier hominids has evolved significantly over time.
During the Middle Palaeolithic period (300,000 to 50,000 years ago), the division of labour was less pronounced, with both men and women engaging in similar activities such as foraging and hunting. Their roles were closely aligned in terms of schedule and ranging patterns. However, the Upper Palaeolithic period (50,000 to 12,000 years ago) marked a significant shift.
This era saw our species the Homo sapiens become the most successful species on Earth, a success underpinned by traits developed through evolutionary pressures to group in family units, having division of labour among sexes, caring of children, and forming larger cohesive tribal units. These traits are ingrained in our DNA.
Division of labour
During the past 50,000 years, the evidence suggests that more specialised economic roles emerged among human societies, with men focusing on hunting large game and women gathering plant-based foods and smaller animals. This division of labour allowed for more efficient resource utilization and contributed to the success of Homo sapiens.
In contemporary hunter-gatherer societies, the division of labour is more distinct. Men hunt and fish, while women gather plant foods, care for children, and perform other domestic tasks. The complementary division of labour is believed to have conferred evolutionary advantages by ensuring a stable food supply and fostering social cohesion among large families and tribes.
The establishment of distinct gender roles was pivotal in human evolution, as it enabled greater specialisation and efficiency in resource acquisition. This, in turn, contributed to the survival and expansion of early human populations, especially considering that the species had not yet settled in built houses or environments equipped with technologies to provide shelter or protection from harsh climatic conditions.
These very traits of specialist roles among male and female members have enabled us to spread globally over the past 70,000 years. The Holy Quran states:
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلنَّاسُ إِنَّا خَلَقۡنَٰكُم مِّن ذَكَرٖ وَأُنثَىٰ وَجَعَلۡنَٰكُمۡ شُعُوبٗا وَقَبَآئِلَ لِتَعَارَفُوٓاْ
“O mankind, We have created you from a male and a female; and We have made you into tribes and sub-tribes that you may recognize one another.” (Surah al-Hujurat, Ch.49: V.14)
Once some groups of modern humans began their migration out of Africa some 70,000 years ago, they kept going until they had spread to all corners of the Earth.
The differences
The differences in physical size and strength between men and women have evolutionary reasons rooted in sexual dimorphism. Sexual dimorphism refers to the differences in size and appearance between males and females of a species. In humans, these differences are influenced by evolutionary pressures and reproductive roles. Men and women evolved different physical traits to maximise their reproductive success.
For example, men generally have greater muscle mass and strength, which historically helped in hunting and protection. Hormonal influences also play a role; testosterone, which is higher in men, promotes muscle growth and bone density, contributing to greater physical strength, while estrogen, higher in women, supports fat storage and other traits beneficial for childbearing.
The division of labour in early human societies, with men taking on physically demanding tasks like hunting, while women gathered food and cared for children, led to different physical adaptations for the survival of a family in a group. Recent genetic studies have shown that sex-biased genes account for a significant portion of the average height difference between men and women. These genetic differences are a result of evolutionary pressures that favoured certain traits in each sex.
Allah states:
ٱلرِّجَالُ قَوَّـٰمُونَ عَلَى ٱلنِّسَآءِ بِمَا فَضَّلَ ٱللَّهُ بَعۡضَهُمۡ عَلَىٰ بَعۡضٖ وَبِمَآ أَنفَقُواْ مِنۡ أَمۡوَٰلِهِمۡ
“Men are guardians over women because Allah has made some of them excel others, and because they (men) spend of their wealth.” (Surah an-Nisa, Ch.4: V.35)
This verse is interpreted by many Muslim scholars differently; however, it seems to be a statement of fact. Despite men being stronger, the verse puts a religious obligation on them to look after their families.
The mating systems of hominids over the past 3 million years have varied and evolved. Early hominids, such as Australopithecus afarensis, exhibited significant sexual dimorphism, which suggests a polygynous mating system where males had multiple female partners, like what we see in some modern primates like gorillas.
As hominids evolved, there was a trend towards reduced sexual dimorphism. Homo erectus and later species, including Homo sapiens, showed less pronounced size differences between males and females. This reduction in dimorphism is often associated with a shift towards more monogamous mating systems, but not entirely.
In modern human societies, mating systems are diverse and can range from monogamy to polygyny. However, the trend towards monogamy has been linked to social and economic factors that promote pair bonding, companionship and cooperative parenting, where humans have a much longer life than other species. Under divine wisdom, we note that Islam acknowledges this, but also favours singular companionship. (Nuruddin [Digitised Edition], p. 297)
Family sizes in ancient and modern humans
The typical family sizes of various hominid species varied based on their social structures and environmental conditions. Homo erectus, which lived 1.9 million to 110,000 years ago, likely lived in small groups, but specific family sizes are hard to determine. These groups were probably similar to modern hunter-gatherer bands, consisting of 10 to 30 individuals.
Neanderthal groups were also relatively small and lived some 400,000 to 40,000 years ago, typically ranging from 10 to 15 individuals, including children. These small group sizes were likely due to the harsh environments they lived in and the need for close-knit social structures for survival.
Early Homo sapiens lived in groups that varied in size but were generally larger than those of Neanderthals and Homo erectus. Typical group sizes ranged from 20 to 50 individuals. These larger groups facilitated sharing food, tools, and other resources within the group, ensured that everyone had access to necessities, even during times of scarcity.
Social learning flourished as knowledge and skills were passed down more effectively, fostering the development of complex tools, language, and cultural practices. Cooperative hunting and gathering became more efficient through collective effort, resulting in a more stable food supply.
The defined gender roles, and the more cohesive and bonded structure of the family created ideal conditions for Homo sapiens to outcompete other contemporary species, such as Homo erectus and Homo Neanderthals, around 150,000 to 40,000 years ago. As mentioned earlier, this also provided them with the advantage to migrate to greener pastures and settle in various parts of the globe over tens of thousands of years.
This set the stage for Homo sapiens to develop a spiritual comprehension of God, instill moral values, and cultivate the ability to educate and guide their fellow tribespeople and children in leading principled lives. Their evolution reached a point where they possessed the capacity to create a long-term, sustainable atmosphere around themselves, utilising various earthly advantages for their survival and intelligently safeguarding these aspects for future generations.
The intimate relationship between men and women: A survival mechanism
The mutual attraction between men and women in Homo sapiens, including preferences for certain physical traits, has emerged through evolutionary pressures over the duration of our half a million years of human history. These preferences are shaped by sexual selection, a type of natural selection where individuals with certain traits are more likely to attract mates and reproduce.
Natural selection pressures led to the specialisation of gender roles for men and women. These specialisations fostered traits that collectively enhanced the survival of the species. Men and women were drawn to each other, forming family bonds through shared responsibilities in their domains of gender, where these traits took prominence, ensuring the continuation and thriving of their lineage.
Consequently, Homo sapiens emerged as the preeminent hominid species, ultimately outcompeting and eliminating other hominid species.
Islamic wisdom
When we reflect on the establishment of a civilisation grounded in Islamic principles, we observe numerous aspects that align with human nature, deeply ingrained in our DNA through a process of half a million years of evolution. The distinct gender differences, along with their respective strengths and weaknesses of each, play a crucial role in the survival of the family unit.
As an example, the concept of purdah [veil] fosters mutual respect, recognising the attractions between genders and providing a barrier to prevent the short-circuiting of human passions due to innate desires. When these attractions deviate from the goal of preserving the family, they lead to chaos and undermine the fundamental purpose of life’s continuity.
Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IVrh writes:
“Segregation is grossly misunderstood when it is conceived as an imposition of restriction on female members of the Muslim society from fully participating in all spheres of human activities. This is not true.
“The Islamic concept of segregation is only to be understood in the context of measures to protect the sanctity of female chastity and the honour of women in society so that the dangers of violating these objectives are minimised. Free mixing of both sexes and clandestine affairs between men and women are strongly discouraged.
“Men and women are both advised to abstain not only from casting covetous eyes at each other, but to abstain from such visual or physical contacts as may lead to uncontrollable temptations. Women are expected to cover themselves decently and are advised not to behave in a manner as to attract untoward attention from wayward men.” (Islam’s Response to Contemporary Issues, p. 92)
Throughout human history, societies that descended into social decadence often exploited the physical vulnerabilities of women, disrupting the natural progression of the human narrative. The teachings of Islam aim to restore order by fostering a deeper understanding of human nature, the roles of the genders, and the importance of advancing family values – the key to the success of Homo sapiens as a species.
Hazrat Mirza Tahir Ahmadrh writes:
“Through the teachings of segregation, sexual anarchy was brought to a sudden halt. Order between male and female relationship was established on the basis of deep moral principles. The status of women was simultaneously raised to such high standards that they could no longer be treated as helpless commodities. They were given an equal share in the affairs of life.
“Whereas previously they were distributed as chattels of inheritance, now they could inherit not only the estate of their fathers but also of their husbands, children and next of kin. They could now stand up to their husbands and talk back to them. They could reason with them and, of course, had the full right to disagree. They could not only be divorced but they had equal rights to divorce their husbands if they so pleased.
“As mothers, they were treated with such profound respect in Islam as is hard to find a similar example in other societies of the world. It was the Holy Foundersa of Islam who was to stand for the rights of women by declaring under Divine instructions, that, ‘Paradise lies under the feet of your mothers.’” (Ibid., p. 91)
Final word
I must end by restating the positions taken by Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IVrh on this topic: “It would take more than one measure to restore the traditional family unit so essential to bind its members together with mutual trust, reliance and warmth-generating peace.” (Ibid., p. 88)
He further states, “It would take more than one measure to restore the traditional family unit so essential to bind its members together with mutual trust, reliance and warmth-generating peace. But, perhaps, we are already too late to talk of this. Islam has a clear message. It has a well-defined plan to protect, guard and preserve a universal family system or to rebuild it wherever it has been totally demolished. According to Islam, discipline must be inculcated through conviction and understanding in every sphere of social activity, and lost balances must be restored.” (Ibid.)
When we reflect on the human story as a journey spanning 3 million years, culminating in the emergence of Homo sapiens around 300,000 years ago, we observe a tapestry woven with the most enduring traits. Throughout this epic journey, a common thread emerges: each gender has its distinct role, with the ultimate goal being the survival of the family unit.
This journey underscores the importance of mutual respect for each gender’s contributions, preventing chaos by recognising and valuing our natural strengths and weaknesses, all in pursuit of a shared objective. Pleasures pursued without regard for the ultimate purpose of life inevitably lead to misery and chaos.
Hazrat Mirza Tahir Ahmadrh wrote, “Man cannot have unlimited and unrestricted pleasure however he may desire it.” (Ibid., p. 86) He further stated, “You cannot have your cake and eat it. The emphasis of Islam is exactly the opposite. Pleasure indeed – but not at the cost of peace of mind and the security of society as a whole. All such tendencies, which if unchecked, are likely to lead to a gradual disintegration of family life and promote selfishness, irresponsibility, vulgarity, crime and violence, are strongly discouraged.” (Ibid., p. 87)