Huzoor (rh): That all amounts to the same. Please sit down. Islam wants to keep a distinction between the two sexes and all these features are in fact promotive towards that end, conducive towards that end. In the modern society, the distinctions are now being obliterated all together, almost entirely. And the result is that men and women sometimes are so indistinguishable that in the streets people are mistaken one for the other and the responsibilities are also intermingled now. But Islam is a religion of specialization. In every regard, Islam has laid very special stress on specialization and to allocate certain tasks and performances and duties to certain classes and groups. So this is a part of this general scheme, this teaching. In fact, men and women are built differently in their physique and they are expected different things. For instance, at the times of war, Islam does not expect ladies to fight the battles unless so compelled in the end. When there is no alternative left, then they are permitted to take the sword. But otherwise this is the primary duty of man. So man is expected to lead a tougher life. Ornaments do not go with his nature. To be delicate in appearance and behave in a feminine way is against his grain. And if you permit men to do that, ultimately their inner character would suffer and they would be less capable of performing the duties for which they are primarily made. This is in general the philosophy of all this teaching which extends to in every region. For instance, the Prophet (saw) has also prohibited men to look like ladies in any form. And also the ladies to wear things or to adopt a style or to cut their hair so short as to look like men is prohibited. So all this is a part of the general plan.
