Family Management in Islam

The Holy Quran, which is a book of guidance, has, on the basis of a comprehensive principle and in order to redress man's need for guidance, spoken of family management in verse 34 of Surah al-Nisah. It has relegated the maintenance and protection of the family to men owing, largely, to the fact that men enjoy two distinct (God-gifted or endowed and acquired) privileges. In this study, the need for presence of a manager to manage the family has been proven through a test and division method. Thereupon, the views of exegetes concerning the term 'Qawwam' (maintainer) in the verse have been examined. The conclusion is that they have interpreted the said term as "protector and maintainer". Given the general reason provided in the verse and also the expedience which rests in modest covering for women, it has been stressed that men's domain of protection and maintenance encompass social arenas exceeding the home or family realm. The writer then goes on to study the two views regarding man's endowed and acquired superiority over women.