Originally posted by Gregory
4:34. "Women." I haven't read the Koran in full, but I've read a fair number of the individual suras, if that's what you're asking.
I am answering your question about equality concerning the verse that means:
*{And they [the women] have [rights] like [the obligations] they are under with beneficence, and men have a degree above them, and Allah is Ever-Mighty, Ever-Wise}* (Al-Baqarah 2:228).
Careful reading of the verse in Arabic, and in the context of other verses, does not imply inequality. Rather, *{And they [the women] have [rights] like [the obligations] they are under with beneficence}* , as well as other verses, emphasizes the equality of man and woman in rights and obligations, in nature and mental characteristics, in responsibility and accountability towards Allah and His Message. For example, the Qur’an says what means:
*{Then their Lord responded to them, “I do not waste the deed of any doer among you, any male or female. The one of you is as the other}* (Aal `Imran 3:195).
*{Surely the male donors and the female donors and [those] who lend to Allah a fair loan, it will be doubled for them, and they will have an honorable reward}* (Al-Hadid 57:18).
*{Surely [for] male Muslims and female Muslims, and male believers and female believers, and devout males and devout females and sincere males and sincere females, and patient males and patient females, and submissive males and submissive females, and male donators and female donators, and fasting males and fasting females, and males who preserve their private parts and females who preserve their private parts, and males who are much mindful of Allah and females who are much mindful of Allah – for them Allah has prepared forgiveness and a magnificent reward.}* (Al-Ahzab 33: 35)
Equally, men bear the major responsibility of earning for a living, harnessing and developing the resources of the earth, facing life hardships, and defending his family and the community against dangers. A man is responsible to financially support his wife (even if she is rich), his daughters until they are married, his sons until they are able to support themselves, his needy parents, as well as other blood relatives. To fulfill these major responsibilities, he should assume the role of leadership, and this is what is meant by “a degree above them.” Thus, leadership does not thus imply any sort of inequality or dictatorship.