The Middle Eastern region and its people have always been a wonder to Europeans, dating back to the years before the advent of Islam and the years following the Arab conquest. Today, the Islamic world stretches from the corners of the Philippines to the borders of Spain and Central Africa. Various cultures have adopted the Islamic faith and this mixture of many different cultures has strengthened the universal Islamic culture. The Islamic religion has given new meaning to the lives of many people around the world. In the Islamic world, religion defines and enriches culture and therefore culture provides meaning to the individual. Islam is not only a religion, it is in its own way a culture. Perhaps this is precisely what Europeans have not yet understood, how important a role religion plays in the life of a Muslim. One of the most commonly misunderstood aspects of Sharia law is the role of the family, particularly the role of women in the family and in the society in which they live. The actual role of a woman in a particular Muslim community may vary. Depending on the part of the world where she lives, all Muslim women nevertheless follow the same basic rules and regulations that the religion clearly defines. The Quran and Hadith are detailed sources that describe the role of women in Islamic history. A woman's rights and responsibilities are equal to those of a man, even if they are not identical to them. The difference is understandable because men and women are not identical but are created equal. Equality is desirable, just, just: but similarity is not. People are not created identical, but they are created equal. Keeping this distinction in mind, it is not permissible to imagine that women are inferior to men. The fact that Islam grants women equal – but not identical – rights shows that it takes them into consideration, recognizes them and recognizes their independent personality. The position of women and the role of the family coexist in an Islamic community. Since ancient times, the family has been considered the basic unit of protection, income and status in a society. The larger the family, the better equipped it will be economically and in the event of danger. Each member of the family depends on the other and this develops into a close relationship within the family. The ind...... middle of paper ......the others dependent on each other. The family adapts to the conditions of society and the relationships between men and women must be sufficiently adapted to raise the family and support it financially. Family structure differs across the Middle East, and with it the culture of each region. The status of women in Islam is something unique, without similarity with any other system. Muslim women have a great responsibility towards the family. They were raised to focus on family rather than fending for themselves in the male-dominated outside world. In today's world, women find themselves alone and helpless, while the Islamic family role provides them with security and social and economic shelter, first within the family and then in the community. As strange as family life and relationships between Muslim men and women may seem to outsiders, the Muslim family system has given rise to stable and productive Islamic communities across the world. Bibliography Fernea Guest, p. 165 Fernea Guest, p. 166 Dawood Tales From The Thousand And One Nights p. 184 Officials in charge of a particular city within the Islamic Empire