In the twentieth episode of his Ramadan program ‘Sheikh Al-Azhar’s Talk’, the Grand Imam: “Qiwāmah (Guardianship) means Consultation and Islam has exempted the woman from some of her legitimate assignments, out of kind of care for her”
The Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, Prof Ahmed Aṭ-Ṭayyeb, said that Islam has exempted the woman from some of her legitimate assignments, taking into account the hardships associated with them. For example, Islam has relieved the woman from the daily prayers in special cases, while it does not exempt the man from praying even in the case of illness. It has also excused the woman from Jihad, or military service, because of the horrors that soldiers face in wars. It has also released her from following the funerals or performing the weekly Friday congregational prayers. He explained that these rules are applied on the basis of what a woman can do in accordance with her physical conditions. Equality between two different persons is injustice.
The Grand Imam added that Islam also singles out women for wearing gold and silk, but it bans this with regard to men. It also allows women to sleep in a bed covered with silk but forbids the man from doing so except when he sleeps in it with his wife. Islam only allows the man to sleep with his wife on silk bedding in order to please her.
The great jurist Muhiddin ibn ‛Arabi said that when Allah revealed Himself to Prophet Moses, the Prophet was not then performing his prayers, but was going to bring a firebrand to his wife. This means that he was in service of his family. That is a significant hint.
The Grand Imam concluded his talk, saying that the man’s guardianship does not mean his domination, but it rather denotes consultation. The proof of that is in Allah's statement: " Mothers may breastfeed their children two full years for whoever wishes to complete the nursing (period). Upon the father will be the mothers' provision and their clothing according to what is (socially) acceptable. No one is charged with more than his capacity. No mother should be harmed through her child, nor a father through his child. And upon the (father's) heir is [a duty] like that (of the father). And if they both desire weaning through mutual consent from both of them and after consultation, there is no blame upon either of them.” [Qur᾿ān, 2:233].
This means that one of them is not allowed to take the decision, on his own, to wean the child before the end of two years. (Upon his appointment as the Caliph, succeeding Prophet Muḩammad, pbuh) the great Companion Abu Bakr said, "I was appointed as your guardian, but I am not the best of you". This statement shows that guardianship does not entail preference, although this is a greater kind of (political) guardianship than men’s to women's.
The Grand Imam's program is broadcast at 6:15 p.m. daily, throughout the Holy Month of Ramadan. It discusses a number of Muslim family issues, the rights established in Islam for the husband and the wife, and how to preserve the family as a basis for a solid human community.