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Jihad:

The term Jihad means to "struggle" or "strive" in the ways of righteousness, as determined by God. The terms is used in two ways: there is the greater or inner Jihad and the lesser, outer Jihad. The inner Jihad is one's personal struggle between right and wrong, good and evil, between doing one's own will and that of God. The outer Jihad is the struggle to maintain a righteous society. This may, at times, mean that battles or "holy wars" will have to be fought. This concept in Islam is not unlike the concept of the "just war" found within Catholic canon law. We should be aware that many so called "jihads" are not really considered legitimate.

Women:

The general principle in Islam for the treatment of women is that men are to be the protectors and providers for women and are to treat all women as they would their own mother. Muhammad and the Qur'an have much to say with regard to the rights and responsibilities of men and women in relationship with one another. Among other rights, Islam recognized women as persons and citizens, giving them the right to vote long before other cultures did so.

Earning and inheriting money:

A man is expected to provide for a woman and all the children he has with her, he is to be the "bread winner". A woman may work (remember Muhammad's first wife, Khadijah, was his employer) but, unlike a man, she may keep all her earnings for her own personal use. Under Islam, women were given the right to inherit property from their fathers (unheard of in those days). However, a daughter is given less than a son because a son must support his family while a daughter may keep her inheritance just for her own use.

Multiple wives and the family:

In some Muslim lands it is permitted (by the Qur'an as well as the culture) for a man to have up to four wives but he must treat them all equally well. Multiple wives assures that no women and children will be without the protection of a man. When a couple marry, they write up a mutually agreeable marriage contract in which the woman can stipulate whether she will accept additional wives into the family unit. A woman may choose to keep her own name when she marries, thus emphasizing that a woman is a person in her own right and not just the wife of her husband. Divorce may be initiated by the husband or wife. Men are expected to continue to provide for their children even in divorce.

Modesty in dress and behavior:

Muslim men are not allowed to touch a woman who is not a relative or wife. This protects the woman's modesty and includes, for instance, not shaking a woman's hand. This tradition of modestly is called hijab Muslim women are to protect their own modesty by covering themselves when in public. This covering may be as simple as wearing a headscarf, long sleeves and pants or long skirt. In some Muslim countries, this covering involves wearing a heavy outer cloak that may also cover the entire face (except for the eyes). Men are also expected to dress modestly, both men and women are to avoid wearing tight and revealing clothing.

Part of this protection of a woman's modesty extends to separating men and women in prayer and other public areas such as schools. Especially in the case of prayer, which involves close physical contact and prostration (where one's rear end is raised in front of the face of one behind), this separation serves a practical function to not only protect the woman's modesty but to help avoid the distraction both male and female might otherwise be subject to by such an uncomfortable situation (the man being distracted by the woman in front of him and the woman being distracted by wondering if the man behind her is leering at her). Essentially, a man is to respect any woman the way he would his own mother.

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