Criterion for Virtue and Merit of Woman according to Allamah Tabatabai and Fakhr Razi

Islam's view of women is not just a gender-based perspective, rather many Quranic verses reflect and depict women as being on a par with men in different matters such as submission to God and faith, knowledge and intellect, piety and happiness which they can attain through righteous acts. It is important to explain the dignity of a woman and her personal and social status through proper interpretation of the verses. What actually casts doubt in this matter is the term 'virtue' whose mundane meaning is different from its reality with Allah. In this research, verses appertained to intrinsic and acquired virtues have been examined by analytical and descriptive methods from the perspective of Allamah Tabatabai, the great Shiite commentator, and that of the Sunni commentator (Fakhr Razi). The findings of the present research is that men are not superior to women neither in intrinsic nor in acquired virtues as both of them can reach the summit of virtue by means of faith, knowledge and righteous acts. In any case, the criterion for merit and virtue rests in the human essence which is common to both men and women.