nd rewards for the virtuous and threats of punishment for the wicked. It also consists of religious observance obligations, such as prayer, fasting, and pilgrimage. The Qur'an is explicit in these principles because of the moral tension that exists in daily living: "[The Qur'an] is therefore deeply involved with the daily life of Muslim society. For this reason, in some way it had to reflect the problems of society directly and concretely" (Ayoub 18). The involvement by the Qur'an in the daily lives of Muslims means that points of contention in the home, school, and government are settled by its authority.
Regarding misconduct, a special treatment is reserved for the three crimes of idolatry, homicide and fornication, all of which are considered particularly detestable. On the one hand, emphasis is placed on the punishment that will occur to the sinner in this life and the next; on the other hand, the virtues of repentance are extolled. By converting these three evil deeds (idolatry, homicide and fornication) into good deeds, the sinner will be forgiven, and even transformed: "And they who do not call upon another god with Allah and do not slay the soul, which Allah has forbidden except in the requirements of justice, and (who) do not commit fornication; and he who does this shall find a requital of sin" (Shah 84). Unfortunately, repentance and leniency from these three crimes is mostly reserved for men in traditional Arab society; women found guilty are subjected to the most severest of punishments, even death.
A number of rules of social behavior regarding women appear in the Qur'an. Woman are required to observe certain strict guidelines concerning clothes, ornaments and attitudes towards men. Women are commanded to lower their gaze, guard their chastity, and cover their bodies from all except their immediate male relatives. Commandments are also given regarding quarreling, both within marriage and in the communit...