What is the interpretation of Allah Almighty’s saying: "Men are in charge of women" [Surat An-Nisa], taking into consideration the status of women during the era of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, and men in the present age?

Al-Qurtubi, in his Tafsir (definition), holds that the guardianship (qawamah) of men over women means their responsibility for providing financial support and defending them. He also states that among men are rulers, commanders, and those who participate in ghazw (military expeditions). The verse (on qawamah) was revealed in the context of the incident involving Sa’d ibn Al-Rabi’ and his wife, and it indicates that Allah willed something different from what the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, willed. It has been said that this guardianship for men is due to their greater intellect, sounder judgment, and psychological strength. The verse also indicates that men are to discipline their wives if the wives preserve their rights. The guardianship of men over women means their management of women's affairs, disciplining them, keeping them in their homes, and the wife's obligation to obey her husband. Scholars understood from Allah’s saying: "and because they spend from their wealth," that whenever a man is unable to provide financial support, he ceases to be a guardian, and the woman has the right to annul the marriage contract. The guardianship of men over women, with its conditions, does not change with the alteration of time and place.