Light of Life
Woman's status in Islam is one of the most controversial and serious issues of our time, not only among Muslim women and those who represent them in the area of women's rights in the Islamic world, but also among fundamentalist Muslims. The reader may find himself confused owing to the large number of books that treat this subject, for the most part, superficially and partially. Some cover Islam's achievements for the woman,(1) maintaining that it was Islam that gave the woman her rights and honour,(2) while others blame all the disadvantages in the position of Muslim women on Islam.(3)
Since in this book we mean by Islam what the Qur´an and Hadith say, we want to treat the woman's position primarily in these two sources. What rights has Islam given to the woman, and what disadvantages has it brought her? Some commentaries of consequence will also be reviewed. We will also cite the opinions of older theologians and jurists (experts on Sharia), and the comments of the contemporary fundamentalists and their attitudes toward the western and eastern critics who uphold the issue of women's rights.
As will be made clear in the following chapters, it will not be possible to cite the Qur´anic references when treating the woman's position in the Sharia (Islamic law). The Qur´an often remains silent when it comes to certain topics, even if the topics have to do with the heart of the Sharia.(4) There are also matters that the Qur´an touches upon without describing them in detail.(5)
Woman's status in Islam is one of the most controversial and serious issues of our time, not only among Muslim women and those who represent them in the area of women's rights in the Islamic world, but also among fundamentalist Muslims. The reader may find himself confused owing to the large number of books that treat this subject, for the most part, superficially and partially. Some cover Islam's achievements for the woman,(1) maintaining that it was Islam that gave the woman her rights and honour,(2) while others blame all the disadvantages in the position of Muslim women on Islam.(3)
Since in this book we mean by Islam what the Qur´an and Hadith say, we want to treat the woman's position primarily in these two sources. What rights has Islam given to the woman, and what disadvantages has it brought her? Some commentaries of consequence will also be reviewed. We will also cite the opinions of older theologians and jurists (experts on Sharia), and the comments of the contemporary fundamentalists and their attitudes toward the western and eastern critics who uphold the issue of women's rights.
As will be made clear in the following chapters, it will not be possible to cite the Qur´anic references when treating the woman's position in the Sharia (Islamic law). The Qur´an often remains silent when it comes to certain topics, even if the topics have to do with the heart of the Sharia.(4) There are also matters that the Qur´an touches upon without describing them in detail.(5)
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