University of New England
Faculty of Arts and Sciences
School of Humanities
ISLM563
Women in Islam
Topic Notes
Professor Howard Brasted
Semester 1, 2011
© University of New England 2011
CRICOS Provider No: 00003G
Table of Contents
Introduction ........................................................................................................................................................... 1
Topic 1 ...................................................................................................................................................................... 3
Historical background ................................................................................................. 3
Topic 2 ...................................................................................................................................................................... 7
Major assignment – ..................................................................................................... 7
Essay c. 2000 words – 50% [submit by 15 June] ............................................ 7
Topic Notes
Introduction
Welcome to this unit. I hope that you will find it stimulating and enjoyable. It has been
structured with the intention of providing you with the material necessary for you to
acquire an informed outlook regarding the position of Muslim women within Asia and,
to a lesser extent, Australia. This will be achieved through a study of the ways in which
Islam impacts upon the lives of Muslim women within these regions.
We need to recognise from the outset that this is not an easy task, and most definitely
not one to be achieved simply by acquiring an understanding of the basic tenets of
Islam and then applying them uncritically across the board. The degree to which Islam
will affect the day-to-day existence of Muslim women is determined by many factors,
not the least of which are socio-economic standing, age, access to education, political
outlook, cultural background, and the particular interpretations of Islamic law
prevalent in their country of residence. Thus, the effect of Islam upon an educated
upper class woman in Delhi may differ greatly from that of a woman living in a rural
village in Indonesia (or for that matter, a woman living in a suburb of Sydney).
Nevertheless, although the force exerted by Islam may differ from individual to
individual and culture to culture, there can be little doubt that, within Muslim societies,
its presence will be felt to some degree. In essence, the Muslim woman is positioned
within a world community of believers, in which religion dictates the very structure of
society and in which guidelines relating to her role and status within society have been
legislated in accord with Islamic belief.1 Notwithstanding the underlying difficulties of
1
To complicate the issue, these guidelines are not necessarily consistent from one geographical area to
the next. This is because legislation is drawn not only from the Quran but also from the hadith, sharia
and sunna of the Prophet, resulting in a legalistic minefield in which interpretation becomes an issue of
paramount importance. Thus the laws governing the conduct and rights of women differ markedly,
depending upon whether those involved in their interpretation possess a conservative or a liberal attitude
regarding women.
ISLM563 Women in Islam ______________________________________________________________________________1
Topic Notes
application, these guidelines, and the ways in which they impact upon the everyday
experiences of women within contemporary Muslim societies, provide the primary
focus for this unit.
The stereotypical image of Muslim women as veiled, downtrodden and subservient is
one which needs to be held up to close scrutiny. It is hoped that this unit will help you
to question the Eurocentric and often simplistic ways in which Muslim women are
portrayed within western culture, and in so doing provide you with the opportunity to
acquire a far deeper understanding of the position of Muslim women within an
Asian/Australian context.
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Topic Notes
Topic 1
Historical background
If we are to gain an understanding of the position of women within Muslim society, it
essential to come to grips with the expectations of historical Islam regarding women,
and the ways in which these expectations translate into present day realities. Islamic
doctrine, as revealed by Allah to Muhammad in 610 C.E. and recorded in the Quran,
established prescriptions for virtually every aspect of Muslim life, drawing inspiration
from an moral ideal which recognised the spiritual basis of human existence. In this
context, religion became the central component of a complete social order. To quote
John Esposito, 'For Christianity, the appropriate question is "What do Christians
believe?". In contrast, for Islam (as for Judaism), the correct question is "What do
Muslims do?2
Activity 1
The Quran has more to say about the position of women than
any other social question.3 What impact do you think this
emphasis would have upon the role and status of women within
nascent Islamic society.
It is generally argued that Arabian women did, on the whole, benefit from changes to
the existing social structure which resulted from the adoption of an Islamic world
4
view. Pre-Islamic Arabia has been viewed by many scholars as a period of history
inimical to women's basic human rights, with women treated as little more than the
possessions of their fathers or husbands. The following list provides a brief overview
of the types of problems which women faced at this time.

Women did not have the right to contract their own marriage and when married
had no control over their personal possessions and wealth.

The dower, or bride price, was paid by the husband directly to his wife's father or
male relatives, leaving her with no possibility of claim to it.
Quranic law legislated against these practices, replacing them with a social system in
which women's lives changed radically.
To begin with, marriage was now regarded as a praiseworthy institution in which
women and children were to be supported financially. Indeed, marriage was regarded
as obligatory for all Muslims and even the adoption of a celibate lifestyle in order to
pursue a religious path was frowned upon.5 However, men were expected to limit the
number of women they could marry to four, and not marry more than one if they felt
that they would be unable to treat them all equally and fairly.
2
John L. Esposito, Islam: The Straight Path (Oxford Univ. Press, 1991), p. 69.
3
Alfred Guillaume, Islam (Harmondsworth, Penguin Books, 1956), p. 71.
4
see for instance, Barbara Freyer Stowasser in F. Hussain (ed.), Muslim Women (London, Croom Helm,
1984), Ch.1 and passim; see also Esposito, op.cit., p. 94 and Fazlur Rahman, Islam (2nd. ed., 1979) p.
38.
5
Esposito, op. cit., p. 95
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Topic Notes
… marry other women who seem good to you: two, three, or four of
them. But if you fear you cannot maintain equality among them,
marry one only … This will make it easier for you to avoid injustice.
The Quran 4 : 3
Women gained the right to contract their own marriage and in addition the dower
given by her husband for her hand was now paid directly to the bride rather than to
her father.
Give women their dowry as a free gift; but if they choose to make
over to you a part of it, you may regard it as lawfully yours.
The Quran, 4 : 4
The woman's role as mother was regarded as one of importance, in keeping with one
whose major concern was the welfare of the family unit and the nurturing of offspring.
When asked who was most deserving of care, Muhammad reportedly replied: Your
mother (which he repeated three times) then your father, then your nearest relatives in
order.6
With regard to divorce, the Quran stated that efforts should be made at reconciliation, but if
this proved impossible a woman could not simply be turned out of the house but must be
supported by her husband for three months in order to ascertain if she were pregnant. If
divorce became inevitable, women were guaranteed the right to leave their husband, with
their possessions, personal wealth and dower intact.
Reasonable provision shall … be made for divorced women. That is
incumbent on righteous men
The Quran, 2 : 241
Following the implementation of Quranic law, women also gained a degree of
economic security in terms of their rights to inheritance. Previously, all inheritance of
property went directly to male relatives, but now female relatives could also inherit a
portion of the deceased's estate. The rights of a wife to remain in the family home for
a period of time after the death of her husband was also taken into account.
You shall bequeath your widows a year's maintenance without
causing them to leave their homes
The Quran, 2 : 240
The Quran also legislated against the practice of infanticide which had posed such a
threat to newborn girls in particular
… you shall not kill your children because you cannot support them
(We provide for you and for them)
The Quran, 6 : 151
From the above, it would appear that a woman's status in society was substantially
improved, with her rights recognised and upheld by Islamic law. However, although
there are many who agree that this is so, there are those who question this
6
See B. Aisha Lemu and Fatima Heeren, Woman in Islam (London, The Islamic Foundation, 1978), p. 23
4 _____________________________________________________________________________ ISLM563 Women in Islam
Topic Notes
interpretation of history while others, although agreeing that women did indeed
benefit from the changes wrought by Islam, believe that this came at a price.
For instance Leila Ahmed, in 'Women and the Advent of Islam' argues that the coming
of Islam may have undermined rather than enhanced the status and personal freedom
7
of women in pre-Islamic Arabia. Ahmed bases this belief on her interpretation of
recorded evidence which reveals that during the early flowering of Islam women
enjoyed a high degree of autonomy, which has diminished over time. This autonomy,
she states, did not originate with Islam but rather can be attributed to a continuation
of the status enjoyed by women prior to its arrival. With the coming and consolidation
of Islam, women lost their independence, finding themselves relegated to a position of
subordination.
The trend toward the subjugation of women and the closure of the
roles and independence available to them in the old order continued
inexorably on its course, leaving an almost smothered trail of
defiance, an almost erased memory of the ways of independence.8
Others, while agreeing that Islam was instrumental in providing rights to women in
many areas, remain critical of some pronouncements which they feel have acted to
relegate women to a lesser position within Muslim society. For example they point to
women's lack of equality in terms of their testimony within a court of law, (a woman's
testimony is worth half that of a man), the fact that even though women gained the
right to inheritance they usually only inherit half the amount received by men, 9 and one
particularly contentious verse within the Quran which states:
Men have authority over women, because God has made the one
superior to the other and because they spend their wealth to
maintain them
The Quran, 4 : 34
Nonetheless, as stated above, many commentators are of the opinion that these
changes resulted in the creation of a society in which women could be assured the
respect due them with regard to their position as the nurturers and guardians of future
generations.10 Writing from this perspective, a European convert to Islam states: 'Apart
from her role as a wife the Muslim woman has a very important role as a mother. The
status and value attached to parents in the Muslim world is very high'.11 She then goes
on to examine the Quran in terms of its importance to women, arguing that its impact
is just as beneficial today as it was fourteen hundred years ago.
Fortunately no one has changed or can change the words of the
Qur'an, and the regulations for the protection of women which were
7
Leila Ahmed 'Women and the Advent of Islam', Signs, Summer (1986), pp. 665-666 and passim.
8
Ibid., p. 686 and passim.
9
Reasons given for this apparent lack of equality is that (a) women's place within the home does not act to
familiarise her with legal matters and therefore her testimony may not be based on a sound knowledge
of the situation (b) a man's role as provider for his family means that he has need for financial security in
order to undertake this role
10
See Afzalur Rahman, Role of Muslim Woman in Society (London, Seerah Foundation, 1986), p. 1.
11
An opinion voiced by B. Aisha Lemu in Aisha Lemu and Fatima Heeren, Woman in Islam (London, The
Islamic Foundation, 1978), p. 23.
ISLM563 Women in Islam ______________________________________________________________________________5
Topic Notes
revealed in the 7th century can be easily verified by anyone in the
20th century...I believe that these laws and social regulations
regarding women contain certain fundamental truths which will
benefit whoever applies them.12
When the changes resulting from the emergence of Islam are examined in their
historical context, it is obvious that they were far reaching, resulting in the
establishment of new roles for women within nascent Islamic society. However, it is
also obvious that major differences in opinion exist regarding the effect of Islamic
doctrine upon women.
While some commentators see Islam as a constraint upon women's freedom and a
reason for their inferior status within society, others see it as a legitimisation of their
great importance, particularly in terms of their role as wives and mothers.
Suggested task for self-study
Read The Quran, especially sura 4: 1 to 4: 176 as well as any other
areas pertaining to women (see index). How does the 'ideal' view
appear alongside the 'reality' of the experiences of Muslim women
today?
Further reading
Freda Hussain (ed.), Muslim Women (London, Croom Helm), Ch. 1. (Resource Booklet).
12
Ibid., p. 30.
6 _____________________________________________________________________________ ISLM563 Women in Islam
Topic Notes
Topic 2
Major assignment –
Essay c. 2000 words – 50% [submit by 15 June]
Major assignment - Essay c. 2000 words – 50%
[submit by 15 June]
...in Islamic society, as in the West, the oppression of women is
usually more the result of poverty and lack of education and other
opportunities, than of religion.
Rana Kabbani, Letter to Christendom, p. 16.
Critically discuss this statement, applying it to two of the Asian Muslim societies covered in
this unit.
In your discussions you could consider the following points.

To what extent can existing patriarchal attitudes within some Asian societies,
and Islamic expectations of women, be separated into two discrete areas?

Exactly what are we looking at when we speak of 'Islamic society' - who is
involved in the interpretation of Islamic doctrine and how does their particular
interpretation affect the position of women?

If the Quran is the unalterable word of God, in what ways can women's roles be
changed or modified to meet contemporary needs and expectations?
Reading
Handbook, p. 166-173.
Wanda Jamrozik, 'Islam in Australia', The Independent (September 1994), (Resource
Booklet).
Re-read relevant extracts and articles from your Resource Booklet.
Look again at the sections on women in Esposito, Islam: The Straight Path and
Ruthven, Islam in the World. (see index)
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