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and people who were living in that period and in that culture found it Idifficult to change, their ways thenpand alter their rigid beliefs completely to a new religion. It was difficult for I people to change their whole life completely. * were not abolished. polygamy existed in any number of wives limiting the number the same time, but in detail later. _While customs which were regarded as acceptable but were revaluated in Islam. For example. pre-Islamic Arabia,, a man being free to marry without limitation. Islam modified this by of wives to four, so a man can marry four wives at inder certain conditions. as will be discussed Pre-Islamic Arab society had special, social and political conditions which stemmed from, and were in accordance with. the natural environment, which had a profound influence on women's lives. Most_areas of the Arabian Peninsula were desert, extending over the middle of the Peninsula with no rivers-and very little water. The desert was called Al-Rabl al-Kh7alr (the vacant section); described in the Cambridge History as that "Empty Q4arter". the most savage part of the arid area and the most extensive body of continuous sand in the whole world. 1 There is not a single river to facilitate transport and communication through the vast expanses of sun scorched desert. However, there were some small valleve with oases but these were of little effect in view of the vast expanse of desert. In the west, this desert was surrounded by a chain of mountains called al-Saraw; t Mountains. Some areas in the west are considered to have been dry and, barren. _ An example of such an area is the"Ifecea. region which. is described in the Qurlan as an Holt. P. M. Lambton. AtW. Lewis Bernard. The CambridRe istory :0 Of Islam. Vol. 1. PA 7
funcultivatable valley', although it has some oases and springs such as 'al-Talif and al-Madinah. There is also the northern region 0 (present day Jordan. Syria and Lebanon) which is the region of fertile plains called the region of Al-Hilal al-Khaj: -Tb. The southern region which consists of fertile lower slopes and ,ý mountains rich in water and permeated by valleys was known as al-Yaman-al-Sala7id, ( Arabia Felix. ). The Arabian Peninsula is dividedýinto two parts. The first one which is rich in-water : the :., t northern. southern-and western regions. The other partýwhich is the barren dry region in which water and rain are scarce, is the larger. The topography and the climate helped shape the social, political and the economic conditions in the Peninsula. People were either nomads or, town dwellers. Communities developed in the areas which were rich in water such as al-Yaman and Hiial al Khaý Tb. while Bedouin communities developed in the middle areas because of the scarcity of water. The former worked in agricultural trade (such as Mecca, and Talif). These people were more highly. civilised than the Nomads. who roamed the spacious desert, moving from one oasis to another. looking for water and sustenance. These Nomads were, forced by the climate to struggle for existence. - The co-operation of all, the members of the tribe was therefore essential in the constant search for water and pasture. These essentials were obtainable either by wandering from one place to another looking for an oasis or fertile valley. or by taking possession of other tribes' water and pasture by force. -So'bthe aims of the tribe were common to all its members. and hence. the tribal system developed. Thus, the tribe became the-basis of political system in that society. 8
- Page 1 and 2: THE CHANGING POSITION OF WOMEN IN A
- Page 3 and 4: ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like to exp
- Page 5 and 6: INTRODUCTION The Islamic and Arabic
- Page 7 and 8: The status of women in Islamic and
- Page 9: civilization or of both combined. S
- Page 13 and 14: 2) The second source of support was
- Page 15 and 16: and would not take them captive, be
- Page 17 and 18: fight Muslims; not satisfied with t
- Page 19 and 20: From the Qurlan, we know that she w
- Page 21 and 22: would not marry at all unless she h
- Page 23 and 24: unequal match. "If you can't find a
- Page 25 and 26: ut also among the Hebrews and Arame
- Page 27 and 28: that The fact is/ this marriage doe
- Page 29 and 30: elated to the economic and social c
- Page 31 and 32: However. Islam forbade this kind of
- Page 33 and 34: How was the wife treated Most of th
- Page 35 and 36: 49 Another example is the Zainah ma
- Page 37 and 38: 'Excepýi for rare cases in countri
- Page 39 and 40: ArZý; The wife of Shai used to dis
- Page 41 and 42: A man could divorce his wife. remar
- Page 43 and 44: women as the Qurlan says: For those
- Page 45 and 46: divorce. the man takes compensation
- Page 47 and 48: The Woman's Inheritance in Pre-Isla
- Page 49 and 50: among his children. giving to a mal
- Page 51 and 52: asking him to bring his mother, Lay
- Page 53 and 54: Burying Daughters Alive In Pre-Isla
- Page 55 and 56: 2. The second motive was the fear t
- Page 57 and 58: "But infanticide was not a new thin
- Page 59 and 60: Or was it at any' specific age ? Th
funcultivatable valley', although it has some oases and springs<br />
such as 'al-Talif and al-Madinah. There is also the northern region<br />
0<br />
(present day Jordan. Syria and Lebanon) which is the region <strong>of</strong> fertile<br />
plains called the region <strong>of</strong> Al-Hilal al-Khaj: -Tb.<br />
The southern region which consists <strong>of</strong> fertile lower slopes and ,ý<br />
mountains rich in water and permeated by valleys was known as<br />
al-Yaman-al-Sala7id, ( Arabia Felix. ). The Arabian Peninsula is<br />
dividedýinto two parts. The first one which is rich in-water : the :., t<br />
northern. southern-and western regions. The other partýwhich is the<br />
barren dry region in which water and rain are scarce, is the larger.<br />
The topography and the climate helped shape the social, political<br />
and the economic conditions in the Peninsula. People were either<br />
nomads or, town dwellers. Communities developed in the areas which<br />
were rich in water such as al-Yaman and Hiial al Khaý Tb. while<br />
Bedouin communities developed in the middle areas because <strong>of</strong> the<br />
scarcity <strong>of</strong> water. The former worked in agricultural trade (such<br />
as Mecca, and Talif). These people were more highly. civilised than<br />
the Nomads. who roamed the spacious desert, moving from one oasis to<br />
another. looking for water and sustenance. These Nomads were,<br />
forced by the climate to struggle for existence. -<br />
The co-operation <strong>of</strong> all, the members <strong>of</strong> the tribe was therefore<br />
essential in the constant search for water and pasture. These<br />
essentials were obtainable either by wandering from one place to<br />
another looking for an oasis or fertile valley. or by taking possession<br />
<strong>of</strong> other tribes' water and pasture by force. -So'bthe aims <strong>of</strong> the tribe<br />
were common to all its members. and hence. the tribal system<br />
developed. Thus, the tribe became the-basis <strong>of</strong> political system in<br />
that society.<br />
8