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movement and "she was recognised throughout the Arab, world as an early leader in the field of the woman's rights ..... she came to the public attention during the public nationalist demonstrations in Egypt against the British. These took place at the end of world war 1.11 1 At the other end. of the spectrum, extremists tried to prevent women-from making any. contribution to their society., The most rigid advocates of this view deprived them of fundamental rights, such as equality with men in education. in the mistaken belief that this is in accordance with Islamic laws. Between these two extremes, a third approach has emerged trying to create a middle zone, where women can contribute to their society and at the same time observe the Islamic laws and traditions; as for example, MuhammadcAbdu in Egypt. who concentrated on improving the status of women in the villages of Egypt. He draw upon the aspects of Islamic law which enjoin liberal treatment of women to. argue for the end of humiliation and oppression. The first question to consider here is whether Islam does or does not guarantee its female adherents the rights and the status which enable them to function in and contribute to their society and, secondly, if it does, how this can be achieved in today's fast moving. complicated and demanding societies. A study of the early sources, and of the practice of the first Islamic community in Mecca and al-Madinah during the time of the Prophet and the first four caliphs and comparison of this community with the pre-Islamic Arabia may help to formulate an opinion on the subject. 1. See Fernea, Elizabeth and Bezirgan. Basimas Middle Eastern Muslim Women Speak, P. 194. 2. See Muhammad. Aýmad, op. cit., Pe 52 2 3
The status of women in Islamic and Arab societies has been discussed and investigated in different areas through literature. the media and various channels; the particular contribution of the present thesis is the comparison between the status of women in a specific place and time, that is in Mecca and Madinah. before the dawn of Islam and during the Prophet's times from an academic approach. 4
- Page 1 and 2: THE CHANGING POSITION OF WOMEN IN A
- Page 3 and 4: ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like to exp
- Page 5: INTRODUCTION The Islamic and Arabic
- Page 9 and 10: civilization or of both combined. S
- Page 11 and 12: funcultivatable valley', although i
- 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
movement and "she was recognised throughout the Arab, world as an early<br />
leader in the field <strong>of</strong> the woman's rights ..... she came to the public<br />
attention during the public nationalist demonstrations in Egypt against<br />
the British. These took place at the end <strong>of</strong> world war 1.11 1<br />
At the other end. <strong>of</strong> the spectrum, extremists tried to prevent<br />
women-from making any. contribution to their society., The most rigid<br />
advocates <strong>of</strong> this view deprived them <strong>of</strong> fundamental rights, such as<br />
equality with men in education. in the mistaken belief that this is in<br />
accordance with Islamic laws.<br />
Between these two extremes, a third approach has emerged trying to<br />
create a middle zone, where women can contribute to their society and<br />
at the same time observe the Islamic laws and traditions; as for<br />
example, MuhammadcAbdu in Egypt. who concentrated on improving the<br />
status <strong>of</strong> women in the villages <strong>of</strong> Egypt. He draw upon the aspects<br />
<strong>of</strong> Islamic law which enjoin liberal treatment <strong>of</strong> women to. argue for<br />
the end <strong>of</strong> humiliation and oppression.<br />
The first question to consider here is whether Islam does or<br />
does not guarantee its female adherents the rights and the status<br />
which enable them to function in and contribute to their society and,<br />
secondly, if it does, how this can be achieved in today's fast moving.<br />
complicated and demanding societies. A study <strong>of</strong> the early sources,<br />
and <strong>of</strong> the practice <strong>of</strong> the first Islamic community in Mecca and<br />
al-Madinah during the time <strong>of</strong> the Prophet and the first four caliphs<br />
and comparison <strong>of</strong> this community with the pre-Islamic Arabia may help<br />
to formulate an opinion on the subject.<br />
1. See Fernea, Elizabeth and Bezirgan. Basimas Middle Eastern Muslim<br />
Women Speak, P. 194.<br />
2. See Muhammad. Aýmad, op. cit., Pe 52<br />
2<br />
3