Rights of Women in Islam - Hardcover

Engineer-asghar-ali

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Hardcover

ISBN 10: 8120739337 ISBN 13: 9788120739338

Publisher: Sterling Publications, 2004

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Women's issues continue to dominate the Islamic world in particular, as there has been a very gradual change in the status of women in the Islamic world as a whole. This book covers various aspects relating to the status of women in the pre-Islamic period - customs and traditions, forms of marriage, divorce and forms of divorce, dower, traditions regarding slave-girls, and so on. It then goes on to deal with the status of women in the post-Islamic period - the Qur'anic concept of women's rights in marriage, divorce, inheritance, custody of children, polygamy, maintenance, property, right to earn, etc. It quotes extensively from the Qur'an and Sunnah. It also deals with the Arab adaat, that is, pre-Islamic customs and traditions regarding women. Altogether, it attempts to arm Muslim women with Islamic arguments for their empowerment. The author, a renowned scholar, has sought to set the record straight by reinterpreting women's rights in the true Qur'anic spirit. He argues quite convincingly that the Holy Book gives equal rights to both the sexes, and it does not discriminate between them as regards personal, democratic and human rights. The question whether in a secular society Muslim personal law needs any change, and, if so, in which direction the reform should be undertaken is dealt with in detail. This third edition contains a chapter: 'On a Muslim Woman Leading the Congregational Prayer'. This chapter deals with the important aspect of Muslim women's problems and also hopes to further enhance their understanding of the Shari'ah issues.

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From the Back Cover:

This book is a long-overdue reassessment of women's rights in Islam which have long been widely misunderstood and misinterpreted. The fundamentalists, unmindful of the social context in which Quranic verses on the subject were written, have tried to portray men as superior human beings to women. The author, a renowned scholar, has sought to set the record straight by reinterpreting the women's rights in the true Quranic spirit. He argues, quite convincingly, that the Holy Book gives equal rights to both the sexes and that it does not discriminate between them in respect of personal, democratic, and human rights. An activist in women's struggle for equality, he has provided Muslim feminists with a powerful weapon for their fight for equality with men. He examines in depth the question whether in a secular society Muslim Personal Law needs any change, and, if so, in which direction reforms should be undertaken. The related issue of introduction of a common civil code, doing away with religiously discriminating laws, is considered.

About the Author:

Asghar Engineer is the director of the Institute of Islamic Studies. He is the author of On Developing Theology of Peace in Islam and Islam and Liberation Theology.

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