Muslim Women in the Family  Society

This book contains Professor Fathi Osman's enlightend interpretation on verses in the Qur'an on women and women's rights. It is divided into 23 different topics, which include:

• Equal from Their Origin
• Love and Tenderness
• Marriage
• Rights of Divorced Women
• Monogamy, not Polygamy
• Modesty, not Segregation
• Responsibility, not Superiority

Prologue: A Development of Awareness

The distressing picture of men-women relations in contemporary Muslim societies, which contradicts the teachings of Islam, is a concrete fact that cannot be denied. However, another positive fact that exists side by side is that an awareness of  the essential and constructive role of women in the society to fulfil their Islamic responsibilities, is increasingly appreciated among Muslim men and women.

The divine guidance in the Qur'an and Sunna, and many positives in our intellectual and practical heritage, have increasingly inspired and generated new works that advocates the rights of Muslim women in the name of God and God's message.

Day after day, Muslims are becoming more and more aware of the due distinction between the permanent teachings of the divine sources of Islam and the accumulated human ideas and practices that were influenced by the cultural and social circumstances in the Muslim societies, in the past and the present. Conceptual and behavioural progress is apparent now in Muslim societies, which seems more keen to observe the divine teachings and abandon the human deviated customs in man-woman relations in the family and the society. Women's education and work in different fields have developed their personality, self confidence and initiatives. An awareness of the Islamic rights and responsibilities has inspired many of them to be committed to the Islamic message of justice, peace and prosperity. These concrete developments have provided a support for the Muslim woman, stronger than any philosphical or legal arguement. On the other hand, Muslim men have realised the social change and have become more inclined to deal with it. Muslims cannot reactivate their societies, secure a positive role in the contemporary world and get their message heard by all peoples, while half of their population is supressed or neglected. How can Muslims call universally for divine justice, while they are missing or ignoring it among themselves, their homes and their communities?

Progress can be obviously noticed...and hopefully it will continue and accelerate, benefiting Muslims in the first place, and then representing the message of Islam to the whole world appealingly.

About the Author

Fathi Osman is a distinguished Islamic scholar who has taught in several universities all over the world including the Al-Azhar University, Egypt. He was also a Visiting Professor at the International Islamic University in Kuala Lumpur. In addition to his contribution to modern Islamic thinking in arabic, Dr Osman was Editor-in-Chief of the international Islamic magazine, Arabia: The Islamic World Review from 1981-1987. His publications in English include Shari'a in Contemporary Society: The Dynamics of Change in the Islamic Law, The Concept of the Qur'an: A Topical Reading of the Divine Message, Jihad: A Legitimate Struggle for Human Rights, In Fraternity: A Message to Muslims in America, (co-authored) The Muslim Women in the Family and Society. He has been actively involved in interfaith dialogue.

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