Women’s rights in pre-Islamic Arabia May 2, 2008
Posted by jewaira in Books, Life, Links, News, Women.trackback
Did women in pre-Islamic Arabia enjoy considerably more rights than they do in Saudi Arabia today?
Hatoon Al-Fassi, an outspoken Saudi scholar believes so. In her book Women In Pre-Islamic Arabia, she discusses the legal status and rights of women in the Nabataean state, an Arabian kingdom that spanned Jordan, south Syria, and northwest Saudi Arabia during the Roman Empire.
From her studies of coins and ancient tomb inscriptions, Fassi has suggested that Nabataean women were stronger and more independent then and that laws that stipulate guardianship were actually based on Greco-Roman laws which curtailed women’s full rights.
She says:
“I found that with Nabataean women the legal status and self representation was stronger and more evident than with Greek women who needed always a ‘tutor’, or representative, in order to conclude any contract,” Fassi said in an interview.
“An adaptation of Greek and Roman laws was inserted in Islamic law,” she said, referring to guardianship. “I would insist that it’s an ancient adaptation, that (Muslim) scholars are not aware of, and they would really be shocked.” Source: Middle East Online : Saudi Scholar finds ancient women’s rights
Fassi’s suggestion that some sharia elements may have been a human rather than a divine one is controversial to say the least to traditional thought. The study sounds fascinating and the article has more information on the subject.
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On a side note, American Bedu has blogged about Mada’in Saleh and the tombs of the Nabataeans in a series of interesting blog posts describing her recent travels. It is well worth a read.
It would really bring a different light to Sharia law, and this would be bitterly denied by the islamic “scholars”. What I liked about Islam a long time ago from the Prophet Mohammed and the stories is that they really used to question a lot of things, and it wasn’t just shoved down your thought. It was a clear and logical thought process for almost everything in Islam, but sometimes these idiots just come up with these Fatwas just for the hell of their situation. I just hope one day god holds them responsible for false information.
I hope her studies continue unhinder by those who would resent her work in Saudi.
Ok I kind of disagree with what she says concerning Greek/Roman women’s social situation. I googled to double check but we were always taught in school that they could own property in their lands but can’t buy or own the land itself or contract it. That’s just one thing amongst many which I disagree with but I think her findings are interesting nonetheless though it heavy depends on where is she going with all of this.
As to its relation to Sharia law. The problem is that most people think the concept of Islam started with the preaching of prophet Mohammed peace be upon him when in fact we all know it involves many scriptures and holy books with the same monotheistic message so logically speaking righteous preaching was evident from the early times even belonging to prophets that we weren’t even told of (which is stated in the Holy Koran) but the problem is that people kept deviating and improvising their own words in scriptures which further caused havoc and social problems.
So my point is it is not surprising at all to find similarities between Islam and previous preachings but I have a problem when you say ancient scriptures are the source of Islamic conduct. I dont agree with that. I believe there’s only one God and the message was always trying to authorize social rules around that from prophets sent by the same God which is what Islam preaches.
Anyway its a complicated long subject…
The eternal debate shall continue………….
hi all
Thanks for the plug, Jewaira. The Nabateaeens have a fascinating history.
Regards,
Carol
It s hard to tell from any of the religious books what was the actual word and what was added by man because most stories were passed down several centuries before anyone wrote them down. I wouldn’t be surprised if things were added by a man for control over their women.
you know the truth is not hard to find, all that talk about womens rights, bearded men that scream all day long about nothing… just pick up a few books and youll find exactly the rights women had under islam..
look at the prophets wives, his daughter.
And many great women. Womens rights were oppressed under the turks, not the turls of today but Constantinople. the covering of the face, segregation, and many things along that line…
its a never ending argument
but i do believe the truth is not hidden, its right there, we just need to look
Sushi’s message makes complete sense.
Perhaps it would have been better for me to have posted after reading the book rather than having to depend on someone else’s interpretation of it and the interview. Here I am merely repeating what was said in the interview and the person’s article. My main interest was Hatoon Al-Fassi and her book.
I think one of her arguments was that the concept of male guardianship over females was not one central to the Arabian peninsula but a result of the influence of other cultures on the Arabs in ancient history (she gives examples of the Greeks).
Of course the focus on this book and especially on the issue of guardianship in the media is also an extension of the recent news items on this subject ( regarding the human rights report on women being treated like children in Saudi Arabia).
In any case, Fassi seems to be a fascinating scholar.
I have not read Ms. Al-Fassi’s book, but I am however, familiar with and have read some of the works of Nawal El Sadawi and of Fatema Mernissi, a respected and well-known female Islamic scholar and writer (both ladies were the subject of a huge research paper I once wrote on the history of women’s rights movement (or lack thereof) in contemporary Middle Eastern cultures and societies. Ms. Al-Fassi sounds like she is on her way to finding her niche alongside these renowned Arab ladies and scholars.
I was drawn to this quote:
“There was a certain economic change in that period that allowed women to become stronger or more visible,” she said. “I believe it was because of the economic absence of men … At the end of the first century BC the caravan trade became intensive, twice a year rather than once in the previous millennium.”
What about the Prophet Mohammed’s (PBUH) first wife Khadija, who was a successful businesswoman on her own with her own caravans conducting her business prior to the advent and establishment of Islam and it’s message by her husband (and it is interesting to note that she had to employ men to act on her behalf to conduct her business transactions - which is how she met the Prophet PBUH)? If there was any woman who may perhaps be testament to and embodies some of Ms. Al-Fassi’s claims, it is Khadija that immediately springs to mind. Not to mention, Khadija married a man much younger than her and she was the one who in fact proposed marriage to him. I think that speaks for itself in terms of what the prevalent socio-economic environment for women in the region may have been. However, I guess I would need to read the book more closely obviously to see what Ms. Al-Fassi is saying before I completely concur.
One other point: People don’t realize that prior to the advent of Abrahamic religions, most world cultures and societies were based on matriarchies. Even after Christianity, there were social and cultural remnants of matriarchal influence and it’s thumbprints all over the place in terms of traditions and infrastructure, it took time to weed them out and conscious effort by the various priests and crusaders spreading Christianity’s message and securing it’s establishment across the world. Humans don’t smoothly transition culturally or socially from one existence and ingrained system of social behavior to the next without dragging baggage along with them.
Sushi made some excellent points and gave me pause for thought.
Excellent post regardless Jewaira, because now I want to go to Amazon.com and get myself a copy.
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Thank you as always MsBaker for your insightful comments.
It is interesting for me to find women such as Hatoon AlFassi who break our stereotypical image of who Arab women are. And there are many more.
Jewaira
does the book mention women like al-khansaa and Raita (the wife of Rabia ibn al Muqaddam)? They were clearly very strong personalities and had a passionate femininity about them.
This is quite interesting:
http://www.poetrymagazines.org.uk/magazine/record.asp?id=12676
Also many people dont realise that four Roman Emperors were in fact Arab. Two were from Homs in Syria, and two were desert dwellers (Phillip the Arabian and Septimius Odenathus). Odenathus was assassinated in 3rd Century and his Arab wife Zainab became Roman Empress and was responsible for conquering Egypt, Asia Minor and Syria at the time.
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I have yet to read the book NavCity.
However, thank you for your suggestions and for setting me off on a fascinating reading journey for a couple of hours.
Jewaira