ISLAM AND WOMEN

Abstract

Little can be said about all women in Islam, as they live in widely varied circumstances. Still, some guidelines apply to a vast majority of Muslim women today because civil law follows, by and large, the regulations of sharia law in most Arab countries and because the majority of Muslim women are living in traditional settings. This article surveys several of these fundamental guidelines without claiming to describe the actual living conditions of all Muslim women. It will consider the status of women, women and marriage, children, and some other laws and customs. This contribution will conclude with a brief consideration of the Islamic women’s movement and a comparison of marriage in Islam with Christian marriage. KEYWORDS: