Essay Sample on Women and Gender in Islam

Introduction

Leila Ahmed's Women and Gender in Islam focuses on the development of women gender from the past history of Sumerian in relation to what is happening in the current times. Ahmed has done a fantastic work by offering the opportunity to the reader to experience a short journey from the past period to what is happening currently, just from her position and from a woman point of view. Through her work, what transpires is that Ahmed disembarks her discourse from the pre-Islamic Mesopotamia, hence traditions can be achieved and even achieved back from the origin where they manifested in the old societies.

Is your time best spent reading someone else’s essay? Get a 100% original essay FROM A CERTIFIED WRITER!

Save 25%

From a general overview, it is important to note that the time disempowered and suppressed throughout the history of a man, women as a gender has gone through a dissipating process where such overpowering wavering between the two genders are taking place. Despite the fact that this bias is building a generalization, it is important to note that womanhood position was not always under suppression. From a general overview of women and gender in Islam, the book has done a good work by throwing light upon women's present, past and even the future by depending on Ahmed's aspect. developing a different mindset playing a critical role in women representation.

Through example, it is important to note that men were given the full power to have their wives divorced any period in which they felt that their wives were not in the position of fulfilling their marital obligations such offering the best satisfaction. It is important to also note that females were by then used as sex objects in which they were given fully to their husbands, just to satisfy their needs. However, according to the book, there were some good laws that were by then benefiting the ladies in that they were offered with the chance of divorcing their husbands, in case they found out that their man was cheating on her with another woman who was not part of them. In the case of the mistresses, the mistresses were not counted at all, and all that was to happen was that they could divorce and even make a decision of returning to their father's home.

From the book, it is amazing on how some of the upper women were enjoying more privileges more than other women. Such women were recognized as unique women, who demonstrated serious commitment by devoting themselves to become a unique feather by either owning a valuable commodity in the society or operating as the temple or even a priest. Whenever such women wanted to get married to an individual, they had the full rights of offering a marriage contract to those individuals in which they were actually to be in union with.

Traveling back to the period in which Islam was on the rise, it is important to note that Islam was fast growing in Arabia and the rise was experienced on the religion that was existing around it. However, it is important to note that ceiling is some of the major things that Prophet Muhammad forgot to introduce in Arabia. The experience was that veiling was actually won with some groups, however, the experience was dominant in countries with connection with Palestine and Syria. In the book, we realized that during the time of Muhammed prophethood, the assumption is made that Muhammed 's wives were being taken as models and could wear the veil which later spread. this was a demonstration of purity and nature, it was portrayed that the tendency towards hijab was synonyms with decency and purity at the same time.

From the book, Ahmed developed a great claim that Egypt is one of the best convenient environment in which one has a great chance of observing the changes in relation to Islamic culture. it is important to note that through the end of the ninetieth century in what is taking place in Egypt, the imitation of the west started cropping up and this was seriously interfering with the Egyptian culture. some of the veil cultures started to disappear and as a result of the western culture and what transpired was there was great change in how women were dressing in Egypt . on the other hand, the culture erosion was also experienced in that when the women were traveling to Europe, they could change the dressing style along the way just to fit the general operation of the other different culture. At the end of the 19th century, the veil symbolized the oppression faced by Muslim women. During Lord Cromer's reign in Egypt, women had to throw off the veil so that Muslim men could become civilized, as Ahmed states "The custom of veiling and the position of women in Muslim countries became...the proof of the inferiority of Islam... to undermine Muslim religion and society" 94.

Some attack came on the veil hence causing a great counter-attack and coming in place of the Arabic narration depending on the resistance to colonial way of making things happen. From what was happening, it is important to note that the veil gained a new meaning that seemed to be a resistance narrative. In some cases, women who were wearing the veil by then turned out to be so resistant and they formed some groups just to offer help to the masses to develop their own identity. In this case, the veiled women stood out as a sign of resistance and what developed since women by then participated in gaining of independence for the country, it was very important for the women to participate in the resistance movements.

At the end of the 19th century, the veil symbolized the oppression faced by Muslim women. During Lord Cromer's reign in Egypt, women had to throw off the veil so that Muslim men could become civilized, as Ahmed states "The custom of veiling and the position of women in Muslim countries became...the proof of the inferiority of Islam to undermine Muslim religion and society" 94. Woman and Gender in Islam is one of the greatest books that had to be written and every individual regardless of age and gender should read this book since it brings a clear survey of gender and women in Islam. Leila Ahmed has done one of the greatest jobs in demonstrating thoughtful ideas and providing an overview of gender history in the region. In distinguishing some of the things which were distinctive about the earliest Islamic doctrine on women, it is important to understand that Ahmed first brought up a clear description about the gender systems in place in the Middle East before the general rise of Islam. She ended up focusing on those Arab societies that play a fundamental role in demonstrating the serious discourses about gender and women in general. It is amazing how some of the funny things that were happening in Arabia in which Islam got founded. On the hand, during this period in Iraq, that's the classical age when the aspect core of religious and legal discourse on women got formulated. Notably, in Egypt during the twentieth and the ninetieth centuries, the exposure to western societies ended up with dramatic social change and the emergence of a different discussion.

With what is happening currently, it is important to note that Ahmed story played an important role since up to what is happening currently, there is a great influence of traditionalism and Islamophobia,this is because the veil has gained significant symbol in the current society with a great meaning that is a representation of the religious and the tradition of Britain at large. As indicated in the story, " The veil is controlling power and it is central to the discourses of east versus west, fundamental versus democracy and it has still remained one of the promising icons of the otherness of the Islam culture and a great symbol of oppression of women in the Muslim culture.

Conclusion

Conclusively, it is important to note from the book that political, religious and social and gender occasions played an influential role in coming up with the emblems and causes of veiling. Notably, before what was transpired in the ninetieth century, the veil was portrayed to be having a very different meaning, however, with the change of various culture, things changed. Veiled turned out as something that the upper-class women wore to demonstrate their honor and protection by her male partner. Ahmed developed a great claim that Egypt is one of the best convenient environment in which one has a great chance of observing the changes in relation to Islamic culture. it is important to note that through the end of the ninetieth century in what is taking place in Egypt, the imitation of the west started cropping up and this was seriously interfering with the Egyptian culture. some of the veil cultures started to disappear and as a result of the western culture and what transpired was there was a great change on how women were dressing in Egypt.