Islamic ideas about women and their role in society spark considerable debate both in the Western world and in the Islamic world itself. Despite the popular attention surrounding Middle Eastern attitudes toward women, there has been little systematic study of the statements regarding women in the Qur'an. This book fills the void with a study on the women of Islamic sacred history. By telling their stories in Qur'an and interpretation, the book introduces Islamic doctrine and its past and present socio-economic and political applications. It establishes the link between the female figure as cul ... More

Islamic ideas about women and their role in society spark considerable debate both in the Western world and in the Islamic world itself. Despite the popular attention surrounding Middle Eastern attitudes toward women, there has been little systematic study of the statements regarding women in the Qur'an. This book fills the void with a study on the women of Islamic sacred history. By telling their stories in Qur'an and interpretation, the book introduces Islamic doctrine and its past and present socio-economic and political applications. It establishes the link between the female figure as cultural symbol, and Islamic self-perceptions from the beginning to the present time.