Women in Islam

the long version

"What does Islam really say about women? Much of the answer may be found in this collection of major references to women in the Qur'an and the Hadiths--the two holy writings on which Islamic legislation and social practice are based. The role of women in Islam is a growing area of study and this collection, drawing on the Sahih of al-Bukhari, fulfills the need for a definitive resource which gathers together all the significant source material on the subject and presents it in an accessible way. Comprehensively indexed, the topics covered include hygiene, divorce, marriage, sex and chastity, inheritance, and status and rights. Extensive notes help to explain the cultural background of the first Muslims, including short biographies of the women of the Prophet Muhammad's household. All this draws a vivid picture of the era in which they lived--at the same time revealing an intimate portrait of the Prophet himself--and reinforces the central position of women in the Revelation of Islam and its subsequent development up tp the present."--Publisher's website.