Women in pre-Islamic Arabia
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There is very scarce information regarding women in pre-Islamic Arabia. Most of it originates from Hadith and historical traditions, pre-Islamic poetry, and early biographical accounts, or from conclusions from Qur'anic statements.
Legal status and treatment
Tribe
Many assumptions have been made about pre-Islamic law due to discrepancies in the understanding of how the law was enacted within the Arabian society in that time. The main functional unit of the Arabian society, the tribe, was composed of those who had connections to a common relative. The tribe itself was tied together by a mutual understanding of spoken rules which could vary considerably depending on the tribe and its economic activities, including women's roles and rights. The rules were enforced by the tribal leader who also mediated the discussion of new laws. Individual men within the tribe were allowed to suggest new rules, but they would not be enacted until a consensus had been reached by the entire group.
During the pre-Islamic times between 3500 and 3000 BCE, many of the city-states containing the individual tribes continually changed who had the authority to dictate. Much of this change occurred due to the tribal warfare taking place among these tribes. As the governmental power continued to be overturned and replaced, the laws towards women became more limiting as time went on. For some time, husbands had the right to pawn their wives and children, beat them mercilessly, or pull their hair without being penalized for these actions. The only chief right a woman had during these times was stated in the Code of Hammurabi in 1752 BCE, "women could obtain a divorce only with great difficulty. If a woman so hated her husband, that she has declared, 'you may not have me', her record shall be investigated at her city council".[4] The quote further goes on to state that if the court does not find the wife to be at fault, then she will be allowed to return to her father's home.
Veiling
During pre-Islamic times, the Assyrian law clearly depicted within their written regulation who was allowed to veil. Those women who were family to "seigniors" had to veil as well as those who were previously prostitutes but now married. Laws on veiling were so strict that intolerable consequences were enacted for these women, some of which included being severely beaten or cutting their ears off. Prostitutes and slaves were prohibited from veiling. The veil was not only used to classify women according to their status, but also to label them based on their sexual activity and marital status.[4]
Women of upper class status
While the general population of women in
Marriage practices
In pre-Islamic Arabia, a variety marriage practices existed. The most common and recognized types of marriage at this time were marriage by agreement,
Family structure and motherhood
Research on the family structure of pre-Islamic Arabia has many ambiguous views so it becomes difficult to know the exact structure of the family during this time period. Family structure that may have been of a typical tribe during pre-Islamic Arabia was
During pre-Islamic Arabian times, the
Female infanticide
There is a great deal of scholarly debate concerning the prevalence of infanticide, more specifically
Historically, the various cultural purposes of the practice of infanticide in other societies over time has been the reduction of population numbers, removal of defectives which includes babies with physical abnormalities and sick infants, elimination of social illegitimates, manipulation of sex ratio, or reactions to the loss of the mother during childbirth.[16] Specifically, the Quran mentions the presence of infanticide in the Arabian society during Jahiliya. Infanticide in the Quran is referred to as "qatl al-awlad" which means killing children both males and females. Outside of the Quran, namely in the Hadith-literature, it includes broader actions like coitus interruptus, called "wad khafiyy"[17] or hidden infanticide, and abortion known as "ijhad",[18] as well as to kill a newborn whereby the practice to bury the infant alive so no blood was shed was considered humane and hence not murder.[19] A description is given of digging a hole next to the mother and when she gives birth to an unwanted female child, although on occasion it might also be a male child, the newborn was directly buried in the hole). Other ways of committing infanticide have been mentioned in the fiqh collections, as well the hadith reports that include hurling infants off of cliffs and drowning them in wine and leaving them in the woods for wild animals.[20]
According to interpretations of the Quran, infanticide was a means for the prevention of poverty and considered to be solution for the liability of a female child. Some sources indicate that males were considered stronger in pagan tribal societies and females were an economic burden, especially during times of famine because they were less useful. The father's disappointment and fear of the female being held captive by an opposing tribe, which would bring shame to the family.[21]
See also
- Women in Arab societies
- Women in Islam
References
- ^ ISBN 9781412818551. Retrieved 1 December 2011.
- ISBN 978-0-300-05583-2.
- S2CID 38184740.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-300-05583-2.
- ISBN 978-3-447-10127-1..
- ISBN 90-04-15237-7.
- ^ a b Nihal, Sahin. "Arabia in the Pre-Islamic Period". Retrieved November 30, 2011.
- ^ ISBN 0-313-32270-8.
position of women responsibilities in pre islamic arabia.
- ISBN 0-8265-1447-2.
- ^ Elhadj, Dr.Elie (3 November 2010). "In Defense of Pre-Islamic Arabian Culture". Blitz, Comprehensive Tabloid Weekly. Jahiliyya Literature. 6 (47): 74.
- ^ Ahmed, Leila. "Women in Pre-Islamic Arabia by Muslim Women's League". Retrieved 1 December 2011.
- ^ Al-Lisan/Um Wa Diwan Hassan/The Diwan of Hassan Thabit (c. 563): 1:467 (Poem Collection).
Buried beneath earth and settled therein, without any appurtenances of burial, or a pillow on which the dead are given homage
- ^ Al-Lisan, Wa'd, Wa Bulugh al-Irab, 3:42.
That the buried newborn, did not receive from his mother's inclemency as much as did all of Thuhul and 'Amer
- ^ Um Wa Diwan Hassan/The Diwan of Hassan Thabit: 2:319.
- ^ Omar Abdallah Ahmad Shehadeh. "Infanticide in pre Islam Era: Phenomenon Investigation". Department of Arabic Language and Literature: 5.
we do not find in what remained, any mention by the poets of the word wa'd (infanticide) or its derivatives, except in rare cases
- ^ Kentz Andag, Kristofer (February 16, 2007). Infant Killing: Pre-Islamic Infanticide in the Arabian Peninsula.
- ^ Gil'adi, Avner (1992). Children of Islam: Concepts of Childhood in Medieval Muslim Society.
[...] coitus interruptus, intended to prevent the birth of both male and female infants, is designated in Hadith literature as 'hidden wa'd' (wa'd khafiyy) [...]
- S2CID 144324973.
- ^ Smith, W. Robertson (1903). Kinship & Marriage in Early Arabia 1903, p. 293). London, Adam and Charles Black. p. 293.
- ^ Ahmad Shehadeh, Omar Abdallah; Reem Farhan Odeh Maait (July 2011). "Infanticide in pre-Islamic era". International Journal of Academic Research: Phenomenon Investigation. 2. 3 (4).
- ^ Ali, Asgar (1992). The Rights of Women in Islam. London: C. Hurst and company, London. pp. 21–25.