The Woman's Role in the Islam Religion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

The Woman's Role in the Islam Religion - Essay Example val of Islam. Similar to other religious, Islam has stipulated a certain position of women in society including their role and social status. The Islam tradition goes back to the 7th century when the revelations transmitted to the Prophet Muhammad who emphasized Islam’s continuity with earlier Semitic traditions. During this period of time, the patriarchal nature of most Islamic societies reinforced the pervasive belief that Muslim women were more subject to the control of men than were women in most other societies. This control was dramatic in the case of Muslim women during the 7-10 centuries. They were secluded immediately upon marriage; that was, they were removed from contact with men (other than relatives) and rarely allowed to move about in public. Islam stated that "marriage is the only road to virtue and that in marriage wives must be submissive and obey their husbands† (Roded 1999, p. 57). Girls generally married between the ages of ten and twelve. Scholars have argued that the definition of power should be broadened to include the invisible control of events by women, which gave them a certain stat us and position. In Muslim societies, kinship and lines of descent were important, and consequently women's power was most visible as they matured and developed the ability to influence the lives of others in their immediate kin and descent groups. In these societies, high-status aristocratic women in particular had power in their ability to influence the actions of their sons, husbands and other male relatives (Roded 1999). Quran and its laws had the profound impact n position and status of women in society and their relations with men. In general, Muslims affirm the Quran to be God's actual words; Muhammad is neither author nor editor, for no human agency influenced the formation of the text. Muhammad does not, therefore, function in the way, for example, the Evangelists do in Christianity. The Islamic tradition is reluctant to allow even this modicum of human involvement in the production of the Quran. Muhammad is not a partner but a go-between, chosen from among men to transmit verbatim God's Word communicated to him through the angel Gabriel. The role of women is to listen and obey, to live the life outlined for them in the revelation and the traditions, and made specific in the law. During the Middle Ages, the role of women in society did not change greatly affected by strict social laws and religious traditions. A blend of Islam and local cultural prescriptions shaped women's lives. In Muslim societies, the local culture was clearly patriarchal, making it difficult to distinguish what part of current culture came from Islam and what pre-Islamic influences remained (Roded 1999). The pre-Islamic record in Iran, Afghanistan and Iraq suggested important public and political roles for royal women. It was clear from historical accounts that the incorporation of Islam into the society profoundly changed the cultural, political, and social conditions under which women lived and worked. Prior to the coming of Islam, women of aristocratic origin had participated in public affairs (Nashat and Beck, 2003). Since the inception of the Islam religion, women were instructed to dress simply and modestly, while all men