Women in Pr-Islamic Arabia

[Lamya]

What do you know about the status of women in Pre-Islamic Arabia (i.e. before the advent of Islam)?

It has been the argument of many that the status of women nowadays has changed to a great degree, even to the best possible status, and hence there is no need for women's rights that Islam came with in the Qur'an and Sunnah. Do you think that women are better off than those in the Jahiliyyah [remember this is a concept and not just an era]? Give some examples with your answers.

[amirahmelsh]

Good Question sister Lamya~

I believe that the rights women have in Islam are far better than the ladies for Jahiliyyah. First, and the best, is that Allah (swt) gives us spiritual equality:

"Allah has got ready forgiveness and tremendous rewards for the Muslim men and women; the believing men and women; the devout men and women; the truthful men and women; the patiently suffering men and women; the humble men and women; the almsgiving men and women; the fasting men and women, the men and women who guard their chastity; and the men and women who are exceedingly mindful of Allah." (Al-Ahzab 33:35)

The Quran opened pathways that give women dignity and respect. I cover myself so that I am judged for my beauty on the inside vs the standards that the world says is beautiful. I am free from conforming to the norms of society in what "beauty" is. A lot of women today have to worry about their looks and what others think of them ... that kind of mentality gives the image that women are like property ... and when I cover I am demanding to the world to respect me as a human being.

There is a lot more I could say, but I will let others go

[saido]

Islam abolished the practice of burying the daughters alive. Islam elevated the status of daughters above sons and mothers above fathers. Islam provided women with the right to their property, inheritance and the freedom to select a spouse; these concepts were unknown in the pre-Islamic era.

[rahma]

Women before Islam were just property, slaves, and treated inhuman. Islam gave women the right to own, inherited, do business and even choose a spouse. A muslima has rights to her husband that was not found pre-Islam and not even found today in west. She has the right to live, which was not the case in jahiliyya, ex the burying of young girls. As we know about Khadija a business woman and honorable one, most pre-Islam women did not have that lavish life. Women in pre-Islam were taken with armies at war and if the armies won, they would have sexual intercourse with them. How degreeding were those poor women, Islam put end to that. Words cannot describe the freedom a muslim woman has.