Gender and Sexual Rights in Early Islam
https://doi.org/10.24848/islmlg.11.1.03
Abstract
When early Islamic jurists outlined the marriage law, they codified a gendered model of conjugal rights and duties that privileged men over women. A similar development also took place regarding sexual rights as women’s pleasure and sexual gratification became secondary to those of men. Specialists in this period of Islamic history have argued that the gender ideologies prevalent in the early Abbasid society, which enabled an androcentric definition of Islam, should be seen as the primary cause for the inequality within the Islamic marriage system. This paper aims to show that Abbasid gender ideologies, contrary to popular descriptions, were not homogenous. Two major trends in understanding female sexuality during the early Abbasid period will be discussed. The first, androcentric trend that focused primarily on male sexual gratification was in conflict with a more women-friendly attitude; the latter was advocated in a number of literary genres, including medical handbooks, popular stories, educational and ethics literature. These works accentuated the importance of female sexual health and favoured female pleasure as a necessary element for mutual sexual satisfaction and marital happiness. The paper illustrates that some aspects from this more women-friendly approach to sexuality were adopted in later legal opinions that sought to correct the most visible cases of inequality in the social institution of marriage.
About the Author
P. Myrne
University of Gothenburg (Sweden)
Sweden
Sweden
Pernilla Myrne, Associate Professor in Arabic literature and
history
References
1. Abbott, N. (1946). Two Queens of Baghdad: Mother and Wife of HƗrnjn al-RashƯd. Chicago: University of Chicago.
2. Abnj YaޏlƗ al-MawৡilƯ, A. (1989). Musnad. Vol. 7. ণ. SalƯm Asad (ed.). Damascus: DƗr al-ma ގmnjn.
3. Ahmed, L. (1992). Women and Gender in Islam: Historical Roots of a Modern Debate. New Haven: Yale University Press.
4. Ali, K. (2010). Marriage and Slavery in Early Islam. Cambridge: Harvard University Press.
5. al-ޏAyyƗshƯ, M. (1992). al-TafsƯr. Vol. 1. Qum: DƗr al-QurތƗn al-karƯm.
6. Azam, H. (2015). Sexual Violation in Islamic Law. New York: Cambridge University Press.
7. Bauer, K. (2007). Room for Interpretation: QurގƗnic Exegesis and Gender. PhD dissertation. Princeton: Princeton University.
8. Biale, R. (1984). Women and Jewish Law: The Essential Texts, Their History, and Their Relevance for Today. New York: Schocken Books.
9. Boyarin, D. (1993). Carnal Israel: Reading Sex in Talmudic Culture. Berkeley: University of California Press.
10. Dhand, A. (2008). Woman as Fire, Woman as Sage: Sexual Ideology in the MahƗbhƗrata. Albany: State University of New York Press.
11. al-GhazƗlƯ, M. (1957). IhyƗҴ ulnjm al-dƯn. Vol 2. B. Tabana (ed.). Cairo: DƗr iতyƗ al-kutub alޏarabiyya.
12. Ibn ޏAdƯ, A. (n.d). al-KƗmil fƯ ڲuҵafƗҴ al-rijƗl. Vol. 6. Beirut: DƗr al-kutub al-ޏilmiyya.
13. Ibn ণabƯb, A. (1992). KitƗb al-ghƗya wa-l-nihƗya aw adab al-nisƗҴ. A.-M. TurkƯ (ed.). Tunis: DƗr al-gharb al-islƗmƯ.
14. Ibn al-NadƯm, M. (2014). KitƗb al-fihrist. 2nd edition. A. FuގƗd Sayyid (ed.). London: al-FurqƗn Islamic Heritage Foundation.
15. Ibn Naৡr, A. (2019). JawƗmiҵ al-ladhdha. ޏA. al-SnjdƗnƯ (ed.). Beirut: DƗr al-rƗfidayn.
16. Ibn QudƗma, M. (1997). al-MughnƯ. Vol. 10. ޏA. al-TurkƯ and ޏA. al-ণilnj (eds.). Riyad: DƗrޏ Ɨlam al-kutub.
17. Ibn Qutayba, A. (1930). ‘Uynjn al-akhbƗr. Vol. 4. Cairo: DƗr al-kutub al-miৡriyya.
18. Ibn SulaymƗn, M. (1975). TafsƯr. Vol. 1. ޏA. ShiতƗta (ed.). Cairo: al-Hay`at al-miৡriyyat alޏƗmma li-l-kitab.
19. al-KƗsƗnƯ. (2003). BadƗҴiҵ al-܇anƗҴiҵ fƯ tartƯb al-sharƗҴiҵ.Vol. 2. ޏA. Muޏawwaঌ and ޏƖ. alMawjnjd (eds.). Beirut: DƗr al-kutub al-ޏilmiyya.
20. al-KulaynƯ, M. (1981). KitƗb al-kƗfƯ: al-furnjҵ min al-kƗfƯ. Vol. 5. Beirut: DƗr al-ৡaދb.
21. Mernissi, F. (1996). Women’s Rebellion and Islamic Memory. London: Zed Books.
22. Motzki, H. (2002). The Origins of Islamic Jurisprudence: Meccan Fiqh Before the Classical Schools. M. Katz (Trans.). Leiden: Brill.
23. Myrne, P. (2010). Narrative, Gender and Authority in ‘AbbƗsid Literature on Women. Gothenburg: Acta Universitatis Gothoburgensis.
24. Myrne, P. (2018). Women and Men in al-Suynj৬Ư’s Guides to Sex and Marriage. Mamluk Studies Review, (21), 47-67.
25. Myrne, P. (2020). Female Sexuality in the Early Medieval Islamic World. London: I.B. Tauris.
26. Rustomji, N. (2009). The Garden and the Fire: Heaven and Hell in Islamic Culture. New York: Columbia University Press.
27. al-ৡanޏƗnƯ, ޏA. (1970). Mu܇annaf. Vol. 6. ণ. al-RaতmƗn al-AޏamƯ (ed.). Johannesburg: Majlis .ilmƯ
28. al-ShƯrƗzƯ, I. (1992). al-Muhadhdhab fƯ al-fiqh al-imƗm al-ShƗfiҵƯ. Vol. 4. M. al-ZuতaylƯ (ed.). Damascus: DƗr al-qalam.
29. al-Suynj৬Ư, J. (2003). al-Durr al-manthnjr fƯ al-tafsƯr bi-l-maҴthnjr. Vol. 2. ޏA. al-TurkƯ (ed.). Cairo: Markaz al-ণajr.
30. al-৫abarƯ, M. (2001). TafsƯr al-ܑabarƯ: JƗmiҵ al-bayƗn ҵan taҴwƯl al-QurҵƗn. Vol. 22. ޏA. al-Turki (ed.). Cairo: DƗr Hujr.
Review
For citations:
Myrne P. Gender and Sexual Rights in Early Islam. Islamology. 2021;11(1):24-37. https://doi.org/10.24848/islmlg.11.1.03
Views:
5
Email this article 