Women, Family, and Gender in Islamic Law. Themes in Islamic Law, Volume 3.

Themes in Islamic Law

by Judith E. Tucker

In what ways has Islamic law discriminated against women and privileged men? What rights and power have been accorded to Muslim women, and how have they used the legal system to enhance their social and economic position? In an analysis of Islamic law through the prism of gender, Judith Tucker tackles these complex questions relating to the position of women in Islamic society, and to the ways in which the legal system impacted on the family, property rights, space and sexuality, from classical and medieval times to the present. Working with concepts drawn from feminist legal theory and by using particular cases to illustrate her arguments, the author systematically addresses questions of discrimination and expectation - what did men expect of their womenfolk - and of how the language of the law contributed to that discrimination, infecting the system and all those who participated in it.

Genres: History, Religion, Islam, Nonfiction, Gender

280 pages, ebook

First published October 1, 2008

Reviews

[Sajal · Rating 4 out of 5]

*I read this for a class*

This was a very insightful read. Tucker expertly explains the discourse of the “gendered” Islamic Law, and how it has come to discriminate women over the centuries. I found the topics of discussion (Marriage, Mahr, Divorce, Mosque-as-a-gendered-space etc.) to be extremely interesting, and relevant! Of course, Tucker is a scholar, and this book is not a breeze to read through. But if you’re looking to educate yourself on the logic that Islamic jurists followed when developing specific laws and enforcing problematic traditions, this one is for you.

4/5! :)

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's so duuuulllllllll. Sorry, I had to read it for class, and it took me so long to get through the readings. The info and the analysis is good and thorough and fairly researched and explained, but I wouldn't recommend it for anything other than school/research.

[Henrik · Rating 3 out of 5]

Informative and well researched. As an academic book it is understandably dry, so my subjective rating of reading pleasure might be a bit unfair.

[Yahya · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wouldn't recommend it..