The Muslim woman's handbook

by Huda Khattab

The Muslim Woman'S Handbook By Huda Khattab [Taha Publishers] 1I2, Pb, 70Pp, A Practical Muslim Woman'S Daily Manual , Ta-Ha Uk [Best Seller]

Genres: Islam, Religion, Nonfiction, Self Help, Womens

77 pages, Paperback

First published March 12, 1993

About the author

Huda Khattab is a British-born Muslim writer who holds a BA (Hons.) degree in Arabic from the School of Oriental and African Studies (London University). She converted to Islam while studying Arabic at university. She is the author of several books and has also translated books from Arabic into English, such as the IIPH books You Can Be the Happiest Woman in the World, Neighbour’s Rights According to the Sunnah and the Example of the Salaf, and Backbiting and Its Adverse Effects. Huda Khattab is married, and lives with her husband and children in Toronto, Canada.

Reviews

[Marie Reid]

The best women s book

I highly recommend it to everyone who is female and Muslim and non Muslim alike I'm Christian but I've learned a lot from just reading about Islam and the women of Islam

[Linda Sweiss]

This may be a good foundation to start from for new and young Muslim women. I would definitely give my daughters to read to get introduced to certain topics. Wished there was more context as to “why” certain things are forbidden for women in Islam.

[R]

Really interesting and gives a great basis for young Muslim girls. Touches on a lot of controversial topics and educates with references. I learned a lot!

[Kendell]

Great book for any Muslim woman or non-Muslim wanting to know the guidelines for Muslim women. I find myself going back to this book for reference from time to time when I have a question about something.

[Saff]

Being told to laugh quietly in public or in front of men?
The whole thing is more or less shocking and very insulting to women.

[Eli]

I read this book as part of research for a project, and as an attempt to understand Islam better. Not sure how in date, or legit, most of this advice is.

[Zainab Bint Younus]

In my never-ending quest to acquire pretty much every book ever related to Islam and women, I got my hands on Huda Khattab's "The Muslim Woman's Handbook" - originally published in 1993!

I approached it with mixed feelings... on one hand, I've read some of the author's other books (The Bent Rib, Beyond the Kitchen: Muslim Women on Balancing Life, Family and Work) & found them quite good and beneficial.
On the other hand... this was written in the 90s, a time of fairly restrictive ideas when it came to the concept of "women in Islam."

Overall, the book was quite good - it is a short, easy read; presented as a practical guide to daily life as a Muslim woman in a nonMuslim society.
The author touches on basic overviews of worship, tahaarah, hijab, social life, education & careers, marriage & divorce, & medical concerns/ health.

It's important to note that the author is not a scholar herself, & provides citations to other sources for what she shares. Her personal insights are refreshing esp for that time period, whether it's about practical advice re: hijab or what converts should look out for when thinking of marriage. Honestly, most of it aged pretty well!

Certain statements/ fiqh rulings referenced did come off as overly simplistic & reductionist (obedience to husband w/ almost no conditions, birth control), but tbh this is reflective of the limited information + lack of nuanced understanding characteristic of the 90s.

It would be really interesting to see an updated version of this book, that accommodates more nuanced scholarly discussions & understandings of these various issues. It is a testament to the author that this work is refreshingly different from most 90s da'wah books about Islam & women!

3.5/5 🌟

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[Saba Aftab]

It is a basic book about how Muslim women should behave and what minimum knowledge they should have to live. In life, normally we don’t pay attention to basic things, on the whim of we know that stuff already. But I believe that sometimes, if not always, one should go through such stuff’s true knowledge from time to time to perfect it in its fulfillment. I think every house’s shelf should have this book to start with. And May Allah guide us all to the true knowledge of Islam. Jazak Allah kher sister Huda for teaching such basic yet indispensable knowledge.

[Ayda Abdulla]

I found this book patronising. I don't like the tone in which it's written, it's very much 'do this and don't do that' without any references to where this advice comes from. Really just baseless advice. Instructions like 'dont go out, only for work and come back home, home is where womens lives should be, don't talk loud but don't talk in a soft voice '. The advice is not word for word but you get where I'm going with this. It's really just laughable. Also to add , I felt it creates an 'us and them' tone when mentioning British culture.. overall OUTDATED.

[Huda]

It is a comprehensive book, more of a guide on all the matters concerning Muslim women. I think it gives a very clear and concise outlook on everything a Muslimah goes through during her lifetime. In terms of religion, dressing, career, and health. I love the way some of the concepts of culture are incorporated into the teachings of this book and how references are given for each and everything. Clearly shows how much thought went into penning it down. Great book overall.

[Sameera Shaik]

Women’s Handbook by Women's Handbook is a good and acceptable guide overall. The book explains several important topics clearly and is easy to follow, especially for beginners who are starting to learn. However, I felt it could have been more informative in certain areas, especially regarding cleanliness, salat, and the proper way to perform Hajj. Those sections seemed a bit brief compared to the rest of the content. Still, it is a useful and beneficial read presented in a simple format.

[Shereen Malherbe]

A simple, introductory guide to women specific guidance in Islam. I enjoyed the authors tone and also that the book was based on living in Western societies, mostly suited to Muslim women in the U.K. It covers the main areas and may be useful for newly practising Muslims or young women who want a reference guide.

[Nazia]

I really liked this book because it was simple. However it also means that it does not go into greater depth. Nonetheless it is a book worth reading if you want to know the basics of being a woman in Islam and what role it requires.

[Tiffany Perry]

GreatBool

I am learning about islam. I love how she mentions other books at the end of each chapter. Helps me to get ideas on more to read. Love how informative the book is. Definitely an easy read.

[Mysha]

I think this is an amazing book. I give it 4 stars because it depends on your age. It gives all the appropriate information. Overall, it is a great book.

[Holly Bartlett]

Sexist.

[Maham]

yeah no idk

[Sherine Samy]

It was an awesome beginning for 2022 .

[Deenkhan]

Good to have

[belma]

Educational for both Muslim and non-Muslim women.

[Emma Ludlow]

I read this as a non-Muslim attempting to better understand Muslim culture. I do now have a better understanding of the way of life for Muslim women, but I also found it to be perhaps outdated? I felt that it was a subtle way of encouraging separatism between Muslims and non-Muslims which in today's society we should surely be striving for inclusion and acceptance. In the twenty years since this was written I think the role of Muslims in Britain has changed significantly.

[Nadia]

This is actually a pretty good introduction to Islam for women - it doesn't go into detail (I understood from the intro that this was genuinely an intro to whet people's palates for more), but was still good for outlining the basic concepts.

Good read especially for those outside the Middle East who make have the 'wrong impression' of what Islam as a religion is and firmly puts in place what it really is to be a Muslim woman.

[Nida]

Really helpful and simply to use. Covers almost all aspects of life, with to the point advice supported by Ahadith and Qur'anic verses. Not just good for reverts/converts but also useful to any Muslim women who wants her lifestyle to be according to Islam.

[Yara]

great for reverts to learn the basics on subjects which aren't always covered in other books