Muslims - the First Feminist

Muslims, the First Feminists

In her 1994 book, Price of Honor, Jan Goodwin wrote a chapter titled,

'Muslims, the First Feminist", where she discusses the history of the Muslim religion and what it is actually like today. She then goes on to describe the shame a daughter can do to the parents and their relationship and the life that child will go on to live, if she does live. Goodwin concludes by pointing out that feminism in the Islamic world has a long history.

The history of the Muslim religion was unknown to me and I think most non-Muslim people can say the same. It begins with Mohammad's first wife, Khaclija. She was 15 years older than him. She was an international trader. She was independently wealthy from inheritance and owned her own business. She was also a publicly visible woman. She initiated the marriage with Mohammad.

Polygamy is also important to the history of the religion. It means to have more than one wife. In the history of the Muslim religion, The Prophet Mohammad originally wanted to provide protection for widows and orphans. Not only that but in the pre-Islamic period of Arabian society polyandry coexisted with polygamy. Meaning both men and women were permitted to have multiple spouses.

After the Death of his first wife, Mohammad eventually married 10 to 12 women. One of his wives was only six when they married, while most of his wives were widows who he wanted to make sure were cared for. Fathers arranged marriages with him to become closer to him. His soon to be favourite wife, A'ish, was only 10 when they married. After Mohammad's death her father, Abu Bakr, succeeded him. He soon began to spend days and nights with her, ignoring all his other wives. This was very hypocritical of the Koranic verses regarding polygamy, "Marry of the women who seem good to you two or three or four. And if ye fear that ye cannot do justice to so many then marry only one."

At one point in their marriage, A'ish was seen with a younger more attractive man and rumurs of disunity were spread. She then began to ask many people about her character. Everyone but one man agreed that she had good character and she was not guilty of the accusation. The one man in disagreement was his cousin and son-in-law Ali that married his daughter. He said, "Women are plentiful, you can always change one for another." This conflict that began upon his death and has carried through to the present caused the separation of Islam into two main sects, the Sunni and Shi'a sects.

Polygamy is a Muslim tradition that I think has been misunderstood in today's world, not only to Muslims who practice it (illegally), but also to non- Muslims. Today some Muslim Men take advantage of this, although it is forbidden. They see it as a right to "trade in an older model for a sleeker, newer version", as Goodwin describes it.

This story of Mohammad's first wife is a bit disproving to the current "interpretations" of the religion. People today