Women in Islam
"Treat your women well and be kind to them for they are your partners and committed helpers."
From the last sermon of Prophet Mohammed

Women's rights in Islam

Websites by Muslim women

Women Converts to Islam

Hijab and Islamic Clothing

Polygamy

Advice to Muslim Women

A woman prays in the rain in Dhaka, Bangladesh, September 29, 2006.

Articles on Muslim Women in...
 

Women's Rights in Islam

Islam, Culture and Women
by Ruqaiyyah Waris Maqsood
How can anyone justify Islam's treatment of women, when it imprisons Afghans under blue shuttlecock burqas and makes Pakistani girls marry strangers against their will?  How can you respect a religion that forces women into polygamous marriages, mutilates their genitals, forbids them to drive cars and subjects them to the humiliation of "instant" divorce? In fact, none of these practices are Islamic at all. [More]

They hate women, don't they?
Muslim and secular feminists pity one another. It is time they realised they have much common ground, argues Arzu Merali.

Women, Shari'a, and Oppression - Where are the Voices of Conservative Muslims?
"When we stay silent in the face of injustices, non Muslims begin to wonder if we really care about our women as much as we claim to", says American convert to Islam, Saraji Umm Zaid.

Make Way for the Women!
Why Your Mosque Should be Woman Friendly, by American convert, Saraji Umm Zaid.
"Do not stop the maid servants of Allah from going to the mosques of Allah." (Muwatta of Imam Malik)

Women Scholars of Hadith
History records few scholarly enterprises, at least before modern times, in which women have played an important and active role side by side with men. The science of hadith forms an outstanding exception in this respect.
By Dr. Muhammad Zubayr Siddiqi

The Status of Women in Islam
Jamal A. Badawi provides a brief and authentic exposition of the teachings of Islam regarding women.

Can Islam liberate women?
Muslim women and scholars think it does - spiritually and sexually.
By Madeleine Bunting, The Guardian (London) Saturday December 8, 2001

Shattering Illusions - Western Conceptions of Muslim Women
"Islam in its original state gave women privileges and imposed no harsh restrictions or double standards upon them.," says Saimah Ashraf,  a 1997-98 winner of the Stanford University Boothe Prize for Excellence in Writing.

On the Position of Women in Islam and in Islamic Society
Hugely important pamphlet by Sudanese scholar and leader, Dr Hassan Al-Turabi.  A charter for women's emancipation within Islam.  Highly recommended.  A "must read".

Introduction to Dr Turabi's Pamphlet
by Sean Gabb, Director of the Sudan Foundation

Women's Rights in Islam
A collection of references from the Quran and Hadeeth about the rights of women guaranteed by Islam.

Claiming Our Rights: A Manual for Women's Human Rights Education in Muslim Societies
"The spirit of Islam is egalitarian. We can have a life of civility, of plurality, that is respectful of the religion and draws on it." Barbara Crossette reports on an "Islam-based and not threatening" manual on women's rights.

Turning Sex Into Sadaqa [an act of voluntary kindness pleasing to God]
Now, every man knows what sexual things please him - but some men, particularly those who have not been married before and are therefore lacking experience, don't seem to know much about how to give the same pleasure to the woman; even worse, some men do know but they can't be bothered to make the effort. Yet this is vital if a marriage is to succeed and not just be a disappointing burden for the woman, and it is a vital part of one's Islamic duty.
An excerpt from 'The Muslim Marriage Guide', By Ruqaiyyah Waris Maqsood.

Women's Rights and Equality in Islam
"At the beginning Islam was the most revolutionary liberalization of women's rights the civilized world has ever seen. But afterwards Muslims became ignorant of this and now Muslim countries are the scene of some of the worst abuses of women's rights", contends American convert to Islam, Yahya M.

Women in Mosques
Banished to basement rooms or banned from the mosque entirely.  American convert to Islam, Yahya M tells it how it is... and how it should be.

Women in mosques - No curtains, no walls, no partitions!
"It is perfectly Islamic to hold meetings of men and women inside the Masjid, whether for prayers or for any other Islamic purpose, without separating them with a curtain, partition or wall".  An emphatic ruling from Dr. Muzammil H. Siddiqi.

Denying women access to the ‘Main Space’ - A Betrayal of the Prophet
The late Shamima Shaikh argues for a return to the access to mosques enjoyed by women at the dawn of Islam.

The Relation of the Sexes
1925 lecture on the "pitiful condition of Muslim womanhood" by English convert to Islam
and Quran translator Mohammad Marmaduke Pickthall.

The Social Degradation of Women - a crime and a libel on Islam
Canadian writers Syed Mumtaz Ali and Rabia Mills introduce and 
comment upon the above lecture by Mohammad Marmaduke Pickthall.

Muslim Women Between Backward Traditions and Modern Innovations
A highly significant book by the late Sheikh Muhammad Al-Ghazaly of Al-Azhar

Woman's Role in Contemporary Society
1994 Lecture by the late Shamima Shams highlighting Muslim women's role in
 religion, political activities, affairs of state, warfare and the private domain.

Women's Liberation Through Islam
by Mary C. Ali and Anjum Ali.
The Qur'an and the Traditions of the Prophet (Hadith or Sunnah) 
are the sources from which every Muslim woman derives her rights and duties

Women And Islam
By Tyseer Aboulnasr, Ph.D.  Highlighting the status of women in the actual teachings of Islam as opposed to the practices of many so-called Muslim countries and the misrepresentation of Hollywood movies.

Give Voice to the centuries' old Silence of Muslim Women
Address by Zohra Hussaini at the 1995 National Conference Of The Canadian Council Of Muslim Women.

Islam - Elevation of Women's Status
Transcript of a public lecture by Sheikh Ali Al-Timimi 
to a mixed Muslim and non-Muslim audience at McGill University, Montreal, Canada

Women in the Qur'an and the Sunnah 
by Dr. 'Abdur Rahman I. Doi,
Professor and Director, Center for Islamic Legal Studies, 
Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria.

Muslim Women Reclaim Their Original Rights
by Yahya M, American Convert to Islam
"The women of the Prophet's time enjoyed the full range of rights and freedoms that Allah and the Prophet allowed them. There were many prominent Muslim women in that generation who were outspoken and contributed to building the Islamic society, whose names have been recorded.
But after that, notable women rapidly drop out of Islamic history. What happened?"

Women, Islam and Equality
Iranian opposition pamphlet from the mid 1990's.  Amidst vitriolic attacks on the then conservative dominated government, this article offers some excellent information with references about women's rights in Islam.

The Distorted Image of Muslim Women
by convert Nasira Ellison

Fifteen Tips for Muslim Men talking about "Women in Islam"
Guidance for Muslim men on how to deal effectively 
with the stereotypes and misperceptions about women in Islam.

A World Where Womanhood Reigns Supreme
Non-Muslim BBC television producer Mary Walker reflects on what she learned during her two years making the Living Islam documentary series.

Women and Islam
The Prophet Preached Equal Rights; Now the Task Is To Restore Them
By Benazir Bhutto, former Prime Minister of Pakistan
Asiaweek, August 25, 1995

Women and Men pray side by side at the Hajj
CNN Special Report

Women in Islam
Over 120 articles about the rights and role of Muslim women.

Women In Islam Versus Women In The Judaeo-Christian Tradition
by Dr. Sherif Abdel Azeem.
Topics include: Eve's fault, female education, wife's property,
inheritance, divorce, polygamy, the plight of widows, the veil.

Polygamy in Jewish History
by Charles A. Rubenstein.

Islam's Position on Polygamy
Dr. Abu Ameenah Bilal Philips addresses the critics.

Articles on Muslim Women

USA
Ramadan meal gets modern twist
San Francisco Muslima, Moina Noor, marvels at the Muslim American world on the table at multicultural Iftar gatherings.  (Includes recipes!)
September 27, 2006

Putting a Different Face on Islam in America
This month, Professor Ingrid Mattson, a 43-year-old convert, was elected president of the Islamic Society of North America, the largest umbrella organization for Muslim groups in the United States and Canada. She is both the first woman and, as a Canadian, the first non-immigrant to hold the post.
By NEIL MacFARQUHAR, September 20, 2006

US Army Reservist Hopes To Serve As Female Muslim Chaplain
An Army major studying to become the military’s first female Muslim chaplain says she hopes to fill a void for the Muslim community and build relationships with people of other faiths.
By Karen Jowers, Army Times, December 24, 2001

America's First Muslimah Judge
Zakia Mahasa, Master Chancery in the Family Division of the Baltimore City Circuit Court
by Nadirah Z. Sabir, Azizah magazine.

Azizah
The magazine for the contemporary Muslim woman, the magazine American Muslimahs have been waiting for.
Azizah magazine addresses issues pertinent to Muslim women, profiles sisters whose lives and achievements inspire us, and highlight ideas and events that empower and entertain us. Azizah reflects what Muslim women are doing, saying, and thinking today - our unique interests and concerns, our contributions to the local and world communities, our lives.

More in Hawai'i turn to Islam
Less than three weeks after terrorists struck New York City and Washington, US Navy petty officer Heather Ramaha stood among a group of women at the mosque in Manoa and converted to Islam
By Mary Kaye Ritz, Honolulu Advertiser, November 11, 2001.

Islam finds Western women to be rising force among converts
Muslims say the religion is more forward-thinking on gender than many Western traditions, writes Michael Paulson.

Born in the U.S.A
A New American Islam Proves Devotion and Women's Liberation Do Mix
By Miriam Udel Lambert.

Challenges Facing American Muslim Women
Muslim women in America often face discrimination from their own Muslim community. Discrimination by Muslims primarily results from ignorance about Islam and the importation of cultural attitudes that demean women. Islam is often interpreted in ways that are sexist and not true to the true teachings of equality in the Quran and the model provided by Prophet Muhammad .  
Samer Hathout

Opportunities Facing American Muslim Women
As Americans, we have a unique opportunity to practice Islam in its true form -- without much of the cultural or traditional baggage that is oppressive to women... Because we have these opportunities, we must use them to clearly state our position and to fight to end the oppression suffered by women.
Asifa Quraishi

UK
Muslim comic sees the funny side
Female Muslim comic Shazia Mirza, who believes her act is helping break down cultural barriers and overcome ignorance, has found her work in great demand in Britain, Pakistan and the US.
BBC News, Friday, 19 October, 2001

Shazia Mirza
In her own words.

Why British Women are turning to Islam
The Times, Tuesday, 9th November 1993 
Lucy Berrington finds the Muslim Faith is winning Western admirers
despite hostile media coverage

Woman on a Mission
Scottish woman converts her extended family and 30 friends and neighbours to Islam.
The Guardian, Thursday 8th May 1997

Hijab Option for London Policewomen
The Metropolitan Police in London has accepted Hijab as a uniform option for Muslim women serving in the force. 

India and Pakistan

Help for Pakistan's acid attack victims
A chain of beauty salons in Pakistan is gearing up to cater for a new kind of client - burn victims whose beauty treatments will be more than skin deep.
BBC News, 4 August, 2003

Indian woman's long journey home
Memories of Ramadan help a woman abducted as a child in India and then taken to Switzerland by her adopted parents to make a remarkable journey to find her roots.
BBC News, 4 August, 2003

Change in the air
Pamela Philipose examines the situation of Muslim women in modern India and discovers hopeful signs.
The Indian Express, April 19, 2000

The situation of women in Pakistan
"No nation can rise to the height of glory unless your women are side by side with you; we are victims of evil customs. It is a crime against humanity that our women are shut up within the four walls of the houses as prisoners. There is no sanction anywhere for the deplorable condition in which our women have to live."
Mohammad Ali Jinnah, 1944

Egypt
Women juggle jobs, chores during Ramadan
For many Muslim women across the world, Ramadan means not just a month of spirituality but also a lot of extra work!
Cairo, September 28, 2006

Professor combats ignorance about Islam, women
Profile of Egyptian-born Leila Ahmed, Professor of Women's Studies at Harvard Divinity School
By Julia Lieblich, The Associated Press, August 12, 1999

Egyptian women's rights: A century on
BBC News, 23 October 1999

'New era' for Egyptian women
BBC News, 12 march 2000

Egypt debates better deal for women
BBC News, 17 January 2000

First Egyptian woman files for divorce
BBC News, 29 January 2000

Arab women demand equal opportunities
Cairo conference of prominent Arab Women
BBC News, 20 November 2000

Lebanon
Beirut hosts 'honour killing' conference
In Lebanon a two-day conference is looking into a phenomenon known as 'honour killings', when men kill female relatives to redeem the family's name.
BBC News, May 13, 2001

Sudan
Sudanese women sue over work ban
BBC News, 20 December 2000
 
Mali
Fighting for life in birth
The high mortality rate of infants and their mothers in Muslim Mali.
BBC News, May 11, 2001

Saudi Arabia
Saudi women join reform call
A number of women in Saudi Arabia have signed a petition calling for radical reform to tackle growing extremist Islamic influence in the country.
BBC News, 30 September, 2003

Saudi women defy business curbs
BBC News, 21 January 2001

Saudi women taste public life
BBC News, 4 October 1999

Educated for indolence
Thousands of Saudi women get university degrees. Few get jobs.
By David Hirst in Jeddah.  The Guardian, August 3, 1999

Saudi women get down to business
BBC News, 21 September 1998

Turkey
Turkey puts rape victims in the dock
The women who face jail for daring to accuse the police of sexual abuse
The Observer (London), March 25, 2001

Algeria
The suffering of Algeria's women at the hands of Islamists
"The treatment of women raises serious questions about the level of faith and Islamic behavior on the part of the protagonists in the civil war in Algeria.  Islam itself is being disfigured and perverted!"
Aicha Lemsine, Middle East Times, Cairo, March 16, 2001

Iran
Iran's policewomen return to the beat
Policewomen in Iran will soon be joining their male counterparts and working on the beat in Tehran.  It is the first time since the 1979 revolution that women have graduated from the police training college to become fully trained officers.
BBC News, 4 October, 2003

Iranian women tell their own story
The importance of women in Iran's renascent film industry surprises many who believe that Islamic strictures in the country have suppressed female self-expression. The season of Iranian women's films which starts at London's Barbican on Friday should open minds, writes BBC News Online's Alex Webb, May 4, 2001.

Iran overturns women's study ban
BBC News, 7 January 2001

Women police on parade in Iran
BBC News, 10 October 2000

Iranian women to lead prayers
BBC News, 1 August 2000

Iranian women seek equality
BBC News, 23 February 2000

The Islamic Revolution's Impact On The Legal And Social Status Of Iranian Women
1997 paper by Kourosh Eshghipour.

A Study of Women in Iran
Avisheh Mohsnein of Illinois State University investigates the situation 
of women in Iran using local women's magazines as her research material.

Afghanistan

Ten years since Taleban took Kabul
Now Afghan women fear their return
Dan Isaacs, Kabul, 27 September 2006

Afghan women face 'daily danger'
The plight of Afghan women has improved little since the fall of the Taleban, according to the human rights organisation Amnesty International. During the war against the Taleban, world leaders said the conflict would liberate Afghanistan's women, yet many today are as oppressed as ever.
BBC News, 6 October, 2003

Female drivers to return to Afghan roads
Women are set to take the wheel in Afghanistan after a 10-year ban.
BBC, January 21, 2003

Profile: Dr. Sima Samar
She opened 10 clinics and four hospitals for women and children, as well as schools in rural Afghanistan for more than 17,000 students.  Now Dr. Sima Samar is Deputy premier of Afghanistan.
BBC News, Thursday, 6 December, 2001

Profile: Dr. Suhaila Seddiqi
Army general and Afghanistan's most respected surgeon, Dr, Suhaila Seddiqi, who managed to keep working under the five years of Taleban rule, is now Afghanistan's Minister of Health.
BBC News, Thursday, 6 December, 2001

Afghanistan's new women politicians
The new transitional government of Afghanistan is especially groundbreaking for the country's women, two of whom have been elected to the de facto cabinet.
BBC News, Thursday, 6 December, 2001

Razia's reconstruction dream
Profile of an Afghan female crane driver
BBC News, Saturday, 26 January, 2002

The Plight of Muslim Women in Afghanistan
Islam means the submission of humankind to the will of God, 
not the submission of women to the will of men.

Iraq

Equal under secular Saddam, Women now terrorized by Islamists in "liberated" Iraq
"Things are a lot worse now, there's no security, women cannot go out, cannot express themselves, the veil has become compulsory for Muslims and Christians. If you walk on the street without a veil now you can get killed. I was insulted just standing on my balcony because my hair was showing."
BBC News, 18 August, 2003

Syria

Islamic Revival Led by Women Tests Syria’s Secularism
Syria, virtually alone in the Arab world, is seeing the resurrection of a centuries-old tradition of sheikhas, or women who are religious scholars.
By KATHERINE ZOEPF, Aug 29, 2006

Morocco

Morocco women win rights
The Moroccan King, Mohammed VI, has announced a landmark reform to the law over women's position in the family. The changes to the personal status code would give women greater rights on matters covering marriage and divorce.
BBC News, 11 October, 2003

Women Converts to Islam

Marwa's conversion story
How a headstrong Slovakian teenager found solace and contentment in Islam.

Finding My Way….Lynette Wehner's conversion to Islam
How a spiritually dissatisfied American Catholic teacher found fulfillment and direction through her new job at a Muslim school.

Karla's conversion to Islam
"How could you, an educated American woman convert to Islam - a religion that oppresses women?" - Blonde-haired blue-eyed, former Christian, Karla, explains how her theological dissatisfaction with the doctrine of Jesus as God and her discovery of the rights given to women in Islam led her to become a Muslim.

More in Hawai'i turn to Islam
Less than three weeks after terrorists struck New York City and Washington, US Navy petty officer Heather Ramaha stood among a group of women at the mosque in Manoa and converted to Islam
By Mary Kaye Ritz, Honolulu Advertiser, November 11, 2001.

The conversion to Islam of Karima Burns
This Iowa student of Arabic became a Muslim in her heart when she started reading the Quran in order do to her university homework and couldn't put it down.

Oum Abdul-Aziz
An American former "born again" Christian explains how her in-depth theological studies led her to reject the Christian doctrines of Trinity, the Divinity of Jesus and Original Sin and to embrace pure monotheism in Islam.  Contains detailed references from the Bible and Quran.

Amina's story
Irish lady recounts her  long and slow spiritual journey culminating in her conversion from Catholicism to Islam during the summer of 2001

'My Dream Came True'
Detroit-based African American journalist and PR woman, Angelene McLaren, has been a Muslim for six years. Upon conversion she took the new name Sumayyah bint Joan. Here she records her encounter with Islam.

My personal decision for God and Islam
The conversion story of  Anja from Germany
"I was quite amused by the thought, that actually there are still people around, who follow a law from the Middle Ages."  But over a period of two and a half years, this university student grew to take Islam very seriously.

Aminah Assilmi - Part 1
This American lady, a former radical feminist and Southern Baptist from Oklahoma, studied the Quran, Sahih Muslim and fifteen other books on Islam in an attempt to convert the Arabs in her college class to Christianity and "save those poor ignorant heathens from the fires of hell."  But guess what happened!

Former Baptist explains why she is now a Muslim
The Aminah Assilmi Story - Part 2
By Rebecca Simmons, Abilene Reporter-News, Saturday, November 1, 1997

Why I embraced Islam
by Maryum Jameelah (formerly Margaret Marcus), 
an American Jew who convert to Islam in the late 1950's.

Monica
A former Catholic from Ecuador now living in the United States who was attracted to Islam by the peacefulness of Muslim prayer and the practical guidance Islam provides for living daily life.

Joanne Richards
How a Californian woman with a "fast and loose" lifestyle gradually found her way to Islam.

Twelve Hours Old
Canadian convert Katherine Bullock marvels at becoming a Muslim.

Khadijah 'Sue' Watson
A former Protestant fundamentalist pastor, missionary and Bible College lecturer with a Master's degree in Divinity.  Her contact with a convert to Islam prompted her to seriously investigate Islam and to conclude that "many Christians are sincere but they are sincerely wrong".

Phreddie
The remarkable, powerful testimony, full on insights, of a black American Christian girl whose studies of the Bible and Church history studies left her shocked at the "hypocrisy, blasphemy, and human tampering with holy scriptures".  Impressed by the respect Islam shows to women, she became a Muslim at the age of only 18.

Zainab
Young American, Protestant Sunday School teacher and youth ministries activist who had great difficulty with the Christian doctrine of "justification through faith " [good or bad deeds are irrelevant to one's salvation].  She also found that her concept of Godly living regarding dating, alcohol, clubbing, etc. was shared by her Muslim acquaintances, not her Christian friends.

Karen
How a devout American Catholic with nagging doubts came to Islam.

Karima Slack Razi
The journey of an American feminist
from secular humanism to Islam.

Kari Ann Owen, Ph.D.
San Francisco writer of Spanish Jewish ancestry who discovered Islam while researching a play.

Sharon's Story
From confused Christian and teenage runaway to contented Muslima.

Tara Dahane's story of Conversion to Islam
This American non-denominational Christian lady discovered Islam 
through her Moroccan pen pal who became her husband.

Sakinah
When this Catholic lady's husband abruptly announced that he had become a Muslim, she left him... then later slowly found her own way to Islam.  A remarkable story with a twist in the tail.

Deanne's homepage
Site of a young Australian lady who embraced Islam at the age of 19.

Diana
This Colorado member of the Campus Crusade for Christ, troubled by Christian teachings on Jesus, was impressed by the Muslim way of worship and the logic of Islam .

Belief-O-Matic Quiz
Even if YOU don't know what faith you are, Belief-O-Matic knows. Answer 20 questions about your concept of God, the afterlife, human nature, and more, and Belief-O-Matic will tell you what religion (if any) you practice...or ought to consider practicing.

Hijab and Islamic Clothing

Jewish dad backs headscarf daughters in France school row
Lila and Alma began to get interested in Islam two years ago - their mother is a non-practising Algerian. Now their left-wing Lawyer, Jewish father is campaigning against their expulsion from a state school for the "ostentatious" conduct" of wearing hijab in apparent contravention of a 1905 law guaranteeing the separation of church and state.

Education "more important" that hijab
Singapore's top Islamic authority urges girls in headscarf ban row to return to school.

Is Hijab Compulsory?
"The Quran does not suggest that women should be veiled or they should be kept apart from the world of men. On the contrary, the Quran is insistent on the full participation of women in society and in the religious practices."
By Dr. Ibrahim B. Syed, Ph.D

A Study of Surah an-Nur, Ayah 31
What is the meaning of Surah an-Nur ayah 31?  What does "what is apparent of it" refer to?  What type of garment is the khimar?  What is the woman's jayb?
"Al-Muhajabah", a European-American convert to Islam examines the hijab question. 

The Veil
A brief exploration of the complex topic of hijab and face-veiling in Islam.

Yes to Hijab, No to Niqaab.
The face veil - not Islamic and the kiss of death for Da'wah in the West,
argues concerned Muslim convert Michael Young, with reference to the works of Dr Hassan Al-Turabi, Quran translator Mohammad Marmaduke Pickthall and other Islamic scholars.

Women in Islam: Hijab
"In many Muslim societies, for example in traditional South East Asia, or in Bedouin lands a face veil for women is either rare or non-existent; paradoxically, modern fundamentalism is introducing it", writes Ibrahim B. Syed, Ph.D.

Why I Wear Hijab And Not Niqaab
Tara bint Curtis Gregory conducts a painstaking investigation of what the often disputed references from the Quran and ahadith actually say in Arabic and sets out the conclusions she has arrived at after three years of research.

The main errors of those who make the face veil obligatory
by Shaykh Naasiruddeen al-Albaanee, translated and edited by Dr. Abu Ameenah Bilal Philips.

"What puts us away from Islam, simply cannot be right" 
A convert sister reflects on the negative image of Niqaab - the face veil.
By Anisah Liliou

Seven Conditions For Women's Dress in Islam
Syed MA Rahman discusses  how a Muslimah meets the requirements of Islamic modesty in dress and sets out their Quranic background.

"Why do Muslim women wear the hijab?"
Eighteen year old Canadian Muslimah  Sumayyah Hussein explains.  (Followed by discussion points for young people.)

Islamic Clothing
Why do Muslims dress in such distinctive clothing? 

Thinking about hijab?  Steps to consider
by Ahasrada, an American convert.

Hijab harassment
"Take those clothes off, you don't have to wear that. You're in Canada now," shouted the elderly lady on the bus...
By Sara Zahedi, Young People's Press

Young Muslim women are reclaiming the hijab
Wearing Hijab is a woman's assertion that judgment of her physical person is to play no role whatsoever in social interaction, asserts Canadian Muslimah, Naheed Mustafa

Donning the Hijab - how not to be a sex object
When American writer Samuel Cole's feminist sister converted to Islam and donned the hijab, it shocked her family.  This is his defense of Muslim women's status in Islam.

Hijab in Islam
The scriptural basis for the modest dress of Muslim women.
(Please note that this is a Shia site.  Bear this in mind if you browse other pages after the article on Hijab.)

Muslim Clothing, Jewelry, Make-up
Extensive links compiled by Horrace Mann.

The War of Women
Yahya Emerick examines differing attitudes to hijab among Muslim women in the United States.

Hijab Option for London Policewomen
The Metropolitan Police in London has accepted Hijab as a uniform option for Muslim women serving in the force. 

Their Canada includes Hijab
by Amber Nasrulla
The Globe and Mail, (Toronto) August 22, 1994

Head Covers divide Muslims
Some believe emphasis on scarf is restrictive, others a sign of piety.
by Caryle Murphy, Washington Post.

The Question Of Hijab: Suppression Or Liberation
by Mary C. Ali

The Hijab Experience of Canadian Muslim Women
by Katherine Bullock

Muslim Feminists and the Veil: To veil or not to veil - is that the question?
Rachel Woodlock examines the "strong trend of Muslim women and men who choose to reject misogyny and androcentrism as being alien to their perception of Islam".

Hijab Story
Muslim convert Tara Dahane relates how she came to wear hijab.

Veil: The View From The Inside
Japanese convert to Islam, Nakata Khaula, reports on her experiences 
of wearing hijab in France and Japan and the face veil (niqaab) in Saudi Arabia.

Much ado about nothing
On Saturday, 20 May 2000, the BBC arts television show, Arena, explored the practice of face veiling (niqaab).  Some Muslims found the portrayal offensive.  Michael Young was not impressed by the programme, but was nevertheless unsympathetic to the complaints.

Baby, it's all good - A modern hijab poem

"Hijab: A Lesson to be Learned"
A 17-year-old Toronto Muslim girl feels liberated.

Hijab allowed for British passport photos

 Islamic Fashion for Women
A CNN article.

Tara's Scarves Hijabs Khimars
Handcrafted Islamic clothing for ladies made by an American convert.

Where to Buy Islamic Clothing Online

Hijab Store
Modest Clothes for Muslim ladies.

Buy Islamic Clothing Online
Links to suppliers of Islamic Clothing.

Polygamy
A collection of Muslim, Mormon and secular feminist articles.

Islam's Position on Polygamy
Dr. Abu Ameenah Bilal Philips addresses the critics.

Polygamy in Islamic Law
Dr. Jamal Badawi examines polygamy in the Muslim, Jewish and Christian traditions.

Polygamy in Britain
Should men be allowed more than one wife in the UK? The US polygamy trial of Tom Green has again sparked arguments in Britain too. Christine Aziz has been investigating the debate over polygamy in the UK.

Polygamy - The Ultimate Feminist Lifestyle
By Elizabeth Joseph
I've often said that if polygamy didn't exist, the modern American career woman would have invented it. Because, despite its reputation, polygamy is the one lifestyle that offers an independent woman a real chance to "have it all".

Practical Aspects of Polygamy
The benefits polygamy has for women and the controls it places on men.
By Samuel Chapman

French government tears polygamous families apart
The French government wants to outlaw polygamy to protect the estimated 140,000 people living in polygamous families - but it is tearing apart established families in the process. Edward Stourton details the catastrophic consequences.

Polygamy Could Help Moms Who Work, Says Utah’s NOW
By Joyce Price, The Washington Times
The Utah Chapter of the National Organization of Women says polygamy can be a solution for the problems of working mothers. “It seems like a pretty good idea for professional women, who can proceed with their careers and have someone at home they can trust to watch their children. It solves the day care problem” said Luci Malin, vice chairman of Utah NOW.

Advice to Muslim Women
How do I tell my parents and family I've become a Muslim?
Practical advice for the new Muslim on this sensitive issue.

How do we relate to non-Muslim relatives?
Dr. Aisha Hamdan offers practical advice to converts.

A Marriage Guide for the New Sisters
An overview of rights and responsibilities, the necessity of a guardian,
how to avoid a fraudulent marriage, and advice from other converts.

Payments to and from the Bride in Islamic Law and Tradition
A practical guide by Ruqaiyyah Waris Maqsood.

Muslim Marriage Contract in American Courts
Lecture by Professor Azizah Y. al-Hibri of T. C. Williams School of Law, 
University of Richmond, followed by transcript of Q&A session.

Women's Rights in the Islamic Prenuptial Agreement: Use Them or Lose Them
by Canadian Muslimah, Rabia Mills

Tips for a Happier Muslim Marriage

How to make your husband happy

How to make your wife happy
Leave this where your husband just happens to come across it!

Turning Sex Into Sadaqa [an act of voluntary kindness pleasing to God]
Now, every man knows what sexual things please him - but some men, particularly those who have not been married before and are therefore lacking experience, don't seem to know much about how to give the same pleasure to the woman; even worse, some men do know but they can't be bothered to make the effort. Yet this is vital if a marriage is to succeed and not just be a disappointing burden for the woman, and it is a vital part of one's Islamic duty.
An excerpt from 'The Muslim Marriage Guide', By Ruqaiyyah Waris Maqsood.

The Ideal Muslimah
The True Islamic Personality of the Muslim Woman as defined in the Qur'an and Sunnah.  Written by Dr. Muhammad Ali Al-Hashimi, translated into English by Nasiruddin Al-Khattab

Audrey Hepburn's Beauty Tips
Pearls of wisdom from the famous actress.

Working mothers' link to school failure
Children of full-time working mothers are more likely to perform badly at school, research suggests.
BBC News, March 14, 2001

Egyptian scholars ban surrogate mothers
By Caroline Hawley in Cairo.  Muslim clerics in Egypt have banned women from acting as surrogate mothers or from receiving frozen sperm from dead husbands.
BBC News, 2 April, 2001

Islam's Position on Polygamy
Dr. Abu Ameenah Bilal Philips addresses the critics.

Websites by Muslim women

Azizah
The magazine for the contemporary Muslim woman, the magazine American Muslimahs have been waiting for.
Azizah magazine addresses issues pertinent to Muslim women, profiles sisters whose lives and achievements inspire us, and highlight ideas and events that empower and entertain us. Azizah reflects what Muslim women are doing, saying, and thinking today - our unique interests and concerns, our contributions to the local and world communities, our lives.

Ash Shahada
Helping new Muslims to live their lives Islamically, by American convert to Islam, Saraji Umm Zaid.

Shamima Shaikh 1960-1998
Site commemorating the life and writings of the late 
South African champion of Women's rights within Islam.

Maryam's Net
Superlative site on issues that affect Muslim women in the modern world.

Karamah
Muslim Women Lawyers for Human Rights.

Ruqaiyyah Waris Maqsood 
The website of a British convert to Islam who is the author of over thirty books on Islam and other subjects.  A former Head of Religious Studies at various UK inner city secondary schools, she is probably Britain's leading authority on GCSE Islamic studies.  Sister Ruqaiyyah identifies with the "battle to preserve Islam as the one true faith, tolerant, noble, and compassionate - in face of the growth of the 'other Islam' which is extremist and intolerant, and which she regards as both false and dangerous".

Discover Islam - A Way of Life
Published by a female Canadian convert.  Much invaluable information on women in Islam.

The International Union of Muslim Women
An American not for profit private corporation whose goals are to Encourage women to increase their knowledge of Qur’an and Sunnah, Provide learning opportunities, Teach women to implement their knowledge, Develop leadership qualities and abilities in women, Assist in finding Islamic solutions to daily problems, Encourage women to get involved and make a difference.

Muslim Women's League
MWL is a nonprofit American Muslim organization working to implement the values of Islam and thereby reclaim the status of women as free, equal and vital contributors to society.

A Simple Path to Islam
Homepage of a lady from Texas who converted to Islam.

Leila Raffin's homepage
A French lady's story of her conversion to Islam.