My Soul Is a Woman The Feminine in Islam Annemarie Schimmel Translated by Susan H. Ray Conmnuam | NEw York= 1-Women and the Prophet —* 0s SANG OF TE Premier MURAINUD has been quoted a numberof tines now—s0 how Is it posable that Iam ‘should have come to be known asa religion with a negative ‘lew of women? And yet, over the centuries and under the Inluence of growing legalistic and ascetic movements, the ‘woman in Tslam has been relegated to a postion far re ‘moved fom the ene she knew and enjoyed during the times ‘ofthe Prophet and his successors. ‘hls is why It s impossible to overestimate the role the Prophets frst wie, Khadija played in defining the woman's place in Islam, This widowed merchant woman was already {he mother of several children when she proposed marrage ‘to her significantly younger co-worker Muhammad and ‘subsequently bore his children. She was also the one who ‘consoled and supported him after his first visions and ‘auditions and who convinced him that the revelations he ‘experienced in the cave at Mount Hira during his medita- tons were not of demonic but rather of divine origin. Khadija rightfully bears the honorary titles Mother of Believers and The Best of Women, khair un-risa (he latter 26 Women and the Prophet 2 ‘ti a favorite name for women). Modern Muslims, inchde Ing a majority of women Muslims, repeatedly stress her ‘essential contribution to the early history of Islam. She loved Muhammad deeply, and tt was ony after her death in 619 and alter more than a quarter of a century together. that Muhammad gradually and ever the course of time ‘mamied a number of other women. Among his ater wives tras the very young ‘Misha, the daughter of his loyal fiend ‘Abu Baler. The other women were widows or divorcees, ‘ome even former slaves, This fact became a very important fangument in favor of the remarriage of widows among the ‘odernlets In India in the nineteenth and twentleth cen- fries, Their adherence to Hinds customs had made the Indian Muslins avold remarriage fora long time, but how could the continue to act i such open contradiction tothe Prophets own example? "The latcr wives of the Prophet were subsequently given the title Mother of Beevers as well. The Quran (Sura 24:90) admonished them "to cover thelr adornments” a regulation probably intended to differentiate them 08 Tespectable idles from the lightly dressed women of the lower clasecs. Selfcancealment dictated by modesty thus ‘became an honor and was not seen as a sign of narrow con straint. was only over the course of ime and as result of Social changes thatthe rules of seclusion became stricter. In general, they were most rigorously applied tothe sayy ladies, whieh is to say, to those who could trace their descent back t0 the Prophet and his daughter Fatima. ‘These women were subjected to many other taboos as well ‘least n the Indo-niamie world ‘And yet in the early days of Islam women were actively tnvolved i all aspects of social life and communal affairs ‘Weisha used to discuss problems arising fom tradition with the Prophet's companions, and not only with them, Thus. wwe have her to thank for our knowledge of many details pertaining to Muhammad's prvate Ife. n 656 she actually2 Women andthe Prophet rode to bale herself in order tight against ‘Atom AL ‘Talib and his partisans. The Sunnite tradition ts proud of \Goiha’s acts, and people never te of eting Munam- mac's tender addresses to his young wife—Kallimint ya Hlumatra, “Talk to:me, you itl reddish go (MT 1972, ef -M VIL p. 194}-for this young ereature was always able to cheer him wp. The mystics. of course, interpreted the Prophet's kind words as a direct appellation on the part of the lover to the Divine Spit, ith whore would ike to ‘speak as tf with a—male or female—beoved. ‘Welha is loathed inthe Shite tradition. however, for she -was clearly opposed to ‘All the cousin and son-indav of the Prophet, the man whom the Shltes honored as thelr fst Imam, the true Leader of the Community. According to the ‘Shites, “Al should have been the legitimate successor of ‘Muhammad after the latter's death, whereas ‘Aisha’s father Abu Bake (who riled from 682-634) had only ‘usurped the eallphate, Compllcating the matter even more ‘yas some bad blood between ‘isha and ‘Al, who had made some negative remarks about her when she lost her needace while on a Journey and was brought back to the ‘caravan by a Young man. Doubts about her respectablity, ‘however, were soon dlapelied by a revelation (Sura 24:11). ‘Wisha's atutude toward ‘Al, whom she confronted in the tlveady mentioned camel battle that took place in 656, Increased the negative feelings of the Shites against her. Her name, 20 frequently used as a woman's name tn Sun- nite circles, was never tied among the Shiites. In the ter ‘tue ofthe ultra-Shite Nusari “isha is even compared {tw the yellowish cow, the sacrifice of which had been offered to Moses in Sura 2:67-72. "The Prophet had four daughters, and to have daughters ‘was now no longer considered such a blemish as in pre- Telamie Arabia, where they used to bury alive what they ‘considered to be superfluous gis. Tis immoral practice ‘was clearly denounced in Sura 81:8, The new appredation Women and the Prophet » of daughters was reflected tn the fact that men now began. adopting a new kurya, an agnomen or “honorary name” No fonger only calling themselves Abu Talha, “Father of (the ‘boy Taha” or something along those lines, they now began to call themeelves Abu Lalla, Abu Rashana, “Father of the gil Lalla “Father of fhe gil} Rathana." and so on. They dso because, aa tradition has it, there {s no shame ‘attached to having s daughter. Theres even a tradition tint congratulates the father, but the reason 1s likely 0 Surprise the modern reader. afterall a daughter can bring ‘seven sons (othe world. “Three of Muhammad's four daughters died durtng his etme: Zainab, Rogayya, and Umm Kulthum, The latter foro were initially married to sons of Abu Lahab, but they {ef thelr husbaride when Abu Lahab became the Prophet's ‘oot biter adversary (who was even cursed in the Quran {Sura 111). "Uthman fon ‘Afan, who was to become the {third caliph (fuhammad's successor from 644 to 656). took them both to wife. Since a simultaneous marriage ‘0 ‘sisters is forbidden, he married the one after the early ‘Gea ofthe other, and this is why he caries the sobriquet due renurain, "the owner of te two lights” This is also why {he comblaation of naines Osman Nurs tll popular, expe cally in Turkey. ‘The youngest of the Prophet's daughters, Fatima, sur- ‘vived her father by a few months. She was married to Muhammad's cousin, ‘Al ibn Abt Tab, to whom she bore {ro sons, These boye became the Prophet's beloved grand ‘Sons as tender legends and popular verse tell t,he used to spend many happy hours playing with them. Hasan, the er of the two, ded around 669, probably poisoned, while the younger, Husain, fll in 680 in the Battle of Kerbela ‘against the army of the Umayyad caliph Yazid. The ‘Umayyads had claimed the caliphate for themselves in 651 titer the murder of Al, and Husain ted to win power back for the house of the Prophet after Yazid, the second2» Women and the Prophet ‘Umayyad ruler, assumed the postion. The tragedy of Ker ‘bela tn Iraq, which took place on the tenth day af Muhar- ‘am (the fist hinar month) had a profound elect on Shite Diley. and ifthe poetry of the Islamic peoples celebrate the Prophets grandsons as glorious heroes, as the fst of all martyrs, then Fatima was also granted a special postion ‘that can be described as nothing less than that of mater doorosa. Although dead for almost fity years before the demise of her second son, Fatima stands higher than all ‘other peope for the Sites exeept Muhammad and ‘Al. Her sebriguets, including Zahra, The Radiant One: Batu. Vir~ fn: Kant, Malden: Masuma, Shleded ftom Sin and many others are stil very popular names for girls among Shite ‘communtes. Moreover, not only ts he the intercessor for all who weep for her gon Husain, but, the realm of mys: tical speculation, she i also the vm aba “her father's smother” Story after story is told about Fatima. Those that dele ‘upon the poverty she endured partieulary aroused the fan {nay of the pious. for whom she was, in fac, the actual ‘Queen of Mankind. One iterary genre known as “Fatima’s Dowry” (Wiaznama-i Fatima) enumerates all the humble {rile er father was able to gve her for her dowry. her en. ‘reaty toward the poor (even when her own farlly went ‘hungry. her ow sans’ want of clothing and al of ts ts related and embelished tn ever-new wayo, co that Fatima ‘has come to bea role model for Muslim gira, fact, tn the ‘Middle Ages there was even a sect that passed the family's entire fortune onto thelr daughters as inhertance—and all In honor of Fatima. Her veneration is also great in the Sun alte world. Whether we read Muhammad Igbal’s(1877~ 1908) homage to Fatima in his 1917 Persian eple Rue ‘ekhudt OMysteries of Seeseness) (a book, by the way, that leaves no doubt whatsoever about his Sunni at: tudes), or whether we read ‘All Sehariats “Fatima ie ‘Women and the Prophet a Fatima,” which appeared at th time of the Islamic revolu- ‘Hon in trant—all we hear is moving words of prise for this ‘ost respected and most virtuous Mustim Woman. Only a person descended from her two sons can claim to be a Sayyid for this right does not extend to the eflopring of ‘Alls other chren from other waves, Most people would probably agree with Sans (2.1131 im (Ghamna, today’s Afghanistan), who sings: ‘The word i fal of women, setwhereis there a woman ike Fatima, the bet of women? for the honorary name The Best of Women, Khir wrnlsa, was later granted not only to Khadija but to her youngest daughter as well “Among the circles of mystics there were also those who considered the masculine name Fatir an appropriate “atvne name” for Fatima. Sources tell of numerous women in the Prophets close ‘proximity. Several of them emigrated with ther families to Abyosinia in the early years of islam, while others, lke ‘Umm ‘Atya, accompanied Muhammad and his army Into a ‘number of battles and eared for the wounded. twas also understood, ofcourse, that they should participate tn the prayer service nthe mosque, for ane hadith says: ‘Do not Drevent the handmaidens of God from entering the places {n which He ts worshiped." Even the eecand ealph, Omar {bm al-Khattab (ruled 634-644), had to adopt ths tradition, seit not very happlly. Tha ruler was mown for his sever- lty and Justice and ought to have been more favorably ‘mclined toward women. After all, his alster had already ‘converted to Islam while he was stl an apparently tecon cllable opponent of the Prophet. And yet. while intending > Jat her during her reettation of Qurante revelations, he was 80 moved by the words that he immediately accepted Islam2 Women an the Prophet and subsequently became the most zealous defender ofthe fauth. Even Rul tells extensively of thi conversion in his prose work Fim fi. ‘Some of Muhammad's other female descendants are also ‘known for ther plety. One of ther, Sayyia Nas, Is par LUculary worthy of mention: a great granddaughter of the Prophet. she married the son of the sath imam, Jafar as- Sadiq (4.765). and went to Caio with her cousin Sakina, ‘There she soon became known for her ascette pty. The ‘istoran tbn Khalikan reports in his ography that even Imam Shaft, the founder of one of the four orthodox ‘schools of law, Is supposed to have sald is prayers with her. Miracles naturally accompanied her wherever she ‘Went. According to ane. the water ahe had used for her rit. ual ablutions 1s supposed to have healed a lame Jewess. ‘When Nafsa died n 208/824, a mausoleum was bul in hher memory, and it has remained a popular pga’ dest nation to this day. Inthe Middle Ages, primarily during the Period of the Mamelukes, the sultans celebrated her Dirth- ‘ay in great style inthe Citadeleof Cairo. ‘rom the very bedinning, the Prophets saying quoted at the beginning of this chapter as well as his numerous mar rages aroused the disapproval of Christian thelogians— ‘and not only theologians! How could a man who claimed to be the Prophet eo abandon himsel tothe world of sensual ‘ty? Ts dea was simply abhorrent to the Christian Ideal of chastity, to the ideal of celibacy that from early umes onward was so decply rooted in the church. The Musliz, however, will ee no backsliding inthis. Rather. he see it ‘as an expression of the Joy one can find inthe world ofthe ‘senses, which is pat of Gods eration. ‘An Indo-Muslim interpretation of the Prophet's saying bout “women” and one that derives from the great Dell saint Nuamuddin Aulya maintains that the word “women” refers here very specically to ‘isha, whereas “the joy of my eyes" is said to be a reference to Fatima, who was Women and the Prophet 2 absorbed in prayer atthe time ‘andthe oy of my eyes Le. Foatimal s at prayer). This seems abit frfetched and we fare more easily tempted to credit Ton ‘Arabs interpreta ‘Won, according to which the Prophet didnt love women for ‘natural rasons—h no, “he loved them becatie God made them lovable” Most important, however lathe reference to fragrance. frequently associated with the feminine element fn the one hand and with holiness on the other AS the single masculine concept in Arable, the word “fragrance” in this saying is inserted between the two feminine nouns “women” and “prayer"This observation was enough to pro- ‘ide the Sufls with never-ending food for thought concern {ng this mysterious relation._—— 3- Women in the Quran and in the Tradition ‘ie Queas sreaKs of “pious and believing women.” ‘mueminat, musimat, and even mentions them in the sane breath with lous and believing men: moreover, these ‘women are to perform the eame religous duties 2s the men are (There le only one negative female figure in the Quran, and'she isthe wife of Abu Lahab, Muhammad's farehenemy. She is mentioned briefly in Sura 11, where she {s called "the bearer of faggots." She wears a fer halter fround her neck and serves as an example ofthe damna- ton of the unbelievers. “The woman's position as depicted tn the Quran isa det nite improvement over conditions existing in preTslamle ‘Arabia, Women were now able to retnin and make thetr own ‘decisions about the property they ether brought with them Into or eared during thetr marriage and were now permit- ted, for the fret time, to inhert. At times, the permission laid dow in Sura 4:5 to have four legitimate wives was interpreted aa @ concession to the four temperaments of ‘man, and yet payamy Is by no means as widespread as ts ‘commonly believed. The above-mentioned Qurante rule to the effect that women are tobe granted fai treatment has Jed many modernists to postulate monogamy as the ideal toward which one ought to strive. Afterall, even if each ‘woman receives the same share of material goods, how 4 Worn tn dhe Quran and nthe Tradtion » could the man possibly harbor the same feelings toward tech one of multiple wives? Permiscon to punish ane's wife for repeated dlobedience is mitigated by the words of the ‘Prophet recommending the loving treatment of women: “The best among you is he who treats his wie most kindly.” ‘The intimate bond between man and wifes clearly {defined inthe frequently overlooked or more often than not {aloey interpreted words of Sura 2187; Women] are a ral- ‘ment for you and ye are ralment for them.” In religious tra- tion all over the world, one's garment is one's aller ego, that object that is most closely connected with one's per- sonal. ‘The Quran mentions only one woman by her actual name. This is Mary, the virgin mother of Jesus, who 16 ‘highly revered Sa lela. As one tradition has it he wil be ‘the fist to enter paradise, It was for her thatthe dited up palm tree bore sweet dates as she ching to it during the labors of chldbtrth, and her newborn tnfant testified to her purity (Sura 18:24, 30-83) She to the een, humble soul ‘who would deserve special and extensive study. although the Quran also speaks of a number of other female figures, some of them and others rot mentioned in the Quran were Invented by later exegetes or simply ereated by popular Dlety. These women were given names and thelr stories ‘were steadly embelished and elaborated, withthe result ‘that they have come to serve as role model for women. An ‘example of one such edifying texts Thanaw*'s “Paradl- slacal Ornament,” which didactically presents these ‘Qurante women tothe young reader as models suitable for ‘mulation. The very first wornan, naturally, s Eve, Hawa, who, as tradition has it, was created out of Adam's ri [Bven Goethe, Germany’ greatest poet, was famalar with the Islamic version of tls myth. Hin verse reproduction of this hadith admonishes men to treat worten with indul- sence. Since God took a crooked rib to create her, her resul- tant form could not be entirely straight. Thus, if man tries36 Women inthe Quran and inthe Tatton tobend her, she wil break, and if one leaves her in peace, she enly becomes more crooked. The poet then asks Adam, ‘whieh is to say, man, qulte directly: Which is worse? In place of an answer he offers the following advice: treat ‘women with patience and forbearance, for nobody wants @ ‘roken ro. ‘Nowhere does the Quran make Eve responsible for the fal from grace, thus burdening her with having introduced original sn nto the worl. tn fact, Islam does not even rec- ognize the Idea of original sin. But in the “Tales of the Prophets.” especially in the richly elaborated versions ‘spread by folk preachers and imaginative bards, Eve does play an important role. Her beauty Is deserbed in lowing ‘colors: “She was as big and as comely as Adam, had 700 plait in her hair, was adorned with chrysolte and per- famed with musk... Her skin was more delicate than ‘Adam's and purer in coor, and her votce was more beautl- fal than his.” ‘Tradition also tells how God addressed Adam: “My Merey 1 have pulled together for you into My Servant Eve, and there 1s no other blessing. © Adam, that were greater than. 1 plous wife" Legends deserbing the unton of the frat man with the frst woman include all the detals that make a worldly wed ding 20 fesuve, some even going 20 far as to have angels strew paradisiacal coine over the heads of the bridal couple, But once they succumbed tothe temptations of the tiny snake that had entered the garden in the beak of a ‘atime ope ward ee ena, ei tet et gue re mach. aa eg, che, {aS eae nd ac eter Biter dam te ae hin eter gt ad chee pp Women inthe Quran and nthe Tradtion 7 peacock, once they had eaten of the forbidden frat (usualy {epresented as cor) thelr clothes fle off. Traditional nar~ ralives usualy take advantage ofthis passage to emphasize [Eve's frivolity. Dramatic descriptlons have Eve question God as to where her guilt might He and what her punish ‘ment would be, and God answers: “I shall make you del- lent in thought and religion, and in the aby to bear ‘witness and to inert." These words were culled fom two ‘Gurante commandments, according to which two women. are needed to bear witness instead of one man (Sura 2:282) fand daughters tnhertt less than sons (Sura 4:19. In the same way. the next divine punishment—"Tmprisoned you shall be your whole life lag’—developed out ofa specifi ‘understanding of seclusion that was only intensifled over the course of ume. According to Kise, Bve was also told that no woman shall “participate in that which is best in fe: the comman Friday prayers" (even though thls probibt- ‘Hon derived nether from the Quran nor from earliest prac- llce). Nor was she supposed to greet anyone, which 1s, nother sanction for whieh there ls no Quranic foundation Her punlahmenta are menstruation and pregpaney. and "a ‘woman shall never be a prophet or a wise man.” All f this only ges to show how many widespread assumptions rest ‘et upon the words ofthe Quran but upon rather imagina- the interpretations ofthe same by the believers. ‘ve repented of her transgression and was forgiven. But ‘Adam and Bve were separated after their expulsion from Paradise, and, as some legends have i, they met up again only may years later in the vicinity of Mecca. Gabriel waa, ‘teaching Adam the rites of plgrimage while he was resting fn the hil of Safa. It happens that Eve was an the hill of ‘Marwa at the time [a name imaginative exegetes derived from mare, "woman", and they recognized one another, teraraf, on the plains of Arafat ‘Abrahan’s coneubine, Hagar, s also assoctated with pl- ‘image. She ran back and forth between Marwa and Safa