ADVANCING THE LEGAL STATUS OF WOMEN IN ISLAMIC LAW. MONA SAMADI. BRILL NIJHOFF PUBLICATIONS, LEIDEN & BOSTON, 2021, 222 PP., ISBN: 978-90-04-44693-9, €128.00 (HARD COVER)

Abstract

This article is a review of a book that presents a detailed and thorough analysis of women’s legal status in the Islamic legal system. The book consists of six chapters that include a historical overview of women who held power in Islam, classical and contemporary sources of Islamic law, women’s legal status, and measures taken by male-dominated societies to circumvent or restrict women’s rights. The author’s arguments are based on the position of women in the Islamic legal system, in the light of the sources of Islamic law and Islamic traditions. The book is a valuable resource for scholars, students, and activists interested in understanding women's legal status in Muslim societies. The author argues that it is not Islamic law per se but rather the juristic interpretations that cause the inequalities faced by women. The author suggests revisiting laws, policies, and practices to strengthen the legal status of women by incorporating human values such as human dignity, fairness, and justice, as laid in the Quran, as the jus divinum for any law affecting women as a class.