Although I've studied Islam extensively for years and already knew about many of the misconceptions and unjust interpretations of women's rights in Islam, I found this book leaving me with many new profound insights.
It is a great testimony and example of the power of taking our own religious education seriously. It is also a powerful tool and encouragement for every women and man touched by Islam to study this matter on their own, without interference from or filtering by religious scholars interpreting the scripture in favor of old inherent traditions and biases. If read with an open mind, it should open a whole new sense of understanding of the true intended meaning of the guidance and wisdom in the Quran. A relief and surprise indeed! It makes absolut sense!
It is very refreshing to read this book with a language so simple, so real, yet strong and profound in it's conclusions. Without unnecessary complex terminology and fancy wordings, and with chapters, examples and small anecdotes taking turns in a pleasant never overbearing way, this book is a breeze to read through.
In short, if you are interested in learning about women's rights in Islam, according to the Quran, the true story, get this book! It serves as an expressway to getting seriously and correctly informed about most of, if not all, the main issues.
Women's Rights, The Quran And Islam by Lisa Spray (who draws from her own extensive studies and life experiences as a traditional Muslim) is a straightforward, thoughtful, informed and informative survey and analysis of what the Quran, the foundation text of Islam, really says about male and female rights and relationship, as well as how women are perceived in the eyes of God. Anecdotes, verse by verse translations, careful reasoning, and the personal testimony of a white female convert to Islam help to distinguish the difference between the Quran's actual words and discriminatory cultural practices that are blindly accepted as Islam. Women's Rights, The Quran And Islam is a highly recommended and timely antidote to the corruptions of Islam teachings and traditions that have been used to perpetuate such evils and the 9-11 attacks and the barbarism of tribal "justice" in some quarters of the Islamic world.
