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system of relations, values and attitudes.” to conclude marriages except by agreement.
The question of woman’s social status and The second restriction is early marriage.
role in society has not been studied seriously The Arab girls are brought up with a fixed idea
until very recently. Three factors contributed of getting married when they have reached
to the rising interest in the study of women. a certain age. “The normal age for marriage
The first is the increasing role played by was limited around puberty and early adul­
women in economic and social production. The thood. Therefore, a girl who reached this age
second is the political upheaval following the without being proposed to was faced with many
industrial revolution and the rise of socialism. worries.” Spinsters were held in very low
The third is the progress of social sciences in esteem.
general and psychology in particular. The third limitation on the well being of
During the last few decades, the Arab Arab women was the dowry requirement, it is
woman’s position has changed drastically and the husband, or quite often his family, who
it is still changing rapidly. But unfortunately, were to pay this. But although in the early
very few studies have been devoted to this stages the dowry was not a big burden, it
aspect of social change. That is why Dr. Taqi’s became such later. It took a form of exploita­
monograph is a welcome contribution especially tion and bargaining and contributed some­
that it treats this subject in an area which is times to retarding if not impeding the conclu­
changing very fast. sion of many marriages. Furthermore, it acted
In the first chapter, Dr. Taqi contends that as a means for the reinforcement of social
the “essential problem of underdevelopment is barriers (between rich and poor) and of social
is one of values and attitudes.” We cannot stratification.
develop the backward countries by industrializa­ The fourth important restriction was the
tion alone because industrialization and eco­ custom of polygamy. Islam permits a man to
nomic progress need social and psychological have up to four wives simultaneously on the
preparation. That is why efforts to industria­ condition that he treats .them all as equals;
lize these countries meet with tremendous ob­ otherwise he may be afflicted with the wrath
stacles. This points out the importance of social of God. This restriction acted in many ways
factors in development, one of which is the against polygamy. But, notwithstanding that,
status of women in society. Polygamy was practiced by a certain type of
The author devotes the second chapter of men (rich, traditional or ignorant). The occ­
his monograph to the examination of the major urrence of polgamy was quite rare but it always
inhibitions suffered by the Arab woman until hangs as a menace against the well-being of
recently. the wife.
He propounds that the most important of these Divorce is another major social ill in the
social ills were the following:- Islamic society. A husband can unilaterally
1. Chastity requirement repudiate his wife by pronouncing verbally that
2. Early marriage she is divorced three times. But in spite of
3. Dowry requirement this, divorce was not “as widespread as one
4. Polygamy might imagine. The religion i.tself, social
5. Divorce relations, economic reasons (paying dowry for
The author then proceeds to discuss each a new wife, etc.) and ‘intricate family rela­
one of these ills:- tionships’ restricted unilateral repudiation.”
As for the chastity requirement, he states These were the main obstacles which
that although chastity was praised by most hindered Arab Muslim women. Therefore, when
societies, the Arabs gave it the status of im­ the emancipation movement started in the
perative. Chastity for Arabs meant virginity relatively developed Arab States (Egypt,
before marriage and fidelity after it. A girl Lebanon), the advocates of woman’s cause were
who is not a virgin on the eve of her marriage faced with many problems.
can be repudiated by her groom and her family However, little by little, during the last
will thereby be afflicated with shame and fifty years, the status of Arab women has
dishonor which can lead to .the punishment of started to change.
the girl. The Bahraini women suffered all of the
As a consequence of this chastity require­ ills which befell her Arab sisters. And her
ment. two social features appeared in the Arab emancipation came quite late.
Muslim world. The first is .the veiling system This is the subject of the third chapter.
which developed in order to ensure the isola­ The author discusses in this section the process
tion of women and their seclusion. The second of the change in the status of the Bahraini
is the system of arranged marriages which is woman. He relates the economic, social and
related to veiling, for if the two sexes are so cultural factors which contributed to her
absolutely separated, there was no other means emancipation. Thus, he discusses the role of

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