By Barbara Freyer Stowasser. Islamic ideas about women and their role in society spark considerable debate both in the Western world and in the Islamic world itself. Despite the popular attention surrounding Middle Eastern attitudes toward women, there has been little systematic study of the statements regarding women in the Qur'an. Stowasser fills the void with this study on the women of Islamic sacred history. By telling their stories in Qur'an and interpretation, she introduces Islamic doctrine and its past and present socio-economic and political applications. Stowasser establishes the link between the female figure as cultural symbol, and Islamic self-perceptions from the beginning to the present time. Oxford University Press, USA (1996), English, Paperback: 216 pages.

"An excellent study of women in Islamic scriptures and commentary. A significant contribution to the scholarship. There is no comparable study in terms of either focus or approach, despite the fact that the topic and materials are so fundamental."--John Esposito, Georgetown University

"This is not just another book on women in Islam...It is an in-depth survey of Islamic literature dealing with women. As much as any book can, it avoids judgement; it simply presents material drawn from the Qur'an and both traditional and modern interpretations of female role models in Islam..."--Middle East Studies Association Bulletin

"...one of the most outstanding works to have been published on the popular topic of women in Islam....The erudition and insights of this study will make this an invaluable reference work for both specialists and non-specialists on women in Islam."--Digest of Middle East Studies About the Author.

Barbara Stowasser is Director of the Center for Contemporary Arab Studies at Georgetown University.