Perfecting Women: Maulana Ashraf 'Ali Thanawi's <i>Bihishti Zewar</i>Challenging conventional notions about the place of women in Muslim societies, the Bihishti Zewar (Heavenly Ornaments) gives life to the themes of religious and social reform that have too often been treated in the abstract. This instructional guidebook, used by the world's largest population of Muslims, is a vital source for those interested in modern Indian social and intellectual history, in Islamic reform, and in conceptions of gender and women's roles. The Bihishti Zewar was written in northern India in the early 1900s by a revered Muslim scholar and spiritual guide, Maulana Ashraf 'Ali Thanawi (1864-1943), to instruct Muslim girls and women in religious teachings, proper behavior, and prudent conduct of their everyday lives. In so doing, it sets out the core of a reformist version of Islam that has become increasingly prominent across Muslim societies during the past hundred years. Throughout the work, nothing is more striking than the extent to which the book takes women and men as essentially the same, in contrast to European works directed toward women at this time. Its rich descriptions of the everyday life of the relatively privileged classes in turn-of-the-century north India provide information on issues of personality formation as well as on family life, social relations, household management, and encounters with new institutions and inventions. Barbara Metcalf has carefully selected those sections of the Bihishti Zewar that best illustrate the themes of reformist thought about God, the person, society, and gender. She provides a substantial introduction to the text and to each section, as well as detailed annotations. Challenging conventional notions about the place of women in Muslim societies, the Bihishti Zewar (Heavenly Ornaments) gives life to the themes of religious and social reform that have too often been treated in the abstract. This instructional guid |
Contents
| 1 | |
Book One of the Bihishti Zewar | 39 |
An Account of the Prophets to Inspire the Religious | 253 |
Stories of Women Who Lived at the Time | 273 |
Stories of Women Who Lived After the Time | 293 |
A Selection from the Quran and Hadis | 308 |
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Common terms and phrases
A'isha Ahmad Almighty Apostles Arabic Ashraf asked Barbara Metcalf Bihishti Zewar blessed power blessings and peace Blumhardt Book Seven Book Six bride C. M. Naim called Catalogue chhatank child clothes consider custom Dajjal daughter Day of Judgment Delhi Deobandis Deputy Nazir Ahmad discussed elder evil example faith father Fatima faults forbidden gifts girls give God's Gods declared groom hadis harm Hazrat Umm heart heaven Hindu honor husband Imam India infidels Islam jewelry Ka'ba keep learned letter look lower soul Lucknow marriage married matter Maulana Thanawi Mecca Mercy Messenger of Gods Moral mother Muhammad Muharram MusaŠ Muslim never night person polytheism pray prayer Prophet Qur'an recite reform reformist religion religious reward rupees scholar shari'at Shi'a sins someone story teachings things tion translation Urdu walima wife woman women worldly write zakat