While thus the followers of Christ reformed the position of woman in the
Roman empire, Mohammed, the founder of Islam or Mohammedanism, at the
same time endeavored to better the condition of woman in the Orient.
Born about the year 570 A. D. in Arabia he recognized, that the domestic
life of the Arabs was marked by many embarrassing improprieties.
Polygamy was customary everywhere, and while among the rich people the
wife was nothing but a toy, for no other purpose but to satisfy passion,
among the poorer classes she was merely a suppressed slave, who could be
sent away, when she was no longer young, or had lost her good looks, or
had become unable to work. Concubinage and prostitution prevailed among
the population of the cities as well as among the Bedouins, who led the
same nomadic life as had the patriarchs Abraham, Isaac and Jacob several
thousand years ago.
To improve the position of woman, Mohammed inserted in the Koran, his
great moral codex, a number of instructions, which shine forth like gold
threads in the fabric of a beautiful curtain. He ordered the men to
treat their wives with forbearance and respect, as was becoming in the
stronger toward the weaker sex. Children were impressed to give love and
comfort to their parents to the end of their days and show them the
highest reverence.
To diminish polygamy and to give women a secure legal standing, Mohammed
also reduced the number of lawful wives to four, and allowed this number
to such men only as were wealthy enough to provide for certain comforts.
Furthermore, he placed the men under the obligation, to be faithful to
their wives and treat all with equal kindness.
[Illustration:
VEILED.
]
To protect women from the many temptations of too close a social
intercourse with men, Mohammed took pains to exclude women as much as
possible from contact with the outer world. Therefore he insisted on the
strict observance of the ancient Oriental custom that women must not
appear in the streets or in presence of other men than their husbands
except with their faces heavily veiled. This order has been observed in
all Mohammedan countries up to the present day. Only slaves and peasant
women are allowed to go unveiled, as the veil would hinder them at work.
Therefore, outsiders can study the features of Mohammedan women only
from members of the lower classes. To find out who is who among the
veiled females seen in the streets of oriental cities is impossible even
for their own husbands.
About the domestic life of Mohammedan women during former centuries we
know practically nothing, as reliable reports by disinterested observers
are wanting. But the fact that Mohammedan homes and family life were
always secluded from the external world and inaccessible to Christian
explorers travelling through oriental countries, rendered the subject
peculiarly liable to highly exaggerated and sensational reports.
Especially the life in the “Harem,” the women’s quarter, has been
pictured innumerable times as a combination of boundless luxuriance,
lascivity, frivolity, laziness and intrigues. In contradiction several
ladies, who had a chance to study Mohammedan life during the last
century, have asserted, that these reports do not, by any means,
correspond with the truth. There is for instance an essay of Else
Marquardsen about the manners of the Turks, in which she discusses
polygamy. She says: “Throughout the course of many years I was allowed
to visit the homes of many prominent people as well as of the poorer
classes, but I remember only one case, where a man, a high official, had
more than one wife. As a rule I found in all families a spirit of quiet
faithfulness to duty, such as it is not always the case among us. The
women, often compelled to live together with the mother or other female
relatives of their husbands, maintain a good-natured kindness toward
each other, which is really solacing and knows no exception. The great
devotion, shown to the mother by her son as well as by his wife, and
which makes her the most respected member of the whole family, is an
education in humility and self-control, the results of which fill one
with admiration. As the life of the Mohammedan woman, of which her
husband forms the center, is one of repose and seclusion, so she retains
a child-like disposition of sentiment which is indeed touching. Unlike
as it is with us, she is reared in full knowledge of the natural
destination of woman. As soon as she has developed from childhood to
womanhood, she is offered to a man, unknown to her, but whom she
respects as the god-sent medium to impart the sacred mystery by which
she may become a mother. As he gives her the crown of life, she honors
him as her lord. But if it should be her fate to remain barren, then she
does as Sarah, Leah and Rachel did several thousand years ago; she goes
to find another woman, by whom her husband may have children.”
The marriageable age for Mohammedan girls is about twelve, sometimes
less and sometimes more, and the preliminaries are entirely a business
matter conducted by the nearest relatives with much ceremony. After a
definite contract is made it is then that the bride is permitted to see
and speak to her future husband.
[Illustration:
A MOHAMMEDAN WOMAN OF MOROCCO.
]
According to an article by Broughton Brandenburg about the district of
Biskra, the night before the wedding the bride’s hands and feet are
steeped in henna, with which are stained the nails of all women who make
any pretense of keeping up appearances. When the day comes on which the
bride is to go to the house of her husband she is arrayed in rich robes;
on her arms and ankles are bracelets, and about her slender waist she
wears a corded girdle holding in place a broad plate of gold, silver and
turquoise, usually an heirloom of great age and rare workmanship. The
spangled bridal veil is cast over her head and she is led to the door by
her parents and given over to a company of joyous friends, hired
musicians and guests who parade through the streets beating the rawhide
tambourines and cymbals, dancing and shouting. So the tumultuous pageant
winds its way to the house of the groom, where the happy child takes off
the girdle and plate, and hands them to her husband with a deep
obeisance. After that, feasting and merry-making follow, and last as
long as the bridegroom keeps his purse open.—
But the great restrictions to which, for her own protection, the
Mohammedan woman was subjected by the Koran, also caused some great
disadvantages. Neither Mohammed nor his successors had a proper
appreciation of the dignity, the many possibilities and the real mission
of woman. Regarding her chiefly as the medium for the propagation of the
race, they neglected her intellectual life. In consequence she never
had, in her strict seclusion, a chance to develop her mental qualities.
Unable to read books and hearing nothing of the events of the outer
world, she remained in the state of semi-slavery, never attaining the
high position reached by many Christian women of to-day, namely that of
being a real consort to the husband.
So the very best influence of woman was wanting. And as in time polygamy
and concubinage increased again among many Mohammedan nations, the men
became enervated and unable to resist hostile assaults.
The most striking example is that of the Moors. After having conquered
large parts of Northern Africa as well as of Spain, they were expelled
again from Europe during the 15th Century. The charming Alhambra at
Granada, the Alcazars of Seville and Toledo, the magnificent mosque at
Cordova still preach the past glory of their former empire. But while we
wander through the elaborate rooms, that once were occupied by the women
of the califs and sultans, we cannot resist the conviction that these
splendid halls were but golden cages for beautiful creatures, whose
wings had been clipped.
[Illustration]
Women During the Middle Ages.
[Illustration:
A NOBLEWOMAN OF THE 16TH CENTURY.
]