Arab Woman before Islam

before islam, widows and divorced women in the arabian peninsulawere not allowed to marry again. women in the arabian peninsulasuch as other women in all parts of the world did not have the right to inheritance. some tribes had the habit of burying baby girls alive because they considered that the birth of girls as shameful as in judaism and christianity. girls were not a source of strength as the boys; rather, they could be a source of shame and humiliation because of the raids. as we have seen earlier, the bible recognizes that the postpartum period for the mother at the birth of a girl is double that at the birth of a boy (lev. 12:2-5). the catholic new testament clearly says: "an evil nurtured man is the dishonor of his father that begat him a foolish daughter is born to his loss." (ecclesiasticus 22:3). we have seen that the rabbis do not hide their clear preference for male children: "it's good for those who are having boys and bad for those who are having girls," "at the birth of the boy happiness prevail while sadness prevails at the birth of the girl", and "peace comes to the world when the boy comes ... and nothing comes when a girl is born." ^[65]

these teachings consider the girl a heavy burden and a potential source of shame to her father: "keep a sure watch over a shameless daughter, lest she make thee a laughingstock to thine enemies, and a byword in the city, and a reproach among the people, and make thee ashamed before the multitude." (ecclesiasticus 42:11). "if thy daughter be shameless, keep her in straitly, lest she abuse herself through overmuch liberty.watch over an impudent eye: and marvel not if she trespass against thee."(ecclesiasticus 26:10-11)

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[65] leonard j. swidler, women in judaism: the status of women in formative judaism (metuchen, n.j: scarecrow press, 1976), p. 140.