Woman Between Islam and Western Society
5. Position of Woman in the Islamic Shari‘ah
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SAYINGS OF THE PROPHET
Now we come to certain sayings attributed to the
Prophet Muhammad, in which the Arabic word
dil
‘
has been mentioned for the word “rib.” The first
thing that has to be remembered here is that these
traditions are about ordinary women, and do not
refer to the creation of Adam and Eve. It is the
manner of every woman’s creation that is being
dealt with, not specifically that of Eve. One of the
relevant sayings is as follows:
Treat women well, for they have been created
from a rib.
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Now this cannot be taken to mean that women have
actually been created from a rib, for this has no
connection with the point conveyed in the rest of
the sentence, which is that women should be
treated well. A correct interpretation of the word
‘rib’ has to be one that fits in with the underlying
purpose behind the Prophet’s statement.
The statement, “women have been created from a
rib,” should be taken metaphorically, not literally.
What the Prophet wished to convey was this:
