The Scimitar and the Veil: Extraordinary Women of Islam

by Jennifer Heath

The Scimitar and the Veil portrays over thirty extraordinary Muslim women from the birth of Islam through the 19th century. From scholars to warriors to concubines and queens, The Scimitar and the Veil gathers scholarship about the women of Islam into one fascinating book presented for a general readership. Based on sources ranging from Swahili lore to Persian pageant plays to Muslim feminist writings to the explorations of Western scholars of Islam,...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1587680203
• ISBN13: 9781587680205
• Release Date: May 2004
• Publisher: HiddenSpring
• Length: 496 Pages
• Weight: 2.02 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.4" x 6.4" x 9.4"

Customer Reviews

Unveiling the Mystery

For me Islamic women have always been hidden behind a veil of mystery. In Jennifer Heath's splendid book she strips away the veil and reveals the true life stories of dozens of queens, warriors, rebels,poets, musicians, storytellers, mystics, and saints. Heath takes us inside the lives of these remarkable women to show us both their power and their humanity. Her deft prose is a joy to read. She seems to have some special key that allows her to unlock the essence of each of the women she chronicles. At last a book that tells the story of Islamic women to the West. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in better global understanding.

Learning about the world

After reading The Scimitar and the Veil: Extraordinary Women of Islam, I feel that my knowledge of the world has been expanded. It is important for women to understand the mythologies and histories of women of other cultures, especially in a time when cultures are clashing and misunderstanding each other more than ever. I want to thank Jennifer Heath for opening my eyes and for helping me to learn about the world of women, of which I am a part. A great read. I will be looking for more books from this writer in future.

Behind the Sacred Veil

I came to Jennifer Heath's book seeking help in unlocking a mystery; how might I understand the thinking of hundreds of millions of women devoted to Islam given my impressions of the religion as presented by the Western press? I cannot express how wondrous a resource Heath's book became as I explored this essential and profound topic. In her remarkable book,Heath creates depth of understanding through a cumulative process that richly surveys not only the chronological history of Islam but also the breadth of engagement that women have had within its life: Scholars, Saints, Warriors, Rulers and the rest. The book, by providing scholarly prefaces for each catagory of activity, creates a solid flooring upon which to consider the tremendous range of achievements of the women of Islam. Written with skill, beauty and deep respect, the book provided me with a survey that was at once readable, intelligent and emotionally powerful. The Scimitar and the Veil cuts through cliches presented in the West about Islam and the roles of women within it. Heath faces the complexities of her topic while never losing sight of the power and courage of the women she portrays. In these pages discover the sacred veil that separates the human and the divine and the power of the women of Islam to both maintain and part it. A remarkable scholarly and human achievement and a great read as well.

A popular history and survey of fifty Muslim women

The Scimitar And The Veil: Extraordinary Women Of Islam by author and journalist Jennifer Heath introduces American readers to women who are historically significant in the development of Islam as one of the great world religions. Beginning with his widowed mother, a female slave who tended him in childhood, and the Bedouin woman who fostered him; to his marriage to Khadija (a wealthy businesswoman from Mecca), to his four daughters, and Umm Salamah (one of his later wives upon whom he relied for military and political advice), to Aisha, another of his wives in whose presence he experienced revelations, women played import-ant, influential roles in the life of the Prophet Muhammad. The Scimitar And The Veil is a popular history and survey of fifty Muslim women and their contributions ranging from the very birth of Islam in the 7th Century CE to the 19th Century CE. These women numbered queens, poets, musicians, storytellers, mystics, and saints among their ranks. No personal study of Islam or academic library Islamic Studies collection can be considered either complete or comprehensive without the prominent inclusion of Jennifer Heath's The Scimitar And The Veil.