Literary arts are considered a mirror image of society in every time and place. They mirror that society, revealing its virtues and flaws, crystallizing its reality, and serving as a kind of graceful chronicle of that era.

Arab Women in General

The image of Arab women in general, and Muslim women in particular, in Arabic literature, has varied from one period to another, depending on the civilizational state the nation is experiencing, with periods of ups and downs. Women have been presented in Arabic literature in accordance with the cultural changes that affect each society. Sometimes they are presented as an inspiring source of love, passion, and compassion; sometimes as a symbol of beauty and civilization; and sometimes as a source of instinct and seduction in poetry and novels, and more recently in visual arts such as cinema and television drama.

Societal Perception of Women

This reflected the societal perception of women and their modern status after they abandoned their original civilizational role, which was to cease their life as a factory for producing men and spreading moral values ​​in societies. By fulfilling the mission God created for them, they emerged to compete with men in the labor market in the name of feminism and alleged equality, challenging men's roles and losing many of their natural qualities.

Women in Arabic Literature in the Times of the Nation's Prosperity

Islam and the Image of Women

Islam completely changed the image of women in Arabic literature, elevating them from a physical description to a moral one, especially during the periods of the nation's prosperity, which focused on the human being as a human being, encompassing both men and women. However, they remained an inspiration despite being the focus of literary interest and poetic creativity. Just as Islam changed the mental image of most of the values ​​that existed before it, so too did the attention given to the private aspects of women, who were objects of pleasure, instinct, and desire, to become mothers, wives, sisters, and women who may only be approached within the limits set by Islamic law. She is the free and protected woman.

The Era of the Prophet and the Rightly Guided Caliphs

This view of women crystallized during the era of the dawn of the Prophet and the Rightly Guided Caliphs. In subsequent eras, the view of women in Arabic literature was influenced to a small extent by the view of their counterparts in the conquered countries, but it was nevertheless influenced by them. Arabic literature, represented by poetry and poets, was directly and rapidly influenced, reconsidering women as successful physicians, literary poets, teachers, and jurists, significantly influencing cultural life. First: The Umayyad Era (1):

The Umayyad era (661-750 AD) was characterized by a period of great transformation from nomadic and tribal life to urbanization and civilizational construction. Women were a fundamental element in this civilizational construction and an integral part of the influential Arab identity. The image of women in Umayyad poetry was prevalent as the ideal lover. Some poets specifically dedicated themselves to women, such as Jamil Buthayna and Qays ibn al-Mulawwah, also known as Majnun Layla, who wrote about love and women in famous poems. Women reached the pinnacle of respect and appreciation in Arabic poetry when they became "mothers," especially the mothers of caliphs.

When Al-Akhtal praised Al-Walid ibn Abd al-Malik, he praised him by all of his grandmothers, pointing to their noble lineage, their noble families, and their origins:

If I were to mention Al-Walid, his lineage would be traced back to the best of descendants.

The women of Banu Ka'b and Banu Abs gave birth to him. Indeed, they were the best of those who brought him forth.

Some women expressed their grief in Arabic poetry during the Umayyad era, such as Al-Khansa', who composed poetry from the pre-Islamic era until the Umayyad dynasty, depicting feelings of grief and loss.

Second: The Abbasid Era (2):

During the Abbasid era (750-1258 AD), Baghdad was the capital of the Abbasid Caliphate. The status of women witnessed significant development, with a state of great cultural openness in poetry, music, and literature. Women played a significant role in the development of the literary movement, their presence equaling that of poets at the time. Women not only expressed themselves as women but also participated in public affairs that concerned only men. Their poetry was characterized by chastity and modesty, as they did not mention the name of the beloved nor reveal the secrets of their hearts except within the limits adhered to by Muslim society:

O he whose love I conceal, and I do not name him out of fear.

He did not know what I felt from his passion, nor did he know what I suffered for him.

Among those who wrote poetry during the Abbasid era was Rabia al-Adawiyya, whose poetry was characterized by divine love and Sufism. She was a poet, writer, and philosopher all at once. Women in the Abbasid era embodied passion and chaste love on the one hand, and a symbol of wisdom and philosophy on the other.

Third: The Image of Women in Modern and Contemporary Arabic Literature:

Women in modern and contemporary literature have been portrayed in a completely different light than they should be, and Islam has honored them. They have been portrayed in a complex, purely anthropomorphic light over the past ten years. This is evident in Arab dramas presented through cinema and television, where they are presented in a degrading light that falls far short of the reality they experience in our Arab and Islamic societies. Despite the significant deviation of these societies from the practical application of Islamic concepts regarding women, their rights, and their status, drama, and literature have transcended this deviation by far, slipping farther and farther from the truth.

Modern Culture

An example of the contradictory view of women in Arabic literature is Naguib Mahfouz’s literature, his view of women, and his presentation of them. Researcher Howayda Saleh says in her study (3): Naguib Mahfouz presented women in two images, with no third option: the image of the prostitute who earns a living with her body, and the image of the virtuous woman, despite her will, because she is subject to a male-dominated society that has oppressed her in virtue.

This is found in novels such as “New Cairo,” “The Thief and the Dogs,” “The Beginning and the End,” and “Midaq Alley.” As for the image of the virtuous woman, despite her will, who is oppressed by a male-dominated society, in novels such as “The Sugar Girl,” “Palace of Desire,” “Between the Two Palaces,” “Morning and Evening Talk,” and “Mirrors.” The researcher believes that Mahfouz deliberately exposed the patriarchal society that marginalizes, belittles, and demeans women. He either objectifies them, commodifies their bodies, and turns them into prostitutes against their will, forcing them to make a living off their bodies as a result of oppressive social conditions. He also believes that Mahfouz subjugates them under the weight of male guardianship, which renders women ineligible and in constant need of the protection and guardianship of a male-dominated society.

The researcher here does not defend Mahfouz's literature so much as she explains the circumstances that led him to present women in this image. He found women marginalized in a society that viewed them with contempt. He does not present his own vision of women but rather exposes the societal view of them through his various novels.

Fourth: The Image of Women in Islam:

Comparing the image presented by contemporary literature in novels and dramas presented to Muslims day and night with the status of women in Islamic law, we find a vast gap in the way they are viewed and employed. Islam has elevated the status of women, honored them, and made them sisters and equals to men. The Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, said: “Women are the twin halves of men” (Narrated by Abu Dawud). A young daughter is the joy of her father’s eye. By raising her well, she will be a reason for his entry into Paradise. By treating her well, he will be among the best of people. By being dutiful to her as a mother, he will attain the pleasure of God Almighty. God Almighty says: “And your Lord has decreed that you worship none but Him. And to parents, good treatment. Whether one or both of them reach old age [while] with you, do not say, ‘O Muhammad!’” {23} And lower to them the wing of humility out of mercy and say, "My Lord, have mercy upon them as they brought me up [when I was] small." (Al-Isra')

A man came to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him and his family) and said, "O Messenger of Allah, who among the people is most deserving of my good companionship?" He said, "Your mother." He said, "Then who?" He said, "Your mother." He said, "Then who?" He said, "Your mother." He said, "Then who?" He said: “Your father.” And so if she is an aunt, paternal aunt, or sister, then she has the right of kinship, the right of affection, mercy, and honor. And a woman has the same rights as men, as God Almighty says: “And women have rights similar to those of their husbands, according to what is equitable. But men have a degree over them. And God is Exalted in Might and Wise.” (Al-Baqarah: 228) One of the manifestations of honoring women is the command to wear the hijab, modesty, and cover-up. This prohibits strangers and strangers from intruding on their privacy. Women are too valuable to be mere objects for anyone to observe. They should not flaunt their beauty or mingle with non-mahrams. Another manifestation of honoring women in Islam is the obligation of their husbands to provide for them. They should not be forced to work to support themselves but rather have the right to full care. In Islam, women are chaste, and protected, with full rights and full capacity. They are neither commodities to be bought and sold, nor are they objects of men, as they are often portrayed in their literature and media.

____________________

(1) A study entitled "Women in Umayyad Poetry" by Dr. Fatima Tajoor, published on the Arab Writers Union Publications website (adapted).

(2) "Women's Literature in the Abbasid Era and Its Artistic Features" by Dr. Khaled Al-Halbouni, Professor of Arabic Language at the University of Damascus (adapted).

(3) A study entitled "The Image of the Arab Woman in the Literature of Naguib Mahfouz" (adapted).