It consists of clear-cut guidelines and regulations that aim to establish a balanced and harmonious society. Islam was very clear concerning women; it gave them their full rights and never considered them as inferior to men. According to Smock and Youssef, "The introduction of Islam undoubtedly compromises the single most important determinant molding the character of Egyptian culture and as such had a profound effect on the status of women"(35). Although Egypt and the whole Arab world are Islamic countries, Arab women are still denied some of their rights, and are still treated as the "weak sex" that needs to be supported and guided by men. Fatima Mernissi, the well-known Moroccan writer, states that, "If women's rights are a problem for some modern Muslim men, it is neither because of the Koran nor the Prophet, nor the Islamic tradition, but simply because those rights conflict with the interests of the male elite" (ix). .
In ancient civilizations, such as the Scandinavian and Roman civilizations, women were mistreated, taken lightly, and didn't exercise any and. A woman didn't have any civil rights, her approval in marriage wasn't necessary, and she was treated like the purchased property of her parents or husband (Badawi 7). Badawi points out that, "In the midst of the darkness that engulfed the world, the divine revelation echoed in the wide desert of Arabia with a fresh, noble, and universal message to humanity"(11): Islam. .
Islam honors women and places them highly. Smock and Youssef state, "Islam, as an integral religion, formulates a total pattern for living rather than focusing primarily on theology. Hence Mohammed was concerned with the role of women" (37). Islam gives women specific rights, as well as duties and responsibilities. It doesn't differentiate between man and woman; all people are equal and are judged according to their actions and deeds, not according to their sex.
