1. Gender Relations in the Middle East Will they ever be equal? Chapter 6 & 7

5. Analysis Separated into clans that constantly fought amongst themselves due to the harsh Arabian environment, causing them to constantly move in search of food and water, both Bedouin women and men lived in an almost egalitarian society, each contributing to their group. Despite being just as significant to their clan as the men with similar opportunities, women could not become warriors. As Muhammad recited Allah’s words to the Bedouins, bringing the rivaling clans together under one roof, the prophet also stressed the importance of equality, for under Allah’s eyes, all of his followers were equal to one another, whether they were rich or poor, old or young, and even male or female. With Muhammad’s death came a fight for succession and as the Umayyad failed to rule the Muslims successfully, the Abbasids took their place. Bringing prosperity to the Middle East, the Abbasid rulers slowly got a taste of extravagance, causing them to isolate from the crowd to live in luxury without a care as to what was going on in their citizen’s lives. Due to their greed for riches and power, they also brought demoted women’s status, as they were forced to hide their face behind veils and live separately from everyone else in the harems, so as not to lure men. Apart from the rest, women weren’t allowed to go out as much, unless they were slaves, limiting their rights inside the house, serving men. Therefore, the wonderful life they lived during Muhammad’s time and the pre-Islamic era were simply just dreams that women were forced to wake up from and that was that.