Islamic Civilization Chapter 6-3

Islamic Society & Social Structure To be a Muslim is simply not to worship Allah but also to live ones life according to his teachings as revealed in the Quran When it comes to people all are equal in the eyes of Allah In reality this is not true as a social class system surely existed There was a fairly defined upper class that consisted of ruling families, senior officials, nomadic elites, & the wealthiest merchants At the bottom of the social structure were the slaves

Islamic Society & Social Structure Muslims themselves could not be slaves thus many of them came from Africa or non-Islamic populations elsewhere in Asia Many were captured in war Slaves often served in the army where they could earn their freedom & even come to exercise a great degree of power Many were domestic servants, especially women, & these were even allowed to purchase their freedom Islamic law made it clear that slaves should be treated fairly & that it was good to free them

The Role of Women The Quran guaranteed women spiritual & social equality with men The two were to be friends & protectors of each other Women even had the right to own property & were entitled to the fruits of their labor There were differences when it came to the family structure as the man was head of the family Every woman had a guardian & marriages were arranged by the family A male could have up to four wives, but most had only one as they had to pay a dowry or gift of money or property to their brides Women also had the right to freely enter into a marriage as well as the right of divorce under some circumstances