The Scimitar and the Veil: Extraordinary Women of Islam [Hardcover]

Jennifer Heath (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 2004

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, The Scimitar and the Veil is written in a poetic, sometimes humorous, energetic and contemporary style that will appeal to a broad range of readers.

Muhammad was born to a widowed mother, tended by a slave woman, and fostered by a Bedouin woman. His marriage to Khadija, a wealthy businesswoman from Mecca was long, fruitful, and faithful. She was the first to convert to Islam.

From Barakah, Muhammad's surrogate mother, and Fatima, his cherished daughter, to the Sufi mystic Rabi'a, The Scimitar and the Veil is the first popular history and overview of Muslim women and their great accomplishments. While there are other books about women in Islam, The Scimitar and the Veil is the most comprehensive and written in a style meant to appeal to a general audience.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Jennifer Heath smashes the stereotype that Muslim women only exist as second class citizens. -- Alex Kronemer, producer of the PBS documentary Muhammad: Legacy of a Prophet

The Scimitar & the Veil takes the reader, Muslim and non-Muslim alike, into mind-expanding territory. -- Michael Wolfe, author of Taking Back Islam: American Muslims Reclaim Their Faith

The Scimitar and the Veil is a delightful read! -- Daisy Khan, Executive Director, ASMA Society (American Sufi Muslim Association)

About the Author

Jennifer Heath is the author of The Echoing Green: The Garden in Myth and Memory (Penguin, 2000), On The Edge of Dream: The Women of Celtic Myth and Legend (Penguin 1998), Black Velvet: The Art We Love to Hate (Pomegranate 1994) and A House White With Sorrow: A Ballad for Afghanistan, a novel published by Rodent Press in 1996 and reissued as an illustrated "novel in newspaper form" by Baksun Books in 2002. She is an activist for social justice and an award-winning arts journalist, who worked in newspapers and radio for more than two decades.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 496 pages
• Publisher: HiddenSpring (May 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1587680203
• ISBN-13: 978-1587680205
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,152,956 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Behind the Sacred Veil, September 12, 2006

By 

N. Hill (Portland, OR) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Scimitar and the Veil: Extraordinary Women of Islam (Hardcover)

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.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Illuminating half-truths, October 10, 2006

By 

Quazi Mohammed Faiz (Saudi Arabia) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Scimitar and the Veil: Extraordinary Women of Islam (Hardcover)

This book, which is at times captivating and at times boring, is somewhat misleading in its portrayal of Muslim ladies of yore. This is because it mixes historical facts with romantic legends and it is difficult to realise where fact ends and fiction begins. It also suffers from lack of an index. However, it has to be admitted that the efforts of the author to dispel the myth of the enslaved Muslim woman are commendable.
Inevitably, as common with a work of this magnitude, some blunders have been made. For example, she says that the Grandson of the Prophet Muhammad (upon whom be peace) was "done in" by Muawiyah. This is wrong because he was not killed by Muawiyah,who was himself dead by that time, but by Obaidullah, one of the commanders of his son Yazid.
One false sentence in this book which shocked and pained me was the undoubtedly malicious assertion of the author that since the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) liked grape and date juices, he and his companions were drinking them in their fermented forms and were therefore partaking alcohol.
On the whole I do not recommend this book to any one who does not already possess a prior knowledge of Islam from other more reliable sources.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Unveiling the Mystery, September 20, 2006

By 

B. Wilder (Santa Fe, New Mexico) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Scimitar and the Veil: Extraordinary Women of Islam (Hardcover)

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.