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The Scimitar and the Veil: Extraordinary Women of Islam

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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.

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.

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.

After reading The Scimitar and the Veil: Extraordinary Women of Islam, I feel that my knowledge of the world has been expanded. It is important for women to understand the mythologies and histories of women of other cultures, especially in a time when cultures are clashing and misunderstanding each other more than ever. I want to thank Jennifer Heath for opening my eyes and for helping me to learn about the world of women, of which I am a part. A great read. I will be looking for more books from this writer in future.

The Scimitar And The Veil: Extraordinary Women Of Islam by author and journalist Jennifer Heath introduces American readers to women who are historically significant in the development of Islam as one of the great world religions. Beginning with his widowed mother, a female slave who tended him in childhood, and the Bedouin woman who fostered him; to his marriage to Khadija (a wealthy businesswoman from Mecca), to his four daughters, and Umm Salamah (one of his later wives upon whom he relied for military and political advice), to Aisha, another of his wives in whose presence he experienced revelations, women played import-ant, influential roles in the life of the Prophet Muhammad. The Scimitar And The Veil is a popular history and survey of fifty Muslim women and their contributions ranging from the very birth of Islam in the 7th Century CE to the 19th Century CE. These women numbered queens, poets, musicians, storytellers, mystics, and saints among their ranks. No personal study of Islam or academic library Islamic Studies collection can be considered either complete or comprehensive without the prominent inclusion of Jennifer Heath's The Scimitar And The Veil.

I was so excited to see this book and the positive review by Alex Kroenmer. I thought " Here's a book that was thoroughly researched." I was wrong. This book is definitely part fiction, since the writer expresses her characters thoughts and conversations.Except for the accurate hadiths and the Qur'an, no one really knows what these women thought or said. No educated Islamic scholar could write this way. Jennifer Heath is far from one. She admits this from the beginning, but writes ignorantly on.
YES, the women that Jennifer Heath wrote about DID exist and YES, the things they accomplished were beyond compare, but she never properly studied Islam. Her sources were not even Muslim scholars, such as Al-Bukhari. A good scholar would have AT LEAST quoted him. The author gleaned her information from people who have also written about their opinionated versions of Islam and Muslim women, and regurgitated it up in her own style.
If you truly want to know about accurately depicted women in Islam, then you should start with the Qur'an under the tutelege of a scholar like Shaikh Hamza Yusuf. Then move on to Sahih Bukhari. There are millions more but lastly i would like to mention the recently translated biographical dictionary of women in Islam by Aisha Bewley.