Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Customs & Ceremonies
You don't have to stay in the Arabian Peninsula for long to notice the presence of a 'third
party' in all human interaction. Every official occasion begins with a reading from the Holy
Quran. A task at work begins with an entreaty for God's help. The words
al-hamdu lillah
(thanks be to God) frequently lace sentences in which good things are related. Equally, the
words
insha'allah
(God willing) mark all sentences that anticipate the future. These expres-
sions are not merely linguistic decoration, they evidence a deep connection between society
and faith.
For most Muslims, in other words, Islam is not just a religion, it's a way of life. It sug-
gests what a Muslim should wear and what a Muslim should eat. It directs how income
should be spent, who should inherit, and what amount. It guides behaviour and suggests
punishment for transgression. Few other religions are as all-encompassing. Sometimes it is
hard for Western observers to understand the part played by religion - in marriage and the
role of women in particular - but looked at from an Arab perspective it is hard to see why
some of the traditional Peninsula practices win such opprobrium from non-Islamic com-
mentators, especially when placed in a historical context.
Turkey is the only Muslim country that has formally separated the religious sphere from the secular
sphere.
Marriage
It is true that a Muslim man is permitted by Islam to have up to four wives (but a woman
may have only one husband). As with many things within Islam, however, this came about
through consideration of a particular historical context where women were left without a
provider through war, natural disasters or divorce. Uniquely, it allows a 'certain latitude of
nature' on behalf of men within the framework of the law, but holds men responsible for
their actions.
Both the man and the woman must enter the marriage freely or else it is invalid.
Role of Women
Islam regards women, whether single or married, as individuals in their own right, with the
right to own property and earnings without anyone dictating how they dispose of that in-
come. A marriage dowry is given by the groom to the bride for the woman's personal use
and she keeps her own name in marriage.
