DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.49271#0192
130
C. G. and B. Z. Seligman
their presence. His wife’s mother makes a payment to him, after which he may eat in
her house. He does not avoid his father-in-law. The relations between a woman and
her husband’s mother are the same as before. We never heard of any avoidance between
a man and his wife’s sister, and in some places we were definitely told that this did not
exist.
V. The position of women. Notwithstanding the inferior place assigned to
women by Islam, the easy and frequent divorce, and the small part allotted to them
in inheritance, the position of the Kababish women is far from servile,39 nor did the
women themselves consider that they had any cause for complaint.
In the rich Nurab section, Arab women were never seen at heavy work or tending the
cattle, though all women, whatever their rank, know how to spin and weave; but among
those sections who do not possess many negro slaves, such as the Abu Shaya (muhana
of the Sheykh), fair-skinned Arab girls were seen bare to the waist grinding corn. So too
the women of the important Berara section, who have few slaves, draw water, grind dura,
go out to tend the cows and make butter. Women never herd the camels, as camel’s milk
is said not to agree with women though it constitutes the chief food of the herdsmen.
The high position of married women is possibly due to the respect in which the wife’s
father is held by the husband, who is ibn 'amm to the former. But though we make
this suggestion we do not wish to infer that the respect due to the father-in-law depends
on his relationship to the father; it is far more probable that the respect in which the 'amm
is held is due, not to the fact that he is the father’s brother, but that he is the potential
father-in-law. The father and 'amm habitually dwell in the same ferik, and the actual
proximity of the wife’s relatives has doubtless strengthened the position of married women.
The following incident illustrates the consideration shown to women. On our arrival
at the Kababish ferik Muhammad had erected for us two large tents, all the mats of which
they were composed being in excellent repair. Later we learned that one of these tents
belonged to his favourite wife, the lady Sakina, who had gone on a pilgrimage.40 When
news came that the lady Sakina was on her way home Muhammad came to us and asked
whether we would mind shifting into a rather smaller tent, and his eagerness to take down
this tent, and to reerect it for the lady Sakina was interesting to watch. It was clearly
out of the question to put up any other tent for his wife but her own, and he owned frankly
that if it were not prepared for her on her arrival, he feared she might be offended, and go
39 Though far too polite to say so outright the Kababish considered that no free Arab woman would be so badly
treated as they believed me to be. I had no female attendants, wore no jewelry, and had no grease for my hair or
for massage of the body; moreover, I had been obliged to leave my children and travel for many weeks without being
provided with a litter. Certainly no KabbAshi would treat his first wife with such scant respect. B. Z. S.
40 Cf., p. 154.
C. G. and B. Z. Seligman
their presence. His wife’s mother makes a payment to him, after which he may eat in
her house. He does not avoid his father-in-law. The relations between a woman and
her husband’s mother are the same as before. We never heard of any avoidance between
a man and his wife’s sister, and in some places we were definitely told that this did not
exist.
V. The position of women. Notwithstanding the inferior place assigned to
women by Islam, the easy and frequent divorce, and the small part allotted to them
in inheritance, the position of the Kababish women is far from servile,39 nor did the
women themselves consider that they had any cause for complaint.
In the rich Nurab section, Arab women were never seen at heavy work or tending the
cattle, though all women, whatever their rank, know how to spin and weave; but among
those sections who do not possess many negro slaves, such as the Abu Shaya (muhana
of the Sheykh), fair-skinned Arab girls were seen bare to the waist grinding corn. So too
the women of the important Berara section, who have few slaves, draw water, grind dura,
go out to tend the cows and make butter. Women never herd the camels, as camel’s milk
is said not to agree with women though it constitutes the chief food of the herdsmen.
The high position of married women is possibly due to the respect in which the wife’s
father is held by the husband, who is ibn 'amm to the former. But though we make
this suggestion we do not wish to infer that the respect due to the father-in-law depends
on his relationship to the father; it is far more probable that the respect in which the 'amm
is held is due, not to the fact that he is the father’s brother, but that he is the potential
father-in-law. The father and 'amm habitually dwell in the same ferik, and the actual
proximity of the wife’s relatives has doubtless strengthened the position of married women.
The following incident illustrates the consideration shown to women. On our arrival
at the Kababish ferik Muhammad had erected for us two large tents, all the mats of which
they were composed being in excellent repair. Later we learned that one of these tents
belonged to his favourite wife, the lady Sakina, who had gone on a pilgrimage.40 When
news came that the lady Sakina was on her way home Muhammad came to us and asked
whether we would mind shifting into a rather smaller tent, and his eagerness to take down
this tent, and to reerect it for the lady Sakina was interesting to watch. It was clearly
out of the question to put up any other tent for his wife but her own, and he owned frankly
that if it were not prepared for her on her arrival, he feared she might be offended, and go
39 Though far too polite to say so outright the Kababish considered that no free Arab woman would be so badly
treated as they believed me to be. I had no female attendants, wore no jewelry, and had no grease for my hair or
for massage of the body; moreover, I had been obliged to leave my children and travel for many weeks without being
provided with a litter. Certainly no KabbAshi would treat his first wife with such scant respect. B. Z. S.
40 Cf., p. 154.