A Review of the Characteristics of Women at the Period of Ignorance (Jāheliyah)

The status of the Arab women before Islam has always been considered as the lowest one; since, men considered them void of perfect intellect and deprived them from numerous rights (including the rights of ownership, inheritance, domination of dowry and other properties).Furthermore, being deprived from acquisition of knowledge and skills of the time and not being properly dressed in the society are believed to be among the other conditions for women. However, through a more profound study about the above mentioned issues and consulting various historical and tradition sources and a multi-facet analysis of the narrations and quotations from the scholars, it can be implied that the women's right of ownership, domination of properties, enjoying appropriate clothing, making efforts to acquire knowledge, and enjoying equal rights as with men had probably been somehow approved. Although, one can not deny proportional prevalence of issues such as not wearing hijab, bedizenment by some women, the belief in women's having deficient intellect, and considering them seditious and wicked.