"The role of women in Islam is a growing area of study and this collection, drawing on the Sahih of al-Bukhari, fulfills the need for a definitive resource which gathers together all the significant source material on the subject and presents it in an accessible way. Comprehensively indexed, the topics covered include hygiene, divorce, marriage, sex and chastity, inheritance, and status and rights.". "Extensive notes help explain the cultural background of the first Muslims, including short biographies of the women of the Prophet Muhammad's household. All this draws a vivid picture of the times in which they lived - at the same time revealing an intimate portrait of the Prophet himself - while reinforcing the central position of women in the Revelation of Islam and its subsequent development up to today."--BOOK JACKET.