Leila Ahmed Knihy

A classic, pioneering account of the lives of women in Islamic history, republished for a new generation This pioneering study of the social and political lives of Muslim women has shaped a whole generation of scholarship. In it, Leila Ahmed explores the historical roots of contemporary debates, ambitiously surveying Islamic discourse on women from Arabia during the period in which Islam was founded to Iraq during the classical age to Egypt during the modern era. The book is now reissued as a Veritas paperback, with a new foreword by Kecia Ali situating the text in its scholarly context and explaining its enduring influence. “Ahmed’s book is a serious and independent-minded analysis of its subject, the best-informed, most sympathetic and reliable one that exists today.”—Edward W. Said “Destined to become a classic. . . . It gives [Muslim women] back our rightful place, at the center of our histories.”—Rana Kabbani, The Guardian

Tells the story of the veils' and headscarves' resurgence, from Egypt through Saudi Arabia and into the West, suggesting a portrait of contemporary Islam.

The narrative explores an Egyptian woman's journey through her childhood in Cairo amidst significant historical shifts, such as the end of British colonialism and the rise of Arab nationalism. Vivid descriptions capture the beauty of her homeland while reflecting on her evolution into a feminist in America. Ahmed's personal experiences intertwine with the broader socio-political changes in Egypt, making her reflections on identity and culture both moving and relevant, especially in light of the contemporary upheavals during the Arab Spring.