Early social changes under Islam

Many social changes took place under Islam between 610 and 661, including the period of Muhammad's mission and the rule of his immediate successor(s) who established the Rashidun Caliphate.

A number of historians stated that changes in areas such as social security, family structure, slavery and the rights of women improved on what was present in existing Arab society.^[1]^[2]^[3]^[4]^[5]^[6] For example, according to Bernard Lewis, Islam "from the first denounced aristocratic privilege, rejected hierarchy, and adopted a formula of the career open to the talents".^[1]^[7]

According to a minority of scholars historical evidence shows that pre-Islamic Arabia already contained many of the same supposedly progressive customs in women rights that scholars like Lewis attribute to Islam. For example based on a recent study of pre-Islamic Qasida in modern light, a woman in Jahiliya (pre-Islamic) period wielded a high level of autonomy; she had a maximum freedom to choose a partner and had also the right to abrogate the relationship without any hindrance or obstacle. ^[8]

^ ^a ^b Lewis, Bernard (1998-01-21). "Islamic Revolution". The New York Review of Books.
^ Watt (1974), p.234^{[incomplete short citation]}
^ Robinson (2004) p.21^{[incomplete short citation]}
^ Esposito (1998), p. 98^{[incomplete short citation]}
^ "Ak̲h̲lāḳ", Encyclopaedia of Islam Online
^ Cite error: The named reference Nancy was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ Leila Ahmed, Women and the Advent of Islam, Signs: Journal of Women in Culture and Society, Vol. 11, No. 4, pp. 665-691
^ "Yakubu Zahrrah Kamaldeen, The Image of Woman in pre-Islamic Qasida: Mu'allaqat Poetry as Case Study, American University in Cairo, 2012 (Conclusion and findings, p. 89)". Retrieved 20 June 2023.

[LewisNYRB-1] Lewis, Bernard (1998-01-21). "Islamic Revolution". The New York Review of Books.

[2] Watt (1974), p.234^{[incomplete short citation]}

[3] Robinson (2004) p.21^{[incomplete short citation]}

[4] Esposito (1998), p. 98^{[incomplete short citation]}

[5] "Ak̲h̲lāḳ", Encyclopaedia of Islam Online

[Nancy-6] Cite error: The named reference Nancy was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[ahmed-7] Leila Ahmed, Women and the Advent of Islam, Signs: Journal of Women in Culture and Society, Vol. 11, No. 4, pp. 665-691

[8] "Yakubu Zahrrah Kamaldeen, The Image of Woman in pre-Islamic Qasida: Mu'allaqat Poetry as Case Study, American University in Cairo, 2012 (Conclusion and findings, p. 89)". Retrieved 20 June 2023.

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