Islam and Women in Precolonial Southeast Asia

Abstract

In Southeast Asia the available sources for Muslim history prior to the nineteenth century leave many questions unanswered, but it is still possible to show that men and women experienced the spread of Islam differently. Although generalizations are always problematic, this chapter argues that women played a significant role in Islam’s localization, helping to ground the family as the foundation for an Islamizing state. The adaptability of indigenous traditions and practices enabled Islam to become absorbed into a variety of community identities, and provided mothers, wives, and daughters a place in popular memory. Historical evidence may point to recurring tensions that reduced women’s public space and constrained religious leadership, but Islam also opened the doors to a wider world and created new opportunities for spiritual advancement. The expansion of popular history in Southeast Asia has generated greater interest in the histories of women and has ensured that an appreciation of their contribution to Islam’s global story will continue to grow.