During a discussion in my “CPRL 373 Women in Islam” class, students were
baffled by Abu Hamid al-Ghazali’s (d. 1111) candid discussion of sex in his
Iḥyā’ ‘Ulūm al-Dīn.1 I was not surprised, because many assumptions are taken
for granted about medieval Muslim scholars due to their religious and sectarian
reputations, cultural environments, and eras. However, without highlighting
any sexual discourse or showering praises, this editorial only introduces
Ibn al-Jawzi and his Aḥkām al-Nisā’.
American Journal of Islamic Social Sciences