The Concept of a Religiously Ideal Muslim Woman in Two Treatises on the Customs of Bosnian Muslims

Abstract

The main aim of this article is to examine the construction of a religiously ideal Muslim woman as presented in two sources documenting Bosnian Muslim (Bosniak) customs. The concept of a religiously ideal Muslim woman adopted in this article is based on recent theoretical studies in mainstream Sunnism, which can be arranged into three thematic areas: (i) the nature of female sexuality; (ii) gender segregation and veiling; and (iii) husband-wife dynamics and corresponding gender roles and norms. This article argues that the concept of a religiously ideal Bosnian Muslim woman in the two selected sources strongly reflects the ideal presented in mainstream Sunnism, which are premised upon beliefs that women embody an aggressive socio-morally corrupting sexuality, that upholding strict segregation and veiling is vital, and that husbands hold the locus of authority and control over their wives.