This exceptional and thorough study is of interest to everyone, as it deals with a primal and universal relationship. It is also an important work for Muslim women, their children, and scholars with a particular interest in the status of women in Islam.
 
 
Dr. Aliah Schleifer relies on the basic sources of Islam -- the Qur'an, Hadith, and Fiqh, as well as numerous original Arabic sources. Use is made of , or commentary, of Al Tabari, Al Qurtubi, and Ibn Kathir, thus providing an overview of classical exegeses which include fiqh representing the schools of opinion existing at that time and juridical rulings.
 
Hadith concerning motherhood in Islam central to the book and emphasis is given to the Sahihain of al-Bukhari and Muslim. Great care was taken with checking the authenticity and accuracy of all the hadith. Generally, more has been written about the contemporary Muslim woman and society, often contrasting her life with that of Western women, rather than investigation made of the formal Islamic bases of her status. This work is recommended by Al-Azhar University in Cairo.