Wives and Work

Karen Bauer, author of Gender Hierarchy in the Qur’an: Medieval Interpretations, Modern Responses:
This groundbreaking book makes a significant contribution to the already-rich field of medieval Islamic ethics and law; moreover, Katz's nuanced approach to the many valences of domestic labor has important implications for our understanding of medieval Islamic piety, particularly how pious norms are shaped by class, gender, and social status.

Kecia Ali, author of Marriage and Slavery in Early Islam:
Written by one of the best Islamic studies scholars working today, this is a clear, well-organized, amply documented, and nuanced account of how Muslim jurists dealt with the question of wives' domestic responsibilities, illustrating brilliantly that jurisprudence was only one among many authoritative 'religious' discourses.