Matrilineal, Matriarchal, and Matrifocal Islam The World of Women-Centric Islam

Around the world, Islamic cultures have developed distinctive matrilineal, matrifocal, matrilocal, or matriarchal natures as a result of how they have been practised by integrated and indigenised Muslim communities. In matrilineal descent systems, in contrast to the more common mosaic of patrilineal patterns, children belong to the mother’s ancestry group. Matrilineal Muslims therefore follow a social system in which people are identified with their mother's lineage, and the inheritance of property as well as succession are transferred through the matriline. This volume focuses on matrilineal, matrifocal and matriarchal Muslims and their unique folk natures, integrated social structures, adopted legal systems, and so on. It provides a unique perspective for understanding global Muslim communities that have succeeded in integrating the matrilineal tenets of local practices with religion, adhering to essential Islamic values in a way that makes traditional women-centred cultures acceptable to mainstream Islam.

Part I South and Southeast Asia.- Matrifocal, Matrilineal, or Matriarchal? Cultural Resilience and Vulnerability Among the Matrilineal and Muslim Minangkabau in Indonesia.- Adat Perpatih in Malaysia: Nature, History, Practice, and Contemporary Issues.- Cultural and Social Integrations in Matrilineal, Matriarchal, Matrifocal Muslim Communities of South India.- Part II Northeast Asia.- Affective Matrivocality and Women’s Voices: A History of Muslim Women Writers in China.- Matriarchal Family Structure in Korea’s Jeju Island and its

Abbas Panakkal, The School of History, University of St Andrews, United Kingdom.  

Nasr M Arif, Visiting Professor, University of St Andrews, UK and Professor of political science,  University  of Cairo, Egypt.