Bent Rib – A Journey Through Women’s Issues

About Bent Rib by Huda Khattab

Bent Rib – A Journey Through Women’s Issues in Islam by Huda Khattab, published by the International Islamic Publishing House (IIPH), looks honestly at the problems many Muslim women face and asks a simple question: do these problems come from Islam, or from cultural practices that have nothing to do with it? Bent Rib takes up the issues that critics of Islam raise most often and shows that the teachings of the Qur’an and the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ protect women, while many harmful customs found in Muslim communities go against those teachings. Written in English, it is a balanced and readable book for women and men alike.

Why the title Bent Rib?

The title comes from a well-known hadith, recorded in Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim, in which Prophet Muhammad ﷺ compared woman to a rib and told men that trying to force a rib straight would only break it, so they should treat women kindly. Some people quote these words as if they were an insult to women. Huda Khattab shows the opposite: the hadith is a command to men to accept women as Allah created them, and to deal with them with respect, patience and compassion, not harshness. That reading sets the tone for the whole book.

What Bent Rib covers

• Domestic violence, and why abuse has no place in an Islamic marriage
• Polygamy: what Islam permits, the conditions it sets, and how it is misused
• Divorce and the rights of women within it
• Female genital mutilation, a cultural practice that the author examines in the light of Islamic teaching
• The failure to educate women and girls, despite the importance Islam gives to knowledge
• The gap between Islamic teachings and customs that have entered Muslim societies

The central message is clear: the problem is not Islam itself but un-Islamic practices that have taken root in many communities. The IIPH edition is described by its publisher as revised, with updated information and discussion of more recent developments and their effect on Muslim women and their societies.

About the author, Huda Khattab

Huda Khattab is a British-born Muslim writer who embraced Islam while studying Arabic at university. She holds a BA (Hons) in Arabic from SOAS, University of London, and has written several books and translated works from Arabic into English. She is also the author of The Muslim Woman’s Handbook, a practical guide that many sisters have used. Her knowledge of Arabic sources and her experience of Muslim life in the West help her speak clearly to readers who want to separate faith from culture.

Why Bent Rib matters today

Muslim women are often told, sometimes by critics of Islam and sometimes by people within their own communities, that their faith keeps them down. Bent Rib answers that claim with evidence rather than slogans. It reminds readers that Allah Almighty gave women rights in marriage, in property, in education and in worship, and that the Prophet ﷺ was the kindest of men to his family. When a reader understands this, harmful customs lose their false religious cover, and families can return to the mercy and justice that Islam teaches.

Who should read Bent Rib

• Muslim women who want clear answers about their rights in Islam
• Husbands, fathers and brothers who want to treat the women of their family as Islam requires
• Young people preparing for marriage
• Students, teachers and counsellors dealing with family and social issues
• Non-Muslims and new Muslims who have questions about women in Islam
• Organisers of study circles and reading groups

How to benefit from the book

Read one chapter at a time and discuss it, with your spouse, your family or a study circle. Note the verses and hadith the author refers to, and where you need more detail on a ruling, ask a trustworthy scholar, since every family’s situation is different. Look honestly at your own home and community: are there customs that go against what you have read? Choose one thing to change, gently and wisely. Keep the tone of the discussion respectful, and keep sending salawat upon Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, whose own example is the best guide to family life.

Edition details

Title: Bent Rib – A Journey Through Women’s Issues in Islam. Author: Huda Khattab. Publisher: International Islamic Publishing House (IIPH). Language: English. Size: 14 x 21 cm. For the page count, year and binding of the copy in stock, please message us on WhatsApp at 9906523492. Same-day dispatch from Srinagar, with delivery in about 1 day in Srinagar and 3 to 10 days across the rest of India.

Frequently asked questions

Who wrote Bent Rib? Huda Khattab, a British-born writer with a degree in Arabic from SOAS, University of London.

Who publishes it? The International Islamic Publishing House (IIPH).

Is the title disrespectful to women? No. It comes from a hadith that commands men to treat women kindly, and the book explains this in detail.

Is it only for women? No. It is equally useful for men, especially husbands and fathers.

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