Introduction
“My World of the Unknown” is a story written by Alifa Rifaat, which focuses on a woman exploring her sexuality. The distinct feature of this story, as well as other Rifaat’s writings, is the fact that the author does not oppose the Muslim traditions of marriage and patriarchy. Instead, she focuses on the issues that arise as a lack of men’s understanding and adherence to Muslim rules. Additionally, Rifaat challenges the Western perception of Islamic women as submissive and victims, outlining a different point of view in her works. This paper aims to explore the background information about Rifaat and examine the challenges that this story presents for a reader.
Background Information about Alifa Rifaat
Some background information about the author will be explored in this paragraph, which will help understand the context of “My World of the Unknown” better. Alifa Rifaat’s real name was Fatimah Rifaat, and she was an Egyptian author. According to Al-Tahawy, the main themes that Rifaat chose to write about were female sexuality and relationships, which are controversial topics, even today (p. 50). Western readers interested in Rifaat’s story should also understand the social and cultural background that Rifaat lived in because Egypt is a religious country adhering to Muslim standards. A prominent example is the first story written by this author when she was a child, which revolved around the issues of rural life in Egypt (Al-Tahawy, p. 50). Her family shamed Rifaat because she wrote about the difficulties she saw. This example provides an understanding of the fact that Rifaat lived in conditions that made it very difficult for her to express her opinions, especially on the topics of gender and relationships.
Western readers should understand that the social conditions did not allow Rafaar to publish her work freely. To make sense of the story, one should understand the role of women in Muslim cultures. According to the Oxford Islamic Studies Online, from a religious viewpoint, both women and men have equal moral rights, although the former have limited access to some aspects of daily life (“Women”). However, the shifts in the cultural and political life of the Muslim states altered the role of women over the centuries. Before Islam became a widespread religion in the Arab countries, women were regarded as property belonging to a man (“Women”). Therefore, polygamy was not obligatory, and married women did not have financial security or social support to live on their own. As is evident from this description and Rifaat’s story, Islamic women are not oppressed as an outcome of their religious beliefs. However, some issues connected to seeing females as equals to men within the society exist because of misinterpretation of lack of understanding of the Quoran.
My World of the Unknown
The primary theme of Rifaat’s writings, as well as her main aim, was not to depict men as evil. Instead, she pointed out the issues that arise as a result of the patriarchal system’s development where men do not adhere to the standards of behavior connected to adequately treating women (Al-Tahawy, p. 51). Her most well-known story, “My World of the Unknown,” challenges the idea that female sexuality is dangerous. Soleman summarizes this story as a depiction of “latent female sexuality and unsatisfied desires of the Egyptian Muslim woman living in the mid 20th century.” Rifaat aims to acknowledge female sexuality in the context of Islamic cultures.
The plot of Raffat’s story depicts a married woman who moves into a new house with her husband. There, she meets a djinni, and through the mutual interactions, the woman learns to find pleasure in her relationship with her husband. Notably, this theme challenges the Westerner’s understanding of Islamic women, since Rifaat portrays their search into exploring their sexuality. From a Westerner’s perspective and understanding of the Muslim culture, this theme may be considered forbidden. However, Rifaat describes her feelings towards this topic in the following manner – “when entering the work of my love, … no one around me would be aware of what was happening to me” (p. 61). These lines suggest the author’s view of autonomy or a woman’s need to explore and learn about womanhood on her own.
Therefore, there are several challenges that Rifaat possesses to the readers of this story. Firstly, she describes a woman’s exploration of her sexuality. Secondly, she showcases the relationship of a married couple, without a reference for any relationships outside the marriage. By doing so, Rifaat shows her support for the traditional religious values of her culture. Finally, Rifaat shows a woman’s role in an Islamic family, as can be seen in the episode where she chooses to postpone looking at governmental housing and instead see a house she liked. This showcases that women have an important role in family life within the Muslim culture. However, this story also suggests that society has to be more accepting of women exploring their freedom and womanhood.
Rifaat’s story shows the differences and similarities between Western and Eastern cultures and societies. Arguably, this story dramatized the relationship between the East and the West in the interconnected world because it highlights the inconsistencies in Westerners’ perception of Islamic women. Themes such as women’s rights and polygamy in relationships are important for the Eastern countries, as highlighted by Rifaat’s work. Rifaat contrasts the feelings of the woman subjected to shame by society with the emotional freedom she gains upon embracing her femininity.
“My World of the Unknown” challenges the view of women and sexuality that are present in the Muslim culture. The spirit of djin that the woman encountered serves as a symbol, describing the autonomy she has when exploring her sexuality. The fact that in the story, the djin appears in the form of the snake, is also an important reference to the shame that women are subjected to in society. In different religions, snakes are vicious creatures that persuade humans to commit sins. By using the snake in this story as the main element of the woman’s journey, the author refers to the shaming of sexuality that is usually present in society. Therefore, Rifaat’s story depicts the common problems that women in the East and West face when fighting for their independence.
Conclusion
Overall, this paper explored the story “My World of the Unknown” by Alifa Rifaat. The authors focus on the dynamic of relationships in a patriarchic society that presents an interesting outlook on a women’s role. The main objective of Rifaat’s writing is to present her view of women in the context of traditional Islamic roles, which may be a challenge for Western readers to understand. The independence of women in regards to their sexuality is the central theme of Rifaat’s story.
References
- Al-Tahawy, Miral. “Women’s Writing in the Land of Prohibitions: A Study of Alifa Raafat and Female Body Protest as a Tool for Rebellion.” Gender and Sexuality in Muslim Cultures, edited by Gul Ozyegin, CRC Press, 2016, pp. 50-67.
- Rifaat, Alifa. Distant View of a Minaret: And Other Stories. Waveland Press, 2014.
- Soliman, Alia. “Writing women’s desires and domestic lives in 20th century Egypt.” Dangerous Women Project. Web.
- “Women.” Oxford Islamic Studies Online. Web.