The invisible mother: notes on the medieval Islamic (under)representation of motherhood

When considered under a comparative perspective, Arabic medieval sources pertaining to adab as well as to “canonical” texts of Sunni Islam appear to be silent on mothers. While images of motherhood are a frequent feature in European medieval literatures, being rooted in the pervasive model of Mary, mother of Christ, in Arabic literature images of motherhood appear to be endowed with a lesser poetic and symbolic strength, suggesting a different structuring of the discourse on motherhood. The article focuses on this issue examining the representation of motherhood through three key figures (Āmina, Ḫadīǧa and ‘Ā’iša) in the life of the Prophet Muḥammad (part one). The article argues, on the contrary, that the category of motherhood, and its literary representations, underwent a radical shift in modern Arab culture resulting in the increased emphasis on maternal role in the public space and in the literary production (part two). This ran parallel to the progressive feminisation of the image of the burgeoning national states, well represented by the literary, as well as political, motifs of the nation as a mother who calls for extreme sacrifice, a well-established poetical topos challenged in recent years in many works authored by women.