Question

Question 8 refers to the source below.

These people are Muslims, very careful in observing the correct hours of prayer, studying books
of law, and memorizing the Koran... Yet another great strength is their commitment to learning
the Koran by heart. They put their children in chains if they show any backwardness in
memorizing it, and they are not set free until they have it by heart.
Yet their women show no shame before men and do not cover themselves, though they are
careful in attending the prayers. Any man who wishes to marry one of them may do so, but they
do not travel with their husbands, and even if one desired to do so her family would not allow her
to go. The women there have "friends" and "companions" amongst the men outside their own
families, and the men in the same way have "companions" amongst the women of other families.
A man may go into his house and find his wife entertaining her "companion" but he takes no
objection to it. One day at Iwalatan I went into the judge's house and found with him a young
woman of remarkable beauty. When I saw her I was shocked and turned to go out, but she
laughed at me, instead of being overcome by shame, and the judge said to me, "Why are you
going out? She is my companion." I was amazed at their behavior, for he was an important
religious authority.
Source: Excerpt from the diary of Ibn Batutta. Ibn Battuta was a Muslim explorer from the
Middle East. In the excerpt above, he describes his visit to West Africa in 1349-1350 CE.
8. Which of the following best represents the main idea of the passage above?
A) Ibn Battuta is impressed with West Africans' commitment to Islam.
B) Ibn Battuta admires the West Africans for their commitment to Islam but does not
approve of how their women behave.
C) Ibn Battuta is fascinated by how West African Muslims differ from Middle Eastern
Muslims.
D) Ibn Battuta is shocked and disappointed with the intense methods used by West African
Muslims to teach Islam to their children.

Answer 1

The main idea is that Ibn Battuta admires the West African Muslim's religious commitment but disapproves of their social customs concerning women's behavior, which is best represented by option B.

Step-by-step explanation:

The main idea of the passage from Ibn Battuta's diary, which captures his observations during his visit to West Africa in 1349-1350 CE, is best represented by option B, which states: Ibn Battuta admires the West Africans for their commitment to Islam but does not approve of how their women behave.

While Ibn Battuta discusses the religious zeal of the Muslim community in regard to prayer and learning the Koran, he contrasts this with his surprise and disapproval of the social customs related to women's behavior, particularly their interactions with men and lack of modesty as he understood it. Thus, Ibn Battuta offers a complex view that acknowledges the piety of West African Muslims while criticizing aspects of their cultural practices that deviate from his expectations.