Family law in Muslim countries rests on traditional assumptions rooted in the patriarchal cultures of these countries. The assumptions give rise to a model of family relationships not unlike that which was espoused by Western legal systems until recently. Modern Muslim jurists have made several attempts to revise local family laws, but their attempts were not always successful for a variety of historical, political, and ideological reasons. This paper attempts to re-invigorate discussion in this area by isolating these traditional assumptions, identifying the resulting model of family relations, and pinpointing some of the most severe consequences of this model for women.