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Qur'an and Woman: Rereading the Sacred Text from a Woman's Perspective
A pro-faith attempt by a Muslim woman to present a comprehensive, female-inclusive reading of the Qur'an, the sacred Islamic text.
118 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1992
About the author
Amina Wadud
21 books112 followersDr Amina Wadud is a professor of Islamic Studies and a mother of five. She is the author of "Qur'an and Woman: Rereading the Sacred Text from a Woman's Perspective."
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January 13, 2016
Islam is misogynist--a common claim by those who criticize it. Most often such critics are non-Muslims who have never picked up a Qur'an and have no intention of ever doing so. Their concern for women's rights often disappears too, once the discussion has left Islam.
So what might someone who is not only Muslim, but also female, have to say about it? The answer is not the unqualified opposite, as I'm sure the typical Islamaphobe would assume. Female Muslims are well aware of the sexism that exists in their communities, and the justifications made for it on religious grounds. Amina Wadud makes that clear in this book, but more importantly she challenges the idea that this situation is unique to Islam. There are feminists who also identify as Christian, so it should come as no surprise that there are Muslim feminists.
Wadud's perspective is as interesting to note as her writing--she is an American convert from Christianity to Islam. She has spent years studying the Qur'an not only as an academic scholar, but from a deeply personal place as a woman and a member of the Islamic faith. Her life itself challenges the stereotype of the submissive, passive female Muslim whose religion binds her while simultaneously excluding her.
"Qur'an and Woman" is short, but bold. It proposes an exegesis of the Qur'an that is quite different from the conservative, patriarchal version many male Muslims and non-Muslims presume is the only acceptable one. Instead, she argues that Qur'an is a progressive text that can, and should be interpreted with greater gender equality. She is not the first, or only voice to make this proposal from the female Muslim world, but she does it succinctly. This passage sums up her aims quite well:
"I do not hold such (anti-women) views, nor do I find support for them in the Qur'an. It is interesting to note that even those Muslim authors who issue these interpretations accept that the Qur'an aims to establish social justice. However, it is obvious that their interpretation of social justice does not extend fully to women. It is like Thomas Jefferson and the writers of the American Constitution saying that 'All men are created equal' without intending in the least to include equality between black men and white men."
This is not unlike the Christian apologetic that the Bible does not condone slavery simply by mentioning it. It does, however, leave room for the eventual dismantling of slavery on religious grounds--once interpreted that way. Her mention of the Constitution is significant. Many historians have noted that while it originally did not forbid slavery, it never mentions it by name, which was important in the eventual triumph of abolition. Abolitionists were as adamant in their belief that the Constitution and its ideals were incompatible with slavery as slavers held the opposite. In a way, this is the secular version of the same idea: interpretation matters.
In Islam this is called "ijtihad," the personal investigation of the Qur'an and the conclusions one draws from it. While most Islamic scholars follow a school of thought, they are expected to also form individual judgements. Wadud does the same, and backs up her reasoning with ayat (verses) and careful examination of Arabic translation, along with the context in which they were written. Again, this is not unlike what many Christian writers do for a variety of theological issues.
In the process, she outlines some common misconceptions about the Qur'an, and what it does and does not say. For example, the whole "72 virgins" matter. Like the pithy Christian saying "God helps those who help themselves," this is not found anywhere in the Qur'an. The verse it is associated with simply says that in Paradise the faithful will have "houris," which means something like lovely or faithful companions. It's not even a gendered term in Arabic; houris can be male or female, and no number is given as to how many each believer will have (she even notes that it can be interpreted singularly). The whole notion of 72 virgins came much later as an interpretation by a male scholar who did his own "ijtihad" and concluded something different.
This leads into another point Wadud makes: much of what people assume Islam is was codified long after the Qur'an was written. This codification took place in societies that were still patriarchal and often unfriendly toward women; people in powerful positions, like say, male religious leaders, would have every reason to interpret the Qur'an in the same way.
Not that Wadud is under any illusions about the patriarchal background of Muhammad's time. She notes that Qur'anic verses regarding divorce are inexcusably unfair to women. At the same time, she argues that it doesn't have to be that way--religions and the societies they influence can, and do change. The idea that there is only one interpretation of Islam and it has to be anti-female is as ridiculous as the idea that Christianity must be pro-slavery:
"The Qur'an is not a manual of directives which only commands the individual reader to perform certain actions or fulfill particular characteristics. By citing concrete events, it makes conceptual ideas tangible. The female and male characters are particularly important to demonstrate certain ideas about guidance. The characters and events in the Qur'an should always be examined in light of this overall goal."
In other words, a sacred text is not meant to freeze social standards and roles for all time. It is best viewed as a guide or pathway--apt since the word "ayah" for verse means "signpost." The spirit of a text is just as important as the specifics. Wadud explains that spirit, too, in Arabic is genderless. Allah gave all people "nafs"--a soul, and this soul is equal before him whether male or female. He instead looks to the individual's "taqwa," or piety, as evidence of their faith, not their gender.
Wadud believes the verses that outline these principles are the ones that Allah meant to act as universal, timeless truths. Ones that speak about women getting less inheritance money, or having less testimonial weight in court were tied to a more specific time and place, reflective of the realities of human society then in force. The goal was to eventually transcend these hindrances to a more equal, just world. Such a change never occurs overnight--it is a process that never ends.
"The continued change which the Qur'an put into motion was not meant to stop when the revelation was completed." Muhammad's vision, whether one thinks it good or bad, was meant to take the nomadic Arab culture from a place of violence and instability to one with greater emphasis on justice and community. It occurs to me that Islam, unlike Christianity or most other world religions, was compressed into a very short time span in its origin. Muhammad was one man who wrote (or dictated rather) a single book over the course of about 20 years. The Bible was written by many authors, some Jewish and others Christian, over the course of thousands. Would this not affect the character of such a text, both in content as well as future use? Wadud essentially argues this in her belief that the Qur'an is a progressive document aware of temporal limitation while pushing divinely expansive, inclusive ideals. The doctrine of abrogation in Islam reflects this; the idea that seemingly incompatible verses reveal Allah's acknowledgment that humanity was not ready at certain times for the entirety of his commands. This is similar to the Buddhist idea of "skillful means"--that the Buddha taught people based on how well he thought they could handle the teachings. He met his disciples were they were in their journey rather than just expecting them to get on his level immediately.
If nothing else, this book dashes the popular idea that Islam is somehow hopelessly different from all other faiths--too misogynist, too violent, too extreme, etc., with no room to ever admit for anything positive. It's complicated and has problems to be sure, but what religion doesn't? What of anything in this life that involves humans doesn't? These problems can be overcome, because they are human problems, and they are not written in stone. The solution is not to demonize all members of a given religion, or look to its eradication, both of which are not really solutions and ultimately end up creating more problems than they solve. Wadud's greatest point is one of hope. Hope that people within religious traditions can change their own and their faith's destinies for the better, using that faith's texts and traditions itself in new ways:
"With regard to social justice, it becomes necessary to challenge patriarchy--not for matriarchy, but for an efficient co-operative and egalitarian system which allows and encourages the maximum participation of each member of society. This system would truly respect each gender in its contributions, and all tasks that are contributed. This would allow for the growth and expansion of the individual and consequently for society at large. As such, women would have full access to economic, intellectual, and political participation, and men would value and therefore participate fully in home and child care for a more balanced and fair society."
So what might someone who is not only Muslim, but also female, have to say about it? The answer is not the unqualified opposite, as I'm sure the typical Islamaphobe would assume. Female Muslims are well aware of the sexism that exists in their communities, and the justifications made for it on religious grounds. Amina Wadud makes that clear in this book, but more importantly she challenges the idea that this situation is unique to Islam. There are feminists who also identify as Christian, so it should come as no surprise that there are Muslim feminists.
Wadud's perspective is as interesting to note as her writing--she is an American convert from Christianity to Islam. She has spent years studying the Qur'an not only as an academic scholar, but from a deeply personal place as a woman and a member of the Islamic faith. Her life itself challenges the stereotype of the submissive, passive female Muslim whose religion binds her while simultaneously excluding her.
"Qur'an and Woman" is short, but bold. It proposes an exegesis of the Qur'an that is quite different from the conservative, patriarchal version many male Muslims and non-Muslims presume is the only acceptable one. Instead, she argues that Qur'an is a progressive text that can, and should be interpreted with greater gender equality. She is not the first, or only voice to make this proposal from the female Muslim world, but she does it succinctly. This passage sums up her aims quite well:
"I do not hold such (anti-women) views, nor do I find support for them in the Qur'an. It is interesting to note that even those Muslim authors who issue these interpretations accept that the Qur'an aims to establish social justice. However, it is obvious that their interpretation of social justice does not extend fully to women. It is like Thomas Jefferson and the writers of the American Constitution saying that 'All men are created equal' without intending in the least to include equality between black men and white men."
This is not unlike the Christian apologetic that the Bible does not condone slavery simply by mentioning it. It does, however, leave room for the eventual dismantling of slavery on religious grounds--once interpreted that way. Her mention of the Constitution is significant. Many historians have noted that while it originally did not forbid slavery, it never mentions it by name, which was important in the eventual triumph of abolition. Abolitionists were as adamant in their belief that the Constitution and its ideals were incompatible with slavery as slavers held the opposite. In a way, this is the secular version of the same idea: interpretation matters.
In Islam this is called "ijtihad," the personal investigation of the Qur'an and the conclusions one draws from it. While most Islamic scholars follow a school of thought, they are expected to also form individual judgements. Wadud does the same, and backs up her reasoning with ayat (verses) and careful examination of Arabic translation, along with the context in which they were written. Again, this is not unlike what many Christian writers do for a variety of theological issues.
In the process, she outlines some common misconceptions about the Qur'an, and what it does and does not say. For example, the whole "72 virgins" matter. Like the pithy Christian saying "God helps those who help themselves," this is not found anywhere in the Qur'an. The verse it is associated with simply says that in Paradise the faithful will have "houris," which means something like lovely or faithful companions. It's not even a gendered term in Arabic; houris can be male or female, and no number is given as to how many each believer will have (she even notes that it can be interpreted singularly). The whole notion of 72 virgins came much later as an interpretation by a male scholar who did his own "ijtihad" and concluded something different.
This leads into another point Wadud makes: much of what people assume Islam is was codified long after the Qur'an was written. This codification took place in societies that were still patriarchal and often unfriendly toward women; people in powerful positions, like say, male religious leaders, would have every reason to interpret the Qur'an in the same way.
Not that Wadud is under any illusions about the patriarchal background of Muhammad's time. She notes that Qur'anic verses regarding divorce are inexcusably unfair to women. At the same time, she argues that it doesn't have to be that way--religions and the societies they influence can, and do change. The idea that there is only one interpretation of Islam and it has to be anti-female is as ridiculous as the idea that Christianity must be pro-slavery:
"The Qur'an is not a manual of directives which only commands the individual reader to perform certain actions or fulfill particular characteristics. By citing concrete events, it makes conceptual ideas tangible. The female and male characters are particularly important to demonstrate certain ideas about guidance. The characters and events in the Qur'an should always be examined in light of this overall goal."
In other words, a sacred text is not meant to freeze social standards and roles for all time. It is best viewed as a guide or pathway--apt since the word "ayah" for verse means "signpost." The spirit of a text is just as important as the specifics. Wadud explains that spirit, too, in Arabic is genderless. Allah gave all people "nafs"--a soul, and this soul is equal before him whether male or female. He instead looks to the individual's "taqwa," or piety, as evidence of their faith, not their gender.
Wadud believes the verses that outline these principles are the ones that Allah meant to act as universal, timeless truths. Ones that speak about women getting less inheritance money, or having less testimonial weight in court were tied to a more specific time and place, reflective of the realities of human society then in force. The goal was to eventually transcend these hindrances to a more equal, just world. Such a change never occurs overnight--it is a process that never ends.
"The continued change which the Qur'an put into motion was not meant to stop when the revelation was completed." Muhammad's vision, whether one thinks it good or bad, was meant to take the nomadic Arab culture from a place of violence and instability to one with greater emphasis on justice and community. It occurs to me that Islam, unlike Christianity or most other world religions, was compressed into a very short time span in its origin. Muhammad was one man who wrote (or dictated rather) a single book over the course of about 20 years. The Bible was written by many authors, some Jewish and others Christian, over the course of thousands. Would this not affect the character of such a text, both in content as well as future use? Wadud essentially argues this in her belief that the Qur'an is a progressive document aware of temporal limitation while pushing divinely expansive, inclusive ideals. The doctrine of abrogation in Islam reflects this; the idea that seemingly incompatible verses reveal Allah's acknowledgment that humanity was not ready at certain times for the entirety of his commands. This is similar to the Buddhist idea of "skillful means"--that the Buddha taught people based on how well he thought they could handle the teachings. He met his disciples were they were in their journey rather than just expecting them to get on his level immediately.
If nothing else, this book dashes the popular idea that Islam is somehow hopelessly different from all other faiths--too misogynist, too violent, too extreme, etc., with no room to ever admit for anything positive. It's complicated and has problems to be sure, but what religion doesn't? What of anything in this life that involves humans doesn't? These problems can be overcome, because they are human problems, and they are not written in stone. The solution is not to demonize all members of a given religion, or look to its eradication, both of which are not really solutions and ultimately end up creating more problems than they solve. Wadud's greatest point is one of hope. Hope that people within religious traditions can change their own and their faith's destinies for the better, using that faith's texts and traditions itself in new ways:
"With regard to social justice, it becomes necessary to challenge patriarchy--not for matriarchy, but for an efficient co-operative and egalitarian system which allows and encourages the maximum participation of each member of society. This system would truly respect each gender in its contributions, and all tasks that are contributed. This would allow for the growth and expansion of the individual and consequently for society at large. As such, women would have full access to economic, intellectual, and political participation, and men would value and therefore participate fully in home and child care for a more balanced and fair society."
January 17, 2021
I have never read a book on the Quran and it's interpretation and wanted to cry the way I do reading this book. So many of the questions, inconsistencies and double standards that I have pondered I have found echoed and remedied eloquently and fairly by Amina Wadud. I am so disappointed by the many muslims that have rejected and slandered Dr Wadud's books and works without even so much as having read any of her writings, instead going by distorted and sensationalist hearsay. Dr Wadud has done a great service to Islam through this study and the evidence for how deeply entrenched the misogynistic readings of the Quran are is evident in people's rejection of her work on the basis that it is not "orthodox". In reality, she is calling to actual, authentic orthodoxy. My only wish now is to see this gem picked up and implemented by the Muslim men and women around the world. This book should be compulsory reading for every Muslim and essential reading on every Islamic studies course.
September 7, 2015
In an attempt to deconstruct interpretation and reconstruct other ones more in line with modernity (and the true Qur'anic spirit?!), Wadud delves into the Qur'anic text, attempting to view it holistically to prove that the Qur'an came to liberate women and out them in an equal position with men. In many points in delving in exegesis, she goes against much of the premises in tafseer, such as that the point of the text is extracted in the generality of the words, not the specificity of the reason of revelation. العبرة بعموم النص لا بخصوص السبب.
For Wadud, the exact opposite is true. Much of the Qur'anic verses are meant only for the women of seventh century Arabia, and are no longer applicable in the modern context. Similarly, she describes all traditional tafseer as atomistic tafseer, explaining each verse in itself, without return to other verses to view meaning and allow the Qur'an to explain itself. This is obviously a false claim, as anyone who reads tafseer and fiqh books would see the Qur'an explained holistically.
She also ignores hadeeth based on a certain premise, based on which she explained the Qur'an. She does recognize she did that, but says that she would refuse any hadith going against her premise of equality. In her attempt to explain the Qur'an holistically, she failed to take the the tradition holistically, and disregarded the prophet SAW totally.
The differences between what she did and mainstream scholarly work is huge, and vastly unprofessional. May God forgive her, and us...
For Wadud, the exact opposite is true. Much of the Qur'anic verses are meant only for the women of seventh century Arabia, and are no longer applicable in the modern context. Similarly, she describes all traditional tafseer as atomistic tafseer, explaining each verse in itself, without return to other verses to view meaning and allow the Qur'an to explain itself. This is obviously a false claim, as anyone who reads tafseer and fiqh books would see the Qur'an explained holistically.
She also ignores hadeeth based on a certain premise, based on which she explained the Qur'an. She does recognize she did that, but says that she would refuse any hadith going against her premise of equality. In her attempt to explain the Qur'an holistically, she failed to take the the tradition holistically, and disregarded the prophet SAW totally.
The differences between what she did and mainstream scholarly work is huge, and vastly unprofessional. May God forgive her, and us...
July 3, 2007
Wadud focuses exclusively on how women are discussed & mentioned in the Qur'an - she dissects & analyzes the arabic words & terminology surrounding women, discusses grammatical structure & syntax, and uses the word Weltanschauung a lot (my new favorite word) - through her analysis she demonstrates that some 'conventional' understandings of women in the Qur'an are incorrect & problematic. While I enjoyed reading her work, I do think that it would have been improved by citations to more traditional scholars in support of her point of view - I was not impressed by the citations to Qutb (which there were a lot of) as I find his methodology problematic. Overall, I'm not a huge fan of the 'let's start from scratch' approach to interpretation that is so common amongst reformers (both progressive & reactive) & that is what Wadud is doing. It can lend itself to being manipulated in the other direction & ultimately fails to be convincing to the 'mainstream' traditional Muslim audience. So, while I liked her work, I don't think it would convince someone closed to a feminist perspective & its lack of anchoring in traditional Islamic sources also undercuts her legitimacy.
June 16, 2022
I'm shocked to say that I didn't despise this book as much as I thought it would be. Mernissi was a zillion times worse, with zero grounding in reality.
AW in this book (written in the 80s) is almost sympathetic - clearly struggling with issues that many Muslim women have, and continue, to struggle with. Unfortunately, she goes about answering those questions in a way that has no real Islamic foundation.
She disregards ahadith, thinks she invented entire elements of tafseer sciences all on her own, and comes to some ridiculous conclusions as a result of it.
She repeatedly tries to generalize Quranic verses into meaninglessness (vague references to "justice" and "morality" with no concrete rulings/ behaviours associated with them). At times, she makes genuinely stupid arguments that make me question whether she bothered to think those arguments through and why no editor called her out on it.
Ultimately, not worth reading.
AW in this book (written in the 80s) is almost sympathetic - clearly struggling with issues that many Muslim women have, and continue, to struggle with. Unfortunately, she goes about answering those questions in a way that has no real Islamic foundation.
She disregards ahadith, thinks she invented entire elements of tafseer sciences all on her own, and comes to some ridiculous conclusions as a result of it.
She repeatedly tries to generalize Quranic verses into meaninglessness (vague references to "justice" and "morality" with no concrete rulings/ behaviours associated with them). At times, she makes genuinely stupid arguments that make me question whether she bothered to think those arguments through and why no editor called her out on it.
Ultimately, not worth reading.
December 5, 2013
This is the first time that i've read a religious text and i didn't find myself poking holes in it, simply it made sense. Amina did a beautiful job of deconstructing the verses, clearing the linguistic ambiguity and putting the verses in perspective on top of displaying them in the collective worldview that the Qur'an is painting. A must read. she tackled all the gender issues from the misunderstood male superiority to inheritance,polygamy, beating. basically every controversial female issue in the Qur'an and made an excellent point every time.
only take on the book is that she didn't discuss the travel issue.
Love her though
only take on the book is that she didn't discuss the travel issue.
Love her though
August 5, 2010
A liberal contemporary exegesis. Makes a good point about how tafsir (Quran Exegesis)has for the most part been the exclusive domain of men. Of course there are exceptions that she doesn't consider, such as Aisha and other female companions of the Prophet like Umm Ayman, Umm Habiba. Then throughout the history there were female scholars such as Sitt al-Mashaykh who were renown for their knowledge of the Quranic sciences.
Amina Wadud's hermeneutic methodology is to deal with the authoritative explanations (old and new), to analyze them in their difference, analyze the language and its etymology and then to give her opinion(s) as to what she considers more in the spirit of the Islamic message and our present context.
An overly liberal methodology has its pitfalls. It could tend to be fluffy, impose subjective colonial constructs, throw out or not plain deal with centuries of Quranic exegesis, or lack credible evidence making the argument weak and clearly reactionary. Amina Wadud for the most part avoids those pitfalls, though sometimes it is unavoidable and some of her explanations are glaringly weak.
Overall, I give her points for actually having a methodology, dealing seriously with the text and providing nuance, though the starting point of "...a woman's perspective" falls out of line with the history of Quranic exegesis. It would have been better if she approached this without explicitly stating a feminist agenda.
Amina Wadud's hermeneutic methodology is to deal with the authoritative explanations (old and new), to analyze them in their difference, analyze the language and its etymology and then to give her opinion(s) as to what she considers more in the spirit of the Islamic message and our present context.
An overly liberal methodology has its pitfalls. It could tend to be fluffy, impose subjective colonial constructs, throw out or not plain deal with centuries of Quranic exegesis, or lack credible evidence making the argument weak and clearly reactionary. Amina Wadud for the most part avoids those pitfalls, though sometimes it is unavoidable and some of her explanations are glaringly weak.
Overall, I give her points for actually having a methodology, dealing seriously with the text and providing nuance, though the starting point of "...a woman's perspective" falls out of line with the history of Quranic exegesis. It would have been better if she approached this without explicitly stating a feminist agenda.
Read
January 9, 2018I’ve decided to read this book because I’m going through a time where religion is being used against me unfairly. The problem I’ve always faced is that I don’t know much, or enough, to understand why things are the way they are. This interpretation by Amina Wadud literally made me feel like my whole life has been a lie, as cliche as that sounds. I’m so happy that she corrected the dogmas I was forced to believe and opened my eyes to things I was never told about before.
“... no record exists, in our Islamic legacy, of a meaningful discourse between the perceptions, experiences and reflections of women and men about both their different and similar understandings of the text... I explicitly challenge the arrogance of those men who require a level of human dignity and respect for themselves while denying that level to another human, for whatever reason— including simply because she is a woman. In particular, I reject the false justification of such arrogance through narrow interpretations or misinterpretations of the Qur’anic text, namely interpretations which ignore the basic social principles of justice, equality, and common humanity.”
“... no record exists, in our Islamic legacy, of a meaningful discourse between the perceptions, experiences and reflections of women and men about both their different and similar understandings of the text... I explicitly challenge the arrogance of those men who require a level of human dignity and respect for themselves while denying that level to another human, for whatever reason— including simply because she is a woman. In particular, I reject the false justification of such arrogance through narrow interpretations or misinterpretations of the Qur’anic text, namely interpretations which ignore the basic social principles of justice, equality, and common humanity.”
June 16, 2017
Amina Wadud is one of the most inspiring Muslim women out there. I had read a chapter from this book a while ago and would always think about it. (It was the one about creation of man and women from the same nafs! Which, arguably, is one of the most important pieces of Islamic scholarship that we have)
I love that Wadud challenges patriarchy and misogyny in Islamic societies by quoting Quranic passages. This is a must-read for anyone looking for a modern woman's take on the Quran.
I love that Wadud challenges patriarchy and misogyny in Islamic societies by quoting Quranic passages. This is a must-read for anyone looking for a modern woman's take on the Quran.
June 30, 2020
let's be honest, i can't be the only one in this room who was once confused in reading the Qur'an. among all, the top of my questions are: *did i perceive it right? did God really said so? why the verses are contradictive? why the hate towards women? what did we do wrong? why are we seen less than men?*
those questions led me to read this.
there are 2 levels of interpreting the Qur'an: reading and exegesis. reading can be done by anyone, hence it's shaped by the attitudes, experiences, memory, and perspective on the language, including the perception of gender. exegesis (idn: tafsir), on the other side, **must** be objective on its approach, hence it has to be done by the experts.
Amina Wadud in this book emphasizes on the context on ALL dimensions of the verses upon interpreting. some interpretations did not look for further examples, so a lot of Qur'anic verses have been oversimplified which end up contradicting itself. The Qur'an is **not** a manual of directives and to interpret it justly, we also need to cite concrete events and examine it also in a general context, to make the conceptual ideas easier to grasp.
*the overall discussions are interesting, but i'll only highlight some that caught my attention.*
**on obeying the husband:** Wadud in this book also mentioned that the Qur'an itself never orders a woman to obey their husband. at the time where the verse was revealed, there were some marriages of subjugation and at that time the husband was the one who provides. BUT that does not justify for husband to lay their hands on their wife into obedience. I'm sure a lot of people have heard so, but whoever interpreted that men may beat their wife has **severely** misread the Qur'an.
**on polygamy:** usually people will justify their polygamous marriage because his first wife can't bear a child. in Wadud's interpretation, the solution is NOT polygamy, but adopting orphaned child! because in the end what matters the most is our ability to care and nurture our child(ren), not the bloodline.
**on the roles at home:** contrary to popular belief, Wadud argues that the roles has to be divided evenly. if both the husband and wife are working, it would be unfair to leave the housework burden ALL on the woman. the husband must also participate in the housework and childcare.
Wadud also said in the book that "if the readers assumed that in any manner men are superior to women in any aspect, then they will interpret the Qur'an in accordance with the initial assumptions"—which more or less means that you need to have an open mind upon reading it. she also said that some interpreters watered down the text to suit their "agenda" to suit their individual views on women, even sometimes on the basis on only one word.
ever heard the saying that "the Qur'an stays relevant"? after reading this book, i'd interpret the saying as, "the Qur'an is has always been open-ended and since it's not a literal manual, its exegesis may differ on the scholar and their upbringing and need to always be challenged and evaluated as we progress." for so long, we have only been reading exegesis done by men, which are most likely brought up in a patriarchal system and think that women are less than a man. as there more discussions on feminism and the role of women arise, it becomes necessary to question where does Quran stand for women? it feels like an oasis to finally read a brief interpretation on the Quran coming from a woman scholar. i feel seen, heard, and most importantly: validated, that i am no less than a man, that Qur'an also supports women, not as a complementary accessories to men, but as an individual, in an egalitarian society.
those questions led me to read this.
there are 2 levels of interpreting the Qur'an: reading and exegesis. reading can be done by anyone, hence it's shaped by the attitudes, experiences, memory, and perspective on the language, including the perception of gender. exegesis (idn: tafsir), on the other side, **must** be objective on its approach, hence it has to be done by the experts.
Amina Wadud in this book emphasizes on the context on ALL dimensions of the verses upon interpreting. some interpretations did not look for further examples, so a lot of Qur'anic verses have been oversimplified which end up contradicting itself. The Qur'an is **not** a manual of directives and to interpret it justly, we also need to cite concrete events and examine it also in a general context, to make the conceptual ideas easier to grasp.
*the overall discussions are interesting, but i'll only highlight some that caught my attention.*
**on obeying the husband:** Wadud in this book also mentioned that the Qur'an itself never orders a woman to obey their husband. at the time where the verse was revealed, there were some marriages of subjugation and at that time the husband was the one who provides. BUT that does not justify for husband to lay their hands on their wife into obedience. I'm sure a lot of people have heard so, but whoever interpreted that men may beat their wife has **severely** misread the Qur'an.
**on polygamy:** usually people will justify their polygamous marriage because his first wife can't bear a child. in Wadud's interpretation, the solution is NOT polygamy, but adopting orphaned child! because in the end what matters the most is our ability to care and nurture our child(ren), not the bloodline.
**on the roles at home:** contrary to popular belief, Wadud argues that the roles has to be divided evenly. if both the husband and wife are working, it would be unfair to leave the housework burden ALL on the woman. the husband must also participate in the housework and childcare.
Wadud also said in the book that "if the readers assumed that in any manner men are superior to women in any aspect, then they will interpret the Qur'an in accordance with the initial assumptions"—which more or less means that you need to have an open mind upon reading it. she also said that some interpreters watered down the text to suit their "agenda" to suit their individual views on women, even sometimes on the basis on only one word.
ever heard the saying that "the Qur'an stays relevant"? after reading this book, i'd interpret the saying as, "the Qur'an is has always been open-ended and since it's not a literal manual, its exegesis may differ on the scholar and their upbringing and need to always be challenged and evaluated as we progress." for so long, we have only been reading exegesis done by men, which are most likely brought up in a patriarchal system and think that women are less than a man. as there more discussions on feminism and the role of women arise, it becomes necessary to question where does Quran stand for women? it feels like an oasis to finally read a brief interpretation on the Quran coming from a woman scholar. i feel seen, heard, and most importantly: validated, that i am no less than a man, that Qur'an also supports women, not as a complementary accessories to men, but as an individual, in an egalitarian society.
May 19, 2021
[درباره کتاب بعد از یکسال]
*نویسنده: آمنه ودود در یک خانواده سیاهپوست مسیحی آمریکایی متولد شده، در بزرگسالی مسلمان شده، نام آمنه ودود رو برگزیده و این کتاب حاصل پژوهشش در دورهی دکترا است.
*درباره کتاب: متن این کتاب کاملا دروندینی و بنظرم کلامی نوشته شده و نویسنده تلاش میکنه به عنوان "زن مسلمان مدرن" متن قرآن رو بازخوانی و تفسیر کنه.
*خلاصه کتاب:
نویسنده هدف خودش از نوشتن این کتاب رو "ارائهی خوانشی معنادار از قرآن برای زنانی که در عصر جدید زندگی میکنند" بیان میکنه.
درباره سه مدل تفسیر در تاریخ اسلام توضیح میده -تفسیر سنتی، تفسیر واکنشی و تفسیر کلگرایانه- و تفسیر خودش رو در گروه تفاسیر کلگرایانه قرار میده، روشی تفسیری که نسبتا جدیده و قرآن رو با توجه به دغدغههای جدید و گوناگون اجتماعی فهم و تفسیر میکنه.
اولین نکته درخصوص این نوع تفاسیر بهکارگیری روش هرمنوتیکی در تفسیر متن هست، آمنه ودود در این زمینه از دیدگاه فضلالرحمان پیروی میکند (خیلی خلاصه دیدگاه فضلالرحمان اینه: قرآن خودش رو کلیت منسجم و بدون تناقض میدونه، ما درمرحلهی اول با فهم این کلیت باید هر آموزهی خاصی رو در بافت تاریخی خودش بفهمیم و از این پاسخ و آموزهی قرآن قوانین کلی اخلاقی-اجتماعی استخراج کنیم، و در مرحلهی دوم باید متناسب با شرایط خاص فعلی و موضوعات دنیای امروز، از آن قوانین کلی به دیدگاهی خاص در موضوعات حاضر برسیم.)
همچنین درباره ساختارجنسیتی زبان عربی توضیح میده و اینکه قصد داره نشان بده قرآن برای انتقال پیامش بر ویژگی جنسیتی زبان عربی غلبه کرده.
هرچند نویسنده به این معترف هست که با وجودی که قرآن تنها یک نقش واحد (مثلا مادری برای زن) برای یک جنس ارائه نمیده ولی در مواردی مثل مردسالاری در نظام زناشویی یا مردسالاری اجتماعی یا نظام طبقاتی اقتصادی حداقل سکوت کرده. با این حال معتقده تفاوت زن و مرد به منزلهی تفاوت ماهوی و اینکه زنان پایینتر و ضعیفتر از مردان باشند یا پلید باشند، نیست و قرآن هم چنین دیدگاهی ندارد.
در ۴ فصل کتاب نویسنده به بررسی چگونگی نگاه قرآن به زن و مرد در خلقت، دیدگاه قرآن به زنانی که دربارهشان صحبت کرده، دیدگاه قرآن به جایگاه زن و مرد در آخرت و در نهایت به نظام حقوقی مرتبط با زنان پرداخته.
در فصل اول و سوم با بررسی آیات مربوط به خلقت -مراحل مختلف خلقت در قرآن- و روز جزا، آمنه ودود به این نتیجه میرسه که در آیات قرآن هیچ تفاوتی بین زنان و مردان در خلقت و در حسابرسي روز جزا نیست. در روایت قرآن از خلقت اینکه حوا از آدم بوجود اومده باشه رو نداریم- و برای نویسنده بواسطهی پیشینهی مسیحیتی که داشته این مسأله بسیار مهم جلوه کرده-
در خصوص روز جزا خصوصا به آیهی ان اکرمکم عندلله اتقاکم اشاره میکنه و میگه در آیات مربوط به روز جزا هیچ حرفی ازینکه مردها بواسطه ی مرد بودن امتیازی داشته باشند یا زن ها بواسطهی زن بودن امتیازی رو از دست بدهند وجود ندارد و آیات قرآن میگویند هرکس از زن و مرد جزای عمل خود را میبیند، خوب یا بد.
در فصل دوم نویسنده دربارهی زنانی که داستانشون توسط قرآن روایت شده، به داستان ملکهی سبا اشاره میکنه و میگه در باور سنتی مسلمانان یک زن نمیتونه رهبر جامعه باشه ولی قرآن ملکهی سبا رو به عنوان یک حاکم موفق معرفی کرده و نشون میده رهبری زنان از نظر قرآن مورد تاییده.
اما در فصل آخر نویسنده به بررسی آیاتی از قرآن میپردازه که مستقیما با وضعیت حقوقی و نقش و جایگاه زنان در ارتباط هست. مثلا مسالهی ارث، نشوز، طلاق، سلطهی مرد، شهادت دادن زنان و تعدد زوجات.
مثلا درباره طلاق میگه ازینکه قرآن اشارهای به زنانی که شوهران خودشون رو طلاق دادن نداشته، مفسرین و فقها نتیجه گرفتن که زن حق طلاق نداره. درحالیکه قرآن صرفا سکوت کرده.
درباره مردسالاری معتقده این نگاه متاثر از فضای مردسالار جامعهی شبه جزیره عربستان در صدر اسلام بوده، و قرآن حتی اصلاحاتی به سود زنان داشته است. (فاطمه صادقی در کتاب جنسیت در آرای اخلاقی، شواهدی ارائه میده که در اون زمان جامعه شبه جزیره عربستان در مرحله گذار از مادرسالاری به مردسالاری بوده و اتفاقا اسلام در جهت تقویت مردسالاری قدم برداشته، هرچند بعضی جاها به نفع زنان هم کار کرده).
در موضوع تعدد زوجات نویسنده علت اصلی جواز تعدد زوجات رو وابستگی اقتصادی زنان میدونه و م��تقده در دنیای امروز که زنان میتوانند استقلال داشته باشند و دارند این مساله وجهی نداره. (باز من اینجا دیدگاه و شواهد فاطمه صادقی رو موجهتر میدونم، تو همون کتاب جنسیت در آرای اخلاقی انواع ازدواج هایی که پیش از اسلام در قبایل مختلف مردم شبه جزیره وجود داشته رو توضیح میده و زندگی جنسی اعراب شبه جزیره رو افسارگسیخته میدونه و معتقده اسلام زندگی جنسی مردم اون محدوده رو قانونمند کرد (هرچند در راستای تقویت مردسالاری)).
در خصوص مسالهی ارث میگه درسته آیهی قرآن سهم ارث برادر رو دوبرابر خواهر قرار داده، ولی همواره اینگونه نیست که ارث مردان از زنان بیشتر باشه و این تو��یفات نشون میده تقسیم ارث امری وابسته به شرایط اجتماعی روز و روابط افراد هست و الان دیگه اون نظم بر زندگی ما حاکم نیست.
در کل در خصوص بسیاری از آیات مرتبط با فقه و حقوق زنان ودود حکم موجود رو به شرایط و فرهنگ آن زمان جامعه مسلمانان ارجاع میده و معتقده اونا احکام کلی نیستند و احکام خاصی بودن که یا منسوخ شدن یا باتوجه به وضعیت امروز جامعهی ما بازتعریف باید بشوند.
حتی از مواردی مثال میزنه که قرآن برای یک مورد خاص گفته ولی در تفسیر و تاریخ اسلام برداشتی کلی ازش شده، مثلا میگه قرآن گفته زن برای تبرج و هرزگی بیرون نرود ولی بعضیها این رو به معنای این گرفتن که زن کلا نباید از خانه بیرون برود و بیرون رفتن زن تبرج و هرزگی است.
در نهایت میگه من تلاش کردم تفسیری از قرآن ارائه بدم که برای یک زن مدرن در دنیای فعلی مفید فایده باشه و تاکید میکنه که قرآن هر فهمی بر پلید بودن ذاتی زنان یا کمتر بودن اونها نسبت به مردان رو صریحاً رد میکنه.
*نویسنده: آمنه ودود در یک خانواده سیاهپوست مسیحی آمریکایی متولد شده، در بزرگسالی مسلمان شده، نام آمنه ودود رو برگزیده و این کتاب حاصل پژوهشش در دورهی دکترا است.
*درباره کتاب: متن این کتاب کاملا دروندینی و بنظرم کلامی نوشته شده و نویسنده تلاش میکنه به عنوان "زن مسلمان مدرن" متن قرآن رو بازخوانی و تفسیر کنه.
*خلاصه کتاب:
نویسنده هدف خودش از نوشتن این کتاب رو "ارائهی خوانشی معنادار از قرآن برای زنانی که در عصر جدید زندگی میکنند" بیان میکنه.
درباره سه مدل تفسیر در تاریخ اسلام توضیح میده -تفسیر سنتی، تفسیر واکنشی و تفسیر کلگرایانه- و تفسیر خودش رو در گروه تفاسیر کلگرایانه قرار میده، روشی تفسیری که نسبتا جدیده و قرآن رو با توجه به دغدغههای جدید و گوناگون اجتماعی فهم و تفسیر میکنه.
اولین نکته درخصوص این نوع تفاسیر بهکارگیری روش هرمنوتیکی در تفسیر متن هست، آمنه ودود در این زمینه از دیدگاه فضلالرحمان پیروی میکند (خیلی خلاصه دیدگاه فضلالرحمان اینه: قرآن خودش رو کلیت منسجم و بدون تناقض میدونه، ما درمرحلهی اول با فهم این کلیت باید هر آموزهی خاصی رو در بافت تاریخی خودش بفهمیم و از این پاسخ و آموزهی قرآن قوانین کلی اخلاقی-اجتماعی استخراج کنیم، و در مرحلهی دوم باید متناسب با شرایط خاص فعلی و موضوعات دنیای امروز، از آن قوانین کلی به دیدگاهی خاص در موضوعات حاضر برسیم.)
همچنین درباره ساختارجنسیتی زبان عربی توضیح میده و اینکه قصد داره نشان بده قرآن برای انتقال پیامش بر ویژگی جنسیتی زبان عربی غلبه کرده.
هرچند نویسنده به این معترف هست که با وجودی که قرآن تنها یک نقش واحد (مثلا مادری برای زن) برای یک جنس ارائه نمیده ولی در مواردی مثل مردسالاری در نظام زناشویی یا مردسالاری اجتماعی یا نظام طبقاتی اقتصادی حداقل سکوت کرده. با این حال معتقده تفاوت زن و مرد به منزلهی تفاوت ماهوی و اینکه زنان پایینتر و ضعیفتر از مردان باشند یا پلید باشند، نیست و قرآن هم چنین دیدگاهی ندارد.
در ۴ فصل کتاب نویسنده به بررسی چگونگی نگاه قرآن به زن و مرد در خلقت، دیدگاه قرآن به زنانی که دربارهشان صحبت کرده، دیدگاه قرآن به جایگاه زن و مرد در آخرت و در نهایت به نظام حقوقی مرتبط با زنان پرداخته.
در فصل اول و سوم با بررسی آیات مربوط به خلقت -مراحل مختلف خلقت در قرآن- و روز جزا، آمنه ودود به این نتیجه میرسه که در آیات قرآن هیچ تفاوتی بین زنان و مردان در خلقت و در حسابرسي روز جزا نیست. در روایت قرآن از خلقت اینکه حوا از آدم بوجود اومده باشه رو نداریم- و برای نویسنده بواسطهی پیشینهی مسیحیتی که داشته این مسأله بسیار مهم جلوه کرده-
در خصوص روز جزا خصوصا به آیهی ان اکرمکم عندلله اتقاکم اشاره میکنه و میگه در آیات مربوط به روز جزا هیچ حرفی ازینکه مردها بواسطه ی مرد بودن امتیازی داشته باشند یا زن ها بواسطهی زن بودن امتیازی رو از دست بدهند وجود ندارد و آیات قرآن میگویند هرکس از زن و مرد جزای عمل خود را میبیند، خوب یا بد.
در فصل دوم نویسنده دربارهی زنانی که داستانشون توسط قرآن روایت شده، به داستان ملکهی سبا اشاره میکنه و میگه در باور سنتی مسلمانان یک زن نمیتونه رهبر جامعه باشه ولی قرآن ملکهی سبا رو به عنوان یک حاکم موفق معرفی کرده و نشون میده رهبری زنان از نظر قرآن مورد تاییده.
اما در فصل آخر نویسنده به بررسی آیاتی از قرآن میپردازه که مستقیما با وضعیت حقوقی و نقش و جایگاه زنان در ارتباط هست. مثلا مسالهی ارث، نشوز، طلاق، سلطهی مرد، شهادت دادن زنان و تعدد زوجات.
مثلا درباره طلاق میگه ازینکه قرآن اشارهای به زنانی که شوهران خودشون رو طلاق دادن نداشته، مفسرین و فقها نتیجه گرفتن که زن حق طلاق نداره. درحالیکه قرآن صرفا سکوت کرده.
درباره مردسالاری معتقده این نگاه متاثر از فضای مردسالار جامعهی شبه جزیره عربستان در صدر اسلام بوده، و قرآن حتی اصلاحاتی به سود زنان داشته است. (فاطمه صادقی در کتاب جنسیت در آرای اخلاقی، شواهدی ارائه میده که در اون زمان جامعه شبه جزیره عربستان در مرحله گذار از مادرسالاری به مردسالاری بوده و اتفاقا اسلام در جهت تقویت مردسالاری قدم برداشته، هرچند بعضی جاها به نفع زنان هم کار کرده).
در موضوع تعدد زوجات نویسنده علت اصلی جواز تعدد زوجات رو وابستگی اقتصادی زنان میدونه و م��تقده در دنیای امروز که زنان میتوانند استقلال داشته باشند و دارند این مساله وجهی نداره. (باز من اینجا دیدگاه و شواهد فاطمه صادقی رو موجهتر میدونم، تو همون کتاب جنسیت در آرای اخلاقی انواع ازدواج هایی که پیش از اسلام در قبایل مختلف مردم شبه جزیره وجود داشته رو توضیح میده و زندگی جنسی اعراب شبه جزیره رو افسارگسیخته میدونه و معتقده اسلام زندگی جنسی مردم اون محدوده رو قانونمند کرد (هرچند در راستای تقویت مردسالاری)).
در خصوص مسالهی ارث میگه درسته آیهی قرآن سهم ارث برادر رو دوبرابر خواهر قرار داده، ولی همواره اینگونه نیست که ارث مردان از زنان بیشتر باشه و این تو��یفات نشون میده تقسیم ارث امری وابسته به شرایط اجتماعی روز و روابط افراد هست و الان دیگه اون نظم بر زندگی ما حاکم نیست.
در کل در خصوص بسیاری از آیات مرتبط با فقه و حقوق زنان ودود حکم موجود رو به شرایط و فرهنگ آن زمان جامعه مسلمانان ارجاع میده و معتقده اونا احکام کلی نیستند و احکام خاصی بودن که یا منسوخ شدن یا باتوجه به وضعیت امروز جامعهی ما بازتعریف باید بشوند.
حتی از مواردی مثال میزنه که قرآن برای یک مورد خاص گفته ولی در تفسیر و تاریخ اسلام برداشتی کلی ازش شده، مثلا میگه قرآن گفته زن برای تبرج و هرزگی بیرون نرود ولی بعضیها این رو به معنای این گرفتن که زن کلا نباید از خانه بیرون برود و بیرون رفتن زن تبرج و هرزگی است.
در نهایت میگه من تلاش کردم تفسیری از قرآن ارائه بدم که برای یک زن مدرن در دنیای فعلی مفید فایده باشه و تاکید میکنه که قرآن هر فهمی بر پلید بودن ذاتی زنان یا کمتر بودن اونها نسبت به مردان رو صریحاً رد میکنه.
March 28, 2014
Amina Wadud is great at what she does. Unlike other known scholars though, she does not force her ideas on to you nor does she claim to be a feminist with vehement hatred towards all men. For her this book isnt anbout 'women' or just the Quran. Its about the misinterpretation of the Quran or our tendency to take the interpretations of someone else as the true word of God. She touches a few obvious points such as the role of women and men, marriage etc. Mostly, Wadud is asking us to understand the guidance and the universals of the Quran by juxtaposing them with the entire Quranic world view and not just certain parts of it.
My only disappointment was the lack of insight while dealing with the verse 4:34 and the issue of Polygamy. Otherwise, a good read, helpful and her wit and knowledge is hard not to notice.
My only disappointment was the lack of insight while dealing with the verse 4:34 and the issue of Polygamy. Otherwise, a good read, helpful and her wit and knowledge is hard not to notice.
September 6, 2012
Actually rereading this book because of a recent encounter I had with a male who interprets the Qur'an and Islam in ways that frightened me.
This text explains the gendered nature of the Arabic language used in the Qur'an and how translations of the text do not provide the nuances necessary to interpret the text in any way other than an androcentric manner. Also, native Arabic interpreters of the text often provide notoriously inflexible readings rendered to keep women in a subservient position rather than that of equality.
This text explains the gendered nature of the Arabic language used in the Qur'an and how translations of the text do not provide the nuances necessary to interpret the text in any way other than an androcentric manner. Also, native Arabic interpreters of the text often provide notoriously inflexible readings rendered to keep women in a subservient position rather than that of equality.
February 17, 2021
Reading Quran from a female perspective is certainly helpful to all women and men trying to understand islam better and clearing the misogynistic stereotypes.
Her attempt is to separate what the Qur'an actually says from what men interpretation wishes it to say.
"hope to demonstrate the negative effects of interpretations which place an inherent distinction between males and females and then give values to those distinctions. Such interpretations assume that men represent the norm and are therefore fully human. Women, by implication, are less human than men. They are limited and therefore of less value. Such interpretations encourage the stereotypes about women and men which severely hamper the potential of each. In addition, these interpretations justify the restrictions placed on the woman's right to pursue personal happiness within the context of Islam. Most troubling is the tendency to attribute these interpretations to the Qur'an itself rather than to the authors who hold them."
The book is divided into 4 main chapters
The first one and probably the most enlightening for me is basically linguistic.
The idea is looking at Quranic scripts with gender neutrality which is something at the same time difficult and enlightening for arabic speakers.
The second chapter is about women mentioned in Qur'an
The author points that women are mentioned as individuals or as a gender.
The individuals are either praised or scorned based on their deeds.
Bilqis is a great example and i totally agree with everything the author said about bilqis being an able and a wise leader. Also the fact that there was no mention of forbidding ruling based on gender in the story of bilqis. The verses even imply that she took good decisions.
"The Qur'an uses no terms that imply that the position of ruler is inappropriate for a woman. On the contrary, the Qur'anic story of Bilqis celebrates both her political and religious practices."
"Although the verse does point out (perhaps as peculiar) that she was 'a woman' ruling (27:23), this is nothing more than astatement quoted from one who had observed her. Beyond this identification of her as a woman, no distinction, restriction, addition, limitation, or specification of her as a woman who leads is ever mentioned."
"In both instances,the Qur'an shows that her judgement was bet-ter than the norm, and that she independently demonstrated that better judgement. If her politics were feminine, then her faith was feminine, which, by implication would indicate that masculinity is a disadvantage.Her faith and her politics may be specific to females, but they both were better. They indicate one who has knowledge, acts on it, and can therefore accept the truth. This demonstration of pure wisdom exhibited in the Qur'an by a woman can hopefully be exhibited by a man as well."
Women as a gender are always mentioned along side men and the criteria of which they are judged before god is the same.
The third chapter deals with the afterlife and it clears the issue about (huri) women in heaven and it being the standard form of beauty for mekkan society. After the hijra these terms no longer was used in describing heavenly rewards instead the word (zawj) became the most frequent and this word is gender neutral so it can mean both male and female.
The fourth chapter deals with tricky subjects so i was hoping for a more extended study.
Here there is the issue of polygamy inheritance male superiority and divorce cramped together in short sub chapters.
The argument is good but way too quick in dealing with issues of this kind.
This is a quote summarising the author's ideas about male superiority.
"The Qur'an does not divide the labour and establish a mono-lithic order for every social system which completely disregards the natural variations in society. On the contrary, it acknowledges the need for variations when it states that the human race is divided 'into nations and tribes that you might know one another'. (49:13). Then it gives each group, and each member of the group—the males and the females—recompense in accordance to deeds performed."
Her attempt is to separate what the Qur'an actually says from what men interpretation wishes it to say.
"hope to demonstrate the negative effects of interpretations which place an inherent distinction between males and females and then give values to those distinctions. Such interpretations assume that men represent the norm and are therefore fully human. Women, by implication, are less human than men. They are limited and therefore of less value. Such interpretations encourage the stereotypes about women and men which severely hamper the potential of each. In addition, these interpretations justify the restrictions placed on the woman's right to pursue personal happiness within the context of Islam. Most troubling is the tendency to attribute these interpretations to the Qur'an itself rather than to the authors who hold them."
The book is divided into 4 main chapters
The first one and probably the most enlightening for me is basically linguistic.
The idea is looking at Quranic scripts with gender neutrality which is something at the same time difficult and enlightening for arabic speakers.
The second chapter is about women mentioned in Qur'an
The author points that women are mentioned as individuals or as a gender.
The individuals are either praised or scorned based on their deeds.
Bilqis is a great example and i totally agree with everything the author said about bilqis being an able and a wise leader. Also the fact that there was no mention of forbidding ruling based on gender in the story of bilqis. The verses even imply that she took good decisions.
"The Qur'an uses no terms that imply that the position of ruler is inappropriate for a woman. On the contrary, the Qur'anic story of Bilqis celebrates both her political and religious practices."
"Although the verse does point out (perhaps as peculiar) that she was 'a woman' ruling (27:23), this is nothing more than astatement quoted from one who had observed her. Beyond this identification of her as a woman, no distinction, restriction, addition, limitation, or specification of her as a woman who leads is ever mentioned."
"In both instances,the Qur'an shows that her judgement was bet-ter than the norm, and that she independently demonstrated that better judgement. If her politics were feminine, then her faith was feminine, which, by implication would indicate that masculinity is a disadvantage.Her faith and her politics may be specific to females, but they both were better. They indicate one who has knowledge, acts on it, and can therefore accept the truth. This demonstration of pure wisdom exhibited in the Qur'an by a woman can hopefully be exhibited by a man as well."
Women as a gender are always mentioned along side men and the criteria of which they are judged before god is the same.
The third chapter deals with the afterlife and it clears the issue about (huri) women in heaven and it being the standard form of beauty for mekkan society. After the hijra these terms no longer was used in describing heavenly rewards instead the word (zawj) became the most frequent and this word is gender neutral so it can mean both male and female.
The fourth chapter deals with tricky subjects so i was hoping for a more extended study.
Here there is the issue of polygamy inheritance male superiority and divorce cramped together in short sub chapters.
The argument is good but way too quick in dealing with issues of this kind.
This is a quote summarising the author's ideas about male superiority.
"The Qur'an does not divide the labour and establish a mono-lithic order for every social system which completely disregards the natural variations in society. On the contrary, it acknowledges the need for variations when it states that the human race is divided 'into nations and tribes that you might know one another'. (49:13). Then it gives each group, and each member of the group—the males and the females—recompense in accordance to deeds performed."
February 10, 2011
What I appreciate most about Wadud's approach is that it implies that interpreting meaning and arriving at justifications for religious practice/belief has a lot to do with whether or not:
1. a person has strong reading skills.
2. a person applies a set of particular biases to a text in a way that obscures its context, meaning, and intended application.
3. a person is able to navigate whatever relationship there might be between human knowledge and divine knowledge...because there's a gap between the two.
I don't think Wadud's book is necessarily meant to defend or critique the Qur'an, or even Islam. I think the book is an appeal for people to have the courage to do a better job of reading a sacred text. I say "a better job" because (and I think this is entirely the point of Wadud's book)-- the implications of particular readings and interpretations have resulted in unfair, uncalled for treatment and justifications. Ironically, adds Wadud, the unfair treatment that some experience because of some Qur'anic interpretations seems to be in direct opposition to what the Qur'an seems to be saying.
Whatever position one may want to take, whenever there seems to be a disconnect-- not on grounds of theological and religious righteousness, but on grounds of simply UNDERSTANDING what a text is communicating--
then I think it's a completely legitimate question to take a step back and ask the question:
What IS the Qur'an saying? Is it saying X? Is it saying Y? How can one know what the meaning of a sacred text is? How valid are the readings of others? How is it possible to do the right thing if there seems to be evidence that understanding a text proves problematic?
Wadud offers her own answers. I don't find that she says her answer is the right one, henceforth and forever more. I do think, however, that she makes some very strong points about the importance of active reading and critical thinking.
Usually sacred texts don't necessarily tell us *how* to read them or what they may mean, don't necessarily tell us *how* to apply specific meanings to the present day lives and societies we live in. Sacred texts don't tell a particular reader as they're reading in real-time that they've made an utterly wrong or half-way right interpretation. Or that they've drawn uncalled for conclusions.
Sacred texts don't endorse or speak for a *particular* reading or intepretation that's made of them, either. How can they? They aren't "interactive" and specific in that kind of way. So much about reading a sacred text has to do with human agency. That's not a failure or weakness of a text, though. I find I like reading my favorite books just for those sorts "open-ended" reasons. It's the open-endedness of a text, I think, that establishes a connection with a reader. Anyway.
By their very nature, I think texts imply (and I think this holds even for sacred ones, too) that *access* hinges on the ability of a human agent to decipher and understand.
I don't think Wadud is suggesting that the Qur'an is wrong or that Islam is wrong. I think she's suggesting that sometimes folks' decipherin' skills are off and that the ramifications of that decipherin' can be very wrong indeed. I think she also makes the point that folks have a responsibility to *read* and learn. The act of reading reveals, in time, that meaning, context, and interpretation aren't necessarily written in stone. More importantly, reading helps a reader to understand that the "not necessarily" written in stone state of affairs isn't a bad thing.
What folks want to do with that discovery, however, is a different thing. Certainly, many of the Islamic scholars who've had the most influence have had interesting answers and responses to that discovery. Some have responded for the good, some not so much.
Wadud, in my mind, is in the column of good.
A great book. Highly recommend reading "Believing Women" by Asma Barlas after reading "Qur'an and Woman." Barlas picks up the thread that Wadud leaves.
1. a person has strong reading skills.
2. a person applies a set of particular biases to a text in a way that obscures its context, meaning, and intended application.
3. a person is able to navigate whatever relationship there might be between human knowledge and divine knowledge...because there's a gap between the two.
I don't think Wadud's book is necessarily meant to defend or critique the Qur'an, or even Islam. I think the book is an appeal for people to have the courage to do a better job of reading a sacred text. I say "a better job" because (and I think this is entirely the point of Wadud's book)-- the implications of particular readings and interpretations have resulted in unfair, uncalled for treatment and justifications. Ironically, adds Wadud, the unfair treatment that some experience because of some Qur'anic interpretations seems to be in direct opposition to what the Qur'an seems to be saying.
Whatever position one may want to take, whenever there seems to be a disconnect-- not on grounds of theological and religious righteousness, but on grounds of simply UNDERSTANDING what a text is communicating--
then I think it's a completely legitimate question to take a step back and ask the question:
What IS the Qur'an saying? Is it saying X? Is it saying Y? How can one know what the meaning of a sacred text is? How valid are the readings of others? How is it possible to do the right thing if there seems to be evidence that understanding a text proves problematic?
Wadud offers her own answers. I don't find that she says her answer is the right one, henceforth and forever more. I do think, however, that she makes some very strong points about the importance of active reading and critical thinking.
Usually sacred texts don't necessarily tell us *how* to read them or what they may mean, don't necessarily tell us *how* to apply specific meanings to the present day lives and societies we live in. Sacred texts don't tell a particular reader as they're reading in real-time that they've made an utterly wrong or half-way right interpretation. Or that they've drawn uncalled for conclusions.
Sacred texts don't endorse or speak for a *particular* reading or intepretation that's made of them, either. How can they? They aren't "interactive" and specific in that kind of way. So much about reading a sacred text has to do with human agency. That's not a failure or weakness of a text, though. I find I like reading my favorite books just for those sorts "open-ended" reasons. It's the open-endedness of a text, I think, that establishes a connection with a reader. Anyway.
By their very nature, I think texts imply (and I think this holds even for sacred ones, too) that *access* hinges on the ability of a human agent to decipher and understand.
I don't think Wadud is suggesting that the Qur'an is wrong or that Islam is wrong. I think she's suggesting that sometimes folks' decipherin' skills are off and that the ramifications of that decipherin' can be very wrong indeed. I think she also makes the point that folks have a responsibility to *read* and learn. The act of reading reveals, in time, that meaning, context, and interpretation aren't necessarily written in stone. More importantly, reading helps a reader to understand that the "not necessarily" written in stone state of affairs isn't a bad thing.
What folks want to do with that discovery, however, is a different thing. Certainly, many of the Islamic scholars who've had the most influence have had interesting answers and responses to that discovery. Some have responded for the good, some not so much.
Wadud, in my mind, is in the column of good.
A great book. Highly recommend reading "Believing Women" by Asma Barlas after reading "Qur'an and Woman." Barlas picks up the thread that Wadud leaves.
February 12, 2012
Interesting and to-the-point, but it was sometimes a little short on textual evidence. It did tend to feel a little too apologist and biased, but I suppose that's unavoidable when discussing religion and interpretations of sacred texts. We all get out of it what we want to get out of it, and so on.
Anyways, I read it for school and it wasn't too dreadful, but I wouldn't recommend it for personal reading unless you're really, really into the subject.
Anyways, I read it for school and it wasn't too dreadful, but I wouldn't recommend it for personal reading unless you're really, really into the subject.
March 15, 2011
Written from a very 'progressive' viewpoint; doesn't reflect the majority of Muslim women's beliefs.
April 16, 2014
This book was ground-breaking for me on a spiritual and personal level when I read it six years ago, but since then I've developed a lot of critiques towards Islamic feminism.
September 19, 2019
Need more exposure given to Muslim women scholars' work!! Wonderful and thought-provoking read
June 23, 2022
This book attempts to render a gender inclusive outlook to Holy Qur’an and ended up bringing even more skepticism. It felt forced, agenda-driven, devoid of examples and extremely anecdotal. I am a strong believer that all faiths need to explain themselves better so that people understand the layers and associate with the true lessons but such books end up making one more confused.
My search for a reliable book on this subject is still on.
My search for a reliable book on this subject is still on.
August 20, 2016
Credo sia un testo obbligatorio per coloro che si interessano all'Islam e alla figura della donna al suo interno. Il testo è a volte un po' ripetitivo, l'intento è cercare di far comprendere pochi concetti e su quali punti l'autrice vorrebbe si aprissero nuove interpretazioni e prospettive del Corano ai giorni nostri. Studio il mondo musulmano a livello universitario, ma sono lontana dall'esserne un'esperta, non ho letto per intero il Corano, ma ho approfittato di questa lettura per leggerne i passi riportati. Uno dei punti che la Wadud sfrutta è la traduzione, che per quanto ben fatta non è mai il testo. Altro punto è l'interpretazione: questo è un punto molto delicato della fede musulmana: le interpretazioni fatte in 1400 anni sono moltissime, e a quelle fatte da grandi del passato è stato permesso di assurgere a un ruolo se non paritario, di poco inferiore al testo sacro stesso. Il fatto che molti di questi esegeti fossero uomini provenienti da una società patriarcale non ha aiutato la causa delle donne. Nel testo sono sfatati anche alcuni miti sull'oppressione femminile che avrebbero origine proprio dal Corano, ma che invece derivano piuttosto dall'influenza di qualche sua esegesi. La questione è spinosa oggi più di quanto lo fosse al momento della pubblicazione de Il Corano e la donna, e devo confessare che alcuni punti mi sono sembrati un po' deboli e a volte percepisco delle forzature interpretative nel percorso intrapreso dalla Wadud per dare una spiegazione lessicale ai passi citati; ma credo che uno dei messaggi principali che vuole far passare sia giusto e corretto: il Corano vuole essere una guida verso il progresso. Lo è stato nella penisola araba del VII secolo, e se si leggesse con mente aperta sul presente e il futuro, può davvero esserlo ancora.
April 23, 2021
reading this made me feel very *sigh of relief* bc it debunked the most prominent misogynistic interpretations of the Quran ... i knew they were incorrect but it’s just nice to have it all laid out. i would like every muslim to read this (esp men) its important and pretty short anyways
need to reread this over the summer to make sure all this info sticks in my head
need to reread this over the summer to make sure all this info sticks in my head
August 30, 2016
Throughout the book, I found myself generallly agreeing with everything she stated. I believe that even if one doesn't agree with her interpretations, it would be an important read to expand one's horizons. I really loved this book and I'm thankful I had the opprotunity to read it.
June 6, 2021
I highly recommend this book to everyone - but you should read the Qur'an first.
Wadud's intelligence, scholarship, linguistic ability, and heart are all on display. She doesn't mince words, and I like it.
Wadud's intelligence, scholarship, linguistic ability, and heart are all on display. She doesn't mince words, and I like it.
November 23, 2007
A topic that I have been wanting to learn about. I just wish there was more...of what, I'm not exactly sure.
Want to read
May 3, 2012Have just ordered on my kindle, once uni is finished with will begin to all my new books
November 11, 2013
Read this in university Islam class taught by Dr. Wadud and enjoyed it.
January 8, 2021
The book begins with a chapter explaining about the initiation of creation, the establishment of life, and the bringing of life. Followed by chapters about female figures, women in the Hereafter, and how Islamic women should live today. Even it short, only 118 pages but it's bold. I like how she explains something heavy in an easy way to understand the meanings, how she uses strong linguistic and analysis to provide some perspectives. I recommend this book for everyone who wants to learn more about gender especially women's roles derived from Islam.
March 20, 2024
Nydelig detaljerte forklaringer og tolkninger som baserer seg primært på Koranen, med noen sekundere henvisninger til hadith. ANBEFALES TIL UMMAH samt til Anne Nattiland og Rutti Nanna, med resten av verdens befolkning :)
April 28, 2020
Wow what a fresh and enlightening book! Amazing work! Thank you Amina Wadud so much for all the efforts you put into this book!
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