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Tauhidul Islam
Student No.- 794075
Introduction to Qur’an
Chosen Essay Topic- The Qur’an contains several
passages which appear to treat women as inferior to
men. Using examples from the Qur’an and secondary
sources, critically evaluate the Qur’an’s discourse on
women and gender.
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SETTING THE SCENE:
The sight of Muslims praying together, dislodging boundaries of race, status,
wealth and performing prayers in unison might portray that Islam promotes
unity across all its followers. Contrary to this expectation, there has been
widespread debate regarding the concept of gender equality in Islam, and it
has been one of the contentious issues that has been pointed out frequently
by its critics.
When the picture of Muslim prayers in a mosque is painted on one’s mind, it is
very likely that it would contain images of men, and not women. Even though
Salat (Islamic prayers) is obligatory for all Muslims, as mentioned in Qur’an:
“And seek help through patience and prayer”1 women have been traditionally
encouraged to pray in seclusion in Muslim societies, which resulted in images
of Salat being associated with men. The Qur’an, however, does not attempt to
discourage women from praying in the mosque, as it states: “O children of
Adam, take your adornment at every masjid.”2 This verse indicates that any
human being, regardless of gender, can pray in mosques. Mosques all around
1
2
The Qur’an, (Saheeh International, 1997), Chapter 2:45.
The Qur’an, 7:31.
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the world in modern times have been increasingly inclusive to women,
possibly because of discarding of traditional practices that are not backed by
the Qur’an and Hadith. Nevertheless, this is an example how traditional Islamic
practices have, at times, been not in line with the Qur’an, an aspect which will
be crucial to the analysis in the coming paragraphs.
The socio-historical context of seventh century Arab is extremely crucial
whenever the analysis of the Qur’anic teachings come into the fore. Even
though Qur’an is considered by Muslims as a divine scripture whose words
apply to people in every community across all ages, the rationale behind the
words are crucial in interpreting the meaning and in this case, evaluating its
discourse on women and gender.
In a lot of cases, women were deprived of their rights in the pre-Islamic Arab
Society. From inferior treatment of daughters to female infanticide, from
inadequate divorce rights to the fact that most women could not inherit at all3,
there are various evidences in historical records suggesting that the Qur’an
was introduced in a society where women were barely treated equally. Noting
3
Abdullah Saeed, The Qurʼan: An Introduction (London: Routledge, 2008), 13-15.
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this context, the Qur’anic teachings related to different aspects of human
society are discussed in the following paragraphs.
RIGHTS OF PARENTS:
The Qur’an dismisses notions of the father being equated to God, unlike some
other religions.4 It instead mentions: “And your Lord has decreed that you not
worship except Him, and to parents, good treatment. Whether one or both of
them reach old age [while] with you, say not to them [so much as], "uff," and
do not repel them but speak to them a noble word.”5 This shows that the
Qur’an asks people to be respectful and patient with their parents when they
get old. While it does not differentiate between both parents as to who
deserves more rights, it is appreciative of the mother’s role as the child bearer:
“And We have enjoined upon man [care] for his parents. His mother carried
him, [increasing her] in weakness upon weakness, and his weaning is in two
years. Be grateful to Me and to your parents; to Me is the [final] destination.”6
4
Asma Barlas, Believing Women in Islam: Unreading Patriarchal Interpretations of the Qur’an
(Texas: University of Texas Press, 2002), 173-4.
5
The Qur’an, 17:23.
6
The Qur’an, 31:14.
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Therefore, in terms of parent-children relationships, there is no evidence to
suggest that fathers are privileged over mothers in the Qur’an.
MARRIAGE AND SPOUSE RIGHTS:
One of the most widely criticised verse in the Qur’an is regarding polygamy:
“And if you fear that you will not deal justly with the orphan girls, then marry
those that please you of [other] women, two or three or four. But if you fear
that you will not be just, then [marry only] one or those your right hand
possesses. That is more suitable that you may not incline [to injustice].”7 The
first part of this verse is often used as a justification for multiple marriages for
men in many Muslim societies, whereas critics point out its prejudiced nature,
but the fact that this applies in case of ensuring justice and security for orphan
girls in a specific context,8 and that this verse applies on the condition of
treating wives justly need to be considered. In fact, in another verse, the
Qur’an points out the human psychology. “And you will never be able to be
equal [in feeling] between wives, even if you should strive [to do so].”9 While
7
The Qur’an, 4:3.
Barlas, Believing Women in Islam, 190.
9
The Qur’an, 4:129.
8
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there can be different interpretation of the initial verse, one needs to examine
the context, surrounding verses and read into the text to understand the
principle. The Qur’an only permits men to have multiple wives based on
certain conditions, and it can be argued as to whether the situation for orphan
girls are as insecure in today’s world as it was in seventh century Arabia.
With regards to relationship between husband and wife, the Qur’an depicts it
as, “They are clothing for you and you are clothing for them.”10 This suggests
that husbands and wives are to complement each other in marriage. It also
declares that: “And of His signs is that He created for you from yourselves
mates that you may find tranquillity in them; and He placed between your
affection and mercy.”11
Despite such seemingly egalitarian verses on spouse relations, there has been
some verses that have caused significant controversy, notably two lines, “Men
are in charge of women by [right of] what Allah has given one over the other
and what they spend [for maintenance] from their wealth” ……. “But those
10
11
The Qur’an, 2:187.
The Qur’an, 30:21.
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[wives] from whom you fear arrogance - [first] advise them; [then if they
persist], forsake them in bed; and [finally], strike them.”12 This verse is
criticized as being against gender equality on two grounds, firstly by
mentioning that men are in charge of women, which seems to contradict
against the previous verses of spousal relationships, and secondly by allowing
husbands to strike their wives, at least from a textual perspective.
However, the phrase “in charge” has been often interpreted as a responsibility
of men to provide for women and does not equate it to them being the head
of the household.13 The phrase “qawwāmūn” means breadwinner
linguistically,14 and therefore it can be seen as a functional obligation instead
of a privilege.
Regarding the final part of the verse, it has been argued by several scholars
including Amina Wadud that the verse asks men to use “striking” as an option
only as a last resort,15 and it was a restriction in the context of extreme
12
The Qur’an, 4:34.
Barlas, Believing Women in Islam, 190.
14
R. Hassan, “Feminism in Islam,” in Feminism and World Religions, eds. Arvind Sharma and
Katherine K. Young (State University of New York Press, 1999), 354.
15
Amina Wadud, Qur'an And Woman (New York: Oxford University Press, 1999), 75.
13
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violence on women in those times.16 Wadud also indicates at the usage of the
word “daraba” (to hit) in the verse as opposed to the other form “darraba” (to
hit repeatedly on intensely).17 Many exegeses also emphasise on the fact that
this is a symbolic punishment that should be carried out in a way that does not
cause pain, such as a handkerchief.18 This way of interpretation is not to
condone any form of violence on women, but it allows us to look at the Qur’an
from a different, non-traditional perspective which goes in line with the
Qur’an’s teachings on gender relations.
DAUGHTERS:
The Arabs had a culture of female infanticide before the revelation of the
Qur’an as daughters were often considered as inferior.19 The scripture
addresses this issue and takes a strong stance against this culture, criticising
fathers with this attitude, “And when one of them is informed of [the birth of]
a female, his face becomes dark, and he suppresses grief. He hides himself
from the people because of the ill of which he has been informed. Should he
16
Ibid., 76.
Ibid.
18
Barlas, Believing Women in Islam, 188.
19
Saeed, The Qur’an, 13
17
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keep it in humiliation or bury it in the ground? Unquestionably, evil is what
they decide.”20 The Qur’an also equated this to killing: “And when the girl [who
was] buried alive is asked for what sin she was killed”.21 This issue was referred
as a part of different events that would happen on the day of Judgement and
how it would be accounted for. Given the Qur’an’s frequent emphasis on the
accountability, using infanticide as an example can be considered as a
depiction of the level of condemnation of this practice in the scripture.
INHERITANCE:
Inheritance is a topic which has been discussed in detail in some verses of the
Qur’an and discussing every aspect would go beyond the scope of this word
limit. It grants women inheritance rights22 which was not a common practice in
the society then.23 It warns against depriving her of that inheritance24 and
specifies that the dowry or marriage gift belongs to the woman alone.25
However, while detailing the rules for inheritance, it is cited that “Allah
20
The Qur’an, 16:58-9.
The Qur’an, 81:8-9.
22
The Qur’an, 4:7
23
Saeed, The Qur’an: An Introduction, 14
24
The Qur’an, 4:19
25
The Qur’an, 2:229, 4:19-21 & 25
21
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instructs you concerning your children: for the male, what is equal to the share
of two females”26 and that is where the argument about equality appears. It is
often argued that by allowing men to receive double the inheritance of that of
women, the Qur’an implies that men have supremacy over women.
This has been refuted by scholars like Ghulam Hossein Adeel, referring to the
fact that in Islam, men have more responsibility in terms of maintaining the
family, paying dowry during marriage, as well as looking after the well-being of
relatives and society, functions that are not obligatory for women.27 This
increased responsibility is reflected in the inheritance shares, and it can be
argued as equitable based on the context and the definition of gender roles
and duties in the Qur’an.
26
The Qur’an, 4:11
Ghulam H. Adeel, “Status of Women in Islam: A Critical Analysis on a Matter of Equality”,
Message of Thaqalayn, Spring 2010, 108
27
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LAW AND TRADE:
With regard to witnesses during a debt contract, the Qur’an mentions “And
bring to witness two witnesses from among your men. And if there are not two
men [available], then a man and two women from those whom you accept as
witnesses - so that if one of the women errs, then the other can remind her.”28
This has been criticized on the grounds that it implies that women’s
testimonies are worth half the value of that of men, and that it implies women
have poorer memory. However, the rationale behind this verse in the context
might have dealt with the issue of lack of familiarity of women with contracts
and debt finances, which could get rather complex in real world situations.
This does not necessarily mean all women were less experienced than men,
but a legal guideline would have represented the situation of the majority,
which makes this interpretation a plausible one.
28
The Qur’an, 2:282
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CONCLUSION:
The Qur’an has put a lot of emphasis on the aspect of religiousness and
closeness to God, and it has mentioned several times that reward and
punishment is based on one’s deeds and not gender. A verse in the Qur’an
states, “Whoever does righteousness, whether male or female, while he is a
believer - We will surely cause him to live a good life, and We will surely give
them their reward [in the Hereafter] according to the best of what they used
to do.”29 According to Barlas, the distinction in Islam is based on believers and
unbelievers, and the extent to which people observe limits of God.30
There are different ways to interpret the Qur’an’s verses and therefore it can
be a subjective matter. However, Muslims believe that the Qur’an applies to all
people across all ages, and if the surface meaning is the only way to interpret
every verse, the application might contradict with the concepts of justice,
fairness and equity that the scripture has focuses upon repeatedly.
29
30
The Qur’an, 16:97
Barlas, Believing Women in Islam, 171
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Understanding the context of revelation and employing the underlying
principles to today’s context is a way to deal with this paradox, but given the
variety of opinions, it is difficult to be definitive in conclusion. The Qur’an does
treat men and women differently in certain places, but it tends to have an
equitable approach rather than equal and can seem rather open-ended in
some places. Therefore, while analysing the Qur’an’s position, it might be
useful to not rush to any conclusion about the scripture merely based on some
verses, and acknowledge the abstractness of it.
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BIBLIOGRAPHY:
The Qur’an. Translated by Saheeh International, 1997.
Saeed, Abdullah. The Qurʼan: An Introduction. London: Routledge, 2008.
Wadud, Amina. Qur'an And Woman. New York: Oxford University Press, 1999.
Barlas, Asma. Believing Women in Islam: Unreading Patriarchal Interpretations
of the Qur’an. Texas: University of Texas Press, 2002.
Hassan, R. “Feminism in Islam.” In Feminism and World Religions, edited by
Arvind Sharma and Katherine K. Young. New York: State University of New
York Press, 1999.
Adeel, Ghulam H. “Status of Women in Islam: A Critical Analysis on a Matter of
Equality.” Message of Thaqalayn, Spring 2010.