"Believing Women" in Islam

1. The Qur'an's Egalitarianism is Often Overlooked

In writing this book, I have wanted not only to challenge oppressive readings of the Qurān but also to offer a reading that confirms that Muslim women can struggle for equality from within the framework of the Qurān’s teachings, contrary to what both conservative and progressive Muslims believe.

Challenging Misconceptions. Many perceive the Qur'an as a patriarchal text, leading to the oppression of women in Muslim societies. However, this view overlooks the Qur'an's inherent potential for promoting equality. The author aims to demonstrate that the Qur'an can be a source of liberation for women, contrary to the beliefs of both conservative and progressive Muslims.

Equality within Faith. The book seeks to challenge oppressive interpretations of the Qur'an and offer a reading that confirms that Muslim women can strive for equality within the framework of its teachings. This approach contrasts with the views of conservative Muslims who uphold patriarchal interpretations and progressive Muslims who see Islam as inherently oppressive.

Misreadings and Complicity. The author emphasizes the importance of challenging misreadings of the sacred text, as every religion is open to variant interpretations. Abdolkarim Soroush's concept of "misreadings" is introduced, highlighting that confusing Islam with "Islamism" or "Islamists" ignores the absence of a clergy in Islam and the right of individuals to interpret religious meaning.

2. Patriarchal Interpretations Obscure the Qur'an's True Message

Descriptions of Islam as a religious patriarchy that allegedly has “God on its side” confuse the Qurān with a specific reading of it, ignoring that all texts, including the Qurān, can be read in multiple modes, including egalitarian ones.

Multiple Interpretations. The Qur'an, like any text, is open to various interpretations, including egalitarian ones. Attributing misogyny and patriarchy to the Qur'an itself is a misrepresentation, as it conflates the text with specific readings. It is crucial to distinguish between the Qur'an and its exegesis, divine discourse and its earthly realization, and normative Islam and historical Islam.

Challenging the Status Quo. The author argues that patriarchal readings of Islam collapse the Qur'an with its exegesis, God with the languages used to speak about God, and normative Islam with historical Islam. This conflation leads to the misassociation of the sacred with misogyny, which motivates the author's engagement with Qur'anic hermeneutics.

The Power of Interpretation. The author emphasizes the need to examine who has read the Qur'an historically, how they have interpreted it, and the extratextual contexts in which they have read it. This examination includes the roles of Muslim interpretive communities and states in shaping religious knowledge and authority in ways that enabled patriarchal readings of the Qur'an.

3. Understanding Patriarchy is Key to Unveiling the Qur'an's Liberatory Potential

In the absence of a definition of patriarchy, however, one cannot know that the Qurān’s treatment of these themes undermines the very core of patriarchal ideology.

Defining Patriarchy. A clear definition of patriarchy is essential for establishing the Qur'an as an antipatriarchal text. The author defines patriarchy in both a narrow and a broad sense to make the definition as comprehensive as possible.

Narrow Definition. Patriarchy is defined as a specific mode of rule by fathers, assuming a real and symbolic continuum between the "Father/fathers." This definition is applied to reading the Qur'an because it was revealed in the context of a traditional patriarchy.

Broad Definition. Patriarchy is defined as a secular politics of sexual differentiation that privileges males by transforming biological sex into politicized gender. This definition is used to examine whether the Qur'an endorses the concepts of sex/gender differentiation, dualisms, and inequality.

4. Divine Self-Disclosure Offers a Framework for Egalitarian Readings

An appropriately Islamic theology would locate the hermeneutical and theological keys for interpreting the Qurān in the nature of divine ontology—or, to put it more accurately, in the nature of divine self- disclosure, since our knowledge of one is contingent on our understanding of the other.

Connecting God to God's Speech. The author argues that the hermeneutical and theological keys for interpreting the Qur'an are found in the nature of divine self-disclosure. This approach is based on the doctrine of God's Unity (Tawhīd), which stipulates a perfect congruence between God and God's speech.

Principles of Divine Self-Disclosure. The author examines three aspects of God's self-disclosure: the principles of divine unity, justness, and incomparability. These principles have the potential to generate liberatory readings of the Qur'an.

Implications for Equality. The principle of God's unity undermines theories of male rule, while the principle of divine justice ensures that God's speech cannot advocate injustice. The principle of God's incomparability rejects anthropomorphic representations of God and challenges the notion of a special affinity between God and males.

5. The Qur'an Emphasizes Textual Holism and Reason in Interpretation

Those who listen To the Word And follow The best (meaning) in it.

Textual Unity. The Qur'an emphasizes the importance of reading it as a textual unity, warning against breaking it into arbitrary parts. This principle of textual holism is essential for understanding the connections between different themes in the Qur'an.

Searching for the Best Meanings. The Qur'an encourages believers to listen to the Word and follow the best meaning in it, indicating that some meanings are better than others. The best meanings are those that recover justice and avoid ambiguity.

Using Analytical Reasoning. The Qur'an instructs believers to reflect and make the best use of reason in deciphering its polyvalent semiotic universe. This emphasis on analytical reasoning encourages Muslims to exercise their intellect in interpreting the Qur'an.

6. Sex and Gender are Distinct Concepts in the Qur'an

The Qurān establishes the principle of the ontic equality of the sexes, and it does so in a manner that is distinctive from both the one- sex and two- sex models on which Western patriarchal thought draws.

Recognizing Biological Differences. The Qur'an recognizes biological (sexual) differences between women and men. However, it does not endorse a view of sex/gender differentiation or gender dualisms.

Rejecting Gender Dualisms. The Qur'an does not endow sex (biology) or difference itself with symbolic meaning. It does not treat man as the Self (normative) and woman as the Other, or view women and men as binary opposites.

The Ontic Equality of the Sexes. The Qur'an establishes the principle of the ontic equality of the sexes in a manner that is distinctive from both the one-sex and two-sex models on which Western patriarchal thought draws.

7. The Qur'an's View of Family Challenges Traditional Hierarchies

The Qurān’s view of mothers and fathers and its definition of parental responsibilities are completely at odds with patriarchal theories.

Challenging Patriarchal Theories. The Qur'an's view of mothers and fathers and its definition of parental responsibilities are completely at odds with patriarchal theories. It does not endorse the concept of father-rule or male privilege.

Equality of Spouses. The Qur'an's definition of spousal relationships differs markedly from their conceptualization in patriarchies. It confirms the principle of the equality, equivalence, sameness, or similarity of the spouses.

Emphasis on Mutual Care. The Qur'an emphasizes the importance of a shared discourse of meaning and mutual care between women and men. This emphasis on mutual care is necessary for the development of moral individualities and communities.

8. Secular Feminism's Critique of the Qur'an is Often Misguided

The very fact that men’s exegesis influences women’s understanding of religion—as well as the fact that language allows for its own contestation—testifies to the autonomy of meanings and language from sex/gender.

Critique of Secular Feminism. The author critiques secular feminists who re-inscribe the Qur'an as an incurably patriarchal text and question its status as God's word. These critics often fail to engage with the liberatory aspects of the Qur'an's teachings.

Autonomy of Meanings. The author argues that the fact that men's exegesis influences women's understanding of religion testifies to the autonomy of meanings and language from sex/gender. Language allows for its own contestation.

Shared Discourse of Meaning. The Qur'an assumes that a shared discourse of meaning and mutual care between women and men is not only possible but also necessary for the development of moral individualities and communities.

9. The Sunnah and Sharī'ah Can Obscure the Qur'an's Message

By “returning to a fresh and immediate interpretation of the Holy Book, and by taking a new and critical look at the Hadiths—in other words, by engaging in creative ijtihad—modern Islamic authority could very well reform and renew the position of Islam on the issue of the status of women.

Secondary Religious Texts. Inequality and discrimination derive not from the teachings of the Qur'an but from the secondary religious texts, the tafsīr (Qur'anic exegesis) and the ahādith (narratives purportedly detailing the life and praxis of the Prophet Muhammad).

Returning to the Qur'an. By returning to a fresh and immediate interpretation of the Holy Book and by taking a new and critical look at the Hadiths, modern Islamic authority could reform and renew the position of Islam on the issue of the status of women.

Reinvestigating Normative Texts. It becomes crucial for women to reinvestigate the normative religious texts and even to become specialists in the sacred text, as Fatima Mernissi urged.

10. The State Has Historically Influenced Qur'anic Interpretation

The fact that the Qurān “happens against a long background of patriarchal precedent” may also explain why its exegesis, the work entirely of men, has been influenced by their own needs and experiences while either excluding or interpreting—“through the male vision, perspective, desire, or needs”—women’s experiences.

Influence of the State. The history of Muslim states reveals a pattern of using Islam for their own political ends. This has resulted in the misassociation of the sacred with misogyny and the abuse of women in the name of Islam.

Exclusion of Women's Voices. The absence of women's voices from the basic paradigms through which we examine and discuss the Qur'an and Qur'anic interpretation is mistaken with voicelessness in the text itself.

Reclaiming Interpretive Rights. More and more Muslims are beginning to reclaim their interpretive rights, realizing that no one has a monopoly over the meaning of what God says.

Last updated: April 17, 2025