Woman appears in the Holy Quran in three aspects:
First: As a biological and social being. Second: as a believer. Third: as a character in the biblical salvation narrative.
(1)Apart from the wife of Muhammad's uncle Abu Lahab, and Zainab, one of Muhammad's wives to whom the Holy Quran alluded,
(2)the Virgin Mary is the most important female character in the Holy Quran. The nineteenth sura of the Holy Quran is named after her, the only female name the Holy Quran mentions. The other women whose stories are narrated in the Holy Quran are never mentioned by name, rather they were called the wives of their respective husbands. Among them are: Eve,
(3) the wife of Imran (Sura Al Imran 3:35), the wife of the governor (Sura Yusuf 12:30), Pharaoh's wife (Sura al-Qasas 28:9), Lot's wife (Sura al-Tahrim 66:10), Abraham's wife (Sura Hud 11:71), and Noah's wife (Sura al-Tahrim 66:10).
What the Holy Quran says about the woman as a biological social being can be considered objective, not diminishing any of her rights, though the prevailing theme in this respect is "Men are the managers of women for that God has preferred in bounty one of them over another, and for that they have expended of their property" (Sura al-Nisa´ 4:34). The Holy Quran pictures Mary's mother as being disappointed over the fact that she gave birth to a "female": "Lord, I have given birth to her, a female- (And God knew very well what she had given birth to; the male is not as the female)-" (Sura Al Imran 3:36). We find in such Holy Quranic verses Muhammad's attempt to project the Bedouin concept of the woman onto a biblical episode.
(4) As concerns creation, no distinction in rank is found between man and woman. According to Islam, Adam was the first man, as the Bible also says, "He has created the two kinds, male and female" (Sura al-Najm 53:45), and "O mankind, We have created you a male and female, and appointed you races and tribes, that you may know one another" (Sura al-Hujurat 49:13). God addresses His commands, interdictions and statutes to both sexes.
(5) After this brief treatment of the woman as a biological social being and as a character in the Holy Quranic stories, we would like to study woman as a believer in the Holy Quran. The Holy Quranic verses dealing with woman as a believer constitute the basic element and foundation for her legislative and social position. As we shall see in the following chapters, this subject can be grasped by studying woman's status in comparison with man's in marriage, divorce, witnessing, inheritance, veiledness, and concubinage. Inequality between man and woman, at the expense of the woman, stands out clearly in these chapters, in spite of the attempts of zealous Muslims and European orientalists to explain the texts away. These attempts have often lead to the opposite of what the Holy Quran means and what the ordinary Muslim understands.
(6) We will cite, whenever there are grounds, the opinions of the theologians and jurists who soften the meaning of both the Holy Quran and the Hadith.
Those concerned with the Holy Quran and those who read it know well that the judgments mentioned in it concerning women form a good part of it. As it is known, the fourth sura is called "Women", and is one of the longer suras. But before looking into the legislative position of women, we would like to touch once again on the status of women in relation to men.
First: As a biological and social being. Second: as a believer. Third: as a character in the biblical salvation narrative.
(1)Apart from the wife of Muhammad's uncle Abu Lahab, and Zainab, one of Muhammad's wives to whom the Holy Quran alluded,
(2)the Virgin Mary is the most important female character in the Holy Quran. The nineteenth sura of the Holy Quran is named after her, the only female name the Holy Quran mentions. The other women whose stories are narrated in the Holy Quran are never mentioned by name, rather they were called the wives of their respective husbands. Among them are: Eve,
(3) the wife of Imran (Sura Al Imran 3:35), the wife of the governor (Sura Yusuf 12:30), Pharaoh's wife (Sura al-Qasas 28:9), Lot's wife (Sura al-Tahrim 66:10), Abraham's wife (Sura Hud 11:71), and Noah's wife (Sura al-Tahrim 66:10).
What the Holy Quran says about the woman as a biological social being can be considered objective, not diminishing any of her rights, though the prevailing theme in this respect is "Men are the managers of women for that God has preferred in bounty one of them over another, and for that they have expended of their property" (Sura al-Nisa´ 4:34). The Holy Quran pictures Mary's mother as being disappointed over the fact that she gave birth to a "female": "Lord, I have given birth to her, a female- (And God knew very well what she had given birth to; the male is not as the female)-" (Sura Al Imran 3:36). We find in such Holy Quranic verses Muhammad's attempt to project the Bedouin concept of the woman onto a biblical episode.
(4) As concerns creation, no distinction in rank is found between man and woman. According to Islam, Adam was the first man, as the Bible also says, "He has created the two kinds, male and female" (Sura al-Najm 53:45), and "O mankind, We have created you a male and female, and appointed you races and tribes, that you may know one another" (Sura al-Hujurat 49:13). God addresses His commands, interdictions and statutes to both sexes.
(5) After this brief treatment of the woman as a biological social being and as a character in the Holy Quranic stories, we would like to study woman as a believer in the Holy Quran. The Holy Quranic verses dealing with woman as a believer constitute the basic element and foundation for her legislative and social position. As we shall see in the following chapters, this subject can be grasped by studying woman's status in comparison with man's in marriage, divorce, witnessing, inheritance, veiledness, and concubinage. Inequality between man and woman, at the expense of the woman, stands out clearly in these chapters, in spite of the attempts of zealous Muslims and European orientalists to explain the texts away. These attempts have often lead to the opposite of what the Holy Quran means and what the ordinary Muslim understands.
(6) We will cite, whenever there are grounds, the opinions of the theologians and jurists who soften the meaning of both the Holy Quran and the Hadith.
Those concerned with the Holy Quran and those who read it know well that the judgments mentioned in it concerning women form a good part of it. As it is known, the fourth sura is called "Women", and is one of the longer suras. But before looking into the legislative position of women, we would like to touch once again on the status of women in relation to men.