Women in the Qur'an. Asma Lamrabet

      

      Women in the Qur’an:

      An Emancipatory Reading

      Asma Lamrabet

      Translated by Myriam Francois-Cerrah

      Square View

      This book has been selected to receive financial assistance from English PEN’s “PEN Translates!” programme, supported by Arts Council England. English PEN exists to promote literature and our understanding of it, to uphold writers’ freedoms around the world, to campaign against the persecution and imprisonment of writers for stating their views, and to promote the friendly co-operation of writers and the free exchange of ideas. www.englishpen.org

       Women in the Qur’an: An Emancipatory Reading

      First published in England by Square View

      Distributed by Kube Publishing Ltd

      Markfield Conference Centre

      Ratby Lane, Markfield,

      Leicestershire LE67 9SY

      United Kingdom

      Tel: [phone]

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      Website: www.kubepublishing.com Email: [email protected]

      © Asma Lambaret, 2016

      All rights reserved

      The right of Asma Lambaret to be identified

      as the author of this work has been asserted by him in

      accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988.

      CIP data for this book is available from the British Library.

      ISBN 978-0-99351-660-3 casebound ISBN 978-0-99351-661-0 paperback ISBN 978-0-99351-662-7 ebook

      Cover design: Fatima Jamadar Book design/Typesetting: Nasir Cadir

      CONTENTS

Preface to the English Edition

Introducing the author

A meeting with very special Muslim women

Thanks

Introduction

What kind of liberation are we speaking of?

In the very beginning …

PART ONE

When the Qur’an speaks of women

A story of all women

Balkis, Queen of Sheba: A democratic queen

Sarah and Hagar, emblems of monotheism

       Zulaykha or forbidden love

       Umm Musa and Asiah, the free women

       The daughter of Shu‘ayb and the meeting with Musa

       Maryam, the favourite

       Maryam, a link between Christians and Muslims

       The birth of Maryam

       Maryam’s spiritual retreat

       Revelation and annunciation

       The birth of ‘Isa and all the struggles

       Maryam and her son, a ‘sign’ for the worlds

       PART TWO

       When the Qur’an speaks to women

       The language of the Qur’an, a masculine language?

       When the Qur’an responds to female demands

       A mubahalah, or when the Qur’an encourages women to social participation

       The Muhajirat or female political refugees

       The mubayi‘at or the political participation of women

       Al-Mujadilah, when God listens to the secrets of a woman

       And the other verses?

       Polygamy

       Testimony

       Inheritance

       Hit them … ?

       Conclusion

       Islam or the story of an aborted women’s revolution

       Glossary of Terms

       Publishers End Notes

       Bibliography

       Index

PREFACE TO THE ENGLISH EDITION

      Knowledge is power; and, like power, it can be used to serve diametrically opposed objectives: from serving humanity, to the destruction of what is good for mankind. Hence, the need for sound understanding and informed discussion.

      Islam today is perhaps the world’s most discussed religion; yet, arguably its most misunderstood one. Islamophobia and contrived efforts to impose reforms from outside or engineer them from within, have only aggravated the situation. Nevertheless, it may be worthwhile for both Islam’s advocates and adversaries to revisit their positions and explore avenues of real understanding through reflection and dialogue, as opposed to blind advocacy or outright