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Notes
- 1.
The Qur’an can be interpreted in two ways, literal and contextual. While the literal interpretation is based on the words in the text alone, the conceptual interpretation understands the words in light of historical, political, and cultural contexts, in search of the basic idea. This is necessary because the Qur’an was revealed in stages in history and within certain cultural, social, and political contexts. As the message of the Qur’an is deemed to be eternally valid, not limited to a specific time or a particular context, to understand the meaning of the Qur’an, one must seek the idea/intention rather than the literal words (Ebadi & Aasen, 2003). Usually, literal interpretations of the Qur’an are linked with conservative scholars, while progressive/reformist scholars based their understanding of the Qur’an on conceptual interpretations. As an example, the Qur’an allows a man to have four wives. This provision should be interpreted in light of the social and the cultural context in which it operated. Muhammad encouraged Muslim men to marry up to four wives to provide for women who were widowed at the Battle of Uhud. Thus, the custom of marrying up to four wives had its origin as a humanitarian gesture to take care of the less fortunate women and their children in a community where men were expected to constantly engage in battles and expeditions (Kim & Ebadi, 2003). Today, society has developed other ways of taking care of widows and others who are in need of financial support. The Qur’an also says “You will never be able to do perfect justice between wives even if it is your ardent desire……” (Qur’an, 4:129) and in another verse, “……but if you fear that you shall not be able to deal justly (with them), then only one” (Qur’an, 4:3), implying that while polygamy is allowed, because it is extremely difficult to be fair and just to all wives, a man is encourage to have only one wife.
- 2.
I find this term inappropriate to use in the context of Islam. Islam is rooted in the notions of justice, human dignity, and equality, where all humans have been created equal and are equal in the eyes of God. The Qur’an states the rights and the duties of men and women; in general the rights and the duties of both sexes are the same except within the family, where men are seen as providers and women as caregivers. In many patriarchal societies, this latter point is often used to justify the confinement of women at home. While the main duty of women is to the family, their rights to education, employment, property, etc. are to be respected, and it is the duty of men to ensure that women are given their rights. Therefore, in an “‘Islamic”’ country (at present, no Muslim country is really Islamic, though there are claims) women do not have to fight for their rights, to claim what is rightfully theirs. In many Muslim countries, the prevailing patriarchal structures of society have influenced the interpretations of the Qur’an and the traditions of Prophet Muhammad, which has led to legal rulings being determined solely by male jurists who have failed to address the concrete problems faced by women in current society.
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Noor, N.M. (2009). “Liberating” the Hijab. In: Sonn, C., Montero, M. (eds) Psychology of Liberation. Peace Psychology Book Series. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-85784-8_10
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