پژوهشنامه معارف قرآن کریم
پیاپی 6 (بهار 1389)

This article treats the creation of woman in the Holy Quran’s verses and has cited the traditions and narratives transmitted in the subject. Then responding some of the doubts raised on the issue has proven that contrary to some superficial and sketchy assumptions that are deduced from the Holy Quran’s verses and contrary to Israeli oriented narratives (permeated in some commentary books) that have not been contextually criticized, the woman in Islam is believed to have a genuine and equivalent creation as the men are provided with. Both are created from one source (one soul) and do not enjoy any supremacy in this respect to one another. Eventually, it will nullify the following accounts that woman is of a low-born gender and nastier than the man, or is created from the left rib of man and is made to serve him only.

The terms of woman, giving birth - in a broader sense of physical growth and spiritual evolution -, water and vegetable are categories closely interrelated and interconnected with one another in the Quranic contexts. The level of attention paid to these categories in some of the chapters is outstanding. Moreover, meditation and pondering upon these chapters would provide us self-evident facts related to the human characters, growth and guidance. One’s vigilance to these relations would open a new door in the global Quranic discourse and will be a response to the accusations made by Islamophobia propagandists. The emphasis this article is going to set is on existing harmony and order amongst the Quranic chapters utilizing comparative tables and examples in necessary times. The article at hand covers the following verses of Al-Kauthar, Al- Ma`un, Al-`Alaq, At-Tin, At-Tahrim, At-Talaq, Maryam, Al-Kahf, Al- Mu’minun, Al-Hajj, and An-Nissaa. The selection of these verses is due to their view on one or two categories of woman, giving birth, growth and development of human and due to the existence of hints concerning water and plant in some of these chapters. The present article has also a comparative look at reflections of such concepts in other sacred texts.

During the prophetic mission one of the most significant social depravities and evils was the society’s view toward the woman and the way she was treated. This article with the title of “The campaign methods of Prophet Mohammad against the anti-woman culture of the ignorance age” tries his best searching the holy Quran, exegeses and historical books to show the most important methods of the prophet’s campaign against the ignorant culture of his era. The article at hand initially studies the words of ignorance and culture from tow lexicological and terminological perspectives and considers their meanings in the Holy Quran and Nahjulbalagha. This writing after classifying the verses and their due commentary remarks and getting the contribution of historical books elucidates the campaign methods of Prophet Mohammad against the prevailing culture. Eventually it is concluded that the women finding their dignity and reverence after emergence of Islam are hugely indebted to the endeavors and struggles made by the Prophet Mohammad (peace be upon him and his households).

The historical interpretation of Quran which is based on the recognition of the historical atmosphere of Quran verses descending and the culture of the descending age people contributes to the better understanding of the verse purposes. The inspection of family and social conditions of women in the “Ignorance Age” represents the attitude of this culture towards women. Moreover, it reveals the situations in which Quran considers “Beating” as the third stage of confronting women’s rebelliousness. It is noteworthy that the 34th verse of Al-Nesa is one of the important verses in which the rights of men and women are determined. According to this verse, “Beating” is regarded as the third stage of confronting women’s rebelliousness. What remains challenging from the old times is the commentators’ problem in clarifying the meaning and philosophy of this verse. Besides this, the social and cultural situation of contemporary women has caused a change in looking at the meaning of “Beating” in the verse. As a result, to escape from the challenge posed, the commentators and researchers have limited it to being non-painful or interpreted it as travelling, separation, and so on.

Some decades ago a subject under the title of “the personality and dignity of human” was propounded. Gradually, paying heed to this issue prompted references to the Holy Quran with the same approach. Based on this fact and considering the booming state of the discussions like the rights of woman, the verses 228 and 282 of Al Baqarah chapter and the verses 3, 34 and 119 of Al Nissaa and the 18th verse of Az- Zukhruf plus the topics such as witnessing of woman, inheritance of woman, punishment of woman, sustenance and maintenance of woman by men, polygamy and etc. became the hot topics argued upon. Some contemporary exegetes have attempted to present a new interpretation of these verses or defend the Quranic standpoint via mostly theological and partly psychological reasons. The present article examining these verses along with their related subjects has approached this conclusion that following the ever-increasing presence of women in the society, the contemporary exegetes while offering new and forward looking interpretations have endeavored to modify and change the traditional viewpoint of woman’s relations with society and family.

In the midst of the facts there exists a misconception amongst those who refer and listen to the verses of the holy Quran in regard to the following issues of maintenance of women by men and their physical punishment by men. The 34th verse of chapter An-Nissaa has explicitly touched this point. The present article while refereeing to the important exegetical sources of the Shiite and the Sunnite and studying the traditions transmitted on the very verse, tries to explain the heart of these two matters. Finally he will make it clear that what is being apparently deduced by the listeners and who refer to the Quranic verses is totally different with what the Holy Quran and the tradition of the infallible Imams is emphasizing on. Actually what the Holy Quran and Revelation cite in this respect is otherwise of the terrestrial and human made imagination.

In the verses and Islamic historical traditions, a striking and effective presence of women and their responsibilities in the social scenes are sighted and observed. In this respect some religious minded people confine the woman’s role in being a good mother and wife and imagine that their role is limited to the aforementioned parts and do not hold the right of presence in the society to undertake fulfilling other responsibilities. Contrary to their opinion there are some who maintain that the woman along with the ability of treating her maternal and husband/wife duties has the capacity and competence to perform other social roles too and should inevitably display her part in great deal of administrations. This presence along with holding many positive results is facing many harms and dangers that threaten her. For instance one might encounter personal harms like physical injuries, mental suffering, weariness or familial problems such as the affection based troubles of the children, reduction of relation with other family members and dissatisfaction of husband. Beside all, other social challenges such as the decline of marriage rate and the danger of illegitimate relations should be added to the list. This article is determined to detect and identify these harms and study them critically. Additionally it would enlighten the necessity of woman’s presence in the society from Quranic perspective and will explain the manifestations and the procedures of their presence from the Islamic jurisdiction standpoint.

The article has dealt with the issue of prophethood of woman in the Holy Bible and the approval or denial of the topic from the Holy Quran’s perspective; so to understand this matter via verses of the Testaments and of the Holy Quran. The pivotal concern of the debate is to compare the Testaments and the Holy Quran’s views on existence of female prophets and analyze the Old and New Testaments point of view from a Quranic outlook. Meanwhile, it has put forth the related traditions and Islamic exegetes and intellectual’s ideas in this respect. Finally the research has reached the conclusion that the woman lacks a due and suitable position in the Testaments’ texts and she is not only deprived of prophetic mission but also is not authorized in Judaism and Christianity to access the religious leadership position. But in Islam some of the exegetes considering the revelation or descending down of the Gabriel on woman and also a narrative from the prophet of Islam have pointed out some four female prophets. Nonetheless, most of the commentators have rejected the female prophecy and counted it to be against the exoteric meaning of the Quranic verses specially the 34th)الرجال قوامون علی النساء(. verse of chapter An-Nissaa