Female Qur'an Interpretations and Kerala Muslim Responses - Part 2
By
Grace Mubashir, New Age Islam
29 July
2022
Feminist
Qur'anic Interpretations and Kerala Muslim Perspectives Are Also Reflected In
the Kerala Public Sphere, a Global Market for Debates about Muslim Women's
Rights
Main
Points:
1. Muslim
scholars in Kerala generally viewed female recitations of the Qur'an with
suspicion.
2. Feminists
lack the qualities that Islamic epistemology dictates for authentic Ijtihad.
3. Feminist
interpreters, on the other hand, declare such efforts as their responsibility
to defend against injustice in interpretations of divine words.
-----
Opening
Up Through Feminist Qur'anic Interpretations
Muslim
scholars in Kerala generally viewed female recitations of the Qur'an with
suspicion. The main reasons for this opposition were that it was inspired by
Western feminism and approached the Qur'an through un-Islamic method science.
It has also been alleged that feminists lack the qualities that Islamic
epistemology dictates for authentic Ijtihad. Feminist interpreters, on the
other hand, declare such efforts as their responsibility to defend against
injustice in interpretations of divine words. Admitting that feminist
interpretations cannot be considered Ijtihad according to Islamic epistemology,
there is no justification for labelling such efforts as un-Islamic.
PK Abdul
Rahman's observation that women's endeavours were approached with prejudice
when the arguments put forward by Muslim male thought were linked to the
Islamic line of wisdom is noteworthy here. Admittedly, such studies have
limitations as initial efforts in this field. However, it is not possible to
completely reject such efforts as a study that reflects the position of women
in Islam and promotes liberation from the male-dominated social order.
Feminist
Qur'anic interpretations and Kerala Muslim perspectives are also reflected in
the Kerala public sphere, a global market for debates about Muslim women's
rights. From the rights of the Muslim woman to her personal choices are often
favorite topics of discussion for the Malayali mainstream. After the
publication of the Malayalam translation of Wadud's commentary on the Qur'an,
several discussions based on Islamic feminism, women's readings of the Qur'an,
etc., took place in Kerala. The said Malayalam translation was published in
2008 by Other Books under the name 'Qur'an Oru Penvayana'. There were many
positive and negative responses in Muslim publications and other scholarly
spaces including mainstream/secular publications.
These
debates have also led to deeper studies on the status of women in Islam.
Although not as well-known as Wadood, Malayalis have discussed the ideas of
feminist Qur'an commentators such as Rifat Hasan, Azizah Al Hibri and Asma
Barlas to Asma Lamrabit, a new face in this trend. This article categorizes the
responses published in Malayalam to feminist interpretations of the Qur'an into
three main categories. One is the masculinist response in Muslim intellectual
spaces. Two, Muslim women's responses. Responses have been made in mainstream
secular studies.
Barring a
few reactions, most of the observations in Muslim publications questioned the
credibility of feminist commentators. A major issue raised by observers was the
Western feminist background of the commentators. Critics argue that feminist
interpretations are financially supported research to protect Western
interests, and that it is only because of Western support that such writings
have quickly become mainstream debates.
It can be
seen that discourses about Muslim women became more active with the September
11 incident. Saba Mahmood theorizes American projects to reform Islam from
within as part of the formation of a 'moderate Islam'.
The
particular support of US academia for feminist interpretations should be seen
in this sense. But feminist commentators who uphold Muslim identity and belief
and point to their models from Islamic history are not justifiable to dismiss
such ideas entirely by accusing them of being Western conspiracies. The fact is
that feminist interpretations have been able to lead a scholarly revolution to
guide Muslim thinkers and various organizations into discussions about gender
justice in Islam. Recognizing geopolitical agendas became the imperative for
the study of Muslim women.
Feminist
Interpretations and New Interpreters
It has also
been observed that intolerance towards new readings is a reflection of the
masculinity prevailing in Islamic societies. Female responses were reflected in
most positive approaches. While acknowledging the limitations of feminist
commentators, most feminist observers approach feminist Qur'anic readings as a
new trend in Islamic epistemology. Rather than assessing the standards of
Islamic knowledge of female commentators, women readers sought to address the
questions raised by them. On the other hand, perhaps more radical arguments
about the status of women in Islam than those put forward by feminist
commentators, have been put forward by male scholars in the Muslim world both
before and after the discussion of feminist readings in Kerala. Tariq Ramadan,
Muslim publications have introduced the ideas of Hasan Turabi, Abu Shaqa,
Rashid ul Ghanushi and Farid Ishaq. But reactions questioning the authenticity
of these scholars have not occurred in Muslim scholarly circles. Nor have they
created the same storms of reaction that female interpretations have created.
Studies of feminist interpretations of the Qur'an have been published in
mainstream/secular publications and online spaces.
Secular
publications see such writings as a means of criticizing the Muslim community.
However, there are those who see it as an effort to find the female identity in
the Qur'an and from the angle of dialogue between Islam and feminism. At the
same time, it has been criticized that feminists have approached the Qur'an
with an 'apologetic attitude' without criticizing Islamic principles in dealing
with issues such as polygamy, women's witness, inheritance rights etc. On the
other side of this, it can be seen that the secular magazines rejected the
ideas of women's liberation raised by Muslim male scholars. This has to be
understood as a deliberate disregard as part of the usual constructions of
relegating the Muslim male.
Part One
of the Article: Female Qur'an Interpretations and Kerala Muslim
Responses - Part 1
------
A
regular columnist for NewAgeIslam.com, Grace Mubashir is a journalism student
at IIMC, Delhi
URL: https://newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/female-quran-interpretations-kerala-part-2/d/127594
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