Male Authority and Wife-Beating through the Lenses of Feminists: An Analysis of Amina Wadud’s Hermeneutics
Keywords:
tafsîr, Muslim feminist, gender equality, Quranic hermeneutics, patriarchy, Islamic feminismAbstract
Dr. Ibrahim Ilyasu Adam[1]
This paper examines verses related to male authority and wife-beating as reinterpreted by feminist scholars, with particular reference to Amina Wadud. The aim of the paper is to analyse to what extent Wadud’s perception of gender equality shaped her reading of Quran, 4:34) . Over the last two decades, tafsîr has gained a new momentum with the emergence of Muslim feminist hermeneutics, an exegetical method used by feminists to reread the Qur’ân to advance gender equality within an Islamic paradigm. This is particularly true for Wadud who argues that classical exegetes manipulated tafsîr to oppress women and preserve 'male-centric' authority. Hence, contextualization of the Qur’ân by adopting a new gender-sensitive approach is necessary to ensure women’s active participation in tafsîr. Using this approach, Wadud develops her own reading to deconstruct specific verses and discredit what she calls a patriarchal fallacy. While mainstream tafsîr relies heavily on using hadîth for the most authentic interpretation, Wadud has disregarded its authority, arguing that hadîth-based Qur’ânic hermeneutics should end. This paper analyses Wadud’s hermeneutics in relation to male authority and wife-beating and evaluates the extent to which she breaks with mainstream tafsîr. In the course of engagement with Wadud, the study adopts a comparative exegetical approach (al-Tafsîr al-Muqâran), making special reference to some classical exegetes and modern Qur’ânic scholars. The study has found that Wadud’s methodology in reading of Quran, 4: 34 is faulty in that it disregards authentic sources of tafsîr and deviates from its principles and for forcing her own reading into the Qur’ân. It concludes that revitalisation in tafsîr is essential in light of modern challenges but it has to be based on sound principles of interpretation.
[1] Quran and Sunnah Department, International Islamic University Malaysia.
