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{{Short description|none}}
{{About|women that appear in the Quran|the roles, rights, and duties of women as laid out in the Quran|Women in Islam}}
{{About|Quran||Quran (disambiguation)}}
{{Quran|expanded=content}}
'''Women in the Quran''' are important characters and subjects of discussion included in the stories and morals taught in [[Islam]]. Most of the women in the Quran are represented as either mothers or wives of leaders or prophets. They retained a certain amount of autonomy from men in some respects; for example, the Quran describes women who converted to Islam before their husbands or women who took an independent oath of allegiance to [[Muhammad]].<ref>{{cite journal |url=http://www.oxfordislamicstudies.com/article/opr/t125/e2510?_hi=6&_pos=2 |title=From the article on Women and Islam in Oxford Islamic Studies Online |doi=10.1093/0198297688.003.0006 |publisher=Oxfordislamicstudies.com |date=2008-05-06 |access-date=2012-08-22 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140525233720/http://www.oxfordislamicstudies.com/article/opr/t125/e2510?_hi=6&_pos=2 |archive-date=2014-05-25 |url-status=
While the Quran does not name any woman except for [[Mary in Islam|Virgin Mary]] directly, women play a role in many of its stories. These stories have been subject to manipulation and rigid interpretation in both classical commentary and popular literature from patriarchal societies.<ref name=EoQ>Encyclopaedia of the Quran. Leiden: [[Brill Publishers|Brill]], 2001. Print.</ref> The cultural norms existing within a [[patriarchy]] have shaped the way that these societies approached the text and created a pervading narrative that dictated the way [[future generations]] were set up to interpret these stories and the role of women within the Quran. Throughout history, different Islamic scriptural interpreters and lawmakers constantly reinterpreted the women presented in the Quran as a result of the dominating ideology and historical context of the time. In the wake of modernity and the rise of [[Islamic feminism]], many scholars are looking back to the original text, reexamining the accepted classical interpretations of women, and reimagining women's role within the Quran.<ref name=EoQ/>
==
[[Eve#Islam|Eve]] (''
The Quranic narrative of Adam and Eve's creation and fall differs thematically from the more fleshed-out story in the Jewish and Christian traditions. Similar to the Christian and Jewish tale, Allah created [[Adam and Eve]] and a place for them to live, [[Jannah|Paradise]]. However, in the Quran,
{{Quote|"So We said: O Adam! This is an enemy to you and to '''your wife'''; therefore let him not drive you both forth from the garden so that you should be unhappy; "| [[Quran
The literal Quranic text in many ways removes the blame that is often placed upon Eve. Instead of being portrayed as the cause of Adam's fall, Eve is merely presented as equally compliant in the sin and then later, equally compliant in the punishment and atonement.<ref>Chand, M. (1991). Adam, Eve, & Satan in the Garden of Eden. The University of Singh Arts Research Journal, 30(1), 25–35.</ref> However early critical interpretation surrounding the creation and fall story was influenced heavily by the pervading Christian and Jewish notions of Eve.<ref>Pregill, M. (2008). Isra'iliyyat, myth and pseudepigraphy: Wabb b. Munabbih and the early Islamic versions of the fall of Adam and Eve. ''[[Jerusalem Studies in Arabic and Islam]]'',</ref> Therefore, early medieval interpretations focus on depicting
{{Quote|"Were it not for the calamity that afflicted
However, in modern times the explanation and general understanding of
==Wives of Noah and Lot==
Oftentimes the names of these women are confused, however, the general scholarly consensus is that Noah's wife was Amzura while Lot's wife was Wā'ila.<ref name=EoQ/> This continual reversal of the two names underscores exactly how both women have ultimately served the same purpose in Islamic scriptural interpretation. In the case of Noah's wife many theorists surmise that she died in the flood and was not allowed on the ark because of her continual insinuation that her husband was crazy.<ref name=":0">Maḥallī,Jalāl al-Dīn Muḥammad ibn Aḥmad, Suyūṭī, & Hamza, F. (2008). Tafsīr al-jalālayn. Louisville, Ky.: Fons Vitae.</ref> In turn, Lot's wife is thought to have died alongside the people of [[Sodom and Gomorrah|Sodom]] since she betrayed her duty as a wife and conspired alongside the corrupt people.<ref name=EoQ/> In both examples the wives of Allah's prophets were the only ones punished for their disbelief and betrayal of their husbands. This is an important distinction, since Islamic theorists highlight that this establishes the spiritual individuality of women.<ref name=EoQ/> It is they who have the freedom to choose their religiosity, and it is they who in turn pay the price. Ultimately, the purpose of their mention in the Quran is to set an example of the consequence for active disbelief in Allah and his prophets.{{cn|date=November 2019}}
The three verses in the Quran mentioning the wives of [[Noah]] and [[Lot (Bible)|Lot]], or [[Islamic view of Noah|Nuh]] and [[Lot in Islam|Lut]] in Arabic, are a conjoined entry depicting the consequences and response by Allah to non-believers. {{cn|date=November 2019}}
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In contrast to the [[Old Testament]] and the [[Torah]], [[Sarah]], wife of the prophet [[Abraham]], plays a decidedly smaller role in the Quran. In both the Christian and Jewish traditions she is the mother of the chosen son, [[Isaac]], and therefore a more important person.<ref name=EoQ/>
In the hadith Sarah is not mentioned directly but rather alluded to in [[Hagar]]'s expanded story.<ref name="auto">Trible, P., & Russell, L. M. (2006). Hagar, Sarah, and Their Children :Jewish, Christian, and Muslim Perspectives (1st ed.). Louisville, Ky.: [[Westminster John Knox Press]].</ref> Hagar's struggles, dealt with extensively in ''[[Sahih al-Bukhari]]'', are important to the Islamic tradition since many Muslims paint her as the mother of all Arabs and one of the pre-Islamic pioneers.<ref
{{quote|And his wife, standing [nearby], laughed [with happiness]; whereupon We gave her the glad tiding of [the birth of] Isaac and, after Isaac, of [his son] Jacob. Quran, Sura 11 (Hud), ayat 71–72 {{efn|[http://tanzil.net/#11:71 Quran, 11:71_72]}}}}
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Renditions of this story outside the Quran have focused historically on and sought to establish the natural duplicitous and cunning nature of women.<ref name=BFS/> Especially in the works of early interpreters, Zulaykha and the ladies are not portrayed as the multi-faceted characters the Quran suggests but rather are considered only for "their unbridled sexuality and guile."<ref name=EoQ/> This depiction is used as yet another conservative example of the inherent threat the female sex poses to men and their piety. [[Baidawi|al-Baydawi's]] interpretation specifically highlights the inherent contrast between a prophet's devotion to God and the sly nature of women.<ref>al-Bayḍāwī, ʻ. A. i. ʻ.Baiḍāwī's Commentary on Sūrah 12 of the Quran. Oxford: [[Clarendon Press]].</ref> Recently, however, the critical explanation surrounding Zulaykha has expanded to present different possible interpretations. In many instances this story is now used as an allegory depicting the ability of pious people, in this case, a prophet, to overcome the temptations of the world and adversity.<ref name=EoQ/> In these cases, interpreters argue Zulaykha's presence in the Quran is not meant to imply the evil nature of all women, but rather the different possible distractions that society in general can present and the need to rebuff them.<ref name=BFS/>
== Mother and sister of Moses ==
[[Moses]]'s mother is the only woman in the Quran to receive divine inspiration.<ref name=BFS57>Stowasser, B. F. (1994). Women in the Quran, Traditions, and Interpretation. New York: [[Oxford University Press]], 57</ref> God inspired her to suckle the child until she feared for his life and then to cast him into the river without sadness or fear because God would eventually restore him to her and make him one of the messengers.<ref name=BFS57/>
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==Wife of Moses==
Moses's wife called Safura was the daughter of a
{{quote|"Said one of the (damsels): "O my (dear) father! engage him on wages: truly the best of men for thee to employ is the (man) who is strong and trusty. He said: "I intend to wed one of these my daughters to thee, on condition that thou serve me for eight years; but if thou complete ten years, it will be (grace) from thee. But I intend not to place thee under a difficulty: thou wilt find me, indeed, if God wills, one of the righteous."| Quran, Sura 28 ([[Al-Qasas]]), ayat 26–27 {{efn|[http://tanzil.net/#28:26 Quran, 28:26–27]}}}}
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Of all the women in Moses's life, Pharaoh's wife is the subject of the greatest amount of interpretive literature. There is a large amount of emphasis on her as an example for the believers.<ref>Encyclopaedia of the Quran. Leidan: [[Brill Publishers|Brill]], 2001. Print.; Stowasser, B. F. (1994). Women in the Quran, Traditions, and Interpretation. New York: [[Oxford University Press]]. 58</ref> Many think of her as a righteous woman because of her role in keeping Moses alive, as shown in Q 28:9.
{{quote|"And the wife of Pharaoh said
Additionally, Asiyah is praised because in Q 66: 11, which is dated into the late [[Medinan surah|Medinan]] period, she prayed to God to build her a house in paradise and save her from her wicked husband, Pharaoh.<ref name=EoQ/>
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{{quote|"And Allâh has set forth an example for those who believe; the wife of Fir'aun (Pharaoh), when she said: "My Lord! Build for me a home with You in Paradise, and save me from Fir'aun (Pharaoh) and his work, and save me from the people who are Zâlimûn (polytheists, wrong-doers and disbelievers in Allâh)."| Quran, Sura 66 ([[At-Tahrim]]), ayat 11 {{efn|[http://tanzil.net/#66:11 Quran, 66:11]}}}}
Asiyah represents the ideal of virtue as one of the four most outstanding women of the world and one of the four "ladies of heaven" that include: [[Mary in Islam|Mary]], the mother of Jesus; Khadija, Muhammad's wife; and Fatima, Muhammad's daughter.<ref name=EoQ/>
[[Ibn Kathir]], part of the medieval tradition speaks of Pharaoh's wife as one of the prophet's "celestial wives". This is a supreme honor shared with the prophet's earthly wives and [[Mary in Islam|Mary]].<ref name=BFS59/> Asiyah is celebrated in the Islamic faith because she remained faithful to God even though her own husband, Pharaoh, thought of himself as God. She demonstrates a woman has the ability to exercise faith and believe in God, even against the wishes of a harsh husband.<ref name=BFS60/>
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==Wife of Imran==
In the Quran, the mother of the [[Virgin Mary in Islam|Virgin Mary]] (and thus Isa's grandmother) is not named in the Quran, but referred to in two passages of the narratives section as the [[wife of Imran]], Imran being [[Joachim in Christianity]].<ref name=EoQ/> In
{{Quote|"Behold! a wife of Imran said: "O my Lord! I do dedicate into Thee what is in my womb for Thy special service: So accept this of me: For Thou hearest and knowest all things." "When she was delivered, she said: "O my Lord! Behold! I am delivered of a female child!"- and God knew best what she brought forth- "And whatever no wise is the male like the female. I have named her [[Mary in Islam|Mary]], and I commend her and her offspring to Thy protection from Satan, the Rejected."| Quran, Sura 3 ([[Al Imran]]), ayat 35–36{{efn|[http://tanzil.net/#3:35 Quran, 3:35–36]}}
}}
==
{{Main|Mary in Islam}}
[[Islamic view of the Virgin Mary|Mary]], the mother of [[Islamic view of Jesus|Jesus]] and the sister of [[Aaron in Islam|Aaron]], is amongst the most important
▲[[Islamic view of the Virgin Mary|Mary]], the mother of [[Islamic view of Jesus|Jesus]], is the most important woman in the Quran, as she is the only one identified by name.<ref name=BFS/> She is described as the greatest women of all time in the Quran as well.<ref>Qur'an 3:42; cited in Stowasser, Barbara Freyer, “Mary”, in: ''Encyclopaedia of the Qurʾān'', General Editor: Jane Dammen McAuliffe, Georgetown University, Washington DC.</ref><ref>J.-M. Abd-el-Jalil, ''Marie et l'Islam'', Paris 1950</ref> Her name not only appears far more in the Quran than in the New Testament, but it is also the title of [[Maryam (surah)|Sura 19]], which discusses the [[annunciation]], Jesus's birth and Jesus's first words, spoken before birth and in the cradle—"most other personal names used as titles of Quranic chapters are those of prophets."<ref name=BFS/> A hadith claims that Mary was consecrated to God, thus "escaping the pricking of the devil" at birth; this is said "to have played a role in the formation of the later Islamic doctrine of prophetic [[Ismail|''{{'}}isma'']]" (innate quality of 'impeccability', 'immunity from sin and error' of prophets).<ref name=BFS/>
As a young girl and a virgin, [[Mary in Islam|Mary]] stayed in the [[Mihrab]], where she received "glad tidings of a word (''kalima'') from God" about her giving birth to a "pure son".<ref name=BFS/> In Sura 19, the angel [[Gabriel]], sent by God, says to Mary, "I am only your Lord's messenger, to give you a pure boy."{{efn|[http://tanzil.net/#19:20 Quran, 19:20]}}
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Islamic scholars have long debated this happening, specifically the meaning of "spirit" (''[[ruh]]'') and the "word" (''kalima'') that [[Mary in Islam|Mary]] received from God. If she were informed of things to come by God's word, even through his angel, and infused with God's spirit, was Mary, then, a Quranic prophet?<ref name=BFS/> Scholars who focus on the literal meaning of the text have found proof of her prophethood, for "she differs from other Quranic women in nature and life experiences".<ref name=BFS60/> Yet, perhaps because of her sex, Mary's prophethood is not widely accepted.
Nevertheless, [[Mary in Islam|Mary]] is still revered by
In [[Sura 21|Sura 21:91]] [[Mary in Islam|Mary]] is revealed as a sign (''ayah'') from God: "And she who guarded her chastity. Then We breathed into her of Our spirit, and We made her and her son a sign for the worlds."{{efn|[http://tanzil.net/#19:21 Quran, 19:21]}}
[[Sura 66]] establishes Mary as the "example for believers" because of her chastity, obedience, and faith; however, "religious authorities have attempted to define the social applicability of Mary's qualities, that is, the facets of her model status suited for emulation."<ref name=BFS/> When [[Gabriel]] informs her of God's plan, Mary wonders: “How can I have a son when no man has ever touched me, nor am I unchaste?” {{efn|[https://quran.com/19/20 Quran, 19:20]}} Later, "the pains of childbirth drove her to the trunk of a palm-tree. She said:“Alas! I wish I had died before this, and was a thing long forgotten!"{{efn|[https://quran.com/19/23-24 Quran, 19:23]}}. But she was comforted by God.{{efn|[https://quran.com/19/24-26 Quran, 19:24-26]}}
[[Mary in Islam|Mary]] also appears in [[Quran 3]], where she and her story are closely connected to that of her guardian, the prophet [[Zechariah in Islam|Zakariyya]]. The angel's words about the birth of John to Zakariyya ([[Sura 3|Sura 3:39]]) are almost identical to those on Jesus's ([[Sura 3|Sura 3:45]]). Similarly, both respond by questioning the message ([[Sura 3|Sura 3:40;47]]) and receive the same answer.
==Wives of Muhammad==
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{{quote|"The Prophet is closer to the Believers than their own selves, and his wives are their mothers."<ref name=Mernissi>Mernissi, F. (1993). The Forgotten Queens of Islam. Minneapolis: [[University of Minnesota Press]].</ref>{{efn|[http://tanzil.net/#33:6 Quran, 33:6]}}}} While [[Sura 4|Sura 4:3]] limits Muslim men to having four wives, hadith maintain "that the prophet's right to unrestricted polygamy was a prerogative that God's [[Sunnah|''sunna'']] had extended to all prophets: a 'natural right' of His spokesmen on earth."<ref name=BFS/> They are mentioned in several places in the Quran, but never by name, making the hadith as scripturalist interpretation most important, yet they "are not like any [other] women."<ref> Quran 33:32</ref> Muhammad's wives play a prominent role in Islam and Muslim practices; "their reception of specific divine guidances, occasioned by their proximity to Muhammad, endows them with special dignity."<ref name=BFS/> They form the basis for the status of women in Islam and are thus important for gender debates and study.
Only a few "are consistently presented as key figures in the hadith accounts of contexts of specific revelations ('occasions of revelation', [[Asbab al-nuzul]])".<ref name=BFS/> Stowasser states: "The Quranic legislation directed at the Prophet's wives, then, is entirely of Medinan provence and belongs into the last six or seven years of the prophet's life."<ref name=BFS/>
Except Aisha, Muhammad only married widows and divorced women.<ref name=Mernissi/> [[Aisha bint Abi Bakr]] is often thought of as the prophet's favorite wife. She is linked to the Quran's injunctions against slander in [[Sura 24|Sura 24:11–26]], for her involvement in "the affair of the lie [or, slander]" (''al-ifk''), in which she was falsely accused of "being with" another man, Safwan ibn al-Mu'attal al-Sulami.<ref name=BFS/> She is considered to be the first woman to choose "God and His Prophet" over "the world and its adornment".<ref name=BFS/> In [[Sura 33|Sura 33:28–29]], God ordered Muhammad's wives to make a decision as to their preference, after Muhammad was annoyed by the wives' growing desire for material possessions.<ref name=BFS/> Aisha is also important in mainstream [[Sunni Islam]].
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The verses that follow are to restore her rights (as well as those of any other woman in her position), when a husband mistreats his wife. Muslims refer to this woman and her story to express the mercy of God.{{cn|date=November 2019}}
==The woman who untwisted her spun thread after it was strong==
The Quran mentions the woman who untwisted her spun thread after it was strong in [[Surah an-Nahl|Sura 16 (an-Nahl)]], but not by name.
{{quote|"And do not be like she who untwisted her spun thread after it was strong [by] taking your oaths as [means of] deceit between you because one community is more plentiful [in number or wealth] than another community. Allah only tries you thereby. And He will surely make clear to you on the Day of Resurrection that over which you used to differ."| Quran, Sura 16 ([[An-Nahl]]), ayat 92 {{efn|[http://tanzil.net/#16:92 Quran, 16:92]}}}}
[[Tafsir al-Jalalayn]] claims she was "an imbecile Meccan woman who used to spin all day and then undo it".<ref name=":0" />
==Wife of Abu Lahab==
The Quran mentions the wife of Abu Lahab in [[Sura|Sura 111]] [[Al-Masad]], but not by name. [[Hadith]] claims that her name is Umm Jamil bint Harb and the sister of [[Abu Sufyan ibn Harb|Abu Sufyan]]. It is said that she
{{quote|"His wife shall carry The (crackling) wood as fuel. A twisted rope of palm-leaf fibre Round her (own) neck."}}{{efn|[http://tanzil.net/#111:4 Quran, 111:4–5]}}
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== External links ==
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20140525233720/http://www.oxfordislamicstudies.com/article/opr/t125/e2510?_hi=6&_pos=2 Women and Islam in Oxford Islamic Studies Online]
[[Category:People of the Quran]]
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