QIWAMAH – PATRIARCHAL READING OF THE CONCEPT

DAY -3

QIWAMAH - 1

PATRIARCHAL READING OF THE CONCEPT

Inspite of all gender equality verses in the Quran, we find Muslim women’s status to be subpar with women of other communities? 

It is time for us Islamic feminists to call out the misogyny of classical jurists and scholars who have picked up certain Quranic verses and used it to reduce women to a secondary status quite contrary to the egalitarian ethics of the Quran. Let’s us look at one such verse; 4:34. This verse has been used to put the man on the top of the hierarchy, superior to women and also justify violence towards women. It also establishes not just his superiority but also his authority over her, demanding complete obedience and subservience. 

Can we discuss 4:34 a little more?

The full verse reads thus: 

Men are the protectors and maintainers of women, because Allah has given the one more (strength) than the other, and because they support them from their means. Therefore the righteous women are devoutly obedient, and guard in (the husband's) absence what Allah would have them guard. As to those women on whose part ye fear disloyalty and ill-conduct, admonish them (first), (Next), refuse to share their beds, (And last) beat them lightly; but if they return to obedience, seek not against them Means (of annoyance): For Allah is Most High, great (above you all).

Classical jurists establish men’s superiority 

1. Women are not equal to men, they are dependent on him for their protection and maintenance

2. Men are more stronger than the women and hence the responsibility and also because they earn money 

3. And hence, women have to be obedient

4. If she disobeys, he can beat her up

He pays and so he controls and hence she obeys, to sum up 

Explain the various concepts within this verse which have been used against women?

There are 5 important words in this verse and they are:

Darajah – degree of advantage / precedence over 

Faddala- favour / bestowed more abundantly 

Qawwamun  - protectors and maintainers / take full care off 

Qanitat – devoutly obedient / devout 

Nushuz – disloyalty / ill will 

What have been the feminist interpretations of the above words?

Qawwamun  - provider and supporter 

Daraja / Faddala - Some men are favoured over some women and some women are favoured over some men 

Moreover, the above verse was given prominence by the classical jurists at the cost of those verse which indicate positive values. For instance, verse 30:21 says, ‘Wa ja’ala baynakum muwaddatan wa rahmah’ [he has made intimate love and compassion between you] 30:21or the verse 2:187, Hunna libasun lakum wa antum libasun lahunaa [they are like protecting garments one to the other] or "It is He Who created you from a single person, and made his mate of like nature, in order that he might dwell with her in love" (7:189). 

How did the classical interpretation got precedence?

These concepts evolved or rather devolved over the years. Each ‘scholar’ ensured that their interpretation made the verse more and more sharper for aiding in the decline of the status of Muslim women.

Al-Tabari understood Qawamun as watching over or being in charge of women. It is the men’s responsibility to discipline women. And why so, because they have the strength to support women and thus supporting becomes a reason for the privilege. They provide because they are better and they are better because they provide. So he shifted the verse from a verse handling down responsibility to men, to making it his reason for superiority. 

Zamakhshari introduced the concepts of ruler and the ruled likening it to men and women. Just as rulers manage their ruled through orders, men are to do the same. He added that men are superior not just because they provide and earn money but also because they better in reasoning and even because they are better in horsemanship, spear-throwing, jihad, imamat, azaan, khutbah etc. God has favoured men and given him the job to control women. So we move from Tabari’s idea of men as disciplinarians to Zamakhshari’s idea of men as rulers. 

Who else have given a patriarchal interpretation?

Ibn Khatir added to the superiority of men by quoting the hadis of Abubakr which states that people will not prosper if they are led by women leaders. He also added that women cannot be judges. Thus male supremacy moved from domestic sphere to the public, political and social sphere. He also linked this verse of qiwamah to the verse in surah bakar, 2:228 known as darajah verse. He also compiled hadises on wife’s obedience to the husband. 

And lastly Mohammed Abduh added that it is a woman’s nature to be submissive. Women are reduced to her biology. Men is the head and women in like the body. He put the husband as the boss and the wife as his subordinate. He said, ‘home is like a small kingdom’. So far even the classical jurists had not made domestic work as incumbent on woman but he went further on to make domestic work as naturally coming to women. She is biologically tuned for domestic work. 

In the next section on Qiwamah I will throw light on the feminist interpretation of Qiwamah. 

Reference:

The Interpretive Legacy of Qiwamah as an Exegetical Construct, Omaima Abou-Bakr