Female bodies, male agency, & the Qur’an’s gendered audience: Ch. 7 of K Ali's Sexual Ethics & Islam
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- Опубліковано 19 вер 2024
- This video summarizes ch. 7 of Dr. Kecia Ali's book, Sexual Ethics & Islam. Ch. 7 is titled "If you have touched women: female bodies and male agency in the Qur’an," and it addresses the question of the Qur'an's audience - who is the Qur'an addressing directly when speaking of marriage, sex, female bodies, and divorce? It also covers verses on divorce, the "you're garments for one another" verse, and verse 4:34, among others. We cover it all in this video.
Link to script here: orbala.wordpre...
Another great video!! Thanks for taking the time to make these :)
You're welcome! Thank you for watching!
Dr. Shehnaz, I have a few questions
1. I was wondering if having 2 female witnesses only at a nikah would be valid?
2. Can you make a video on polygamy?
3. Like you, I don’t believe hijab is a religious obligation, but now I’m confused on how we should define awrah. What body parts should be covered?
Thanks for watching! Yes, you can have only female witnesses at your nikah and it's valid. You can also have your nikah officiated by a woman, and that's totally valid as well. Trust no one who tells you otherwise.
Yes, I'll be making a video on polygamy soon. Sorry for the delays - I have so much other work!
The Qur'an never uses the word "awrah" to refer to anything sexual or body parts to be covered, like the fiqh and male scholars of Islam have done. (See, for example, Qur'anic verses 24:58, 33:13, and 24:31.) The Qur'an uses the word to simply mean privacy. Q. 24:31 uses the word "zeenah" (adornments, marks of beauty) to tell us that it should be covered in front of non-mahram men. It, again, never says what exactly zeenah is. Male interpreters of the Qur'an decided this meant: all of the woman's body, some even said including her face, hair, AND even the voice! There's no reason to trust them. It's patriarchy that decided these things should be hidden away from male view or from society. Esp given how unequal it is (men don't have to cover their hair or legs, for example, or their face or their voice!) and it leads to a lot of privileges for men and becomes very oppressive for women.
So to answer your question, how we define "awrah" depends on context and time period, and that's why the Qur'an doesn't define it. It doesn't mean the same thing everywhere. So it's up to you to decide - if you don't feel comfortable showing your legs, don't do it; that's your awrah then. If you don't feel comfortable showing your hair, don't do it - that's awrah for you; and so on with everything else.
Also, if you haven't watched my video the hijab or veiling, please do so - it might answer other questions you have as well: ua-cam.com/video/tmJafU0K1cE/v-deo.html
@@WhatthePatriarchy Thank you! May I ask, is there any specific Quran translation you would recommend? And in the future whenever you feel like it, I would love to see you dive into the infamous verse 4:34 (I saw your other video but it was more of an interview I think) and how you reconcile that with your feminism. Thanks!
I don’t have a specific translation I like. I compare translations (many websites have multiple translations available now), and I go with the best ones there. I also mostly rely on my own. I know Arabic and when I don’t know a word, I look it up in online dictionaries to get a better sense and then I decide from the translations what to go with.
That’s a great suggestion abt video on 4:34 abt my own relationship with it. Sure! I’ve reconciled with it and would love to share my idea of it.
It's been so long. Glad to see you again!!
Again a thought provoking wonderful video!!! Thank you❤️
I always thought why men are often directed to be something and women are spoken about. It was little disturbing to me when I came across those verses.
Any way I would like to know your thoughts on cousin marriages in islam especially first cousin marriages. Quran allows it right but that is not okay on the medical grounds and also on the moral grounds
Thanks for watching, Hamida!
Islam doesn't have an opinion on cousin marriages. I don't recommend them and they *can* lead to genetic diseases for any kids born in cousin marriages, esp like the many ones I'm familiar with and grew up around (cousins marrying cousins, their children marrying cousins, their grandkids marrying cousins, etc.), but Islam doesn't require them or prohibit them. Common sense should dictate that we shouldn't knowingly bring children into the world who will have a hard life because of the choices we made.
@@WhatthePatriarchy
Thanks for the reply shehnaaz❤️
I asked you not only because of medical reasons but also on the basis of moral grounds because marrying your cousin seems like gross. It feels like getting married to your brother /sister And doesn't it count as incest??!! ( I wonder why God didn't prohibit it)
Quran doesn't encourage it as u said but in the verse 33:50 God tells prophet that he can marry his cousins and also in the 4:23( I guess) God lists out who you cannot marry and didn't prohibit cousin marriages and says you can marry beyond this which means it is allowed.
@@shery32 Well, all human cultures have different ideas of what makes a relationship gross. It doesn't seem gross to me personally, but I still wouldn't marry a cousin and would discourage whoever I can from doing so! But almost all of my cousins are married to other cousins of mine, so there goes my opinion, haha! Yes, cousin marriages are allowed in Islam. Keep several things in mind here, though: 1) such marriages have been a norm historically and it's only recently in human history that we have begun to think it's a problem; 2) the genetic problems we know *now* that can occur from marriage cousins weren't known to us in the past, just more than a couple of hundred years ago let alone 1400 years ago! 3) It's not always productive to expect scriptures from a thousand plus years ago to have practices aligned with our 21st centuries values, morals, practices, sensibilities.
But, yes, I do think we need to bring them to a minimum and eventually not do them because they are genetically problematic.
@@WhatthePatriarchy
This explanation seems much more acceptable but I find even more gross is adoption in islam. Its like I can marry adopted child's partner that's sounds too odd. I think it is very noble thing to do, to adopt a child and consider them as your biological child. I still don't get why God forbid it?? I am not saying that Islam prohibits adoption but there should be a barrier between you and your adopted child, that stuff just irrirates me
I am not planning to become a mom but I was thinking of adopting a child because I am scared of giving birth. But when I got to know about adoption in islam it literally broke me
Islam doesn't prohibit adoption. Muhammad himself adopted Zaid, remember? You just don't deceive them into thinking you're their biological children (and you can decide when they find out, sure). You have to ask people for references for all their claims against Islam. Adoption is a noble thing and even a form of charity. Do it. Trust no one who tells you otherwise. The patriarchy will say it's "haraam" because lineage is supposed to be patrilineal and the biological father's identity is supposed to be passed down but that's not an Islamic thing. Don't let people fool you - do your research.
Salam,
You mentioned that you don't find the explanation - that the reason behind the Quran's gendered audience was the patriarchal reality of the time - convincing. Could you please explain why you aren't convinced by that and if you have an alternate explanation that you lean towards?
JazakAllah for the work you put into making the videos. I don't know how much I agree with all the points but it is quite illuminating nonetheless.
Wa alaikumus salaam wr wb!
I don't think I've found a convincing answer to the question of why the Qur'an constantly addresses men and talks TO men ABOUT women rather than talking to women directly. The reasons I don't find the traditional answer convincing ("Arab men in the 7th century would be offended if their wives/women were addressed directly" are several:
1. How/why on earth would it be offensive to ANYONE if women were being directly addressed as "you women"? That makes no sense as an explanation.
2. It's God, for God's sake, not some random stranger men deliberately seeking to offend sexist/misogynist attitudes of women being the property of their male family members! And so what if Arab men got offended that women were being directly addressed?
3. The Qur'an/God should've challenged the harmful thinking that men are even allowed to feel offense when *women* not specifically these Arab men's sisters or wives are mentioned! It had no problem abolishing polytheism. It could've accomplished a lot more, and this is one of them, given the terrible and even violent impact on women to be treated as male property who, when MEN are "offended" (and male honor is apparently so fragile it's offended by the slightest things, like a woman talking!), can be physically harmed to compensate for the broken male ego.
4. Excusing unfairness as existing because of a certain "context" is seldom convincing to me. Is the Qur'an supposed to be for all times and people? Why then prioritize the patriarchal Arab attitudes of one specific time period, even enabling that patriarchy to the point that it still persists in some Arab and non-Arab communities.
5. That's a harmful attitude to hold, thinking of women as your property that you control and no one else is to ever mention them or else, that's an insult to you!
And so on.
@@WhatthePatriarchy
Thanks for such a detailed response and for helping me understand your perspective. Hope you have a great end of your Ramzan and Eid! Salam
You're welcome! Thanks for being open to hearing someone else out! Ramzan and Eid mubarak to you and your loved ones as well!
Assalamualaikum Sister, I have a question regarding music.
Nowadays, muslim musicians and singers are very common. There are opinion about music is it halal or haram.
I believed that music is not haram but recently I came across a post on the internet where it says that a man has a dream where he sees his friend is being tortured in the grave even though is friend was a good person because his friend have a account where he post songs and now after his death he is getting sins from views of the post. The more famous the post became and the more sins he gain.
So can you tell me wheather music is haram or not. Please reply to my comment, please sister.
May Allah bless you ❤️.
The post was as follows (quoted):
Please read this heart touching story it will change your life.
" I am 21 year old guy. my friend died in a car accident a few months ago.
He had good manners and there was no one who didn't love him.
He had respect for everyone and was known for his good manners.
Everyone was surprised from his death .
A few weeks after his death I had nightmares.
Nightmares were he is being tortured and burned in hell.
I woke up every night horrified and terrified from what I saw.
I didn't believe why this was happening to him.
I swear to Allah that everyone bears witness to his good manners
no one ever saw something bad came from him.
The nightmares became more often to me.
Like he is calling for help.
The hideous image of him being were stuck in my mind.
A sadeed came out of his ears and mouth and under his nail
(sadeed is a thin liquid that is mixed with blood ).
I will never forget that image.
I swear to the creator of the heavens and earth
That his screams weren't normal at all.
I was stuck in my mind,
I started giving sadaqah Jariyah for him and made dua for him.
during the adhaan prayer.
But whatever I did,
the nightmares didn't disappear.
I hated sleeping and abandoned it.
I couldn't do anything besides making dua.
Two days later I had another nightmare of him being tortured.
Where to persons with big bodies dragged him and they were pouring sadeed in his ear.
They took a melted iron and poured it in his ear while he was screaming.
He had pain in his voice.
Finally I spoke to him in my dream and asked him.
Why are they doing this to you?
when you were respecting your parents and keeping your prayers.
What king of sin did you make?
He spoke to me and said: ""MUSIC MY BROTHER MUSIC.
After I died and Allah put me in the grave I have been torturing.
Ahole of hell because of music and sins jariyah,
I have never saw a day Because of the music
the angels have been torturing me.""
"Then they dragged him.
Again I had these images in my head.
I asked myself
"what did he mean by sins jariyah?"
Then I remembered that he was posting song with music.
It broke my heart of how huge the followers and likes where.
They didn't know that he was dead.
That's what he meant by sins jariyah.
Every singel person who listens to it
he gets sins for it."" ....
Wa alaikumus salaam wr wb,
No, music is not haraam in Islam. Don't trust anyone who tells you it's haraam, and ask them for evidence that it's haram and all that other nonsense they told you happens if you listen to music. Music is actually good for your health and mind, depending on the kind of music. So feel free to rejoice in it!
@@WhatthePatriarchy Thank you, Sister. May Allah bless you ❤️.
Aameen! And you!
Why do not wear hijab
Because she’s an adult who’s free to do whatever she wants. Also you are probably male. Don’t talk about women’s clothing
Because I don't want to
Right?! Why are men still talking about what women should and shouldn't do - and esp about what women should cover! They need to focus on themselves - like maybe cover and stay at home so we women can be safer and not have to deal with their misogyny.
Sister before you discuss about Quran and Islam at least wear Hijab then speak, and by the way we can hear your voice and no need for your face at all as you can share the book, or evidence. If your intention to spread the knowledge or what you want to say, it's not a movie there is no need to see your face for what you are saying all respects sister hope Allah will forgive me and you
I have a LOT of questions for you! 1) Do you have anything to say about what I’ve said here? If not, telling a woman to cover her hair or to hide her face is a very patriarchal and unacceptable and un-Islamic thing to do. Seek God’s and my forgiveness.
2) by your logic, are you saying that if someone can hear you just fine, you (I’m assuming a man?) don’t show your face when you talk to ppl? That’s a very inefficient way of interacting with ppl that psychology doesn’t recommend! But I am sure you’re not a hypocrite so if you’re telling someone else to hide their face when speaking, you must do the same. That’s not my way, but hey whatever works for ya!
And I give evidence for ALL my claims. Just because you associate Islam with patriarchy and limited rights for women doesn't mean that's actual Islam. Stop talking and start listening more.
Also, watch this: ua-cam.com/video/tmJafU0K1cE/v-deo.html
That's correct. What Iran is doing is absolutely un-Islamic, immoral, haraam - murdering women because they don't want to cover their hair is absolutely, objectively un-Islamic. Compulsion is haram in Islam.
Sister one question only do you think hijab is a must or an option in islam? Can you give me your fatwa for that and what is your evidences? Of course I am totally against forced a woman to wear Hijab as in Iran. Thanks
I have a whole video on the hijab - here: ua-cam.com/video/tmJafU0K1cE/v-deo.html
Is not all about hijab are you so insecure you can't control yourself.