Ms. Wadud has done a great service. I am sure that many Muslim women have wished, as I have, that I could go off and get a PhD in Islamic studies and think through the Qu'ran myself instead of relying on stern old men to spoon feed the keystone of the religion to me.
This is a scholarly work and will take some effort to read, but it is well worth it. Ms. Wadud argues that the Qu'ran has to be taken as a whole and that any one part of it must be interpreted in the context of the intentions of the whole work. She limits her reading to that of the Qu'ran, stating that if hadiths (stories of the life of the Prophet, PBU) conflicted with the Qu'ran, she would defer to the Qu'ran in any case.
I'm only about a third of the way through the book, but I am already moved to write a glowing review because I've already learned so much! For example, in the Qu'ran there is no mention of Eve coming from Adam's rib, something that implies that a woman came from a part of a man and is therefore lesser. Where some Qu'ranic scholars have not been able to decode the exact meaning of some passages, they have referred to the Bible, also considered a sacred text in Islam. Thus, in many translations (and certainly in Islamic lore) the story of Eve as one of Adam's rib prevails. But the Qu'ran actually speaks of creating a thing from dust and then splitting that thing in two, implying an overreaching duality in nature (which we should reflect upon) as well as establishing an equality between men and women from the moment of their creation.
There is much more to say, but please just buy this book. It will change the way you see men and women and perhaps the way you see Islam.
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Reviews with images
A must read for Women & Men curious about Islam, gender and faith in general.
A very important book in helping clarify how a reader is meant to approach the Quran, the sacred text that True Islam is based on. Of these approaches is the historical context in which the Book was revealed, the geographic location of Arabia and its environmental circumstances as well as approaching a verse in a text in relation to the entire message of the Quran and not to take a verse out of context and use it, as many ignorant people do, out of context to justify a double standard. It’s very brave of Dr Wadud to write this book, and I hope that women and men read it to Better understand why Islam (living in Submission to our Creator) is a mercy to mankind.
Top reviews from the United States
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Reviewed in the United States on December 30, 2013
Reviewed in the United States on June 6, 2018
A must read for Women & Men curious about Islam, gender and faith in general.
Reviewed in the United States on June 6, 2018
A very important book in helping clarify how a reader is meant to approach the Quran, the sacred text that True Islam is based on. Of these approaches is the historical context in which the Book was revealed, the geographic location of Arabia and its environmental circumstances as well as approaching a verse in a text in relation to the entire message of the Quran and not to take a verse out of context and use it, as many ignorant people do, out of context to justify a double standard. It’s very brave of Dr Wadud to write this book, and I hope that women and men read it to Better understand why Islam (living in Submission to our Creator) is a mercy to mankind.
Reviewed in the United States on June 6, 2018
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Reviewed in the United States on November 16, 2019
Reviewed in the United States on February 23, 2013
Reviewed in the United States on July 1, 2013
Top reviews from other countries
Hassana Ozeto
KNOWLEDGE sets FREE from MENTAL BONDAGE
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 5, 2021
Zakaria Siddiqui
Great book on Islamic understading of equity and justice
Reviewed in India on February 10, 2020