The Hermeneutics of Problematic Gender Verses in the Qur'an

Abstract

Muslim women scholars and activists such as Amina Wadud and Asma Barlas argue that the Qur’an evinces gender equity. They do so by suggesting that verses in the Qur’an that are often viewed to be problematic from a feminist perspective need to be re-examined through different hermeneutical lenses than those traditionally employed by interpreters of the Qur’an. This article examines some of the verses in question, explores the hermeneutical approaches suggested by these women scholars, and poses some questions about the prospects for a distinctively Islamic feminist scriptural interpretation.