ʿabdulḥalīm Abū Shuqqa's the Liberation of Women in the Age Of
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Western University Scholarship@Western Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository 1-17-2020 10:00 AM ʿAbdulḥalīm Abū Shuqqa’s The Liberation of Women in the Age of Revelation: A Translation and Critical Commentary Ibtehal Noorwali The University of Western Ontario Supervisor Ingrid Mattson The University of Western Ontario Graduate Program in Theology A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the equirr ements for the degree in Master of Arts © Ibtehal Noorwali 2020 Follow this and additional works at: https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/etd Part of the Islamic Studies Commons, and the Women's Studies Commons Recommended Citation Noorwali, Ibtehal, "ʿAbdulḥalīm Abū Shuqqa’s The Liberation of Women in the Age of Revelation: A Translation and Critical Commentary" (2020). Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository. 6813. https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/etd/6813 This Dissertation/Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by Scholarship@Western. It has been accepted for inclusion in Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository by an authorized administrator of Scholarship@Western. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Abstract One of Muslim scholars’ modern endeavours is to identify Islam’s egalitarian and liberating views on women as espoused by its earliest sources— the Qur’an and hadith. ʿAbdulḥalīm Abū Shuqqa makes such an attempt in his six-volume, Arabic book titled “The Liberation of Women in the Age of Revelation” (Taḥrīr al-Mar’a fī ‘Aṣr al-Risāla) published in 1995. He shows evidence from the Qur’an and authentic hadith reports for women’s autonomy, involvement in communal worship, public life, politics, battlefields, and professional work, among other activities. In an attempt to analyze and bring what was considered a ‘breakthrough’ in the Islamic discourse on women to a wider audience, this thesis provides an annotated translation of four chapters from the book’s first volume that addresses Muslim women’s character in the Qur’an and hadith, supported by a critical introduction that discusses the reception of the book and situates it within contemporary Islamic discourses on women. Keywords: Islam, women, women’s rights, character, theology, feminism, translation, Quran, hadith, ʿAbdulḥalīm Abū Shuqqa. i Summary for Lay Audience In his six-volume, Arabic book titled “The Liberation of Women in the Age of Revelation” (Taḥrīr al-Mar’a fī ‘Aṣr al-Risāla), ʿAbdulḥalīm Abū Shuqqa revisits primary religious texts in an attempt to demonstrate how Islam can be an agent of liberation for women. This work explores women’s autonomy in the Qur’an and hadith, focusing on the egalitarian message that is spread through stories of women’s involvement in communal worship, public life, politics, battlefields, and professional work, among other activities. In an effort to make this important work accessible to a wider audience, this thesis offers an annotated translation of four chapters from the first volume of this work. Here Abū Shuqqa addresses the character of Muslim women as described in the Qur’an and hadith. The thesis also contributes a critical introduction which situates Abū Shuqqa’s within contemporary Islamic discourses on women and discusses the book’s reception among Islamic scholars. ii Acknowledgments }اْل َح ْمدُ َ هّلِلَ ا هل َذي َهدَانَا َل َٰهَ َذا َو َما ُك هنا َلنَ ْهتَ َديَ َل ْو ََل َأ ْن َهدَانَا ه ّللاُ{ Upon embarking on this research project, it seemed nothing short of a distant dream, an unattainable goal. But here I stand, by God’s grace, at the finish line. This thesis would have never come to fruition without the patient and steady support and encouragement from my supervisor, Dr. Ingrid Mattson. I am eternally grateful for Dr. Mattson’s unwavering faith in me, for the gentle guidance and thoughtful discussions, for opening my eyes to new horizons, and for helping me navigate this personal, spiritual and academic terrain with much wisdom, knowledge, and courage. I extend my sincerest thanks to the members of Western University and the Faculty of Theology at Huron University College for providing every possible accommodation, making this degree and project possible. Last but not least, I would like to thank my family and friends who supported me behind the scenes and cheered me on, knowingly or unknowingly, throughout this journey. Special thanks to my parents, my first teachers, for setting the bar of achievement incredibly high. My heartfelt thanks to my friends—particularly Alyssa, Darlan, Heba, and Seereen—who lent a ready ear to my tales of academic woes, offered coffee and food when needed, and saw me, at my best and worst, through it all. iii Table of Contents Abstract ................................................................................................................................ i Summary for Lay Audience ................................................................................................ ii Acknowledgments.............................................................................................................. iii List of Tables ................................................................................................................... viii Writing Conventions .......................................................................................................... ix Chapter 1 ............................................................................................................................. 1 1 Introduction .................................................................................................................... 1 Overview of Book .................................................................................................... 2 The Author: ʿAbdulḥalīm Abū Shuqqa....................................................... 3 Book Contents ............................................................................................. 4 Selection of Chapters and Methodology ................................................................ 10 Selected Chapters ...................................................................................... 10 The Text and Translation .......................................................................... 11 A Critical Introduction ........................................................................................... 13 Reception and Critique ............................................................................. 13 Relevance and Contribution to Contemporary Discourses ....................... 19 Chapter 2 ........................................................................................................................... 28 2 Some Features of a Woman’s Character in Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī and Muslim ................. 28 Autonomy of a Woman’s Character ...................................................................... 29 Her Right to Character Formation and Education (at a level that would aid her in executing her responsibilities) ............................................................................... 32 Her Participation in Narrating Hadith and Teaching People ................................. 33 Her Participation in Communal Worship ............................................................... 40 Her Participation in Public Celebrations ................................................................ 42 Her Participation in Social Services (through various social activities) ................ 44 iv Her Participation in Guarding Society and Directing its Path (through various political activities) .................................................................................................. 44 Her Participation in the Military (through tasks that suit her nature) .................... 45 Her Place in the Family .......................................................................................... 47 The Distribution of Responsibilities Between a Married Couple ....................... 48 Collaboration Between Spouses to Carry Out Responsibilities ......................... 49 God's Honouring of Women ............................................................................... 51 Honouring Women as Wives .............................................................................. 53 Honouring Women as Daughters ........................................................................ 54 The Prophet's Honouring of Women .................................................................. 54 Islam Urges Taking Good Care of Women ........................................................ 56 Mentioning Women’s Names ............................................................................. 58 Mentioning Women's Characteristics ................................................................. 60 Mentioning Women's News ................................................................................ 63 Chapter 3 ........................................................................................................................... 75 3 Women’s Noble Stances .............................................................................................. 75 Sacrificing One’s Self for the Sake of God ............................................................ 75 Aspiring to Perfection ............................................................................................ 78 Devotion to Worship .............................................................................................. 78 Charity and Giving ................................................................................................