Qur'an and Woman: Rereading the Sacred Text from a Woman's Perspective

This book contributes a gender-inclusive approach to one of the most fundamental disciplines in Islamic thought, Qu'ranic exegesis. Wadud breaks down specific texts and key words which have been used to limit women's public and private role, even to justify violence toward Muslim women, revealing that their original meaning and context defy such interpretations. What her analysis clarifies is the lack of gender bias, precedence, or prejudice in the essential language of the Qur'an. Indeed, her understanding of the Qu'ran confirms women's equality and constitutes legitimate grounds for contesting the unequal treatment women have experienced historically--and continue to experience legally--in Muslim communities.

Amina Wadud is an Islamic Studies Professor in the Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies at Virginia Commonwealth University.