Qur'anic Subtle Patriarchy (Pre-Canonical Reading to Women-Mentioning Qur'anic Verses)

Abstract

According to narratology, to name something is to grant it an identity. While Qur'an is unnaming women figures engaged in its narratives, one could uncover the worldview underlying its decision to use such linguistic expression. In so doing, the paper adopts a method developed by Angelika Neuwirth, commonly referred to as pre-canonical reading. It initially compiles Qur'anic verses mentioning women figures either by name, allusion, or only stating certain historical event typical of them. It then puts them in their chronological order according to Noledeke's notion (commonly known as tartib nuzuli in Islamic scholars). This paper then discerns the textual context and role which each verse plays in their sura of origin. At this point, this paper divides each sura of origin into some parts according to the verses' grammatical structure and thematic content. Qur'an's referentiality, in Neuwirth's term, to verses preceding and coming after the woman-mentioning verse, sura revealed before and after the 'home' sura, and historical realities surrounding them is the next point to discuss. The paper discerns sub-textual (to the panegyrical pre-Islamic ode) as well as the intertextual relation; delving its self-referentiality and extra-textual referentiality. Having done all these, the paper shows that Qur'an endows women with agencies, but stops endowing in fundamental level. In that level women are subordinated. Added to that, scholars either in Muslim and non-Muslim could not hitherto provide us with historical data saying that the ways in which Qur'an addresses women are those used to address them respectfully.