Gender references in the Qur'an: quick question
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Peace be upon you,
I had an interesting thought today regarding gender references in the Qur'an. I have been socially conditioned to accept that a scripture's reference to "he" or "him", by default, is applicable to both sexes. However, to my knowledge, this rule stems from man's conceptions. Given that the God's language is precise and has used the term "she", "her", and "woman" in the reading, how can I justify the many ayat referring to "he" as also referring to "her"? Similarly, it is understood that the God self references by this seemingly "masculine" article. I know that arabic is a uniquely precise language when it comes to gender, plurality, etc and would like any linguistic clarification as to why so many ayat seem to be directed at men. Or rather, is this just the translation, or did the God actually use a term (he, him) denoting "masculinity".
Peace.
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Peace,
The choice of the masculine pronoun has absolutely nothing to do with gender or masculineness. Remember always that the God is far above what people associate - there is nothing else like the God and nothing in our experience or frame of reference is adequate.
Regards.
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Peace.
So are you trying to say that the God doesn't differentiate between the male and female sex in the qur'an? I don't agree, but I am also looking for clarifaction. Could you qualify that statement? I am not talking about association, moreso translation. By assuming that the God is referring to both men and women by using the article "he" IS an association, no? I am asking whether or not this is the case or is it a matter of something being lost in translation.
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Peace.
So are you trying to say that the God doesn't differentiate between the male and female sex in the qur'an? I don't agree, but I am also looking for clarifaction. Could you qualify that statement? I am not talking about association, moreso translation. By assuming that the God is referring to both men and women by using the article "he" IS an association, no? I am asking whether or not this is the case or is it a matter of something being lost in translation.
I was replying in reference to the "He", "Him" pronouns used to denote the God. My apologies if you understood otherwise.
Peace.
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SaLaM Salikah
To God, both men and women are equal but God has made man and woman differently in abilities. There are things a man can do but a woman cant. Then again, there are things women can do and men cant. And God is quite clear in distinguishing this.
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SaLaM Salikah
To God, both men and women are equal but God has made man and woman differently in abilities. There are things a man can do but a woman cant. Then again, there are things women can do and men cant. And God is quite clear in distinguishing this.
Hey Jaxal,
I completely agree with you. However, can you read from the qur'an as to what it is a muslimah should do? There are many verses that may have wisdom applicable to both sexes, but are only directed at "him" or "he". Also, the qur'an often refers to women/wives in the third person. Also, sometimes there seems to be a direct specification
for example
58 O you who believe, if you rise to attend the contact-method, then wash your faces and your hands up to the elbows, and wipe your heads and your feet to the ankles; and if you have had intercourse, then you shall bathe. And if you are ill, or traveling, or you have excreted feces, or you have had sexual contact with the women, and you could not find water, then you shall select from the clean soil; you shall wipe your faces and your hands with it. God does not want to make any hardship over you, but He wants to cleanse you and to complete His blessings upon you that you may be appreciative.
Without looking closely at the arabic-which I cannot at this point-the ayat seems to be saying that both men and women should bathe after sexual intercourse, but later seems to imply that the one who believes should wash their faces and hands if they come into sexual contact with "the women." That said, if I-as a woman-have sexual intercourse with a man, i should bathe. If I come into sexual contact with a man, I am exempt from washing my hands and face. And all of this is contingent upon whether or not " you who believe" is gender plural!
If the masculine articles are precise language, it seems that the muslimah is exempt from a lot of...well...stuff. This is not neccessarily bad, though...
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SaLaM Salikah
The verse is directed at both men and women since women can too have a sexual intercourse with their husband. Ok i see what you mean. If no sexual intercourse then washing the face and hands up elbows, wiping ur head and feet to the ankles will suffice. IF sexual intercourse took place , be it a wife with husband or husband with wife, then a complete bath is neccessary, for both of them if they are both believers. I hope you understand.
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Peace be upon you,
I had an interesting thought today regarding gender references in the Qur'an. I have been socially conditioned to accept that a scripture's reference to "he" or "him", by default, is applicable to both sexes. However, to my knowledge, this rule stems from man's conceptions. Given that the God's language is precise and has used the term "she", "her", and "woman" in the reading, how can I justify the many ayat referring to "he" as also referring to "her"? Similarly, it is understood that the God self references by this seemingly "masculine" article. I know that arabic is a uniquely precise language when it comes to gender, plurality, etc and would like any linguistic clarification as to why so many ayat seem to be directed at men. Or rather, is this just the translation, or did the God actually use a term (he, him) denoting "masculinity".
Peace.
Khi- Salam. It is the Arabic grammatical rule that whenever men and women are addressed TOGETHER the pronoun used would be maculine, EVEN if the group consists of one men and x amount of women. Only when women are uniquely referred to is the femine pronoun used. As for the word "Allah" it is in the grammatically masculine form for whatever reason so it would be preceded by a masculine pronoun, sincew Arabic does NOT have "it" as a pronoun. Things or any nouns are either masculine or feminine. GOD Bless!