Islam and Gender: Exploring Challenges, Solutions, and Interpretations

This essay critically examines the complex relationship between Islam and gender, focusing on the problems faced by women within Muslim communities, particularly concerning interpretations of Quranic verses like Q4:34. It addresses issues such as domestic violence, patriarchal control, and the challenges women face in balancing multiple identities. The essay explores potential solutions, including reinterpretations of religious texts by modern scholars and activists advocating for gender equality. It also highlights the challenges in implementing these solutions, such as resistance from traditional scholars and societal norms. The author discusses the impact of pre- and post-colonial influences and the importance of a performative association with Islamic tradition. The essay references various scholarly works and legal developments while emphasizing the need for open dialogue and challenging controversial issues to protect women's rights and promote a more equitable understanding of Islam.

Running head: ISLAM AND GENDER
Islam and gender
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

ISLAM AND GENDER 1
Table of Contents
Q1. Problem:..............................................................................................................................2
Q2. Solution:..............................................................................................................................2
Q3. Challenges:..........................................................................................................................3
References..................................................................................................................................5

ISLAM AND GENDER 2
Q1. Problem:
The author focuses attention on the specific Quran verse Q4:34(Ali, 2015), and the
major problems women face in the community that enables patriarchy to regulate them in the
name of “Islamic Tradition” (Chaudhry, 2013). Some of the major problems include an
enlightening and painful process that includes, balancing in conflicting demands that
originated from embodying multiple identities of Muslim. Besides, the author faced a hurdle
to comply with the vision of womanhood that was introduced by man-centric religious
pioneers in the country where gender egalitarianism has a value. Chapter 4, verse 34 of the
Quran describes the catalogs of the relationship among men and women, behavior of a good
and bad women and advice for husband how to discipline and rectify their behaviors (Ali,
2015). The disturbing fact of the verse further depicts the authority of men over women and
allowance of husbands to hit their wives which is a big problem towards the society. This
verse further highlights the point that Muslim does not believe in gender equality and the
Muslim women are expected to be obedient to their men. According to the author women in
Muslim communities justifies the violence against them based on the verse of Quran
(Charsley & Liversage, 2015). The author further states that women in communities suffer
from the guilt feeling and a feeling of sin to call the cops or authorities as they feel it would
incur God’s wrath and choose to stay back in abusive wedlocks, creating an issue and
problem for themselves only.
Q2. Solution:
Solution to the contemporary practice of Islamic Tradition from both the pre-and post-
colonial era needs realization and further global development. No books and articles can
compel to change anyone’s attitude towards the topic of marital violence that is being
practiced in the name of Muslim intellectual tradition. The complexity and diversity of the

ISLAM AND GENDER 3
age-old tradition require modification. The author found that the Muslim scholars and
activists of the modern period have proposed non-violent, gender-egalitarian interpretations
of the verse of Q4:34(Ali, 2015). These elucidations tested the good and disciplinary benefits
of spouses over wives and deny husbands from hitting their wives, paying little heed to the
situation. Muslim scholars of the post-colonial period are additionally occupied with a
determined quest for equity, testing and battling against a harsh status citation of the Quran
(Chaudhry, 2013).As per the author, it is important for the Muslim people to have a
performative association with the Islamic convention. Besides, a proposition has been made
additionally for inventive hermeneutic. Several laws have been introduced since September
2001 in favor of Muslim women, besides The U.S. has acquainted bills to boycott "Sharia,"
France and Belgium have each passed hostile to "Burqa" enactment that forbids Muslim
female natives from wearing the face veil (niqāb) (Fadel, 2011). The author suggests that best
solution for the violence is to raise voice against them since it is a bad idea to shy away from
the difficult and controversial discussions to save men and Islam from criticisms.
Q3. Challenges:
Some of the major challenges faced by the author in her work are the disappointed
answers and non-co-operative participation of the scholars researching in the field. The
scholars were stuck in a predicament; from one viewpoint, they felt it was important to
legitimize and guard the brutal wording of the verse and then again, they endeavored to limit
the viciousness allowed by it (Charsley & Liversage, 2015). The author additionally
confronted challenges in contradicting the theory related to complementarity of genders.
According to it, men and women are created different and the concept of equality is a modern
approach (Saleem, 2017). Muslim women face challenges in every aspect of their life,
starting from being treated as a chattel in Arabian society, patriarchy has grievously

ISLAM AND GENDER 4
disempowered them up to the extent even if they need protection at times. The burning of
female babies alive and marital violence are common and women in communities are
suggested for peacekeeping and adjustment in the light of the verse of the Quran (Ali, 2015).
There lay certain controversies regarding Prophet Muhammad, “a walking Quran” since he
disallowed violence against women, leaving a challenge and question to the community who
still follow the verse (Chaudhry, 2013).The author further highlights the challenges faced by
the community in understanding the actual meaning of the verse. The Quran did not really
support savagery against ladies (War, Shah & Yaseen, 2017). However, none of the pre-
colonial scholars protested the disciplinary benefit of spouses; they rather regarded this
benefit as an essential marital right.

ISLAM AND GENDER 5
References
Ali, A. (2015). Meanings of the Holy Qur'an. Quran4theworld.com. Retrieved 29 January
2018, from
http://www.quran4theworld.com/downloads/The_Holy_Quran_yusufali.pdf
Charsley, K., & Liversage, A. (2015). Silenced husbands: Muslim marriage migration and
masculinity. Men and Masculinities, 18(4), 489-508.
Chaudhry, A. (2013). DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND THE ISLAMIC TRADITION (pp. 1-20).
New York: Oxford University Press. Retrieved from
http://1971310_164960643_ChaudhryIntroductionDomesticVi.pdf
Fadel, M. (2011). Is Historicism a Viable Strategy for Islamic Law Reform? The Case
of'Never Shall a Folk Prosper Who Have Appointed a Woman to Rule Them'. Islamic
Law and Society, 18(2), 131-176.
Saleem, A. M. (2017). Understanding Principles and Community Practices Related to Non-
Violence and Conflict Resolution from an Islamic Tradition. Journal of the
International Association of Buddhist Universities (JIABU), 9(1), 57-69.
War, M. A., Shah, S. O., & Yaseen, G. (2017). Women’s Rights in Islam. International
Journal of Current Trends in Science and Technology, 7(9).