QUESTION NO. 9
MAN’S SUPERIORITY OVER WOMEN?
As alluded to in points 5 and 6 above (i.e., weight of testimony, and inheritance rights), one cannot help but get the distinct impression that the Qur’an supports a male-dominated, patriarchal society.
- While the Qur’an indicates equality of the sexes in verses like 3:195, “Indeed, I never let the work of any worker, male or female, go to waste. You are members of one another”, and 16:97, “Whoever - male or female - does works that help others and is a believer, We shall certainly cause them to live a good life”, there are nonetheless clearly contradicting verses that confirm the Qur’an’s idea of men having superiority over women:
2:228: “And women shall have rights similar to the rights against them, according to what is equitable; but men have a degree over them”.
And
4:34: “Men are the protectors and maintainers of women”.
- 4:34 further goes on to specifically advise men on how to deal with the ill-conduct of women. However, the Qur’an does not mention (in this verse or anywhere else) how women should deal with the ill-conduct of men.
- Coupled with this are the extensive requirements from women on behaving decently. In 24:30, while the men are simply told to lower their gaze and guard their modesty as it helps in building character, the very next verse makes a slew of requirements from women: they should not show off their adornment beyond what may be decently apparent; they should draw their veils over their bosoms; they should not their attraction be apparent to anyone except a very specific set of closely-related men, or male attendants beyond carnal desire, or children who don’t yet have carnal knowledge. Well, why are only women ordered to follow such an extensive list of demands? Why isn’t the same demanded from men?
- Most people living in the 21st century are aware that these ideas of male superiority have little relevance in today’s scheme of things. Women are competing head to head with men in every area of life, even in traditionally male bastions like combat operations in the armed forces. In internationally televised endurance competitions, women fitness competitors have been known to outclass male competitors on the same endurance courses. In many households across the globe, women are the sole breadwinners of the family: as single mothers; as wives whose husbands are willingly or unwillingly unemployed; as single women without the support of male relatives; as daughters (with or without brothers) tending alone to elderly parents. Certainly, these women have no men over them who are their “protectors and maintainers”.
- This is to say that life in the 21st century and beyond is shifting from a patriarchal focus to an unprecedented equality of the sexes in all walks of life. What compatibility, then, does this stance of the Qur’an have in these egalitarian times, and beyond?
ANSWER NO. 9 BY AURANGZAIB:
Patriarchal Society,,,,,,YES. It’s true. Why not,,,,because it is only natural.
The modern slogan of equality of sexes is nothing but a hoax, and this hoax has ruined the poor women folk. Were both sexes to be equal, why would they possess physique and psychology, and natural functions as well, radically opposite to each other? Why one comes equipped with the soft and tender female emotions, apparatus and attributes, and the other with distinctly harsh and pugnacious male peculiarities?
As explained in my earlier answers, running or ruling a society belongs to the outer world of man. And the affairs of the outer world are to be dealt with by men, as they alone have the characteristics to grapple with the frightening aspects of the burning rivalries, ferocious competitions, savage race for material and territorial gains, bloody wars, natural calamities, etc. etc. that people, tribes, communities and nations continue to face down the stream of time.
All the other misunderstandings on your part in this connection arise from bogus and fraudulent translations of Verses we have inherited thanks to the conspiracies of our purely despotic ruling classes of the past.
The Verse 2:228 you referred to, is not talking about women at all, but about the separatist groups or communities (Al-Mutallaqaat);
4:34 and 24:30 are two more such verses whose translations are craftily diverted towards women, while these are dealing with “weaker segments” of society (Al-Nisaa’) versus the stronger ones’ (Rajjaal) whose duties and/or responsibilities towards weaker ones are fully elaborated therewith.
I didn’t think you have missed the entire spread of the most recent rationalistic translations of Quran where these interpolations by our despotic rulers have been exposed, then duly rectified and subsequently replaced with the veritable truth brought forth.
If you did miss the new developments then I sense a huge gap on your part in keeping pace with the evolution of Quranic translations in recent years. And THAT, in my opinion, must be the main cause for these kinds of questions arising in your quite progressive mind.
Always watch out for the upcoming latest rational translations of Quranic Verses which work wonders in rendering all old translations null and void, on the basis of Inductive Logic or the latest Dialectic Rationalism.