All ancient texts pose problems for contemporary readers, and the Qur’an is no different. Several sections of the Qur’an present difficulties for Muslim and non-Muslim readers who are committed to ethics of non-violence, gender equality, or inter-communal acceptance. This episode will examine one difficult verse from the Qur’an that discusses the relationship between husbands and wives, discuss how Muslim feminists have approached this challenging verse, and then compare those interpretative strategies to how members of other communities approach their own historical texts.
Presented by Ariela Marcus-Sells, Religious Studies. About the Perspectives on Islam series: Recent polls indicate that most Americans have very limited information about Islam and that most do not personally know a Muslim. This series aims to provide information about Islam from a scholarly perceptive as well as present the perspectives and voices of Muslims from Elon’s own community. The goals of this series are: 1) to increase public knowledge about issues relating to Islam; and 2) to encourage people to think more deeply about issues common to all religious traditions and societies. Each episode answers some common questions and concerned and then raises other questions that are left unanswered. We hope that instructors will use these open questions to encourage debate, dialogue, and questioning.
