Evidence 3: The Queen of Sheba
Chapter 27 of the Qur’an wonderfully illustrates the story of the Queen of Sheba. She was a great sovereign ruler who led her people and was engaged in political negotiations in her time.
Her huge empire was confirmed by verse 23 when the hudhud bird reported to Prophet Sulayman:
‘I found (there) a woman ruling over them and provided with every requisite; and she has a magnificent throne’. (Qur’an 27:24)
It is interesting to note here that there was no mention of her personal life: whether she had children or a husband, obviously because that carries no importance.
Similarly, the Qur’anic narration of the relationship between her and Prophet Sulayman revolves around their discussion on the oneness of God and how Sulayman refused to be bribed by her lavish gifts.
In the end, her unique status was reaffirmed when she displayed extraordinary humility, grace and intellect by accepting Sulayman’s call to submit to God.
Although some historians claimed that they later got married, the Qur’an chooses not to discuss it, perhaps, to show that the marriage, whether it happened or not did not matter much.
The queen’s real worth lied within her conscience, deeds and readiness to accept the truth. Besides, if Islam is really against women’s active participation in public life and leadership, Sulayman perhaps would have commented on that.
He did not question the fact that she was a political leader; what drew his attention were her faith and principles.
Evidence 4: Aziz’s wife
In the gripping tale of Yusuf, Aziz’s wife attempted to seduce him and because of Yusuf’s resistance and her failure, he was imprisoned.
The interesting part however, was how the story eventually ended with her confession and repentance. Aziz’s wife was mentioned several times throughout the Chapter of Yusuf, as she was one of the main characters.
Her husband however, received much less attention. The Qur’an chooses not to explain about her marital life and whether she was childless or not.
It becomes even more interesting as historians later debated whether Yusuf married her or not. The Qur’an again, took a brilliant stand not to prove or disprove the theory.
The reason is clear: Such an issue is not important. A woman’s marriage and personal love life does not carry as much significance as her conscience or conviction does.
This shows that a woman’s worth has nothing to do with her spouse or child. She by herself is complete, free and valuable.
The entire focus was on her initial evil intention, which later turned into defeat and repentance. She had acted independently, both when she committed the crime and when she courageously announced her guilt.
Her status in the beginning of the chronicle was low while her husband’s was high, and towards the end she actually attained a higher rank through her honesty and remorse, independent of her husband.
Conclusion
There are many other female figures mentioned in the Qur’an but only few are discussed here. It is evident that the holy book recognizes and celebrates women as having diversified roles, functions, identities and circumstances.
Women therefore should not be looked at from merely and ultimately the lens of motherhood and wifehood.
It is undeniable however, to note that the role of mothers and wives receive huge and special emphasis in various verses. This is because such paths are taken up by the majority of women.
However, some exceptions are clearly singled out in God’s verses to convey the correct message to humanity, and remove any forms of prejudice against those who follow different life paths, either voluntarily or due to specific circumstances.
First published: March 2016
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