Qur’an and Women: Rereading the Sacred Text from a Women’s Perspective by Amina Wadud On March 18, 2005 Amina Wadud shocked the world when she led an Islamic prayer service in front of both a male and female audience in a New York City cathedral. The original venue, an art gallery owned by a supporter of Wadud, received bomb threats and after the venue shifted to the cathedral; a police guard was posted to ensure the safety of participants. Wadud argues that nowhere does it state in the Qur’an that women cannot lead a prayer service and in her sermon that day, Wadud was so bold as to have asked the mixed-sex audience if Allah was even a male. How To Install Windows 7 Language Package. Even prior to this awe-inspiring moment in history, Wadud had already garnered the reputation as an Islamic feminist. She has devoted her life to Islamic Studies and has attempted to better understand the Qur’an through a female perspective; a point of view that has had little voice until recently. In her book Qur’an and Women: Rereading the Sacred Text from a Women’s Perspective, author Amina Wadud examines the role of human creation and the Hereafter, the influence of key female figures in the Qur’an, and the rights of women by providing a feminine voice to a source that has been typically analyzed by males: the Qur’an. Wadud’s masterful work has deeply contributed to the feminist movement within Islam and her perspective debunks many of the misconceptions individuals have about gender roles within the Muslim community.

The book is divided into four chapters but also has a strong introduction. Each section serves a unique purpose and adds to the feminine perspective Wadud is hoping to provide from the Qur’an. Wadud introduces the book by discussing the hermeneutical approach she used to analyze the language in the Qur’an and by outlining her methodology, she adds a strong sense of validity to her report. Furthermore, she notes the limited distinctions the Qur’an provides between men and women. One of the best features found within the introduction is Wadud’s overview of key vocabulary and terms that she often repeats throughout the rest of the book.