Contesting the Normative

Abstract

Contesting the Normative Fulera Issaka‐Toure Introduction For Muslim men and women—for believing men and women, for devout men and women, for true men and women, for men and women who are patient and constant, for men and women who humble themselves, for men and women who give in charity, for men and women who fast, for men and women who guard their chastity, and for men and women who engage much in Allah's praise—for them has Allah prepared forgiveness and great reward. (Qur'an 33:35). O mankind! We created you from a single (pair) of a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes, that you may know each other (not that you may despise each other). Surely the most honoured of you in the sight of Allah is (he who is) the most righteous of you, And Allah has full knowledge and is well acquainted (with all things). (Qur'an 49:13). The former verse is pivotal to gender and human relations as well as rights in the physical and mundane world in Islamic understanding. Hermeneutically, it should be the eyes through which other verses are interpreted in relation to gender in particular. Prominent Muslim interpreters from both classical and modern periods concur on the occasion of the revelation of this verse. It came when Umm Salama, one of the wives of the Prophet who was among the earliest converts to Islam and among the earlier Hufaz (memorisers) of the Qur'an, challenged the Prophet by asking: Why does Allah always speak to men? The response was the revelation of this particular verse. The verse concurrently describes ten qualities including chastity which ironically is attributed only to women in most patriarchal Muslim communities. However, in this particular verse, chastity is ascribed to both men and women. The question Umm Salama posed does not suggest that forgetfulness can be attributed to God. Speaking from a feminist's point of view, Wadud (, ) has suggested that the approach of revelation speaks to a particular context. Likewise, the Arab context of seventh‐century Arabia is notoriously patriarchal, and hence, it was a divine tactic. Further, the question posed by the Prophet's wife is a mercy from God to address the issue of social injustices (Barlas ). In the latter verse, the equality and particularities of both men and women are cogently acknowledged with the most acceptable in the sight of God being the pious one. These two profound and compelling verses ought to serve as the basis of the struggles against social injustices. Such Qur'anic verses are in line with feminists' critique of hierarchical gender relations within Muslim contexts. For concerned Islamic feminists, the engagement with the Islamic textual sources is a vigorous and dynamic engagement with God. Revelation speaks to humans. Despite this, humans are actively engaged with divine words in order to reach a responsive and practical understanding. From this perspective, the words of the Qur'an are inevitably linked to dynamic experiences of humans. As such, religion and tradition are constantly changing (Rahman , Wadud ). Since there are evidences to suggest violations of women and girls' rights in the Ghanaian Muslim contexts (Ammah , Issaka‐Toure , ), the attention of the paper has a particular concern with the way Muslim women in heterosexual relationships and girls have had their basic rights curtailed. The study also highlights the challenges of Muslim women in the Ghanaian Muslim community with regard to marital experiences. Through their voices, the study brings to light some of the contemporary debates in the field of study. Theoretical foundation This work engages a category of literature or theoretical approach that is broadly called Islamic feminism. This approach articulates the diversity of women's realities without universalizing the concept of feminism. The paper is further informed by the commitment of feminism in using women's experiences as a process of knowledge production. These writers argue that Islam is inherently egalitarian, and therefore, they advocate women's rights, social justice, and gender equality (Barlas , Wadud , ). Many Islamic feminists argue that in the course of time, Qur'anic principles were ignored through male‐dominated interpretation. Islamic feminists contest readings that are oppressive to women by...