Qur'an of the Oppressed: Liberation Theology and Gender Justice in Islam

by Shadaab Rahemtulla

This study analyzes the commentaries of four Muslim intellectuals who have turned to scripture as a liberating text to confront an array of problems, from patriarchy, racism, and empire to poverty and interreligious communal violence. Shadaab Rahemtulla considers the exegeses of the South African Farid Esack (b. 1956), the Indian Asghar Ali Engineer (1939-2013), the African American Amina Wadud (b. 1952), and the Pakistani American Asma Barlas (b. 1950). Rahemtulla examines how these intellectuals have been able to expound this seventh-century Arabian text in a socially liberating way, addressing their own lived realities of oppression, and thus contexts that are worlds removed from that of the text's immediate audience. Through a close reading of their works, he underlines the importance of both the ethico-social content of the Qur'an and their usage of new and innovative reading practices.

This work provides a rich analysis of the thought-ways of specific Muslim intellectuals, thereby substantiating a broadly framed school of thought. Rahemtulla draws out their specific and general importance without displaying an uncritical sympathy. He sheds light on the impact of modern exegetical commentary which is more self-consciously concerned with historical context and present realities. In a mutually reinforcing way, this work thus illuminates both the role of agency and hermeneutical approaches in modern Islamic thought.

Genres: Islam, Nonfiction, Religion, Gender, Feminism, Theology, Theory

320 pages, Paperback

Published December 4, 2018

Reviews

[Nausheen · Rating 5 out of 5]

"...a theology of peace can actually act as a theology of suppression, silencing the marginalized by providing religious justification for the preservation of the status quo. The central question that the liberation theologian needs to raise, then, is whose peace -- that of the powerful or the powerless?"

[Faaiz · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't know a lot about the origins of liberation theology and its application to Christianity in the first instance, including what led to the emergence of liberation theology, how it was different from the predominant exegeses, and how it changed or impacted Christianity. So, my comments are not directed at 'liberation theology' per se or even at whether 'liberation theology' has been applied coherently to the case of the Qur'an in particular and Islam in general. Nevertheless, from this book's contents and its focus on the four exegetes of the Qur'an, one gets the sense that much of its hermeneutics are far removed from mainstream and predominant understandings of the Qur'an and Islam, not just among the scholars of Islam but also amongst the practitioners of the faith, which would make its uptake amongst Muslims more difficult. Forgive the crassness, but it just seems so American liberal arts college in all its identitarian and identity politics focus and I'm not sure if we need more of this.

This is not to disparage all ideas in this book. Some of Wadud's insights on unreading patriarchal interpretations of verses, and thinking more critically about what the Qur'an is saying and equally importantly, not saying, is immensely important and can go a long way towards gender equity. However, accusations of inconsistency, cherry-picking, selective ignorance are applicable to most of the exegetes in this book. Also confusing is Rahemtulla's critique of idealizing and essentializing the Qur'an which he levies at Barlas for being an apologetic when it comes to the Beating Verse, but does not levy against Esack when he invokes some phantom "Qur'anic spirit" to trump over the actual literal text of the Qur'an.

A major qualm for me was the deliberate ignoring of the issue of "Ma Malakat Aimaanukum" in this book. A book focused on Gender Justice in Islam. Like there was no mention of it anywhere and no reason was given for why this has been ignored so blatantly.

In any case, I appreciated the opportunity to read about the ideas of four exegetes summarized in one book. However, it seems like this product of the Academy is likely to stay within the confines of the Academy for the foreseeable future.

[shemauky · Rating 4 out of 5]

“ ‘… understanding is viewed as the product of engagement for justice combined with reflection.’ Praxis— [is] the idea that the struggle against oppression ought to form the framework through which theology emerges… Theology and struggle, therefore, are inextricably interwoven into a dialectical paradigm of action, religious reflection, and renewed action.”

Author, Shadaab Rahemtulla, weaves together the work of four writers in a process that highlights connection and contradictions within faith and justice-oriented movement work.

A worthwhile companion, or follow-up to varied texts from “Fidel and Religion” or “A Black Theology of Liberation”.

[Luna M · Rating 5 out of 5]

A rigorous examination of the commentaries and analyses of four scholars who interpret the Qur’an through the lenses of collective liberation. I especially appreciated the author’s willingness to engage with these scholars from a critical perspective, celebrating and affirming some of their readings while pointing out their contradictions as needed. The author himself was clear about his own ethical and political commitments, firmly grounded in a critique of structures of power. An enjoyable read— it made me reflect deeply and wasn’t too dense for such a heavily academic text.

[Soroush · Rating 3 out of 5]

Shadaab Rahemtulla, in this book, presents a critical examination of the interpretations offered by four contemporary exegetes: Asma Barlas, Amina Wadud, Asghar Ali Engineer, and Farid Esack. While the title suggests a focus on liberation theology, the content reveals a more complex and contentious relationship between the selected interpretations and traditional Islamic scholarship.

Rahemtulla's approach involves dissecting the methodologies employed by these exegetes, highlighting their tendencies toward subjective conjectural exegesis. This practice is often viewed with skepticism by traditional scholars, who caution against the dangers of cherry-picking and confirmation bias, tendencies that can distort the original meanings and teachings of the Qur'an. While it is important to acknowledge the validity of some issues raised by these exegetes, the necessity of a critical perspective regarding their proposed solutions should be emphasized, which I am uncertain if Rahemtulla does so effectively.

One of the strengths of Rahemtulla's work is his thorough analysis of the exegetes' views and methodologies. His academic writing style, while dry and at times dense, rewards readers who persist through the text with valuable insights and thought-provoking analysis.

For those particularly interested in the perspectives of Esack, Engineer, Wadud, and Barlas, this book serves as a solid introduction to their works. However, readers seeking a deeper understanding of liberation theology and gender justice more firmly rooted in Islamic traditions may find more comprehensive and better-anchored resources available elsewhere. Overall, this book is a good contribution to the discourse surrounding contemporary interpretations of the Qur'an, bridging the gap between traditional scholarship and modern exegetical thought.

[Tamara Agha-Jaffar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Qur'an of the Oppressed: Liberation Theology and Gender Justice in Islam by Shadaab Rahemtulla is a comprehensive survey and analysis of the commentaries of four Muslim thinkers who interpret the Qur’an as a liberating text that addresses social problems, including patriarchy, racism, classism, poverty, and violence.

The study explores the exegesis of four Muslim intellectuals: Farid Esack from South Africa; Asghar Ali Engineer from India; the African American, Amina Wadud; and the Pakistani American, Asma Barlas. As Rahemtulla shows, they have all been influenced in their choice of topic by the environment, struggles, and challenges they faced. As a South African activist engaged in the anti-apartheid movement, Farid Esack’s exegesis focuses on interfaith solidarity, liberation, and pluralism. As a Muslim living in India where there is communal conflict between Muslims and Hindus, Engineer focuses on the themes of social justice, peaceful reconciliation, and interfaith relations. And Wadud and Barlas focus on gender equality and the interlocking circles of oppression of gender, race, and class.

A thoroughly comprehensive study of these four Muslim intellectuals. Their exegesis offers refreshing insights and informative interpretations which highlight the connections between the Qur’anic text and liberation theology.

My book reviews are also available at www.tamaraaghajaffar.com

[Abdul Rafae Noor · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author succinctly describes the hermeneutical frameworks of 4 different scholars in an easy to understand language. The scholars in this book discuss topics of liberation (such as anti apartheid movements) as well as gender egalitarianism. Interestingly, the thematic exegesis of the authors stands in contrast to traditional forms of Quranic commentary. To varying extent, the scholars argue the imperative of the lay person to directly engage with the Quran, which I found really interesting. The author of this book, Shadab, captured the high level ideas of the authors in a simple to understand manner, and then explicitly compared and contrasted the 4 scholars’ insights. As someone who is not formally trained in academic religious studies and theology this was a very appreciated effort. I would definitely recommend anyone interested in studying about the study of the Quran to read this book. My suggestion would be to first have a basic understanding of the traditional Quranic commentaries; the scholars here very much present in contrast to traditional approaches and engage with the Hadith tradition in different ways. Therefore knowing what these traditions are would improve the reading experience of this book!

[Hia H · Rating 4 out of 5]

loved the ideas represented in this book. most of the highlighted scholars had good takes, uplifting Islamic principles that are interpreted in liberation-centered ways, making real critiques on existing power structures within the ummah, centering the oppressed, highlighting the importance of historical context, calling out interpretive methods, engaging with our own god-given consciousness, not making positions more palatable for the western gaze just for the sake of avoiding being boxed into an already racist trope, etc. i needed to hear these perspectives and critical arguments growing up. I liked Esack’s chapter the most and would read more of his work.

my biggest beef with this book is HOWWWW academic and jargon-y it was like just speak more plainly pls. the inaccessibility is sad bc the themes were profound, but i would recommend just reading the summary paragraphs at the end of each chapter to get the TLDR rather than trying to decipher all of that text.

((book club had some fruitful discussions at first but eventually we got over the jargon, which led us to find a new book loll))

[amal ☾ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wasn’t sure what to expect but this is packed with intersectionality as well as many references to Palestine and socialism (independently), which was really nice to see. The author engages with so many different topics intellectually and it all made me reflect a lot.

Only downside that I felt was there is more repetition than needed between the chapters and their conclusions. I also know that this is not at all close to mainstream interpretations of the Qur'an and Islam, but I still found it thought-provoking and important, and I resonated with much of the author’s views.

Somewhere between 4 and 5 stars.

[lia]

ok i give up. this does nothing but ruin my mood every time i pick it up so i'll stop at page 138. i hate this word but the only way i can describe the "scholars" this book deals with is "unserious". i have ~thoughts~ but i'll keep them to myself.

[samar]

a fairly decent introduction to this topic, though i think the book could have been much more concise had it been grouped thematically rather than by author. by the last two chapters there was a lot of repetition happening.

[Yassmin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I keep coming back to this book, over and over. Brilliant for a decent entry point into the various ways different liberationary theologists approach the Quran. Learnt so much. Bril!