Qur’an and Social Sciences

Qur’an and Social Sciences

An Evaluation of Asma Barlas’s Conception of Gender Justice in Comparison with the Views of Ayatollah Javadi Amoli

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
Bibi Hakime Hosseini 1
Fateme Ataei Dalanjan 2
1 Assistant Professor, Department of Qur’anic Sciences and Hadith, University of Qur’anic Sciences and Teachings, Mashhad, Iran (Corresponding Author)
2 M.A. in Qur’anic Sciences, University of Qur’anic Sciences and Teachings, Mashhad, Iran
10.22034/arq.2025.242437
Abstract
Given the growing prominence of the concept of gender in many fields, in recent years some Qurʾānic scholars have turned to female-centered readings of the Qur’ān in order to highlight Qurʾānic concepts related to equality and gender justice. One of the figures who has reconsidered issues of Islam and gender by offering alternative interpretations of certain Qurʾānic verses on women is Asma Barlas, a Pakistani-American scholar and author of Believing Women in Islam. Influenced by the ideas of Fazlur Rahman and, in some respects, following Amina Wadud's interpretive approach, Barlas proposes a distinct hermeneutic in this field.  The present study, using a descriptive-analytical method and documentary data, seeks to explain Asma Barlas’s interpretive thought and methodology and to compare her views on gender justice with those of Ayatollah Javadi Amoli regarding Qurʾānic verses related to women—such as those concerning creation, testimony, and hijab. Analytical examination of the views of these two figures shows that both believe in God’s justice toward women within the framework of divine law. However, Barlas regards equality across all domains as the criterion for realizing gender justice and thus adheres to an egalitarian conception of justice, whereas Ayatollah Javadi Amoli adopts a merit-based conception of justice. The latter appears to offer a more accurate account of gender justice and is preferable to Barlas’s perspective. 
Keywords
Qurʾān
Gender justice
Feminist readings
Feminism
Barlas
Javadi Amoli
Merit-based justice
Egalitarian justice

Subjects

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  • Receive Date 01 May 2024
  • Revise Date 02 September 2024
  • Accept Date 09 September 2024