Let’s Talk Tafsir: The Evolution of Qawwam in Tafsir Tradition – reading Omaima Abou-Bakr скачать в хорошем качестве

Let’s Talk Tafsir: The Evolution of Qawwam in Tafsir Tradition – reading Omaima Abou-Bakr

#IslamicFeminism #QuranicInterpretation #quran In today’s video, I share a powerful and thought-provoking exploration of the concept of ‘qawwam’ and how it evolved within the Qur’anic tafsir tradition into the patriarchal construct of ‘qiwamah’. If you’ve ever wondered how ideas such as men being rulers over women, wives being expected to obey husbands, or women being seen as naturally inclined toward domesticity became so widespread, this video is for you. Fasten your seatbelts—this is a deep dive into the historical DNA of patriarchy. This discussion is based on a brilliant essay by Dr Omaima Muhammad Abou-Bakr, Professor of English and Comparative Literature at Cairo University, whose work focuses on gender, interpretation, and the cultural history of women in Islam. Her essay, The Interpretive Legacy of Qiwamah as an Exegetical Construct, traces how the Qur’anic term ‘qawwam’—originally a descriptive term meaning supporter or maintainer—was gradually transformed into a prescriptive ideology of male authority in the household. Drawing on over a thousand years of tafsir literature, beginning in the 9th century, Dr Omaima identifies four discursive stages in this transformation: from description to normativity, to justification of male authority over women, to linking Q4:34 with Q2:228 and assigning divine preference to men, and finally to modern associations with women’s “nature” and domestic roles. After unpacking these stages, I reflect on how a Qur’anic verse centred on responsibility came to underpin a hierarchical household model—where men rule and women are ruled—and what that shift means for how we understand gender, power, and interpretation today. Chapters: 01:08 Intro to Dr Omaima’s Essay and Musawah 10:38 Four stages of the Evolution of Qawwam 16:15 Stage 1 – from descriptive ‘qawwam’ to the normative ‘qiwamah’ 18:58 Stage 2 – scholarly reasoning for why men have qiwamah 24:31 Stage 3 – scholars link Q4:34 with Q2:228 35:35 Stage 4 – Modernist opinion on riyasah, fitrah and gender roles 44:11 Critique of Javed Ahmed Ghamidi’s explanation of qawwam 50:23 Concluding remarks Resources: M. Abou-Bakr, Omaima. 2015. ‘The Interpretive Legacy of Qiwamah as an Exegetical Construct’ in Men in Charge? Rethinking Authority in Muslim Legal Tradition. Edited volume. Publisher: OneWorld. Pages 44-64. Barlas, Asma. 2019. Believing Women in Islam – Unreading Patriarchal Interpretations of the Qur’an. Publisher: Saqi. Page 58. Ghamidi, Javed Ahmad. 2010. Islam – A Comprehensive Introduction. Translated by Shehzad Saleem. Publisher: Al-Mawrid. Pages 392-394. Abou El-Fadl, Khaled. 2001. Speaking in God’s Name – Islamic Law, Authority and Women. Chapter 7. Publisher: OneWorld. Shared Heritage of the Daughters of Eve. 2016. Muslim Women’s Council. Page 14. Dr Omaima’s profile: https://wmf.org.eg/en/member/omaima-m... Musawah’s website: https://www.musawah.org/ Related Videos: Surah Al-Nisa Ch.4 verse 34 – discussion between Eram Saeed, Leena El-Ali and Sitara Akram Part 1:    • Surah An-Nisa 4:34 - Explained by Female M...   Part 2:    • Does the Quran Allow Wife Beating? Underst...   Part 3:    • Does the Quran Allow Wife Beating? | Under...   Hijab in Hadith and Fiqh:    • Hijab in Hadith & Fiqh - Hijab series Pt 4...   Sitara’s website and other resources: Download free resource on UK student loans with detail on riba (usury): https://sitaraakram.com/courses My website: www.sitaraakram.com My Substack: https://substack.com/@sitaraakram