Women in the Qur'an
Encyclopedia
- This article is about female figures that appear in the Qur'an. For the roles, rights, and duties of women as laid out in the Qur'an, see Women in IslamWomen in IslamThe study of women in Islam investigates the role of women within the religion of Islam. The complex relationship between women and Islam is defined by Islamic texts, the history and culture of the Muslim world...
.
Female figures in the Qur'an are important characters and subjects of discussion in the stories and morals taught in Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
. Some of the women in the Qur'an
Qur'an
The Quran , also transliterated Qur'an, Koran, Alcoran, Qur’ān, Coran, Kuran, and al-Qur’ān, is the central religious text of Islam, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God . It is regarded widely as the finest piece of literature in the Arabic language...
are portrayed in a positive light, while others are condemned for their actions. Mary (Maryam - مريم) is the only female mentioned in the Qur'an by name; the others' names come from other traditions. Most of the women in the Quran are represented as either the mothers or wives of certain leaders and prophets. Women in the Quran still retained an amount of autonomy from men in some respects; for example, the Quran describes women who converted to Islam before their husbands did, or women who took an independent oath of allegiance to Muhammad.
Eve
Eve is not mentioned by name in the Quran.The Quran mentions Adam and his Spouse.
God created Adam and Eve
Adam and Eve
Adam and Eve were, according to the Genesis creation narratives, the first human couple to inhabit Earth, created by YHWH, the God of the ancient Hebrews...
and bestowed them a place to live in namely Paradise
Jannah
Jannah , is the Islamic conception of paradise. The Arabic word Jannah is a shortened version meaning simply "Garden". According to Islamic eschatology, after death, one will reside in the grave until the appointed resurrection on . Muslims believe that the treatment of the individual in the life...
. The first human mistake was by Adam and Eve who both ate a fruit forbidden by God:
Wives of Noah and Lot
The Quran speaks of the wives of NoahNoah
Noah was, according to the Hebrew Bible, the tenth and last of the antediluvian Patriarchs. The biblical story of Noah is contained in chapters 6–9 of the book of Genesis, where he saves his family and representatives of all animals from the flood by constructing an ark...
(Arabic:Nuh) and Lot
Lot (Bible)
Lot is a man from the Book of Genesis chapters 11-14 and 19, in the Hebrew Bible. Notable episodes in his life include his travels with his uncle Abram ; his flight from the destruction of Sodom, in the course of which Lot's wife looked back and became a pillar of salt; and the seduction by his...
(Arabic:Lut
Lut
Lot is an apostle and prophet of God in the Qur'an. He also appears in the Bible, but the Biblical stories of Lot are not entirely accepted within Islam. According to Islamic tradition, Lot lived in Ur and was the son of Haran and nephew of Abraham. He migrated with Abraham to Canaan in Palestine....
) in contempt:
Daughters of Lot
The Qur'an speaks of their in surah 11 and 15Sara (سارة), Wife of Abraham
Aziz's Wife and the Ladies
Mother and sister of Moses
The Qur'an narrates that Mūsā is watched by his sister, refuses the milk of other nurses and is suckled by his own mother.Wife of Moses
Asiyah, Wife of the Pharaoh
The wife of the PharaohPharaoh
Pharaoh is a title used in many modern discussions of the ancient Egyptian rulers of all periods. The title originates in the term "pr-aa" which means "great house" and describes the royal palace...
, known in some traditions as Asiyah, is mentioned in the Quran:
The Queen of Sheba (Bilqis)
The Quran speaks of the Queen of Sheba, also known as Balqees:Wife of Imran
The wife of Imran (father of Mary), and thus Isa's grandmother is not named in the Qur'an, but referred to in narratives. In Judeo-Christian tradition she is identifeid as HannahHannah
Hannah or Hanna may refer to:*Hannah , a given name*Hannah , a family name*Hannah , the mother of Samuel*Hannah Montana, a television series on the Disney Channel-Places:* Hanna, Alberta, a town in Alberta, Canada...
. According to the Qur'an, Imran and his wife were old and childless, and she invoked God for a child:
Maryam (مريم)
A key female character in the Quran is Mary, the mother of JesusIslamic view of Jesus
In Islam, Jesus is considered to be a Messenger of God and the Masih who was sent to guide the Children of Israel with a new scripture, the Injīl or Gospel. The belief in Jesus is required in Islam, and a requirement of being a Muslim. The Qur'an mentions Jesus twenty-five times, more often, by...
. The name of Maryam frequently appears in the Qur'an alongside that of Isa (Jesus) in the format "ʿĪsā Ibn Maryam" (meaning Jesus the son of Mary). surah 19
Maryam (sura)
Sura Maryam is the 19th sura of the Qur'an and is a Makkan sura with 98 ayat . It is named after Maryām, the actual name for Mary, Mother of Jesus . The popular variant of the name Maryam, Mary, is a Westernized or Anglicized version...
is named after her:
God
God
God is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....
sent Gabriel
Gabriel
In Abrahamic religions, Gabriel is an Archangel who typically serves as a messenger to humans from God.He first appears in the Book of Daniel, delivering explanations of Daniel's visions. In the Gospel of Luke Gabriel foretells the births of both John the Baptist and of Jesus...
to Mary to give her tidings of a son:
The Qur'an also states that the conception of Jesus by Mary was miraculous:
Mary
Maryam
Maryam/ Meryem / Merjem or Mariam may refer to:* Maryam , a female given name* Mary * Maryam , 19th sura of the Qur'an...
is especially revered by many Muslims, and she is praised much by the Quran:
Wives Of Muhammad
The wives of Muhammad are known to Muslims as the "Mother of the believers", or in arabic, "umm'ul mu'mineen', and they are mentioned in several places, but never by name.Daughters of Muhammad
The Qur'an speaks of their in surah 33 ver. 59The woman who complained to Muhammad
The Qur'an speaks of her in surah 58 (She that DisputethAl-Mujadila
Surat Al-Mujadilah is the 58th sura of the Qur'an with 22 ayat.-External links :* at Sacred TextsSurah that Allah's name is mentioned in every Ayat....
), her name being Khoulah bint Thalabah.
The verses that follow are to restore her rights (as well as those of any other woman in her position), when the husband does a specific pre-Islamic tradition.
See also
- List of persons mentioned by name in the Qur'an
- Sahaba in the Qur'an