Women and Men in the Quran

Chapter 1 Introduction -- Chapter 2 Beyond the Problematic of "the Muslim Woman" -- Chapter 3 The Qur'ānic Revelation in Seventh Century Arabia -- Chapter 4 An Alternative Approach to the Qur'ān -- Chapter 5 The Creation of Humanity -- Chapter 6 The Construction of Human Civilization -- Chapter 7 Moral Integrity as an Evaluation Criteria -- Chapter 8 The Egalitarian Call of the Qur'ān -- Chapter 9 The Qur'ānic Ethic of the Marital Union -- Chapter 10 The Principles of Divorce in the Qur'ān -- Chapter 11 The Shared Responsibility of Men and Women -- Chapter 12 The Management of Public and Private Spheres -- Chapter 13 The Basic Verses on Inheritance -- Chapter 14 Foundations of Corporal Ethic -- Chapter 15 The Equality of In-Court Testimony -- Chapter 16 Why Is There a Lag? -- Chapter 17 What Alternative Possibilities? -- Chapter 18 Equality, the Time of a Revelation.

This book distinguishes Islam as a spiritual message from the sociopolitical context of its revelation. While the sacred text of the Quran reveals a clear empowerment of women and equality of believers, such spirit is barely reflected in the interpretations. Trapped between Western rhetoric that portrays them as submissive figures in desperate need of liberation, and centuries-old, parochial interpretations that have almost become part of the "sacred," Muslim women are pressured and profoundly misunderstood. Asma Lamrabet laments this state of affairs and the inclination of both Muslims and non-Muslims to readily embrace flawed human interpretations that devalue women rather than remaining faithful to the meaning of the Sacred Text. Full of insight, this study carefully reads the Qur'an to arrive at its deeper spiritual teachings.