Asma Barlas Quotes

Masculinizing God is the first step in positing a hierarchy in which males situate themselves beneath God and above women, implying that there is a symbolic (and sometimes literal) continuum between God's Rule over humans and male rule over women.

However, my argument assumes that there is a relationship between God and God’s word; thus, my 'theological solution' to unjust interpretations is to be more scrupulous in aligning our readings of God’s word with our conceptions of God so as to avoid attributing injustice to God.

The fact that the Qur'an "happens against a long background of patriarchal precedent" may also explain why its exegesis, the work entirely of men, has been influenced by their own needs and experiences while either excluding or interpreting, "through the male vision", perspective, desire, or needs". The resulting absence of women's voices from "the basic paradigms through which we examine and discuss the Qur'an and Qur'anic interpretation," argues Wadud, is mistaken "with voicelessness in the text itself"; and it is this silence that both explains and allows the striking consensus on women's issues among muslims in spite of interpretive differences among them.

First, parents are not intermediaries between God and children. Secondly, all children are to come to God's truth as individual moral agents independent of, and if necessary, even in conflict with the views of their parents. Finally, even if children are expected to disobey erring parents, they are simultaneously reminded to care for and be fair to them.