Reading the Holy Qur'an

Blog Post 86

Dhul-Qidah 23, 1447 – May 11/12, 2026

"Why is it that even the most careful readers of the Holy Qur’an, the Words of Allah Subhanahu wa ta’ala, still read it incorrectly? Take for example, the following ayat:

O mankind! Fear your Lord, who created you from a single person, created, of like nature, his mate, and from them twain scattered (like seeds) countless men and women; And fear Allah, through whom you demand your mutual (rights), and the wombs. For Allah ever watches over you. 

(The Holy Qur’an: Surah al-Nisa, 4:1)

I am sure most of us have read or heard this beginning ayat of Surah al-Nisa and upon first reading find nothing amiss in it. However, there is 

something drastically wrong with the translation, and it is not the word twain or the word seeds in parenthesis.

Read the following ayat and see if you can spot what is incorrect with the translation:

And Allah has made wives for you from among

yourselves, and has given you sons and grandchildren

from your wives, and has given you of the good things;

is it then in the falsehood that they believe while it is

in the favour of Allah that they disbelieve? (16:72)

Are you able to find it?

Unfortunately, Muslims born into a Muslim family or not are taught in a patriarchal fashion for many reasons. Perhaps the main reason is that the dunya runs with a patriarchal stranglehold. Another reason is that the Holy Qur’an is translated, in any language, almost exclusively by men and Qur’anic tafsir (exegesis or interpretation), in any language, is written almost exclusively by men. The only translation of the Holy Qur’an, in totality, by a woman which I am familiar with is Laleh Bakhtiar’s The Sublime Quran, of 2007, and I know of no tafsir written by a woman. When Laleh Bakhtiar published her translation, Mohammad Ashraf, the Islamic Society of North America’s (ISNA) secretary-general in Canada, said he would not permit it to be sold in ISNA’s bookstores. He said they would not allow this kind of “woman-friendly translation” and that he would consider banning it. Afterwards, ISNA’s president Ingrid Mattson stated that ISNA supports Ms. Bakhtiar’s translation and asked Mr. Ashraf to retract his statement.

With the voluminous amount of Islamic texts throughout the over 1,400 years since Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, received the revelation of the Holy Qur’an, it is unreasonable to assert that the translators and interpreters did not, and do not, have access to the correct individual words of the Holy Qur’an nor to the meanings of the words. As we will see in my blog post, inshallah, the words under analysis are clear, simple and not patriarchal because Allah Subhanahu wa ta'ala is always Just and never unjust.

Patriarchy is defined as: “the social system in which males hold primary power, predominate in roles of political leadership, moral authority, social privilege and control of property at the specific exclusion of women, at least to a large degree.” Patriarchy literally means “rule of the father.” It is essentially the belief that and practice of fathers or father-figures hold(ing) authority over women and children.

“Domination by men of women is found…as far back as 3100 BCE, as are restrictions on a woman’s reproductive capacity and exclusion from ‘the process of representing or the construction of history.’” In classical Greece (5th through 4th centuries BCE), the Greek general Meno sums up Plato’s ideas as:

“First of all, if you take the virtue of a man, it is easily stated

that a man’s virtue is this – that he be competent to manage

the affairs of his city, and to manage them so as to benefit

his friends and harm his enemies, and to take care to avoid

suffering harm himself. Or take a woman’s virtue: there is

no difficulty in describing it as the duty of ordering the

house well, looking after the property indoors, and

obeying her husband.”

Aristotle (384-322 BCE) portrayed women as:

morally, intellectually and physically inferior to men

the property of men

role is to reproduce and serve men in the household

male domination of women is natural and virtuous

natural deformities and imperfect males

colder blood than men so they did not evolve into men

Simply on these ideas, Plato and Aristotle are accused of misogyny (hatred/dislike of females) and sexism (prejudice or discrimination based on sex/gender). Western thought and practice stems from Plato and Aristotle, both of whom are still taught abundantly and enthusiastically.

Another significant contributor to misogyny is the Austrian psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud. In his 1925 paper “The Psychic Consequences of the Anatomic Distinction between the Sexes,” he wrote that women

oppose change

receive passively

and add nothing of their own

Freud also taught that religion in the early stages of civilization was necessary to restrain man’s violent nature, but now should be abandoned in favor of reason and science. He said “the monotheistic God is an illusion based upon the infantile emotional need for a powerful, supernatural pater familias.” The pater familias is the oldest living male in a household who has complete control of and authority over all family members, essentially the Roman “father of the family.” It is unfortunate that Freud is still taught to, and believed by, students of psychology today.

While gains have been made throughout the world in women’s rights and equal treatment in society, British sociologist Sylvia Walby’s six structures that define patriarchy is worth looking at to prove that patriarchy still exists.

1. The state: women are unlikely to have formal power and representation

2. The household: women are more likely to do the housework and raise the children

3. Violence: women are more prone to being abused

4. Paid work: women are likely to be paid less

5. Sexuality: women’s sexuality is more likely to be treated negatively

6. Culture: women are more misrepresented in media and popular culture

While I do not profess to be a feminist, I do value and try to work for justice in society, as Allah Subhanahu wa ta’ala orders. However, because of the teaching and institutionalization of patriarchy throughout my life, I, too, sometimes succumb to a patriarchal reading of Allah Subhanahu wa ta’ala’s Words in the Holy Qur’an, even though I fight hard not to do that.

Let’s look at another ayat:

Men are in charge of women, because Allah has made

the one of them to excel the other, and because they

support them from their means. Therefore, the righteous

women are devoutly obedient, and guard in (the husband’s)

absence what Allah would have them guard. As to those

women on whose part you fear disloyalty and ill-conduct,

admonish them (first). (Next), refuse to share their beds.

(And last) beat them (lightly). But if they return to

obedience, seek not against them means (of annoyance).

For Allah is Most High, Great (above you all). (4:34)

On the other hand, look at this ayat:

If a wife fears cruelty or desertion on her husband’s part,

there is no blame on them if they arrange an amicable

settlement between themselves; and such settlement is

best; even though men’s souls are swayed by greed.

But if you do good and practise self-restraint,

Allah is well-acquainted with all that you do. (4:128)

 

Have you been able to overcome the ingrained patriarchal and misogynistic understandings to find the incorrect translation of the four ayats given so far?

As mentioned before, the mistranslations boil down to only a few words really. In the first two ayats, (4:1) and (16:72), the words given in the translation are “single person” and “yourselves” for the Arabic words “wahidat nafs” ( وَاحِدَةٍ نَفْسٍ ). So the first translation is more accurate, although it still doesn’t use the correct word for nafs, which is usually translated as “soul.” (Ruh is usually translated as spirit and sometimes as soul.) (See Shaykh al-Saduq) In the first two ayats, the words given in the translation are “mate” and “wives” for the Arabic word “zawj” ( زَوْجَهَا ). So the first translation is more accurate. The word “zawj” means “pair” or “mate.” However, the word “zawj” does not include the possessive word “his” as in “his mate.” The ending on “zawj ” is “ha” ( زَوْجَهَا ) which is the third person singular feminine – so it should read “her mate.” Therefore, technically, the ayat should read “and created from her her mate.” However, the “ha” ending is also used for “it” and so it reads “and created from it its mate.” The second translation of “wives” is completely inaccurate. So the correct translations should be:

created from it its pair (or mate) (4:1)

 

made for you from your soul pairs (or mates)

and has made for you from your pairs (or mates)

sons and grandchildren (16:72)

Now read the ayats:

O people! Fear your Lord, who created you

from one soul and created from it its mate

and dispersed from both of them many men

and women. And fear Allah, through whom you

demand from one another and family relationships.

Indeed Allah is Ever-Watchful over you. (4:1)

 

 

And Allah has made for you from your soul mates

and has made for you from your mates children

and grandchildren and has provided for you from

the good things. Then in falsehood do they believe

and in the favour of Allah they disbelieve? (16:72)

  

Reading these ayats correctly, using the word Allah has chosen – “zawj” – makes all the difference in the world. What it means is that:

the first man and woman were created from one soul

man and woman are pairs

woman is the mate of man and man is the mate of woman

the soul is not differentiated as man nor woman

So both men and women can read these ayats from their own perspective. A man should read the first ayat and think: Allah made me and my spouse from one soul. I don’t know if man was created first or woman or if they were created at the same time. But I do know that we were created from one soul. A woman should read the exact same thing. A woman should read the second ayat and think: Allah made my spouse for me from my soul and with my spouse we have children and grandchildren. A man should read the exact same thing. Neither ayat says: Allah made Adam and then from Adam He made Hawwa. He says: I made pairs (man and woman) from one soul. Man has children with his mate and woman has children with her mate. The idea that all things Allah Subhanahu wa ta’ala made is made in pairs is well-known. But the fact that man and woman are pairs made from the same soul is overlooked.

The third and fourth ayats, (4:34) and (4:128), given above, especially the third one, have been among the centre of controversial discussions and arguments. What is objected to are the words given in the translation – “disloyalty,” “ill-conduct,” “cruelty” and “beat.” Let’s look at these words. The first word, which has been translated in the third ayat as “disloyalty” and “ill-conduct” is “nushuz.” ( نُشُوزَ ) This word “nushuz” is the same word that Allah Subhanahu wa ta’ala uses in the fourth ayat, which is translated as “cruelty.” However, the word “nushuz” actually means “desertion” [as in “emotional desertion”]. The word in the translation – “desertion” – is given in the fourth ayat, but for the word “a’arada.” ( إِعْرَاضًا ) In other words, the translators switch the words “nushuz” (which is first) and “a’arada” (which is second), translating them backwards as “cruelty” and “desertion.” So the ayats should read:

from whom you fear desertion (4:34)

fears from her husband desertion (4:128)

Also, the translator has translated, in the third ayat, the word “nushuz” with two words “disloyalty” and “ill-conduct” when the correct word is only one – “desertion.” Allah Subhanahu wa ta’ala, in His Immense Compassion, has provided two words – “nushuz” and “a’arada” – that women may fear from their husbands.

It is important to look further at the word “nushuz.” Not only does it not mean “disloyalty,” “ill-conduct,” “cruelty” or any other synonyms, such as “disobedience,” which is also used in translations, it means “desertion.” Now, “desertion” can take the form of many actions. It could mean “running away” or “running out on,” “departing,” “evasion,” “rejection” or simply “disaffection.” Certainly, “running away” from your spouse can be seen as “disloyalty,” “ill-conduct” or even “cruelty.” But one must ask why a woman would “run away” from her husband. Do these words hold true for “disaffection”? What if one spouse doesn’t love the other? Whose fault is that? And can it be seen as “disloyalty,” “ill-conduct” or “cruelty”?

In the fourth ayat, Allah Subhanahu wa ta’ala mentions another word which women may fear from their husbands – “a’arada.” Most translators switch the two words, as talked about above, and translate “a’arada” as “desertion.” However, “a’arada” means “aversion” or “reluctance” or “turning away.” The meaning of aversion is: “a strong, intense dislike, opposition, or repugnance towards a person, thing, or situation, often resulting in a desire to avoid it” so “it often involves a mental or physical ‘turning away’ from the object of dislike.”

So the ayat should read:

fears from her husband desertion or aversion (4:128) 

Another controversial word, in the third ayat, is “idreboonhoona” ( اضْرِبُوهُنَّ ) (from the word “daraba” – ضَرَبَ ) because it is routinely translated as “beat them” or “strike them.” But this cannot be the correct meaning since Allah Subhanahu wa ta’ala does not ordain thulm – also written as zulm – (oppression) against anyone and certainly not against half of humanity (women). Instead, Allah Subhanahu wa ta’ala in His Infinite Wisdom lays out the procedure for a man who fears desertion from his wife: first advise her; then stop sleeping with her; then separate from her; in that order, if things don’t improve. So in this ayat, the word means “separate from her” or “part from her.” Isn’t this the humane way of dealing with someone with whom you can’t get along? Isn’t this how most divorces occur? Most countries will not grant a divorce unless the couple is no longer sleeping together and mandate a period of separation from each other.

If you doubt this, look at these selected ayats for the same root word of “daraba.”

3:156 – darabu ( اضَرَبُو ) meaning “they traveled”

4:94 – darabtum ( ضَرَبْتُمْ ) meaning “you go” or “you go forth”

4:129 – fatadharuha ( فَتَذَرُوهَا ) meaning “you leave her”

14:24 – daraba ( ضَرَبَ ) meaning “sets forth” as in “Allah sets forth a parable”

Ayat 129 in Surah al-Nisa #4 is the ayat about how a man cannot be just or even equal in his feelings and behaviour towards more than one wife and yet he must not incline towards one wife and “leave her” [the other wife] hanging like a suspended person without a husband. It follows the ayat mentioned above about what women should do if they fear desertion or aversion from their husbands.

Another controversial word, in the third ayat, is “qawwamuna” ( قَوَّامُونَ ), which is often translated as “in charge of.” “Qawwamuna” really means “protectors” and “maintainers” because men work and usually earn more money than women. Then we come across the word “ala” ( عَلَىٰ ), which is usually translated as “excel” or “an advantage.” The real meaning of “ala” is “high” or “over” or “excess.” Allah Subhanahu wa ta’ala says that some men are higher than other men, not that some men are higher than some women. Or some men are over other men or some men have excess (more) than other men. Essentially, some men have more money than other men. The husband is required, by Islamic law, to support his wife, not the other way around. By reading the sentence as a whole, this becomes apparent.

Also, in the third ayat, the patriarchal reading of the Holy Qur’an surmises that “righteous women are devoutly obedient” to their husbands. But this is not correct. Allah Subhanahu wa ta’ala says: “Righteous women are devoutly obedient to Allah” Subhanahu wa ta’ala. The word “al-salihat” ( الصَّالِحَاتُ ) means righteous women. The word “qanitatun” ( قَانِتَاتٌ ) means devoutly obedient.

Finally, in the third ayat, the word women is not used in the phrase “those from whom you fear.” But it is almost always translated as “those women on whose part you fear.” Women, however, are implied from the word endings on “nushuz,” “advise them,” “leave them” and “separate from them.”

In the fourth ayat, it is emphasized by Allah Subhanahu wa ta’ala, Who made us, that peace and reconciliation are better between spouses. Most translators combine peace and reconciliation into one phrase like “amicable settlement.” However, this could mean a peaceful separation or a divorce, when it really means staying together in love and peace. The word “yuṣ’liḥaa” ( يُصْلِحَا ) means “terms of peace,” “ṣul’ḥan” ( صُلْحًا ) means “reconciliation” and “al-sul’hu” ( الصُّلْحُ ) means “the reconciliation,” which is repeated at the end of the sentence.

So read the two ayats again:

Men are the protectors and maintainers of women

because Allah has made some of them over some

others and because they spend from their wealth.

So righteous women are devoutly obedient guarders

 of the unseen which Allah orders them to guard.

But those from whom you fear desertion, then

advise them,

and leave them in their bed,

and separate from them.

But if they pay you heed, seek no means against them.

Indeed, Allah is the Most High, the Greatest. (4:34)

 

And if a woman fears from her husband desertion

or aversion, there is no sin on both of them if they

make terms of peace between themselves,

a reconciliation – and the reconciliation is best.

And are swayed the souls by selfishness.

But if you do good and fear Allah – then indeed

Allah is of what you do Well-Aware. (4:128)

Allah Subhanahu wa ta’ala made man and woman as a pair for many reasons. Patriarchal systems want us to believe it is for different roles at home and in the society, for procreation, for the bringing up of children, because man and woman are different. But those are not the reasons. Man and woman are different, but only in their gender, and this is for many reasons also. If one man had the biological apparatus like men do and another man had what women have, it still wouldn’t work. Men are attracted to women and vice versa even when they cannot and never view their biological apparatus. They are attracted to each other for many reasons. One of them is because they are searching for their other pair. They want to complete themselves. They want to be whole. Through the relationship of a man and a woman, they are able to realize this completion, this wholeness.

Allah Subhanahu wa ta’ala mentions some reasons He created humans in pairs.

And of His signs is that He created

for you from your soul mates

that you may find tranquility in them,

and He placed between you love and compassion.

Indeed, in that are signs for a people who reflect. (30:21)

Tranquility, love and compassion, Al-Hamdulillah!

It is He who created you from one soul

and created from it its mate that he might rest with her.

So when he lays over her, she carries a light load

and continues with it. And when she becomes heavy,

they both pray to Allah their Lord, “If You give us a

righteous child, we will surely be among the thankful.” (7:189)

Someone to rest with and lay with and for procreation, Al-Hamdulillah!

Patriarchy does not cause tranquility, love, compassion, rest, gentleness and thankfulness. Even if the wife and children are totally obedient to the “father of the household” and all the men of society, it is doubtful that the wife and children will feel tranquil and loved and it is doubtful that the “father” and men will act compassionately and gently toward them. Perhaps, the “father” and the men will have tranquility or peace because everything will go the way they want it. No one talks back to them, no one disobeys their orders, everyone is on pins and needles catering to their every need, wish and demand, everyone speaks softly to them, everyone pretends they love them, everyone tries to keep the home peaceful and tranquil even though they’re oppressed. This is the history of patriarchy.

When I read such patriarchal translations of Allah Subhanahu wa ta’ala’s Words, I wonder if those men also act towards Allah Subhanahu wa ta’ala the same way. Do they pretend to love Him? Do they pretend to obey Him? Do they think He owes them something? Do they think He must do whatever they wish? Do they in fact rebel against Him? Patriarchy is not the way Allah Subhanahu wa ta'ala has ordained for familial and societal relationships to be. Man and woman must be only obedient to Allah Subhanahu wa ta’ala. They must behave peacefully, lovingly, compassionately and gently towards each other and towards all human beings. This is obeying and loving Allah Subhanahu wa ta’ala.

(This blog post was written on February 20, 2016 in the midst of a Sisters’ Islamic Study Group in Toronto, Ontario in which we conducted a book study of Asma Barlas’s 2002 book “Believing Women” in Islam: Unreading Patriarchal Interpretations of the Qur’an. The post was revised several times over the ensuing ten years with utmost care and devotion to Allah Subhanahu wa ta’ala’s Words. Much of it is taken from Asma Barlas's book, published by the University of Texas Press.)

 

Resources

Al-Asi, Muhammad H. "The Ascendant Qur’an: Realigning Man to the Divine Power Culture." Vol. 6. Institute of Contemporary Islamic Thought. Toronto: 2012. https://www.icit-digital.org/ebook_preview/the-ascendant-qur-an-volume-6

Al-Asi, Muhammad H. "The Ascendant Qur’an: Realigning Man to the Divine Power Culture." Vol. 8. Institute of Contemporary Islamic Thought. Toronto: 2014. https://www.icit-digital.org/ebook_preview/the-ascendant-qur-an-volume-8

Al-Saduq ibn Babawayhi, Shaykh. "A Shi’ite Creed." Al-Islam.org. http://www.al-islam.org/a-shiite-creed-shaykh-saduq/concerning-souls-nufus-and-spirits-arwah

Bakhtiar, Laleh. "The Sublime Qur’an." Al-Tafsir.com. http://www.altafsir.com/ViewTranslations.asp?Display=yes&SoraNo=7&Ayah=189&toAyah=189&Language=2&LanguageID=2&TranslationBook=18

Barlas, Asma. (2002). “'Believing Women' in Islam: Unreading Patriarchal Interpretations of the Qur’an." The University of Texas Press.

Laleh Bakhtiar. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laleh_Bakhtiar

Lari, Sayyid Mujtaba Musavi. "Hidden Truth’s in God’s Word." Al-Islam.org. http://www.al-islam.org/hidden-truths-gods-word-sayyid-mujtaba-musawi-lari/look-meaning-daraba-quran

Patriarchy. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patriarchy

Sigmund Freud. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sigmund_Freud