Street Prophets

Ramadan Day 22: Verses from the Quran

by lauramp

Wed Oct 26, 2005 at 07:35:01 PM PDT

Each day during Ramadan, I am presenting a verse from the Quran with a few thoughts or comments. An introduction to this series is here. Inshallah (God willing), I hope that this may be of benefit to any who are interested in learning a bit more about Islam and Muslim belief.

Quran 33:35:

Surely the Muslim men and the Muslim women, and the faithful men and the faithful women, and the devout men and the devout women, and the honest men and the honest women, and the persevering men and the persevering women, and the humble men and the humble women, and the men giving to charity and the women giving to charity, and the fasting men and the fasting women, and the men guarding their chastity and the women guarding (it), and the men remembering Allah much and the women remembering (Him). Allah has prepared for them forgiveness and a great reward
Most commentators say that this verse lists both men and women in a parallel structure like that to emphasize the equality of men and women in all these areas.

A tradition records the occasion on which this verse was revealed:

Umm Salama said, "I said to the Prophet, 'Why is it that we (women) are not mentioned in the Quran as men are?' Then one day without my realizing it, he was calling from the pulpit and I was combing my hair, so I tied my hair back then I went out to my chamber in my house, and I started listening out, and he was saying from the pulpit... [and the verse is recited here]

More background on this (and on a verse cited previously) here. When I blogged about it, I called it "women, ask and ye shall receive".

It's nice to think that this verse is specifically intended to address the spiritual status and equality of women.


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