This Arabic language lecture will be held at 16:30 GMT
Are female humans excluded from being an 勳紳莽櫻紳 kmil?
Gods representative on earth as described in verse 2:301 has generated many discourses, from designating the Prophet as the most perfect human, to Sufis who aspired to achieve the perfection of al-勳紳莽櫻紳 al-kmil, and the theological discourses of 尪勳梭鳥Knowledge, science, learning; also, more specifically religious knowledge. In Shiism this term also refers to the special knowledge of the Imams. 硃梭-域硃梭櫻鳥. However, before political correctness took root even in academia, the term al-勳紳莽櫻紳 al-kmil was usually translated into English2 as the perfect man, replacing the umbrella term human and making man a synecdoche, thereby side-lining women and excluding half the human race from achieving or aspiring to perfection.
Though this is not the case in Arabic, where all three terms 勳紳莽櫻紳, rajul or dhakar and 勳鳥娶硃尨硃 or unth are different, women were still barred from the discussions around al-勳紳莽櫻紳 al-kmil, despite the declaration of the 紮喝娶a紳Muslims believe that the Holy 紮喝娶a紳 contains divine revelations to the Prophet Muhammed received in Mecca and Medina over a period of 23 years in the early 7th century CE. More in verse 4:13 that both are essentially two halves of one, having been created from a single being or soul. Consequently, the preservation and protection of divine creation on earth, rational reflection and judgement, legislative and scholarly privileges and interactions became exclusive to male humans rather than all humans. This was also reflected in the 廎仟餃蘋喧堯Lit. report or narrative, used for the traditions of the Prophet Muhammad and in Shii Islam also for those of the Imams. corpus and supported by the exegetical tradition in circular arguments, describing female humans as deficient in mind and intellect, the cause of fitna needing restraints and keepers, readily provided by the rules of fiqhThe science of Islamic jurisprudence. declaring them often to be minors requiring guardianship.
However, looking at the women described in the 紮喝娶a紳, a different picture emerges. Womens voices and actions change the course of history many times, some receive divine inspiration, others preserve and protect divine creation and prophets, most serve God in many ways, all are capable of rational reflection and sound judgement, one argues with the Prophet and is vindicated by God and some are the cause of legislations, many of which became the basis for privileges for other women.
This paper analyses the 紮喝娶a紳ic messages gleaned from the stories and actions of several extraordinary women,4 and argues that the 紮喝娶a紳 designates them as entitled to claim perfection and therefore to be among others aspiring to being al-勳紳莽櫻紳 al-kmil.
Speakers
Yasmin Amin
Yasmin Amin is the Representative of the Orient-Institut Beirut (Max-Weber-Stiftung) in Cairo. She is an Egyptian German who holds a BA in Business Administration, a PGD and an MA in Islamic Studies, all three from the American University in Cairo. She received her PhD in Islamic Studies from Exeter Universitys Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies researching Humour and Laughter in the 廎兀d蘋th. Her research covers various aspects of gender issues, early Muslim society and culture, as well as the original texts of Islamic history, law and Hadith. She is co-translator (with Nesrin Amin) of The Sorrowful Muslims Guide (Edinburgh University Press/AKU-ISMC 2018), and co-editor (with Nevin Reda) of Islamic Interpretive Tradition and Gender Justice: Processes of Canonization, Subversion and Change (McGill-Queens University Press, 2020). She has published extensively, and her next book is a translation of Nazira Zeineddines books with Edinburgh University Press/AKU-ISMC (forthcoming 2025).
Nuha Alshaar
Associate Professor
Dr Nuha Alshaar has a PhD in Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies from the University of Cambridge, MPhil in Educational Research from the University of Cambridge and an MA in African and Asian History the School of African and Asian Studies, SOAS. She has taught at various academic institutions in the UK, and the Arab world. Find out more on Dr Nuha Alshaar’s research and publications.
塈堸塈 堶堹堳 媯 塈堥奡堭堜
堛 塈堻堛堥媢塈堹 塈堻塈堙 堧 媯堥堶 “堨堻塈 塈塈”
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媢 塈堭媞 堧 堸塈 堻 塈堶塈 塈媞堜 塈媢堭堥堜 堶堳 堛堮堛 塈媯媟堶塈堛 塈堳塈堳堜 – 堨堻塈 堭堿 堧 堸堭 堨堭堧堜 堧 堧堳- 堹 堛 塈堻堛堥媢塈堹 塈堻塈堙 塈塈奡塈堛 堶 “塈堨堻塈 塈塈” 媢 塈堭媞 堨媢塈 塈堭堞 塈堭 塈堞堜 [4:1]3 堧 塈 塈堭堿 塈堭堧堜 奡塈 媯塈 塈堶堹 堹 堮塈 堻 塈堶堹堜. 堹 堧媯堥堶堛 堻堧堜 塈堶塈堜 塈堶塈婺 媢 塈 塈堨堜 媢 塈堧堭媔 塈堛堭 塈堶 塈媢塈 塈塈堛塈堬塈堛 塈堛奡堭媢堜 塈媢堜 堶堭塈 媢 塈堥奡堭 塈堸堭 堹 媞堭 堿媢 塈堥奡堭 塈 塈媢堻 堧媔塈 堿媢堜 塈堶堹堳 堹媢 堮塈 塈堛堭塈堳 塈堛堻堭 堶堿堿 堹塈埵堭堜 媯 塈堥奡堭 塈堨塈堳 堥堧 塈媯塈堛 媢 堹 堧 堻堥堥 塈堛堜 塈堛 堛堶堛塈堿 堨 塈堹塈堛 堶堭塈堻 堛堭塈 堥堻堜 塈塈媢堹 塈堜 堥堨媢塈 媞塈堥塈 塈媯堭塈堛 堶堛堿 堨 塈媯塈堜.
媢 堸 堥塈婺堭 堨 塈堻塈堙 塈塈堛 堭堹 堸堭 塈堭堞 塈堭 婺堭 婺堭 堮堛. 堶堳 堧媯塈堛 塈堻塈堙 堧媢塈 堛媞堭 堿堭塈堛 塈堛塈堭堮 塈堻堥塈堛 媢堹堜 堥媢媔 堛 堨塈塈 堨塈 堥媢媔 堶塈婺 媢 塈堮 塈堨 塈堧堥塈堙 堶塈 媢婺 堮堹 塈懇 堥媟堭 媢堹堹堜 堿媢 塈堹堭塈堛 媢 塈堛堭 塈媢塈 塈堶 塈堻 堛堿塈堹 堨堶堹塈 塈堥 堛堳堥堛 媯堶堜 塈 堥堛堧堹 堨 塈 堧 塈堥媢媔 塈堞堮堭 塈堹堛 堧媢塈 堨 堛奡堭媢塈堛 堧媯堥堶堛 堧堻塈堻塈 塈堛塈堬塈堛 堻塈堙 堧堮堭塈堛.
堛堶 堸 塈塈堜 塈堭堻塈埵 塈堭堞堜 塈堻堛塈堜 媯媯 堧媢塈 塈媢堹堹 塈堻塈堙 塈塈堻堛堳塈埵塈堛4 堛堿塈堹 堥堧 塈堭堞 塈堭 堶 塈堶 塈媟塈堥堜 堥塈塈 堥塈堛塈 堧 堥 塈堞堮堭 塈堸 媟堶 堨 堧 塈 堨堻塈塈 塈塈.
塈堶塈媔堭
塈堻 堧
塈堻 堧: 堳堜 塈媢懇堹 塈堧塈 堧堥堶塈堳 塈奡堭堜 (堣堻堻堜 塈堻 堥堭) 塈塈堭堜. 懇 媯堭堜-堧塈堜 堶塈媯堜 媢 堹堭堿堜 塈堥塈堭堻 堨堹塈堭堜 塈堧媢塈 堹堥 堹堭塈堻塈堛 媢塈 塈堿堻堛堭 塈堹堭塈堻塈堛 塈堨堻塈堜 堿媢塈 塈堿塈媢堜 塈堧堭堜 塈塈堭堜. 堶塈埵堬堜 媢 堹堭堿堜 塈堹堛堭塈 塈堹堭塈堻塈堛 塈堨堻塈堜 媢懇堹 塈堹堭塈堻塈堛 塈媢堭堥堜 塈堨堻塈堜 堥堿塈媢堜 堨堻堛堭 媢 堥堶堳塈 “塈塈堜 塈媔堶 塈堶堹堳”. 媞媟 堥堶堳塈 堸塈 堿塈堥 堮堛堜 媔塈塈 塈媢 塈塈堿堛塈媢 塈堿堛媢 塈堳塈堜 塈堨堻塈堜 塈堥堭堜 堸 堧媔塈 塈媯媯 塈堧媯堜 堛塈堭堮 塈堨堻塈 塈塈 塈堶堹堳.懇 堛堭堿堜 奡塈堭堜 (媢 堻堭 堧) 堛塈堥 “堹 塈堻 塈堶堬” (媟堥媢堜 堿塈媢堜 堨堹堥堭堜/媢懇堹 塈堞媞塈 堮塈 堹堭塈堻塈堛 塈堨堻塈堜 2018. ) 懇 堧媔塈 堶堭堭堜 奡塈堭堜 (媢 堭媔塈) 堛塈堥 “塈堛塈堹 塈堛堻堭堜 塈堨堻塈堜 塈媢堹塈堜 堥 塈堿堻: 媢塈堛 塈堛堹堻 塈堛堮堭堥 塈堛媞堭” (媟堥媢堜 堿塈媢堜 塈堿 堬 2020 ). 塈堛 堥奡堭 塈媢堹堹 塈堧堥堶塈堳 堛塈堥塈 塈塈堹 堛堭堿堜 堧媢塈 婺堭堜 堬 塈堹 堥塈堛媢塈 媢 媟堥媢堜 堿塈媢堜 堨堹堥堭堜/媢懇堹 塈堞媞塈 堮塈 堹堭塈堻塈堛 塈堨堻塈堜( 塈堭堭 媯堹堭 媢塈 2025).
劃懇塈 塈奡媢塈堭
劃懇塈 塈奡媢塈堭 堶塈堬堛 媢 堹堭堿堜 塈堹堛堭塈懇 堿塈媢堜 塈堥堭堹堿 懇 堥塈堶堳堜 奡塈堭堜 堧 媢懇堹 塈堹堭塈堻塈堛 塈堨堻塈媢堜 堹 堶堳 堛堭堬 媢 堛 塈堭堞 塈堧堹堥 塈媢堭堥 塈堹 媢 堛塈堹 塈堛堻堭 塈堭堞 堧堮塈塈堛懇 塈 堛堹堭堻 塈堛塈堭堮 塈堭 塈堭 塈堨堻塈 堸 塈堧堹堥 塈媢堭堥 塈堿塈媢堜 塈堧堭堜 塈奡塈堭堜 堥堭堛堥堜 堧堻堛塈堸堜 奡塈堭堜. 堧媢塈懇塈 ) 2015 堥塈堨堬堜( 塈堛塈堥 塈堸 塈奡堛堭堛 堛塈堥堛懇 媢 堥塈堶堳 堞堮堭 媢 塈懇 塈媢塈: 媟堥媢堜 堹堜 媢堭堥堜 堛堭堿堜 堨堬堜 堭堻塈埵 堨堮塈 塈媯塈堙 49 51 )媟堥媢堜 堿塈媢堜 堧堻堭堹 2019 堥塈堨堬堜(塈 堶堭堭堛 堛塈堥 塈堭堞 塈堧堹堥: 堛奡 塈堛塈堹 塈堧堹堥堜 塈堨堻塈 塈堹)媟堥媢堜 堿塈媢堜 堧堻堭堹 2017 堥塈堨堬堜( 堛塈堥 媯塈堹堭 塈堭堥塈堛 ) 2013 堥塈堨堬堜(. 堛 堶塈塈 堥堨媢堹塈堹 媟堥媢堜 媢堭堥堜 堛堭堿堜 堨堬堜 堮媟媟堜 堥媟堜 堛堶堛 媢 塈婺堭堜 堥 堭塈懇堥 堻堶 堭塈堥塈 堥堹堜 堛 塈堧堹堹 媯堭. 懇 塈奡媢塈堭 堮堭堿堜 塈堧塈堹堜 塈媢堭堥堜 塈堧塈堜 堥塈堶堳 塈奡堥塈堥 塈媢 塈堨堻塈塈堛.泭
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Views expressed in this lecture are those of the presenting scholars, not necessarily of 敁珗曄部, the Ismaili community or leadership. Promotion of this lecture is not an explicit endorsement of the ideas presented.
Cover image: from 1583 (TIEM 1973). Attributed to Seyyid Lokman. Public Domain.
- Q. 2:30 And when your Lord said to the angels, I am going to place in the earth a khal蘋fa, they said: What! wilt Thou place in it such as shall make mischief in it and shed blood, and we celebrate Thy praise and extol Thy holiness? He said: Surely, I know what you do not know.
- In German it is different, as it becomes the bermensch, the human ideal or the goal humanity sets for itself.
- ‘SQ. 4:1 O people! be careful of (your duty to) your Lord, Who created you from a single being and created its mate of the same (kind).
- Adams wife, Pharaohs wife, the mother and sister of M贖s, the Egyptians wife, the woman ruling Sheba, Maryam, daughter of 尪Imrn and her mother, and she who argued, Khawla bint Tha尪laba.
