On August 13th, 2015, Dr. Azizah al-Hibri analyzed with LLSP participants verses in the Qur’an which are often misinterpreted and historically have been used to justify oppression and abuse of women. Dr. al-Hibri first looked at Surat al-Nisa’ and raised the topic of obedience as it is described in the Qur’an. She worked with students to decipher the definition of obedience as the Qur’an intends it, referring to a quote from Abu Bakr which says, “obey me so long as I obey God and His Prophet, and if I disobey them, you owe me no obedience.” Too often, said Dr. al-Hibri, do those in power use the concept of obedience in an oppressive way, when the Qur’an tells us that obedience is only given under specific circumstances. She then moved on to women’s oppression within the home and the family, asking the question: why are women kept at home? Dr. al-Hibri discussed the meaning of qarna in Ayah 33 of Surat al-Ahzaab:
She argued that, contrary to popular belief, the verse means “be people of tranquility and dignity in your home.” In other words, the verse “says nothing about staying in your home, it only addresses behavior while at home.” Dr. al-Hibri then discussed Ayah 34 of Surat al- Nisa’ :
Although this verse is often distorted and used as permission for domestic violence, Dr. al-Hibri described it instead as the Qur’anic version of anger management, saying, the recommendations of this verse are “a far cry from beating up the wife.” Dr. al-Hibri concluded her course with a brief overview of the types of divorce and their requirements, refreshing students on the Qur’anic perspective on marriage, polygamy, and divorce. At the end of the class, students shared their appreciation for Dr. al-Hibri’s transformative and inspiring lectures throughout LLSP. One student remarked: “coming here showed me that I don’t need to be afraid of the Qur’an, but that I need to discover it and embrace it.”
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