Men are in Charge of Women   الرجال قوامون على النساء

                      

Men are in Charge of Women

The title of the lecture is part of a Qur’anic text that should be returned to its position from in text if we want to study it objectively. In fact, that is because separating it from its location in the text and understanding it based superficially on what is common on people’s tongues regarding the use of the meanings of words together with the influence of the masculine concept of culture  led to the statement of male guardianship over females, even though the text does not contain any word confirming what the commentators maintained.

Now, here is the full text:

{Men are in charge of women by [right of] what Allah has given one over the other and by what they spend [for sustenance] from their wealth. So, righteous women are devoutly obedient, guarding in [the husband’s] absence what Allah would have them guard. But those [wives] from whom you fear discord/rebellion –  [first] advise them; [then if they persist], forsake them in bed; and [finally], strike them. But if they obey you, seek no means against them. Indeed, Allah is ever Exalted and Grand} (Women: 34)

The keys to studying the text are the meaning of both the word ( الرجال “the adults who are capable of spending on others “) and the word                   ( النساء”people subordinate in their livelihood to others”).

(الرّجُل): is a word that indicates the effort repeated with continuous movement. Hence, it was used to denote the organ of walking used by the living being: legs. And we tell someone if he or she is a rider to get off: (ترجّل) when we want him/her to descend which means going down and walking on his/her feet. This description has nothing to do with the gender, male or female, but applies to both sexes. The concept of an adult male (الرجُل the man) has been used over time, because he is usually the one who makes the effort and moves about to collect the provisions and sustenance for his family. Now, the woman who seeks, works and struggles to obtain the livelihood is called (الرجُلة ).

The Qur’anic text has used the meaning of the word (الرجل) in the sense of description (seeking/action and movement with effort) in the Almighty’s verse:

{And proclaim to people the Hajj [pilgrimage]; they will come to you { (رِجالا) adult people capable of spending} and on every lean camel; they will come from every distant pass -}

(Haj: 27)

Again He said:{and if you fear [an enemy, then pray] (رِجالاً)  i.e. “while” on foot) or riding.} (Baqara: 239)

On the other hand,  He used it in the sense of an adult male in the following verse:

{Indeed, you approach (الرِجال i.e. the men) with lust, instead of women} (Araf: 81)

Hence, the principle in the indication of the word (الرَّجُل) is the description, characteristics and the condition rather than the gender; and to confine the significance of the word (الرَّجُل) to one sex and not the other, there should be an indication within the context of the text or from the place of discourse in reality (the destination addressed).

Now, as for the meaning of the word (النِّساء):

نِسَاء: is the plural form of (نَسِيء), which indicates delay/postponing/retarding and addition. God Almighty said:

{Indeed, the postponing [of restriction within sacred months] is an increase in disbelief}. (Tawba: 37)

What is meant in the text is the act of delaying the sanctuary months (الأشهُر الحُرُم) by displacing them from their position in time through the year and adding them to a another time position to allow fighting. In fact, fighting is forbidden during the sanctuary months, and the text has nothing to do with the leap year when they add a day to the year to correct the status of the calendar once every four years.

A pregnant woman is called نَسِيء, and the pregnant women are said to be نِساء. as in “لسان العرب”, (a dictionary called: Language of the Arabs. This is due to the delay of  menstruation and the prospect of pregnancy. Furthermore, the ancient Arabs chose the word (نِساء: women) as the plural of the word (امرأة: woman) which is not of the former’s type – to achieve the trait of women’s retardation / holding back in fighting and working to secure the needs of the family, and because of their staying behind men in managing family affairs and caring for children. Thus, the denotation of the word ” نِساء ” became applied to anyone who stays behind men in the field of life, regardless of their gender: they can be children, the elderly, women or all of them together.

Hence, the basic sense of the word ” نِساء ” is a plural of the word “نَسِيء” that denotes the delay/keeping back. Nevertheless, to define it as being the plural of the word (امرأة: woman), there must be a suitable context in the text or the addressee destination of the discourse in reality.

Moreover, the Quranic text used it in the sense of the plural of a woman in the next verse:

{O wives of the Prophet, you are not like anyone among women (i.e. نِساء). If you fear Allah, then, do not be soft in speech [to men], lest he in whose heart is disease should desire, but speak with appropriate speech.} (Ahzab: 32)

So now, having known the significance of both the word (رِجال) and the word (نِساء), we return to the related text in question for further investigation. We notice that the text has used the word (رجال : men, and النِساء: women) rather than the words (الذَّكَر: male, and الأُنثى: female), which if the text had used (them), the discussion would have ended, and, consequently       , we would have said that the concept of the forefathers and predecessors is correct regarding the statement: Males are the guardians of females!

But the text did not use them, so the masculine concept should not be said except in a reported or mental contexts. The text, actually, does not comprise any indications to the sense of gender in (الرجال and النساء) that indicate the sex/gender rather than description, characteristics or status and not the description and the case. That is why the phrase {So, the righteous women are devoutly obedient, guarding in absence .. } is a (جملة استئنافية) i. e. a sentence resuming the speech, and is not a conjunctive statement connected to the preceding one.

Note that the text contains an explicit indication showing that the word (الرجال) is description (of any sex characterized with the movement and activity to provide sustenance and livelihood for the family), not a gender/sex. Notice the context is the Almighty God’s words:

{ by [right of] what Allah/God has given one over the other and by what they spend [for maintenance] from their wealth}.

The status of guardianship is related to two attributes/ descriptions/traits: the virtue of overplus and spending. These two characteristics are not born with the males at birth, but are acquisitions from social reality. Consequently, anyone who acquires the quality of the overplus virtue and that of spending is (رجُل البيت) i.e. is the (guardian man/woman of the home), no matter whether its gender is male or female. Hence, the features of overplus virtue and spending are movable between males and females.

That is why, in real life, we see many families where the woman is the one qualified with guardianship through what she is characterized with: (الفَضْل) priority/ overplus/ surplus favor and with spending on her family. Thus, the one who is duly characterized with them  is the holder of the guardianship position.

Actually, it is possible for both men and women to share this position, and so they become the رِجال i.e. ‘guardian people’ of the house through their cooperation in leading and managing the household both externally and internally.

Therefore, the concept of guardianship should be excluded from being a characteristic associated with the male considering only his masculinity.  Cultural awareness in society should prevail that guardianship is a social status linked to awareness and responsibility. Whereas the issue of spending has nothing to do with the male’s superiority to the female from creation since everyone is the offspring of Adam and Adam is from dust.

The overplus/priority is a position that a person acquires, either male and female, through environmental and social interaction and educational accomplishment. Thus, it would be natural for the holder of this position to enjoy what he or she has acquired and consequently guardianship (i.e. being in charge of the family) would be duly his or her share. That’s why God Almighty says:

{For men is a share of what they have earned, and for women is a share of what they have earned}. (Women: 32)

In conclusion, not every male is a رجل i.e. man, nor is every man a ذكَر i. e. a male, nor every woman is a member of النساء i.e. women, and the significance of the word رجال men and نساء women is a socio-economic one, not the sex or gender position.

Thank you for your kind attention.