This locus brings together 1 instance of the use of this verse in the books of Muhammad Shahrur, linking it to the concepts and arguments that appear around it.
The Verse Text as Cited
{ Indeed, I found a woman ruling over them, and she has been given of everything, and she has a magnificent throne. }
Reader’s Answer
Question
Where does the verse occur, what does Shahrur distinguish in it, and what function does it serve in his argument?
The verse occurs in Surat al-Naml (23), and Shahrur invokes it in his discussion of Bilqis and her rule. The evidence establishes that he draws attention to the fact that she is a woman ruling over her people and to the absence of any apparent disapproval by Solomon in the transmitted account; however, in the available excerpt, it does not establish an independent definition of “qiwāma” or a general ruling that women’s assumption of authority is “natural.”
Shahrur cites al-Naml 23, followed by al-Naml 32–33, in the context of his discussion of Bilqis as a woman who rules her people and manages a political matter together with the council. The function of the verses in the passage is to support Shahrur’s observation that, in his presentation, the account of Bilqis is not accompanied by Solomon’s disapproval of her being a ruler; however, the excerpt breaks off before his detailed statement is completed.
Evidence and Location
Towards New Foundations for Islamic Jurisprudence — p. 242.
Limits of the Reading
- The evidence does not define the meaning of “qiwāma” or explicitly equate it with authority or kingship.
- The evidence does not establish a general ruling that women’s assumption of authority is natural, although it does establish the use of the story of Bilqis in an argument concerning the absence of disapproval.
- The excerpt does not establish any claim concerning synonymy or its absence among terms such as kingship, authority, and qiwāma.
- The evidence breaks off while setting out Solomon’s reaction; therefore, no broader formulation than what is apparent in it should be attributed to it.
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Brief Reading
He cites Bilqis as an example that women’s assumption of authority and qiwāma is natural and is not disapproved of by the Qur’an.
Axes
- Political and social
- Human and ethical
Related Concepts
- Women’s qiwāma: 2
Its Place in the Conceptual Network
It is connected to the concept of female leadership in a positive Qur’anic context.
The Verse’s Role in the Argument
- Example: 1
Instances of Use
- Towards New Foundations for Islamic Jurisprudence, p. 242: He cites Bilqis as an example that women’s assumption of authority and qiwāma is natural and is not disapproved of by the Qur’an.
- Concept: Women’s qiwāma
- Function of the verse here: Example
- Textual evidence: “If we consider Solomon’s—peace be upon him—reaction when the news of Bilqis reached him, we do not find him disapproving of her being a queen possessing qiwāma over her people.”
Related Books
This page is presented within the general atlas-building methodology.