Qiwama Is Not for Males but for Competence
Editorial verification status: This atom has been extracted from an explanatory audio-visual source, and it has now been linked to the closest books within the Shahrur project at the book level. For exact academic citation, consult the original book and the original episode together.
Formulation of the claim
Shahrur maintains that qiwama is not tied to whether a person is male or female, but rather to competence in administration and in qiwama itself.
Explanation
Shahrur interprets the term qiwama in the verse as a functional attribute, not a biological one. He therefore rejects the idea that “men” here is restricted to males, and says that males and females may be found on either side depending on competence. In this way, he links qiwama to the capacity for administration, not to gender. He also makes the verse applicable in every time and place.
Its place in the episode’s argument
This is the foundation on which he builds his entire interpretation of the verse. If the link between qiwama and maleness falls away, then the traditional interpretation that makes authority the preserve of the man by virtue of sex also falls away.
Limits of the claim
This does not mean that every woman or every man is equally competent in practice, but rather that the criterion is not sex in itself.
Brief evidence
“Those men who have competence in qiwama… and those women who have competence”
Related links
- Shahrur - Sovereignty
- Shahrur - Freedom
- Shahrur - Civil State