Citation location: Episode 29: Qiwāma, Nushūz, and the Relationship Between Men and Women, at 00:58–01:01. Audible excerpt: «قوله تعالى الرجال قوامون على النساء بما فضل الله بعضهم على بعض وبما انفقوا من».
“By which God has favored some over others” means differentiation by competence
Source note: This page summarizes explanatory audiovisual material. Book references provide nearby context and are not verbatim evidence; for precise citation, consult the original episode and book.
Formulation of the claim
Shahrur says that “by which God has favored some over others” refers to differences in competence and abilities, not to the preference of one sex over another.
Explanation
He rejects the reading that takes the verse to mean that God favored men over women by virtue of sex. He says that the word “some” indicates that differentiation is distributed among individuals of both sexes. He then connects this to administrative competence and ownership of wealth, meaning that qiwāma is granted to whoever possesses its conditions. In this way, differentiation becomes functional and open.
Its place in the episode’s argument
This atom is central because it explains why “some of them” appears instead of a pronoun specific to one sex.
Scope of the claim
This idea does not deny the existence of real differences among people, but it denies that these differences translate into fixed sex-based superiority.
Brief evidence
“البعضية هنا… بعض الرجال والنساء قوامون على بعض”
Nearby links
- Shahrur - righteous action
- Shahrur - sovereignty
- Shahrur - jurisprudence