Examining the Applicability of the Hermeneutics of Suspicion in Understanding Quranic Verses on Women

Document Type : The Quarterly Jornal

Authors

1 PhD Candidate, Department of Religious Studies, Faculty of Religions, University of Religions and Denominations, Qom, Iran (Corresponding Author).

2 Assistant Professor, Department of Religious Studies, Faculty of Religions, University of Religions and Denominations, Qom, Iran.

3 Postdoctoral fellow in Quranic studies, Paderborn Institute for Islamic Theology, University of Paderborn – Germany

Abstract

he challenges in interpreting Quranic verses related to women—particularly concerning justice in the modern era—have long been a subject of debate among scholars and exegetes. This article explores whether the hermeneutics of suspicion can serve as a tool for resolving existing interpretive conflicts and opening new pathways for reinterpreting these verses. To examine this question, the study first reviews the application of the hermeneutics of suspicion in reinterpreting biblical passages related to women, utilizing a comparative theological approach aimed at deepening the understanding of one’s own religious tradition. Next, by analyzing the similarities and differences among various Quranic exegetical methods, the study evaluates the potential of applying the hermeneutics of suspicion to generate new interpretive solutions. The findings indicate that this approach can effectively address the challenges in interpreting Quranic verses on women and justice. By emphasizing the critique of presuppositions, the multilayered meanings of the text, the influence of power dynamics on interpretations, and its parallels with certain Islamic exegetical mechanisms—such as the principles of muhkam and mutashabih, naskh, and asbab al-nuzul—the hermeneutics of suspicion can provide a valuable framework for rethinking and developing alternative readings of Quranic verses concerning women and justice.

Keywords

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References

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