Representation of the Social and Political Status of Women in the Quran and Iranotopian Thought

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Department of Political Science, Khorramabad Branch, Islamic Azad University, Khorramabad, Iran

10.22081/jips.2025.72359.1082

Abstract

In light of social, historical, and intellectual developments, the view of women and their social status has become one of the central concerns of human societies. Investigating the intellectual roots, beliefs, and established doctrines of a society toward women inevitably begins with studying the doctrinal sources and the thoughts of the intellectual leaders of that society. Similarly, an analysis of the contemporary social status of Iranian women cannot present a comprehensive image without tracing back to the intellectual sources of this perspective. In fact, from a theoretical standpoint, it appears that there is a strong connection between the social status of women in contemporary Iran and these doctrinal sources, as well as the interpretations and beliefs of intellectuals and thinkers. The main concern of this article is to answer the fundamental question: How is woman represented in the Quran and in Iranotopian thought? It is worth noting that when discussing the status of women in the Quran and Iranotopian thought, the focus is on the “gender” of women. In the study of women in Iranotopian thought, the primary texts of this ideology, including the Avesta before Islam, and the Shahnameh and Siyāsatnāma of Khwaja Niẓām al-Mulk after Islam, are taken into consideration. The choice of these two texts stems from the belief that, given the intellectual, political, and social transformations of Iran throughout different historical periods, the current social and cultural structure of Iranian society, in general, and the role and function of women, in particular, cannot be shaped without the influence of these two texts. Given the nature of the research topic, which aims to understand the meaning of woman in two historical texts, the use of a theoretical approach and interpretive and hermeneutic research methods becomes inevitable. This article, based on the interpretive and Skinners's intentional hermeneutic approach, seeks to deconstruct the dominant understanding of woman in the two aforementioned texts. Of course, when the issue is the interpretation of the Quran as a sacred and determinate text, one cannot freely make use of all hermeneutic approaches without paying attention to the epistemological differences between them. Philosophical approaches to hermeneutics, such as Gadamer's interpreter-centered approach, are in existential and epistemological discord with religion. The use of intentional hermeneutic methods, such as Skinner’s approach, in light of the requirements for analysis in a sacred text like the Quran, can be enlightening. Based on the findings of this research, when it comes to the representation of women in the Quran, a distinction must be made between the Quran’s view of the nature and function of women. In terms of creation and dignity, the gender of women is not different from that of men. However, the roles and laws pertaining to women differ greatly from those of men in various fields, including individual, familial, civil, criminal, and political domains. In examining the sacred texts of Iranotopian times, despite a gender-equal perspective in some of the Avesta texts, especially in the Vendidad, women are placed in a subordinate position under the guardianship and authority of men, lacking equal rights with men. This
same perspective is observed in the post-Islamic Iranotopian texts, particularly in the Siyāsatnāma of Khwaja Niẓām al-Mulk, which severely condemns the political and social role and presence of women. This research primarily focuses on the main texts and sources using a library-based approach.

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Journal of Islamic Political Studies
Volume 7, Issue 1
January 2025
Pages 253-273

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