Temporal succession, Koranic implementation and eschatological perspective. Amina Wadud’s gender-inclusive exegesis

Abstract

Amina Wadud is one of the most prominent contemporary Islamic thinkers whose almost thirty-year work, supported by a progressive reading of the Qur’ān, is about equality between genders. Her insightful model of Qur’ānic exegesis involves the relevance of textual complexity, a thematic approach to bring together interrelated topics, the possibility to intend certain parts of the text – such as the paradisiac ḥūr imagery, which ultimately are symbolic figures standing for the eternal wellness - along with the general spirit or Qur’ānic world-view. This essay deals with the temporal significance of Wadud’s production, as the crucial historical passage between the Mekkan and Medinan periods produces a paradigmatic shift concerning gender dimension, something that allows the contemporary readers to implement the Qur’ānic message, interpreting female roles according to the specific context of life.