My Soul Is a Woman The Feminine in Islam Annemarie Schimmel Translated by Susan H. Ray Conmnuam | NEw York= 1-Women and the Prophet —* 0s SANG OF TE Premier MURAINUD has been quoted a numberof tines now—s0 how Is it posable that Iam ‘should have come to be known asa religion with a negative ‘lew of women? And yet, over the centuries and under the Inluence of growing legalistic and ascetic movements, the ‘woman in Tslam has been relegated to a postion far re ‘moved fom the ene she knew and enjoyed during the times ‘ofthe Prophet and his successors. ‘hls is why It s impossible to overestimate the role the Prophets frst wie, Khadija played in defining the woman's place in Islam, This widowed merchant woman was already {he mother of several children when she proposed marrage ‘to her significantly younger co-worker Muhammad and ‘subsequently bore his children. She was also the one who ‘consoled and supported him after his first visions and ‘auditions and who convinced him that the revelations he ‘experienced in the cave at Mount Hira during his medita- tons were not of demonic but rather of divine origin. Khadija rightfully bears the honorary titles Mother of Believers and The Best of Women, khair un-risa (he latter 26 Women and the Prophet 2 ‘ti a favorite name for women). Modern Muslims, inchde Ing a majority of women Muslims, repeatedly stress her ‘essential contribution to the early history of Islam. She loved Muhammad deeply, and tt was ony after her death in 619 and alter more than a quarter of a century together. that Muhammad gradually and ever the course of time ‘mamied a number of other women. Among his ater wives tras the very young ‘Misha, the daughter of his loyal fiend ‘Abu Baler. The other women were widows or divorcees, ‘ome even former slaves, This fact became a very important fangument in favor of the remarriage of widows among the ‘odernlets In India in the nineteenth and twentleth cen- fries, Their adherence to Hinds customs had made the Indian Muslins avold remarriage fora long time, but how could the continue to act i such open contradiction tothe Prophets own example? "The latcr wives of the Prophet were subsequently given the title Mother of Beevers as well. The Quran (Sura 24:90) admonished them "to cover thelr adornments” a regulation probably intended to differentiate them 08 Tespectable idles from the lightly dressed women of the lower clasecs. Selfcancealment dictated by modesty thus ‘became an honor and was not seen as a sign of narrow con straint. was only over the course of ime and as result of Social changes thatthe rules of seclusion became stricter. In general, they were most rigorously applied tothe sayy ladies, whieh is to say, to those who could trace their descent back t0 the Prophet and his daughter Fatima. ‘These women were subjected to many other taboos as well ‘least n the Indo-niamie world ‘And yet in the early days of Islam women were actively tnvolved i all aspects of social life and communal affairs ‘Weisha used to discuss problems arising fom tradition with the Prophet's companions, and not only with them, Thus. wwe have her to thank for our knowledge of many details pertaining to Muhammad's prvate Ife. n 656 she actually2 Women andthe Prophet rode to bale herself in order tight against ‘Atom AL ‘Talib and his partisans. The Sunnite tradition ts proud of \Goiha’s acts, and people never te of eting Munam- mac's tender addresses to his young wife—Kallimint ya Hlumatra, “Talk to:me, you itl reddish go (MT 1972, ef -M VIL p. 194}-for this young ereature was always able to cheer him wp. The mystics. of course, interpreted the Prophet's kind words as a direct appellation on the part of the lover to the Divine Spit, ith whore would ike to ‘speak as tf with a—male or female—beoved. ‘Welha is loathed inthe Shite tradition. however, for she -was clearly opposed to ‘All the cousin and son-indav of the Prophet, the man whom the Shltes honored as thelr fst Imam, the true Leader of the Community. According to the ‘Shites, “Al should have been the legitimate successor of ‘Muhammad after the latter's death, whereas ‘Aisha’s father Abu Bake (who riled from 682-634) had only ‘usurped the eallphate, Compllcating the matter even more ‘yas some bad blood between ‘isha and ‘Al, who had made some negative remarks about her when she lost her needace while on a Journey and was brought back to the ‘caravan by a Young man. Doubts about her respectablity, ‘however, were soon dlapelied by a revelation (Sura 24:11). ‘Wisha's atutude toward ‘Al, whom she confronted in the tlveady mentioned camel battle that took place in 656, Increased the negative feelings of the Shites against her. Her name, 20 frequently used as a woman's name tn Sun- nite circles, was never tied among the Shiites. In the ter ‘tue ofthe ultra-Shite Nusari “isha is even compared {tw the yellowish cow, the sacrifice of which had been offered to Moses in Sura 2:67-72. "The Prophet had four daughters, and to have daughters ‘was now no longer considered such a blemish as in pre- Telamie Arabia, where they used to bury alive what they ‘considered to be superfluous gis. Tis immoral practice ‘was clearly denounced in Sura 81:8, The new appredation Women and the Prophet » of daughters was reflected tn the fact that men now began. adopting a new kurya, an agnomen or “honorary name” No fonger only calling themselves Abu Talha, “Father of (the ‘boy Taha” or something along those lines, they now began to call themeelves Abu Lalla, Abu Rashana, “Father of the gil Lalla “Father of fhe gil} Rathana." and so on. They dso because, aa tradition has it, there {s no shame ‘attached to having s daughter. Theres even a tradition tint congratulates the father, but the reason 1s likely 0 Surprise the modern reader. afterall a daughter can bring ‘seven sons (othe world. “Three of Muhammad's four daughters died durtng his etme: Zainab, Rogayya, and Umm Kulthum, The latter foro were initially married to sons of Abu Lahab, but they {ef thelr husbaride when Abu Lahab became the Prophet's ‘oot biter adversary (who was even cursed in the Quran {Sura 111). "Uthman fon ‘Afan, who was to become the {third caliph (fuhammad's successor from 644 to 656). took them both to wife. Since a simultaneous marriage ‘0 ‘sisters is forbidden, he married the one after the early ‘Gea ofthe other, and this is why he caries the sobriquet due renurain, "the owner of te two lights” This is also why {he comblaation of naines Osman Nurs tll popular, expe cally in Turkey. ‘The youngest of the Prophet's daughters, Fatima, sur- ‘vived her father by a few months. She was married to Muhammad's cousin, ‘Al ibn Abt Tab, to whom she bore {ro sons, These boye became the Prophet's beloved grand ‘Sons as tender legends and popular verse tell t,he used to spend many happy hours playing with them. Hasan, the er of the two, ded around 669, probably poisoned, while the younger, Husain, fll in 680 in the Battle of Kerbela ‘against the army of the Umayyad caliph Yazid. The ‘Umayyads had claimed the caliphate for themselves in 651 titer the murder of Al, and Husain ted to win power back for the house of the Prophet after Yazid, the second2» Women and the Prophet ‘Umayyad ruler, assumed the postion. The tragedy of Ker ‘bela tn Iraq, which took place on the tenth day af Muhar- ‘am (the fist hinar month) had a profound elect on Shite Diley. and ifthe poetry of the Islamic peoples celebrate the Prophets grandsons as glorious heroes, as the fst of all martyrs, then Fatima was also granted a special postion ‘that can be described as nothing less than that of mater doorosa. Although dead for almost fity years before the demise of her second son, Fatima stands higher than all ‘other peope for the Sites exeept Muhammad and ‘Al. Her sebriguets, including Zahra, The Radiant One: Batu. Vir~ fn: Kant, Malden: Masuma, Shleded ftom Sin and many others are stil very popular names for girls among Shite ‘communtes. Moreover, not only ts he the intercessor for all who weep for her gon Husain, but, the realm of mys: tical speculation, she i also the vm aba “her father's smother” Story after story is told about Fatima. Those that dele ‘upon the poverty she endured partieulary aroused the fan {nay of the pious. for whom she was, in fac, the actual ‘Queen of Mankind. One iterary genre known as “Fatima’s Dowry” (Wiaznama-i Fatima) enumerates all the humble {rile er father was able to gve her for her dowry. her en. ‘reaty toward the poor (even when her own farlly went ‘hungry. her ow sans’ want of clothing and al of ts ts related and embelished tn ever-new wayo, co that Fatima ‘has come to bea role model for Muslim gira, fact, tn the ‘Middle Ages there was even a sect that passed the family's entire fortune onto thelr daughters as inhertance—and all In honor of Fatima. Her veneration is also great in the Sun alte world. Whether we read Muhammad Igbal’s(1877~ 1908) homage to Fatima in his 1917 Persian eple Rue ‘ekhudt OMysteries of Seeseness) (a book, by the way, that leaves no doubt whatsoever about his Sunni at: tudes), or whether we read ‘All Sehariats “Fatima ie ‘Women and the Prophet a Fatima,” which appeared at th time of the Islamic revolu- ‘Hon in trant—all we hear is moving words of prise for this ‘ost respected and most virtuous Mustim Woman. Only a person descended from her two sons can claim to be a Sayyid for this right does not extend to the eflopring of ‘Alls other chren from other waves, Most people would probably agree with Sans (2.1131 im (Ghamna, today’s Afghanistan), who sings: ‘The word i fal of women, setwhereis there a woman ike Fatima, the bet of women? for the honorary name The Best of Women, Khir wrnlsa, was later granted not only to Khadija but to her youngest daughter as well “Among the circles of mystics there were also those who considered the masculine name Fatir an appropriate “atvne name” for Fatima. Sources tell of numerous women in the Prophets close ‘proximity. Several of them emigrated with ther families to Abyosinia in the early years of islam, while others, lke ‘Umm ‘Atya, accompanied Muhammad and his army Into a ‘number of battles and eared for the wounded. twas also understood, ofcourse, that they should participate tn the prayer service nthe mosque, for ane hadith says: ‘Do not Drevent the handmaidens of God from entering the places {n which He ts worshiped." Even the eecand ealph, Omar {bm al-Khattab (ruled 634-644), had to adopt ths tradition, seit not very happlly. Tha ruler was mown for his sever- lty and Justice and ought to have been more favorably ‘mclined toward women. After all, his alster had already ‘converted to Islam while he was stl an apparently tecon cllable opponent of the Prophet. And yet. while intending > Jat her during her reettation of Qurante revelations, he was 80 moved by the words that he immediately accepted Islam2 Women an the Prophet and subsequently became the most zealous defender ofthe fauth. Even Rul tells extensively of thi conversion in his prose work Fim fi. ‘Some of Muhammad's other female descendants are also ‘known for ther plety. One of ther, Sayyia Nas, Is par LUculary worthy of mention: a great granddaughter of the Prophet. she married the son of the sath imam, Jafar as- Sadiq (4.765). and went to Caio with her cousin Sakina, ‘There she soon became known for her ascette pty. The ‘istoran tbn Khalikan reports in his ography that even Imam Shaft, the founder of one of the four orthodox ‘schools of law, Is supposed to have sald is prayers with her. Miracles naturally accompanied her wherever she ‘Went. According to ane. the water ahe had used for her rit. ual ablutions 1s supposed to have healed a lame Jewess. ‘When Nafsa died n 208/824, a mausoleum was bul in hher memory, and it has remained a popular pga’ dest nation to this day. Inthe Middle Ages, primarily during the Period of the Mamelukes, the sultans celebrated her Dirth- ‘ay in great style inthe Citadeleof Cairo. ‘rom the very bedinning, the Prophets saying quoted at the beginning of this chapter as well as his numerous mar rages aroused the disapproval of Christian thelogians— ‘and not only theologians! How could a man who claimed to be the Prophet eo abandon himsel tothe world of sensual ‘ty? Ts dea was simply abhorrent to the Christian Ideal of chastity, to the ideal of celibacy that from early umes onward was so decply rooted in the church. The Musliz, however, will ee no backsliding inthis. Rather. he see it ‘as an expression of the Joy one can find inthe world ofthe ‘senses, which is pat of Gods eration. ‘An Indo-Muslim interpretation of the Prophet's saying bout “women” and one that derives from the great Dell saint Nuamuddin Aulya maintains that the word “women” refers here very specically to ‘isha, whereas “the joy of my eyes" is said to be a reference to Fatima, who was Women and the Prophet 2 absorbed in prayer atthe time ‘andthe oy of my eyes Le. Foatimal s at prayer). This seems abit frfetched and we fare more easily tempted to credit Ton ‘Arabs interpreta ‘Won, according to which the Prophet didnt love women for ‘natural rasons—h no, “he loved them becatie God made them lovable” Most important, however lathe reference to fragrance. frequently associated with the feminine element fn the one hand and with holiness on the other AS the single masculine concept in Arable, the word “fragrance” in this saying is inserted between the two feminine nouns “women” and “prayer"This observation was enough to pro- ‘ide the Sufls with never-ending food for thought concern {ng this mysterious relation._—— 3- Women in the Quran and in the Tradition ‘ie Queas sreaKs of “pious and believing women.” ‘mueminat, musimat, and even mentions them in the sane breath with lous and believing men: moreover, these ‘women are to perform the eame religous duties 2s the men are (There le only one negative female figure in the Quran, and'she isthe wife of Abu Lahab, Muhammad's farehenemy. She is mentioned briefly in Sura 11, where she {s called "the bearer of faggots." She wears a fer halter fround her neck and serves as an example ofthe damna- ton of the unbelievers. “The woman's position as depicted tn the Quran isa det nite improvement over conditions existing in preTslamle ‘Arabia, Women were now able to retnin and make thetr own ‘decisions about the property they ether brought with them Into or eared during thetr marriage and were now permit- ted, for the fret time, to inhert. At times, the permission laid dow in Sura 4:5 to have four legitimate wives was interpreted aa @ concession to the four temperaments of ‘man, and yet payamy Is by no means as widespread as ts ‘commonly believed. The above-mentioned Qurante rule to the effect that women are tobe granted fai treatment has Jed many modernists to postulate monogamy as the ideal toward which one ought to strive. Afterall, even if each ‘woman receives the same share of material goods, how 4 Worn tn dhe Quran and nthe Tradtion » could the man possibly harbor the same feelings toward tech one of multiple wives? Permiscon to punish ane's wife for repeated dlobedience is mitigated by the words of the ‘Prophet recommending the loving treatment of women: “The best among you is he who treats his wie most kindly.” ‘The intimate bond between man and wifes clearly {defined inthe frequently overlooked or more often than not {aloey interpreted words of Sura 2187; Women] are a ral- ‘ment for you and ye are ralment for them.” In religious tra- tion all over the world, one's garment is one's aller ego, that object that is most closely connected with one's per- sonal. ‘The Quran mentions only one woman by her actual name. This is Mary, the virgin mother of Jesus, who 16 ‘highly revered Sa lela. As one tradition has it he wil be ‘the fist to enter paradise, It was for her thatthe dited up palm tree bore sweet dates as she ching to it during the labors of chldbtrth, and her newborn tnfant testified to her purity (Sura 18:24, 30-83) She to the een, humble soul ‘who would deserve special and extensive study. although the Quran also speaks of a number of other female figures, some of them and others rot mentioned in the Quran were Invented by later exegetes or simply ereated by popular Dlety. These women were given names and thelr stories ‘were steadly embelished and elaborated, withthe result ‘that they have come to serve as role model for women. An ‘example of one such edifying texts Thanaw*'s “Paradl- slacal Ornament,” which didactically presents these ‘Qurante women tothe young reader as models suitable for ‘mulation. The very first wornan, naturally, s Eve, Hawa, who, as tradition has it, was created out of Adam's ri [Bven Goethe, Germany’ greatest poet, was famalar with the Islamic version of tls myth. Hin verse reproduction of this hadith admonishes men to treat worten with indul- sence. Since God took a crooked rib to create her, her resul- tant form could not be entirely straight. Thus, if man tries36 Women inthe Quran and inthe Tatton tobend her, she wil break, and if one leaves her in peace, she enly becomes more crooked. The poet then asks Adam, ‘whieh is to say, man, qulte directly: Which is worse? In place of an answer he offers the following advice: treat ‘women with patience and forbearance, for nobody wants @ ‘roken ro. ‘Nowhere does the Quran make Eve responsible for the fal from grace, thus burdening her with having introduced original sn nto the worl. tn fact, Islam does not even rec- ognize the Idea of original sin. But in the “Tales of the Prophets.” especially in the richly elaborated versions ‘spread by folk preachers and imaginative bards, Eve does play an important role. Her beauty Is deserbed in lowing ‘colors: “She was as big and as comely as Adam, had 700 plait in her hair, was adorned with chrysolte and per- famed with musk... Her skin was more delicate than ‘Adam's and purer in coor, and her votce was more beautl- fal than his.” ‘Tradition also tells how God addressed Adam: “My Merey 1 have pulled together for you into My Servant Eve, and there 1s no other blessing. © Adam, that were greater than. 1 plous wife" Legends deserbing the unton of the frat man with the frst woman include all the detals that make a worldly wed ding 20 fesuve, some even going 20 far as to have angels strew paradisiacal coine over the heads of the bridal couple, But once they succumbed tothe temptations of the tiny snake that had entered the garden in the beak of a ‘atime ope ward ee ena, ei tet et gue re mach. aa eg, che, {aS eae nd ac eter Biter dam te ae hin eter gt ad chee pp Women inthe Quran and nthe Tradtion 7 peacock, once they had eaten of the forbidden frat (usualy {epresented as cor) thelr clothes fle off. Traditional nar~ ralives usualy take advantage ofthis passage to emphasize [Eve's frivolity. Dramatic descriptlons have Eve question God as to where her guilt might He and what her punish ‘ment would be, and God answers: “I shall make you del- lent in thought and religion, and in the aby to bear ‘witness and to inert." These words were culled fom two ‘Gurante commandments, according to which two women. are needed to bear witness instead of one man (Sura 2:282) fand daughters tnhertt less than sons (Sura 4:19. In the same way. the next divine punishment—"Tmprisoned you shall be your whole life lag’—developed out ofa specifi ‘understanding of seclusion that was only intensifled over the course of ume. According to Kise, Bve was also told that no woman shall “participate in that which is best in fe: the comman Friday prayers" (even though thls probibt- ‘Hon derived nether from the Quran nor from earliest prac- llce). Nor was she supposed to greet anyone, which 1s, nother sanction for whieh there ls no Quranic foundation Her punlahmenta are menstruation and pregpaney. and "a ‘woman shall never be a prophet or a wise man.” All f this only ges to show how many widespread assumptions rest ‘et upon the words ofthe Quran but upon rather imagina- the interpretations ofthe same by the believers. ‘ve repented of her transgression and was forgiven. But ‘Adam and Bve were separated after their expulsion from Paradise, and, as some legends have i, they met up again only may years later in the vicinity of Mecca. Gabriel waa, ‘teaching Adam the rites of plgrimage while he was resting fn the hil of Safa. It happens that Eve was an the hill of ‘Marwa at the time [a name imaginative exegetes derived from mare, "woman", and they recognized one another, teraraf, on the plains of Arafat ‘Abrahan’s coneubine, Hagar, s also assoctated with pl- ‘image. She ran back and forth between Marwa and Safa= Women inthe Quran and in he Tradion seven times in order to find water for her thirsty tle boy Terma, and on the seventh tp the spring Zamzam finally ‘bubbled up. Tis story eventually beame the model for the pilgrim's sevenfold *running’ between these two hills (which are today connected by an arcade) "Another figure in popular tradition is the daughter of ‘Nimrud, the tyrant who had Abraham tossed onto a burn- {ng funeral pyre. The story matntains that this i. tnapired ‘by Abraham's flth, Uhrew herself into the fire as wel and, Uke him, remained untouched by the fames, Commentators have named Pharaoh's wie, the tellever ‘who rescued the baby Moses, Aaiya. She soon became the Tod of devout woman because she tok up and rescied the future prophet despite her husband's precautionary measures. Tis is how she earned her poe in paradise. In fact certain ccles revere her as the "perfect woman” whose ‘beauty. along with that of Mary. Khadija, and Fatima, ‘eed the comeliness ofall he virgins in Parade. ‘There is also another woman in the Quran, the Queen of ‘Saba (Sheba), whom tradition knows aa Bilal. Sura 27 tells how she is first discovered by the hooper, udu, and ‘then fllowa the call ofthe prophet king Solomon to accept ‘the true faith and to become his wife. Biqis was a former ‘sun-worshlper who challenged Solomon with three riddles, Which he naturally selved without iffeulty. She was 60 Seceived by the reflection of the glass Noor in his palace (ning that she was walking through water) that she ted ‘up her skirts, thus baring her legs (Sura 27:4). Tt became immediately evident to Salomon that she, the daughter of Jinn (a supernatural spe) and a mortal woman, had the body ofa normal human being, Bgs's heart chung to her throne, a work of wondrous beauty, and therefore Solomon ordered it miraculously removed to his own palace. ‘ikis frequently turns up in the later literature as the ‘model ofa rich, inteligent ruler thus panegyrie poems are fond of mentioning her, The Persian poet Khaqant(d. 1199) ‘Women inthe Quran and inthe Traton 2° ‘praises both the wife and the slater of hs patron, the Shi- ‘wan-shah, a6 Bigs, just as he frequently uses compar: tsona with the great women of history, be they Maryam, the nyse Rab, or Queen Zubaida. In fact, in Khaqant' ‘poems the ladies he eulogizea appear tom tobe stronger ‘and better than the men “Again, the court ofthe Beloved appears so marvelous in the Tagjuman abashwag the mystically Interpreted love poems ofthe great theesopble mystic fn “Arai (4. 1240), “that Bigis could have forgotten her thrane™(¥r.XXVL 9). ‘The beautiful women are described as peacocks with deadly glances and extraordinary power—one would think ‘hat each one of them were a Bugis on her throne of pearls” (G2) And, os Ton “Arab! himself explana, he calls divine ‘wisdom “Bilal for she isthe chil of ‘Uheory.' which subtle, and of ‘praxis’ which Is coarse, Just a5 Bas was ‘both spirit and woman stnce her father was one ofthe finns ‘and her mother a mortal being” Fer Jamt (2. 1492), though, sb i the wise queen whose ‘balanced view of good and evil women and gentle etlctsen ‘of Firdaus's misogynistic verse demonstrate her sagact (European Iteratore has a wonderfl portrayal of er wlee benevolence in Rudyard Kipling’ delightful story The But texfy that Stamped) Bilgis's throne and references to this powerful queen ‘appear here and there inthe lyrical poems as well as inthe Danegyries of the Islamle worl, and it isnot unusual to find the wise queen portrayed in minature paintings etther sting on her throne or caught tn the moment when the Ihoopoe tosses Solomon's letter onto her bed. tie all the ‘more surprising, then, that the love between the miracle- ‘working Solomon, who also had the git of understanding the language ofthe birds, and the Yemenite queen has not been transformed into a romantic epic as have 60 many other traditions in Persia. Thi Quranie story would have ‘been the iting basis of@ wonderful allegory about the spie-© Women inthe Quran and inthe Tadton ttuel power of the divinely inspired ruler and the lore ofthe tunbeleving woman who finds her way to the true faith ‘rough the guldance of his words. Pehaps th poets faled to find inthis tale that tragic element so important to the bother Perlan- Turkish epics. As fr aa I cnow. Rust the only one who dwelt upon this theme in alts depth and aig fieance, In his Mathai (M1V, 485.) Rum! relates how Bigs sent gold to Solomon and how he sent her army back. to her, She then set out on the long journey. during the ‘course of which she separated herself from the world more ‘and more every day unt her entre being was transformed filo that ofthe lover (MUIV 862) ‘Nom, a8 Bgl et forth with heart and soul, the red te days of, ‘She abandoned both welth and kingdom ts lovers forget honor and 20. er gn dens and beni bays ‘remed trek of oting olan, ‘Sader gudenn palaces an ponds ‘Spare so cnr othe eof ove, ‘en tone oversee a peron's ein ‘A one prevounly prised suddenly seems otous, ‘The emerald eno better than alee. law's ardor teaches: Tels no God but He— fend He alone! © guadlan, No God but He— the power of tha truth ean transform the eight ‘oon ta black pe before you Wey pe. Im this transformation, Bigis ts rather reminiscent of Zulalkha, Potiphars wife in the Old Testament. In the Islamie tradition, Zulaikha turns into a love-cbsessed. ‘woman willing to do anything to attain her beloved Yusuf, the personifleation of beauty. whom she passionately desires: Love ake ocean ‘upon which the bestens are mere foam, ‘roused, tke Zalaa, ner love for sul ‘Women inthe Quran and in the Tradltion o 1s the way Rumt put tthe poet whois the best interpreter ofthe story. "The fret Sura ofthe Quran. whose ov words charac tertae this tale aa “the story most beautiful tells of Yusut's Ife, his separation from his father Jacob, te treachery of his brothers: t relates how he was Usrown into the pit and then sold to Egypt, how the wife of his master fll in love ‘wth him and, feprimanded by all because of her passion, Invtes all her girifiends to vist her. When Yusuf enters they are 00 enraptured by his appearance that they uncon tscloualy ext ther own fingers while peeling the clus fru they were preparing. Then follows Yusu’s role in prison, his interpretation of dreams and the high postion he uli- ‘mately attains, which in tin allows him to sell grain to his ‘brothers during the famine in Canaan. The story ends ‘when Jacob, blinded by weeping for his lost won, is restored {o sight by the soent of Yusuf shirt ‘Subsequent Mterary developments appropriated several scenes from this Quranie narrative and embellished them {o the extent that Zulakha,initally a rather unimportant ‘gure, eventually became the focus of atention. “The Quranie commentators were naturally kindly dis- posed toward tis theme, and it was primary such mystics fs ‘Abdullah Ansart of Herat (d. 1088) and his follower Maibuh who dedieated long and profound explication to tthe Yusuf story. The theme was probably well known t0 Iran's poets very early on, even ifthe tale “Yusuf and Zolalha” formerly atfbuted to Firdaust (d. 1020), 18 no Jonger recognized as hla work, regardless of how diligently nineteenth-century scholars te to prove ts authentiety. "Aa Hermann Ethe demonstrates, already before the turn ofthe fret milena Abu (-Mwayyad al-Balkht composed. fan epic about these famous Quranic lovers, and in the Course of the centuries innumerable recountings of the fnateral followed, primary in the eastern Islamle word Shaukat Bulkbart, Amaq Bukher, Nazim Harawt, Rik@ \Wemen Inthe Quran and nthe Tradtion ‘uddln Haravd are al named in Eth st, andthe poeta in the Indian subcontinent enthustasteally appropriated the ‘Meme after Jam of Herat had given ies classe form in & poem that was rendered into German as early as 1624 by Vincenz von Roseneg-Sehwanna. Mir Mats Nara the historian and calligrapher from Sind who was assoc!- ated with Akbar's court, is only one of the many who reworked the theme into Persian verses. Prose works were also written tn the Indo-Persian regions, and every one of| these versions ends withthe happy and detailed depiction ofthe marriage of Yusuf and Zulatkha. There i @ Kasbraet version of the eple. and in Bengall Muhammad Saghir's (@. 1801) rendition of Yusuf Jalicha dates back tothe Af teenth century. In the Dakhnl-Urdu iterature ofthe south- fem Indian courts several poetic elaborations of the story ‘appear in the seventeenth century, including the one by ‘Malik Khushnud, the court bard of Muhammad ‘Adil Shah ‘of Baur. In Hashin’s poem toward the end ofthe seven teenth century Zula speaks ret the typical woman's fdiom of Urdu, and a poet from Qujarat, Mir Alt Amin “draped Zulaikha with the robes of respectable ladies," a ‘Just how many diferent versions of the Yusu-Zilatkha- motif appeared in later years in the eastern regions Is hard to determine. Naturally the theme waa taken up also in Ottoman Turkey, where Hamdl (4. 1503), the son of the ‘mystical leader Aq Shamsudidin, the religious leader of Sul- tan Mchmet the Conqueror, erated one of the most moving renditions of the etry. In “Zlaltba’s Lament” i patlo= ‘arly touching rer since, when on the day of firmation Ite. te Primordial Covenant (Sura 7172 lore sowed the seed of sorrow, lore let me grow. nourished bythe water of pts ‘Then when pain had threahed out my gras, ‘Women inthe Quran and inthe Tredton love suddenly assed the harvest othe wind, rer since my hear rv became acquainted with ‘he wie a ay Friend, Jove estranged alte fens held dear from me, eal to bade me farewell, ever ince love sreiched out ts hand a epimane torwecome me My ees have etal trace of seep, they overflow ‘th eae love hain store forme Certain themes from the story of Yusuf and Zuaikha are repeatedly mentioned and transformed in the eples as well ‘as in countless other relerences in ile poetsy. One such ‘theme isthe auction during which the Beautiful slave was ‘supposed tobe sold. As everybody gathers around and pre- pares to bid, a poor old woman with the same intention Jone the crowd (se below. p.70f). She represents the per soniication of noble string which e praiseworthy in eel, ‘even if fas to ata ts goal. Zulatkha does everything she can think of to seduce Yusuf: she has her palace adorned with sensuous petures so that Yusuf should see himself and Zulalha enveloped in the Joy of love wherever his eyes may wander. As might be ‘expected, the most detatled depletion of this scene a found ‘n Jam's epic. Its nteresting to remember that. more than four hundred years before him, one of the Ghaznavid rulers, Sultan Mast (4, 1080), ordered a pleasure palace 1m Jamts hometown of Herat to be decorated with extremely sensuous wall palntings, One almost has the feeling thatthe memory of such a palace might have some- Ihow subconsciously lved on in Herat. Jams description ‘understandably inspired the miniature painters ofthe stx- teenth century, for they frequently portrayed a mult- ‘sori palace with the beautfl Yusuf tying to le over itso ‘Women inthe Quran and in the Trion steep and convoluted steps. Zuakha appears tn these ple~ tures aa an attractive woman draped in Fed robes. (Red Was the colar of the bridal gown. but ft can also be interpreted more generally as an indicalon of ardent love.) Yusuf, on the other hand, is frequently shown wearing the green gar ments of the saints, the prophets, and the inhabitants of Parade. ‘An interesting aspect of the seduction scene is Zulakha’s atutude toward te dol she keeps inher room: after all she {stil an unbeliever practicing false regan. She covers the leon to hide her seductive machinations from ita view. ‘This scene has tobe very ald, for the mystic Huw (dca. 1071) wrote in his introduction tothe Sf Pat: “Al human ‘beings ought to learn from Zulalkha how to observe good ‘manners in contemplating the object of ther adoration for ‘when she was alone with Joseph and besought him to con- bent to her wishes, she frat covered up the face of her iol tm order that it might not witness her want of propriety. ‘Jam describes the eame scene and ales to again in another eple poem called Subhat atabrar. Here Yusuf tells her that he i a8 ashamed before God, the AllSeeing One, 1s she is before her iol, and he qulely takes his leave. ‘Jaml takes up the theme of the idel once again toward the end of his great poem when the aged Zaha begins to doubt that Yusuf wil ever turn to her. She smashes the treflecenal elatue and, after having thus fred herva! fora the “Mols." and now with the help of the true God, she ‘miraculously attains her goal and ls eventually united with her beloved, ‘Ths ea fine way to convert tothe trae faith, but an early nyatie, Yusuf fbn Husain ar-Raz (4. 916), bas a more pro- found view: “When she cast desire away, God gave her ee cen ‘Scbcho Ranin/iaen 11h 3 Women Inthe Quran and nthe Tradtion e ‘beauty and youth back to her. It a law that when the lover advances, the beloved retires, Ifthe lover is satiated Yfruth love stone, then the beloved draws nigh"® Zulalkha thus becomes the woman-soul who Ives out ‘herlfe tn harsh repentance and endless longing. “fyou are ‘ot Zulakha and aze not ground inthe mil of ove. do not ‘waste time talking of Yusuf of Canaan" is the warning Sane, the mystical poet of Ghaza (2. 1131, gives. To his, ‘way of thinking. only the one acquainted with the pain of loving Yusuf has any right to speak of love. The poets know ‘that “love tore Zulaikha from the vel of chasty" as Haz ‘put It, and she became the symbol forall who suffer the pangs of unrequltabe love and longing. She thus became ‘the courageous, strong heroine wing to bear anything for the sake of her Beloved, “People always looked at Yusufs torn garment— / But ‘who saw Zulalkha's torn and broken heart?” asked the Indian poet Azad Bigram toward the middle of the elgh- teenth century. The poets describe the woman, once so Deautfil, aging in musery and sting in desperation at side ofthe oad, hoping to catch a glimpse of Yusuf. He, for his part, wants nothing t do with her, as ‘Attar tells in his Musibatname: ‘When Jaca set tt st is So, and let Canaan to go Erp. ‘he Egyptians adorned thet tnd fom ene end othe ther. ‘When Zula learmet fis, the threw erel upon he ground, completely ‘she covered her hea with vel ‘and crouched humbly by the eof te rad ‘As happened, Yusuf had to pac hi spot the ste sd and acted one.Women inthe Quran and inthe Tradton gh on hs horse, with whip tn hand, estrus the woman 90 morbid ove ‘Aigh ang out om the dept of er best, ‘wove ardor the cane but whipped to fame sd. a the fire grew ever stronger, ‘Yoruf moet miserable, dropped hs whip. ‘alana sais“ tho wih at 0 pre — It to much fr you, that you cant bear Ht ‘his lame has sprung rem aut my heat and you can't hold tin your hand? ‘he Dame that as fled me for yeare— an you not hold tor even moment? ‘Yu, ofl Believers the Frtand 18 woman! Te that how you show your Aly” ‘Like Jacob, Zulatkha, too, tums blind from constant ‘weeping and yearns only for a passing scent of Yusut's presence Huwit says "Since Zulatcha was ready to die on Account of her excessive love for Yusuf, her eyes were not ‘pened until she was united with him.” Only the thought of Yusuf kept her alive: she thinks exclusively of his name just as the soul should constantly ‘ink ofthe Divine Beloved. Thus fbn ‘Arab relates in is Futuhat al-makkiyya ( 875) “It was sald that Zulaikhs ‘was once wounded by an arrow. As er biood dripped tothe ‘ound, 1 traced out the name ‘Yusuf, Yusu? wherever ft landed: because she so constantly repeated this name, it flowed ike blood in her veins." ‘This image hed already been employed tn early Suter, ‘where ts told that a Suf's blood kept on writing the word “allah tn the dust after he ad been accidentally injured, Ton ‘Arabl, however, used the example of Zulakha when ‘mentioning bow the blood of the maryr-mystic Halla) also wrote the name of God. ‘After this period of yearning and desperation, Zlalkha's tunshakable Adelty is nally rewarded. “Be patient Uke ‘Women tn the Quran and inthe Traton o Zalalha” Sana’ never tires of teaching his readers, for he ‘knows that the mere proximity ofthe beloved has relve- nating powers: “When the torments of your lower soul and the weakness of your body have rendered you old and shabby. rejuvenate your oul, lke Zolaikha, by yearning for your Fiend.” ‘Attar, who belongs to the next generation of mystical poets, deserbes this rejuvenation ina dramatically moving Scene in his ahinama* (ne day Josep the Pare wa walking song when he save Zalaieseted oa the round ‘The wor hidden trom her eyes, but then she had ‘verted er eyes fos the wort Allscted with sclneso and poverty. beside herein a ‘hundred diferent ways, ‘Brery moment suflering more than a hundred pref, ‘more concerned about Joseph than Joseph sel ‘string onthe road an tough hoping that se gh rete sone othe dat red by ble fot ‘That perps some dust might rie fom the rad ray de by that hinge ne ‘When Joueph saber he sald: “O God, what wit Thou tn this bind and decrepit old woman? ‘Why doest Thou not ease her to cagppenr sexing that she sought toring asgrace on Thy prophet” ‘Gabriel descended and eal: "We shal nt remove her, For abe a within her a ehole wr of ove for Bi whom We lore. ‘Stace her love fr thee is unceasing too lve hero thy ‘Who tld thee to eek the death ofthe rset the gar den and to wish for he destruction ofthe tends of Gur ‘tends? "Though fora feume Ihave driven hero despair yet usted fom Te Mahe or Bak of Oat of Pat tar ‘zanlated from the Feralantydsin Anew Bope wah foreword 9 ‘Soma Soaras Danser, 1700p. 207« Women inthe Quran and nthe Traction wl now make her young again fr tee. ‘She has given the ber own precious ook 1 now bless ber let her beta thee a thy sou ‘Since she filed wih tenderness for Our Joseph, who would think n asred of ang her if "Wahe dans to love such eng a8 thou, her weeping ye bear tneas to er lve” ‘lace this lover has her tnetes wth er her oy sncreases more and mare every dey ‘Thus the loving Zulatkha comes to personify the human soul, the nafs, which, as the Quran says in Sura Yusuf, “incites to evil, ammara bts-u,~ but which is purified ‘through constant inner struggle and sulering and can Anally return to her Lord as “the soul at peace” The scent of Yusuf ehirt touches her and reveals his beauty, for ‘cent, the breath of the Merciful One, brings news ofthe beloved, and the proximity ofthe beloved rejuvenates the ‘woman ravaged by gre. Jami and the poets who followed ‘ns model deserbe in great detall the wedding af the couple, ‘ow finally united. Zulakha, once betrothed tan impotent Jnusband, is stil a virgin, and now the loving Yusuf tears ‘the garment from his chaste brie as she had once torn his shirt from him. Al ofthis, though, as ite to do with the profoundly mystical content of the story, which i itself a perfect illustration of the primordial interplay of Beauty fand Love as Jam so apily expresoed it in the introduction this epte poem ON ye Nay Soe _— 4. Woman or “Man of God”: The Education of the Soul (nafs) ‘asain Te seDveTRess—thats the way abe appears in the Quran—and for those who lived in asceti fear of the feminine tt must have been very gratifying that exactly the Sura Yusuf, whlch denounces such reductive arts, ‘talis ofthe nafs, the “soul.” in terms of ts being arwmara Des su, “ncting to ev” (Sura 12:53). Wasnt the grammat- foal gender of the very word nafs feminine? Couldn't it therefore serve asa symbol for the woman whose sensual- ity always thwarts the religious inclinations, the high- minded strvings ofthe rationally orented man? Since she possesses more animalistic tras than does the man, she Constantly tries to seduce him through her sexual wiles ‘Every culture prefers boys to gist. familar to all are the rites with which the birth of a boy is greeted with Joy whereas the birth of @ gil la noted with dlsappointment. ‘This explains why some Muslim saints have been credited swith miracles transforming newborn girs into boys. ‘The fear of women, who, as the Prophet is supposed to have sald, “can overcome the ratlonal ones,” is reflected in ‘numerous sayings and tales from the early years of Islam “The weman is vl through end through, and the most evi thing about her is that ahe te absolutely necessary? Tals rematk hae been attrbuted to ‘Al on Abt Talib, who, 28. the husband of the Prophet's daughter Fatima, actually e