Empowering Women: A Multi-perspective Discourse Analysis of Women’s Dignity and Equality in Qur’an

Vida Dehnad; Azar Hosseini Fatemi

doi:doi:10.11648/j.ijalt.20160204.11

| Peer-Reviewed

Empowering Women: A Multi-perspective Discourse Analysis of Women’s Dignity and Equality in Qur’an

Vida Dehnad, Azar Hosseini Fatemi

Published in International Journal of Applied Linguistics and Translation (Volume 2, Issue 4)

Received: 14 July 2016 Accepted: 1 August 2016 Published: 22 August 2016

Views: Downloads:

Download PDF

Share This Article

Twitter
Linked In
Facebook

Abstract

According to Qur’an, God’s divine merit-demerit system never allows for any biased treatment towards men or women. Dignity instead is what God has granted on all children of Adam. The present article, hence, sought to trace back women’s dignity and equality to the discourse of Qur’an working on a sample of 11 Surahs. The discourse analysis was based on combinatory perspectives of text linguistics, pragmatics, and rhetoric. The results revealed that the most salient marked discoursal devices of women’s equality and dignity were the techniques such as parallelism, anaphoric repetitions, juxtaposition of the believers’ attributes, emphatic negative propositions. In addition, the sometimes situated hierarchical pattern of relationship between men and women were not indicative of any unfair evaluation of either gender. Instead, the yardstick was the amount of the believers’ efforts in the way of God’s “forgiveness and reward”.

Published in	International Journal of Applied Linguistics and Translation (Volume 2, Issue 4)
DOI	10.11648/j.ijalt.20160204.11
Page(s)	33-42
Creative Commons	This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright	Copyright © The Author(s), 2024. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Equality, Dignity, Proposition, Parallel, Qur’an, Rhetoric

References

[1]	Abdul Mohsen, A. (2013). The Miracles of Qur'anic Eloquence & Style - Further Reading Islamic Articles - A2Youth.com. Retrieved from http://www.a2youth.com/articles/further_reading/the_miracles_of_quranic_eloquence_and_style/
[2]	Abdul-Raof, H. (2001). Qur’an Translation – Discourse, Texture and Exegesis. Richmond: Curzon.
[3]	Abdul-Raof, H. (2003). Exploring the Qur'an. Al-Maktoum Institute Academic Press.
[4]	Abdul-Raof, H. (2006). Glossary of Arabic rhetoric. In Arabic rhetoric: A pragmatic analysis (p. 280). London: Routledge.
[5]	Ahmad khan, A. (2013). Rohama. What the Qur’an says about women’s rights. Retrieved fromhttp://www.rohama.org/en/content/282
[6]	Alhawarat, M., Hegazi, M., & Hilal, A. (2015). Processing the Text of the Holy Qur’an: a TextMining Study. International Journal of Advanced Computer Science and Applications, 6 (2). doi: 10.14569/ijacsa.2015.060237
[7]	Al-Hindawi, F. H., Al-Masu’di, H. H., & Mirza, R. F. (2014). The speech act theory in English and Arabic. OJML, 04 (01), 27-37. doi: 10.4236/ojml.2014.41003
[8]	Altakhaineh, A. R., Jarrah, M. A., & AlSulayyi, M. N. (2014). Discourse Meanings: An Application of Intertextuality Perspective. IJL, 6 (2), 85. doi: 10.5296/ijl.v6i2.5078
[9]	Arabic gems: The science of language. (2006). Retrieved from http://arabicgems.co.uk/?s=The+science+of+language
[10]	Aristotle. (2004). Rhetoric. Trans. W. Rhys Roberts. Mineola NY: Dover Publications.
[11]	Bayan. (2003). In J. L. Esposito (Ed.), The Oxford dictionary of Islam. (Oxford reference online.) New York: Oxford University Press.
[12]	Bayan - Oxford Islamic Studies Online. (2016). Retrieved from http://www.oxfordislamicstudies.com/article/opr/t125/e317?_hi=7&_pos=1
[13]	Bodine, W. R., & Society of Biblical Literature. (1995). Discourse analysis of biblical literature: What it is and what it offers. Atlanta, GA: Scholars Press.
[14]	Bratcher, D. (2013). The Voice. Parallelism in Hebrew writing. Retrieved from http://cresourcei.org/parallel.html
[15]	Herlihy, J. (2009). Seed words of the divinity. In Wisdom's journey: Living the spirit of Islam in the modern world (pp. 97-114). Bloomington, IN: World Wisdom.
[16]	Humberstone, I. L. (1992). Direction of Fit. Mind, 101 (401), 59-84.doi: 10.1093/mind/101.401.59
[17]	Javadi Amoli, A. (2005). Zan Dar Ayineh Jamle Elahi. Qom: Asra.
[18]	Johnstone, B., & Eisenhart, C. (2008). Rhetoric in detail: Discourse analyses of rhetorical talk and text. Amsterdam: John Benjamins.
[19]	Kamali, M. H. (2003). Rules of interpretation I: Deducing the law from its Sources. In Principles of Islamic jurisprudence (pp. 85-90). Cambridge, UK: Islamic Texts Society.
[20]	Khorram-Shahi, B. (1994). Qur’anology: a collection of essays on Qur’anic topics (in Persian). Nahsr-é Mashriq.
[21]	Kilgour, D. (1999). The Importance of Language. Retrieved from http://www.david- kilgour.com/mp/sahla.htm
[22]	Legget, B. (2012). Pathos: an emotional appeal \| Rhetoric and Leadership: Soft Power. Retrieved from http://blog.iese.edu/leggett/2012/04/24/pathos-an-emotional-appeal/
[23]	Mir, M. (2016). Monthly Renaissance - Content. Retrieved from http://www.monthly- renaissance.com/issue/content.aspx?id=889
[24]	Najjarzadigan, F. (2012). An examination of the literary aspect of the Qur’an as evidence that a science of Qur’anic exegesis is possible [PFD document]. Retrieved from http://qc.ut.ac.ir/asatid/Najjarzadegan/Qur’anicExegesis.pdf
[25]	Parallel construction. (2009). Capella University Writing Center [PDF document].
[26]	ParsQuran, English Quran. (2006). Retrieved from http://www.parsquran.com/eng/
[27]	Qutb, Sayyid. (1976). Fi zilal al-Qur’an. Beirut, Lebanon: Dar Ihya al-Turath.
[28]	Reboul, O. (1991). Introduction à la rhétorique. Paris: P. U. F.
[29]	Robinson, Neal. (2004). Discovering the Qur'an: A contemporary approach to a veiled text. Georgetown University Press.
[30]	Schiffrin, D. (1994). Approaches to discourse. Oxford: Blackwell.
[31]	Searle, J. R. & Vanderveken, D. (1985). Foundations of Illocutionary Logic. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
[32]	Silva Rhetoricae: The Forest of Rhetoric. (2007). Retrieved from http://rhetoric.byu.edu/
[33]	Steingass, F. J., Johnson, F., Richardson, J., & Wilkins, C. (1988). A comprehensive Persian-English dictionary: Including the Arabic words and phrases to be met with in Persian literature, being Johnson and Richardson's Persian, Arabic, and English dictionary (p. 315). London: Routledge.
[34]	Strawson, P. F. (1964). Intention and convention in speech acts. Philosophical Review, 73, 439- 460.
[35]	Stubbs, M. (1983). Discourse analysis: The sociolinguistic analysis of natural language. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press.
[36]	Sztajer, S. (2011). How is religious discourse possible? The constitutive role of metaphors in religious discourse. Retrieved from http://www.lingua.amu.edu.pl/Lingua_16/SZTAJER.pdf
[37]	Taha, K., Al-Jarrah, R., & Al-Khawaldeh, S. (2013). "Determining the Intended Meaning of Words in a Religious Text: An Intertextuality-Oriented Approach". Canadian Social Science, 9 (4), 15-27.
[38]	Tafsiru Kalimat'it Tawhid. (2015). Retrieved from http://tavhid.org/en/forum/index.php?topic=5006.0
[39]	Taqi Usmani. (2006). An Approach to the Qur’anic Sciences. Adams Publishers.
[40]	The Meaning of the Glorious Qur'ân. (2006). Retrieved from http://www.sacred-texts.com/isl/pick/
[41]	Translating Propositions. (2013). Retrieved from http://philosophy.lander.edu/logic/trans.html
[42]	Trappes-Lomax, H. (2004). Discourse analysis. In A. Davies & C. Elder (Eds.), The handbook of applied linguistics (pp. 133-164). Oxford: Blackwell.
[43]	Tsohatzidis, S. L. (1994). Indirect speech act and propositional content. In Foundations of speech act theory: Philosophical and linguistic perspectives (pp. 365-379). London: Routledge.
[44]	Tzortzis, H. (2012). Embryology in the Qur’an [PDF document]. Retrieved from www.missionislam.com/science/Embryology_in_the_Qur’an_v2.pdf
[45]	Tzortzis, H. A. (2013). The Qur’an’s Unique Literary Form. Retrieved from http://www.hamzatzortzis.com/essays-articles/exploring-the-Qur’an/the-Qur’ans-unique-literary-form/
[46]	Tzortzis, H. A. (2015). The Qur’an’s Challenge: A Literary & Linguistic Miracle \| Hamza Andreas Tzortzis. Retrieved from http://www.hamzatzortzis.com/essays-articles/exploring-the-quran/the- inimitable-quran/
[47]	Weinrib, J. (2016). Human dignity and public law. In Dimensions of dignity: The theory and practice of modern constitutional law (pp. 1-20). Cambridge University Press.
[48]	Williams, G. (2015). Dr. Williams: USC Upstate: English Program / Ethos-Pathos-Logos The-3 Rhetorical-Appeals. Retrieved from http://georgehwilliams.pbworks.com/w/page/14266873/Ethos- Pathos-Logos-The-3-Rhetorical-Appeals
[49]	Wetherell, M., Yates, S., Taylor, S., & Open University. (2001). Discourse theory and practice: A reader. London: SAGE.
[50]	Wood, L. A., & Kroger, R. O. (2000). Doing discourse analysis: Methods for studying action in talk and text. Thousand Oaks, Calif: Sage Publications.

Cite This Article

Plain Text BibTeX RIS

APA Style

Vida Dehnad, Azar Hosseini Fatemi. (2016). Empowering Women: A Multi-perspective Discourse Analysis of Women’s Dignity and Equality in Qur’an. International Journal of Applied Linguistics and Translation, 2(4), 33-42. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijalt.20160204.11

Copy | Download

ACS Style

Vida Dehnad; Azar Hosseini Fatemi. Empowering Women: A Multi-perspective Discourse Analysis of Women’s Dignity and Equality in Qur’an. Int. J. Appl. Linguist. Transl. 2016, 2(4), 33-42. doi: 10.11648/j.ijalt.20160204.11

Copy | Download

AMA Style

Vida Dehnad, Azar Hosseini Fatemi. Empowering Women: A Multi-perspective Discourse Analysis of Women’s Dignity and Equality in Qur’an. Int J Appl Linguist Transl. 2016;2(4):33-42. doi: 10.11648/j.ijalt.20160204.11

Copy | Download

@article{10.11648/j.ijalt.20160204.11,
  author = {Vida Dehnad and Azar Hosseini Fatemi},
  title = {Empowering Women: A Multi-perspective Discourse Analysis of Women’s Dignity and Equality in Qur’an},
  journal = {International Journal of Applied Linguistics and Translation},
  volume = {2},
  number = {4},
  pages = {33-42},
  doi = {10.11648/j.ijalt.20160204.11},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijalt.20160204.11},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ijalt.20160204.11},
  abstract = {According to Qur’an, God’s divine merit-demerit system never allows for any biased treatment towards men or women. Dignity instead is what God has granted on all children of Adam. The present article, hence, sought to trace back women’s dignity and equality to the discourse of Qur’an working on a sample of 11 Surahs. The discourse analysis was based on combinatory perspectives of text linguistics, pragmatics, and rhetoric. The results revealed that the most salient marked discoursal devices of women’s equality and dignity were the techniques such as parallelism, anaphoric repetitions, juxtaposition of the believers’ attributes, emphatic negative propositions. In addition, the sometimes situated hierarchical pattern of relationship between men and women were not indicative of any unfair evaluation of either gender. Instead, the yardstick was the amount of the believers’ efforts in the way of God’s “forgiveness and reward”.},
 year = {2016}
}

Copy | Download

TY  - JOUR
T1  - Empowering Women: A Multi-perspective Discourse Analysis of Women’s Dignity and Equality in Qur’an
AU  - Vida Dehnad
AU  - Azar Hosseini Fatemi
Y1  - 2016/08/22
PY  - 2016
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijalt.20160204.11
DO  - 10.11648/j.ijalt.20160204.11
T2  - International Journal of Applied Linguistics and Translation
JF  - International Journal of Applied Linguistics and Translation
JO  - International Journal of Applied Linguistics and Translation
SP  - 33
EP  - 42
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2472-1271
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijalt.20160204.11
AB  - According to Qur’an, God’s divine merit-demerit system never allows for any biased treatment towards men or women. Dignity instead is what God has granted on all children of Adam. The present article, hence, sought to trace back women’s dignity and equality to the discourse of Qur’an working on a sample of 11 Surahs. The discourse analysis was based on combinatory perspectives of text linguistics, pragmatics, and rhetoric. The results revealed that the most salient marked discoursal devices of women’s equality and dignity were the techniques such as parallelism, anaphoric repetitions, juxtaposition of the believers’ attributes, emphatic negative propositions. In addition, the sometimes situated hierarchical pattern of relationship between men and women were not indicative of any unfair evaluation of either gender. Instead, the yardstick was the amount of the believers’ efforts in the way of God’s “forgiveness and reward”.
VL  - 2
IS  - 4
ER  -

Copy | Download

Author Information

Vida Dehnad

Field Department of International Campus, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran
Azar Hosseini Fatemi

Department of English Language and Literature, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran

Download PDF

Sections

Plain Text BibTeX RIS

APA Style

Vida Dehnad, Azar Hosseini Fatemi. (2016). Empowering Women: A Multi-perspective Discourse Analysis of Women’s Dignity and Equality in Qur’an. International Journal of Applied Linguistics and Translation, 2(4), 33-42. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijalt.20160204.11

Copy | Download

ACS Style

Vida Dehnad; Azar Hosseini Fatemi. Empowering Women: A Multi-perspective Discourse Analysis of Women’s Dignity and Equality in Qur’an. Int. J. Appl. Linguist. Transl. 2016, 2(4), 33-42. doi: 10.11648/j.ijalt.20160204.11

Copy | Download

AMA Style

Vida Dehnad, Azar Hosseini Fatemi. Empowering Women: A Multi-perspective Discourse Analysis of Women’s Dignity and Equality in Qur’an. Int J Appl Linguist Transl. 2016;2(4):33-42. doi: 10.11648/j.ijalt.20160204.11

Copy | Download

@article{10.11648/j.ijalt.20160204.11,
  author = {Vida Dehnad and Azar Hosseini Fatemi},
  title = {Empowering Women: A Multi-perspective Discourse Analysis of Women’s Dignity and Equality in Qur’an},
  journal = {International Journal of Applied Linguistics and Translation},
  volume = {2},
  number = {4},
  pages = {33-42},
  doi = {10.11648/j.ijalt.20160204.11},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijalt.20160204.11},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ijalt.20160204.11},
  abstract = {According to Qur’an, God’s divine merit-demerit system never allows for any biased treatment towards men or women. Dignity instead is what God has granted on all children of Adam. The present article, hence, sought to trace back women’s dignity and equality to the discourse of Qur’an working on a sample of 11 Surahs. The discourse analysis was based on combinatory perspectives of text linguistics, pragmatics, and rhetoric. The results revealed that the most salient marked discoursal devices of women’s equality and dignity were the techniques such as parallelism, anaphoric repetitions, juxtaposition of the believers’ attributes, emphatic negative propositions. In addition, the sometimes situated hierarchical pattern of relationship between men and women were not indicative of any unfair evaluation of either gender. Instead, the yardstick was the amount of the believers’ efforts in the way of God’s “forgiveness and reward”.},
 year = {2016}
}

Copy | Download

TY  - JOUR
T1  - Empowering Women: A Multi-perspective Discourse Analysis of Women’s Dignity and Equality in Qur’an
AU  - Vida Dehnad
AU  - Azar Hosseini Fatemi
Y1  - 2016/08/22
PY  - 2016
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijalt.20160204.11
DO  - 10.11648/j.ijalt.20160204.11
T2  - International Journal of Applied Linguistics and Translation
JF  - International Journal of Applied Linguistics and Translation
JO  - International Journal of Applied Linguistics and Translation
SP  - 33
EP  - 42
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2472-1271
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijalt.20160204.11
AB  - According to Qur’an, God’s divine merit-demerit system never allows for any biased treatment towards men or women. Dignity instead is what God has granted on all children of Adam. The present article, hence, sought to trace back women’s dignity and equality to the discourse of Qur’an working on a sample of 11 Surahs. The discourse analysis was based on combinatory perspectives of text linguistics, pragmatics, and rhetoric. The results revealed that the most salient marked discoursal devices of women’s equality and dignity were the techniques such as parallelism, anaphoric repetitions, juxtaposition of the believers’ attributes, emphatic negative propositions. In addition, the sometimes situated hierarchical pattern of relationship between men and women were not indicative of any unfair evaluation of either gender. Instead, the yardstick was the amount of the believers’ efforts in the way of God’s “forgiveness and reward”.
VL  - 2
IS  - 4
ER  -

Copy | Download