From Domestic Confinement to Public Agency

A Contextual Reading of Q.S. Al-Aḥzāb [33]: 33 Through Abdullah Saeed’s Approach

Abstract

This study examines the interpretation of Q.S. Al-Aḥzāb [33]: 33, particularly the phrase waqarna fī buyūtikunna (remain in your homes), which has traditionally been used to restrict women’s public participation. The research problem centers on the tension between literal readings that confine women to domestic spaces and the need for contextual interpretations responsive to modern social dynamics. The study aims to re-examine Q.S. Al-Aḥzāb [33]: 33 through Abdullah Saeed’s contextual approach, an analytical framework previously underexplored in existing scholarship. Using a qualitative methodology with Saeed’s contextual framework, the analysis proceeds through six stages: classical to contemporary exegesis, linguistic analysis of three key terms (qarna, tabarruj, ahl al-bayt), micro and macro analysis, parallel textual examination, hierarchical value mapping, and contemporary contextualization. The findings reveal that Q.S. Al-Aḥzāb [33]: 33, when analyzed linguistically, historically, and through Saeed’s hierarchical value theory, falls under instructional values rather than obligatory values, making its directives historically contingent rather than universally binding. The study concludes that the verse emphasizes ethical conduct, dignity, and modesty rather than physical confinement, thereby affirming women’s right to participate actively in public life. The significance of this research lies in offering a fresh interpretive framework that reconciles the verse’s textual meaning with contemporary realities. The study is limited to textual analysis of a single verse without empirical research, and future studies are encouraged to conduct fieldwork and comparative analysis of related verses.

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