For some, the Qur’ān is a simple book of rules and stories that is easy to understand. For others, it offers an array of complex meanings, and a multidimensional moral matrix tendering a panoply of interpretive data that provides solutions to contextually derived situations. So which is it? This essay reveals that Islamic societies and their derived Qur’ānic exegesis transitioned from a relatively high tolerance of ambiguity and plurality to a sometimes extreme intolerance. Moving from past to present, contemporary civilizations of Islam evidently witness their process of modernization as a process of annihilation of ambiguity that renders the Qur’ān inert in its semantic potential…

Why are we so divided? On the one hand, feminists insist that the personal is political, relating how personal experiences are inextricably connected with the greater social and historical context, and therefore demand a reform of rigid traditional interpretations. On the other hand, traditionalists defend culture and tradition as the foundation of identity, the last bastion of family, and a necessary social order to retain social cohesion, and a morally upright community. Moreover, modern discursive practices involving hermeneutical gymnastics feed the rationalist delusion and have only derailed us from apprehending the human being behind which these processes are founded upon, reducing polemic prowess to an exercise in vanity.

In a world obsessed with perfection and brilliance and fearful of deficiency and loss, a servant learns to blur the lines of the distinction by deriving self-worth through the attainment of perfection, a status of power that bestows him authority over those too weak to seek it. Through his self-proclaimed "god-given" status, a servant is reminded of his upward trajectory and eventual union with God. The more his position is highlighted upon the pedestal, the more pronounced his deviance from reality, and the more he unwittingly ascribes his successes to innate attributes of perfection. The individual then assumes his rank as sovereign, as Khalifah, as a vessel of God, one who possesses the power to impose commandments, punishments, and his will upon others.

The example of a tree is profound in many ways.

A matured tree in its life has weathered many storms. The tree does not see the storm as a burden, but a blessing meant to aid its long-term survival. Each storm provides rain, helps spread seeds, and disperses dust that carries life-giving nutrients. Water, wind, and even fire are necessary for a tree. Even when fire destroys an entire forest, the tree looks beyond its own life and sows precious nutrients so the cycle of life can repeat. The tree sees this as an opportunity for rebirth for its species, equipping future generations with resources that carry the legacy of the tree to new heights.

Rape occurs in a social context. Rape cannot be understood apart from that context, and the woman who has been raped cannot be treated effectively without understanding that context. A cultural analysis of Western societies shows that we live in a society that often condones rape, misdefines it, blames victims for its occurrence, sets up women to be raped and men to be rapists, and offers inadequate services to aid survivors in their long-term recovery. The existence of rape and trauma from rape is strongly influenced by what society teaches about rape, how it sex-role-socializes women and men, and by the power differentials that exist between men and women.

In traditional marriages, women have been expected to assume the role of wife as a major goal in their lives. Social expectations, as well as legal requirements, encouraged the woman to change her name, give up her interests and friends in favor of those of her husband, move to her husband’s residence and relocate with his employment changes, and to depend on him for economic security, social status, and personal identity. The loss of personal identity through marriage has been reflected in the traditional reference to a married woman as “Mrs” followed by her husband’s last name. In traditional marriages, women are younger, smaller, and less educated than their husbands, further encouraging the woman to depend upon her husband for protection and support.