أَوَمَن يُنَشَّأُ فِي الحِليَةِ وَهُوَ فِي الخِصامِ غَيرُ مُبينٍ

[And says:] ‘What! One who is brought up amid ornaments and is inconspicuous in contests?’

EXEGESIS

Yunashshaʾu (brought up) stems from the second form of the verb nashaʾa, which has multiple connotations. Primarily, it signifies the continuous creation or occurrence of a matter with enduring permanence. Additionally, it can denote the cultivation of something through creation, preservation, care, and upbringing.[1] In the context of this verse, the latter meaning of yunashshaʾu is intended, emphasising the ongoing process of nurturing and fostering amid ornaments.

According to Ibn ʿĀshūr, the structure of brought up amid ornaments is used to indicate that girls are surrounded and reared by ornaments from the very beginning of their birth and which then continues throughout their life. It was the custom of the Arabs to pierce the ears of female children immediately after birth and make them wear earrings.[2]

Ḥilyah (ornaments) is a noun that means that which is used to decorate, an embellishment. See also 16:14 where the Quran mentions the extraction of ornaments from the sea as a blessing of Allah.[3]

EXPOSITION

Building upon the previous verse, this passage challenges the polytheists’ belief that women are inherently weaker than men. By pointing out this perceived contradiction, the verse questions the logic behind attributing daughters to Allah – a notion that seems incongruous with the polytheists’ own beliefs regarding gender. This rhetorical strategy highlights the inconsistency in their thinking and invites them to reconsider their views on divine offspring.[4]

Abū Zayd proposes an alternative reading of the verse, suggesting that it does not describe the female gender but rather the characteristics of idols.[5] In this view, the verse asks a rhetorical question, questioning the logic behind worshipping idols that were both adorned with ornaments, as polytheists often decorated them lavishly,[6] and incapable of offering any argument, as they were inanimate objects.[7] However, this interpretation does not align well with the surrounding context, and faces linguistic challenges, particularly in the use of the pronoun man, which typically refers to living beings. If idols were indeed the intended subject, the more appropriate pronoun would have been mā, which is generally used for inanimate objects.

REVIEW OF TAFSĪR LITERATURE

Some exegetes have suggested that khiṣām is not only limited to verbal disputes in which women are considered weak, but also includes physical disputes where women are weaker than men.[8] This group of exegetes bring 22:19 as evidence of the Quranic usage of khiṣām for parties at war, These two contenders contend (khaṣmān ikhtaṣamū) concerning their Lord.[9] Based on this understanding, the predicate ghayru mubīn (translated as is inconspicuous) would mean ‘does not bring about victory’.[10]

Others have suggested that this meaning could possibly be understood as a priori, i.e. if women are not able to demonstrate their argument in a verbal dispute, then it is obvious that in a physical confrontation they would also fail, as physical confrontations are much more difficult.[11]

Some commentators argue that the two traits mentioned in the verse could be interconnected, suggesting that the focus by women on ornaments and physical beautification may hinder their intellectual pursuits. Consequently, this preoccupation might lead to weaker critical thinking skills, impairing their ability to articulate their views effectively in debates.

Furthermore, it has been posited that the verb yunashshaʾu implies that these characteristics are acquired through specific practices and social conditioning, rather than being innate to women. This perspective finds support in historical examples of women who did not exhibit these traits, indicating that womankind may be more influenced by environmental factors than biology.[12]

An alternative reading proposes that the phrase is inconspicuous in contests might be referring to the polytheists themselves. Under this interpretation, the verse questions the logic behind attributing daughters to Allah, who are adorned with ornaments, while also highlighting the polytheists’ inability to provide a coherent argument when challenged on their beliefs.[13]

According to Ibn ʿĀshūr, brought up amid ornaments is a metonym for weakness in dealing with difficulties and hardships.[14]

Some have suggested that the phrase is inconspicuous in contests is specifically describing female infants who are not able to protest against their fathers whilst being buried alive, a common practice amongst the Arabs.[15]

TOPICAL ARTICLES

The Role of 43:18 in Jurisprudence

This verse has been discussed in the context of establishing several jurisprudential rulings:

1. The condition of masculinity for being a judge (qāḍī) in an Islamic court.

In an Islamic legal court, the judge must fulfil several conditions for his verdict to be authoritative. For example, the judge must be sane, have reached the age of maturity, and be a Muslim. One of the conditions that is famously accepted, but subject to much debate, is that the judge must be male. This ruling is popular amongst both Shias[16] and Sunnis,[17] with each of them having some exceptions.
One piece of evidence that is brought to support this view is the verse in question. The argument is formulated as follows:
The foundation and basis of giving verdicts and reaching a judgement is through argumentation and debating. This requires a meticulous logical mind, and the ability to formulate valid rational arguments. Based on the verse in question, the average woman does not possess this, and therefore cannot take up the position of a judge in an Islamic court.

Two critiques are usually presented against this argument. Firstly, it has been said that the verse in question is not stating a reality but rather charging the polytheists with their own mistaken beliefs. Secondly, even if one were to accept that the verse is mentioning a reality, being a judge does not necessitate the formulation of logical arguments and getting involved in disputes. Rather, the role of the judge is to listen to the parties that present their arguments and decide which party is correct.[18]

2. The necessity of providing jewellery as part of the obligatory maintenance (nafaqah) of the wife upon the husband.

One of the responsibilities of a husband in a marriage is to provide and support for his wife. In legal terms, it is obligatory for a husband to cover all necessary expenses needed to maintain a decent life. This would include housing, clothing, food, medical expenses, and any other expenses that are generally considered necessary. Neither the Quran nor the narrations stipulate an exact list of expenses or a precise amount of money that must be paid. As such, jurists have vastly differed as to what exactly constitutes the obligatory maintenance. The vast majority of jurists have concluded that there is no specific list of items that are mandated, but rather the husband must provide everything that would be considered as a general necessity, and thus the particular instances of what is deemed necessary would defer based on time, place, and social status.[19]

Amongst contemporary jurists, Makārim Shīrāzī has argued that amongst the necessary expenses that the husband must provide for is jewellery and ornaments, without exceeding that which is considered the norm. He bases this off the verse in question by claiming that the verse indicates towards an essential feature of women, i.e. their innate inclination towards jewellery, and thus it would be an instance of maintenance.[20]

3. The permissibility of wearing gold and silk for women.

The unanimous opinion amongst both Sunni and Shia jurists is that it is impermissible for men to wear gold or pure silk. Whilst there are many narrations that indicate that it is permissible for women to wear gold and silk, some scholars have referred to this verse and used it as evidence to show the permissibility of wearing gold for women.[21]

[1] Tahqiq, 12/130.
[2] Ibn Ashur, 25/228.
[3] Ibn Ashur, 25/229.
[4] Makhzan, 12/12.
[5] Tibyan, 9/189.
[6] Tabari, 25/35.
[7] Tabrisi, 9/66.
[8] Furqan, 26/288.
[9] Ibn Ashur, 25/229.
[10] Ibn Ashur, 25/229.
[11] Ibn Ashur, 25/229.
[12] Fadlallah, 20/222-223.
[13] Kashif, 6/541.
[14] Ibn Ashur, 25/228.
[15] Atyab, 12/13.
[16] Al-Muḥaqqiq al-Ḥillī, Sharāyiʿ al-Islām, 4/60.
[17] Ibn Qudāma, al-Mughnī, 10/127.
[18] Sayyid Muhammad Yaʿqūb Mūsawī, Qaḍāʾ al-Marʾah fī Fiqh al-Shīʿī, pp. 64-68.
[19] Jawāhir al-Kalām, 31/336.
[20] Makārim Shīrāzī, Anwār al-Faqāhah fī Aḥkām al-ʿIṭrah al-Ṭāhirah, 3/483.
[21] Al-Jaṣṣaṣ, Aḥkām al-Qurʾān, 5/264.