I would like to share my interpretation and imagination of a Qur’anic narration. When God created the world and fashioned Adam as the pinnacle of creation—through whom He would later bring forth man and woman—He convened a council of the heavenly realm. This assembly was attended by numerous heavenly beings, including the angels and one named Iblis. At this gathering, God, as customary, stood at the pulpit or mimber, facing the assembly who eagerly anticipated the new project the Merciful One would present.
God began His speech by describing how He had been engaged in the creation of the world and then informed them that He was in the process of creating Adam. He then revealed an unfamiliar clay object—indeed, an object, as Adam is a passive entity in the Qur’anic verses until the climax of the narrative, with God and the heavenly inhabitants being the active participants. The great surprise followed when God declared, “…when I have fashioned him and breathed into him of My Spirit, then fall down to him in prostration.” Initially, the assembly recoiled at these words, observing Adam with great interest and skepticism. God continued decisively, “Truly! I am the One who will make a Caliph on Earth!” referring to Adam. The heavenly beings were stirred, their voices rang out, and they were shocked by the strange request and God’s decision. One angel, representing the collective voice, asked, “Will You place on it one who will cause corruption and shed blood, while we glorify You with Your praise and call You holy?” The angel skeptically and excitedly questioned, convinced that Adam did not deserve such favor or the role of governor. God responded logically, “Truly! I know what you do not know,” and then He turned to Adam, “and taught Adam the names—each of them—then presented them to the angels and said, ‘Inform Me of the names of these if you are truthful.’” The angels were bewildered and responded, “Glory be to You! We have no knowledge except what You have taught us. Truly! You are the Knowing, the Wise.” God wanted to show them and explain why He chose Adam, so He invited them to observe more closely. Everyone gathered around Adam, and God said, “…O Adam! Inform them of their names.” Adam, who until that moment had been like an earthen statue, began to speak, naming things, defining them, and creating with his words. This was a miracle; the angels were amazed and, now at peace, prostrated themselves—except for Iblis, who refused, became proud, and was thus cast out as one of the disbelievers.
Why is this story important? It holds significance for several reasons, some of which I will outline here. Primarily, it serves as a representation of women that I will use to highlight a topic that seems to have been overlooked by male theologians. At first glance, it appears to be a single Qur’anic sequence, widely known among Muslims, describing the genesis of human creation as presented in the Qur’an, with verses scattered and repeated throughout different chapters. I have explored various interpretations, but what stands out to me—and what I wish to emphasize—is the model of communication and interaction in the relationship between authority and follower.
Questioning Authority in Religion
My religious journey began with an intimate relationship with God and evolved through a blend of spiritual experiences, reflective processes, maturation, and deep study of the Qur’an. However, as a woman, this path was fraught with obstacles and challenges, leading to a critical and dialectical clash between my female experience of faith and Islamic practices, theological concepts, and societal norms that I encountered and that were imposed on me to identify myself as a believer among believers. External factors were saturated with patriarchy, male dominance, and demands for female submission, resulting in internal conflict, a personal jihad, and a quest for relief. I embraced this as a challenge, determined not to surrender passively, but to achieve true calm—a goal for every believer.
This clash involved the female experience of faith confronting androcentric—male-centric—concepts of God, creation, and societal relationships. The first response to any conflict is fear, as the battlefield is a perilous place. On one side is an awareness and faith where there is no place for injustice; on the other is the personal experience and testimony of other women, which generate doubt that must be resolved—should I trust myself and the God within me, or society and its patriarchal representation of God, specifically the religious community, its male authorities, and followers? The most straightforward way to seek answers is by asking questions. Hence, the story of the heavenly assembly is crucial. I questioned many aspects and found answers through my personal interpretation of the Qur’an, but I also sought external confirmation from religious authorities. I did not receive satisfactory answers from them, as both individuals and religious authorities—shaped by male perspectives throughout history—maintained an attitude of untouchability, prohibiting questioning and demanding blind obedience. There was no room for dialogue. This experience led me to trust in myself, as the Qur’anic story of God’s interaction with the angels illustrated. God is not untouchable; He does not demand blind obedience. He willingly engages in dialogue, provides arguments, proofs, and explanations. This exemplifies how true spiritual authority should operate, showing that knowledge and calmness require sincere questioning, constructive doubt, and critical thinking. God reassured me, whereas male authorities did not.
Realizing this, I made a divine gesture within humanity. From being a passive object—often how women, including the primordial Adam in the story, are perceived—I transformed into an active, inspired creator of ideas, unafraid to express my own experiences, interpretations, and perspectives, and to actively engage with the Qur’an. Women in religion are often seen as secondary, assigned roles of culpability, or perceived as causes of moral decline. Even when women study theology, it is often a mere reception of male-established concepts. Although sacred texts reflect the patriarchal contexts of their times, they also contain messages transcending gender, class, status, and other roles. However, due to male dominance in interpretation, egalitarian ideas have been suppressed.
A call to believers
The fundamental issue today, given our current level of humanity and human rights which we often take for granted, is religious conservatism and a resistance to change, growth, new knowledge, and development. This resistance increasingly relegates religion to the status of outdated ideological constructs. Such a stance can be particularly painful for believers who, while holding onto their faith, also recognize the necessity of knowledge and progress.
It seems that women are particularly attuned to and embody this spirit. Concurrent with the prevailing androcentric religious and theological discourse, feminist theology is emerging. Unlike traditional hierarchical models of superiority and dominance, feminist theology seeks cooperation, solidarity, and egalitarianism. Its goal is to establish a common foundation where femininity is neither subordinated to masculinity nor vice versa.
A notable example of this practice is the FER school created by women—a space where diverse perspectives are freely explored and understood, and where learning expands beyond previous boundaries. Conversely, entrenched indoctrination often hinders women from engaging in such projects and developing their own ideas. When confronted with cognitive dissonance, women may fear their own doubts, leading them to feel like passive recipients of patriarchal religious structures rather than active participants.
This transgenerational indoctrination revives and perpetuates theological concepts that portray women and femininity as weak, negative aspects of humanity. Such beliefs are easily accepted, and doubts are often internalized, affecting women who are either in the process of overcoming fear or have already done so.
However, it is possible to be a believer, spiritual teacher, and creator of religious knowledge despite social pressures. Epistemological questions about the nature of knowledge, its value, and its creators reveal how excluded we may be and underscore the need for active contribution. Women need to start believing in themselves and in a transcendent God who surpasses gender divisions. Trust in male authorities should be conditional upon their willingness to provide valid arguments, engage in dialogue, and respect female perspectives. Notably, the God in my narrative resembles a woman in a position of authority more closely than the revered figures of traditional religious and spiritual contexts.
