While a multiplicity of interpretations is a consistent historical feature in Qur’anic scholarship, the
intratextual method (tafsir al-Qur’an bi-l-Qur’an) has been accepted as a central method of
interpretation. Building upon this method, this chapter explores and furthers the methodology of Al-wahda al-bina’iyya li-l-Qur’an (the Qur’an’s structural unity) and argues that reading the sura/chapter as a structural unit can yields significant exegetical insights. By focusing on Surat al-Nur (Qur’an 24), and focusing on an incident involving ʿA’isha bint Abu Bakr (d. 678/57) as an example, this chapter draws attention to hadith scholarship identified with a revisionary body of literature that takes as its scope the verification and validation of a prophetic tradition. Herself representing an example of Muslim women’s scholarly contributions, Alwani argues for the significance in identifying the organic interconnections between the Qur’an and Prophetic sunna in order to further hermeneutical insights.
Muslim Women And Gender Justice (Routledge, 2019)
Page Numbers: 123-139
Publication Date: 2020
Publication Name: Muslim Women and gender Justice: Concepts, Sources, and Histories
Edited by Dina El Omari, Juliane Hammer, and Mouhanad Khorchide
You can read the chapter in pdf format here: With Aisha in Mind Reading Surat al-Nur through the Qur’an’s structural unity
Here is a link to the full book.