Blog 6

We are first introduced to Sarai in genesis chapter 16 as a barren women. She is overcome by jealousy and rage at her slave, Hagar after commanding her husband Abram to obtain children through Hagar. Then again, in chapter 18 of Genesis Sarah is present again but as aged and rather cynical. In this chapter the lord promises her and Abraham a son. She respond in laughter by saying “shall I indeed bear a child, now that I am old?” (Gen 18:13). Furthermore, in this chapter, Sarah is described as having lost the “manner of a woman” (Gen 18:11). This creates the idea that her voicing her suspicion is out of line, because she is a woman. Also in this way, because she is older her wisdom may in some way have prompted her “out of line” behavior. I would speculate, with age a woman is less accepting of her role in regards to her gender and therefore less willing to conform to such standards. Nevertheless, Sarah does bear a child, in her old age as God had promised (Gen 21). It seems that she takes this conviction with great pleasure as she has finally bore Abraham a child and is rejoiced with laughter.

In contrast, we find that the story of Sarah in the Qur’an is much different. Sarah is never given a name but we know that she conflicted by the same message that she should bear children in her old age for Abraham (Q 11: 71). Furthermore, it is interesting to note that the messenger is not the Lord himself, as we witnessed from the Hebrew Bible, but by a group of “messengers” (Q 11: 69). Sarah’s presence ceases there and there is no mention of her actually conceiving the child either. 

When comparing these two books, it seems as though Sarah has more agency in the Hebrew Bible compared to the Qur’an. This is most obvious in that Sarah only has one line, without being mentioned by name, in the Qur’an whereas she is mentioned by name and speaks or is mentioned often through several chapters in the Hebrew Bible. The Sarah of Hebrew tradition is vociferous, aggressive, and witty. She asserts her power of her slave and mocks God. This is characteristically unusual of a women of the bible but there seems to be no hesitation in her self-determination. In comparison, the woman in the Qur’an has little presence and it is difficult to characterize her. Despite the lack of elucidation, she speaks with the same sense of cynicism as the Hebrew Sarah, but this is in parallel to Abraham's silence and cowardice. The difference between Abraham and Sarah gives light to her autonomy and arrogance in the Qur’an though, too. Regardless, we see the empowerment of the Sara in the Hebrew Bible, outweighs that as portrayed in the Qur’an.