In Genesis 21:8-10 Sarah shows that she has great respect from Abraham when she tells him to send Hagar away. This shows that she has a good relationship with him and she can make requests like this and receive her wish. I think this is a really important thing for this time period. Most of the marriages seemed more like business contracts then actual marriages to me. This section in particular shows that Sarah had a very strong relationship with Abraham.
In the actual verses we read in the Qur’an for this blog Q 11:69-83 a female was never named as Abrahams wife but we are assuming it is the same Sarah as in the Hebrew Bible. This women was going to be the one punished in the Qur’an 11:81, it said leave your wife and she will be the one to befall the fate of the others. To me this states that Abrahams wife wasn’t a good person, she is the one who will receive punishment in this situation.
I think that there is a major difference between Abraham’s wife in the Hebrew Bible and the Qur’an. In one she was treated as an equal and very much respected by Abraham and in the other she was the one who would befall the same fate as the others. This is a major difference to me in the status of the wife in Abraham’s life.
Morgan McMullen
It is true that Abram allows Sarai to run things her way, and she shows much agency in taking matters into her own hands. She would appear cursed by God by not having children, so asks Abram to father a child with a slave to honor herself and her family. In the Qur'an, Abraham's wife has less agency over her own life. I think both versions show patriarchal attitudes towards women, but in the Qur'an Abraham's wife is less of a focal character.
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