Sarah

The Genesis version of the Lot and Sarah story says that Sarah laughed, because she did not believe that she would be able to have a son at her age (Gen 18:12-15). This version portrays Sarah as more independent, because she did not follow what the men say. She speaks out against what the Lord has intended for her, which was questioning his ability and power and this caused for the messengers to become upset.  Also, women were not supposed to speak out to men or contradict them during these times or she would be silenced. It seems that Sarah is not presenting herself to the messengers like she should or most women would have. The Genesis version contradicts the Quran version. The Quran never specifically says what Sarah was laughing about which can lead to many different interpretations. In the passage it says that Sarah laughs before the visitors even say that she will have a child. Therefore, this does not imply that she was questioning the Lord’s ability instead this makes it seem that she was laughing at something else (Q11:71). She does state that it is strange that she is able to have a son and the messengers take this as her questioning the Lord (Q11:72-73). I do not believe she meant what the messengers interpreted. I believe she was in shock and excited all at the same time. In the Quran version I think that Sarah is much less independent. She goes along with what the men tell her even though they do not interpret her actions that same way I do.

The Mother of Israel

Sarai/Sarah plays an instrumental role in Genesis and in the Jewish race as a whole.  She is directly and indirectly responsible for the birth of two nations.  She tells Abram, “The Lord has prevented me from having children.  Go and sleep with” Hagar (Genesis16:2).  This resulted in Ishmael and it was the first step of Abram’s destiny to become the father of nations.  Sarah helped propagate a future nation by sending Ishmael and Hagar into the wilderness, where God met and promised them a great nation.  Eventually, Ishmael would marry a woman from Egypt.   Once Sarah had Isaac, she became the mother of the Israelites and she gave Abraham another avenue from which a great nation would descend.  Throughout all this, Sarai/Sarah displayed a great deal of autonomy.  It was her that decided Hagar would sleep with Abram and then later be exiled along with her son.  God actually tells Abraham to listen to Sarah in regard to the latter situation.

Sarai/Sarah in the Qur’an was much less visible than her counterpart in the Bible.  This is partly due to the fact that there is no Sarai/Sarah mentioned in the Qur’an, only Abraham’s wife.  There’s also no mention of Hagar and Ishmael in the Islamic text.  The wife of Abraham shares the same doubt that Sarah had over her fertility.  She says, “how am I to bear a child when I am a old woman, and my husband here is an old man?  That would be a strange thing” (Qur’an 111:72).  I think the absence of Sarai/Sarah’s interaction with Hagar, makes the wife of Abraham a weaker character in the Qur’an.  Without the presence of her servant, the wife of Abraham is relegated as “the wife who doubted what God ordains.

           

Bible Sarah > Qu'ran Sarah (Essay #6 by David Truong)

   Sarah in the Hebrew bible plays a larger role than her unnamed counterpart in the Qu'ran. While both scoff at the idea of having children at an old age (Gen 18:12 & Q 11:72), the Qu'ranic version of Sarah ends there. Without knowing the Hebrew version or more details of Abraham's life, you would not even know the name of his wife, because the Qu'ran gives none to her.

   In the Hebrew version, Sarah is more flesh-out and given an identity as well as character. In the previously mentioned scene, after she laughs, God quickly rebukes her and promises her a son (Gen 18:13). She quickly doubles back, denying she had laugh due to fear, though God knows better (Gen 18:15) In this verse alone, Sarah is already more of a person that she is in the Qu'ran. In the Qu'ran, she does not reply back when chastised by Allah, though this time his message is carried through his messengers.

   Sarah's story does not end or begin there. In Gen 16 she laments the fact that she can bear no children for her husband so she instructs her husband to take her slave-girl Hagar as a wife(Gen 16:2). This sets off a chain of jealously and spite that causes Sarah to cast Hagar away for her insolence (Gen 16:6). An interesting thing about that particular passage though is that in Gen 16:5, Sarah asks God to decide between Sarah or Hagar, Abraham steps in saying that she has power over Hagar and is free to do what she wants. So despite invoking the name of God, Abraham still allows Sarah to make decisions, it may have been possible that Abraham often looked to his wife for advice and decision-making.

   Reduced to only a few lines in the Qu'ran, Sarah is a completely different person from the Hebrew version. She is a person who experiences despair from being barren, jealously from Hagar, amusement from hearing of her impending pregnacy, and fear from God when he chastised her. If not for the connection with Abraham, we wouldn't have any reason to assume they were the same person.

Blog 6

Sarai/Sarah have different characteristic from the Bible and the Qur’an. Sarai gave her consent for her husband Abram to take on a second wife. (Gen 16:2-3.) Abram takes on a second wife by the name of Hagar; the slave of his wife. Abram and Hagar conceive making Sarai worry that Hagar is contemplating against her. Sarah is given more character in this verse of the Bible, this is shown to be true in Gen 18 and 21 as well.

When Sarah is told that she is to conceive with her husband Abraham by messengers who were visiting their house. Sarah laughs at the men who relay this message to her husband because of the couple's old age (Gen 18: 11-13.) The Sarah from Gen 21 is not like the Sarah from before, she doesn't seem to need Hagar or her son anymore and banishes them after bearing Abraham a son. Even though Abraham begs her not to because he is torn, both of the boys are his sons, one being from his first wife and the other  from his second wife.

Both the Qur’an and the Hebrew bible show Sarah as a skeptic to the idea that the Lord would grant her and her husband a son because of their old age. In both passage she laughs at the men who bring her this news. In the Hebrew Bible we actually see the men talking to Abraham and Sarah talking to the men who come to their city, while in the Qur’an they are relaying their conversation of Isaac to Lot and his family. Sarah is given more freedom in the Hebrew Bible because she is listening in the tent behind her husband when the men bring the message of her future child to her, they even have a conversation with her. While in the Qur’an Sarah is given a voice but we aren’t hearing directly from her of her response to the news (Q11:71-72.)

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.

Kari Velasquez - Essay Blog #6

In Genesis, much more attention is given to the story of Sarai/Sarah, wife of Abram/Abraham. For one thing, the history of Sarai and Abram’s marriage is related. The two relocate to the land of Canaan from the land of Egypt. The covenant between Abram, Sarai and God is related in detail; it happened when they were both f ar past childbearing years, when “the Lord appeared to Abram, said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me and be thou perfect.” He then told the two that he would bless them and that they would multiply, and asked that Abram and his son Ishmael, born of Sarai’s handmaid Hagar, be circumcised along with the rest of their tribe as a sign of their covenant to God. Their names are then changed to Abraham and Sarah, a sign of their true covenant and of being chosen by God. In Genesis 18, the story of Sarah’s conception is told in detail, including the fact that upon hearing the news that she would bear a child when she was past the age of 90, “Sarah laughed within herself, saying, ‘After I am waxed old shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?” (Gen 18:12). This laughter caused some displeasure for God, who asked Abraham, “Wherefore did Sarah laugh, saying, Shall I of a surety bear a child, which am old?/Is anything too hard for the Lord?” (Gen 18:13-14). In the Qur’an, rather than a few chapters to tell the story of Sarai/Sarah, only a few verses are dedicated to her existence at all. Her laughter at the thought of conceiving and bearing a child at her age is mentioned in passing, with no mention of God noticing it at all, but rather her compatriots who notice it and question her faith. In fact, she is not even named at all, but is merely referred to as “his wife,” referring to Abraham. The story is much more confusing and is mixed up with the narrative about Lot. The angels mention in passing when they warn Abraham that they were only “sent against the people of Lot” (Q 11:69), that “His wife was standing [nearby] and laughed. We gave her good news of Isaac and, after him, Jacob. She said, ‘Alas for me! How am I to bear a child when I am an old woman, and my husband here is an old man? That would be a strange thing!’” (Q 11:71-72). The messengers replied, “Are you astonished at what God ordains? The Grace of God and His blessings be upon you and this house!” (Q 11:73). By contrast, in the Hebrew Bible, Sarah is noted to be afraid when she discovers God was asking why she was laughing, and lied about this, but of course God knew her lie, since He knows all. While the version in the Qur’an is much shortened and Sarah is not even named, her speaking role is empowered and it is through these words that she claims agency in this story. In the story of the Hebrew Bible, Sarah claims agency by taking matters into her own hands, not once, but twice, when she sends Hagar out into the wilderness. The first time Hagar is sent back by God for Ishmael is just a tiny baby. The second time Ishmael is a young man, already circumcised, and Sarah becomes jealous of Ishmael for the sake of Isaac, so she tells Abraham to send his other son and son’s mother away, which he does without question. Despite questioning God’s will and laughing at his words of prophecy, Sarah is indeed blessed with a child, but this gift is delayed for a few years to test her. None of these details are included in the Qur’anic version. I would imagine the details of Hagar and Ishmael would be far more important, since Ishmael is the forefather of Muhammad. Considering both societies were patriarchal, it is evident that there was more oppression towards women in the Islamic society merely by how much less attention is given to the stories concerning the women compared to the very gender-biased Hebrew Bible. Perhaps studying these origins of patriarchal linear thinking can help resolve some of the gender-based conflicts going on in the world today. Though there may be far more difficulties for women living in Islamic countries, there is still quite a bit of bias against women in western countries which tend to be predominantly Christian. The Bible and the Qur’an have both been misinterpreted by men in order to keep women in submission for ever so long, a trend which should be discontinued. It is time for women to reclaim our power.

Essay/Blog 6 - Sarah's Power

Sarah’s Power

The character of Sarah, in Genesis, is a complex one shown in different lights but is expressed more than once as having a seemingly supreme and certainly divinely supported authority over her husband Abraham as well as Hagar and her son.  Comparing this image with the one displayed in the 11th Sura of the Qur’an we find her, at first, to be a more minor character without any agency of her own, but will see that she actually does have a role of action and will.  In the Qur’an we are only introduced to, “his (Abraham’s) wife,” and she is only, “standing [nearby],” her husband as he hears the good news from the angels (Q11:71)  she overhears the good news and seems to be a passive figure in the scope of God’s plan.  As John Kaltner points out however, “The ‘good news’ from Allah is not a promise but a command and, as such, demands an immediate response” (Kaltner 95).  This places Sarah in a place of agency - she now must choose to follow God’s command or not!  

 
Genesis paints a confusing picture of Sarah with regard to her authority, showing her both as a woman of incredible authority and a passive wife being commanded to fulfill her female duties to the house and prepare food for the travelers.  In chapter 18 Sarah passively hears the news from the angels and all of the messages to her and Abraham are spoken to him.  She in fact, “laughed to herself,” while she, “was listening at the tent entrance behind them” (Gen 18:10-12).  In contrast, both chapters 16 and 21 show Sarah as the authority figure who commands the actions of others.  She commands Abraham to, “go into my slavegirl,” and “she gave her to her husband” (Gen 16:3).  She also punishes and banishes her slavegirl after Abraham tells her, “Your slave-girl is in your power, do what you want to her” (Gen 16:6)  Later, in chapter 21, she again commands Abraham to, “cast out this slave woman with her son,” showing her authority once again over her husband and her slave (Gen 21:10)  Most interestingly, the authority she expresses seems to be divinely ordained in both cases.  In chapter 16, “The angel of the Lord said to her, ‘Return to your mistress, and submit to her” (Gen 16:9).  Additionally, in chapter 21, “God said to Abraham, “Do not be distressed….whatever Sarah says to you, do as she tells you” (Genesis 21:12)  There could be a number of reasons for Sarah’s character to seem passive in the texts of Genesis 18, but a close reading of both the Qur’an and the other passages of Sarah in the Bible show considerable agency and even a divine authority afforded to Sarah.