A woman's 'self-wronging': A gender subtheme in the Qur'anic encounter between Solomon and the Queen of Sheba

Abstract

This article examines the encounter between Solomon and the fascinating, but intricate Queen of Sheba in the Qur'an (Q27:15-44). By taking a literary approach to the Qur'anic narrative itself (and not later interpretations as have been the focus of both the Muslim tradition and in the field of Qur'anic studies), I argue that the story not only presents a didactic Qur'anic conversion scene (from paganism to monotheism), but also that the story is permeated by gender related features. I show that two episodes in the story, the Queen's entry into Solomon's palace and her declaration of 'self-wronging' (zulm al-nafs; Q27:44) are essential for the story's gender subtheme. On the one hand, the Qur'anic story depicts a woman's submission to a patriarchal order, but, on the other, it also indicates what seems to be a relative gender equality for men and women before God.