Question: Why does Islam focus on the menfolk in most of the doctrine or hadiths? For example using the word 'brother': "The rights of one Muslim brother over another are five/six."
Islam does not focus on menfolk.
It is a feature of Arabic language. Arabic is one of the many languages that consist of masculine and feminine words. For example, if you want to refer to a group of men in third person plural, you use the masculine pronoun hum (هم). If you want to refer to a group of women in third person plural, you use the feminine pronoun hunna (هن). If you want to refer to a mixed group in third person plural, you use the masculine pronoun hum (هم) again. This is similar in other languages with masculine and feminine words, since masculine pronouns are shorter; and therefore more practical to use.
Plural masculine pronouns refer to mixed groups. Actually, there is no specific pronoun to refer to a group of men, but there is for women. Therefore, Quran does not emphasize menfolk, but it emphasizes women sometimes. So when you see “brothers” or “men” in Quran, know that it also addresses “women”. When you see “sisters” or “women” in Quran, know that it only addresses “women”.
Add comment