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From: SX43%LIVERPOOL.AC.UK@evans.ucar.edu
Newsgroups: talk.religion.misc,soc.feminism
Subject: Gender in Scripture (was re. feminism in bible?
Message-ID: <1990Nov14.113523.9447@nntp-server.caltech.edu>
Date: 14 Nov 90 11:35:23 GMT
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//////////////Original message//////////////
In article <4915@watson>, watson@spock (Steve Watson) says:

>There is a Hebrew word which occurs throughout the Old Testament which
>is variously translated as God's `compassion', 'lovingkindness', or 'mercy'.
>The root of this word is the word for 'womb'.  So a (highly literal)
>translation of this might be "God's womb-love for us".

Hebrew and Arabic are sister languages, both Semitic I think. I
dont know Hebrew but here's some info on the Arabic..

The word for Womb in Arabic is  'Rahm' (the h comes from the back
of the throat!). The word for Grace or Mercy, [--perhaps a better word
is Providence?] is taken directly from this root: 'Rahmah'. In the Quran,
Allah (the Arabic name of God) has many 'names' or 'attributes',
characteristics if you like. The main one is  Rahmah. The most common
saying in a muslim's vocabulary is the short formula :

'Bismillah ar-Rahman ar-Raheem' meaning :

'With the Name of Allah, the Gracious, the Bestower of Mercy'.

[Someone recently pointed out to me the fact that non-muslims
tend to view the expression 'In the name of Allah' as some sort of
justification of whatever they're doing..this is a fallacy, as the
expression actually is a prayer for Blessings to be granted in the work
being done; muslims say this before embarking on any activity to ask God
to guide them in it, grant success etc.]

Raheem is an intensive form of Rahman. Rahman is someone who has
Rahmah, and Raheem is someone who grants forth Rahmah; therefor to be
Rahman is a pre-requisite for being Raheem.

Incidentally, the word 'Nafs' meaning soul or ego in the Qur'an is inherently
a feminine word. Even men have a feminine 'Nafs'. There are references in
the Qur'an where Allah is referred to as having a Nafs too..as when
Jesus makes the statement on the Day of Judgement that :

'You know what is in my [Nafs] whereas I know not what is in your [Nafs]'

on being questioned by Allah. [Surah 5 (The Table Spread), verse 119].
Yusuf Ali translates the word Nafs here as heart, meaning the inner-
most existence.

In Islam however Allah is independent of such things as gender. At the
same time as feminine words used as i have outlined above, the main
pronouns used in the Quran for God is 'he'.

I would not be at all surprised to learn that the Hebrew
description of God parallels this almost sound for sound.

Regards,
Fazal.