Talk:Perfecting Women

Did you know nomination

The following is an archived discussion of the DYK nomination of the article below. Please do not modify this page. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page (such as this nomination's talk page, the article's talk page or Wikipedia talk:Did you know), unless there is consensus to re-open the discussion at this page. No further edits should be made to this page.

The result was: withdrawn by nominator, closed by AirshipJungleman29 talk 16:32, 19 January 2024 (UTC)

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• Comment or view
• Article history

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• ... that Barbara D. Metcalf authored Perfecting Women with the support of a translation fellowship from the National Endowment for the Humanities? Source: A., M. (1997). "Review of Perfecting Women: Maulana Ashraf 'Ali Thanawi's Bihishti Zewar". Estudios de Asia y Africa. 32 (3 (104)): 640. ISSN 0185-0164. JSTOR 40313257. Archived from the original on 2022-05-04. Retrieved 2022-05-06.
  • Reviewed:

5x expanded by Owais Al Qarni (talk). Self-nominated at 23:30, 22 November 2023 (UTC). Post-promotion hook changes for this nom will be logged at Template talk:Did you know nominations/Perfecting Women: Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanawi's Bihishti Zewar; consider watching this nomination, if it is successful, until the hook appears on the Main Page.

• Comment (not a review). Is "authored" the correct word to use for a work that is largely a translation of something authored by someone else? —David Eppstein (talk) 17:25, 4 January 2024 (UTC)
  • (not a review) this article contains significant close paraphrasing, as detailed on its talk page, which needs to be rewritten. ~~ AirshipJungleman29 (talk) 15:45, 14 January 2024 (UTC)
• Hello @BlueMoonset:, thank you for considering this article. Upon reviewing the feedback, it's clear that comprehensive copyediting is needed to enhance the quality for DYK. Unfortunately, I'm unable to perform the necessary edits at this time. Therefore, I suggest closing this nomination without further discussion. Thanks again.–Owais Al Qarni (talk) 15:58, 19 January 2024 (UTC)

Close paraphrasing

Source

Closely paraphrased article

"Book One describes the need to "manage women" so that they learn to overcome their basic instincts with the intellect and discipline that will make them good Muslims. Book Six attacks "custom" (as distinct from "tradition," hadith)—practices which have crept into north Indian Muslim households, "thwarting the ordered and bounded life ordained by the shari'at" (pp. 79-80) and undermining "true" Islam. Thanawi's management of women is directed at eradication of custom, essentially female domain, in order to breed good Muslims of both genders. Not surprisingly, most "erroneous" practices had crept in around observance of such life-cycle events as birth, marriage, the beginnin education (Bi'sm'illah), circumcision, etc., but even extended to keeping dogs as pets. Book Seven offers alternatives to those practices denounced in the preceding Book, suggesting that "correct external behaviour is the first step toward creating inner virtues" (p. 168). Book Eight follows this up with stories of exemplary women, no doubt contributing to the evolved force of Bihishti Zewar itself While offering advice about daily household conduct and suggesting further reading, Book Ten evokes for Metcalf the "tangible atmosphere of a comfortable north Indian household of the turn of this century...the picture of a society in change""

"Book One underscores the guidance of women, urging them to surpass innate instincts through intellectual and disciplined approaches, nurturing their growth as committed Muslims. Book Six critically dissects prevailing customs within North Indian Muslim households, disrupting the structured life dictated by Sharia and challenging the authenticity of Islam. Thanawi's managerial approach towards women aims at abolishing customs, particularly within the female sphere, with the objective of fostering virtuous Muslims of both genders. Book Six unveils an array of "erroneous" practices tied to life-cycle events, encompassing birth, marriage, education initiation, circumcision, and even pet ownership, illuminating the profound cultural impact on religious practices. Book Seven proposes alternatives to condemned practices, underscoring the importance of correct external behavior as a precursor to inner virtue. Book Eight weaves narratives of exemplary women, further fortifying the authoritative standing of Bahishti Zewar. In Book Ten, amid counsel on daily conduct and recommended readings, there is a portrayal of the evolving ambiance in North Indian society during the turn of the century, as perceived by Metcalf."

Source

Closely paraphrased article

"This emphasis was perfectly in keeping with the Deobandi theory of the person which posed the nafs, or lower self, in opposition to 'aql, or reasoned discrimination, and argued that true self-fulfilment could be achieved only by cultivating the latter at the expense of the former... Instead, Metcalf has been selective in her choice of sections to translate, picking out the 'Books' which best illustrate both the main themes of reformist thinking and the immediate environment in which they were applied Hence, she produces a picture of a society in change, both religious and practical, and through the wealth of detail presented here the reader gains a strong impression of the everyday life of the relatively privileged North Indian Muslim women and families who formed the main subject and readership of the original work. The gulf which separated what Thanawi saw and what he sought brings home the extent to which he and his colleagues felt that Indian Muslim society would have to change in the process of reforming itself. "

"this focus seamlessly aligns with the Deobandi theory, which contrasts the lower self (nafs) with reasoned discrimination ('aql). The theory posits that genuine self-fulfillment emerges from prioritizing the latter over the former... Instead, Metcalf selectively translates segments vividly depicting key reformist themes and their immediate contextual application... Metcalf's translation portrays a society undergoing dynamic changes, both in religious and practical dimensions. By presenting nuanced details, readers gain profound insights into the everyday lives of relatively privileged North Indian Muslim women and families—the primary subjects and readership of the original work. The observed dissonance between Thanawi's observations and his aspirations underscores the perceived imperative for substantial societal transformations in the reformative process within Indian Muslim society"

References

~~ AirshipJungleman29 (talk) 03:36, 14 January 2024 (UTC)