In the recent special issue on Just World Order (Radiance, 29 Jan-4 Feb, 2012), Syed Husain Pasha says there is no chapter in the Qur’ān named after ‘Men’. There is the 76th chapter which is ‘Insan’ (Man). A generic term for all men. There is the last chapter ‘An-Nas’ (Mankind). The dominant connotation in both the terms refers to men.
Just because there is no chapter named after ‘Men’, it cannot be inferred that women are more important than ‘Man’. After all, Moses, David, and Jesus to whom scriptures were revealed and who are frequently mentioned in the Qur’ān have no chapter named after them.
Professor U. Muhammad Iqbal
Chennai, T.N.