21 May 2016 "Feminism Within the Islam Tradition"
Written for a Theology course taken at the University of Cape Town.
There is no doubt that within the Islam tradition there
exist many rules governing thoughts and actions. Like any other religion, Islam
requires things of its followers—this can only be expected. And though outsiders
of the Islam tradition may often be prone to write it off as an extremely androcentric,
oppressive religion, there are many Muslims who would argue that this is simply
not the case. These Muslims argue against the notion that Muslim women receive
little respect and have very little say in matters of religious discourse. They
also disagree with the idea that the practices associated with Islam are based
off of a heterosexual, male-dominated ideal. Instead, many Muslims, including
devout Muslim women who freely choose to veil themselves, find strength in
Islam, practicing the tradition with full confidence and faith.[1]
Included in this group are women who
fight for female leadership within Islam. And often this topic of female
leadership finds itself centralizing on women’s right to lead prayers—both to
all female and to mixed congregations. Highly contested between scholars and
Muslim religious leaders alike, the issue of women-led prayer has ultimately
not reached a conclusion. The debate between progressive and more conservative
Muslims regarding women’s rights marks only the beginning of a long debate
rooted in the core principles of the religion of Islam.
In order to
truly understand the relationship between women and Islam, one must first look
at the Qur’an. As the sacred text of Islam, the Qur’an is believed by Muslims
to be the true word of God. This means that the Qur’an is the dominant
authority on all matters involving practice of Islam. One theme that occurs frequently
in the Qur’an, it is important to mention, is the idea that though God
represents everything that exists, there is never any explicit mention of God
as having a gender. Although the pronoun ascribed to God is technically a male
pronoun (this is a result of the gendered nature of the Arabic language), there
is still reference in the Qur’an of God having distinct female qualities. This
fact suggests an idea of gender equality; there is no one gender that is a more
perfect representation of God. True perfection could perhaps actually be the
absence of a gender at all.[2]
Feminists
use this fact, among others presented in primary religious sources, to form
their own “radical and illuminating understandings of Qur’an, Islamic law,
theology and mysticism from the perspective of women.”[3]
It is through new interpretations of old religious texts and traditions that
many women find liberation in Islam; despite the commonality of Muslims
practicing Islam somewhat archaically, the religion itself has sufficient
potential to fit into the modern era. Though there are certain restrictions
that suggest rigidity in how Islam can be interpreted, certain “radical”
Muslims claim such ideas as this, featured on a website entitled islamicity.org:
“Islam places no restriction on women to teach, preach and guide both women and
men. ‘Men and women are supporters of each other. They command what is right
and forbid what is wrong…’ (Al-Tawbah 9:71).”[4]
Though the website does go on to explain that women should not be allowed to
lead Salaat, and therefore it cannot be considered entirely radical, it is
important to note the strategic use of a religious text reference used to
reinforce a more progressive viewpoint.
Though
religious texts can certainly be used for more progressive or radical
interpretations of the requirements of Islamic tradition, they can also
certainly be used to reinforce more conservative views. For instance, in an
article, published online, Islamic scholar Imran Nazar Hosein speaks on the
issue of women leading prayer. He first introduces what the Qur’an has to say
about choice of a ruler (Imam), and then demonstrates, using verses from the
Quran, the fact that all previously chosen Imams have been male. He uses the
Qur’an in the same strategic manner as the example presented above to prove his
point.[5]
This demonstrates just how flexible the Qur’an, and other religious texts in
the Islam tradition, can be. They are fully open to human interpretation.
In addition
to using religious texts to reinforce deeply believed contestations to Islamic
traditions, some Muslims seek spiritual guidance from other members of the
Muslim community. In a letter published online for reference purposes, an
anonymous Muslim man seeks an answer to the question of whether it would be
acceptable for several female students at a university to take over leading
prayer when the last qualified male graduates. Though the response does not
provide a definitive answer, it acknowledges the unique nature of the
situation, and only further opens the debate about whether qualified (in this
case, young) women might be allowed to lead prayer.[6]
In certain mosques,
women are not allowed entrance to the male space at all. But on the other end
of the spectrum, there are also some newly established mosques that have
policies allowing no room to restrict anyone. Women in these mosques can come
dressed as immodestly as they wish, and by policy, no one can force them to
change this behavior. For example, in an article written on this particular
type of mosque, Laury Silvers describes the motivation behind a “no body
policing policy”: “Our mosques seek to act as resources for the message that
all human beings are ritually, spiritually, and socially equal to one another.”[7]
She furthers by adding that leadership roles are not restricted, and that they
are available to anyone. In the hopes of inspiring personal, true, and
developed relationships between members of the mosque and God, Silvers explains
that this mosque is extremely liberal, and is a constant work-in-progress.[8]
Though it
can be interpreted back and forth endlessly, the unfortunate thing about this
issue of women leading prayer is that the Qur’an does not explicitly state
anything about it. Instead, the solution to this issue falls into the hands of
those who choose to interpret it, and also falls to the shoulders of the
Hadith. However, because the Hadith is an account of the actions of human
beings and is contested and approved by human beings (however much they may be
revered as religious leaders), it is therefore imperfect like human beings are
imperfect. And in addition, like the mixed reactions of different Muslims from
different mosques, the Hadith has several passages that can be interpreted in
many ways. If one so chooses, one can understand the Hadith as claiming that
women should take a subordinate status to men. Or if one chooses, one can
understand the Hadith, in its stories telling of women being present at the
mosque with Muhammad, as claiming that women and men should embrace more equal
positions in society.[9]
This gives
rise to an important and interesting phenomenon concerning women’s leadership
in Islam: the idea that many Muslim women actually have no interest in the
pursuit of allowing women to lead prayer or in increasing women’s leadership
within the religion in general. Like many Muslim women who take offense to
radical groups such as Femen, dubbing
their efforts as useless and demeaning, certain women find the tradition and
rigidity of certain practices of Islam to be entirely fair—if not necessary. These
women have no interest in engaging with the idea that women could lead prayer
or become imams—they instead find satisfaction in the idea of following a male
imam, or praying in an all-female mosque.
In fact, there are certain Muslim women
who prefer a more extreme alternative—these are women who find comfort in
keeping their prayer restricted to the home. Rather than venturing to a mosque,
these women find their greatest connection with God within a private space, and
it is often that these women find themselves developing a very personal
relationship with God. This relationship was able to develop, they argue,
thanks to the fact that it has been unaltered by the presence of other people.
Women, like, for example, Yasmin Mogahed, believe in the holiness of women’s
connection to the home. Rather than seeing it as a place of oppression, they
see a connection to the home as a connection with God.
And finally, there are women who see
themselves as distinctly different from men. Rather than force progressive
action upon Islamic tradition, these women prefer to stay out of male-dominated
roles such as that of an Imam, or of someone leading prayer. Though they might
not necessarily have a problem with being in a mosque in either a single-sex or
a mixed-gender congregation these women find themselves more comfortable
participating in roles that have been paved for them throughout the history of
Islam’s practice. And in fact, there are often women who find themselves to prefer
all-female mosque settings, for a variety of reasons.
The fact about Islam that is essential to
remember when conducting study on the religion as a whole is that it is a
religion open to interpretation—like any other religion. As much as is covered
in the religious texts, there are numerous things that are not covered and
therefore must be debated between human beings with differing views. No one interpretation
is necessarily correct or incorrect. Whether challenging the norm and supporting
women leading prayer in a mixed-gender mosque, deciding to engage with
single-sex mosques rather than mixed ones, or showing a personal preference to
avoid the mosque altogether, Muslim women (and men alike) seeking to challenge assumptions
about Islam play an important role to the religion’s development. After all,
where would Islam be without development and new interpretation? How could the
religion develop and become relevant in the modern era if it were not for brave
individuals questioning the texts and the others’ interpretations of them?
As described above, it has become a
common belief, especially in the Western world, that Islam is oppressive toward
women. Though this fact may be tempting, it is simply not true. Many Islamic
feminists with varying degrees of conservatism and radicalism would vehemently
disagree with such a broad, sweeping statement. To understand the complexities
of Islam, one must travel to the roots of the religion, and then seek to make
one’s own understanding of these roots. A perfect interpretation of Islam does
not exist; there only exists the most appropriate interpretation of Islam for
each Muslim who practices it.
Ultimately, it comes to this realization:
there does not exist one type of human being, one type of interpretation, and
there certainly does not exist one type of Islam.
References:
“Can Muslims Choose A Woman To Rule Over Them?”
http://www.imranhosein.org/articles/women-in-islam/79-can-muslims-choose-a-
woman-to-rule-over-them.html Accessed: 22
May 2016
Scholar of the House “Letter”
http://www.scholarofthehouse.org/onwolepr.html Accessed:
21 May, 2016
Shaikh, Sa’diyya. 2003. “Transforming Feminisms: Islam,
Women and Gender Justice.”
In Progressive
Muslims: On Gender, Justice and Pluralism, edited by Omid Safi,
147-162. Oxford: Oneworld.
Silvers, Laury. 2013. “Creating Space: Mosques
Affirming All Bodies, Minds, and Hearts “ Feminism
and Religion.”
Silvers, Laury. 2013. “Creating Space: Mosques
Affirming All Bodies, Minds, and Hearts “ Feminism
and Religion.”
Silvers, Laury. 2013. “Muslim Ritual
Prayer, Social Submission, and Embodied
Dissonance” (blog). Religion and Feminism Blog. October 14, 2013.
http://feminismandreligion.com/2013/10/14/prayer-embodied-dissonance/
“Women Imam Leading Men and Women in Salaat”
http://www.islamicity.org/2576/woman-imam-leading-men-and-women-in-salaat/
Accessed: 22 May 2016
[1] Shaikh,
Sa’diyya. 2003. “Transforming Feminisms: Islam, Women and Gender Justice.” In Progressive Muslims: On Gender,
Justice and Pluralism, edited by Omid Safi, 147-162. Oxford:
Oneworld.
[4] http://www.islamicity.org/2576/woman-imam-leading-men-and-women-in-salat/
[5] http://www.imranhosein.org/articles/women-in-islam/79-can-muslims-choose-a-woman-to-rule-over-them.html
[6] http://www.scholarofthehouse.org/onwolepr.html
[7] Silvers,
Laury. 2013. “Creating Space: Mosques Affirming All Bodies, Minds, and Hearts “ Feminism and Religion.”
[8] Ibid.
[9] Silvers, Laury. 2013. “Muslim Ritual Prayer, Social
Submission, and Embodied Dissonance” (blog). Religion and Feminism Blog.
October 14, 2013. http://feminismandreligion.com/2013/10/14/prayer-embodied-dissonance/
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