Essay Sample on Islam Feminism

Introduction

Muslim thinkers have played a significant role in the revolution of Islam religion. In particular, some Muslim women were conscious of traditions that isolated them as a marginalized group of people within the family and society at large. Feminists such as Amina Wadud took to the frontline to exercise ijtihad (Jawad 2003). Feminism and Islam are two critical ideas that have been addressed by various Muslim women through various platforms such as literature, organized movements, and activism. The motivation towards women liberation was as a result of perspectives such as the existence of a righteous God that advocates for fair treatment among men and women. Additionally, patriarchy, the rule of Islamic learning, and suspicion development on the interpretation of texts significantly contributed to shaping the thoughts of feminists such as Amina Wadud. Islamic feminism took a new edge that affected gender issues at large due to its incorporation of aspects such as modernism and progressive religious discourse (Badran, 2009). On that note, the main focus on feminists such as Amina Wadud affirmed the issue of gender equality across all spectrums of the society where the Qur'an was used as a book of reference by Amina Wadud to ground the assertions she made.

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Islamic Feminism

Islam feminism was initiated a few decades ago; as a result, of Islamic revivalism that brought to light the reality of the position of Muslim women in the presence of men. Previously, secular feminism was the order of the day, and gender jihadists in the Middle East simply identified themselves as feminists rather than Islamic feminists. Secular feminism was majorly based on Western secular tendencies that majorly influenced political discourses of various regions (Jawad, 2003). In this regard, the Western nations were looked upon by Muslim feminists who advocated for a catch up of the Muslim women rights to the Western level. These feminists began to arise during the early twentieth century, and the major requirement during the rise of an Islam feminist paradigm was identification before claims assertion. As a result, the feminists had no choice rather than to refer to themselves as secular or simply feminists. However, the Muslim women who fought for the rights of other women in the society were not interrogated in detail. On that note, most of the feminists enjoyed the freedom of speech in their protest against gender inequality.

Additionally, the feminists located in the Middle East used other forms of communication such as generational protest to put across their message on gender equality (Bardon 2009). The main message the feminists pushed for included the education of the girl child and women, granting political roles and positions to women in the society and reformation of family laws. The secularist approach had no significant impact on the lives of Muslim women since only a few benefited from the activism of the feminists. However, by the beginning of the late twentieth century, a convergence of social feminism to feminism and Islamic revivalism led to Islamic feminism. The maintenance of a balance between Islamic identity and equality changes was a crucial element in gender justice issues. Therefore, the introduction of Islamic feminism served to benefit women who did not respond positively to the views of secular feminists.

The Feminist Ideas of Amina WadudIslamic revivalism demanded cultural, political, and economic revolution with a major focus on achieving equality, justice, and prosperity (Zayd,2006). Islamic feminism is no longer regarded as a hostile political establishment but rather an active and broader organized movement. The Islamist movement has positively impacted the lives of marginalized women by giving an indigenous voice to the voiceless through the promotion of gender equality. Most Islamic feminists are calling for a new view of womanhood and are adopting a mid-point approach towards addressing feminism. The mid-point position avoids the biases of adopting the Western culture in the proposed reforms of the rights of Muslim women; at the same time, does not ignore modernism and its impact on the daily lives of the Muslim community. Although there are women who do not support Islamic feminism due to its Western provenance, there are others like Amina Wadud whose works significantly contributed to the reforms of women rights. The Muslim women have realized the importance of egalitarian policies in governing their way of life through an Islam approach and ethically. These policies should focus on women positions in the family and society at large.

In 2009, Wadud, the scholar pioneered the establishment of Musawah after the formation of Sisters in Islam. Musawah was established in Malaysia in the presence of about 250 activists and scholars and immediately initiated three publications aimed at addressing the discourses of gender equality (Mirr-Hosseini, 2013). Musawah is a global organization that significantly shaped the thoughts of the feminist in her quest to achieve a gender just society. The organization majorly focused on policies that affected the treatment of a woman at the family level. The main idea promoted by the Non-Governmental Organization was women empowerment in Muslim occupied countries. In particular, the organization addressed laws on separation, custody, and inheritance among others. These laws directly affect the lives of women in the family. Therefore, the formulation of laws that are based on sexist medieval Quran interpretation will positively impact the concept of gender equality in the society.

Amina Wadud got the chance to courageously air her views on the issue of ideal gender in Islam with the support of Musawah. The framework of Musawah provided a platform for Amina to advance her ideas on a global perspective. Furthermore, the UN Commission on the Status of Women hosted Amina Wadud at the 60th conference, where she positively contributed to the concept of gender equality (Musawah, 2016). These international platforms gave Wadud an advantage and opportunity to build on her thoughts and critics against the patriarch system that provides intrinsic guidelines to the Quran. To exemplify, Wadud argues that women can independently make their own decisions as illustrated by the Quran's character, Bilqis. The Queen of Sheba was invited to worship God by Solomon; as a result, asked for advice from her advisors and made her own decision based on the request and advice given.

At the time of the convergence of secular feminism and feminism at large, Amina Wadud had begun publishing books aimed at conveying the message of gender equality among different audiences. In 1992, Amina Wadud published 'Quran and Woman' while in Malaysia. During that period, Amina Wadud was an assistant professor at an ambitious Muslim University known as the International Islamic University of Malaysia. The University played a critical role in the development of the Wadud's works since she got an opportunity to expound on the issue of gender injustices experienced by Muslim women. Additionally, the University was mainly established to spread knowledge on Islamization. Therefore, Amina's role in the academic environment positively contributed to her ideas since she got an opportunity to work in study circles with professionals from several departments. Amina related to female professionals in the field of law and journalism. These professionals focused on gaining insights into the notion of justice in the Islam world. As a result, questions on the existence of a just God and unjust politics arose forming the basis of the critics by scholars such as Wadud.

Wadud argues against the importance of the existing differences between men and women with regard to their creation, roles and ability in society. In particular, the Islamic feminist acknowledges that there are various gender distinctions. However, these differences are not essential elements that should govern the way of living in the Muslim community. Wadud further refutes the existence of the value given to the distinction claims by the Muslims in the society. These values are based on the different treatment the men and women are subjected to in a Muslim world. To exemplify, women are treated as inferior creatures who are not capable of performing specific roles. On the other hand, the men are known for their superiority which allows them to perform tasks that require strength. Moreover, the male species is portrayed as an inherent leader who demands respect from all people in the community. As a result, the women are left out in significant contributive roles in society and confined to submissive principles. Gender differences form a basis for discriminative treatment, a wrong phenomenal in a liberal society. Therefore, the Muslim community should completely withdraw and refrain from the implementation of values aimed at demeaning a particular group of people, particularly women. Women are as important as the men in the society. By a similar token, Wadud asserts that before God all human beings are equal and that the details of His creation are beyond description (Wadud, 1999).

Wadud further asserts that the view that men are superior adopts a linguistic approach rather than a textual Quranic account. The Islamic feminist also refutes that men were the first to be created making them better than women. The feminist insists on the neutrality of gender by stating that there is no section of the Quran where it is indicated that Allah created or planned to create man before the female species. Additionally, the Quran does not mention the creation of humankind in gender terms (Wadud, 1999). Wadud refers to the Quran to support her claims through the use of verse 4:1 where three critical terms are drawn min, naf, and zawj. According to the feminist, the term min can be used to imply different interpretations since it means extraction or used when referring to items of a similar nature. To exemplify, al-Zamakhshari interprets the same verse to mean that man was created before the woman as a whole but the woman was derived from the man; therefore, is inferior to the man.

Consequently, Wadud argues that al-Zamakhshari adopted a Christian biblical concept to make his claims. Therefore, al-Zamakhshari insights only contribute to gender biases and injustices. Contrary, Wadud uses the term min to imply the process of extraction. By a different token, the term naf was used to imply neither female nor male in the illustration of the creation of humankind. Wadud states that at no point does the Quran state that man was the first to be created. Lastly, zawj has not been well defined in the Quran; as a result, some Muslim interpreters such as al-Zamakhshari sought to find information from the biblical context. However, Wadud refutes the Biblical claims adopted by some Muslims that other than male being the first to be created and is more superior according to al-Zamakhshari while the woman led man to sin (Hassan, 1991). Wadud averts that both man and woman sinned before God and that the reason the two asked for forgiveness from God. These claims have been supported by the Quran which states that the sins of Adam cannot be blamed on the wife, an implication of the existence of gender neutrality. On that note, there are no texts in the Quran that support the gender injustices experienced in the Muslim society as part of the Islam faith. Therefore, Muslims that subject women to unfair treatment should quit such practices and respect them as fellow human beings.

Amina fought against gender hostility towards women through activism in gatherings and literature works that are well recognized. Wadud used Islamic sources to support her feminists' notions which were well conveyed to the public. Wadud led a Muslim prayer service in Manhattan in 2005, a breakthr...