The political role of Muslim women in Shari`ah: an analysis

The Muslim scholars are in general agreement that women are not entitled to hold the topmost public office of a nation. Is that due to certain provisions in the Qur'an and Prophetic traditions (ahadith) or is it due largely to socio-cultural and economic settings of a country? The Qur'a...

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Main Author: Osmani, Noor Mohammad
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Bangladesh Institute of Islamic Thought (BIIT) 2014
Subjects:
Online Access:http://irep.iium.edu.my/47033/
http://irep.iium.edu.my/47033/1/BIIT_-_The_Political_Role_of_Muslim_Women_in_Shari%E2%80%99ah.pdf
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author Osmani, Noor Mohammad
author_facet Osmani, Noor Mohammad
author_sort Osmani, Noor Mohammad
building IIUM Repository
collection Online Access
description The Muslim scholars are in general agreement that women are not entitled to hold the topmost public office of a nation. Is that due to certain provisions in the Qur'an and Prophetic traditions (ahadith) or is it due largely to socio-cultural and economic settings of a country? The Qur'an urges women not to make dazzling display publicly as practiced during Jahiliyyah (33: 33). It also asserts that men are the protectors and maintainers of women (4: 34). The Prophetic tradition commonly cited in this regard is the saying attributed to him which proclaims: "No nation will ever prosper if a woman is assigned to its highest public office." (Bukhari, no. 4073, 6570). On the other hand, the Qur'an acclaims the Queen of Sheba for her just rule. Hence, some prominent scholars such as Imam Abu Hanifah, Tabari and Ibn Hazm support that women could hold the topmost judicial position. Ibn Hazm also asserts that in principle, it is conceivable that women can carry out the mission of Prophethood, and if they could be Prophets, they would also be leaders, for the Prophets are leaders. The present research is carried out to deal with this issue. It would primarily depend on the Qur'anic ayat, Prophetic traditions, heritage of Islamic Caliphs and the verdicts of Muslim jurists. The research will critically evaluate the validity of the quoted hadith, and examine the circumstances surrounding the said hadith to know its real perspective. It will make a comparative analysis between the classical and the contemporary scholars to see how the changing realities affected their stand on this crucial issue and what should be the objective standpoint on the political role of Muslim women.
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spelling iium-470332018-05-24T04:00:16Z http://irep.iium.edu.my/47033/ The political role of Muslim women in Shari`ah: an analysis Osmani, Noor Mohammad JF Political institutions (General) The Muslim scholars are in general agreement that women are not entitled to hold the topmost public office of a nation. Is that due to certain provisions in the Qur'an and Prophetic traditions (ahadith) or is it due largely to socio-cultural and economic settings of a country? The Qur'an urges women not to make dazzling display publicly as practiced during Jahiliyyah (33: 33). It also asserts that men are the protectors and maintainers of women (4: 34). The Prophetic tradition commonly cited in this regard is the saying attributed to him which proclaims: "No nation will ever prosper if a woman is assigned to its highest public office." (Bukhari, no. 4073, 6570). On the other hand, the Qur'an acclaims the Queen of Sheba for her just rule. Hence, some prominent scholars such as Imam Abu Hanifah, Tabari and Ibn Hazm support that women could hold the topmost judicial position. Ibn Hazm also asserts that in principle, it is conceivable that women can carry out the mission of Prophethood, and if they could be Prophets, they would also be leaders, for the Prophets are leaders. The present research is carried out to deal with this issue. It would primarily depend on the Qur'anic ayat, Prophetic traditions, heritage of Islamic Caliphs and the verdicts of Muslim jurists. The research will critically evaluate the validity of the quoted hadith, and examine the circumstances surrounding the said hadith to know its real perspective. It will make a comparative analysis between the classical and the contemporary scholars to see how the changing realities affected their stand on this crucial issue and what should be the objective standpoint on the political role of Muslim women. Bangladesh Institute of Islamic Thought (BIIT) 2014-12 Article PeerReviewed application/pdf en http://irep.iium.edu.my/47033/1/BIIT_-_The_Political_Role_of_Muslim_Women_in_Shari%E2%80%99ah.pdf Osmani, Noor Mohammad (2014) The political role of Muslim women in Shari`ah: an analysis. Bangladesh Journal of Islamic Thought, 10 (14). pp. 19-32. ISSN 1816-689X
spellingShingle JF Political institutions (General)
Osmani, Noor Mohammad
The political role of Muslim women in Shari`ah: an analysis
title The political role of Muslim women in Shari`ah: an analysis
title_full The political role of Muslim women in Shari`ah: an analysis
title_fullStr The political role of Muslim women in Shari`ah: an analysis
title_full_unstemmed The political role of Muslim women in Shari`ah: an analysis
title_short The political role of Muslim women in Shari`ah: an analysis
title_sort political role of muslim women in shari`ah: an analysis
topic JF Political institutions (General)
url http://irep.iium.edu.my/47033/
http://irep.iium.edu.my/47033/1/BIIT_-_The_Political_Role_of_Muslim_Women_in_Shari%E2%80%99ah.pdf