Islamic Feminism: Can You Be a Muslim and a Feminist?

Among the most triggering and controversial of topics regarding Islam is the role and status of women. The idea that Muslim women are oppressed and subservient individuals is far too common. Widely believed in the West and many non-Muslim countries, this stereotypical view is devoid of all historical context and nuance in an increasingly divisive world.

In addition, there is a tendency for a dominant power’s culture or belief system to be perceived as being correct or worthy. The West, particularly the US, is currently the hegemonic center of the world. Their culture, beliefs, and ideals have been spread worldwide. Ideas about liberty, democracy, right to ownership, feminism, and secular values may not be inherently correct, because there are always those who present an astute critique against these ideas. However, they are propagated and embraced not by any innate virtue but due to their proximity to power.

With this backdrop, we must discuss the proliferation of modern feminism, which is rooted in the 19^th century and the Islamic tradition. We must discuss the status of women in Islam and whether Islamic feminism is a viable or even necessary concept.

Breaking Down Feminism

Before we discuss Islam, it is necessary to examine the Feminist Movement to understand its motivations, goals, and consequences. Why was there a need for such a social upheaval, and what objectives did the pioneers of the movement aim to achieve? These questions are not just relevant but critical to our understanding of how the Feminist Movement came to be and its evolution over the years.

One of the first protests that marked the beginning of the Feminist Movement took place in July 1848. Women took to the streets of New York City to demand equal rights to men. Such as the right to vote. The movement initially focused on suffrage so that women could be represented in public office. Similar movements have been spawned globally since most countries did not give women the right to vote.

The second, third, and fourth waves followed the first wave of feminism. Each time, women fought for greater rights and equality in social, political, and economic arenas. Second-wave feminism focused on rights for women of color who had been marginalized in the earlier iteration of the movement. While the third and fourth waves highlighted cultural, social, and economic issues, especially reproductive rights.

The Feminist Movement has drastically evolved in its demands and objectives over the years. Going from the justifiable demand for the right to vote, to the more drastic liberties like seeking the right to get an abortion. Feminism today resembles nothing of its former self.

In short, the need for feminism arose due to a genuine disparity in the status of men and women. The marginalization of half the population was never going to be a sustainable social construct. Ultimately, it all culminated in the form of the Feminist Movement, which was a comprehensive and all-encompassing societal movement that was developed to seek greater, if not equal, rights for women in social, political, and economic arenas.

The movement did not stop with the fulfillment of the initial demands, like suffrage; it gained momentum, spurred on by the successes of early feminist leaders. Now, feminism is a belief system that recognizes and pushes back on the oppression suffered by women since the dawn of time. Some may view the current form of feminism as an overcorrection from the original state, however, there are both opponents and proponents of feminism. The point is that it is a powerful movement that has revolutionized how women are treated.

Women in Islam and Islamic Feminism

Once we understand feminism, it is possible to gauge its utility in an Islamic context. Feminism was a struggle for legitimate rights, at least initially. So, where does Islam stand in terms of such a movement? What should our stance be as Muslims?

Again, it is helpful to contextualize the advent of Islam in the Arabian Peninsula and beyond to comprehend its message and impact. At the time of the Holy Prophet (ﷺ), the Arab society was highly patriarchal. Not only this, despite the tribal nature, the culture was very hierarchical. Men from prominent families with a high economic standing enjoyed all the perks and privileges of power their status afforded them.

Women, slaves, non-Arabs, even free men of a low social or economic standing or lineage, were second-class citizens. In such a society, Islam came as a major revolutionary force. Defying the rigid hierarchy prevailing at the time, Islam only judged people according to their faith. Everything else, race, ethnicity, social standing, family, affiliation, gender, and economic status, did not matter.

This is the real reason why the Quraysh was so vehemently opposed to Islam. It wasn�t because they believed that the Holy Prophet (ﷺ) was being untruthful or that they would have to leave the religion of their ancestors; it was because Islam would get rid of the status quo that was benefiting the few who were in power.

Islam empowered the marginalized and disenfranchised populace of Makkah. This is why so many slaves, poor people, and women reverted to Islam at the beginning. Islam gave them rights and recognized them as equal humans. The Holy Prophet (ﷺ) was a champion of human rights, centuries before the concept was recognized in the West.

Women, particularly, were given a lot of rights. First and foremost, Islam recognized women as differentiated but equal beings to men. Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى)‎ says in the Holy Quran:

�But he who performs good deeds, whether man or a woman, and is a believer, will surely enter Paradise, and none shall be deprived even of an iota of his reward.� [4:124]

In the eyes of Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى)‎ , a believer is worthy of a reward, regardless of their gender. Women are not subservient to men in terms of faith, which is the only aspect of life that should matter, since this life is transient.

In the Arab society before Islam, females were seen as a burden. This is why there was a common practice of female infanticide. Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى)‎ harshly forbade the practice in the following words:

�They attribute daughters to God, the glorious, but for themselves whatsoever they please. Yet when news of the birth of a daughter reaches one of them, his face is darkened, and he is overwhelmed with silent grief, And hides from people for shame at the news, (at a loss) whether he should keep her with shame, or bury her in the ground. How bad is the judgement that they make!� [16:57-59]

Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى)‎ condemns such reprehensible acts in the verse immediately following those quoted above:

�If God were to punish men for their inequity He would not leave a single moving thing on earth. Yet He gives them latitude for a time ordained. When that time is come, there will not be a moment’s delay nor a moment’s haste.� [16:61]

We can conclude that injustice in any form is detestable and against the spirit of Islam. Furthermore, far from being the perpetrators of crimes against women, Islam assigns men the task of protecting and nurturing women. Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى)‎ says in Surah an-Nisa:

�Men are the support of women as God gives some more means than others, and because they spend of their wealth (to provide for them). So women who are virtuous are obedient to God and guard the hidden as God has guarded it. As for women you feel are averse, talk to them suasively; then leave them alone in bed (without molesting them) and go to bed with them (when they are willing). If they open out to you, do not seek an excuse for blaming them. Surely God is sublime and great.� [4:34]

This verse is often misconstrued and misrepresented as meaning that Islam views women as subservient to men. It is weaponized against Muslims to argue against the lack of female empowerment in Islam. On the contrary, the verse highlights the differences between the genders. It is a biological and social reality that no one can deny. Men are better at some things than women, and women are superior in other aspects of life.

Men are given the task of acting as protectors of women because they are physically stronger and more emotionally stable. Women, on the other hand, are given the gift of motherhood due to their nurturing disposition. Both men and women complement each other, as one makes up for the weaknesses of the other. It is a partnership of equals, each with their unique abilities.

When we look from this perspective, equality in Islam is not just a theoretical concept, it is at the heart of belief. We can present evidence in the form of laws of inheritance promulgated by Islam that allowed women to own and inherit property. Similarly, it was Islam that forbade the practice of sons marrying their fathers� wives, who were not their biological mothers. The Quran states:

�And do not wed the women your fathers had wed. What happened in the past is now past: It was lewd and abhorrent, and only the way of evil.� [4:22]

The above practice treated women like property, as they could be inherited like any other possession and passed down from fathers to sons. Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى)‎ sternly warns against such marriages as they strip women of their dignity and defile the sacred institution of marriage simply to ensure that family lineage and wealth are maintained.

In many ways, the laws of Islam regarding marriage, divorce, and inheritance significantly improved the condition of women. It liberated them while providing them protection. Men were designated the position of guardians over women, automatically prohibiting any kind of abuse against the latter by the former.

Islam brought about a social revolution, one that was inclusive of women�s rights as well as those of other marginalized communities. It was the original feminist movement. A social upheaval that redressed many societal ills of the time. Islam brought about a paradigm shift, and it did so without the disastrous consequences that such drastic social revolutions have. This is because all of these changes were internalized and wholeheartedly accepted by the Muslims.

Female Empowerment in Islam

There is no shortage of empowered women in Islam, from Hazrat Khadija (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهَا), who was one of the most renowned business owners at the time, to Hazrat Aisha (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهَا), who was an educator and led Muslim women, to Hazrat Nusaybah bint Ka�ab (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهَا), who was fearless on the battlefield. These women represent true feminism by being independent and impacting the world around them while still being subservient to their faith.

Their impact can be felt even today. They commanded authority and reverence because they were capable but never transgressed the limits of their faith. That is what true Islamic feminism is. It is not to compete with men or fight them for rights, it is about asserting the rights that Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى)‎ has bestowed upon us without going beyond the boundaries of our faith.

The feminist thinking that always views women as the oppressed class and pits men and women against each other is counterproductive. It does not align with nature or Islam. Feminism has become a source of discord, and there is no place for such a movement that does away with harmony. Islam is the religion of peace; it strives for a balance. Balance is achieved by recognizing that men and women need each other, and women are empowered when they are doing what they were created to do: be nurturers and caretakers of the next generation. Women are the key to the future; they determine the path a society takes, and this power is incomparable.

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