Amina Wadud Research Articles

Addressing Qurʾan 4:34: Muslim Feminists’ Hermeneutics vs. Mahmoud Muhammad Taha’s Hermeneutics

Abstract How to approach the Qurʾan to say ‘no’ to Q.4:34? This article explores the question by analyzing and evaluating the approaches to the Qurʾan by Muslim feminists and the Sudanese Sufi scholar, Mahmoud Muhammad Taha (d. 1985). The article argues that Taha’s hermeneutical approach to the Qurʾan which categorizes the ethical verses in the Qurʾan as universal and the legal verses in the Qurʾan as historical, provides a coherent framework for saying ‘no’ to this verse. On the other hand, Muslim feminists, such as Amina Wadud, Asma Barlas and Riffat Hassan, approach the Qurʾan by way of reinterpreting those verses in the Qurʾan which have a literal meaning reflecting gender inequality. These feminists reinterpret these verses considering the overall ethical worldview of the Qur’an and the ethical verses which contain notions of equality and justice. However, in the reinterpretation of these verses considering the ethical worldview, these feminists, in our view, rather end up misinterpreting the Qurʾan.

Kontribusi Pemikiran Tokoh Feminisme Islam

Women in Islamic studies have reached a very important position. Many gender activists have discussed this topic, especially regarding gender equality. Several prominent feminist figures in the struggle for women's rights and gender equality include Qasim Amin, Amina Wadud Muhsin, and Fatimah Mernissi. Each of them has their own views about women. This article was prepared with the aim of presenting several opinions from these feminist figures and then extracting them. The writing of this article applies library research methods by collecting library materials sourced from books, journals and online articles. Based on this study, the view is obtained that Islamic feminist thought is very influential in reconstructing the interpretation of the position of women in Islamic law. This is a form of confirmation that interpretation is a subjective matter that is greatly influenced by the interpreter. Muslim feminist thought is actually relevant to the current context where men and women have equal positions.

A Critical Analysis of the Inconsistencies in Amina Wadud Gender Equality Movement in the Islamic World

A Critical Analysis of the Inconsistencies in Amina Wadud Gender Equality Movement in the Islamic World

Female Imams and Mosques: Revealing Amina Wadud's Thought in Understanding the Word "Ghulam"

Purpose: This article will refute Amina Wadud's thesis on the permissibility of women becoming prayer leaders on the hadith narrated by Ummu Waraqah. Then contextualise it at the level of houses of worship or mosques. Methods: This researcher adds a language approach in literature study. Findings: The result of this research lies in Amina Wadud's mistake in interpreting the word ghulam (غلام) in the Hadith of Ummu Waraqah which has been interpreted as a boy by Amina Wadud and other feminist figures. We found in several dictionaries and mu'jam literature that the meaning of the word ghulam (غلام) with various arguments leads to the meaning of a slave, slave or boy who has not reached puberty. Implications: The finding presents a counter-argument to the arguments of feminists who only look at the hadith of Ummu Waraqah in terms of the validity of its sanad, as well as corroborating the views of previous scholars and researchers who prohibit women from becoming Imams of adult male prayers. Originality: This research provides a counter-argument to the viral phenomenon in June 2023 in Indonesia about the permissibility of women leading mixed male and female congregational prayers in mosques. Цель: В этой статье мы опровергнем тезис Амины Вадуд о дозволенности женщинам становиться руководителями молитвы на основе хадиса, рассказанного Умму Варакой. Затем мы рассмотрим его в контексте молитвенных домов или мечетей. Методы: Исследователь применяет лингвистический подход в изучении литературы. Выводы: Результат данного исследования заключается в ошибке Амины Вадуд в интерпретации слова ghulam (غلام) в хадисе Умму Вараки, которое Амина Вадуд и другие феминистки интерпретировали как мальчика. Мы нашли в нескольких словарях и литературе му'джам, что значение слова гхулам (غلام) с различными аргументами приводит к значению раба, рабыни или мальчика, не достигшего половой зрелости. Последствия: Этот вывод представляет собой контраргумент против аргументов феминисток, которые рассматривают хадис Умму Вараки только с точки зрения достоверности его санада, а также подтверждает мнение предыдущих ученых и исследователей, запрещающих женщинам становиться имамами молитв взрослых мужчин. Оригинальность: Данное исследование представляет собой контраргумент против вирусного феномена июня 2023 года в Индонезии о допустимости руководства женщинами смешанными мужскими и женскими общинными молитвами в мечетях. Tujuan: Artikel ini akan menyanggah tesis Amina Wadud tentang kebolehan perempuan menjadi imam salat berdasarkan hadis yang diriwayatkan oleh Ummu Waraqah. Kemudian mengkontekstualisasikannya pada level rumah ibadah atau masjid. Metode: Peneliti ini menambahkan pendekatan bahasa dalam studi literatur. Temuan: Hasil dari penelitian ini terletak pada kekeliruan Amina Wadud dalam memaknai kata ghulam (غلام) dalam hadis Ummu Waraqah yang dimaknai sebagai anak laki-laki oleh Amina Wadud dan tokoh-tokoh feminis lainnya. Kami menemukan dalam beberapa kamus dan literatur mu'jam bahwa makna kata ghulam (غلام) dengan berbagai argumen mengarah pada makna budak, hamba sahaya atau anak laki-laki yang belum baligh. Implikasi: Temuan ini memberikan bantahan terhadap argumen kaum feminis yang hanya melihat hadis Ummu Waraqah dari segi kesahihan sanadnya, sekaligus menguatkan pendapat para ulama dan peneliti terdahulu yang melarang perempuan menjadi imam salat laki-laki dewasa. Orisinalitas: Penelitian ini memberikan argumen tandingan terhadap fenomena yang viral pada Juni 2023 di Indonesia tentang kebolehan perempuan menjadi imam salat berjamaah campuran antara laki-laki dan perempuan di masjid.

Hermeneutics of Gender: A Comparative Study of Hermeneutical Models Amina Wadud and Farid Esack

The aim of this research is to compare the hermeneutical models of Amina Wadud and Farid Esack. Hermeneutics is known as a new interpretive model used by Muslim feminist scholars, to reinterpret verses of the Koran that are interpreted textually and with gender bias. This research is qualitative research with the type of library research. Then the data collected in document form was analyzed using descriptive-comparative figures against Amina Wadud's hermeneutical model. The results of the research show that there are similarities and differences between the two hermeneutics. One of the most obvious similarities is that they both belong to philosophical hermeneutics and the objectiveist cum subjectivist school. Even though there are also differences between the two, the hermeneutic offer made by Amina Wadud and Farid Esack is an attempt jihad gender in seeking justice and freeing women from the patriarchal cultural system caused by religious interpretations that are biased against women.

PERAN GANDA ISTRI DALAM MENSEJAHTERAKAN KELUARGA DALAM PERSPEKTIF FEMINISME AMINA WADUD

This study examines the dual role of wives in family welfare. Many wives are found who play a dual role in building a family in the city of Padangsidimpuan, so it is interesting to be investigated in depth. This research is included in juridical-normative legal research. The data collection method used was interviews with women who played a dual role in building family welfare. The result of this study is that the dual role of wives in building family welfare because the husband's income is not sufficient for household needs, the husband wanders, and cannot work because of illness. Ideally, all actions taken by the wife to meet the needs of the family. Meanwhile, Article 80 Paragraph 4 Letter (c) of the IHL emphasizes that the husband is the family, so that it becomes a central position in determining the progress or decline of the household. In the perspective of Islamic Family Law, balance and cooperation between husband and wife in all aspects of family life. This includes the division of tasks, decision-making, and conflict resolution, with the aim of creating a harmonious and prosperous family environment. Meanwhile, according to Amina Wadud's gender theory, the wife has a dual role in family welfare, namely first, as a life partner, the wife is responsible for supporting the husband and maintaining the integrity of the family. Secondly, as an individual who has her own rights, the wife also has the responsibility to ensure that her needs and aspirations are also met.

Concept of Qiwāmah in the Perspective of Feminist Activists Amina Wadud and Zainab al-Ghazali

Concept of Qiwāmah in the Perspective of Feminist Activists Amina Wadud and Zainab al-Ghazali

Contextualizing Islamic Inheritance Law in Indonesia: Addressing Negative Stigma

Islamic inheritance law is stigmatized due to its rigidity and conservativity. The rigidity and conservatism of Islamic inheritance can be seen in the view that Islamic inheritance rules cannot be changed or modified. In addition, the assumption of Islamic inheritance rules does not consider the social developments that occur over time. This research aims to explore how Islamic inheritance law is applied in Indonesia and how contextualization is carried out in response to existing stigma. This research employs a qualitative study with a normative juridical approach. The research data is derived from documents and texts on Islamic inheritance law and concrete cases of contextualization of Islamic inheritance law in Indonesia in different situations and contexts. The data are analyzed using descriptive interpretative techniques with the application of Amina Wadud's hermeneutics of tauhid. The research findings indicate that Islamic inheritance law in Indonesia has undergone contextualization, thus negating the negative stigma attached to Islamic inheritance. Contextualization is achieved by understanding and advocating Islamic inheritance law in the Indonesian context, reconstructing the basic concepts of Islamic inheritance law according to the Indonesian context, and promoting the resolution of inheritance conflicts through consultation and mediation. This research offers a model of inheritance division applied in Indonesia that is contextual and flexible based on Amina Wadud's hermeneutics of tauhid.

Interfaith marriage in Islam: a feminist approach toward the Qu'ranic ethics of Islamic marriage

According to Islamic law regardless of the school of thought, intermarriage is prohibited, except in the case of a Muslim man marrying a scriptural woman (Kitabiya). A Muslim woman may not marry a non-Muslim man, while a Muslim man may marry a non-Muslim woman (people of the book, including Christianity and Judaism). For Muslim scholars, there is a room for exception in which Muslim women may marry non-Muslim men, and this exception can occur only under one condition: the convergence of non-Muslim men into Islam. However, Feminist scholars and thinkers such as Asma Barlas 2002, Asma Lamrabat 2016, and Amina Wadud 1999 argued that these rules seem more restrictive to both Muslim women and non-Muslim men who wish to marry, and that the arguments used by Muslim thinkers and often adopted and followed by ordinary Muslims to justify the continued acceptance of these rules are incompatible with women’s rights and freedom. For them, Muslim women should have a marital choice similar to their Muslim male counterparts. The goal of this research paper is to critically discuss the sources from which this rule is derived, and the process through which it is interpreted by feminist thinkers and Muslim scholars.

The Impact of Knowledge on the Interpretation of Ethics

The overall theme of this article is the relationship between knowledge, religion, and ethics in Islam. The first goal is to show how the concept of knowledge has been understood in relation to religion and intellectual life and what the relationship is between universal, philosophical, and religious knowledge. The second goal is to show, using examples from Islamic philosophy of religion, how a certain concept of knowledge affects the interpretation of morals and Islamic ethics. This implies, among other things, a discussion of epistemology, the interpretation of the Qur'an, and the definition of ethical principles. A general assumption is that the definition of a Muslim as a moral agent – which is considered one of the central issues of the Qur'an, Sunnah, and Islam in general – is not given as an unequivocal category, but is subject to constant discussion that takes place at different levels and areas. This is especially evident in modern Islamic philosophical-theological discourse, where Fazlur Rahman, Mohammed Arkoun, Hassan Hanafi, Abdolkarim Soroush, and Amina Wadud are only some of the important actors of the discussion.

Konsep Poligami Perpektif Amina Wadud dan M. Quraish Shihab

Polygamy is a pretty hot topic these days, especially because of the social media factor. Discussions about polygamy attracted much attention, caused debate and gave rise to a fairly lengthy debate, among them by contemporary Mufashirs, Amina Wadud and M. Quraish Shihab for example. This article uses the type of descriptive-analysis research to describe the data collected in this research and focus on library research. (library research). Amina Wadud who came from the West and M. Quraish Shihab from a learned Muslim family gave birth to different concepts of polygamy. Amina Wadud tends to reject polygamy with the argument that this practice is not in line with the concept of gender equality and does not support the formation of a loving family as the Quran expects. While M. Quraish Shihab gives arguments in favour of polygamy on fair terms.

Women and Gender in the Qur’an

Women and Gender in the Qur’an by Celene Ibrahim focuses on women’s voices, presence, and roles found within the Qur’an. Ibrahim situates her work as part of the tafsīr tradition by presenting herself as “the tentative mufassira” (8). Given that there are few known classical Islamic writings from female exegetes, it is intriguing to see a modern work from a female author claiming a place within the tafsīr tradition, which holds significant weight due to its role in understanding the meanings of the Qur’an. Though one may point to other authors such as Amina Wadud and Asma Barlas for their previous work on similar themes, it is important to note that the former two spend far more time asserting and defining their own Weltanschauung than engaging in close readings. To her credit, Ibrahim embodies the classical tafsīr ethos by centering Qur’anic language itself as the basis for her conclusions.

Feminist Interpretation and the Struggle for Women's Rights in Public Space

Issues regarding gender never end, such as leadership issues and the role of women in the public sphere. Some interpretations of the Qur'an show views that do not fully recognize the human dignity of women. The push to reinterpret verses relating to gender to realize gender justice was carried out by Muslim intellectuals with feminist views. Among them, Amina Wadud Muhsin was challenged to fight for the reinterpretation of this problem using the hermeneutic method. The research was carried out by collecting library data, especially Amina Wadud's thoughts on feminist interpretation. Amina Wadud interprets the leadership and polygamy verses to mean that the concept and role of leadership in Islam are not limited to a particular gender. Polygamy is not an ideal form of marriage because it does not allow for the creation of a mutualistic relationship. The methodology used by Wadud critically considers the socio-historical context in which the verses of the Koran were revealed and provides space for a feminist perspective to fight for women's rights.

THE HERMENEUTICS INFLUENCE ON FEMINIST EXEGESIS: A CASE STUDY ON AMINA WADUD

This article will discuss how hermeneutic influences the exegesis of the Qur’an initiated by Muslim feminists. Through hermeneutical principles, Muslim feminists develop their own theories and methods in presenting new interpretations of the Qur'an. This research will focus its discussion on one of the well-known Muslim feminists, Amina Wadud. Through a critical study of text analysis, this research will try to answer questions about (1) the necessity of using the hermeneutical method in feminist interpretation, (2) the influence of hermeneutics on Amina Wadud's method of interpretation. This paper will highlight this event using a socio-historical approach and content analysis. In addition, references related to the patterns of Islam integrity and culture will be used with a comparative pattern. The conclusion of this research is that through historical critical analysis tools and text criticism inspired by hermeneutical principles, Amina Wadud succeeded in creating her own interpretation method and developing an interpretation approach that is not gender biased and emphasizes the principal and universal messages contained in the Qur'an.

Perempuan dalam Keluarga: Tafsir Ulang Amina Wadud dan Khaled M. Abou El Fadl

The demands of women when they get married is their role in the domestic sphere. A wife's obligation is to take care of children, cook, clean the house, and serve her husband. While earning a living, making connections and relationships, and duties in the public sphere are obligations for the husband. Nowadays, many women are working, educated and have qualifications above men. Meanwhile, the Qur'an and hadith are often used to position and strengthen women in the domestic sphere. So the need to review the sources of Islamic law to adjust the demands of women in this modern era. Amina Wadud as a feminist thinker from among women, has succeeded in interpreting the verses of the Qur'an according to the perspective of female interpreters. While abou al-fadl as a feminist thinker from among men has seen the abuse of hadith interpreted based on the ego of men. This research uses the literature study method. Data was collected and analysed from several references relevant to the topic.. The results of this study, that amina wadud and abou al-fadl reinterpret the position of women in the family sphere, including men and women have equal status, functional differences, Nusyuz is interpreted disharmoniously, divorce, inheritance division, and female witnesses.

Tawhid Paradigm and an Inclusive Concept of Liberative Struggle

Building on previous studies on a mid- and late-twentieth-century recasting of Islam’s doctrine of monotheism, or tawhid, as a distinctly Islamic framework for liberative praxis, this article considers the interplay between the particular and the universal in the tawhidic paradigms of Iranian lay theologian Ali Shariati (1933–1977) and African-American pro-faith and pro-feminist theologian amina wadud (b. 1952). The article proposes that although it was developed in a distinctly Islamic register by means of Quranic exegesis and intrareligious conversations, the tawhidic paradigm has always been conversant with a range of non-Islamic liberative paradigms, and these conversations have been integral to the negotiation of a more inclusive concept of tawhid. To continue to recast tawhid in a more inclusive register, the article further argues, requires taking account of the non-Muslim ‘other’ as an equal moral agent in liberative struggles and embracing Islam’s theological and ideological ‘others’ as equally significant repositories of liberative potential.

Analyzing Domestic Violence in the Qur’an through Hermeneutics of H.G. Gadamer: Views of Amina Wadud

This study is motivated by interpretation and followed by an understanding of the position of men and women, which discredits one party. This research focuses on the thoughts of the philosopher Amina Wadud, a reformist Muslim thinker, in interpreting the Qur'an with her work Qur'an and Women. The purpose of this study is to discuss domestic violence further. This research is qualitative; the data were obtained from library sources, with the primary source from the Qur'an and Women. Data processing is done by grouping, reduction, and codification. Meanwhile, in data analysis, Hans-Georg Gadamer's Hermeneutical approach is that of intelligence subtility–how to understand (das Verstehen), explicandi subtility–how to explain (dem Auslegen), and applicandi subtility–how to apply (das Anwenden). The research results obtained in this article demonstrate that the interpretation of Amina Wadud does not violate Islamic teachings. Values and forms of deconstruction of understanding are by and refer to the Qur'an. Amina Wadud said that the Qur'an, in substance, never teaches the use of violence to solve family problems, especially in marital relations. The meaning that can be concluded is deliberation in solving issues by placing husband and wife in the same position because all human beings are equal before God.

Reconstruction of Marriage and Divorce Law for Civil Servants

This article analyzes Government Regulation Number 45 of 1990, this regulation contains gaps in polygamy arrangements between men and women who are civil servants. The focus of this article is to describe the construction of polygamy regulations for the State Civil Apparatus (ASN) which seems gender biased, then how efforts to reconstruct polygamy rules for the State Civil Apparatus (ASN) and then analyze its contribution to the reform of Islamic family law in Indonesia. This library research article is descriptive analytical. The primary data sources in writing this article are the Qur'an, Hadith, and positive laws in Indonesia that regulate marriage and divorce for Civil Servants. The analysis uses the theory of Mashlahah Mursalah, Gender and Feminist Amina Wadud and Gustav Redbruch's theory of legal objectives. The result of the analysis is Government Regulation Number 45 of 1990 concerning Marriage and Divorce Permits for Civil Servants which regulates polygamy for Civil Servants, must be rejected because it contains legal content that is not fair to women as legal subjects. It should be reconstructed by providing equitable regulations, no discrimination, and equalizing the position of men and women before the law. Keyword: Reconstruction, Marriage and Divorce Law, Civil Servants

Critical Study of Amina Wadud's Thought in the Issue of Inheritance

This study aims to examine the main arguments presented by Amina Wadud on inheritance in her book "Quran and Women" and evaluate the validity of her arguments. The scope of this research will include an analysis of Wadud's method of interpreting the Quran as outlined in the book Quran and Women which influenced her thoughts on Islamic inheritance and a critical study of her thoughts. This research is a type of qualitative research with a critical study approach. The results of the study show that a critical study of Wadud's thinking shows that she generalizes the 2:1 provision on the shares of men and women which actually only applies in certain cases. In addition, Wadud's demands for reinterpretation cannot be done without adequate interpretive science tools. Science explains that justice need not be interpreted as equality. There are two categories of justice, according to Aristotle: commutative justice and distributive justice. So that there can be no justification for questioning the Quran's just inheritance allocation. Furthermore, the provisions in the inheritance verse in the Quran are qath'i provisions so there is no justification for doing ijtihad which is presumptive (dzanny) in a reassuring text (qath'i). In addition, Wadud's thoughts are also considered less specific and do not provide a real format for how the redistribution she proposes. Therefore, Wadud's rereading in terms of inheritance is considered incomplete or incomprehensive of the Qur'an.

Seeing Muslim Men and Women Hermeneutically: A Liberal-Feminist Study on Amina Wadud’s Qur’an Exegesis

Gender inequality became one of the important issues in the US as it intersects with other societal aspects, one of which is religion. In the last century, the US has seen a fast-growing number of believers in Islam, despite its unequal practices based on gender. American Muslim women are not only treated differently due to religious beliefs but also to racial backgrounds. The emergence of Amina Wadud, a female Imam with an African-American background, brings new thoughts on the position of women in Islam. Employing the Post-Nationalist approach combined with Rosemarie Tong’s liberal feminism theory, this article analyzes Wadud’s Qur’an and Women: Re-reading the Sacred Text from a Woman’s Perspective to reveal her thinking in becoming a female Imam in the US, as well as her fights against injustices towards Muslim women. It finds that her background as an African-American woman, a second class in American society, pushes her to put women’s rights in Islam forward, which are not consistent in the Qur’an. She re-interprets it with the hermeneutic method, putting women and men in the same position. While her pro-faith determination for equality drives her to overcome the rejection from the American Muslim community when she became an imam in a mixed congregation of Friday prayers.