Gender Jihad: The Hermeneutical Resistance of Muslim Feminists against Conservative Muslim Critics

Abstract

Muslims feminists contend that they possess the intellectual capacity to challenge conservative juristic notions and patriarchal narratives regarding their roles and talents. They believe that gender-biased negative stereotypes have gone unquestioned owing to the dominance of male scholars in the hermeneutical domain. Scholars like Hibba Raouf, Amina Wadud and Farhat Hashmi confidently argue that the interpreter of the text, not the text itself, is to blame for androcentric bias towards women. Furthermore, they claim that conservative Ulama (intellectuals) misuse their position of authority and strive to preserve their dominance. Conservative scholars maintain that Islam prioritizes a woman's seclusion to the extent that she is not permitted to publicly preach the message of Islam. Disagreeing with their conservative critics, these female scholars argue that Islam does not impose such restrictions on women and they are free to pick the type of career and discipline which they think is compatible with their nature and disposition.This article analyses the perspectives of Hibba Rouf, Anima Wadud, and Farhat Hashmi on crucial topics including polygamy, female education, career choices, and political engagement.