Women and Islam: An Historical and Theological Enquiry

by Fatema Mernissi

The author, who is both a feminist and a Muslim, aims to shed light on the status of women in Islam by examining and reassessing the literary sources as far back as 7th-century Islam. She portrays how, far from being the oppressor of women that his detractors have claimed, the Prophet upheld the equality of all true believers. Sifting through the mass of literature surrounding the life, works and teachings of Muhammad, some surprising facts emerge: such as accounts of the wives of the Prophet discussing politics with him, and even going to war. Later restrictions and impositions on women - such as the veil - were never, she finds, the intention of the Prophet. This is a reconciliation of feminism with the Prophet's thoughts and beliefs, for all who are concerned with the future of the Islamic world.

Genres: Islam, Nonfiction, Religion, Feminism, Female Authors, Gender

228 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1991

About the author

AKA فاطمة المرنيسي

Mernissi was born into a middle-class family. She received her primary education in a school established by the nationalist movement, and secondary level education in an all-girls school funded by the French protectorate. In 1957, she studied political science at the Sorbonne and at Brandeis University, where she earned her doctorate. She returned to work at the Mohammed V University and taught at the Faculté des Lettres between 1974 and 1981 on subjects such as methodology, family sociology and psycho-sociology. She has become noted internationally mainly as an Islamic feminist.

As an Islamic feminist, Mernissi was largely concerned with Islam and women's roles in it, analyzing the historical development of Islamic thought and its modern manifestation. Through a detailed investigation of the nature of the succession to Muhammad, she cast doubt on the validity of some of the hadith (sayings and traditions attributed to him), and therefore the subordination of women that she saw in Islam, but not necessarily in the Qur'an.

As a sociologist, Mernissi did fieldwork mainly in Morocco. On several occasions in the late 1970s and early 1980s she conducted interviews in order to map prevailing attitudes to women and work. She did sociological research for UNESCO and ILO as well as for the Moroccan authorities. In the late 1970s and in the 1980s Mernissi contributed articles to periodicals and other publications on women in Morocco and women and Islam from a contemporary as well as from a historical perspective.

In 2003, Mernissi was awarded the Prince of Asturias Award along with Susan Sontag.

Mernissi was a lecturer at the Mohammed V University of Rabat and a research scholar at the University Institute for Scientific Research, in the same city.

Reviews

[Elyndrical · Rating 4 out of 5]

Second year history student at university here. I originally got onto this book because we were looking at Ibn Battuta's travels in the Maldives and the question of divorce came up. I was fascinated about what was and wasn't permissible in the 7th century CE and what sort of foundations were being laid by the new religion.

I found the book insightful and interesting. I thought the author tried hard to give hadith context and seemed to have researched the topic extensively. Mainly the book seemed to research particular hadith and provide both context and counter examples.

[Ida · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ini adalah pandangan aku, segala cacat cela semoga Tuhan ampunkan. 466 nota atau citation dalam 195 helaian thesis, surely she knows what she is talking about!

"Islam has problems with women!" - Tariq Ramadan.

"I think we have to admit that the majority of our women are oppressed" - Sheikh Hamza Yusuf.

*This book is incredible! This book is deeply inspiring! Easy to read and very interesting*

Fatema Mernissi seorang graduan dalam bidang sociology, anthropology, berbangsa Maghribi, dan  berlinguistik Arab menyelak kembali buku-buku tafsir, hadis, kitab-kitab lama serta buku sejarah yang dikawal rapat para pentafsir lelaki dan cuba untuk memahami hubungan Islam dan wanita dan bagaimana pentafsirannya membantutkan kebebasan, dan hak wanita yang diperjuangkan Rasulullah saw, sesuatu yang ditentang masyarakat Islam kuno hingga ke akhir hayat baginda, ditentang juga oleh sebahagian para Sahabat! Fatema cuba untuk menentang institusi patriaki yang sangat sendat dengan kengkangan misogyny, dalam sejarah awal Islam, malahan sebelum Islam lagi.

Fatema cuba menyoalkan hadis-hadis dalam Sahih Bukhari yang jelas bertentangan dengan perjuangan Rasulullah saw berkenaan wanita, hadis yang sendirinya merosakkan mesej tentang wanita dalam Islam dari dahulu sehingga sekarang. Beliau mempersoalkan kenapakah Bukhari tidak memasukkan penyanggahan (refutation) A'ishah yang jelas bercanggah dengan contoh-contoh hadis riwayat Abu Huraira yang merosakkan hak demokratik wanita dan mencela ketinggian nilai wanita di sisi Rasulullah saw. Ia juga menerangkan teknik pengumpulan hadis...

Buku ini memperkenalkan kembali wanita-wanita yang dijulang Islam, A'ishah, Umm Salama; dalam perwatakan wanita yang tidak ideal (menurut ide orthodoxy "ta'at"), dan mewarnakan mereka lebih nuance; lebih wanita, lebih maknusiawi, lebih berani, lantang vokal, lebih celik intelek, berpolitik dan memperjuangkan hak di sisi Tuhan dan Islam. Ini sangat berlainan dengan cerita-cerita ustaz-ustaz (aku ikut konteks Malaysia) yang gemar mencerahkan kepada masyarakat kecantikan A'ishah, kemanisannya, keayuannya, ketaatnya (idea supporting subservience) dan jarang sekali kita dengar kelantangan A'ishah, jika kita dengar pun ia lebih kepada ide 'romantis' cemburunya terhadap Rasulullah dengan para isteri lain. Tidak pernah la aku dengar dialog bentak Umm Salama terhadap Umar al-Khatab dan ide orthodoknya untuk menghadkan kebebasan yang dinikmati isteri-isteri Rasulullah; tidak perlu sibuk dengan hal ehwal kami, Rasulullah lebih berhak menegur kami dan lebih arif tentang apa yang patut dan wajib (paraphrasing).

Keadaan seksis beginilah yang dipersoalkan penulis. Idealisma lelaki terhadap wanita sampai sekarang sehingga menidakkan sejarah! Oleh kerana Fatema seorang anthropologist, dan sociologist, ia merangkakan buku dengan penceritaan penuh dengan konteks sejarah, genealogy, psychology. Ia akan menceritakan satu perkara dan cuba menghuraikan pembentukan cerita itu memudahkan pemahaman exegisis ataupun keadaan cerita itu berlaku ataupun nilai peribadi individu dalam jaluran isnad.

Aku tidak merasakan penulis menentang hijab/sitr/curtain yang dijatuhkan kepada wanita. Apa yang lebih jelas, ia menentang kengkangan yang pada mulanya diusulkan ke atas wanita untuk keselamatan yang akhirnya develop menjadi satu institusi fahaman yang menghadkan hak demokratik individu wanita dalam masyarakat, dan lebih payah memenjarakan mereka di sesetengah dunia Islam, memundurkan ide masyarakat egalitarian yang diperjuangkan Rasulullah.  Ia cuba untuk mengingatkan kembali bahawa kesungguhan Umar al-Khatab untuk memaksa isteri-isteri baginda memakai jilbab, satu tindakan politik, satu pakaian kuno masyarakat pra-Islam yang ditentang Rasulullah sekian lama sehinggalah perkara-perkara yang menyebabkan hijab diturunkan kepada wanita Islam. Satu sejarah yang memecahkan Islam kepada 2 pihak dalam interpretasi-interprestasi kewajipannya. Malahan cucu Ali r.a, anak kepada Husin; Sakayna lebih berani dalam menolak hijab kerana ide yang bersangkutannya yang memundurkan hak wanita yang dianggapnya bercanggah dengan nilai Islam! Kita dapat interpretkan bahawa penentangan adalah lebih kepada penentangan simbolik wanita yang dihadkan kebebasannya di sebalik hijab untuk mengekalkan hierarki politik antara wanita dan lelaki.

Seperti yang dilakukan Fatema yang mencabar untuk semua perkara diletakkan dalam konteks kerana kita memiliki a'qal untuk berfikir, kita boleh dan wajar lakukan kepada penulis. Fikiran individu sering terpengaruh dengan sejarah dan nilai hidupnya. Fatema dilahirkan di Maghrib, negara di ambang kemerdekaan dari penjajahan kolonial, di dalam masyarakat yang mentafsirkan Islam dengan memenjarakan wanita di dalam perkarangan harem dan penjagaan budaya tradisi patriaki yang sangat ketat.
Kita harus faham di mana ide liberasasinya terhadap wanita dilahirkan dan selepas tamat pembacaan, kita harus kritikal bahawa ide beliau tidak bercanggahpun dengan Islam. Malahan ide egalitarian adalah revolusi moden yang diperjuangkan Rasulullah (yang tidak kesampaian kerana patriaki) dan Islam membenarnya pentafsiran al-Quran sejajar dengan mesej kedamaian yang diturunkan. Hak untuk membaca dan mentafsir sejarah terbuka kepada semua.

Selain itu, buku ini menarik kerana ia merangkakan masyarakat pada zaman Rasulullah yang dalam ide moden sekarang hilang dalam satu gambaran fantasi, wujud atas hasil dunia Islam yang jatuh dan dijajah.
Kejatuhan Islam, berani aku usulkan adalah kerana kengkangan orang Muslim terhadap wanita dalam sejarah-sejarah akhir kerajaan pentadbirannya.
Kita harus lebih terbuka, kritis dan berani untuk membaca sejarah. Kita dilahirkan Muslim tetapi ramai yang tidak tahu Islam dan hubungan wanita dengannya. Aku lebih bernasib baik kerana aku wanita Muslim Malaysia namun ramai wanita di 'negara Islam' lain yang sehingga kini dihadkan kebebasannya, satu perkara yang sangat bercanggah denga nilai Islam tapi dilakukan atas namanya.

Dan segala pujian-pujian aku hadiahkan kepada Ya Rasulullah SAW. Semoga limpahan kasih Tuhan kepadanya. Sesungguhnya aku lebih mencintai Rasulullah setelah tamat buku. Segala kasihku kepadamu Ya Rasul-Allah.
Amin.

[Benz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Buku ini sedap betul pada bab-bab awal, iaitu memulakan dengan pertanyaannya bolehkah perempuan memimpin, yang berlarutan dengan pengembaraan dan penjelajahan pemikiran dalam lautan keilmuwan Islam yang begitu dalam. Tetapi pada bab-bab akhir agak kurang menarik dan mengesankan. Tetapi tetap diberi 4 bintang atas kesungguhan seorang wanita Fatima Mernissi, yang dari luaran memperlihatkan beliau seorang liberal, tetapi dalam mengharung dunia keilmuan Islam yang penuh dengan lelaki, dia berani mengharunginya. Dijelajahi hadith demi hadith dan periwayat demi periwayat, diselidiki latar belakang siapa yang bernama Abu Bakrah yang melaporkan hadith tentang perempuan tidak boleh memimpin, dicatat juga kerja Bukhari yang diberi ulasan yang tidak disangka boleh keluar dari tinta yang dianggap liberal, ternyata beliau tampak objektif meskipun di sana sini, ramai akan meragukan kerja si perempuan ini.

Walaupun bab-bab akhir dilihat agak boring, tetapi pembukaan buku ini sehingga ketengah yang berani membincangkan hal-hal yang dianggap tabu dan tidak perlu lagi dipersoalkan, wajar diberikan pujian.

[Fadillah · Rating 4 out of 5]

The english title for this book is Woman and Islam : An historical and theological enquiry which was published in the year of 1991. I found an indonesian version of the book in the Pelita Dhihin Bookstore and decided to just buy it. First of all, before i review this book, i need to state whatever i wrote is based on what i have read - hence you might agree to disagree with my opinion and take on the book. Secondly, As much as i want this book to be updated, i know it will not be possible since the author died in the year of 2015. I believe an additional details on how muslim women has make it so far amidst the islamophobia and bigotry - surviving the haram police and the intense scrutiny of their own community especially when it comes to religion. The book started with a pretty basic introduction of Islam - the history and the Prophet Muhammad’s interaction with women either among his relatives, wives or followers. The book took a brave approach calling out many misogynist and sexist Hadith (which i am pretty sure most muslim women are already familiar with since it has been used to further subjugate us into submission) - Some of it were that women cant be a leader, most of those who resides in hell are women, women has a same level as shoes, female dog thus it can taint your ibadah and so on and so forth. Although some of these hadith come from Bukhari and Muslim but the legitimacy of it is questionable and The author did pretty good job on strengthening her arguments with solid evidences. She also highlighted that Abu Hurairah whose also one of the top contributors of Hadith (which has memorized and collected 5300 Hadith) in the span of 3 years of friendship with Prophet Muhammad seems almost impossible and shady. To top it off, some of these misogynist and sexist hadith did come from Abu Hurairah record of his recalling what Prophet Muhammad Said. There are few occasions where Aisyah, Prophet Muhammad’s wife reprimand him about it but unfortunately these hadith has become a major weapon for most of muslim men to exert control. I find this informative and i would need to read more books on regard of this but Fatima Mernissi did open a new perspective for me to look at these hadith especially on how she dissected it in the book. I used to just be dismissive of these problematic hadith especially when it diminishing women’s capability with “i don’t think this is what Prophet Muhammad try to say” or “there’s an issue of translation but now” , the default may lies on those who memorized and recorded it and it was not verified by those who have much closer ties with Prophet or spent more times with him. The book also covers inheritance which during Prophet time, most of his followers insisting on not giving an inheritance to a women as they never work, go to war or earn those properties - they wanted to maintain the customs that has been practiced before Islam. Besides that, the term Sufaha was being misused and solely referenced to a women while in reality, it was not. It applied to both gender equally. There are many issues covered such as domestic violence, Slavery and etc but i will not put it in my review. I would urge people to read the book itself. Overall, this is quite an informative book minus the comment as i mentioned previously that it certainly need few updates. I would recommend to whoever wanted to learn, get a second opinion, obtain a different angle of the Islam view on women.
.

[Iqra · Rating 4 out of 5]

What may seem like an analysis of Islam's treatment of the other sex, is in fact, an invigoratingly masterful investigation of the knowledge making process within the 7th century new religion set to undo the harms of the tribalistic Arab society.

[Indra Pratama · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sebuah sudut pandang menarik dalam memahami posisi tradisional perempuan dalam Islam. Fatima mengajukan analisis kontekstual, terutama dalam periode Madinah, sebagai pisau analisis ayat-ayat Hijab.

[Salrizk · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book really open my mind about konvervative things in islam who depend with kultural things and mala gaze.
I love being muslim and feminist.