The concept of gender equality in feminism : a critical analysis from the qur`anic perspective

Abstract

The emergence of feminism in the West plays a major role in the rapid progressing of women’s right campaigns around the world. Their explosive voices and relentless efforts manage to bring many women, including academia and the masses, into their perspectives. The general idea of their gender equality is the liberation of women from backwardness with comparison to men. Their campaigns have become very successful that many feminists have also started to emerge from the Islamic community. Nonetheless, feminism and Islam have different sources and concept of gender equality which may and may not be reconciled depending on the in-depth study of Islamic texts: the Qur’an and the Sunnah. This study aims to examine and analyse the concept of gender equality in feminism and Islam and compares both concepts through a rational approach guided by a critical understanding of the Qur’an. This study also attempts to look into feminist claims of gender equality and analyse these concepts from the Qur’anic perspective. The study involves a qualitative study of related feminist sources and literatures which take into account the methods of critical analysis by extracting the concepts and issues of gender equality in feminist campaigns and writings, whilst critically analysing and evaluating it through a holistic understanding of the Qur’anic verses related to the issue. The study also utilized a comparative analysis; by comparing between concepts of equality in feminism with selected Qur’anic verses, the tradition of the Prophet SAW, and views of prominent Muslim scholars. The outcomes of this study show the existence of several concepts of gender equality in feminism and Islam that can be reconciled despite the disparity of the sources. The best platform for gender equality comes from the Islamic vicegerency and cooperative concepts rather than competitive approach promoted by feminists. Nonetheless, several feminist arguments on women’s issues, worth to be examined, are relooked in a fair and academic manner so the positive aspect of their idea can be incorporated in Islamic platform of gender equality. Several issues have been raised up by feminist regarding the Muslim’s conduct on women that deserved to be seriously taken up for change for the sake of Muslim’s community as a whole. The results demonstrate the desperate need for Muslim think tank that can devise and present the Islamic concept of gender equality to the world in a more effective way.