Discussion of The Book: Islamic Feminism: Hermeneutics and Activism

This paper discusses Mulki Al-Sharmani’s latest book Islamic Feminism: Hermeneutics and Activism published by Bloomsbury in 2024. I chose to focus on this book because it fills an important knowledge gap in our understanding of Islamic feminism. Despite previous efforts that shed light on aspects of Islamic feminism, the term remains contested and obscure. Al-Sharmani’s work offers a welcomed robust research-based critical study of the field. She examines the works of nine prominent scholars over the years and analyzes their methodological and epistemological contributions, this allows her to trace changes in their trajectories and thought over time. The author uses an integrated approach to bring the works into conversation with one another which, along with her systematic reading, provide valuable new learnings. While Al-Sharmani argues that the produced scholarship is a form of gender activism, she also investigates case studies of Islamic feminism activism that work to empower women through praxis. This dual approach presents a nuanced view of the nature of Islamic feminism and portrays it as a holistic arena in which academia and practice come together to effect social change. 

While Al-Sharmani contends that there is no single way to define Islamic feminism, she sheds light on the common denominators, and differences, that run through the examined works.  Apart from an introduction with a strong literature review and a conclusion that brings the pieces together, the book is divided into three main sections. The first part examines works that deconstruct religious patriarchy. Such works do so either by tracing the genealogy of certain concepts that have informed the patriarchal perspective, or by pinpointing methodological gaps or incongruities in the interpretive tradition that impact women’s rights. The second part of the book studies reconstructive hermeneutical efforts which engage in re-examining the sources. They use new analytical approaches such as centering theology and ethics as well as reading gender into the texts. Al-Sharmani also explores critiques that have been waived against Islamic feminism. The third section of the book investigates two case studies of Islamic feminism activism. The first is that of Musawah, a global movement that works toward gender justice in Muslim contexts. She highlights Musawah’s epistemological significance and their impact in facilitating collaborative efforts between scholars and activists. In the second case study, Al-Sharmani studies the local efforts of women’s rights activists in Egypt post the 2011 revolution and the rise and fall of the Muslim Brotherhood. Despite some collaborative gains, Al-Sharmani argues that the efforts remain scattered and small and have not garnered the buy-in of the public nor the alignment of the religious establishment. 

The methodology the author employs reflects serious consideration. Al-Sharmani uses textual analysis along with ethnographic research tools to arrive at a more comprehensive understanding. The scholars she selects represent various regions and, collectively, produce multi-lingual scholarship. They also focus on different areas of the Islamic interpretive tradition including Qur’an, hadith, tafsīr, fiqh, and Sufism. The two case studies provide a global and a local example. Such methodological choices aim to produce a well-rounded understanding of the field. As someone who is herself an active academic in the field of Islamic feminism, Al-Sharmani is forthcoming and clear about her own positionality. Since many of the studied scholars are colleagues of Al-Sharmani, and some are also friends, this facilitated an opportunity for her to conduct extended interviews and, on some occasions, partake in collective research projects with her interlocutors. While such a close relationship may raise a concern about the author’s ability to remain objective, her systematic research-based approach substantiates her proposed arguments. Having said that, the reader must remain cognizant of this close affinity and its potential impact on the author’s views. Another question one may pose is why these particular scholars and not others. Al-Sharmani answers this question in the book but it still leaves room for discussion.

This in-depth analysis provides a first of its kind birds-eye view of Islamic feminism. In particular, the book highlights the double strife that Islamic feminism faces: combating religious patriarchy on the one hand and grappling with liberal secular feminism on the other. In doing so, this book contributes to decolonial scholarship while raising key questions about interpretive authority in modern times. It also brings to the forefront the benefits of utilizing multidisciplinary approaches to advance women’s rights. Another significant contribution of this work lies in the way it makes us question the unspoken tension between academia and social change. In addition, the deep analysis of the methodologies and theoretical approaches of the scholar activists helps provide tools that can inform other fields of study such as liberation theology and ethics. This work is particularly valuable to my own work on Qur’anic ethics as it sheds light on the intricate relationship between ethics, law, and gender in a manner that prompts further research. It also underscores the efficacy of combining textual studies with ethnographic research and helps me realize the greater benefits that can be gained by bringing theology and anthropology into one greater conversation.