Renegotiating Women's Agency in Islam: A Critical Examination of the Politics and Concept of the Hijab in the Thought of Fatimah Mernissi

Abstract

This study aims to critically examine the thoughts of Fatimah Mernissi, a prominent Muslim feminist intellectual, focusing on issues related to women in Islam, particularly the concepts of hijab and women's political participation. The main focus of this research lies in analyzing how Mernissi interprets Qur’anic verses and prophetic traditions that have often been viewed as discriminatory toward women, and how she deconstructs patriarchal religious interpretations. Employing a qualitative research approach through library research and content analysis, this study explores Mernissi’s primary works along with secondary sources including classical tafsir, hadith collections, and contemporary Islamic feminist literature. The findings indicate that Mernissi views the concept of hijab not as a symbol of seclusion for women from public life, but rather as a historical directive concerning the Prophet Muhammad’s privacy. Regarding political leadership, she rejects the hadith that prohibits women from holding authority and instead highlights the Qur’anic narrative of Queen Balqis as evidence of legitimate female leadership. The implications of this research encourage a contextual and gender-just interpretation of religious texts, while also promoting broader female participation in the socio-political domain of Muslim societies. This study serves as a foundation for further developing Islamic feminist discourse with greater methodological awareness and responsiveness to contemporary challenges.