An Exploration of Amina Wadud’s Thoughts on Women Leadership in Muslim Public Rituals

Abstract

Gender inclusion in contemporary society is prominent in recent studies, especially, among female scholars. Among the many issues often discussed is women's leadership, which remains controversial in the Muslim world. One of the prominent advocates of this gender issue is Amina Wadud, whose opinion is extended to the leadership of women in public rituals, such as the deliverance of Khutbah and the leading of Salah, despite their dominance by menfolk since the Prophetic era. This paper, therefore, examines the views of Amina Wadud on gender inclusion in the public ritual of Islamic worship and juxtaposes them with other scholastic views. Historical and analytical methods have been employed for data collection. The historical method was used to account for the biography of Amina Wadud, while the analytical method was used to explain her thoughts on women's leadership in Islamic public rituals. The findings show that Amina Wadud’s views are based on her position on gender equality, an issue in the feminist world. The non-definite proofs of the prohibition of women leading a community or congregation of men also assisted her in establishing her feminist idea. The paper concludes by encouraging Muslims to hold onto the practices of the early Muslims and not to philosophize against Islamic practices.