Sexing Islamic Theology: Theorising Women’s Experience and Gender through ʿabd-Allah and khalīfah

Abstract

This paper explores Muslim religious subjectivities as refl ected in two central Islamic ideals, namely, ʿabd-Allah (servant of God) and khalīfah (moral agent). Drawing on the insights provided by Islamic feminists, we bring their theological views on ʿabd-Allah and khalīfah into conversation with issues of sexuality and sexual praxis in the lives of contemporary South African Muslim women. By paying particular attention to the various ways in which South African Muslim women navigate the God/believer relationship as part of sexual decision-making, this paper problematises the ambiguities that mark religious discourses on sex for the cultivation and fulfi lment of the roles of ʿabd-Allah and khalīfah.