women and political participation: a partial translation of 'abd al-ḥalīm muḥammad abū shaqqah's ...

131 Pages·2017·1.14 MB·English

WOMEN AND POLITICAL PARTICIPATION: A PARTIAL TRANSLATION OF ‘ABD
AL-ḤALĪM MUḤAMMAD ABŪ SHAQQAH’S TAḤRĪR AL-MAR’AH FĪ ‘AṢR AL-
RISĀLAH (THE LIBERATION OF WOMEN IN THE PROPHETIC PERIOD), WITH A
CONTEXTUAL INTRODUCTION TO THE AUTHOR AND HIS WORK

by
Nadia Ismail

Submitted in accordance with the requirements for the degree of

MASTER OF ARTS
In the subject of
ARABIC
at the

University of South Africa

SUPERVISOR: PROF Y DADOO
JUNE 2016

1
DECLARATION

Name: Nadia Ismail

Student number: 5422-440-3

Degree: Master of Arts (MA) - Arabic

I declare that WOMEN AND POLITICAL PARTICIPATION: A PARTIAL
TRANSLATION OF ‘ABD AL-HALĪM MUḤAMMAD ABŪ SHAQQAH’S TAḤRĪR AL-
MAR’AH FĪ ‘AṢR AL-RISĀLAH (THE LIBERATION OF WOMEN IN THE
PROPHETIC PERIOD), WITH A CONTEXTUAL INTRODUCTION TO THE AUTHOR
AND HIS WORK is my own work and that all the sources that I have used or quoted have been
indicated and acknowledged by means of complete references.

…………………………… ………………….
SIGNATURE DATE

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Abstract
This thesis is a translation of a chapter that examines the role of Muslim women in politics
during the early Islamic period and their engagement with religious and political discourses. This
subject raises a combination of provocative challenges for Islamic discourse as Muslim women
have had a complex relationship with their religious tradition dating back to the very inception of
Islam. Despite Qur’ānic injunctions and Prophetic affirmations of the egalitarian status of
Muslim women, social inequality and injustice directed at women remains a persistent problem
in Muslim society. In the translated text Abū Shaqqah goes about re-invoking the normative
tradition in order to affirm the role of Muslim women in politics. Furthermore the translation is
prefaced by a critical introduction outlining the contours of the 20th century landscape, which
attempts to describe the struggle of Muslim women in Abū Shaqqah’s time.

Key Terms
Islamic Modernity; Feminism; Islamic Feminism; Gender Studies; Political Islam; Political
Activism; Qur’ān; Sunnah (Prophetic Practice); Ḥadith (Prophetic Tradition); Sharī‘ah (Islamic
Law).

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Acknowledgements
This study would not have been possible without the love and support of my husband and my
family, who have been a constant source of inspiration and motivation in my life. I am indebted
to Faranaaz Parker for copy-editing the final draft. Finally, I am grateful to Professor Yusuf
Dadoo for agreeing to be my supervisor.

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Transliteration Key
VOWELS
Vowel Sign Latin Pronunciation Guide
Equivalent
َ A
َ I
َ U
ا Ā Long vowel, pronounced as “aa”
ى Ī Long vowel, pronounced as “ee”
و Ū Long vowel, pronounced as “oo”

CONSONANTS
Arabic Latin Pronunciation Guide
Letter Equivalent
أ A
ب B
ت T
ة Ah
ث Th Pronounced like the th in think
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ج J
ح Ḥ Hard h sound made at the Adam’s apple in the middle of
the throat
خ Kh Pronounced like the ch in the Scottish loch
د D
ذ Dh Pronounced like the th in this
ر R
ز Z
س S
ش Sh
ص Ṣ An emphatic s sound pronounced behind the upper front
teeth
ض Ḍ An emphatic d-like sound made by pressing the entire
tongue against the upper palate
ط ṭ An emphatic t sound produced behind the teeth
ظ Ẓ An emphatic th sound, like the th in this, made behind
the front teeth
ع ‘ A distinctive ay sound made in the middle throat
غ Gh A guttural gh sound made at the top of the throat
ف F
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ق Q A hard k sound produced at the back of the palate
ك K
ل L
م M
ن N
ه H Pronounced like the English h but with more body
و W
ي Y

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DECLARATION 2
Abstract 3
Key Terms 3
Acknowledgements 4
Transliteration Key 5

CONTENTS
Introduction 10
Importance of the Study 11
The Text 13
Literature Review 16
Translation Methodology 22

TRANSLATOR’S INTRODUCTION 27
The Political Context in Egypt 27
Male Feminism 27
Secularism and Secular Nationalist Feminism 31
State Feminism 37
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Islamism and Islamic Feminism 38
Biography of ‘Abd al-Ḥalīm Muḥammad Abū Shaqqah 44
Conclusion 50

TRANSLATION CONTENTS 51

THE TRANSLATION 57

BIBLIOGRAPHY 123

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Introduction

This thesis is a translation of a section of ‘Abd al-Ḥalīm Abū Shaqqah’s multi-volume work
Taḥrīr al-Mar’ah fī ‘Aṣr al-Risālah (The Liberation of Women in the Prophetic Period).1 It deals
specifically with the chapter entitled Muslim Women’s Participation in Political Activism and the
Characteristics of the Legitimacy of Participation.2 This chapter examines the role of Muslim
women in politics during the early Islamic period and its engagement with religious and political
discourses. The subject of Muslim women, religion and politics together offers a combination of
challenging and provocative issues for Islamic discourse as Muslim women have had a complex
relationship with their religion that dates back to the very inception of Islam. Despite Qur’ānic
injunctions and Prophetic affirmations of the egalitarian status of Muslim women within the
Islamic canonical discourse, social inequality and injustice remains a persistent feature of
Muslim society. These issues reflect innate problems of ambiguity and limitations of the
canonical texts as well as their pliability as they relate to women. Thus the text and the
interpretation and re-interpretation thereof from a gender sensitive perspective pose a challenge
to the Islamic tradition.3

The realization of the interpretation of the text is not more clearly felt than through the
actualization of the text in the form of Sharī‘ah (Islamic law). It is through the Sharī‘ah that the
position of Muslim women is mediated whether in politics, education, economics or various
other spheres. Most clearly challenging has been Muslim women’s marginalized role in politics.
The constraints placed upon her by virtue of being a woman has called into question issues of

1 ‘Abd al-Ḥalīm Muḥammad Abū Shaqqah (2010), Taḥrīr al-Mar’ah fī ‘Aṣr al-Risālah: Dirāsah ‘an al-Mar’ah
Jāmi‘atan li Nuṣūṣ al-Qur’ān al-Karīm wa Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī wa Muslim 10th edition (6 vols.) (Kuwait: Dār al-
Qalam).
2Abū Shaqqah (2010), Taḥrīr al-Mar’ah fī ‘Aṣr al-Risālah, vol. 2, pp. 411 – 461.
3 Kecia Ali (2003), “Progressive Muslims and Islamic Jurisprudence” in Progressive Muslims, edited by Omid Safi
(United Kingdom: One World), p.182-183.
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