At Musawah, we are dedicated to advancing women’s rights from within the Islamic tradition. We believe in the power of knowledge and the importance of community for successful and transformative activism.
In our Knowledge Building work, we strive to break down complex concepts into understandable language. We want everyone, regardless of their familiarity with these topics, to feel at home here. Let’s embark on a journey together.
Our primary goal is to reintroduce women’s concerns and voices into the processes of religious knowledge production and lawmaking. This is part of a broader effort to democratize the production of knowledge within Islam and assert the authority to interpret sacred texts.
Two fundamental queries drive our work:
If justice and equality are core Islamic values, why have women been marginalized in Muslim legal tradition and societies for so long?
In a modern world where equality is recognized as a cornerstone of justice, how can we reflect it in Muslim family laws?
We apply feminist and rights-based lenses to explore and seek justice within the Muslim legal tradition. We aim to uncover the voices of women that have long been silenced in the creation of religious knowledge and reflect their concerns and interests in law and policy-making. In the video above, one of our founding members, Ziba Mir-Hosseini explain what exactly we mean by ‘Islamic feminism’.
We take a critical feminist perspective while working from within the Muslim legal tradition. We draw on two key distinctions: Shari‘ah and fiqh, ‘ibadat (ritual/spiritual acts) and mu‘amalat (social/contractual acts). These distinctions provide us with the language and tools to advocate for gender equality within the tradition.
We believe that knowledge should be accessible to everyone. Our approach is participatory, recognizing various forms of expertise and starting from real-life contexts rather than abstract texts. This ensures that our knowledge is grounded in the lived experiences of women and men, guiding our approach to critical questions. We aim to produce transformative knowledge that will facilitate legal reform and social changes.
We work closely with both scholars and activists in our knowledge building activities. Together, we nurture and value relationships that are based on trust, respect, care and reciprocity. We safeguard the well-being and confidentiality of knowledge building participants through ways such as maintaining anonymity where necessary and taking digital security measures.
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Our Knowledge Building Briefs provide valuable insights into critical aspects of Islamic jurisprudence and family laws:
Described as “a valuable contribution” (Karyawan) and as carrying “immeasurable value for scholars and students of Islam, religion” (American Journal of Islam and Society), “Men in Charge? Rethinking Authority in Muslim Legal Tradition” is an essential addition to your bookshelf
In this video, we unravel the often blurred boundaries between Shariʿah, fiqh, and Islamic law. Such confusion can perpetuate gender inequality in modern family laws. Learn why it’s vital to distinguish these terms, separating the divine and eternal from the human and temporal.
Explore the inherent capacity for reform within Muslim legal tradition, countering the notion that Muslim family laws are unchangeable due to their divine origins. Discover the concepts and tools that pave the way for family laws in harmony with contemporary Muslim realities, justice, and gender equality.
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