In Search of al-Insan

Sufism, Islamic Law, and Gender

Bibliographic Data

ID8206963
AuthorsS Shaikh, Saher A Shaikh (0000-0002-6162-5472, University of Cape Town, corresponding author)
Year2009
Volume77
Issue4
Pages781-822
Publication date2009-12-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueJournal of the American Academy of Religion (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0002-7189 • E-ISSN: 1477-4585
PublisherOxford University Press (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1093/jaarel/lfp052
OpenAlexW2037964257
LanguageEN
Citations received17
References cited3

This paper suggests that Sufism offers contemporary Islamic feminists valuable resources to creatively rethink dominant understandings of gender within Islamic law. Foregrounding the integral relationship between Sufism and jurisprudence, I critically explore some of the gendered ontological assumptions informing traditional approaches to law and ethics. I envision how feminist approaches to the law might be enriched through engaging with particular Sufi readings of human nature and purpose. An approach to the law that is nurtured in the soil of Islamic spirituality, I argue, offers more than simple gender equality. It fosters a more holistic vision of community, one that facilitates the process of human spiritual refinement—a refinement to which gender equality is absolutely intrinsic.

Islam · Political science · Sharia · Sufism · Theology · Islamic Studies and History · Law · Marriage and Sexual Relationships · Philosophy · Terrorism, Counterterrorism, and Political Violence

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