South Asian Academy of Management

Prof Jawad Syed (LUMS)

There are three significant figures in early Islamic history who embodied feminist principles through their actions and leadership. They are Khadija (556-619 AD) Fatima (605-632 AD), and Zainab (626-682 AD) (PBUT), who each played crucial roles in shaping the early Islamic society and ideology.

Khadija, the first wife of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and his longest companion (25 years of marriage till her death), was a successful businesswoman and one of the wealthiest individuals in Mecca. She was an independent and enterprising woman who managed her own trade and proposed marriage to Muhammad, one of her employees, breaking societal norms. Khadija was also the first person to accept Islam and provided unwavering support to Muhammad (PBUH), both financially and emotionally, during the early years of his prophethood. Her life is a testament to the powerful role women can play in society and religion.

Fatima, the daughter of Prophet Muhammad and Khadija, is celebrated for her piety, modesty, and resilience. She stood by her father during the most challenging times and played a significant role in supporting his mission. Fatima is also known for her advocacy for political and economic justice and her strong moral and ethical stance. She challenged the prevailing norms of her time, advocating for her inheritance rights in the court of the first Muslim Caliph, which demonstrates her commitment to justice and equality.

Zainab bint Ali, the granddaughter of Prophet Muhammad, is revered for her resistance to oppression and her courageous stand against the tyrannical Caliph Yazid I during the aftermath of the Battle of Karbala, in which the Umayyad army slaughtered the descendants of Muhammad (PBUH). Zainab’s defiant speeches and leadership in the face of adversity highlighted her as a powerful figure in Islamic history. Her role in preserving the memory of the sacrifices made by her brother Imam Husayn and his followers made her an enduring symbol of resistance and resilience.

These three women collectively represent Islamic feminism in its most pristine form by exemplifying the principles of equality, justice, diversity, modesty, empowerment and resilience through their lives and actions.

Khadija’s life exemplifies women’s economic independence and leadership. As a successful businesswoman, she navigated and thrived in a male-dominated society, showing that women can hold significant economic power and make autonomous decisions. This challenges contemporary patriarchal norms and underscores the importance of women’s financial independence as a cornerstone of feminism while remaining adherent to core Islamic ideology.

Fatima’s active engagement in her father’s mission and her advocacy for justice highlight women’s roles in political and social spheres. Fatima’s stand on her inheritance rights, despite political and societal opposition, underscores the need for legal reforms that ensure women’s rights are protected and upheld. This aligns with modern feminist calls for legal and systemic changes to achieve gender equality.

Zainab’s resistance against tyranny and injustice serves as a powerful example of standing up against oppression. Her speeches and actions in the court of a usurper Caliph Yazid are not only historically significant but also provide a template for modern activism against oppression and violence.

The lives of these women show that gender equality is deeply rooted in Islamic teachings and history. Islamic feminists argue that the Quran and Hadith provide a framework for gender equality, but cultural and historical misinterpretations of egalitarian Islamic principles have led to the marginalization of women. They present a template in which women and men have diverse but equally valuable roles in the construction of society. It’s a template for complementing, not competing relationship between women and men. For example, see Syed and Ali’s( 2019)article on theorizing equal opportunity in Muslim-majority countries. By revisiting the lives of Khadija, Fatima, and Zainab, contemporary feminists can advocate for a return to these egalitarian principles.

There is also an intersectionality of religion and gender in these women’s lives. The stories of Khadija, Fatima, and Zainab illustrate how Islamic values and feminist principles can coexist and support each other. This intersectional approach allows for a more contextual and comprehensive understanding of women’s rights in terms of their faith and culture, challenging the notion that feminism and gender equality are solely Western concepts.

The above discussion also highlights the importance of reinterpreting principal religious texts to highlight their inherent support for gender equality. The actions and leadership of Khadija, Fatima, and Zainab provide practical examples of how Islamic teachings advocate for women’s empowerment. This hermeneutic approach supports the argument that patriarchal and gender-discriminatory interpretations of Islamic texts are not reflective of the religion’s true essence

The lives and stories of these women may inspire Muslim feminists who seek to revive and reclaim the rights and dignities that Islam inherently grants to women.

7 July 2024

Citation: Syed, J. (2024). Role models of Islamic feminism and leadership in the early Islamic era. SAAM Working Paper 24071. South Asian Academy of Management.

(c) South Asian Academy of Management