Women and Political Action

Abstract

From the Islamic viewpoint, human actions are all regarded as duties, which in turn can be divided into fard’ayn (individual duty) and fard kifaya (collective duty). Duties in general (whether fard’ayn or fard kifaya) are closely linked with human ability, that is, they are obligatory on people who are able to fulfil them for ‘Allah does not charge a soul with more than it can bear’.¹ It follows that political actions are also viewed as duties and hence can be classified as fard’ayn (such as Bay’a or oath of allegiance and Shura or consultation) and fard kifaya (such as Jihad, public offices and enjoining good and forbidding evil). The obligatory nature of any actions (Wajib), including the political ones, is based on the concept of vicegerency or human representation of God on earth (Khilafa), which includes both men and women² and entails personal as well as corporate responsibility to fulfil God’s commands on earth. Both then, as equal partners, share the onus or duty of running the political affairs of their society for they ‘are friends (awliya’) to each other 2026 enjoin what is just and forbid what is evil’.³ And, as we know, all the works of the Judiciary, Executive and Legislative powers are there to enjoin good and forbid evil. The Muslim woman, therefore, like her counterpart — the man — has a broad political responsibility and an important role to play in public life, a role that was put at the service of the nascent Islamic community in Medina and for a while thereafter in the early period of Islam. For women, especially during the Prophet’s time, were very active socially and politically. They were allowed and even encouraged to participate in the process of building up the Medinan society and they proved to be up to the task.