The Role of Woman in Islamic Politics

The primary basis for the group's prohibition of women assuming leadership roles is the hadith recorded by al-Bukhari. The majority of scholars interpret this hadith based on the inclusiveness of its phrasing. Shaykh Muhammad al-Ghazali, a renowned Egyptian scholar, generally aligns with the majority of experts' views. However, he acknowledges that in specific cases, the minority position holds more weight due to the presence of supporting evidence. Al-Ghazali prioritizes the source of the hadith over its general wording because he believes that it is inconceivable for the hadith to contradict the Qur'an, which does not prohibit women in such roles. In fact, the Qur'an recounts the story of Queen Balqis, the successful ruler of the country of Saba', who led her people despite being a woman. Golda Meir, along with Indira Gandhi and Margaret Thatcher, also achieved success in their leadership roles in Israel, India, and Britain respectively. Al-Ghazali maintains that his stance is not one of contentment with women holding positions of power, but rather he aims to accurately interpret the hadith in a manner that avoids any inconsistency with the Qur'an (al-Ghazali 1996:64). Incorrect interpretation of the hadith can lead to erroneous judicial rulings. The erroneous perception continues to prevail among experts and the majority of Muslims regarding women.