Women Leadership from the Perspective of Hamka

Abstract

The paper investigates Hamka’s viewpoints concerning issues of womens’ leadership and its legitimacy in political and social sphere. The research problem is to address Hamka’s legal opinion on the legitimacy of women leadership. In this regard it critically evaluates his religious and juristic views concerning the issues and comparing this with diverse opinions of Muslim scholars from various schools of thought that legitimize or denied womans’ right in assuming any leadership role. The study is based on descriptive, analytical and comparative method. It analyzed the arguments and standpoints of Hamka regarding the issue and comparing these with certain arguments brought forth in the modern and classical texts of Islam that either justified or refuted such claim. The study concluded that Hamka explicitly endeavors to reformulate and reconstruct the legal fatwa and ideas on womans’ leadership, based on Islamic principle and standpoint as represented in the revealed law and concrete rulings of shariah and its ethical precept and construct that outlines and suggests the ideal position that typically suit womens’ intrinsic nature for assuming the task of leadership.