Image of Women in Islam: Maqāsid Approach for Correct Interpretation

Abstract

The current study attempted to outline the necessity of using the purposes method (al-manhaj al-maqāṣidi) to understand the correct meaning of Islamic religious texts, particularly those related to the image of women, by analysing a set of Prophetic Hadiths in the canonical works of al-Bukhari and Muslim. When the purposes method is not utilized, these texts are typically understood as hostile towards women, leading many to question their validity. The current study employed the analytical and critical methods derived from holistically viewing the religious texts. The study argued that the purposes method should be used by gathering all the texts relevant to a particular topic, deriving specific purposes from general ones, linking branch issues to their origins, and assessing other contextual and situational evidences to create a correct understanding of religious texts that avoids explanations and violates the general principles of Sharī‘ah. Moreover, the study also argued that the purposes methodology stands as a pivotal element in grasping the essence of an Islamic text, rooted in the overarching principles of the law, and is utilized to interpret and guide fragmented texts. It also serves as a subset of the principle of elucidating ambiguous issues and reverting the secondary matters to their original bases. Once validated, the objectives of the law serve as a benchmark for adjudicating any unresolved matter not explicitly addressed in the examination.