A Critique of Abu Bakrah's Hadith on Women Political Leadership

Abstract

Discourse on Muslim women political leadership is based on the Prophetic hadith which states that “a people ruled by a woman will never prosper.” This generates a serious controversy in socio-cultural milieus which civilizational edifices are built on Islamic foundations. This research critiques this hadith through the historical lens of the past and extra-textual reality of the present. The hadith is the linchpin of all arguments against women leadership, which apparently prophesied failure of a nation under leadership of a woman. It employs the method of documentary analysis and adopts Immanent Critique advanced by Ahmad as its theoretical framework. It argues, within that framework, that women with leadership prerequisite could be successful leaders. It finds that, women, just like men, could lead nation(s) to prosperity. It thus concludes that the prophetic political statement which prophesies the downfall of a nation under woman leadership is contextual; and cannot be generalized.