Feminist Theology and Social Justice in Islam: A Study on the Sermon of Fatima

by Mahjabeen Dhala

Fatima, the daughter of Mohammed, is best known for her protest sermon, an important document from the early Islamic era. Mahjabeen Dhala here offers an in-depth analysis of this captivating narrative, which lies at the intersection of theology and women's studies. A fresh and deep study of Fatima's sermon from feminist and social justice perspectives, she reclaims the voice of a seventh-century Muslim woman theologian and female inheritance rights activist from patriarchal, sectarian, and secular biases. Dhala unveils a rich tapestry of empowerment for women and political minorities within the Islamic tradition. She also uncovers the early origins of female agency and empowerment in Islam, shattering prevailing Western misconceptions and challenging the notion that Muslim women are passive bystanders. Additionally, Dhala's book contributes to our understanding of the role of women in Islamic theology and ethics, revealing their active engagement in promoting social justice and fostering transformative change.

224 pages, Hardcover

Published February 1, 2024

Reviews

[Zahra Ali · Rating 5 out of 5]

I might be biased giving this review because the author is my favorite speaker :), but the book was a great analysis on not only the Sermon of Fadak, but how the dispute of Fadak represents something beyond just mere politics. I loved the amount of references she gave (from Quran, Hadith, History, Literature) to analyze each part of the sermon in great detail as well as connect it with the comparison between the feminism of pre-modern Arabian society and modern society.

P.S. don’t be scared by the time period I took to read this book, I entered a reading slump and wrote a lot of notes so it took extra time, but this book is a very dense analysis mainly because it incorporates a lot of Quranic, historical, and literary sources for commentary.

[temi · Rating 3 out of 5]

I welcome Dhala’s statement to use modern sociopolitical jargon to frame ancient themes and actions. I also appreciate the fact that she notes the quieting of female voices in the Introduction. It is a good explanation of what she is writing about and why she is writing it. I like the fact that she notes Western feminism’s distrust of the traditional, as sometimes White Feminism lacks nuance. It is important to understand when to stand with tradition and not let colonialism and Western standards do away with important indigenous history. It is also important to know when to let go of traditions which can be harmful to a minority group. The context of the situation of Fatima’s inheritance is important to the story, but it is slightly heavy.

A small gripe I will mention is that I think Dhala assumes that a lot more things were a form of protest than they actually were. Just because you want something to be a protest doesn’t mean that it is. However, the context and explanations of Fatima’s sermon in Chapter 3, as they relate to women’s inheritances and whether the Prophet even left an inheritance after his passing, were very insightful and well thought out.

Overall, the book gave an interesting and insightful glimpse into the Sermon of Fatima and the influence it had. I think there were some times when the author assumed the intention behind Fatima’s words, and other times when she either did not provide enough context or way too much context