Reclaiming equality in marriage

In this Musawah webinar I explore how Dr. Nevin Reda’s new, Islamic feminist methodology (manhaj niswī rawḥānī) that connects jurisprudence to ethics can be applied to counteract misogynistic application of jurisprudence. Her approach argues for a new conceptualisation of marriage as a civil, legally binding contract of equal partnership that manifests the ethical imperatives of the Qur’an (e.g.ʿadl, iḥsān) and allows for the pursuit of legal rights as described in the Qur’an (e.g. divorce, alimony). I look at the ways in which this conceptualisation of marriage contrasts with the current trend to sanctify classical constructs of marriage that are not conducive to justice and do not protect women. I examine how the proposed egalitarian model can be used to centre equality of and justice for women in Islamic legal tradition and prevent the justification of spiritual abuse and domestic violence in the name of Islam. Click here to watch a recording of the webinar