Social and Political Rights of Women in the Light of Qurʾānic Teachings: A Critical and Analytical Review

قرآنی تعلیمات کی روشنی میں خواتین کے سماجی و سیاسی حقوق: ایک تنقیدی و تجزیاتی مطالعہ

Abstract

This study provides a critical and systematic evaluation of the social and political rights of women as conceptualized in Qurʾānic teachings, contrasting foundational Islamic principles with both traditionalist interpretations and modern feminist discourses. While contemporary debates often polarize women’s roles between absolute domesticity and uncritical political activism, this paper argues that the Qurʾān establishes a balanced, socio-politically inclusive framework that guarantees gender equity, epistemic authority, and institutional participation without compromising ontological jurisprudence.

Employing a qualitative, textual, and analytical methodology, the research deconstructs key Qurʾānic verses (āyāt) addressing governance, education, social responsibility, and specific socioeconomic privileges. The study highlights that the early Islamic community, under Prophetic guidance, practically operationalized these rights, challenging the deeply rooted misogynistic structures of the Jāhiliyyah era. Furthermore, the paper examines contemporary challenges within Muslim societies, where cultural constructs often overshadow divine mandates, leading to the marginalization of women in public spheres.

The findings reveal that the Qurʾānic paradigm does not merely offer reactive responses to modern rights movements but proactively structures a framework of 'educational justice' and political agency rooted in communal accountability and moral leadership (Amr bi-l-maʿrūf). Ultimately, this study contributes to modern Islamic jurisprudence (ijtihād) by demonstrating that safeguarding women's public and private rights is intrinsic to the higher objectives of Islamic law (Maqāṣid al-Sharīʿah).