Analysis of the Islamic Foundations of Women’s Empowerment in the Quran and Hadith: A Critical Examination of Competing Approaches

Document Type : Scholary

Authors

1 Ph.D. student of Cultural Sociology, Department of Sociology, Research Institute of Hawzah and University, Qom, Iran

2 Associate Professor of Sociology, Department of Sociology, Research Institute of Hawzah and University, Qom, Iran

10.22034/qns.2025.21694.1129

Abstract

The concept of women’s empowerment, prevalent in global discourses and development programs, is rooted in feminist economics and liberal-secular approaches. These approaches, which assume universality, face challenges in Islamic societies due to differing foundational beliefs. This research aims to elucidate the Islamic foundations of women’s empowerment based on the Quran and hadith, comparing them with competing frameworks. Data were collected through library studies of the Holy Quran and authentic hadith sources, analyzed using thematic analysis in three coding stages. The findings reveal that Islamic foundations of women’s empowerment consist of three overarching themes: ontological, anthropological, and axiological. Among the ontological foundations, the organizing theme of “the fundamental nature of woman’s creation” contrasts with theological interpretations of sacred texts and supports women’s attainment of their true human status. The theme of “the purposeful creation of women” challenges demeaning views that regard women as secondary or inferior. The anthropological foundations highlight “equal will and freedom of choice” for both genders and “equality in the purpose of creation,” affirming the Quranic justice-seeking perspective on women’s empowerment. The integration of these themes with “natural sexual differences” constrains the conceptual scope of women’s empowerment, emphasizing legal distinctions rooted in nature and prioritizing family interests over individual ones. Lastly, the axiological themes affirm the equality of men and women in dignity while emphasizing feminine and maternal roles, which are often neglected in other perspectives.

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