Contextualizing Arguments about Female Ritual Leadership (Women Imams) in Classical Islamic Sources

Authors

  • Simonetta Calderini Roehampton University

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1558/cis.v5i1.5

Keywords:

Women Imams of Mixed Congregations, Umm Waraqa ḥadīth, Legal Arguments on Women Imams, Ninth Century Legal Debates, Abū Thawr, Dāwūd al-Ẓāhirī, al-Muzanī

Abstract

This article focuses on legal arguments by medieval Muslim scholars concerning the permissibility of the imama of a woman for a mixed congregation salat. In particular, the legal and theological context is discussed of three ninth century scholars who, unusually, did not consider invalid the prayer of a man when he is led by a woman. Some scholars quoted the hadith of Umm Waraqa in support of women imams. It is argued that, beyond the historicity of Umm Waraqa herself, her precedent was used as a legal “case.” This, however, should be taken as evidence of legal theory rather than actual practice.

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Published

2011-07-10

Issue

Section

Articles

How to Cite

Calderini, S. (2011). Contextualizing Arguments about Female Ritual Leadership (Women Imams) in Classical Islamic Sources. Comparative Islamic Studies, 5(1), 5-32. https://doi.org/10.1558/cis.v5i1.5