From Revelation to Reform: The Prophetic Model of Women’s Empowerment and Its Global Relevance Today
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31305/rrjss.2025.v05.n02.020Keywords:
Social Dignity, Gender Equality, Women's EmpowermentAbstract
Women’s empowerment has long stood at the intersection of faith, reform, and social transformation. Across civilizations, the pursuit of gender justice has often been interpreted through secular paradigms, overlooking deeply rooted spiritual and moral traditions that historically advanced equity. This study explores the prophetic model of women’s empowerment as a framework grounded in revelation, moral integrity, and reformist praxis. It examines how the teachings and practices of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)introduced foundational changes in the status of women reforms that redefined their rights to education, economic participation, inheritance, and social dignity. By analyzing this model through a contemporary lens, the study bridges classical prophetic ethics with modern discourses of gender equality, highlighting its adaptability to current global challenges. Further, it contrasts Islamic prophetic paradigms with other faith-based movements to underscore their shared ethical pursuit of justice and human dignity. Through this synthesis of theology, feminist hermeneutics, and social analysis, the study argues that the prophetic model offers a timeless and globally relevant blueprint for empowering women rooted in revelation yet responsive to reform. The findings contribute to the growing discourse on faith-informed feminism and demonstrate how spiritual ethics can inform sustainable gender justice in the modern world.
References
Abboud, Hosn, and Dima Dabbous. 2019. “On Islamic Feminist Texts and Women Activism.” Al-Raida Journal. DOI: https://doi.org/10.32380/alrj.v0i0.1750
Anisa, Lina Nur. 2025. “Kritik Konstruksi Relasi Gender dalam Keluarga Islam: Telaah Pemikiran Asma Barlas dan Amina Wadud Muhsin.” YUDHISTIRA: Jurnal Yurisprudensi, Hukum dan Peradilan.
Blackburn, S. 2004. “Daughters of Abraham: Feminist Thought in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.” Muslim World 94: 408–410. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1478-1913.2004.0064b.x
Cardozo, Mieke T. A., R. Affiat, Faryaal Zaman, M. Irawani, and Eka Srimulyani. 2022. “Silent Struggles: Women Education Leaders’ Agency for Peacebuilding in Islamic Schools in Post-Conflict Aceh.” Journal of Peace Education 19: 158–181. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/17400201.2022.2052826
Dhala, Mahjabeen. 2024. Feminist Theology and Social Justice in Islam. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009423076
Dickman, N. E. 2018. “Feminisms and Challenges to Institutionalized Philosophy of Religion.” Religion 9(4): 113. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/rel9040113
Elahi, Habiba. 2025. “Women’s Rights in Islam: A Comprehensive Analysis of Quranic and Sunnah Teachings.” International Journal for Multidisciplinary Research.
Elatrash, Radwan Jamal, Sri Tuti Rahmawati, and Ziyad Alhaq. 2023. “Women Empowerment from Quranic Perspective.” AL-BURHĀN: Journal of Qurʾān and Sunnah Studies.
Farneth, Molly. 2017. “Feminist Jewish Thought as Postliberal Theology.” Modern Theology 33: 31–46. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/moth.12303
Fidhayanti, Dwi, Muhammad Muhammad, Mahbub Aunur Rofiq, Muhammad Robith Fuadi, Abdul Hakim, and Nabrisatul Chusna Bil Makkiy. 2024. “Rethinking Islamic Feminist Thought on Reinterpreting the Qur’an: An Analysis of the Thoughts of Aminah Wadud, Fatima Mernissi, Asma Barlas, and Riffat Hassan.” Tribakti: Jurnal Pemikiran Keislaman. DOI: https://doi.org/10.33367/tribakti.v35i1.4956
Hamidah, Najlah, and Muhibbin. 2024. “Reconstructing Gender Justice in Hadith: A Theological Reading Through Nur Rofiah’s Women’s Hakiki Justice Approach.” Journal of Ushuluddin and Islamic Thought. DOI: https://doi.org/10.15642/juit.2024.2.1.67-85
Hunt, M. 2024. “Feminist Theologies: Looking Back to Look Ahead.” Mandrágora. DOI: https://doi.org/10.15603/ma27233-50
Jahan, Rownok, Akram Uddin, N. Osmani, and Kabuye Uthman Sulaiman. 2023. “The Role of Women in Achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Islam.” AL-BURHĀN: Journal of Qurʾān and Sunnah Studies. DOI: https://doi.org/10.31436/alburhn.v7i2.329
Karimullah, Suud Sarim. 2023. “The Role of Islamic Education in Promoting Women’s Empowerment.” Jurnal Tarbiyatuna: Kajian Pendidikan Islam.
Longkumer, Atola. 2014. “Doing Asian Women's Theology.” Exchange 43(3): 1–10. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/erev.12084
Mahbuba, Farjana, and S. Rabeya. 2023. “Female Leadership in Muslim Societies.” Australian Journal of Islamic Studies. DOI: https://doi.org/10.55831/ajis.v8i2.541
Moore‐Grant, Tracy Ann, Stephanie Robins, Neena Saxena, and Suchika Siotia. 2025. “The Impact of Cultural Competence in Family Law: An Overview of Buddhism, Islam, Hinduism, and Judaism.” Family Court Review. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/fcre.12847
Racman, Sohayle Hadji Abdul. 2022. “Is There a Sexism in Islamic Leadership? The Case of the Sultanahs in Lanao Sultanate, Philippines.” Journal of Islamic Thought and Civilization. DOI: https://doi.org/10.32350/jitc.122.07
Riyani, I. 2017. “Muslim Feminist Hermeneutical Method to the Qur'an (Analytical Study to the Method of Amina Wadud).” Ulumuna Journal of Islamic Studies 21(2): 298–314. DOI: https://doi.org/10.20414/ujis.v21i2.320
Rozy, Yahya Fathur, Anass Benichou, and Nagoor Gafoordeen. 2023. “The Hermeneutics Influence on Feminist Exegesis: A Case Study on Amina Wadud.” QiST: Journal of Quran and Tafseer Studies. DOI: https://doi.org/10.23917/qist.v2i3.2908
Rutishauser, Christian M. 2011. “Jewish-Christian Dialogue and the Theology of Religions.” Studies in Christian-Jewish Relations 1: 1–10. DOI: https://doi.org/10.6017/scjr.v1i1.1356
Sabreen, Mudasra, and Samia Maqbool Niazi. 2022. “Role of Muslim Women in Countering Terrorism and Violent Extremism.” Journal of Islamic and Religious Studies. DOI: https://doi.org/10.36476/JIRS.7:1.06.2022.16
Saputri, Rahmah Eka, Nunu Burhanuddin, Gazali Gazali, Novi Hendri, and Mariam Abd. Majid. 2024. “The Role of Women in Marital Dynamics: Hadis Interpretation of Amina Wadud’s Hermeneutic.” MIQOT: Jurnal Ilmu-ilmu Keislaman. DOI: https://doi.org/10.30821/miqot.v48i2.1180
Schmidt-Leukel, P. 2010. “Buddhist-Muslim Dialogue: Observations and Suggestions from a Christian Perspective.” Muslim World 100: 349–363. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1478-1913.2010.01317.x
Schneider, Laurel C., and Cassie R. E. H. Trentaz. 2008. “Making Sense of Feminist Theology Today.” Religion Compass 2: 788–803. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1749-8171.2008.00096.x
Sircar, Sabrina Iqbal. 2016. “Where the Prophet’s Wife Rode a Camel: A Review of the Feminist Perspectives and Orientations Rooted in Islam.” IOSR Journal of Humanities and Social Science 21(4): 46–49. DOI: https://doi.org/10.9790/0837-2104024649
Stuckey, J. 2003. “Daughters of Abraham: Feminist Thought in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.” Canadian Woman Studies 22.
Sultan, Abeer. 2023. “Feminism in Prophet Muhammad’s Discourse on Women: A Stylistic Analysis.” Journal of Languages and Translation. DOI: https://doi.org/10.21608/jltmin.2023.295562
Ushama, T., Mohamed Fouz, Mohamed Zacky, Mohamed Rishad Najmudeen, Mohamed Ashath, S. Lebbe, and Mohamed Hassan. 2023. “Muslim Religious Leadership Education in the Minority Context: The Role of Naleemiah Institute of Islamic Studies.” Hamdard Islamicus.
Wijaya, Aksin, Ibnu Muchlis, and Dawam Multazam Rohmatulloh. 2025. “Rethinking Gender Justice in the Qur’an: A Critical Exploration of Muslim Feminist Perspectives.” Jurnal Studi Ilmu-ilmu Al-Qur'an dan Hadis. DOI: https://doi.org/10.14421/qh.v26i1.5704
Yusuf, M., Baharuddin Baharuddin, and Mardan Mardan. 2020. “The Qur’anic Hermeneutics Approach to Gender Equality in Amina Wadud Muhsin’s View.” Jurnal Adabiyah. DOI: https://doi.org/10.24252/jad.v20i2a1
Yuwafi, A. H. Syukron, and Ghorbanali Karimzadeh Gharamaleki. 2023. “Rereading Surah al-Nisa’ [4]: 34: Muḥammad Ḥusayn Faḍl Allāh’s Contextual Approach to Gender Equality in Islam.” Journal of Ushuluddin and Islamic Thought. DOI: https://doi.org/10.15642/juit.2023.1.1.1-30
Zwissler, Laurel. 2012. “Feminism and Religion: Intersections between Western Activism, Theology and Theory.” Religion Compass 6: 354–368. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1749-8171.2012.00363.x
