A recent post by sister Baraka got me thinking. She said:

When I look back at 1,400 years of Islamic scholarship, I see the lack of women. A woman can definitely come to the same conclusions as a man, for good or bad, but I can’t help but believe that had we had over a millenia of women’s scholarship, Islamic law and interpretations would look quite different in some cases.

I have heard a similar critique of traditional Islamic scholarship from my wife’s mother, who happens to be a (retired?) scholar herself. I can’t help but think that, if the shi’a view of Islamic history had become dominant in the Muslim world, the role of women in the schools of Islamic thought might be somewhat different.

To understand this fully, we should examine the status of the greatest woman among Shi’a scholars, Sayyida Fatimah, daughter of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon them both). Both Sunni and Shi’a agree on the hadith mentioning her as the “leader of all women” or in some narrations “leader of the women of Paradise” (which is the only women I’d want to be leader of anyway, so basically it means “all believing women” in both narrations).

There is no disputing her level of piety, her resolve, her love of her father, and her attachment to worship of Allah. What seems to be somewhat absent from Sunni jurisprudence and theology is her role as a religious leader. For Shi’a, her role is clear. She is one of the 14 ma’sumeen (which includes the Prophet and the 12 Imams). Furthermore, the lineage of the 11 Imams from her progeny trace back to the Prophet through her, which is feminist in its own right, considering that many Muslims, even till this day, will only trace a lineage through the father.

Clearly, anyone claiming to be a “sayyid” (descendant of the Prophet) must do so through the maternity of Fatimah, for being a descendant of Ali does not make one a descendent of the Prophet (take, for example, Muhammad ibn al-Hanafiyyah).

In respect of her level of knowledge, it is clear that the Prophet considered her among the most knowledgeable people (not just women) of this Ummah. In the pecking of order of knowledge, she outranked any companion, female or male, and only her husband, Imam Ali, could either come close or surpass her knowledge. As such, the Prophet entrusted her with a monumental text, something that formed the foundation of Shi’i thought for the 14 centuries that followed.

Imam Ja’far al-Sadiq (peace be upon him) said:
“… We have with us the Book of Fatimah, but I do not claim that anything of the Quran is in it.” (al-Kafi)

From this, we can conclude that it is not a book (mushaf) containing the text of the Qur’an. It is also not another “shi’a Qur’an” as some have falsely claimed.

He continued, “”There is nothing of what is permitted and what is forbidden (al-Halal and al-Haram) in this; but in it is the knowledge of what will happen.” (al-Kafi)

This book was passed through each of the Imams and continues to be held by the last Imam, who will occupy the office for the remainder of time (al-Qa`im).

Shi’a hadith books also contain her maxims, speeches, and narrations. Most of them are absent from Sunni literature, most likely because of the controversy surrounding her death (which is often not mentioned by Sunnis at all — the location of her grave remains a mystery).

One of the highest positions that a human being can occupy (ma’sum) was given to this woman. She was sinless, beyond her years in wisdom, and beloved by an entire nation (Ummah). There is no controversy surrounding her piety and no doubt about her sincerity.

For the Sunni world, it is the Mother of the Believers, A’isha, who is most often mentioned when one asks about knowledgeable women surrounding the Prophet. However, in Sunni eyes, she was only a jurist (mujtahid), capable of error. But Fatimah, in the eyes of shi’a was sinless, representing the concept of the perfect human being (insan al-Kamil), held by only a few throughout history. She occupies a unique position with women such as Maryam, mother of Jesus, and Assiya, wife of Pharoah.

As we travel through history, we find other women taking leadership positions. Sayyida Zaynab, daughter of Fatimah (peace be upon her) became the champion of the Muslim Ummah, which had been defiled by the scourge of ‘Umar b. Sa’d, Ziyad son of his mother, and Yazid b. Mu’awiyah, lifting up the abused sisters of Islam and the oppressed followers of Ahlul-bayt when the leader of people on earth, Imam Husayn b. ‘Ali, her own brother, had been mercilessly slaughtered.

The courage that she showed in Yazid’s court is a legendary example of feminine strength and honor. The practice that she established, referred to as majlis, where followers of Ahlul-bayt gather and remember Imam Husayn, Zaynab, their family, and their companions, has endured till this day. Even unto this day, her grave site in Damascus is visited by thousands who remember her valor. Moreover, she was a scholar of Islam, and student of her mother, and a loyal friend and companion of her brother.

The list could go on through Shi’a history of pious and knowledgeable women, including Shahzanan, mother of Imam ‘Ali Zayn al-’Abideen, Fatimah Ma’sumah, sister of Imam ‘Ali al-Ridha, and countless other beacons of light.

Today there are entire institutions in Syria and Iran dedicated to female scholars, followers of Ahlul-bayt, who model the strength and femininity of Sayyida Fatimah.

The question that arises is why these modern female scholars are not heard, why their rulings are not documented, and why their opinions are not represented? The position of marja’ (the highest religious authority, one who gives religious verdicts in shi’a fiqh) has not been held by a woman, yet there are numerous women mujtahids (jurists). Some marja’ have ruled female marjiy’a to be impermissible. Others have remained silent on the issue. A few have questioned it.

But aside from fiqh, there are many areas of Islamic sciences where we should see female names: tafsir, hadith, etc. Why has our modernity covered our female scholars, while our history exalted them? I suspect that a quick look into Sunni history will reveal a similar pattern.

Shi’a beliefs are unquestionably infused with feminist elements. The reason why those beliefs are not always put into practice is most likely a social question rather than a religious one. Male dominated households, particularly in the Middle East, have a way of limiting even religious freedom. This is a cultural construct, not a religious one. It is a circumstantial restriction and not a necessary one. In the West, especially in indigenous Muslim households, we should move beyond those restrictions and encourage our daughters to excel in all areas of Islamic sciences.