Editorial

Abstract

The call for this special issue was prompted by the International Conference on Women Empowerment deliberations. The conference, held on 10^th December 2022 at International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM), was inaugurated by Dr. Maulana Akbar Shah @ U Tun Aung, Head of Research in the department of Fundamental and Inter-Disciplinary Studies, AbdulHamid AbuSulayman Kulliyyah of Islamic Revealed Knowledge and Human Sciences (AHAS KIRKHS), who delivered a welcoming speech, followed by opening remarks by Prof. Shukran Bin Abd Rahman, Dean of AHAS KIRKHS. The event also featured speeches by distinguished guests, including the Honourable Rector of IIUM, Professor Emeritus Tan Sri Dato’ Dzulkifli bin Abdul Razak and Mr. Thomas Albrecht, Representative of UNHCR, Malaysia, Prof. Abdul Aziz Berghout, the Dean of the International Institute of Islamic Thought and Civilisation (ISTAC), IIUM, and Prof. Dawood Al-Hidabi, Director of International Institute for Muslim Unity (IIMU), IIUM.

The conference aimed to explore the social conditions of women refugees living in Malaysia with a focus on their social status, living conditions, domestic violence, the impact of criminal activities in their environment, and lack of access to education for their children. It also aimed to promote academic excellence, cultivate future leaders in various disciplines within the realm of Islamic revealed knowledge and human sciences, and encourage high-quality research, scholarship, and academic work in specific areas.

The conference brought together experts and professionals from different fields to share their perspectives on the social status of refugee women. It was attended by over 200 participants and its success was attributed to the efforts of the organizers and the dedication of the speakers and participants. Participants presented innovative ideas, findings, and insights that contributed to advancing knowledge in their fields.

The call for this special issue, released in the first quota of the year 2023, triggered a number of conversations with a broad number of people about the topic and ultimately resulted in many submissions. Submissions covered a diverse range of topics and came from contributors mainly from AbdulHamid AbuSulayman Kulliyyah of Islamic Revealed Knowledge and Human Sciences. The contributions that make up this special issue are as follows.

First, Family empowerment and role transformation: Observations on the importance of religion. This paper is an examination of the concept of family empowerment and role transformation from an Islamic perspective, emphasising the need for integrated value-driven frameworks to address issues of family roles and empowerment. The authors, Abdelaziz Berghout and Ouahiba Saoud, believe that studies and research on family empowerment have increased in recent years, enshrining the discourse, and providing insights and solutions to the questions associated with family empowerment. They argue among other things that there are numerous efforts in the Islamic world to strengthen family empowerment. The article explains the main elements that comprise the Islamic perspective of family empowerment and the need for role transformation. The articles contends that Islam emphasises the importance of understanding the goals and roles of family as a social entity and agent entrusted with the mission of Istikhalf (vicegerency) and I‘mar (civilisation) on earth.

Second, Crucial requirements for children’s empowerment: In this paper Kabuye Uthman Sulaiman sheds light on the important and mostly neglected role that parents play in raising their children, namely empowerment through character development, impartment of knowledge and skills. The key objective of this article is to enhance the understanding of the concept of empowerment of children from the Islamic perspective and the importance of character and values education in today’s society. The article is structured around six core sections describing the role of parents in children’s (1) virtues and character formation and development, (2) physical development, (3) emotional development, (4) mental development, (5) intellectual development, and lastly their role in preparing children for the realities of life and death. The focus of this paper is character formation and development. Character development and impartment of knowledge and skills are the three crucial and mandatory requirements for children’s empowerment. The paper outlines the ideas underlying character refinement or character education focusing on its meaning, aims, importance, and the role of parents, teachers, and community as character educators. It outlines some of the moral qualities of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) as the universal model of all virtues and goodness. This is qualitative research employing descriptive methods with literature review analysis. The primary sources of this paper comprise selected verses from the Qur’an and their exegesis (tafsir) and Hadith, both of which constitute the major source of guidance for Muslims. Its secondary sources consist of books, journals, and other materials. The main contention in this paper is that: first, knowledge, skills, and values or personality traits need to be combined for a thriving life; second, moral values are of paramount significance to peaceful coexistence and harmony in society. They are critical for sustainable living. Without them, there is no cohesion and solidarity among people. Hence, there is no civilization; third, learning is of little value and with no soul unless core ethical values are added to it. Hence, one of the aims of education is to graduate ethical individuals; fourth, the development of character in children is not just the responsibility of parents and schools, it is also the responsibility of those who come into contact with them; last but not least, character education should be included as a core component of schools’ curriculum.

Third, A Critical Analysis of Bent-Rib Metaphor Ḥadīth: Embracing Women's Uniqueness and Empowerment. The authors, Nurul Jannah Zainan Nazri, Nurul Mukminah and Mohd Arif assert that the Bent-Rib Metaphor ḥadīth can be interpreted as a symbol of diversity, complexity, and complementarity between genders, rather than justifying women's subordination. By promoting a more nuanced understanding of the ḥadīth, this study advocates for a broader role for women in religious, social, economic, and political spheres.

Fourth, A critical need for breastmilk collection centres for high-risk premature babies: In this paper Zainol Abidin and Wan Mazwati write that premature babies are very vulnerable and exposed to various life-threatening diseases. According to the report of World Health Organization, they quote, many premature babies are saved from morbidity and mortality when they are fed with breastmilk starting from within the first hour after their birth. They believe that: firstly, the rate of premature birth in Malaysia has increased exponentially since 2018. Therefore, hospitals should have enough supplies of breastmilk to save the lives of the precious premature babies. Secondly, only one hospital in Malaysia provides supplies of breastmilk on demand. Hence, the study argues for the establishment of breastmilk collection centre. It examines the concept of maqāṣid al-sharīʿah to justify the proposal for the establishment of breastmilk collection centres in hospitals throughout Malaysia to save the lives, intellects, and progenies of the at-risk premature babies.

Fifth, Empowering Mothers Against a Malaysian Societal Convention: An Islamic Perspective: In this paper Nur Jannah Hassan believes thar: firstly, having greater women participations in the workforce potentially enhances the country’s prospects for growth; secondly, various agencies work towards increasing women’s participations in the labour force; thirdly, women’s contribution to the family’s and the nation’s income is significant. However, it is observed that the race to get women to ‘roll-up their sleeves’ economically is not without worrying downside trends, even at the current rate of only 55.5% of Malaysian women in the labour force. The paper deliberates on how this affects individuals’ and families’ well-beings, thus putting constrains on the family, society and the Nation at large. The paper draws guidance from the Qur’an and Prophetic traditions to propose a more realistic and well-balanced approach to empowerment of mothers. According to Nur Jannah, the demand to get women’s economic participation towards National growth is real. However, this should not endanger and threaten personal, familial, and societal holistic well beings. She adds, the role of motherhood, especially early motherhood must be included in the equation. Thus, the necessity to empower women.

Sixth, Women Empowerment from Quranic perspective. The authors, Radwan Jamal, Rahmawati, and Ziyad Alhaq highlight present-day scenario of problems faced by women in education, social status, in job market, domestic violence, sexual assault etc. and presented a balanced Qur’anic approach to empower women.

Seventh, Empowering Thinking and Moral Formation in Muslim Women Through the Philosophical Inquiry (PI) Approach: The authors of this paper, namely Norillah Abdullah and Mohamed Abdelmagid believe that much of what has been said about the social problems involving Muslim women in Malaysia is due to the lack of thinking skills and religious understanding. For this reason, this study is an attempt to highlight the PI method which integrates the Socratic questioning approach to help address the issue and lead to moral formation. This, according to them, would allow women to explore their thoughts and generate rational ideas and choices to achieve understanding and sound judgments (hikmah) and finally empower them in executing their roles and tasks. 

Eighth, The Role of Faith (Iman) in Women Empowerment: While the role of women in any development is undeniably very essential, the author of this paper Abdul Latif believes that there are women who are being side-lined; their role is being marginalized and consequently, they are being denied their rights. The purpose of his paper is to elaborate on the role of Iman in women empowerment. Abdul Latif describes a good believer as the one who upholds all the three integrated conditions that make the person strong and tranquil, namely profession by the tongue, conviction by heart and practice by limbs. He contends that true belief in Allah is the solution to many of the problems faced by women today.

Ninth, The Role of Women in Achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Islam. Rownok Jahan and co-authors analyzed the role of women in achieving sustainable development goals according to Islam. The Islamic approach emphasizes a balanced realization of human rights, consumer welfare, social justice, ecological balance, and economic progress. Achieving these aims is not possible without the active involvement of women.

Tenth, The Moral-sexual Empowerment of Women and Children in Hadith Literature: In this paper, Bachar Bakour describes sex as a human innate disposition and a basic need for the survival of the human race, and marriage as the primary appropriate avenue for satisfying sexual desire and living a moral and peaceful life. This article aims to briefly delineate the salient features of women and child sexual empowerment within the specific epistemic and cultural soil of Islamic tradition.

Eleventh, A Close Study on Domestic Violence Against Women: Islamic Perspectives and Remedies: The authors of this paper, Maulana Akbar Shah @ U Tun Aung and Phoo Pwint Thu Aung, define women empowerment as: firstly, the process of giving women the power to take control of their lives, rights, and decision-making; secondly, the creation of a society where women are treated equally, with respect, and have access to the same opportunities as men. This, in their view, involves promoting women’s education, encouraging their participation in politics and breaking down gender stereotypes.

Twelfth, Women’s Empowerment and Participation in Islamic Financial Planning Diversity, Equity and Inclusion: Evidence from Maqasid al-Shariah. Its authors Mohammad Habibullah, Rusni Hassan, and Nor Razinah Mohd Zain assert that it is imperative to consider the role played by women in the financial sector and their contribution to economic progress. Using an experiment, this study examined the relationship between confidence, gender, and race in relation to dealing with a financial planner among various groups and races with color and creed. The study demonstrates how women plan financially for retirement based on psychological concepts and sociodemographic variables, highlighting the importance of financial management and planning for women.

Thirteenth, Muslim Women in Politics: Does it Align With Shari‘ah Parameters? In this paper Ahmad Akram Mahmad Robbi, Saidatolakma Mohd Yunus and Mohamad Faiq Mohamad Sharin examine the views of Muslim scholars regarding women's political participation. They opine that political participation is essential for women empowerment.

Fourteenth, Empowerment and Faith: Unraveling the HUI Women’s Mosques in China: In this paper Mai Jianjun describes the Hui Muslims as the largest Muslim minority group in China and their mosques as a very unique phenomenon within the broader Muslim world. They (mosques) stand as a testament of the remarkable resilience of the Hui Muslims in preserving their Islamic faith and Muslim identity in a predominantly non-Muslim society heavily influenced by Confucian culture. Mai Jianjun argues that the previous studies on Hui women’s mosques left two crucial questions unanswered, i.e., why did Hui women’s mosque emerge exclusively in the eastern and central regions of China and not in northwestern region where the concentration of Hui Muslims’ population is higher? Why was this phenomenon limited to the Hui Muslim community and not observed among other Muslim ethnic groups in China? This study employs historical, analytical and contexture analysis approaches to accomplish three research objectives. Firstly, it aims to re-examine the historical background of the Hui Muslims and the emergence of Hui women's mosques during the Ming and Qing dynasties within this particular ethnic group. Secondly, the study seeks to address the aforementioned questions and reidentify the possible causes for the emergence of the Hui women’s mosques in specific regions in China. Thirdly, the study intends to provide an Islamic perspective to illuminate the unique phenomenon of Hui women's mosques in China.

Fifteenth, Qadaya al-Mar’ah wa Anwa`uha fi daw’ al-Sunnah al-Nabawiyyah. Its author, Saad Eldin, sheds lights on various topics related to women's issues and their types, such as women's rights, sermons, the hadith concerning the deficiency of intellect and religion, and other issues related to women's rights in general. It also addresses the issue of the mahram (forbidden relationships) for women.

Sixteenth, Dawr al-Mar’ah fi al-Marwiyyat al-Hadithiyyah: Mafahimuha wa Masaqatuha. Ahmed Elmogtaba in this article deals with the efforts of women in the narration of Hadiths, with a focus on the six major Hadith collections and the topics related to their narrations. It was found that the narrations of female scholars contributed to various areas of jurisprudence in general, and family laws in particular.

The above observations and discussions are intended to prompt critical reflection on the current state of women and children and prompt researchers to consider areas where future research is needed.

Editorial Team

1. Associate Professor Dr. Kabuye Uthman Sulaiman, HOD, FIDS, AHAS KIRKHS, IIUM
2. Associate Professor Dr. Maulana Akbar Shah @ U Tun Aung

December 5, 2023