Islam Feminits Thesis Nurulhuda

Islā
ām Femiinist in A
Americaa: a Casse Studyy of
Historric Jum
muàh
THESIS
Submitted as a Partiaal Fulfilmentt of Requirem

ment for
Sarjanaa Sastra Degrree in the Ennglish Deparrtment
Faculty off Letters and Fine Art
Sebelass Maret Univversity
By:
NU
URUL HUD DA
C0300008
ENGLISH DEPAR RMENT

FACULT
TY OF LE
ETTERS AND
A FINE
E ARTS
SEB
BELAS MARET
M UN
NIVERSIT
TY
2008
APPROVAL
Approved to be examined before The Board of Examiners Faculty of Letters and
Fine Arts Sebelas Maret University
Thesis Consultants:
1. Dra. Susilorini, M.A ( )

First Consultant NIP. 132 000 807
2. Drs. Mugijatna, M.Si ( )

Second Consultant NIP. 131 569 256
The Head of English Department
Dra. Zita Rarastesa, M.A

NIP 132 206 593
ii
Accepted and Approved by The Board of Examiners
Faculty of Letters and Fine Arts Sebelas Maret University
On April 28, 2008
The Board of Examiners:
1. Drs. Batoro M.S., M.A ( )

Chairman NIP. 130 529 731
2. Dra. Zita Rarastesa, M.A ( )
Secretary NIP. 132 206 593
3. Dra. Susilorini, M.A ( )
First Examiner NIP. 132 000 807
4. Drs. Mugijatna, M.Si ( )
Second Examiner NIP. 131 569 256
Dean of Faculty of Letters and Fine Arts

Sebelas Maret University
Drs. Sudarno, M.A

NIP 131 472 202
iii
MOTTO
Èe≅ä. 4’n?tã uθèδuρ 4 çνρß‰ç6ôã$$sù &™ó_x« Èe≅à2 ß,Î=≈yz ( uθèδ ωÎ) tμ≈s9Î) Iω ( öΝä3š/u‘ ª!$# ãΝà6Ï9≡sŒ
∩⊇⊃⊄∪ ×≅‹Å2uρ &™ó©x«
That is Allàh, your Lord! There is no god but He, the Creator of all things:
then worship ye Him: and He hath power to dispose of all affairs.
(QS. Al An'am [6]:102)
Keep moving forward - Nurul Huda
iv
DEDICATION
This thesis is simply dedicated to those Muslim youth who are searching for
a ray of light in the deepest darkness that surrounds us, and who are seeking a
solution and a way out of the crisis that currently overwhelms us; in the hope that
it may be of benefit to them.
v
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
Bismillahirrahmanirrahim
In the Name of Allàh. the Compassionate, the Merciful,

Praise be to Allàh, Lord of the Universe,
and Peace and Prayers be upon His Final Prophet and Messenger
Alhamdulillahirabbilalamin, the thesis entitled “Islām Feminist in America:

a Case Study of Historic Jumuàh” has been finished. This research could not
have been completed without the help and support of many persons and
organizations. I am very grateful to all of them.

My thank you to The Dean of Letters and Fine Arts Faculty, Drs. Sudarno,
M.A for approving this thesis. Thanks to The Head of English Department, Dra.
Zita Rarastesa, M.A for giving me permission to do this research.

I wish to convey my thanks to Drs. Gatot Sunarno, the Academic Advisor
taking care of me during these years. I am greatly indebted to my supervisors.
This thesis would not have been carried out and written without attentive supports
from both of them. I am very thankful to Drs. Mugijatna, M.Si for his valuable
guidance, comment and show the scientific way. I am very grateful Dra.
Susilorini, M.A for all of the very helpful discussion, supports, times, and advices
in helping me conduct this thesis.
I would like to express my gratitude to Ustadz Solihan Mahdum Cahyana, as
a teacher, masyayikh, murrobi, and our motivator in applying al Islām, especially

for his valuable scientific and encouraging support.
I am also grateful to my classmate Haris, Mia, Yogo, Yudis, Diah, Wahyu,
Nia, Widya and Azzamers for providing a friendly atmosphere during the struggle
vi
time and the others favor to me especially, Joko Wiyono, M.Afifudin Zam’i the
roomate, Agus Nur Hidayah, Habib Novan Sodika, Ayub Rizal for president, Arif
Luthfi Abdul Rosyid, Kurniawan Arief Mahendra, Faris Khoirurijal. I would like
to offer my sincere gratitude to Sugeng Riyanto I also sincerely thank from Ismail,
Yunihar, Handoko, Ahmadi, Imam, for their support.

I owe a lot to my parents and my brother for accepting my absence during my
study. They have been a constant source of patience and encouragement. And my
special thanks to Isti Wijaya, the one who lets me feel the meaning of love, for her
every smile which contains prayer and hope- let Allàh give the best for both of us.
I owe a lot to those supported me during my study and especially within the
research work. People might have helped me to perform the research and finalize
this thesis by providing scientific, technical, administrative, and moral support
that I could not list it- wishing that Allàh will replay all of their kindness.
Critiques and suggestion will be highly expected for the development. Finally, the
highest salutation for all the greatest friends that cannot be mentioned one by one
“Keep moving forward” May Allàh guide us all to the straight path.
Surakarta, 14 April 2008
Nurul Huda
vii
PRONOUNCEMENT
Name : Nurul Huda

NIM : C0300008
Pronounces wholeheartedly that the thesis entitled Islām Feminist in America: a

Case Study of Historic Jumuàh is originally made by the researcher. It is not a
plagiarism nor made by others. The things related to other people’s works are
written in quotation and included in the bibliography.
If it is then proved that the researcher cheats, the researcher is ready to take the
responsibilities.
Surakarta, 14 April 2008
Nurul Huda
viii
TABLE OF CONTENTS
TITLE ..................................................................................................................... i
APPROVAL .................................................................................................................... ii
THE BOARD OF EXAMINERS .................................................................................. iii

MOTTO ................................................................................................................... iv
DEDICATION ................................................................................................................. v
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ............................................................................................. vi
PRONOUNCEMENT .................................................................................................. viii
TABLE OF CONTENTS............................................................................................... ix
TABLE OF FIGURES .................................................................................................. xii

ABSTRACT ................................................................................................................. xiii
CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION
A. Background ................................................................................................................. 1
B. Research Question ....................................................................................................... 4
C. Objectives .................................................................................................................... 4
D. Benefits .................................................................................................................... 5
E. Methodology ............................................................................................................... 5
1. Type of Research ................................................................................................... 5
2. Theoretical Approaches ......................................................................................... 5

3. Data and Source of data ......................................................................................... 6
4. Technique of Collecting data ................................................................................. 7
5. Technique of Analysis ........................................................................................... 8

6. Thesis organization ................................................................................................ 9
ix
CHAPTER II: LITERATURE REVIEW
A. Uṣūl al-fiqh: Methodology for Research................................................................... 10

1. The Sciences from Which Uṣūl al-fiqh Derived Its Academic Basis.................. 11
2. Origins and Development of Uṣūl al-fiqh ........................................................... 13
3. Methods for Deriving Rulings from The Sources ............................................... 17

a. As to the Qur’án ............................................................................................. 17
b. As to the Sunnah ............................................................................................ 18
c. As to Ijtihad ................................................................................................... 19
B. Islâm and Friday Prayer............................................................................................. 20
1. Friday Prayer is Obligatory ................................................................................. 22
2. Command for Friday Prayer: Its Merits and Importance ..................................... 23

3. Pre-requisites of Friday Prayer ............................................................................ 26
4. Pre-requisite of the Muslim Ruler ....................................................................... 29
5. Sunnah in the Friday Prayer ................................................................................ 29

6. Regulations Relating to the Sermon .................................................................... 33
C. Feminism .................................................................................................................. 36
1. Feminism Movement ........................................................................................... 37

2. Islâmic feminism ................................................................................................. 39
3. The Latest Development in America ................................................................... 41
4. Islam feminist in Historic Jumu‘ah...................................................................... 43

a. Professor Dr. Amina Wadud MacCloud ........................................................ 44
b. Asra Q Nomani .............................................................................................. 45
c. Ahmed Nassef ................................................................................................ 46

d. The others ....................................................................................................... 47
x
CHAPTER III: ANALYSIS
A. Deviation in Historic Jumu‘ah from Mainstream Islâm ........................................... 48

1. Woman Acting as Imám in Prayer....................................................................... 50
2. Woman delivering Jumu‘ah Khutbah (Friday sermon) ....................................... 53
3. Ikhtilath ................................................................................................................ 55
B. How Historic Jumu‘ah Represents Feminism ........................................................... 59
1. Reclaiming Back the Right .................................................................................. 59
2. Historic Jumu‘ah and the portrayal of Islâm ....................................................... 72

CHAPTER IV: CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
A. Conclusion ................................................................................................................. 77
B. Recommendation ....................................................................................................... 78
BIBLIOGRAPHY ......................................................................................................... 79
xi
TABLE OF FIGURES
Figure 1. (L to R) Jawad Ali, Ahmed Nassef and Sarah Eltantawi at Amir’s on

March 17, the night before the big Friday prayer, toasting “the end of patriarchy.” ...... 42
Figure 2. Historic Jumu‘ah congregants in prayer .......................................................... 57

Figure 3. Dua after the prayer ......................................................................................... 58
Figure 4. Amina Wadud leads the congregational prayer ............................................... 61
Figure 5. Wadud gives her khutbah before the prayer .................................................... 68

Figure 6. Amina Wadud, calling herself a “lonely scholar,” addresses reporters
before the prayer. March 18. ........................................................................................... 68
Figure 7. A congregant after the prayer. March 18 ......................................................... 69

Figure 8. Amina Wadud leads both men and women in prayer March 18 at Synod
House at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York. ......................................... 73
xii
ABSTRACT
Nurul Huda. C0300008. 2008. Islām Feminist in America: a Case Study of

Historic Jumuàh. Thesis: English Department Faculty of Letters and Fine Arts
Sebelas Maret University Surakarta.
This thesis explores the American experiences addressing Islām feminist

movement. The research is studying a case of Historic Jumuàh or a Friday prayer
led by a woman in mix gender congregants. This first Muslim woman on record to
lead mixed-gender prayer happened on Friday, March 18th 2005, at Episcopal
Church. It is a synod house in 1047 Amsterdam Ave, North East corner of 110th
Street, Upper Manhattan.
The research questions are: 1) How does Historic Jumuàh deviate from
mainstream Islām? 2) How does Historic Jumuàh represent feminist movement in
America?
This thesis uses uṣūl al-fiqh and feminism as approach to answer those
research questions.
Nevin Reda in her article entitled ‘What would the Prophet Do? The Islamic
Basis for Female-Led Prayer’ argues the religious validity of female Imám in a
mixed-gender Friday prayer. She uses a hadith that was reported by Imam
Ahmad, Abú Dàúd, on the authority of Umm Waraqah as hujjah of women are
permitted to lead a Friday prayer. Some scholars of Hadith regard the chain of
reporters of this Hadith is weak thus this hadith could not be used as hujjah.
Moreover Ibn Qudamah says that since women are not permitted to call the Adhan
for Prayer for men; they are also not allowed to lead them in Prayer.
The conclusions of this research are: 1. It is found that there are three major
deviation of Historic Jumuàh. They are: a woman acts as Imám, a woman
delivers Jumuàh khutbah, and ikhtilath. 2. Historic Jumuàh represents feminist
movement in America by presenting feminism spirits such as a woman should
have the same treatment as a man. Moreover historic Jumuàh is a manifestation
of Islāmic feminism in getting listened by world and it is “the resurrection of
Islām feminist” in America. The event of historic Jumuàh is about Muslim
women reclaiming their rightful place in Islām.
xiii
1
CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
A. Background
Today there are few places in the United States where one does not find
Muslims living, working, and worshiping. Their kids go to public schools and
pick up local culture while mosques renovated houses and even storefronts serve
as places of worship. There are more than 1,209 mosques in the United States
based on the statistic, and its development has been increasing 25 percent in a year
since 1994. Islām has become the fastest growing religion in the United States.
(Kehidupan Muslim di Amerika, 2003:2) Its development cannot be separated

from aftermath 11 September 2001 attacks in the United States. More pressure to
Islām gives more curiosity to people to learn Islām. Sadik Kirazli, in his thesis
Changes in Islāmic Hermeneutics and Social Evolution: A Comparative Study of

Turkey and Algeria, said that the September 11th terrorist attacks on the United
States, have led to an explosion of interest and scholarly work on Islām and the
Muslim world (However Islām in America is a phenomenon that actually

positioned by the media). (Kirazli, 2003:4-5) Media in America published that
Islām becomes the fastest growth in the United States. In the same time they also
give negative point of view of Islām. This situation has been explained deeply by
an Assistant Professor of Social Studies, School of Education, Brooklyn College
at CUNY, J. A. Progler. in his paper, “The Utility of Islāmic Imagery in the
West”, states that the negative image of Islām in United States and the fastest
growth of Islām is published widely on purpose. (Al Tawhid, Vol XIV No. 4). J.
A. Progler in his analysis has put basic understanding about growth of Islām in
America as an issue spread by the media.

2
Teuku Alvisyahrin, Past Executive President Islāmic Center Of Northwest
Arkansas, in his email had given emphasized that Islām is the fastest growing
religion in America and Europe. The reason is because more and more people
today understand the Islāmic teaching despite the propaganda in certain media.
And this will likely not happen this fast without an active role of Muslims doing
their part and setting a good example in many aspects of daily life. In a recent
survey, there are 1,209 mosques in America, over half founded in the last 20
years. Between 17 and 30 percent of American Muslims are converts to the faith.
Muslims living in the United States today represent a great many movements
and identities: immigrant and indigenous, Sunni and Shi'ite, conservative and
liberal, orthodox and heterodox. While exact figures for the current number of
Muslims in the U.S. population are difficult to determine, over half are members
of first-, second-, or third-generation immigrant families. These are quick facts
Islām in America:
Table 1. Facts Islām in America
Mosques in the United States 1,209

American Muslims associated with a mosque 2 million
Increase in number of mosques since 1994 25 percent
Proportion of mosques founded since 1980 62 percent
Average number of Muslims associated with each mosque in 1,625
the United States
U.S. mosque participants who are convertsa 30 percent
American Muslims who "strongly agree" that they should 70 percent
participate in American institutions and the political process
Islām in America: Ethnic origins of regular participants in
U.S. mosques
U.S. mosques attended by a single ethnic group 7 percent
U.S. mosques that have some Asian, African-American, and + 90 percent
Arab members
South Asian (Pakistani, Indian, Bangladeshi, Afghani) 33 percent
African-America 30 percent
Arab 25 percent
Sub-Saharan African 3.4 percent
European (Bosnian, Tartar, Kosovar, etc.) 2.1 percent
White American 1.6 percent
Southeast Asian (Malaysian, Indonesian, Filipino) 1.3 percent
3
Caribbean 1.2 percent

Turkish 1.1 percent
Iranian 0.7 percent
Hispanic/Latino 0.6 percent
U.S. mosques that feel they strictly follow the Qur’án and More than 90
Sunnah percent
U.S. mosques that feel the Qur’án should be interpreted 71 percent
with consideration of its purposes and modern
circumstances
U.S. mosques that provide some assistance to the needy nearly 70
percent
U.S. mosques with a full-time school More than 20
percent
Source: Religion Statistics around the World (2006)
Islām has been present and visible in New York City for over a century. For
most of its history the largest city in the United States, New York has been home
to a rich variety of ethnic groups, and its Muslim population has included
merchant seamen, tradesmen, entertainers, white-collar professionals, and owners

of major businesses. Mosque-building activity has flourished in New York.
National Islāmic organizations find the city a particularly fruitful place to extend
their activities, and a large number of elementary and upper-level Islāmic schools,
as well as Muslim stores and businesses, are springing up all over the city.
The development of Islām in America and its phenomenon has given space to
do research particularly in social sciences. More researchers, those working in the

social sciences, have taken the view that each and every phenomenon is unique
and its uniqueness is its most important quality. (Allison, 1998:8) Their idea
(Americans) will give different perception and translation about values and
believes even in understanding Islāmic teaching. There are a lot variety of
communities who claim themselves as Muslim community. One of the
communities in North America is Progressive Muslim Union. This community

has different perception about Islām of the mainstream. Other muslim
communities who have uniqueness are Women’s Freedom Tour, Muslim
WakeUp.
4
On Friday, March 18th 2005, the communities mentioned above held an event
that has never occurred before; they held a Friday prayer at Episcopal Church.
This is a Synod House in 1047 Amsterdam Ave on the North East corner of 110th
Street, Upper Manhattan. That was not an ordinary Friday prayer since it was led
by a woman and mix gender congregants. This event is called Historic Jumuàh.
Historic Jumuàh is interesting case, since in the America (West) culture was
positioned as norm while in Islām, culture was positioned as a result of the
application of Islāmic teaching. The feminism spirit has a role in presenting

historic Jumuàh. The research found that these Muslim communities’ had applied
religion using the cultural approach that was idea of the feminist and secularism.
B. Research Questions
In order to give a focus, research questions are formulated as follows:

1. How does Historic Jumuàh deviate from mainstream Islām?
2. How does Historic Jumuàh represent feminist movement in America?
C. Objectives
The objectives of this research are:

1. To describe how Historic Jumuàh deviates from mainstream Islām.
2. To describe how Historic Jumuàh represents feminist movement in

America?
5
D. Benefits
In this research, the researcher hopes the result will give some benefits to the
reader as follows:
1. Giving contribution to the readers to understand and comprehend the
historic Jumuàh as a presentation of feminist movement. The research

informs the reader about the Friday prayer in Islāmic teaching and gives
explanation from the feminist perspective.
2. Giving additional information about the practice of American Muslim

feminist. It will become the reference for feminist scholar that has
interest in Muslim development and the feminist movement in America.
E. Research Methodology
1. Type of Research
This research is a descriptive qualitative research. The research was a case
study which analyzed an event called historic Jumuàh that happened in the past,
on Friday, March 18th 2005.
A loyal opposition was arguing that the natural sciences were all well and
good at what they did, but the study of human behaviour required a special insight
and special methods. (Anderson, 1987:238)
2. Theoretical Approaches
Different methodology will give different result of analysis. When dealing
with the Islāmic perspective of any topic, there should be a clear distinction
6
between the normative teachings of Islām and the diverse cultural practices among
Muslims, which may or may not be consistent with them. (Badawi, 2002).
The prayer in Islāmic teaching is a fiqh matter. The researcher needed Uṣūl
al-fiqh methodology in accessing the data.
As a science which is derived from Qur’án and Sunnah, fiqh needs theoretic
frame and methodology which called Uṣūl al-fiqh. Uṣūl al-fiqh is
“knowledge about general fiqh argumentation, the way how to use it, also the
knowledge about the one who will use the argument”. The function and role
of Uṣūl al-fiqh is similar with logic in philosophy. If logic could avoid for
someone in doing fallacies, so Uṣūl al-fiqh prevent a faqih doing mistakes in
deriving the law. (Syafrin, 2005:38)
Historic Jumuàh is the first Muslim woman on record to lead a public
mixed-gender. The event was sponsored by Muslim WakeUp and the Muslim
Women's Freedom Tour. Thus it needs feminism theory to analyze the event.
Feminism theory gives the reader an understanding to the feminist group.
3. Data and Source of data
The data employed in this research is divided into two groups; those are main
data and supporting data.

a. The main data were taken from the event of Friday prayer on March 18,
2005, from 1-3pm, in Synod House 1047 Amsterdam Ave on the North
East corner of 110th Street and Amsterdam Avenue in Upper Manhattan.

It included all data that were received straight from the organizer and the
congregants of Historic Jumuàh. The data consist of publication from
Muslim wakeup, Progressive Muslim Union, notes from Asra Nomani,

Amina Wadud, Syed Ebrahim, and other congregants. The photos of the
event are from Quincy Patriot Ledger taken by Omar Sacirbey
http://www.aliciapatterson.org/APF2202/Sacirbey/Sacirbey.html.
7
b. The supporting data were taken from books, academic journals, writing
publication, and online discussion report, which are relevant to the

research. Most of data are derived from library and Internet.
4. Technique of collecting data
First the researcher visited historic Jumuàh site: www.muslimwakeup.com.

Then all articles from this site which have relation with the event of historic
Jumuàh were downloaded. The researcher read them and made notes about
everything that have relation with research questions. Picture of historic Jumuàh
were downloaded from http://www.aliciapatterson.org/APF2202/Sacirbey/
Sacirbey.html
Another publication, books, articles, blog notes, academic journals, and
online discussion report were collected from many sites through search engine.
The others were obtained from library and interview.

The data were read carefully and repeatedly until the researcher understood
the situation that happened at that time. The researcher made important notes
which are appropriate with the research questions. For the interview data,
researcher recorded it and saved it in the digital form. Then the file were played
repeatedly and carefully listened. Having completed purposive data collecting
method, the ‘raw’ mass data and information were obtained.

8
5. Technique of Analysis
The raw data and information were classified based on where the thought
came from. The classification is divided into Islāmic teaching, feminism, and
cultural value.
The first analysis answered the research question how Historic Jumuàh
deviated from mainstream Islām. From data that covered the proofs in the
Shari’ah source-texts about Friday prayer researcher interpreted the jurisprudence
of Friday prayer. The result was thought of mainstream Islām (x). Then from data
of feminism class, the researcher analyzed the legal arguments on which adduced
the basis of the principles. In here, the organizer's interpretations and assigned
preference were formulated. The result was thought of Historic Jumuàh (y).
The next step, the researcher analyzed (x) and (y) from the methods of
deriving rules from Qur’án, Sunnah, and Ijtihad. This analysis leads to conclusion
how valid dalil and hujjah that is used in Historic Jumuàh.

The second analysis answered second research question about how Historic
Jumuàh represents feminist movement in America. From the cultural value, the
researcher identified the feminism epistemology (w). Then, the feminism, (y)
were analyzed using (w). The result leads to the conclusion as the final
interpretation.
9
6. Thesis organization
The thesis organization is arranged as follows. The title of the thesis is

“Islām Feminist in America: a Case study of Historic Jumuàh”. In the first
chapter, introduction is divided into some subchapters; there are Background of
Choosing the subject, Scope of Study, Research Questions, Objectives, Benefit,

Methodology, Theoretical Approaches and Thesis Organization.
Second chapter is Literature Review, which is divided into some subchapters;
they are Uṣūl al-fiqh, Islām and Friday prayer, and feminism.
Third chapter, analysis is divided into two major analyses. First the analysis
on how Historic Jumuàh deviates from the Islām teaching mainstream and
second, the discussion of how Historic Jumuàh represents feminism.

The fourth chapter is conclusion consists of conclusion and recommendation.
10
CHAPTER II
LITERATURE REVIEW
This chapter deals with looking into available literature that covers the
components which the researcher used in the analysis. They are Uṣūl al-fiqh,
methodology for research, Islām and Friday prayer, and the feminism theory.
This literature review chapter is divided into four sub chapters. The first sub
chapter discuses about Uṣūl al-fiqh: methodology for research. The second sub
chapter explains Islām and Friday prayer. And the rest sub chapter provides
information about feminism in America.
A. Uṣūl al-fiqh: Methodology for Research
Uṣūl al-fiqh is a methodology in which reason and revelation come together,
where considered opinion is accompanied by received law. Yet, Al Uṣūl does not
rely purely on reason in a way that would be unacceptable to law, nor is it based
simply on the kind of blind acceptance that would not be supported by reason.
Hence, the methodology of Uṣūl al-fiqh has been called the Philosophy of Islam.
According al Razi, in his book Al Mahsul Fi 'Ilm Usul al Fiqh, edited by Dr.
Taha Jabir Al Alwani, Riyadh, Imam ibn Sa'ud Islamic University, 1st edition,
1399/1979, part I, p.94, Uṣūl al-fiqh is defined as part of science. The science of
Source Methodology in Islāmic Jurisprudence Uṣūl al-fiqh has been defined as
the aggregate, considered per se, of legal proofs and evidence that, when studied
properly, will lead either to certain knowledge of a Shari’ah ruling or to at least a

reasonable assumption concerning the same; the manner by which such proofs are
adduced, and the status of the adducer (Al Alwani, 1990:11).
11
Uṣūl al-fiqh as subject matter deals with the proofs in the Shari’ah source-
texts, viewing them from the perspective of how, by means of Ijtihad, legal
judgements which are derived from their particulars; though after, in cases where
texts may appear mutually contradictory, preference has been established.
Al Alwani talked about the benefit of Uṣūl al-fiqh in his book, the science of
Uṣūl al-fiqh engenders the ability to have knowledge of Shari’ah rulings through
study, on the part of those qualified to perform Ijtihad and who meet all its
requirements, of the legal proofs revealed in the sources by the Lawgiver.

The benefit to be had from this science to those not qualified to perform
Ijtihad is that, through their study of the classical schools of legal thought
madhahib of the mujtahidun (those who practise Ijtihad) and the reasoning behind
their rulings, the student of Source Methodology in Islāmic Jurisprudence is
enabled to understand the various schools of thought, to analyze them, to choose
from among their interpretations and assign preference, and to adduce legal
arguments on the basis of the principles formulated by the classical mujtahidun.
(Al Alwani, 1990: 11).
1. The Sciences from Which Uṣūl al-fiqh Derived Its Academic Basis
The science of Uṣūl al-fiqh is in fact an independent and autonomous field. It

is, however, based on certain fundamental predications muqaddamat, knowledge
of which the Islāmic legal scholar cannot do without (Al Alwani, 1990:11). Still
in his book Al Alwani explains these predications have been derived from several
other disciplines:
a. Some are derived from the science of Aristotelian logic which the
philosopher-theologian writers’ mutakallimun had become accustomed

to discussing in the introductions to their works. These academic
discussions dealt, for example, with the ways in which words convey
12
meanings, the division of subjects into present and predicable, the need
for, and varieties of, discourse depending on conceptual principles taken

from interpretations and definitions, the validity of conclusions based on
inductive reasoning, and discussions about evidence and how it may be
used to prove the claims of the one who is adducing it, or to refute
contradictions.
b. Some are derived from Ilm al Kalam Scholastic Theology, and include
discussions of such questions as the nature of the Sovereign Hakim, in

the sense of whether it is the Shari’ah itself or reason which decides
what is right and what is wrong; or such as whether one can have
knowledge of right and wrong before revelation; or such as whether

rendering thanks to the Bounteous Creator is a duty derived from the
Shari’ah or from human reasoning.
c. Some are general linguistic rules which the scholars of al Uṣūl

developed through linguistic research and presented in a crystallized
form, such as research dealing with languages and their origins, the
classification of words into metaphorical and literal, discussions of

etymology, synonymity, emphasis, generalization, specification, the
meanings of grammatical particles.
d. Some are derived from the classical sciences of the Qur’án and the
Sunnah, such as discussions concerning the transmission of Hadith by a
single narrator Ahad, or by an impeccable plurality of narrators Tawatur,
the non-standard recitations of the Qur’án and the rules about them, the
criteria for the acceptance Ta'dil or rejection Jarh of narrators of Hadith,
abrogation of legislation al Nasikh wa al Mansukh, (the study of those
verses of the Qur'an whose content have abrogated a legal meaning

another verse, or in a Hadith, which is therefore called al Mansukh. This
13
branch of al Uṣūl also studies whether or not the contents of a Hadith
may abrogate legal meanings in the Qur’án, and in other Hadith) the
condition of the text of a Hadith and its chain of narrators.
e. Finally, the examples cited by the scholars of al Uṣūl in illustration of
their arguments are derived from the specifics of Fiqh, and from the
detailed evidence for the same as taken from the Qur’án and the Sunnah.
The issues with which the scholars of al Uṣūl are primarily concerned include
the following:
a. Logic and its predications
b. Linguistics
c. Commands and Prohibitions
d. Comprehensive al 'Amm and Particular terms al Khass
e. Inconclusive al Mujmall and Determined concepts al Mubayyan
f. Abrogation al Naskh
g. Deeds (in particular, those of the Prophet, upon whom be peace, and their
significance)
h. Consensus al Ijma'
i. Narrations relating to the Sunan
j. Analogical reasoning al Qiyas
k. Indicating preference in cases of apparent contradiction
l. Exercising legal acumen and scholarship Ijtihad
m. Following a specific school of legal thought Taqlid
n. Disputed Sources (those other than the four "agreed" sources)
2. Origins and Development of Uṣūl al-fiqh
As a science which is derived from Qur’án and Sunnah, Fiqh needs

theoretical frame and logical methodology that is called Uṣūl al-fiqh. More, Uṣūl
al-fiqh is about general understanding of fiqh arguments and the understanding of

people who used those arguments. Uṣūl al-fiqh adalah ”pengetahuan tentang dalil-
dalil fiqh secara umum, cara menggunakannya, serta pengetahuan tentang orang
yang menggunakan dalil-dalil tersebut. (Syafrin, 2005:38)

14
It is difficult to attempt a study of Uṣūl al-fiqh and its development without
considering The history of Fiqh and the practical precepts of Shari’ah that have
been gleaned from detailed source-evidence (Al Alwani, 1990:13).
Al Alwani still in his book explains, the lexical meaning of Uṣūl is
foundation, or basis Asl; plural Uṣūl or that upon which something else is built. In
the legal system of Islām, Fiqh is built upon and stems from the bases Uṣūl which
constitute its source-evidence. Hence, in order to understand the origins of Uṣūl
al-fiqh, researcher needs to have a general idea of the history of Islāmic legislation
Tashri'.
Establishing Shari’ah legislation, prescribing law, laying down rules and
regulations, and defining systems is a function which is specific to Allàh alone.

Anyone who presumes to ascribe these functions to any other than Allàh commits
the sin of al Shirk, as, in doing so, he has effectively contradicted the belief in the
Oneness of Allàh Tawhid.

Allàh has provided articulate proofs and clear source-evidence in order that
the believers should have no trouble in finding their way to the particulars of His
legislation, or Ahkam. with reference to some of this source-evidence, the Islāmic

Ummah has agreed on its validity and its relevance to the Ahkam, and has
accepted it as such. However there are differences with regard to other source-
evidence.
The source-evidence upon which the whole Ummah fully agrees, and on the
validity of which there is general consensus, comprises the two sources that
formed the basis of legislation at the time of the Prophet (PBUH). These two
sources of legislation are:
a. The Qur’án: This may be defined as the words revealed to the Prophet
(PBUH) the recitation of which itself constitutes an act of worship, the

shortest Sùrah of which is a challenge to mankind to produce anything
15
the like thereof, every letter of which has been transmitted to us via an
indisputably authentic chain of authority Tawatur; which is written

between the two covers of the Holy Book Mushaf beginning with Sùrah
al Fatihah "The Opening Chapter" and ending with the Sùrah al Nas.
b. The Sunnah: This includes everything, other than the Qur’án, which
has been transmitted from the Prophet (PBUH); what he said, did, and
agreed to.
Thus, every utterance of the Prophet (PBUH), apart from the Qur’án, and his
every deed, from the beginning of his mission to the last moment of his life,
constitute his Sunnah, in the general sense of the word, whether these establish a
ruling which is generally applicable to all members of the Ummah, or a ruling

which applies only to the Prophet himself or to some of his Sahabah.
Regardless of whether what the Prophet (PBUH) did was instinctive or
otherwise, his every word, deed and approval may be taken as the basis for
evidence in a legal ruling. This is so regardless of whether his utterances or
actions related to matters of faith or practice, or whether they were concerned with
commanding or recommending, prohibiting, disapproving, or allowing; and

regardless of whether his word or action was based on a ruling previously
revealed in the Qur’án, or whether it served independently to establish legislation.
During the lifetime of the Prophet (PBUH), all the legal rulings Ahkam of the
Shari’ah, inclusive of all of its classifications, such as principal and derived
rulings, teachings on the fundaments of the faith, and regulations regarding
personal practice and legalities, were derived from these two sources, the Qur’án
and the Sunnah.
c. Ijtihad was practiced by the Prophet (PBUH) and by those of his
companions with legal proclivities Ahl al Nazar. The Prophet's Ijtihad

was sometimes confirmed by the Qur’án and sometimes not; in which
16
case it was explained that the better solution was other than that which
he had adopted.
The Ijtihad made by the Companions was always in response to situations
which actually occurred to them. Later, when they met the Prophet (PBUH), they
would explain what happened and tell him what they had decided. Sometimes he
(PBUH) approved of their Ijtihad, and such decisions of theirs (having gained the
approval of the Prophet) became a part of the Sunnah. If he (PBUH) disapproved
of their Ijtihad, his explanation of the correct procedure would become the
Sunnah.
Thus, researcher can say that at that stage legislation depended on the two
forms of Divine revelation Wahy:

1. Recited revelation Wahy Matlu; or the Qur’án with its absolute
inimitability I'jaz
2. Non-recited revelation Wahy Ghayr Matlu; or the Sunnah of the Prophet

(PBUH)
Indeed, the Ijtihad made by the Prophet (PBUH) set a precedent for his
Sahabah and later Muslims, that clearly proved the legitimacy of Ijtihad , so that
when they could not find a revealed rule in the Qur’án or Sunnah, they were to
make use of Ijtihad in order to arrive at a judgement on their own.
Moreover, probably to reinforce and establish this concept, the Prophet

(PBUH) used to order certain of his Companions to make Ijtihad concerning
certain matters in his presence. Then he would tell them who was correct and who
was mistaken.
17
3. Methods for Deriving Rulings from The Sources
a. As to the Qur’án
The Qur’án was learned and understood by the Sahabah without their ever
having recourse to formal rules of grammar. Likewise, endowed as they were with
clear vision, sharp wits and common sense, they readily understood the aims of
the Lawgiver and the wisdom behind His legislation. (Al Alwani, 1990:15)
Indeed, the Sahabah rarely used to question the Prophet (PBUH) about any
matter unless he himself mentioned it first.
It is reported that Ibn Abbas said that he had never seen any people better
than the Sahabah of the Prophet (PBUH),. Throughout his mission, until he
passed away, they only asked him about thirteen matters, all of which are
mentioned in the Qur’án. For example, [the meaning of]: 'They ask you about
fighting in the sacred month...' (QS. Al Baqarah [2]:212); and 'They ask you
about the menstruating woman...' (QS. Al Baqarah [2]:222) " Ibn Abbas said,
"They only asked him about matters which were of actual concern to them."
Ibn 'Umar said in this respect: "Don't ask about something that hasn't
happened, for I heard my father, 'Umar ibn al Khattab, cursed one who asked
about something which had not occurred."
Qasim said: "You asked about things we never asked about, and quarrel
about things we never quarrelled about. You even asked about things which
I'm not familiar with; but if we did know, it would not be permitted for us to
remain silent concerning them."
Ibn Ishaq said: "I met more of the Prophet's Sahabah than anyone else did;
and I have never seen a people who lived more simply, or who were less
demanding on themselves."
'Ubadah ibn Nusay al Kindi said: "I have known a people whose austerity
was not as rigid as yours, and whose questions were quite other than the ones
you ask."
Abu 'Ubaydah said in his book Majaz al Qur’án: "It has never been reported
that any of the Sahabah went to the Prophet (PBUH) for knowledge of
anything which could be found in the Qur’án." Quoted by Shaykh 'Ali Abd al
Razzaq in Tamhid li Tarikh al Falsafah, Cairo, p. 152. (Al Alwani, 1990:15)
18
b. As to the Sunnah
The parts of the Sunnah which consist of the Prophet's words were in the
Companions' own language, so they knew its meaning and understood its phrases
and context.
As far as the Prophet's deeds were concerned, they used to witness them, then
toldl others exactly what they had seen. For example, hundreds of people saw the
Prophet (PBUH) making ablutions (Wudu’) and then adopted his practice without
asking him about details; like which of the various actions in Wudu’ were
obligatory and which were recommended, which were merely allowed and which
were not. Likewise, they witnessed him (PBUH) performing Hajj and Salah, and
the other acts of worship.
People were heard asking the Prophet (PBUH) to give Fatawa concerning
various matters, and he did so. Cases were referred to him, and he would
pronounce his judgement. Problems would arise amongst the Sahabah, and he
would give a definite answer; whether the problems concerned mutual relations,
personal conduct, or various political matters. They witnessed all these situations
and they understood the context in which they took place, so that the wisdom and
purposes of the Prophets judgements were not hidden from them.

People also saw how the Prophet (PBUH) used to notice the conduct of his
Sahabah and others. Thus, if he (PBUH) praised anybody, they knew that the
person's act had been a good one; and if he (PBUH) criticized anybody, they knew
that there had been something wrong with what the person had done.
Moreover, all the reports concerning the Prophet's Fatawa, rulings, decisions
and approval or disapproval of various matters indicate that they took place in the
presence of many people. So, just as the colleagues of a doctor know, due to their
long association and experience, the reasons for his prescribing certain medicines,
so also the Sahabah of the Prophet knew exactly the reasoning behind his
decisions. (Al Alwani, 1990:16).
19
c. As to Ijtihad
Al Alwani stated, the indications that Ijtihad is valid and relevant in the
contemporary context are many. For example, Mu'adh ibn Jabal states that when
the Prophet (PBUH) sent him to Yemen, he asked:
"what will you do if a matter is referred to you for judgement?" Mu'adh said:
"I will judge according to the Book of Allàh." The Prophet asked: "what if
you find no solution in the Book of Allàh?" Mu'adh said: "Then I will judge
by the Sunnah of the Prophet." The Prophet asked: "And what if you do not
find it in the Sunnah of the Prophet?" Mu'adh said: "Then I will make Ijtihad
to formulate my own judgement." The Prophet patted Mu'adh's chest and said
"Praise be to Allàh who has guided the messenger of His Prophet to that
which pleases Him and His Prophet." (Al Alwani, 1990:16)
This Ijtihad and forming of one's own judgement, as mentioned by Mu'adh,
is further explained in the advice Umar gave to Abu Musa when he appointed him
a judge: "Judgement is to be passed on the basis of Qur’án command or
established Sunnah practices." Then he added: "Make sure that you understand
clearly every case, that is brought to you for which there is no applicable text of
the Qur’án or the Sunnah. Yours, then, is a role of comparison and analogy, so as
to distinguish similarities -in order to reach a judgement that seems nearest to

justice and best in the sight of Allàh." (Al Alwani, 1990:16)
Abu Bakr al Siddiq, said that as far as the prophet concerned, his opinion had
always correct because Allàh always guided him. In their case, however, they
have just opinion and they conjectured. (Al Alwani, 1990:16)
Thus, the researcher may state that the concept of Ijtihad or "opinion", at
that stage, went no further than one of the following:

a. Applying one or another of the possible meanings in cases where a
sentence may lend itself to two or more interpretations, e.g. when the
Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) ordered the Muslims to pray among Banu

Qurayzah.
b. Comparative Qiyas; which deals with a matter by comparing it with
another, similar matter which is dealt with in the Qur’án or Sunnah. For
20
example, the Qiyas of 'Ammar who compared the case of Tayammum
when in a state of Janabah to Ghusl, and therefore rubbed his whole

body with dust.
c. Ijtihad by taking into account something which is potentially beneficial;
or prohibiting something which could lead to wrongdoing; or deriving a

particular ruling from general statements; or adopting a specific
interpretation; and so on.
The extent of the Prophet's concern with encouraging the Sahabah to make
Ijtihad and training them in its use can be seen in his saying "If a judge gives a
verdict/ Ijtihad according to the best of his knowledge and his verdict is correct he
will receive a double reward, and if he gives a verdict according to the best of his
knowledge and his verdict is wrong, even then he will get a reward." (Bukhàrì,
147: V. 9 B. 92 N. 450)
The Ijtihad of many of the Sahabah was so accurate that in many cases the
revelations of the Qur’án confirmed it, and the Prophet (PBUH) supported it.
Obviously, their close association with the Prophet (PBUH) had afforded them a
keen sense of the aims of the All-wise Lawgiver, of the basic purposes behind the
Qur’ánic legislation, and of the meanings of the texts; opportunities which those
who came after them did not directly enjoy.
B. Islām and Friday Prayer
Historic Jumuàh is an event of Friday prayer. The Friday prayer is one of
prayers which exist in Islām. This sub chapter discusses Islām at glance and the
Friday prayer.
Islām is major world religion belonging to the Semitic family; it was
promulgated by the Prophet Muhammad in Arabia in the 7th century AD.

(Encyclopaedia Britannica, 2006).
21
Islām is one of the three major world religions, (along with Judaism and
Christianity), that profess monotheism, or the belief in a single God. (Dallal,

2004)
From two points above the researcher agreed that Islām is a religion (Human
beings' relation to that which they regard as holy, sacred, spiritual, or divine).
Islām according to Islāmic teaching is a religion that belongs to Allàh. The
Religion before Allàh is Islām (submission to His Will): Nor did the People of the
Book dissent there from except through envy of each other, after knowledge had
come to them. But if any deny the Signs of Allàh, Allàh is swift in calling to
account. (QS. Ali Imran [3]:19) From this Sùrah, Allàh confessed that there is
another religion that does not belong to Allàh, but Islām is the religion of Allàh.
Allàh taught His religion to human through His prophets to prophets’
congregants. Then Allàh sent the revelation through the prophet with some
reason; Allàh sent the revelation in order to make human become Muslim. "If then
they (your false gods) answer not your (call), know ye that this revelation is sent
down (replete) with the knowledge of Allàh, and that there is no god but He! will
ye even then submit (to Islām)?" (QS. Huud [11]:14) The other reason is thus man
knows the only one of Allàh and worships to Allàh. Not a messenger did We send
before thee without this inspiration sent by Us to him: that there is no god but I;
therefore worship and serve Me. (QS. Al Anbiyaa’ [21]: 25)

The way of worshiping to Allàh is called prayer. There are many of kinds of
prayers in Islām. One of them is a Friday prayer. In Islām view, the Jumuàh has
the same meaning as Friday, moreover in the Qur’án has used Jumuàh rather
than Friday. Thus the reason Friday prayer on March 18th 2005 is called by
Historic Jumuàh.
22
1. Friday Prayer is Obligatory
The Friday Prayer had become obligatory even before the Prophet's migration
to Madìnah, though he could not enjoin it on the Muslims on account of the highly
unfavourable conditions prevailing in Makkah. However, when the Muslims

started migrating to Madìnah, the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) sent a written
instruction to Hadrat Musa ibn Umair, their leader, to the effect: Seek nearness to
Allàh with two rakàhs of Prayer on Friday when the sun has passed over the
meridian. Having received this instruction Hadrat Musa offered the first Friday
Prayer at Madìnah with twelve followers. (Kamal, 1986:2)
According to Hadrat Kab ibn Malik and Ibn Sírín, even before this, the Ansàr
of Madìnah had agreed to mutually observe a congregational prayer on one day in
the week. For this purpose they had selected Friday, avoiding the Sabbath of the
Jews and the Sunday of the Christians, and Hadrat As ad ibn Zurrárah had led the
first Friday Prayer at Biadah in Madìnah with 40 followers.
(Musnad Ahmad, Abú Da ud, Ibn Màjah)
The scholars are in agreement that Friday prayer is an individual obligation

and it is two rakàhs. Allàh says in the Qur'an: "O you who believe, when the call
for the salah of Jumu'ah is proclaimed, hasten unto the remembrance of Allàh, and
leave off business (and trading). That is best for you if you but knew." (Saabiq,
1990:131)
Saabiq in his fiqh-us-Sunnah explains the obligatory nature of Friday prayer
is also obvious from the Hadith recorded by Bukhàrì and Muslim from Abu
Hurairah that the Prophet said that "We are the last [of the people to come] but the
first on the day of resurrection. They received their books before us and we got
ours after them. This day was obligatory upon them, but they differed concerning
23
it, and Allàh guided us. The people, therefore, follow us: the Jews tomorrow and
the Christians the day after tomorrow."

Ibn Mas'ud reports that the Prophet noticed some people staying away from
Al Jumu'ah and said that "I had the notion to order someone to lead the people in
prayer, and then to go and burn the houses of those who stayed away from Al
Jumu'ah." This is related by Ahmad and Muslim.
Abdullah b. Umar and Abú Hurairah said that they heard Allàh's Messenger
(PBUH) say on the planks of his pulpit: People most cease to neglect the Friday
prayer or Allàh will seal their hearts and then they will be among the negligent.
This is related by Muslim (N. 1882), and by Ahmad and Nasa'i from ibn Umar
and ibn Abbas.

Abu Al Ja'd ad Damari reports that the Prophet said that "Whoever misses
three Friday prayers in a row out of negligence will have a seal put over his heart
by Allàh." This is related by the five, and Ahmad and Ibn Majah have something
similar from Jabir, while Ibn as Sakin has graded it to be sahih.
2. Command for Friday Prayer: Its Merits and Importance
Friday Prayer is obligatory and this is supported by the Qur’án, the Sunnah
and the consensus of the scholars. It occupies an important place among the
distinctive features of Islām. A person who does not believe in the obligatory
status of the Friday Prayer falls outside the pale of Islām, and the one who
abandons it due to negligence and carelessness, without a genuine reason,

becomes a sinner. O Believers! When you hear the call to the Friday Prayer,
hasten to the remembrance of Allàh and leave your trading; this is better for you
only if you know it. (QS. Al Jumuàh [62]:9)

24
Here remembrance means the Friday Sermon and the congregational service,
and hastening implies that one should make necessary preparations for it and
attend the mosque promptly. The other prayers can be offered without the
congregation and, if missed, can be offered later also. But it is not in the Friday
Prayer. It is conditioned upon congregation and, if missed, cannot be offered later.

Therefore, as soon as the call for it is given, the Believers are commanded to
leave their business and trading and hasten to the mosque for the remembrance of
Allàh.
The following explanation refers to Kamal (1986) in Everyday fiqh (Vol.1) p.
3-5. The fact is that the remembrance of Allàh for a little while and bowing and
prostrating oneself before Him along with the congregation in full consciousness
yields eternal benefits for man far greater in value and worth than the temporary
and meagre material gains that he craves for in the world. The Prophet (PBUH)
has said:
a. Narated By Tariq ibn Shihab: The Prophet (PBUH) said: The Friday
prayer in congregation is a necessary duty for every Muslim, with four
exceptions; a slave, a woman, a boy, and a sick person. (Dàúd, N. 1062)

b. The Friday Prayer is obligatory on every person who believes in Allàh
and the Last day; the one who ignores it on account of sport or fun, or
trade and business, will be ignored by Allàh, Who is Pure and Self-
Sufficient. (Dárquiní) Narated By Abdullah ibn Amr: The Prophet
PBUH said: The Friday prayer is obligatory on him who hears the call.
(Dàúd, N. 1051)
c. The name of the person who abandons the Friday Prayer without a
genuine reason, will be recorded as a hypocrite in the Book (the
Preserved Tablet), whose writings can neither be scraped out nor

tampered with. (Mishkát)
25
c. I wish I should appoint someone as Imám in my place, and should go
and set fire to the houses of the people who stay back at home and
neglect the Friday Prayer. (Muslim)
d. Abdullah b. Umar and Abú Hurairah said that they heard Allàh's
Messenger (PBUH) say on the planks of his pulpit: People most cease to
neglect the Friday prayer or Allàh will seal their hearts and then they
will be among the negligent. (Muslim, N. 1882)
e. The one who hears the call to the Friday Prayer and does not turn up for
it on one Friday, and then on the second Friday and the third Friday
consecutively, has his heart sealed and is turned a hypocrite (Tabáranì)
Alláma Sarakhsi says: The Friday Prayer is obligatory according to the

Qur’án and the Sunnah and the consensus of the Muslims. (Al Mabsút,
Vol. II, p. 22 in Kamal. 1986: 4)
Alláma Ibn Hummám says: Prayer's obligatory status is established by the

Qur’án and the Sunnah, and the consensus of the Ummah is that the person who
denies this is outside the pale of Islām." (Fath Al Qadir, Vol. I, p. 407 in Kamal.
1986:4)
Hadrat Ibn Abbás says: the person, who misses several Friday Prayers
consecutively, has abandoned Islām. (Ilm al Fiqh, Vol. II in Kamal. 1986:4)
The Prophet (PBUH) has described the merits of the Friday Prayer thus: The
one who had a bath on Friday, cleaned himself fully, used oil and perfume, then
went to the mosque early in the afternoon and took his place quietly without
pushing or disturbing the people; then offered the Sunnah prayer; then listened to
the sermon peacefully, he will have all his sins committed since the previous
Friday forgiven. (Bukhàrì, 147: V. 2 B. 13 N. 033)
26
Narrated by Abdullah ibn Amr ibn Al ‘As, the Prophet (PBUH) said: There
are three types of men who come to offer the Friday Prayer: (1) He who comes
and indulges in irrelevant talk: such a one does not gain anything beside this. (2)
He who busies himself in meditation and supplications to Allàh, which Allàh may
or may not grant. (3) He who takes his place quietly and peacefully: neither he
disturbs the people nor hurts them in any way: this man’s good behaviour
becomes an expiation for his negligence till the next Friday and for three days
more, for Allàh says: The one who does one good deed, gets the reward for ten
good deeds. (QS. Al An'am [6]:160) (Dàúd, N. 1108)
Again the Prophet (PBUH) has said, “The one who washes himself clean on
Friday, then walks to mosque, then listens to the sermon peacefully, avoiding
every frivolous act and utterance, gets the reward of one full year's worship on
every step of one year's fasting and one year's prayer.” (Tirmizí)
3. Pre-requisites of Friday Prayer
In Islāmic teaching, the Friday prayer must have a few pre-requisites, which
must be fulfilled for become essential and valid for the people. They are pre-
requisites of essentiality and pre-requisites of validity.
a. Pre-requisites of Essentiality
These are five in number:
1) Being a male: the Friday Prayer is not binding on the females.
2) Being a free man: the Friday Prayer is not binding on the slave.
3) Being an adult sane person: the Friday Prayer is not binding on
the child and the insane person.
4) Being a resident: the Friday Prayer is not binding on the traveller.

27
5) Being healthy and well: a sick or disabled person, who cannot go
to the mosque, is exempted; however, if a sick or disabled person

can go to the mosque, he will be under obligation to attend the
prayer.
Friday prayer is an obligation upon every free, adult, sane, resident

Muslim who has the ability to attend it and does not have a valid excuse to
miss it. In any case, the Friday prayer is just for person who fulfils all the five
pre-requisites mentioned above, but if a person lacking all these, or some of

these pre-requisites offers the Friday Prayer, his prayer will be valid and in
order, and he will not have to offer the Zhuhr Prayer that day. And if there is
a woman or a disabled person attends the Friday Prayer, her or his prayer will
be perfectly in order and valid, and they will not have to offer the Zhuhr
Prayer.
b. Pre-requisites of Validity
If the following five pre-requisites are not fulfilled, the Friday Prayer
will not be valid. If in spite of this, some people offer it, they will have to
offer the Zhuhr Prayer as well.
1) MisrJami: A large town or habitation
The Friday Prayer will not be valid if it is held in the jungle, or a

village, or a temporary camp.
Hadrat Alí has said: The Friday and the Id Prayers cannot be held
except in large towns. A large town or habitation in every such city
where the number of the males upon whom the Friday Prayer is
binding, is so large that no mosque in the town may accommodate
them all together. (Kamal, 1986:6)
2) Time of Zhuhr Prayer

The majority of the companions were of the opinion that the time of
Friday prayer is the same as that of the Zhuhr. It is not valid to observe
28
the Friday Prayer before or after the prescribed time of the Zhuhr
Prayer.
Ahmad, Bukhàrì, Abú Dàúd, Tirmizhi, and Baihaqi record from

Anas that the Prophet (PBUH) would have Friday prayer when the
sun had passed its meridian. Ahmad and Muslim record that
Salamah ibn Al Akua' said: "We would pray Friday prayer with the
Prophet when the sun had passed the meridian, and when we
returned [from the salah], we would be following our shadow."
Bukhàrì says: "The time of Friday prayer is when the sun passes its
meridian." Similar narrations have been recorded from Umar, Ali,
Nu'man ibn Bashir, and Umar ibn Harith. Ash Shaf'i says: "The
Prophet (PBUH), Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman, and the imams after
them all prayed the Friday prayer when the sun had passed its
zenith." (Saabiq, 1990:132)
3) The Friday Sermon/khutbah
The Sermon has to be delivered within the prescribed time limit

before the congregational Prayer. If it is delivered after the
congregational prayer or before the prescribed time, the Friday Prayer
will not be valid.
The majority of the people of knowledge are of the opinion that

khutbah for Friday prayer is obligatory and they support this by the
confirmed Hadith which state that the Prophet always made the
khutbah with the Jumuàh. In their support they also quote the
saying of the Prophet: "Pray as you see me pray," and the Qur'anic
verse: "O you who believe, when the call is proclaimed for salatul
Jumuàh, hasten unto the remembrance of Allàh. This verse
contains an order to hasten unto the remembrance, which implies it
is obligatory, and the scholars interpret the remembrance of Allàh to
include the khutbah. (Saabiq, 1990:137)
4) Congregational service
There should be at least three adult males besides the Imám, who
should remain present from the commencement of the Sermon to the

completion of the prayer, and each of them should be fit to lead the
29
prayer. The presence of females or of minor male children only is not
enough.
5) General call for the Prayer
The Friday Prayer has to be offered publicly in a place where any

and every Muslim may come to attend it without let or hindrance. If the
prayer is held in a restricted place, for instance, a bungalow, where the
common Muslims are not allowed to join in, or held behind closed
doors, the prayer will not be valid.
4. Pre-requisite of the Muslim Ruler
According to Kamal and some fiqh books, the presence of the Muslim ruler
or his deputy is necessary for the establishment of the Friday Prayer. The object is
that the ruler himself should attend the prayer as a duty and should organize it
officially and make arrangements for keeping law and order in view of the big
gathering. As for the countries where the rulers are non-Muslims, the Muslim
population is not absolved from the duty of observing the Friday Prayer. The
Muslim community have to organize and hold the prayer themselves.
5. Sunnah in the Friday Prayer
The following Sunnah are based on the explanation in Fiqh us Sunnah, Daily
Sunnah and many sources of fiqh materials.
a. It has prescribed to clean and purify oneself on Friday, to have hair and
nails, cut, to put on the best available dress, to use perfume, and attend
the mosque early in the afternoon. The Prophet (PBUH) has said: The
30
person who has a bath on Friday, puts on the best available clothes, uses
perfume if available, and comes for the prayer, and takes his place
quietly without disturbing the people, then offers the prayer that Allàh
has destined for him, and sits in perfect silence and peace from the time
the Iákes his place till the completion of the prayer, he will have all his
sins committed since the previous Friday expiated on this account. (Abú
Dá úd in Kamal, 1986:8)
b. If in spite of necessary preparations, a person is not able to attend the

Friday Prayer due to error or negligence, he should offer four rakàhs of
Zhuhr and give away something in charity. Similarly the person, who
cannot attend the mosque on account of nursing a patient, or rainstorm, or

danger of an enemy, should offer four rakàhs of Zhuhr .
c. It is preferable that the person who delivers the Sermon should lead the
prayer as well, but another person may also lead the prayer provided that
he has attended the Sermon. If a person who has not attended the Sermon
leads the prayer, if will not be valid. (Durr Al Mukhtar)
d. It is advisable that all the people of a habitation should offer the Friday
Prayer in the principal mosque of the place, but there is no harm if they
offer the prayer in different mosques of a big city or town. (Bahr ar-
Rà'iq)
e. It is forbidden to offer the Zhuhr Prayer before the Friday Prayer in a city
or habitation where the Friday Prayer is usually held. If a sick or disabled
person offers it, it will be an imperfect prayer, and he will have to offer it
again after the Friday Prayer has been held. (IlmAl Fiqh, Vol II).
f. The sick and disabled persons upon whom Friday Prayer is not binding,
should offer the Zhuhr Prayer on Friday Prayer on Friday individually; it

31
is highly undesirable that they should offer it in congregation. (Durr Al
Mukhtár)
g. The prayer should be somewhat longer than the Sermon. Abu Wa'il
reported: Ammar delivered to us the sermon. It was short and eloquent.
When he descended (from the pulpit) we said to him: O Abd al Yaqzn,

you have delivered a short and eloquent sermon. Would that you had
lengthened (the sermon). He said: I have heard the Messenger of Allàh as
saying: The lengthening of prayer by a man and the shortness of the

sermon is the sign of his understanding (of faith). So lengthen the prayer
and shorten the sermon, for there is charm (in precise) expression.
(Muslim, N. 1889)
h. If a latecomer joins the Friday Prayer in the Final Sitting, or joins it after
Sajdah Sahv in Tashahhud, his prayer will be valid. He should complete
his two rakàhs independently after salutation by the Imám.

i. One should start making preparations for the Friday Prayer from
Thursday as was the practice of the Prophet (PBUH). (Mishkát)
Five good things are such that if a person can perform them all on the
same day, Allàh will include him among the dwellers of Paradise.
j. On Friday one should spend as much of one's time as possible in the
remembrance of Allàh, recitation of the Qur’án asking for Allàh’s

forgiveness of one's sins, works of charity, visiting the sick and the
graveyard, attending funerals and other works of public good. According
to Hadrat Abú Saìd Khudri, the Prophet (PBUH) said: Five good things
are such that if a person can perform them all on the same day, Allàh will
include him among the dwellers of Paradise: 1 visiting the sick, 2
attending the funerals, 3 observing the fast, 4 offering the Friday

Prayer, 5 setting the slave free.
32
According to another tradition reported by Hadrat Abù Saíd Khudri, the
Prophet (PBUH) said “The person who recites Sùrah Al Kahf on Friday
will have a bright light lit up for him till the next Friday.” (Nasai)
According to Hadrat Abu Hurairah, the Prophet (PBUH) said: The
person who recites Sùrah Ad Dukhán on Friday night, will have seventy-
thousand angels imploring Allàh for his forgiveness with the result that
he will have all his sins forgiven. (Tirmizí)
The Prophet (PBUH) has also said: There is a blessed hour on Friday
during which a person is granted by Allàh anything that he prays for.
(Bukhàrì). As to the specification of this hour, two of the views
generally accepted are: (1) It begins from the time the Imám ascends the
pulpit for delivering the sermon and lasts till the completion of the
prayer, (2) it implies the last moments of Friday when the sun is about to
set.
One may pray to Allàh at both these times for fulfilment of one's lawful
desires.
k. It is desirable that one should reach the mosque as early in the afternoon
as possible. The Prophet (PBUH) has said “The person who has a bath on
Friday and purifies himself fully, then comes to the mosque early, will be
regarded as though he has sacrificed a camel; the one who comes a bit
late, would be regarded as though the has sacrificed a cow or a buffalo;
the one who comes still later, will be regarded as though he has sacrificed
a two horned ram; and the one who comes last of all, will be regarded as
though he has given away an egg in the way of Allàh. Then when the
Imám comes out to deliver the Sermon, the angels leave the door of the
mosque and take their places in order to listen to the Sermon and offer the
prayer.” (Muslim in Kamal, 1986: 10)
33
l. It is in accordance with the Sunnah to recite Sùrah Há Mim Sajdah (41)
and Sùrah Ad Dahr (76) in the Fajr Prayer on Friday.

m. It is in accordance with the Sunnah to recite Sùrah QS. Al Jumuàh (62)
and Al Munaafiquun (63), or Sùrah Al A’laa (87) and Al Ghaasyiyah
(88) in the Friday Prayer.

n. One may take one's place quietly wherever one may find it and avoid
jumping over the people's shoulders in search of a comfortable place,
because this disturbs the people physically as well as mentally. According

to Hadrat Abdullah ibn Abbàs, the Prophet (PBUH) said “The person
who stands in the second row instead of the first row only with a view to
avoid disturbing a fellow Muslim, is awarded a double reward as against

the one standing in the front row. (Tabarànì).
o. On Friday one should invoke Allàh as often as possible for His blessings
on the Prophet (PBUH), for the Prophet (PBUH) has said: The best day
for you is Friday because Adam was created on Friday and he died on
Friday and Resurrection will take place on Friday. Therefore, you should
invoke Allàh blessings for me frequently on this day, because your

invocations in this regard are presented before me. The Companions
asked, O Messenger of Allàh! Even when your body will have decayed?
The earth is forbidden to eat up a Prophet. (Muslim in Rabbani, 2005)
6. Regulations Relating to the Sermon
a. The Imám has to deliver the Sermon in two parts: in the first part he
should instruct the people in religion, and exhort them to action; in the
second he should recite a few verses of the Qur’án, invoke Allàh

34
blessings for the Prophet (PBUH), and pray for forgiveness of his
Companions.
b. The preacher should prepare a suitable and comprehensive khutbah for
every Friday and should deal with the problems facing the Muslims in the
light of the Qur’án and the Sunnah, and teach the people the ways of
solving and tackling those problems in the Islāmic way. He should
remind them of their religious duties and obligations and infuse into them
the spirits of their faith and love of their community. It is permissible to

read out a prepared sermon from the book, or deliver one of the Prophet's
Sermons. But the real object of the Friday Sermon is that the leader of the
Muslims should instruct them in their religion in a natural, systematic and

organised way, explain to them their obligations and responsibilities and
afford them guidance in respect of the current problems in the light of the
Qur’án and the Sunnah.

c. The preacher after delivering the first sermon should sit down on the
pulpit for so long. It is about three short verses or the words Subhãn-Allàh
may be recited. Then he should stand up and deliver the second part of
the sermon. In the first sermon he should give religious instructions in a
spirited and dignified manner and exhort the audience to practice; in the
second sermon he should recite some verses of the Qur’án, invoke Allàh.
The Imám may also pray for the Muslims ruler of the time.
d. The Sermon should be somewhat shorter than the prayer, for it is
undesirable to make the sermon unduly long. The Prophet (PBUH) has
said, “The prolongation of the prayer and shortness of the sermon are an
index of the Imam’s common sense and insight in religion; you should,
therefore, offer a long prayer and deliver a short sermon.” (Muslim)

35
e. It is obligatory to listen to the sermon peacefully and with full attention,
whether the listener is sitting near the Imám or away from him.
f. It is desirable that one should sit close to the Imám during the sermon
and face towards him. (Mishkàt)
g. When the Imám has stood up to deliver the sermon, no one should offer
an individual prayer, nor should one engage in conversation, for it is
forbidden to talk, offer prayer, busy oneself in meditation, eat, drink,
greet or respond to greeting, or do anything which may distract one from

the sermon. Even giving of religious instruction or exhorting others to do
good is forbidden. The Prophet (PBUH) has said: The person who talks
when the sermon is in progress, is like a donkey loaded with books, and
the one who tells another one to be quiet, during the sermon, has lost his
own Friday Prayer. (Musnad Ahmad, Tabaràní)
One is, however, permitted to offer a missed prayer during the sermon,
and one must do so if necessary.
h. One may invoke Allàh’s blessings for the Prophet (PBUH) inaudibly
when his name is mentioned in the sermon.

i. In the second sermon, it is commendable to pray for the Prophet's near
and dear ones, his Companions, wives, especially the rightly-guided
Caliphs, Hadrat Hamzah and Hadrat Abbás. The Imám may also pray for
the Muslims ruler of the time, but it is forbidden to exaggerate his praises
and say things beyond the truth. (Ilm al Fiqh, Vol II,.148 in Kamal.
1986:12)
j. In the Sermon of the last Friday of Ramadán, though it is not forbidden to
dwell on farewell themes, it is undesirable to make such themes an
integral part of one's sermon persistently because no such thing has been
reported from the Prophet (PBUH) and his Companions, nor has it been
36
mentioned in the authentic books of Fiqh. Due to the prevailing practice
of giving farewell sermons, people have wrongly started looking upon the
last Friday of Ramadán as of special religious significance, which is a
misconception and needs to be eradicated.
k. As soon as the sermon is over, Iq’mah for the prayer should be

pronounced, as was the practice in the Prophet's time; it is forbidden to
engage in worldly business between the sermon and the prayer. If the
Imám does so and prolongs the interval, for instance in taking food, or
settling a commercial issue, he will have to deliver the sermon once
again. However, if he has to attend to an unavoidable religious matter,
for instance, performing of Wudu’, or Ghusl, which is necessary and he

remembers of it after the sermon, there is no harm in observing the
interval and no need to deliver the sermon again.
C. Feminism
Feminism generally is talking about pattern of relation between men and

women in the society. In its development there is no standard definition for this
idea. Kamla Bashin and Nighat Said Khan, two South Asian feminists, state that
“It is not easy to define term of feminism that can be accepted or applied to all
feminists every where and every place. It was caused by the definition of
feminism has always changed to follow the different practice of social culture
which became background of its appearance, also the different level

understanding, perception and action by the feminist itself.” (Muslikhati, 2004:17-
18).
Humm, in her preface of Dictionary of Feminist Theory stated that a

fundamental goal of feminist theory was to change women’s oppression in terms
37
of race, gender, class, and sexual preference (Humm, 1995). Feminist theory
reveals the importance of women’s individual and shared experiences and their
struggles.
Feminism can be defined as, a doctrine that advocates or demands for women
the same rights granted men, as in political and economic status. (The American
Heritage Dictionary, 496). The belief in the social, economic, and political
equality of the sexes, feminism is manifested worldwide and is represented by
various institutions committed to activity on behalf of women’s rights and

interests. (Encyclopaedia Britannica, 2006). The definition incorporates both a
doctrine of equal rights for women (the organised movement to attain women’s
rights) and an ideology of social transformation aiming to create a world for

women beyond simple social community. “In general, feminism is an ideology of
women’s liberation since intrinsic in all its approaches is the belief that women
suffer injustice because of their sex” (Humm, 1995:94).

From many definitions above, the researcher took conclusion: feminism is an
ideology about each gender which has the same right and freedom to choose in
their life. This idea is supported by Freedman in Rarastesa; Feminism is a belief

that women and men are inherently of equal worth. Because most societies
privilege men as a group, social movements are necessary to achieve equality
between women and men, with the understanding that gender always intersects
with other social hierarchies (Rarastesa, 2007:2).
1. Feminism Movement
Feminism movement in America has gone through three phase. The first
phase is called first-wave feminism which happens in the end of 19th and early
20th centuries. The first-wave focus on women’s legal right, such as right to vote.
The second-wave feminism is seeking equal rights and opportunities for women
38
in their economic activities, their personal lives, and politics. The second-wave
feminism of the “women's movement” peaked in the 1960s and '70s and touched
on every area of women's experience including family, sexuality, and work. And
the third–wave feminism is reconsidering the position of men as partner in work
and life. “… adalah third-wave feminism yang kembali ke first-wave feminist

movement namun bukan lagi memperjuangkan hak untuk memberikan suara
namun kembali mempercayai nilai-nilai yang menganggap laki-laki sebagai
partner yang bisa diajak kerja sama dan bukan memisahkan diri dari laki-laki”
(Rarastesa, 2007:2).
Tong in his book Feminist Thought makes eight classifications of feminist
thought. They are Liberal feminism, radical feminism, Marxist and socialist
feminism, psychoanalytic and gender feminism, existentialist feminism, post
modern feminism, multicultural and global feminism, and ecofeminism.
The liberal feminist thought in the Eighteenth Century is about equality

education between men and women. The focuses in the nineteenth century are
equal political rights and economic opportunities. The overall goal of liberal
feminism is to create “a just and compassionate society in which freedom

flourishes” Only in such a society can women as well as men thrive. (Tong,
1998:12)
The Radical's Feminism emerged as the reaction from the Liberal movement
of Feminism. The Radical's Feminism also could be defined as the movement of
the fighting woman in sexual reality, and less in other realities. Therefore, this
movement especially discussed how it destroyed patriarchy as the system thought

that becomes institution in the community.
Marxist Feminism emerged as the upper reaction of liberal feminism.
Thinking about how to increase the status and the role of the woman, Marxist
39
Feminism believes that backwardness that was experienced by women was caused
by the social structure, politics and close economics of capitalism system.

Socialist Feminism is the synthesis of the Radical's Feminism with Marxist
Feminism. In Marxist feminism, capitalism system caused the retardation and
oppression of woman. But in the socialist feminism, found in the socialist country,
many women who have been autonomous economically and obviously was still
oppressed because of being dominated by the patriarchy system. For Socialist
Feminism, to remove the domination of the men must be anticipated by means of

the awareness of the woman about their position that was crushed.
Tong’s classification does not include Islāmic feminism. The researcher uses
Islāmic feminism as point of view in the discussion of historic Jumuàh. Thus the
next section is about Islāmic feminism.
2. Islāmic feminism
The title of the thesis is Islām Feminist in America: a Case study of Historic
Jumuàh. Thus it is a case study that involves Islām feminist as an object of study.
Islām feminist is a term that researcher used to identify one community which has
special characteristic.
Islām feminist is a phrase that consists of two words; Islām and feminist.
Islām is a religion, in Encarta encyclopaedia noted one of the three major world
religions, along with Judaism and Christianity, which profess monotheism, or the
belief in a single God. While feminist refers to people who support the feminism
and practice it in their daily life. Thus, Islām feminist is a definition given to a
community which has characteristic support the feminism, specifically Islāmic
feminism.
40
Islāmic feminism is not a product of East or West. Indeed, it transcends East
and West. Islamic feminism is being produced at diverse sites around the world by
women inside their own countries, whether they come from countries with
Muslim majorities or from old established minority communities. Islamic
feminism is also growing in Muslim Diaspora and convert communities in the

West. Islamic feminism is circulating with increasing frequency in cyberspace - to
name just one site: maryams.com (Badran, 2002).
There has been much misunderstanding, misrepresentation, and mischief

concerning Islāmic feminism. The term of Islāmic feminism began to be visible in
the 1990s in various global locations. The definition of Islāmic feminism refers to
some the following explanations.

Islāmic feminism is “a discourse of gender equality and social justice that
derives its understanding and mandate from the Qur’án and seeks the practice of
rights and justice for all human beings in the totality of their existence across the
public-private continuum” (MWU, 2004).
A feminist historian Margot Badran, in Islamic feminism: what's in a name?,
defines Islāmic feminism as a feminist discourse and practice articulated within an

Islāmic paradigm. Islāmic feminism, which derives its understanding and mandate
from the Qur’án, seeks rights and justice for women, and for men, in the totality
of their existence (Badran, 2002).

According to Windows faith (2001) edited by Gisela Webb, It is important to
distinguish between Islāmic feminism as an explicitly declared project, as an
analytical term; and Islāmic feminist as a term of identity. Some Muslim women
describe their project of articulating and advocating the practice of Qur’ánically
mandated gender equality and social justice as Islāmic feminism. Others do not
call this Islāmic feminism but describe it as an Islāmic project of rereading the
Qur’án, women-centered readings of religious texts, or "scholarship-activism”.
41
The main aim of Islām feminism, as the aim of feminism generally, is to
erode treatment injustice towards the women in the social structure as well as to
fight for gender equality. The Islāmic feminist considered that in fact the social
life of the Muslim community, the women still were being treated unjust, where
the women did not yet obtain the position that was equal to the man in gender
relations.
3. The Latest Development in America
The Islāmic feminist in America has developed into organization. Some

organizations are used as the means to spread the spirit of feminism. At the early
of those organizations they succeeded in forming virtual communities. A growing

number of virtual communities are evolving into physical communities,
organizing “Progressive Muslim” groups through Meetup.com, the website that
Howard Dean supporters built their powerful grassroots movement (Sacirbey,

2005:3).
One which is popular is Muslim WakeUp. It seeks to bring together Muslims
and non-Muslims in America and around the globe in efforts that celebrate
cultural and spiritual diversity, tolerance, and understanding through online and
offline media, events, and community activities. Muslim WakeUp champions an
interpretation of Islām that celebrates the Oneness of God and the Unity of God’s
creation through the encouragement of the human creative spirit and the free
exchange of ideas, in an atmosphere that is filled with compassion and free of
intimidation, authoritarianism, and dogmatism. In all its activities, Muslim

WakeUp attempts to reflect a deep belief in justice and against all forms of
oppression, bigotry, sexism, and racism (MWU, 2003).
In January 2003, Ahmed Nassef and Jawad Ali launched Muslim WakeUp, a
website that gave American Muslims an unprecedented opportunity to express
42
t
themselves without
w censor on a wide range off topics (PM
MU, 2004). Since
S going
o
online in Jannuary 2003, Muslim WaakeUp had unearthed
u a segment off America’s
M
Muslim poppulation thatt its founderrs believed existed, It is a diverse population
t
that includess some whoo are deeply devout and others who are adamanntly secular
b still iddentify as Muslims.
but M Thhey are trooubled by the sexism,, violence,
a
authoritarian
nism and otther ills theey see besettting Muslim
m communiities in the
U
United Statees and abroadd. They feel a connectioon with Islām
m, either as a faith or as
a heritage, but
b also see themselves
t aas part of thee fabric of A
American lifee and enjoy
m
movies, cockktails and ro
omance (Sacirbey, 2005:2-3).
One evidence that MuslimWakkeUp has the afiliation with

w Islāmicc feminism
i this picturre.
is
Figure . (L to R) Jawad
F d Ali, Ahmeed Nassef an nd Sarah Elltantawi at Amir's
A on
March 17,
1 the nighht before thee big Fridayy prayer, toaasting "the end of
patriarchy."
On the eve of whaat the trio saaid would be a watershed event in more than
1,400 years of Islamic history,
h the tthree sat in Amir’s,
A a sm
mall Lebanesse diner on
M
Manhattan’s
s upper west side, andd planned a party. Thhe theme---tthe end of
p
patriarchy, to
t commemorate a fem
male-led, mixxed-gender pprayer that would
w take
p
place the next day at thee Synod Houuse of St. Joohn of the Diivine, a giannt cathedral
a couple of blocks
b awayy (Sacirbey, 2005:1).
2
43
Another community is known as PMU. Progressive Muslim Union is
launched on November 15, 2004, the day of Eid al Fitri, in New York.
The Progressive Muslim Union (PMU) is the result of almost two years of
conversation and collaboration between a group of North American Muslims who
are committed to representing and renewing the community in all its social,
ideological and political diversity. PMU members range from deeply religious to
totally secular, sharing in common a commitment to learning, political and social
empowerment, a commitment to justice and freedom and a concern and love for
the Muslim community (PMU, 2004).
The spirit of Islāmic feminism of PMU can be seen from the content of
Shattering the idol of spiritual patriarchy: Towards a gender-fair notion of prayer

in Islām by Omid Safi, PMU Co-Chair.
Our aim in this process of Ijtihad is to open up the debate to the whole of
Muslim society, female and male. Our question is that of the presupposition:
do we believe that God has created women in the fullness of physical,
emotional, intellectual, and spiritual dignity, or not? Do we believe deep in
our hearts that women are fully human, entitled to their humanity as a
precious creation of God, or not? Are women not also the bearers of the Trust
(amana), that we are told in the Qur’an is of such cosmic significance that the
Heavens and the Earth could not bear it, but all of humanity took upon itself?
If our nobility in the sight of God is not due to race or gender or national
origin but is rather based on our piety and God-consciousness (taqwa), then
let us pray behind Imáms who are God-conscious and pious, be they male or
female, of whatever racial and ethnic background (Safi, 2005).
4. Islam feminist in Historic Jumuàh
The historic Jumuàh had been supported by some American Islām feminist.
In this section researcher gives information about them, their role in the historic
Jumuàh and explanation why the researcher gives them the label of Islām
feminist.
44
a. Professor Dr. Amina Wadud MacCloud
"The issue of gender equality is a very important one in Islām, and Muslims
have unfortunately used highly restrictive interpretations of history to move
backward," Wadud said before the service. "With this prayer service we are
moving forward. This single act is symbolic of the possibilities within Islām."
(Muhammad, A. 2005, March)
Wadud became the Imám and the khatib of historic Jumuàh. She is the first
woman that leads a Friday prayer in the American feminism history.
On Friday, March 18, 2005, Dr. Amina Wadud, professor of Islamic studies
at Virginia Commonwealth University, will be the first woman to lead a
public, mixed-gender Friday prayer. She will also deliver the Friday sermon
(MWU, 2005).
Associate Professor of Islāmic Studies, Dr. Wadud joined the Religious
Studies Program at Virginia Commonwealth University in 1992, directly from the

International Islāmic University in Malaysia. She made the adjustment to teaching
general religious studies classes with one or two opportunities to teach directly in
her own area of specialty: Islāmic Studies. Wadud's particular sub-disciplines are
Gender and Qur’ánic Studies. Her involvement with Islāmic studies started with
her Ph.D. from the University of Michigan, which included an opportunity for
intensive advanced Arabic studies component at American University in Cairo,

where she also took classes at Cairo University and Al Azhar University.
Her first book “Qur’án and Woman: Rereading the Sacred Text from a
Woman's Perspective” became a worldwide phenomenon, the first interpretive

reading of the Qur’án by a woman. In her book, Muslim progressive argues that it
is not the religion but the patriarchal interpretation and implementation of the
Qur’án that have kept women oppressed. Wadud seeks to validate the female
voice in the Qur’án and bring it out of the shadows (Wadud, 2002).
By matching her scholarship with the most recent advances in Modern
Islāmic studies and movements, Wadud's approach is both interactive and active.
Consequently, she has been an invited speaker, teacher and consultant within the
45
United States, including Hawaii, as well as in Jordan, South and Southern Africa,
Nigeria, Kenya, Pakistan, Indonesia, Canada, Norway, Netherlands, Sarajevo, and

Malaysia. Wadud has been an Islāmic scholar and a gender activist for more than
25 years. Her focus on justice issues in Islām reform is motivated by the basic
premise of her first book: The Divine spirit created all humankind as equal,
despite exclusive interpretations and authoritative practices to the contrary.
Wadud, mother of five children, has published her new book in 2006 entitled
“Inside the Gender Jihad: Women's Reform in Islām”.
b. Asra Q Nomani
"There is a fundamental flaw in interpretations of sharia that say a woman or

man should be punished for sex outside of marriage" Asra Nomani (Dawood,
2005l).
She organised the first ever Muslim Friday prayer service of a mixed
congregation led by a female Imam, Dr Amina Wadud, at Synod House at the
Cathedral of St. John the Divine, an Episcopal church in Manhattan. Asra Q

Nomani, an Indian-born Muslim raised in Morgantown, W.V., who refers to it in
her own book, “Standing Alone in Mecca,” as the first time she was presented
with a scene where a woman leads men in prayer together, Nassef and other
progressive Muslims set-out to organize their own female-led prayer (Sacirbey,
2005: 9-10).
The event was meant to draw attention to the inequality for women in
Muslim spiritual life and Muslim life in general, "We are standing up for our
rights as women in Islām. We will no longer accept the back door or the
shadows," Nomani said. "At the end of the day, we'll be leaders in the Muslim
world" (Nomani, 2006).
Nomani is an author and also a journalist; she was the founder of Muslim
Woman’s Freedom Tour, a campaign for religious equity and justice for women in
46
Muslim communities. Her first book is Tantrika based on the Hindu erotic
philosophy and her personal life experience. Nomani wrote her second book,
Standing Alone in Mecca: An American Woman's Struggle for the Soul of Islām,
as a call to action to all women and moderates within Islam to stand up to
extremists. She has created also an Islamic Bill of Rights for Women in Mosques
and an Islamic Bill of Rights for Women in the Bedroom (Dawood, 2005).
c. Ahmed Nassef
Ahmed Nassef, a 39 year old Egyptian native who spent most of his life in
the United States, and who cut his teeth in political activism as president of
UCLA's Muslim Student Association in the 1980s. He is an activist in Muslim
WakeUp who was co-founder and editor of Muslim WakeUp (Sacirbey, 2005: 2).
Ahmed Nassef as editor has received multiple death threats. In early March
of 2005, the organizers of the female-led prayer had to change its venue after the
Sundarem Tagore Gallery, in Tribeca, the original host, received a bomb threat.
In some of publication in Muslim WakeUp the researcher collects his

statements. They are: the service was not meant as a protest against Muslim
traditions. "It was always meant as a spiritual worship opportunity, and it is doing
so in an equal space for women and men," "It's not about telling other Muslims
how they should worship," "We just need to be open to new ideas."
“Unlike a lot of organizations out there, we don’t claim to represent all
Muslims in America. We just represent ourselves and a segment of the

community. And we believe there’s a large segment in the community that is
liberal and progressive and that does seek change” (Sacirbey, 2005:14)
47
d. The others
Jawad Ali is business and technology consultants, together with Ahmad

Nassef started MuslimWakeUp.com. He has been writing for many feminist ideas
in the Muslim WakeUp. Sarah Eltantawi, a long-time Muslim activist, is
contributor for MuslimWakeUp.com. Suehyla El Attar. 29 years old. Her father is

immigrated to America from Egypt in the 1960s. She is a theatre director in
Atlanta. In historic Jumuàh she becomes the muezzin (a prayer caller).
These are the Islām feminist who indirectly connected with historic Jumuàh
event. Khaled Abou El Fadl, a lawyer by training. He is one of the few scholars
brave enough to come right out and acknowledge women’s rights to be imams for
both women and men. Reza Aslan, an Iranian immigrant who’s written a book
called No god but God. He says that women are not obligated to cover their hair
with a scarf, which is considered part of the Islamic code according to so many
people. And he accepts homosexuality as part of social life. Asma Barlas, a

professor of Ithaca College has done these great readings of the Qur’án by
Believing Women in Islām. Omid Safi, Progressive Muslim Union of North
America Co-Chair, he has written a book on progressive Islam. Zaina Anwar from
Sisters in Islam. They have already challenged so much of the family law that
denies women’s rights. Kecia Ali, she has done really important work on sexuality
issues in Islām.
48
CHAPTER III
ANALYSIS
This chapter consists of the analysis to find the answer to the research
questions. The analysis is divided into two parts; the first sub chapter deals with
the deviation of Historic Jumuàh. This section tries to dig out any information as
much as possible from data collected to support the description of the deviation of
historic Jumuàh. The second sub chapter answers the second research question
about how Historic Jumuàh represents feminist movement in America
A. Deviation in Historic Jumuàh from Mainstream Islām
Muslim WakeUp and the Muslim Women's Freedom Tour are proud to
sponsor The First Muslim Woman on Record to Lead a Public Mixed-Gender
Jumuàh Prayer. It is a generally held view in the Muslim world and among many
in the North American Muslim community that women cannot lead a mixed-
gender prayer. This custom is pervasive and goes unchallenged. Muslim feminist,
Reda, argues that research from the Qur’án and the Hadiths of Prophet
Muhammad demonstrates that there is no prohibition precluding women from
leading mixed-gender prayer and, further, that Prophet Muhammad approved the
practice of women leading mixed-gender prayer (Reda, 2005).

It is important here to state that the original judgment concerning acts of
worship is that anything not prescribed in Shariàh in explicit texts is prohibited,
so that people may not innovate matters in religion not ordained by Allàh. Thus,
people may not innovate a certain act of worship, change or add things in the
ordained ones according to their own fancies or only because they think such
matters are desirable, including worship in Friday prayer congregation. Therefore

49
any innovates of or an addition to religious ritual, in this case act of worshipping
is rejected.
The Prophet (PBUH) also warned against the same wrongdoing in the Hadith
which states, “Whoever innovates in this matter of ours whatever is not in it, that
innovated thing is rejected” (Bukhàrì and Muslim). The Prophet (PBUH) also
said, “Beware of innovated matters, for every novelty is perversity” (Ahmad in his
Musnad and regarded as authentic). All scholars are resolved that acts of worship
are unchangeable and must be taken exactly as Allàh has ordained them. That is
exactly what Allàh has warned us from in the Qur’án when He dispraised the
disbelievers saying. Or have they partners (of Allàh) who have made lawful for
them in religion that which Allàh allowed not? (QS. Asy Syuura [42]:21)
The practice of Historic Jumuàh is presenting a Friday prayer with some
innovations. According to Holly, Vice provost, University of southern California,
and Executive Director of USC Stevens Institute of Innovation, and the American
Heritage Dictionary, innovation means the process of making improvements by
introducing something new: something newly introduced, and the process of
translating new ideas into tangible societal impact. In this prayer the researcher
found something newly introduced, new ideas concerning acts of worship by this
Islām feminist. The new ideas and its practice are basically deviating from the
custom prayer in Islāmic teaching, and never exist in the Shariah. They are Friday
sermon delivered by a woman, a woman becomes Imám for male congregation,
and female congregants stand in the same line or beside male congregants which
lead to ikhtilath (a mix gender in the prayer).

The following sub-subchapters discuss these innovations and the feminist
ideas underlying this practice.
50
1. Woman Acting as Imám in Prayer
It is known in a consensus among Muslim jurists that a woman is not allowed

to lead men in a mosque or congregation. A woman, however, is allowed to lead a
congregation consisting only of women. She is not allowed to lead people in a
Friday prayer or to deliver the Friday khutbah.
The vast majority of scholars agree that it is not permissible for a woman to
lead men in obligatory Prayers. However, there is a minority of scholars who
consider it permissible for a woman to lead members of her own household
including men in Prayer, on condition that she is old and well-versed in the
Qur’án and that she stands behind, not in front of them (Qaradawi, 2005).
In order to arrive at any new legal doctrine, or hukm, one must employ a
systematic methodology, uṣūl al-fiqh, to extract meaning from Qur’án and hadith.
The innovation made historic Jumuàh needs justification from any Islāmic legal
law.
In order to justify the event, MWU has posted an article by Nevin Reda
arguing for the religious validity of female Imám in a mixed-gender Friday prayer.
(Azam, 2005). Reda’s article entitled ‘What Would the Prophet Do? The Islamic
Basis for Female-Led Prayer’ is actually the result of theological discussion
which was published by The Canadian Council of Muslim Women (CCMW)
(Reda, 2005).
The feminist research on Qur’án and Hadiths has found evidence that the
prophet approved the practice of female Imám. Thus it justified a woman to be an
Imám of a Friday prayer. It is a professor of Islāmic studies, Dr. Amina Wadud

Mac Cloud presenting a Friday prayer which was well known as the Historic
Jumuàh.
In response to the case of Historic Jumuàh with women’s leading people in

the Friday Prayer and delivering them the Friday sermon, the eminent Muslim
scholar Sheikh Yusuf Qaradawi states: “Throughout Muslim history it has never
51
been heard of a woman leading the Friday Prayer or delivering the Friday sermon,
even during the era when a woman, Shagarat Ad Durr, was ruling the Muslims in
Egypt during the Mamluk period” (Qaradawi, 2005).
The different juristic schools agree that it is not permissible for women to
lead men in the obligatory Prayer, though some scholars voice the opinion that the
woman who is well-versed in the Qur’án may lead the members of her family,
including men, in Prayer on the basis that there is no room for stirring instincts in
this case.
If researchers review the religious texts pertaining to the rulings of Prayer,
there will not be found a text that states point blank that women are not permitted
to lead people in Prayer or deliver the Jumuàh prayer. There is no single Muslim
jurist ever heard to have agreed to the woman’s leading people in the Friday
Prayer or delivering its sermon.
There is only one Hadith, which is not well-authenticated, reported by Ibn

Màjah on the authority of Jabir ibn Abdullah in this connection; it is to the effect
that “A woman may not lead a man in Prayer, nor may a Bedouin lead a believer
of the Muhajirun or a corrupt person lead a committed Muslim in Prayer.” The

eminent scholars of Hadith say that the chain of reporters of this Hadith is
extremely weak, and hence, it is not to be taken as evidence in the question in
hand.
The uṣūl al-fiqh methodology used by the feminist is reflected in interpreting
the hadith that contradicts. “We use the fundamentals of Islāmic thinking — the
Qur’án, the Sunnah, or traditions and sayings of the prophet Muhammad, and
Ijtihad, or independent reasoning” (Nomani, 2005).
Furthermore, there is another hadith that contradicts this one. It is reported
by Imam Ahmad, Abú Dàúd, and others on the authority of Umm Waraqah, who
52
said that the Prophet (PBUH) appointed a muezzin for her, and ordered her to lead
the members of her household in Prayer.
Narated By Umm Waraqah daughter of Nawfal: When the Prophet (PBUH)

proceeded for the Battle of Badr, I said to him: Apostle of Allàh allow me to
accompany you in the battle. I shall act as a nurse for patients. It is possible
that Allàh might bestow martyrdom upon me. He said: Stay at your home.
Allàh, the Almighty , will bestow martyrdom upon you. The narrator said:
Hence she was called martyr. She read the Qur'an. She sought permission
from the Prophet (PBUH) to have a muezzin in her house. He, therefore,
permitted her (to do so). (Dàúd, 002:0591)
Though scholars of Hadith also regard the chain of reporters of this Hadith as
weak, yet it has to do with a special case in which a woman well-versed in the
Qur’án led the members of her family in Prayer where usually would be no place
for arousing instincts among them.
Furthermore, Ad Darqatani reported that the order the Prophet (PBUH) gave
to Umm Waraqah here was that she lead the women among her household in
Prayer.
Commenting on this report of Ad Darqatani, Ibn Qudamah said in his book

Al Mughni, “This addition of Ad Darqatani must be accepted even if it had
not been mentioned pointblank in the Hadith in question. It is to be logically
deduced from the Hadith that the Prophet (PBUH) ordered Umm Waraqah to
lead the women of her household in obligatory Prayer, for (according to the
Hadith) he (PBUH) appointed her a muezzin, and the Adhan is practiced
only in the obligatory Prayer; besides, there is no scholarly disagreement
regarding it being impermissible for women to lead men in obligatory
Prayers.” (Qaradawi, 2005)
Ibn Qudamah then said, “Even had Umm Waraqah been ordered to lead both
men and women of her household in Prayer, this would have been peculiar to her,
for no other woman was appointed a muezzin (by the Prophet) as was the case
with her, and hence, it would have followed from this that leading men of her
household in Prayer had been peculiar to her.”

Ibn Qudamah, moreover, supported his view by saying that since women are
not permitted to call the Adhan for Prayer for men; they are also not allowed to
lead them in Prayer.

53
From the discussion above, three principal matters can be taken.

1. The feminist used the hadith of Umm Waraqah as evidence for Women
Leading Congregational Prayers.

2. The congregational prayer has its own rule. A woman is allowed to lead a
congregation consisting only of women.
3. A Friday prayer is a congregation which mostly consisting of men.

From the 3 points above, it can be concluded that a woman may lead
congregational prayers as long as consisting only of women. Since the Friday
prayer consisting mostly male congregants thus the practice of a woman led a
Friday prayer contradicts the rules.
The proposed ruling that women may lead men in Friday prayer - violates
several basic texts and classical interpretive principles, and its proponents
provide neither a sound critique of the traditional legal methodology or nor
an improved one to replace it. The impression one gets is that there is no
consistent methodology, that in fact, the desired ruling (the permissibility of
women leading mixed-sex congregations for Friday prayer) dictates their use
of texts and of interpretive method (Azam, 2005).
2. Woman delivering Jumuàh Khutbah (Friday sermon)
In the Pre-requisites of validity of the Friday prayer, the third one is the
Friday sermon/khutbah.
The Friday prayer is preceded by a khutba delivered in two parts by a speaker

(khatib). The khutbah, which is a technical replacement of the two reduced
rak’ahs of the ordinary Zhuhr prayer, is followed by a communal prayer, led
by an Imám. In most cases the khatib also serves as the Imám (Jumu'ah,
2006)
The innovations of a woman delivering Jumuàh khutbah appears to be

problematic.
54
1. Women may do Friday prayer instead of Zhuhr prayer. Of course they
have just become the participant not the organizer since the obligation of
Friday prayer is dedicated for men congregants.
2. In Friday prayer, khutbah is delivered by the organizer.
In the historic Jumuàh Wadud delivered a khutbah which is about tolerance;

compassion and leaving judgment to Allàh, but also about Allàh’s oneness, and
that men and women were equals in faith.
Amina Wadud dealt it for me. The struggle would continue, but seeing
Wadud give her sermon, I could see the light at the end of the 1,400-year-
long tunnel. Hearing her recite verses that addressed men and women as
equals and listening as she pointed to the exclusion of women by male jurists
from the codification of Islamic law - several decades after the death of the
prophet Muhammad - it was clear she was serving notice that female scholars
of Islam were done with being on the sidelines. The spiritual equality at the
heart of Islam meant nothing less than equality in religious leadership,
Wadud was saying. Our presence there at Synod House was our collective
Amen to that (Eltahawy, 2005).
Reda states that men need to hear women to say in enjoining good and
forbidding harm. This refers to Qur’án: “The Believers, men and women, are
protectors one of another: they enjoin what is just, and forbid what is evil: they
observe regular prayers, practise regular charity, and obey Allàh and His
Messenger. On them will Allàh pour His mercy: for Allàh is Exalted in power,
Wise.” (QS. At Taubah [9]:71). And according to her, Friday and Eid sermons are
an excellent opportunity for women to do so.

The argument of Reda about enjoining good and forbidding harm for men
and women is right. It also supported by Ibn Kathir in his tafsir, it states the
believers, men and women are supporters of one another they help and aid each
other. There is nothing wrong when a woman is giving help and aid, giving a
lecture or a speech to men. The problem is when they do it by becoming the
organizer of a Friday prayer and delivering the khutbah.

55
A woman may deliver a khutbah, a lecture, or speech since in enjoining good

and forbidding harm. There is nothing wrong, a woman to lecture in a mixed
assembly in universities or mosques, or elsewhere. However, she has to
adhere to her Muslim identity. In other words, she should pay attention to her
dress and decorum in public. She should not soften her voice in a way that
raises curiosity in those who possess ill manners (Kutty,2005).
In the feminist point of view, as they were permitted to be congregants of
Friday prayer of course it does not close possibility for them to organize it. Nassef
states, we are not trying to change Islām. This is about going back to the roots of
justice and compassion of our faith that in principle are at the heart of our religion
(Sacirbey, 2005:14). Thus they organized the first muslim woman on record to
lead a public mixed-gender Jum'ah prayer.
Ibn Kathir states, women are not allowed to deliver Jumuàh khutbah, which
is part of an act of worship. The reason is because these were established during
the life of the Prophet under divine guidance (Azam, 2005). The Muslim scholar
Sheikh Abdel Khaliq Hasan Ash Shareef states: Sister, you should know that a
woman is not permitted to deliver Jumuàh khutbah nor to lead men in Prayer.
Jumuàh Prayer, in principle, is not an obligation upon women (Kutty,2005).
Islām does not forbid women to participate in Friday prayer. They may make
a khutbah which will be delivered by the khatib. But they could not deliver by
them self. It is rule which attached in the ritual of Friday prayer. However a
woman delivering a khutbah in Friday prayer is not accepted in Islām.
3. Ikhtilath
The women and men stood in the same shof (row) in a prayer. This act leads
to ikhtilath, see figure 2. In the first row almost of them were women, there were
four male in the left side. Syed was in shof with two men in his left side and about
ten women in his right side.
56
Syed Ebahim stood in the row with two males on his left and about ten
women on his right side. The front row was almost occupied by women. I
admit it was the first time in my life that I had an opportunity to pray with
women around me. Except for their nice smell oozing off from various
perfumes, a condition so lacking in all-male mosque, I honestly failed to
notice any significant difference of a Jumuàh led by woman (Ebrahim,
2005).
Ikhtilath as word means the mixing one to another thing, while as a term it
refers to an occasion which man and woman which have no relation of mahram
are being together in one place. Ikhtilath according to language means getting
involved with something else. Meanwhile according to Shariah, ikhtilath is a
condition between male and female which have no relatives’ relation (mahram)
are being together in one place (Hafidz, 2007).

The hujjah of ikhtilath in Islām are found in Qur’án Sùrah Al Ahzab [33]:53,
33; QS. An Nuur [24]:30-31; and QS. Al Israa' [17]:32.
O ye who believe! Enter not the Prophet's houses,- until leave is given you,-
for a meal, (and then) not (so early as) to wait for its preparation: but when ye
are invited, enter; and when ye have taken your meal, disperse, without
seeking familiar talk. Such (behaviour) annoys the Prophet: he is ashamed to
dismiss you, but Allàh is not ashamed (to tell you) the truth. And when ye
ask (his ladies) for anything ye want, ask them from before a screen: that
makes for greater purity for your hearts and for theirs. Nor is it right for you
that ye should annoy Allàh's Messenger, or that ye should marry his widows
after him at any time. Truly such a thing is in Allàh's sight an enormity. QS.
Al Ahzab [33]:53
Say to the believing men that they should lower their gaze and guard their
modesty: that will make for greater purity for them: And Allàh is well
acquainted with all that they do. And say to the believing women that they
should lower their gaze and guard their modesty; that they should not display
their beauty and ornaments except what (must ordinarily) appear thereof; that
they should draw their veils over their bosoms and not display their beauty
except to their husbands, their fathers, their husband's fathers, their sons, their
husbands' sons, their brothers or their brothers' sons, or their sisters' sons, or
their women, or the slaves whom their right hands possess, or male servants
free of physical needs, or small children who have no sense of the shame of
sex; and that they should not strike their feet in order to draw attention to
their hidden ornaments. And O ye Believers! turn ye all together towards
Allàh, that ye may attain Bliss. Marry those among you who are single, or the
virtuous ones among yourselves, male or female: if they are in poverty, Allàh
will give them means out of His grace: for Allàh encompasseth all, and he
knoweth all things. QS. An Nuur [24]:30-31
57
Nor comme nigh to adultery: forr it is a sham meful (deedd) and an evvil, opening
the road
d (to other evvils). QS. All Israa' [17]:32
m Asy Syauukani rahimahullah says that:
Al Imam t “the gooodness of women
w shof
b
behind the man
m shof iss, it does noot cause thee ikhtilath bbetween them
m (Hafidz,
2
2007). This hadith preessures that congregantts in a prayyer must bee separated
b
between men
n and womeen in order too avoid ithtillath.
In Shah hih Muslim (I: 660), “nnarrated by Muslim from m Anas binn Malik, he
told thaat the propheet was becom
ming an Imáám in a prayyer together his mother
and hiss aunt. Anass says: “He asked me to t stand in his right sidde and the
women were behindd us” (Musliim).
Act of the woman
n and man in the sam
me row of prayer or mix-gender
m
c
congregants is deviating
g from the m
mainstream. See
S the pictuures below.
Figure . Historic Jumuàh conggregants in prayer

58
Figure . Dua
D after thee prayer
From thhe fiqh pointt of view theey performed

d ikhtilath acct, and it devviated from
t prayer ru
the ule.
Figure 2, Nomani, number threee from left,, does not uuse hijab. Acccording to
I
Islāmic teach
hing, when praying
p a wooman must cover
c her body except fo
or her faces
a palm off hands. The obligation oof covering the

and t aurat forr woman is not
n just in a
p
prayer but allso in the daaily life, the hujjah
h can be
b found in Q
QS. Al Ahzabb [33]:59
O Proph het! Tell thyy wives and daughters, and

a the belieeving womenn, that they
should cast their outer
o garmennts over theeir persons (when
( abroaad): that is
most coonvenient, th hat they shouuld be know
wn (as such) and not mollested. And
Allah iss Oft-Forgiving, Most M Merciful.
Based on
o discussionn above, it can
c be conclluded that thhe historic Juumuàh led
t ikhtilath which
to w deviattes from the custom of Friday
F prayerr.
59
B. How Historic Jumuàh Represents Feminism
1. Reclaiming Back the Right
Nassef and other progressive Muslim leaders acknowledge that sustaining a
movement will be challenging, that no group can claim to represent “mainstream

American Muslims” because so many American Muslims have yet to identify
with a Muslim institution. (Sacirbey, 2005:8) These progressive Muslim made a
test of the movement’s credibility, the first step is Historic Jumuàh.

These Islām feminists have developed into Muslim communities and they
were accepted with their uniqueness.
“People laughed at the idea of Progressive Muslims. But now, they’ve

spoken up, are organized, and are making statements, they’ve developed a
following,” she said. “People are starting to have to recognize these
communities … they’re not a group of whackos, but a group that has to be
reckoned with, and with a good deal of credibility.” (Sacirbey, 2005:12)
The Islām feminists in Historic Jumuàh believe that they are not trying to
change Islām. What they want to do is to reclaim the place that the prophet
Muhammad and Islām gave to them in the seventh century. They think it is about
going back to the roots of justice and compassion of their faith that in principle are
at the heart of Islām religion. Islām is part of the solution for a better world and so
do the Islām feminists. As Dembosky states it; rooted in religion, the efforts of
Islamic feminists are focused on reclaiming sacred texts by means of a
progressive, contemporary interpretation that includes women’s rights
(Dembosky, 2005).
Islām feminist justified what they thought as the right of woman by finding
proof from Islāmic sources of law. The following paragraph is about justifying of
Historic Jumuàh practice.

First, Reda sees the position of Imám as having the same meaning as
leadership. According to her understanding, in the Qur’án Allàh affirms the
60
suitability of women in major leadership roles. It is found in the queen of Sheba
story in Sùrah Al Naml (27:23-44). Queen Sheba is a model of female positive

leader. As a leader the queen put the welfare of her people upon her interest.
Sheba included transparency, public consultation, as her method in ruling her
people.
Based on this Reda concludes that there is a possibility that a woman may
become a good leader for her people depending on how she conducts it. The main
point is that a good leader must not be necessarily a man.

On the other hand, being just a man is not enough to be a good leader. Reda
gives example Pharaoh, he is the Qur’ánic role model for negative leadership. His
words in (QS. An Nazi'at [79]:24) “I’m your lord, Most high” shows his
arrogance. His negatif attitude has been described in (QS. Al Qashash [28]:4),
(QS. Ad Dukhaan [44]:31), (QS. Az Zukhruf [43]:54), dan (QS. Huud [11]:97-
98). Thus being male gender is no guarantee for a successful leader. Women can
be successful leaders as well. Following these arguments, Reda concludes that a
woman is allowed to be a leader, and thus becoming an Imám in a prayer.
Considering the position of Imám, Reda argues that a woman could be a

leader even an Imám for a prayer just like a man. The feminist derived a hadith
from Umm Waraqah telling that she became an Imám in her own place, and no
explanation about male congregants in that prayer. Thus Amina Wadud may
become an Imám for a mixed-gender congregation.
61
F
Figure . Am
mina Wadud
d leads the congregatio
c nal prayer
Second, Reda sees that Allàh affirms the suitability oof woman in religious
r
roles. It can be found in the story off Imron’s wivve (QS. Ali 'Imran
' [3]:35
5-37).
God simmilarly affirrmed the suiitability of women

w in major
m religiouus roles as
can be noted in thhe Qur’ánic presentation of Mary as a Naziritte (Qur’án
3:35). Ancient
A Israeelite Naziritees had accesss to the highhest religiouus positions
in the land,
l as cann be noted inn the case of o Samuel anda Samson.. They had
access to the Holyy of Holiess (mihrab), which conttained the Ark A of the
Covenaant, and to which
w only thhe religious elite could eenter. Whereeas Mary’s
mother expected a boy,
b God wiilled her to deliver
d a girll, thereby aff
ffirming the
suitability of womeen for major religious rolles (Reda, 20005).
Qur’án, Ali 'Imran [3]: 35 tellss about Imroon wife whoo expects herr child will
s
serve Allàh. Then she prrays for a baaby (male).
Behold! a woman of
o 'Imran saiid: "O my Lord!
L I do deedicate unto Thee what
i in my wom
is mb for Thy special
s serviice: So acceppt this of mee: For Thou hearest
h and
k
knowest all things." Theen Ali 'Imraan [3]: 36 tellls that Imroon wife had a daughter
62
and prayed for her baby. When she was delivered, she said: "O my Lord! Behold!
I am delivered of a female child!"- and Allàh knew best what she brought forth-
"And no wise is the male Like the female. I have named her Mary, and I
commend her and her offspring to Thy protection from the Evil One, the
Rejected."
Her prayer was granted by Allàh revealed in Ali 'Imran [3]: 37, Right
graciously did her Lord accept her: He made her grow in purity and beauty: To
the care of Zakariya was she assigned. Every time that he entered (Her) chamber
to see her, He found her supplied with sustenance. He said: "O Mary! Whence
(comes) this to you?" She said: "From Allàh: for Allàh Provides sustenance to
whom He pleases without measure" (Bold type – from the writer).

According to the tradition at that time, the one who serves Allàh is usually a
man. That is why Imron’s wife expected a son. Then Allàh gave her a daughter.
Thus Reda concludes that Allàh affirmed the suitability of women in religious
roles. However In the sight of Allàh the righteous of man and woman has been
affirmed in the (QS. Al Hujuraat [49]:13) that they have the same opportunity in
religious role.
Third, Reda sees that Allàh affirmed the suitability of woman in major
leadership roles.
God affirmed the suitability of women in major leadership roles as seen in

the example of the queen of Sheba in Surat al-Naml (27:23-44). In the
category of non-Prophets, she is the Qur’anic role model for a positive leader.
Her method of leadership included transparency, public consultation, and
putting the welfare of her people first (Reda, 2005).
The Islām feminist thought that the queen Sheba story which is found in
Sùrah Al Naml (27:23-44) is presenting a leadership role in Islām. But, this Sùrah
is about a queen who becomes a believer and submits to Islām. She said: "O my
Lord! I have indeed wronged my soul: I do submit, with Solomon, to the Lord of
63
the Worlds." (QS. An Naml [27]:44) (Bold type – from the writer). Thus it is not
true that Sùrah Al Naml (27:23-44) presents a leadership role in Islām

The queen Sheba leadership might become a positive example of leadership.
As a leader the queen put the welfare of her people upon her interest. Sheba
included transparency, public consultation, as her method in ruling her people.

But her leadership is not including a leadership role in Islām.
Dalam teks-teks al-Qur’an dan al-Hadith tidak ditemui perkataan atau istilah
yang khas negara Islam. Istilah ‫ ﺑﻠﺪة‬dalam al-Qur’an tidak mengandungi
pengertian Islam, ia seperti perkataan am yang neutral dan masih dilengkapi
dengan keterangan ‫ﻃﻴﺒﺔ و رب ﻏﻔﻮر‬. (al-Saba’ 34; 15) Ertinya jika keterangan
tambahan ini tidak disebutkan perkataan ‫ﺑﻠﺪة‬hanya bererti negara biasa yang
tidak ada kena mengena dengan ampunan Tuhan. Dalam kes kisah Ratu
Balqis istilah ini dapat diertikan sebagai negara (baldah) yang kufur kepada
Tuhan menjadi negara yang baik (tayyib) dan diampuni Tuhan (rabbun
ghafur). (Zarkasyi, 2002:9)
Zarkasyi emphasized the changing condition of the state in which its queen
was part of the believers and Islām after having known the prophet. Thus Reda
argues that Allàh has affirmed the appropriateness of women in major leadership
roles.
The method of deduction which is used by Reda is incorrect. She equalizes
becoming Imám of a prayer and a leader of country; in fact they are two different
positions and each of them has its own characteristic.
Zarkasyi explains the characteristic of a leader in an Islāmic state by quoting
Muhammad Tahi-ul-Qadri’s definition about Islāmic state.
Islamic state is a Muslim state, ruled by its chosen representatives whose

function is a purely consultative manner and work for the enforcement and
advancement of the politico-legal and socio economic order of Islam. Its
government is not sovereign in the absolute senses. Its status is a trust and
vicegerency to the manifestative sovereignty of the Prophethood of
Muhammad, who is the direct recipient of imperishable and inviolable divine
authority and who is the last apostle of God Almighty, the sole ultimate
sovereign of the unimaginable and inconceivable universe. (Zarkasyi,
2002:11).
64
While a leader of a prayer is someone who leads the congregation, and is
called Imám. If there are two people or more do a prayer together, one of them is
followed the others, they are called prayer in congregation. The one whom
followed is called Imám, while the others the followers behind are called
congregant (Rasjid, 1998:106). The pre-requisites of becoming Imám have been

determined as part of prayer and it is included in fiqh matters.
It is a feminist idea, that a woman should have the same treatment as men.
According to the publication of historic Jumuàh, the place for women and men
are separated. “In order to respect and accommodate everyone's needs, we are
planning to conduct the prayer using a ‘Mecca’ format: there will be separate
sections for women and men on either side of the hall, joined by a shoulder-to-
shoulder family section in the middle” (MWU, 2005). The researcher believes that
those step is to avoid ikhtilath, they used a Mecca format - organisation of
congregants in a prayer - according to people in Mecca (not the term of Islām).

The Mecca format is the position alignment/shof of female congregants who were
separated with male congregants. But as a matter of fact it leads to ikhtilath. The
male and female congregants were mixed in the same shof as if there is no limit
between each gender. From discussion above, it can be concluded that spirit of
feminist which asked for the same treatment for women in a prayer has attached in
historic Jumuàh.
Fourth, about gender discrimination, Reda states “Preventing female Muslims
from major leadership positions, such as giving sermons or leading congregational
prayers is gender discrimination and a way of abasing female Muslims” (Reda,

2005).
Reda, in her writing stated that God addresses gender discrimination done by
pagan Arabs from the moment a baby girl born as in the following verses: When
news is brought to one of them of (the birth of) a female (child), his face darkens,
65
suppressing his anger. He hides himself from the people, because of the bad news
he has had! Shall he retain it in abasement, or bury it in the dust? Bad is what they
judge! (QS. An Nahl [16]:58-59). These Sùrah tells us of the gender
discrimination done by ignorant Arabian in the past.
Such thought of Reda could not be separated from the historical background
of the Arabian before the coming of the prophet. In the age of darkness, in the
Middle East, the birth of a girl was disgrace not just for the family but also for the
tribe. This believes encouraged them to bury their daughter alive because being
shame. The burial was done cruelly without pity. The child was buried alive. They
did the cruelty in many ways. One of them, a girl was born; they let her live till 6
years, then the father asked the pitiful mother to dress their daughter, because he
will bring her to visit their relative. While the father had prepared a hole in the
desolate desert, he brought his 6 years daughter to that place. Reaching the place
the father asked his daughter to see the hole and then by purpose he pushed her
into and buried without mercy (Malik, 2002:15).
The story about the ignorant arabs in killing the baby girls might become an
evidence for the gender discrimination in that time. But the Sùrah QS. An Nahl
[16]:58-59 were not supposed to be used as god addresses gender discrimination.
This is about Qur’án gives explanation-a clear information (QS. An Nahl [16]:44)
“(We sent them) with Clear Signs and Books of dark prophecies; and We have
sent down unto thee the Message; that thou mayest explain clearly to men what is
sent for them, and that they may give thought”. Thus something appeared in
Qur’án is not always right to be done-revering to examples of wrong doing which

should be a lesson.
When news is brought to one of them, of (the birth of) a female (child), his
face darkens, and he is filled with inward grief! With shame does he hide
himself from his people, because of the bad news he has had! Shall he retain
it on (sufferance and) contempt, or bury it in the dust? Ah! what an evil
(choice) they decide on? QS. An Nahl [16]:58-59
66
These Sùrah above tell us about what have done by ingratitude in the past (QS.
An Nahl [16]:55). There is no relation that God affirmed the gender

discrimination. This is because the aim of the Qur’án is as the lesson for us. “We
have already sent down to you verses making things clear, an illustration from
people who passed away before you, and an admonition for those who fear.” (QS.
An Nuur [24]:34)
The Islām feminist found gender discriminations attached to Muslim
community. A rule of congregation in a prayer is one of them. In a prayer, women

congregants must stand behind the man congregants. And in the prophet’s time
there was no gender segregation in congregational prayer. The feminist said that
the alingnment of congregants or shof in a prayer has never been found in Al

Qur’án.
This has been done with the conclusion that there was no gender segregation
in congregational prayers in the Prophet’s lifetime, but that it was introduced
later. The word for “rows” used in the above hadith is “shof” in Arabic. The
word “shof” does not appear in the Qur’án in connection with prayers, but
with battle rows (See for example 61: 4). Nothing in the text of the above
hadith connects the above arrangement with prayers. It is possible that a
tradition, which originally arose in the context of battle, was later applied to
prayer (Reda, 2005).
A woman Imám is only for women congregants and the position of female shof is
behind the man. “Leading salat (prayer) is representative of the devotion to ritual
as well as the capability of participation for women” (Ramadan, 2005:6). The
obligation of Friday prayer is only for male Muslim, thus for sending a khutbah
prayer.
The feminist spirit forced women to refuse hujjah which has determined-that
the obligation of Friday prayer is just for man. But, the feminist asked the same
treatment in the Friday prayer. They thought if man has given authority so do the
women.
There is nothing in Islam that bars a woman from giving the Friday sermon
or from leading a mixed-gender prayer. The fact that only men have done
67
both for centuries is one of many things that Muslims have rarely questioned
(Eltahawy, 2005).
In historic Jumuàh researcher found the women who did not cover their
body while in prayer. It is an innovation since covering the aurat is an obligation
in a prayer. The feminist regarded the obligation to cover woman’s body using
veil, as gender discrimination. “The veiled Muslim woman has come to represent
the ultimate symbol of backwardness and oppression” (Muslim Feminists and the
Veil: To veil or not to veil - is that the question?). Thus by practicing the Friday
prayer without covering their body-unveiled, they struck ultimate symbol of
backwardness and oppression.
Act of Amina Wadud in giving a sermon in Friday prayer is purposed to

against gender discrimination. “We are affirming the right of women to be
spiritual leaders, including Imáms, or prayer leaders, women will go from the
back of the mosque to the front of the mosque” (MWU, 2005). Of course from the
feminist point of view, woman may do what a man can do. In Friday prayer, when
women can attend prayer, they are not satisfied by only attending and listening to
the khutbah. But if a man can give khutbah for Friday prayer a woman can too.
Thus the feminists also want to give a sermon in Friday prayer.
Thus, Amina Wadud was standing in front of her congregants while giving
her khutbah. In violet dress Wadud, told to the world that she became the first
woman in leading mixed-gender Friday prayer, the first since 1,400 years.
68
Figure . Wadud
W gives her khutbah
h before thee prayer
Figure . Amina Wa
adud, callin
ng herself a "lonely schoolar," addrresses
repo
orters beforre the prayeer. March 188.
69
Figure . A congregaant after thee prayer. M

March 18
Nomani Asra, the Islām

I feminiist, one of thhe organizerrs of Historicc Jumuàh,
t
talks about Islāmic
I femiinism. Accorrding to her, it is kind off applicationn of Islāmic
t
teaching. i not just abbout women’s right but more
It is m than thhat.
When we w think aboout Islāmic feminism,

f itt is not just about womeen’s rights.
It’s aboout a more progressive
p and tolerantt expression of Islām in n the world
for all people.
p It’s about
a kindneess and gooddness to all ppeople. Wom men’s rights
is one aspect
a of it, it’s
i not the eend-all, but I also think tthat the wom men’s issue
is the strongest
s enntry point thhat we’ve goot to challennging extrem mism. You
raise a woman’s isssue and youu get the baccks of the coonservatives up against
the walll faster than n just aboutt any other issue in ouur communitty. It’s the
fastest path
p that wee’ve got to mmaking channge happen. If as women n we stand
up day in and day out, day aftter day, thenn we really force f the exxtremists to
confronnt their real ideas. (Nomaani in Demb bosky, 2005)
As an Islām feminist Nomani states,

s “thesee women aree so far aheaad of where
w are as American Muuslims in afffirming and asserting theeir rights in the world”
we
70
(Dembosky, 2005). As American Muslim, what they can uniquely do in America
is mobilizing and galvanizing a lot of these ideas and resources.
“It’s a war of ideas. We are very well supported in this country by

institutions, academic and non-profit, that are already in the field endorsing
women’s rights and tolerance. We have skills and resources from growing up
in America to raise funds or build websites or publish papers or develop big
picture plans. We can publish op-eds in newspapers that get wide circulation
to send strong messages out to the world” (Nomani in Dembosky, 2005).
These feminists have declared that their struggle is a war of ideas against
patriarchy. And their profit of being in America is that the country has support
resources to do war ideas. The combination between skills and resources in

endorsing women’s right and tolerance idea is a mutual relationship that becoming
the power of Islāmic feminism in America.
From what Nomani had stated, the effort of the Islām feminist does not just
stop at the "the end of patriarchy" Historic Jumuàh. The historic Jumuàh is just
one step leading to “the resurrection of Islām feminist” in America. It does not
take along time to prove it. The first International Congress on Islāmic Feminism
was held in October 2005 in Barcelona.
But this movement will not follow in the footsteps of other feminist
movements from history. Rooted in religion, the efforts of Islamic feminists
are focused on reclaiming sacred texts by means of a progressive,
contemporary interpretation that includes women’s rights. (Dembosky, 2005)
Historic Jumuàh is a manifestation of Islāmic feminism in getting listened
by world. This event is about Muslim women reclaiming their rightful place in
Islām. (PMU. 2005)

Over the centuries, Muslim women have lost their place as intellectual and
spiritual leaders. It is a generally held view in the Muslim world that women
cannot lead mixed-gender prayer, but in the prophet time, there is no prohibition
precluding women from leading mixed-gender prayer. The feminists believe that
71
they have lost their rightful place in Islām. Hajar's story, part of the forgotten
Islāmic history has become evidence that women have lost their place in Islām.
The symbolic mother of Islām is a woman named Hajar. Pilgrims follow in

her footsteps in one of the most important rituals of the pilgrimage to Mecca
called the hajj. From her spawned the tribe in which the prophet of Islām,
Muhammad, was born thousands of years later in the 7th century. She and a
woman named Sarah were tied to the personal history of the man the world
remembers as the father of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam -- Abraham. Yet,
centuries later, Hajar's story is part of the forgotten history of women in Islām
and so many societies (Nomani, 2005).
Historic Jumuàh is a test of the movement’s credibility to the world. The
organizer used publication, media attention to send strong messages out to the
world. “The prayer had garnered international media attention. It was debated on
American Muslim websites and in the editorial pages of newspapers in Muslim
countries around the world”. As a community, they want to show the public that
Islām acknowledged the multiplicities of interpretation within tradition in faith
(Islām). This community also covers a diverse population that includes some who
are deeply devout and others who are adamantly secular but still identify as
Muslims.
They are troubled by the sexism, violence, authoritarianism and other ills
they see besetting Muslim communities in the United States and abroad.
They feel a connection with Islam, either as a faith or as a heritage, but also
see themselves as part of the fabric of American life and enjoy movies,
cocktails and romance (Sacirbey, 2005:2-3).
The first real test of the movement’s credibility would appear in the Friday of
the female-led, mixed gender prayer (Sacirbey, 2005:9).

The focus of Islāmic feminist is, on the one hand reclaiming sacred text and
on the other hand the reinterpretation of Al Qur’án and hadith. The sole agenda is
to help “create Muslim communities that reflect the egalitarian nature of Islām”.
This is not an attempt to “change” Islam, nor to condemn others who interpret
Islām differently (PMU, 2005). The Islām feminist has its own interpretation of
72
Qur’án and hadith which lead to the way it was practiced during the time of
prophet.
2. Historic Jumuàh and the portrayal of Islām
Historic Jumuàh has a role in constructing portrait of Islām especially in

America. The feminist ideas and secular spirit have given variety of diversity in
Islām application. The Islām feminist made Islām image by their perspective.
Thus the components which construct it need to be found.
Progler states that it has been for so long that the West has consistently
constructed and perpetuated negative images of Islām and Muslims. What Progler
meant by West in this context is Western image-makers: including religious
authorities, political establishments, and corporate-media conglomerates. They
have planed to construct Islām for certain reasons.
The long history of encounters between Western civilization and Islām has
produced a tradition of portraying, in largely negative and self-serving ways,
the Islāmic religion and Muslim cultures. There is a lot of literature
cataloguing (and sometimes correcting) these stereotypes (Progler, 2005).
The negative portrayal of Islām has been lasting for so long in America. In
this discussion, the topic of gender in Islām, again, is a target by certain media in
the west to wrongly portray Islām as peaceful religion. One of the component
image makers is Islām community it self. And Islām feminists concerned with the
condition of Muslim community in the US.
They are troubled by the sexism, violence, authoritarianism and other ills
they see besetting Muslim communities in the United States and abroad.
They feel a connection with Islam, either as a faith or as a heritage, but also
see themselves as part of the fabric of American life and enjoy movies,
cocktails and romance. (Sacirbey, 2005:2-3)
73
The Isllām feminissts have bigg role in constructing

c Islām porttrait. Islām
f
feminists in
n America are
a concentrrating on th
he women rright and th
he equality
b
between eacch gender freeedoms. It iss well knownn that Islām advocates eqquality and
j
justice for eaach gender. The
T only diffference amo
ong men andd women in the
t sight of
A
Allàh is theiir level of rigghteousness//taqwa. (QS.. Al Hujuraaat [49]:13)
According to the writer, Hisstoric Jumuuàh revealeed that Islāām accepts
p
possibilities of issue of gender equaality. It referrs to many iissues which
h appear in
t practice of historic Jumuàh.
the J Thhe issue of gender
g equallity is a veryy important
o
one in Isllām, and Muslims hhave unforttunately useed highly restrictive
i
interpretatio ns of history to movee backward. The historric Jumuàhh organizer
s
stated that historic
h Jumuuàh is symbbol of the poossibilities w
within Islām, "With this
F
Friday prayeer service we
w are movinng forward. This single act is symbbolic of the
p
possibilities within Islām
m.” (Metimees.com, 20055)
Figure . Amina
A Wadu ud leads booth men and
d women in prayer
p Marrch 18 at
Synod d House at the
t Cathedrral of St. Joh
hn the Divin
ne in New York.
Y
74
Teuku Alvisyahrin, Executive President of Islāmic Center Of Northwest
Arkansas gives an example. A father is responsible for providing for his family.
Likewise, a mother has an irreplaceable role in the upbringing and early education
of her children at home. Islām never looks down on women. On the contrary,
Islām came to rescue women from the humiliation and subordination that occurred
during the time of ignorance (Alvisyahrin, 2006).
Some feminist researchers hold that Islām could be defined as one of the
worst sorts of patriarchal religion, oppressing women and legitimizing gender

inequality (Darvishpour, 1996:1). In comparison with other religions, the idea of
patriarchy is even greater in Islām. They mean that there are in the Qur’án many
verses, especially QS. An Nisaa' [4] which clearly legitimizes gender inequality.
Even Hadith and Shariah have the same tendency. The Muslim woman has been
portrayed as submissive, oppressed, and backward. Mass media and educational
systems have played a major role in the construction of this representation

(Darvishpour, 1996:2).
The feminist in historic Jumuàh tries to show what Islām is, according to
their own understanding. That is women are not subordinate of men. Thus the
Historic Jumuàh put Islām not as a patriarchal religion. "If the Qur’án is fully
comprehended," Wadud writes in her book Women and Qur’án, "It will become a
motivating force for women's empowerment" (Metimes.com. 2005).

The discussion about Islām and the feminist thought will lead to how actually
Islām put the position between women and man relationship. Islām rules where
women should be placed in the relation with man. It does not seem like in the
feminist thought which put women relation against (being oppressed by) man. The
Qur’án states: “… And women shall have rights similar to the rights against them,
according to what is equitable; but men have a degree (of advantage) over them.
75
And Allàh is exalted in Power, Wise.” (QS. Al Baqarah [2]:228). The feminist
uses this Sùrah to justify that Islām is a patriarchal religion

In Islāmic perspective, such “degree” is Quiwama (maintenance and
protection) (Badawi. 1980:12). This refers to that natural difference between the
sexes which entitles the weaker sex to protection. It implies no superiority or

advantage before the law. Yet, man's role of leadership in relation to his family
does not mean the husband's dictatorship over his wife. Islām emphasizes the
importance of taking counsel and mutual agreement in family decisions.

Qur’án gives example, a wife should make consultation to her husband first
before deciding to wean their child. "If they (husband wife) desire to wean the
child by mutual consent and (after) consultation, there is no blame on them..."

(QS. Al Baqarah [2]:233)
Over and above her basic rights as a wife comes the right which is
emphasized by the Qur'an and is strongly recommended by the Prophet; kind

treatment and companionship. "O ye who believe! Ye are forbidden to inherit
women against their will. Nor should ye treat them with harshness that ye may
take away part of the dower ye have given them, except where they have been
guilty of open lewdness; but consort with them in kindness, for if you hate them it
may happen that you hate a thing wherein God has placed much good." (QS. An
Nisaa' [4]:19). Prophet Muhammad, ‘The best of you is the best to his family and
I am the best among you to my family. The most perfect believers are the best in
conduct and best of you are those who are best to their wives’ (Ibn Hanbal, No.
7396).
Islām puts each gender according to their nature, which is complimentary.
Man has its own privilege that woman cannot cover such as social authority,
economic responsibility. Woman also has her own privilege such as providing
home for her family and bringing up her children properly.
76
In feminist perspective, women compete with men in every aspect. The
patriarchy mind forced women to equalize the position with men. It is because
women subordinated of men. Islām realized that men and women are not the
same; each has particular features and characteristic. Islām envisages their roles in
society not as competing but as complimentary. This opinion has been supported
by Syed Hossein Nasr in The Feminist Movement and The Muslim Woman. Each
has certain duties and functions in accordance with his or her nature and
constitution (Jameelah, 2006).

Islām has been imaged as the worst sorts of patriarchal religion, oppressing
women and legitimizing gender inequality. The Islām feminist attempt to create a
portrait of Islām – that Islām is not a patriarchy religion, oppressing women and
legitimizing gender inequality. They show the egalitarian nature of Islām.
Historic Jumuàh represents the feminist’s spirit in applying Islāmic teaching
as part of their life. However Islām accepts possibilities in issue of gender

equality. But it is not something important to be struggled in Islām, because men
and women have been put as human – to serve Allàh. Allàh has given them the
same potential, such as mind and life needs, thus they can life in the world, and
appropriate their vision of life on earths to worship Allàh. That is Allàh, your
Lord! There is no god but He, the Creator of all things: then worship ye Him: and
He hath power to dispose of all affairs. (QS. Al An'am [6]:102). More over Islām
puts each gender in its right place.
77
CHAPTER IV
CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
This chapter consists of conclusion, which is drawn from the analysis in this
research, and recommendation. The first sub chapter is the conclusion of this
research. The second sub chapter is the recommendation for the reader who are
interested in American studies and who will take Islāmic feminism as the subject
of the study.
A. Conclusion
The conclusions of this thesis answer the research questions which are
formulated in the first chapter. Based on the analysis the research comes into the
following conclusions:
1. Historic Jumuàh is a Friday prayer led by a woman in mixed-gender
congregation. In its practice, it leads to many deviations from Islāmic

teaching. These deviations have the same meaning as innovation. Historic
Jumuàh is a Friday prayer with innovations which have relation with
feminism ideas. They are as follows:

a. A woman acts as Imám in Friday prayer. The analysis states that a
woman may lead congregational prayers as long as consisting
only of women. A woman is not allowed to lead men in a mosque

or congregation. Since the Friday prayer consists of mostly male
congregants thus the prayer contradicts the rules.
b. A woman delivers Jumuàh khutbah. In historic Jumuàh Amina

Wadud delivered a Jumuàh khutbah. Islām does not forbid
women to participate in Friday prayer. A woman is permitted to
make a draft of khutbah which will be delivered by the khatib. But

78
they are not allowed to deliver khutbah by themselves. It is a rule
attached in the ritual of Friday prayer. However a woman delivers

a khutbah in Friday prayer is a deviation in Islām.
c. Ikhtilath. Ikhtilath is a condition in which women and men found
in one place. And they have no relatives’ relation (mahram). From

the analysis it can be concluded that the historic Jumuàh led to
ikhtilath which deviates from the custom of Friday prayer.
2. Historic Jumuàh represents feminist movement in America. It can be

concluded from the following statements.
a. A woman should have the same treatment as a man. it is found in
Historic Jumuàh that women asked to be Imám, deliver a

khutbah, and stand in the same shof with men congregants.
b. The historic Jumuàh is just one step leading to “the resurrection
of Islām feminist” in America. It is a manifestation of Islāmic

feminism in getting listened by world. This event is about Muslim
women reclaiming their rightful place in Islām.
B. Recommendation
This research has analyzed “Historic Jumuàh” using uṣūl al-fiqh and
feminism approaches. There are many ideas that occurred during the work on this
research. Therefore, the researcher recommends other researchers to use other
approaches just like historical and sociological approaches to get different points
of view. It would be also interesting to investigate the same topic from American
goverment prespective. It is also suggested to other researchers to get data from
local television documentation (e.g. live video-record, speech) to enrich data for
analysis.
79
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Islam Feminits Thesis Nurulhuda

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Islā

Submitted as a Partiaal Fulfilmentt of Requirem

ENGLISH DEPAR RMENT

Approved to be examined before The Board of Examiners Faculty of Letters and

Fine Arts Sebelas Maret University

1. Dra. Susilorini, M.A ( )

2. Drs. Mugijatna, M.Si ( )

The Head of English Department

Dra. Zita Rarastesa, M.A

Faculty of Letters and Fine Arts Sebelas Maret University

On April 28, 2008

The Board of Examiners:

1. Drs. Batoro M.S., M.A ( )

Dean of Faculty of Letters and Fine Arts

Drs. Sudarno, M.A

∩⊇⊃⊄∪ ×≅‹Å2uρ &™ó©x«

(QS. Al An'am [6]:102)

Keep moving forward - Nurul Huda

In the Name of Allàh. the Compassionate, the Merciful,

Alhamdulillahirabbilalamin, the thesis entitled “Islām Feminist in America:

organizations. I am very grateful to all of them.

Zita Rarastesa, M.A for giving me permission to do this research.

a teacher, masyayikh, murrobi, and our motivator in applying al Islām, especially

Yunihar, Handoko, Ahmadi, Imam, for their support.

Surakarta, 14 April 2008

Name : Nurul Huda

Pronounces wholeheartedly that the thesis entitled Islām Feminist in America: a

Surakarta, 14 April 2008

THE BOARD OF EXAMINERS .................................................................................. iii

TABLE OF FIGURES .................................................................................................. xii

2. Theoretical Approaches ......................................................................................... 5

5. Technique of Analysis ........................................................................................... 8

A. Uṣūl al-fiqh: Methodology for Research................................................................... 10

3. Methods for Deriving Rulings from The Sources ............................................... 17

2. Command for Friday Prayer: Its Merits and Importance ..................................... 23

5. Sunnah in the Friday Prayer ................................................................................ 29

1. Feminism Movement ........................................................................................... 37

4. Islam feminist in Historic Jumu‘ah...................................................................... 43

c. Ahmed Nassef ................................................................................................ 46

A. Deviation in Historic Jumu‘ah from Mainstream Islâm ........................................... 48

2. Historic Jumu‘ah and the portrayal of Islâm ....................................................... 72

Figure 1. (L to R) Jawad Ali, Ahmed Nassef and Sarah Eltantawi at Amir’s on

Figure 2. Historic Jumu‘ah congregants in prayer .......................................................... 57

Figure 5. Wadud gives her khutbah before the prayer .................................................... 68

Figure 7. A congregant after the prayer. March 18 ......................................................... 69

Nurul Huda. C0300008. 2008. Islām Feminist in America: a Case Study of

This thesis explores the American experiences addressing Islām feminist

(Kehidupan Muslim di Amerika, 2003:2) Its development cannot be separated

Changes in Islāmic Hermeneutics and Social Evolution: A Comparative Study of

Muslim world (However Islām in America is a phenomenon that actually

America as an issue spread by the media.

Teuku Alvisyahrin, Past Executive President Islāmic Center Of Northwest

Mosques in the United States 1,209

Caribbean 1.2 percent

Source: Religion Statistics around the World (2006)

merchant seamen, tradesmen, entertainers, white-collar professionals, and owners

do research particularly in social sciences. More researchers, those working in the

communities in North America is Progressive Muslim Union. This community

application of Islāmic teaching. The feminism spirit has a role in presenting

In order to give a focus, research questions are formulated as follows:

The objectives of this research are:

2. To describe how Historic Jumu`ah represents feminist movement in

historic Jumu`ah as a presentation of feminist movement. The research