Recentring Womanhood: The Quranic Method as a Moral Corrective to Feminist Social Disruption
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.33102/jmqs.v22i1.610Keywords:
Quranic Method, Womanhood, Fitrah, Feminism, Maqāṣid al-Quran, Social Harmony, MadaniAbstract
Contemporary feminist discourse has, in many contexts, shifted from its original pursuit of justice toward expressions of autonomy and resistance increasingly detached from transcendent moral foundations, contributing to social fragmentation, instability in family structures, and a crisis of moral identity. This study examines the Qur’an as a moral and spiritual corrective to such disruptions by advancing a faith-centred paradigm of womanhood rooted in divine guidance. The objective is to analyse how the Qur’anic method redefines empowerment beyond ideological contestation and restores balance, dignity, and ethical purpose. Methodologically, the study employs tafsīr mawdhūʿī (thematic exegesis) integrated with the maqāṣid al-Qur’an framework, focusing on Sūrah al-Taḥrīm (66:10–12) and Prophetic exemplars—Āsiyah, Maryam bint ʿImrān, Khadījah bint Khuwaylid, and Fāṭimah al-Zahrāʾ—who are recognised in hadith as among the women of Paradise. The findings demonstrate that the Qur’anic paradigm constructs empowerment through īmān, taqwā, and moral steadfastness, rather than through antagonistic or individualistic assertions. These exemplars illustrate a transformative model in which faith disciplines emotion, refines agency, and aligns human conduct with divine purpose. The study further reveals that the Qur’anic method reorients contemporary gender discourse from grievance to worship, from emotional volatility to ethical clarity, and from self-assertion to moral responsibility. In discussion, this paradigm is shown to offer a constructive socio-ethical framework that harmonises individual dignity with communal wellbeing, aligning with a Madani vision grounded in justice (ʿadl), compassion (raḥmah), and spiritual integrity. Ultimately, the Qur’anic method emerges not merely as a critique of feminist excesses, but as a comprehensive moral blueprint for restoring equilibrium and civilisational harmony in contemporary society.
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