Rulings related to Women in Positions of Religious and Political Leadership: Summary and Translation

Excerpted from "Fatwas and Rulings on Women in Islam" (Fatāwā wa-aḥkām al-marʾa fī al-islām, Cairo: Dār al-Iftāʾ al-Miṣriyya, 2025)

By H.E. Dr. Naẓīr Muḥammad ʿAyyād – The Grand Muftī of Egypt

Summary and Translation: Sārā al-Shirbīnī

 Summary: Women Issuing Fatwas and Holding Public Religious Office – Sārā al-Shirbīnī

Islamic law establishes that the authority to issue legal verdicts (fatwas) and participate in scholarly committees is rooted in academic excellence and specialized knowledge rather than gender. Accordingly, there are no religious, administrative, or organizational barriers preventing a woman from serving as a mufti or a member of the Fatwā Committee. A woman is the same as a man in this regard; she may issue fatwas for both men and women, as competence and specialization are the primary requirements.

The eligibility of a woman to assume positions of general or specific fatwā issuance, whether individually or collectively, is contingent upon her fulfilling the necessary scholarly and technical qualifications. These include a deep understanding of Sharīʿa rulings, an awareness of contemporary reality, and the aptitude (malakah) to apply legal texts to a changing world while observing proper etiquette. Furthermore, qualified women are equally entitled to utilize media platforms to disseminate legal rulings, provided they meet the same rigorous scholarly conditions required of men. To support this, specialized training and qualification programs exist at Dār al-Iftāʾ al-Miṣriyya for both men and women who have demonstrated academic excellence through institutions such as al-Azhar al-Sharīf.

Summary: Women Holding Public Authority and Political Office in Islam - Sārā al-Shirbīnī

Islam does not present women’s public participation as a problematic or controversial issue. Historically, Muslim societies did not recognize a distinct “women’s issue” regarding work, political participation, or public authority. Women participated in public life, gave counsel, pledged allegiance (bayʿa), advised rulers, and exercised civil and political rights, all supported by explicit Islamic texts and historical practice.

Islamic teachings establish equality between men and women in moral responsibility, legal accountability, rights, and obligations, as affirmed by the Qurʾān. Women possess independent legal and financial capacity and are entitled to exercise civil and political rights in accordance with their God-given nature.

Historically, Muslim women assumed diverse leadership roles, including governance, judiciary, military participation, education, religious scholarship, issuing fatwas, and administrative oversight (ḥisba). More than fifty women ruled Muslim territories across different eras, and numerous women served as judges, market supervisors, scholars, and participants in military expeditions alongside the Prophet. Classical historical works document hundreds of female scholars distinguished in jurisprudence, ḥadīth, and literature.

Islamic jurists differed on the legal ruling of women holding leadership, governance, and judicial office:

• The majority prohibited women from holding supreme governance or judicial authority.
• The Ḥanafīs permitted women to serve as judges in cases where their testimony is accepted, with some later scholars validating their rulings while deeming the appointment sinful.
• Other scholars, including Ibn Ḥazm, al-Ṭabarī, and a narration from Imam Mālik, permitted women to assume leadership and judicial roles without restriction.

The ḥadīth stating “A people who entrust their affairs to a woman will not succeed” is interpreted by several scholars as context-specific, referring to the political collapse of the Persian empire following internal corruption and divine punishment. According to principles of Islamic legal theory, rulings based on isolated historical incidents (waqāʾiʿ al-aʿyān) cannot be generalized without supporting evidence.

Further support for this interpretation is found in the Qurʾanic account of Queen Bilqīs of Sheba, whose sound judgment, consultative leadership, political wisdom, and eventual guidance to faith are praised. This narrative serves as a Qurʾanic example of successful female leadership.

Islamic sources, historical precedent, and juristic diversity demonstrate that women’s participation in public authority is neither alien to Islam nor unanimously prohibited. The issue remains one of legitimate scholarly disagreement, grounded in interpretation, context, and legal methodology rather than categorical exclusion.