Zaynab al-Ghazālī’s Exegesis and Contribution to Gender Equity: A Critical Analysis

Abstract

Gender discrimination remains deeply entrenched in soci­etal structures, often perpetuated by cultural and religious frame­works. This article seeks to address this issue by examining the con­tributions of Zaynab al-Ghazālī, one of the few female scholars in the traditionally male-dominated field of Qur’ānic exegesis (tafsīr). Her magnum opus, Naẓarāt fī Kitāb Allāh, offers a distinctive interpretative framework on gender equity, specifically regarding the ontology of women, their creation, and the concept of qiwāmah within the family structure. This study employs qualitative library research with a de­scriptive-analytical approach, drawing on historical, sociological, and philosophical perspectives. To examine al-Ghazālī’s thought, it ap­plies the gender paradigms proposed by M. Quraish Shihab and Hu­sein Muhammad. The findings reveal that al-Ghazālī views gender eq­uity as a core principle within an Islamic framework. Her interpreta­tions reflect a moderate-progressive stance that bridges classical Is­lamic thought and contemporary gender discourse. This study con­tributes to the broader discourse on women’s role in Islamic scholar­ship and underscores the necessity of recognizing female exegetes in shaping the intellectual and theological landscape of gender studies in Islam.