An Epistemological Analysis Of The Thought Of Contemporary Muslim Feminism Figures

Abstract

This research conducts an in-depth exploration of the philosophical and methodological foundations underlying the discourse of contemporary Islamic feminism, with a special focus on epistemological analysis of the thoughts of key figures such as Amina Wadud, Fatima Mernissi, and Asma Barlas. The main problem identified is the hegemony of patriarchal interpretation in the Islamic intellectual tradition that often ignores women's moral agency and creates subordinate social structures. The importance of this research lies in the need to formulate a gender-equitable knowledge framework in response to global inequalities reflected in human development statistics. The methodology used is descriptive-analytical qualitative research with a literature study and discourse criticism approach. The results show that Muslim feminists construct an alternative epistemology through the deconstruction of interpretive authority, the recontextualization of history, and the use of monotheistic hermeneutics. These findings confirm that gender equality in Islam is not just the adoption of Western values, but the result of a re-excavation of the ethical principles of the Qur'an that have been covered by the sociocultural biases of the interpreters.