Overturning the Reform of Polygyny: Shaykh Abu Zahra’s Renewal Thought Caught in the Tradition

Salah al-Ansari

 

Abstract: This article evaluates the legacy of the reform of Shaykh Muhammad ‘Abduh, who is recognised as the founder of Islamic modernism, in relation to gender equality. In doing so, it examines the extent to which scholars of the al-Azhar were influenced by the reforms in family laws proposed by ‘Abduh. The main argument is that ‘Abduh’s contribution to reforms in gender equality, particularly his reconceptualization of polygyny, failed to attract the support of twentieth-century al-Azhar scholars based on traditional grounds. This specifically refers to the scholars who are considered as ‘Abduh’s students and who had agreed with and developed ‘Abduh’s views on various other aspects of Islamic disciplines. Yet, their opposition to ‘Abduh’s reformist views on gender equality, specifically with regards to polygyny, ensured that ‘Abduh’s reformist views on this particular matter convinced only a minority of the scholars at al-Azhar. As a case in point, this article specifically examines Shaykh Muhammad Abu Zahra’s contributions to legal reform. Despite his demonstrated defence of ijtihad and significant contributions to reform in various other disciplines, Abu Zahra was entirely opposed to reforming family laws in line with ‘Abduh’s proposals, citing traditional grounds as the basis of his opposition. Abu Zahra, along with those scholars who aligned with the traditional position, failed to reconcile Islam with modern concepts of equality between genders.