Moderate and progressive voices in Indonesian feminist Qur’anic interpretation: Huzaimah Tahido Yanggo and Siti Musdah Mulia

Abstract

In Indonesian Islam, as in many Muslim societies, discourses on women have largely been shaped by male scholars, with patriarchal values from medieval traditions dominating classical interpretations. While feminist approaches often critique these established values, this study examines women’s agency through the concept of kodrat, viewed as a fluid construct in which women’s engagement is continually shaped by internal and external factors. Focusing on two prominent female scholars, Huzaimah Tahido Yanggo and Siti Musdah Mulia, the paper analyzes their Qur’anic interpretations and intellectual contributions to Islamic knowledge. Both scholars, while negotiating patriarchal norms, were significantly influenced by education, career opportunities, and constitutional protections that enabled broader epistemological engagement. Employing a descriptive-analytic method and Anthony Giddens’ theory of agency, the study explores how their thought reflects both structural constraint and the expansion of gender discourse. Data were analyzed by examining their exegetical frameworks and scholarly trajectories. The findings reveal that although they acknowledge conventional views, such as the husband’s role as family leader, their advanced training in Islamic sciences enabled them to extend interpretive horizons and establish significant precedents in feminist Qur’anic interpretation. Ultimately, this study demonstrates how female scholars navigate traditional frameworks to contribute meaningfully to the dialogue between Islamic scholarship and broader gender studies.