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In general, human interaction is a complex feat. It is through interaction that we can build relationships, construct movements, and understand people differing from us. When aligned with feminist ideology, however, terminology and application conflate and complicate. For example, based on the context, movements like feminism become controversial. In the early developments of feminism, feminists like Mary Wollstonecraft advocated for white women’s moral and mental capacity. Due to the exclusivity of feminism as it developed, women of color expressed their disconnection with feminism as a movement and feminist as a descriptor. Like the complexities and dual meanings of feminism, the term agency in Islam has multiple meanings. In other words, how do you exercise your freedom? Is there a right way or a wrong way to do so? The ways in which we navigate these questions change the meaning and application of agency.

Simply, agency can be characterized by acting on your autonomy. For example, as a person with freedom, you can act on your freedom through speech and etc. In this framework, agency is about outward action within the western context. Like feminism, this definition of agency does not consider the cultural differences outside of a liberal and western society. In the context of Islam, a woman’s agency can be characterized with passivity and as nonpolitical, whereas in the western context a woman’s agency is described as active and political. The contrasting and even competing characterizations of agency in these two contexts interrogate the compatibility of Islam with feminism. In other words, like the reclamation of the term queer by LGBTQ+ individuals, is it possible that the enaction of passivity by Muslim women is an act of women redeploying structures used to oppress them? And further, is redeploying that passivity an impactful way of exercising agency? In pondering these questions, it is important to consider intersectionality and the variations in culture. No woman’s experience is identical, so applying western ideology to a non-western group of people is not constructive in trying to understand their methods of interacting or resisting structures surrounding them. Simply, no one way of exercising agency will look the same.

In “Feminist Theory, Embodiment, and the Docile Agent” by Saba Mahmood, Mahmood describes multiple of the Muslim woman’s practices of agency. On page 206, for instance, Mahmood writes that “the women she studied use what we in the West might prefer to consider instruments of their oppression as a means to assert their value both collectively, through the ceremonies they organize and stage, and individually…” (Mahmood, p.206). In summary, by “insisting on their dynamic complementarity with men” as Mahmood expresses, is a means of resisting and limiting domination. The desire of attaining autonomy or self-expression, can spark resistance, no matter how inexplicit. A less abstract example is detailed by Mahmood on page 209. Mahmood describes how modern Egyptian women are starting to wear a veil again “and identify it as a symbol of resistance to the commodification of women’s bodies in the popular media.” So in engaging with this practice, women are practicing a norm while still partaking in going against something, in this case the commodification of the female body. Despite the intricate differences between these two examples, each are non-intense and apolitical forms of resistance that utilize what is deemed as “instruments of their oppression.”

In contrast to the previous definition of agency, agency is broader than one’s ability to act or push for change. In the Islamic context, agency can also be “the capacity to endure, suffer, and persist.” (Mahmood, p.217). For example, Mahmood writes, “consider women’s ability to survive the ongoing presence of this pain not so much as defiance but in terms of an active engagement.” (Mahmood, p.217). In other words, through enduring hardship or oppression, you are exercising an agency internally with acceptance. Another example of endurance as agency is detailed on page 218 where Mahmood describes a conversation with their friend Nadia. Because being married in Egypt is so important for women’s status in Egypt, Nadia described the importance of having a strong personality to ‘endure’ the hardship of a ‘being-single situation’. In making the conscious decision to be patient (sabr), women are exercising an agency. Sabr, then, is “the act of persevering in the face of difficulty without complaint.” (Mahmood, p.220)

However, the ways in which women practice sabr are different. Mahmood also went into detail recalling another conversation they had with a friend named Sana. Sana described her interactions with sabr, similarly to Nadia in needing to be strong, but felt that practicing sabr required self-esteem as opposed to endurance. Sana said, “self-esteem makes you independent of what other people think of you. You begin to think of your worth not in terms of marriage and men, but in terms of who you really are…” (Mahmood, p.221). In other words, while similar to Nadia’s point of view, Sana suggests that sabr is less about endurance but acceptance of fate. There is still an element of patience in this agency but the acceptance of circumstances is more reflective of the situation and less of the person. As opposed to Nadia, who’s acceptance is more reflective of the person suffering in silence.

In summary, agency encapsulates a vast number of definitions. Agency on the surface relates to the capacity to act and engage with autonomy. In a Muslim context, agency becomes less explicit, and becomes defined by practices within the norms. Agency can also be enacted without pushback against the norms at all. For example, sabr is about enduring and accepting fate. It is through conscious choice in acts of defiance or enduring that women are able to engage with agency. Despite the non-inclusive roots of feminist theory, there is no one way to engage with your autonomy, rather there are many. It is up to women themselves to decide how they wish to engage with the world around them. And it is by considering cultures outside of our own, and experiences that differ from ours that feminism can be accessible to more than the upper-middle class white women. Like the multiplicities of agency, there are multiplicities of women.

First and foremost, I was incredibly interested in the conversation surrounding the acceptance of LGBTQ+ individuals in Islamic practice and culture. There was an interesting conflict between professional analyzation and individual judgment on hadith.

I also found myself particularly interested in how contested hadith is. I was especially curious about how the Qu’ran is a hadith but is widely accepted. By the end of the reading however, I figured that it is through isnad criticism and matn criticism that the Qu’ran is rendered an authentic hadith, wheras others are more controversial.

The ways in which people give credibility to sources was reminiscent of the talk I had to attend in elementary school on good sources versus bad. Reflecting on where our information comes from is a useful tool that allows us, as individuals, to make our own engaged judgements.

Earlier this semester I played around with the way my site looks and am satisfied with how it looks thus far. Throughout the semester I may change some of the organization, but overall I am satisfied with the results of my work.

I feel having a place to catalogue my thoughts is constructive and hopefully this continues to help and refine my thoughts on readings.

First and foremost, the most prevalent point emphasized throughout this reading was the author’s attention to why passivity is not inherently anti-feminist. Or in other words, why Islamic women can still interact with feminism.

The westernized views of feminism (and it’s colonialist roots,) continue to complicate feminism for women throughout the world. The conversation we had in class on the broad meanings of feminism and how we interact with the ideology despite it’s controversy are particularly relevant in this reading.

One thing that stuck out to me was about the quote on page 221. “Self esteem makes you independent of what other people think of you…Instead of helping to improve your situation, it leads you to accept it as fate…passively.” I found this quote very captivating as it made me think about the complexities of human nature. In psychology there’s the concept of fight or flight.

How someone reacts to pressure in society, in this instance the pressure is marriage, can be dependent on a multitude of factors. Here it seems to be religion and values that stem from that. Where one person may feel the need to dispute things they disagree with, there may be another person that know’s that the circumstances they are facing don’t define them. The differences in culture and circumstance and experience all lead up to a reaction, and the authors attention to the mysterious “why” makes this reading all the more fascinating for that reason.

From this reading, I found myself the most concerned with the quote “patriarchy is not bigotry, hatred or oppression but rather the natural social order.”

How can rendering women as less than men justifiable?

I want to consider the different perspectives described in this writing while integrating other readings I am familiar with. Is it based on cultural differences that this statement was made? Is it based in time period?

I know this reading was pondering this same question of where hierarchy comes from, however, I am curious about how thought processes like these come about in society, and ultimately Islam as a religion.

In this reflection I want to discuss the first argument. Very early on in this reading the author brings up the issue of gendered language and how the interpretations of gendered language play in to the attention of Islam to men.

Right off the bat, I started reflecting on the languages I have taken strides in learning and the languages my friends have taken strides in learning. Spanish is gendered, Russian is gendered, Italian and French are both gendered. My inattention to the gendering of language is just one symptom of my privilege. Further, the gendering of language is just incredibly interesting.

I am curious about how gender non-conforming individuals and etc reflect on the languages they are subjected to. How do they interact with religion that plays with this language? Are they supported?

Feminism is incredibly important to me and my studies and identity. I identify as a sapphic woman and believe wholeheartedly that the movements toward gender equality are important. I do consider myself a feminist, however, I do acknowledge that the term has a loaded history.

Exclusionary non-inclusive feminism is not feminism. Inclusivity, understanding: those are the true traits of feminism. It is that, that allows for change. And I believe in inclusion and understanding and passion.

A vital point made in this reading was that feminism in it’s roots is not inclusive of all women. In it’s development, feminism was concerned with white women’s suffrage. Only relatively recently has there been a surge in concern for WOC and queer women.

The most enjoyable part of this reading for me was the descriptions of different activist’s views of Islamic Feminism. There was a range in arguments going from “Islam and Feminism being complimentary to each other” and “feminism flattening out important differences between women.” Each argument was equally formulated and made a lot of sense and ultimately contextualized the colonial attitudes and conversations surrounding Islam to this day.

Violence is justified by the white savior complex. And it is incredibly interesting/ironic when you consider that the European missionaries believed they were liberating Muslim women, when down the line there was a a rise of Islam in the seventies that mourned the loss of “an indigenous self” lost to colonial violence and resulted in an “incorporated vision of women’s roles that insisted on the return to a purer domestic life.”

At the forefront of my mind is all of the vocabulary included in the last half of this chapter. I feel that the more I read Wadud, the better I will get at remembering and applying the vocabulary. As of now, I am still adjusting.

One consistency throughout this reading so far is the author’s attention to misconception’s around Islam. The upholding of “women as deviants” or being “less than man” is frequently discussed by Wadud and disputed that it is not essential to Islam. As quoted from this chapter, “the famous hadith, ‘all actions are judged in accordance with their intentions…’ In the Qu’ran, ‘whoever does good, whether male or female and is a believer’ shall be rewarded.”

Wadud’s clarifications on Islam are always incredibly well supported and explained. Wadud clarifies repeatedly, especially in this first chapter, that Islam is not anti-woman, rather it is people engaging with double talk that makes Islam less accessible.

I have always enjoyed being able to express myself through words. Early on in my life I discovered my love of poetry and still love to write it now. I do feel a bit bitter towards technical writing in essays because of my lacking grammar and structure in poetry, however, I do still appreciate being able to engage with texts and media that interest me. Poetry is something I am driven to do for a living, but more realistically, something I really enjoy doing. I hope to capitalize on this interest of mine more with projects I am assigned throughout this semester.