Epistemologi Tafsir Kontemporer dalam Merespons Isu Gender: Analisis Komparatif atas Pemikiran Amina Wadud dan Fatima Mernissi
Keywords:
Tafsir Epistemology, Islamic Feminism, Amina Wadud, Fatima Mernissi, Gender HermeneuticsAbstract
This study aims to comparatively analyze the epistemology of contemporary Qur'anic interpretation developed by Amina Wadud and Fatima Mernissi in responding to gender issues in Islam. Both figures are central in Islamic feminist discourse, offering distinct hermeneutical methodologies for reading religious texts from a female perspective. This research employs a qualitative method with a library research approach and critical-comparative analysis of the major works of both thinkers, utilizing Gadamer's hermeneutical epistemology framework as adapted by Esack, with four analytical dimensions: pre-understanding, hermeneutical method, source authority, and ethical-practical implications. The results show that Amina Wadud developed a tawhidic hermeneutics grounded in the paradigm of divine oneness as the basis of human equality, employing a thematic-holistic method of interpretation that considers the socio-historical context of revelation. Fatima Mernissi, in contrast, pursued a historical-hadith critique by questioning the authenticity of misogynistic narrations through rijal al-hadith analysis and the political context of classical interpretation. The epistemological difference between the two lies in the source of legitimacy: Wadud departs directly from the Qur'anic text, while Mernissi focuses more on the social construction behind hadith transmission. Both contribute significantly to the renewal of Islamic thought on gender, though facing different methodological challenges within classical and modern Islamic epistemology. This study also contextualizes both frameworks within Indonesian Islamic scholarly discourse, examining their reception by organizations such as NU, Muhammadiyah, and MUI. A key limitation is the absence of empirical data on grassroots reception of these frameworks within Indonesian Muslim communities.
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