ABSTRACT
This chapter examines Islam's teachings on women's rights and crucially the purpose of shariah as a dynamic and sophisticated process for establishing equilibrium, securing justice and serving the public interest. Christopher Lewis describes sensible as reasonableness in beliefs and practices but also to sensitivity, awareness, being mindful of the views of others and responsive to the world around us, both individually and collectively'. Imam Ibn al Qayyim (d1351) summarized the purpose of shariah: A ruling made in the name of religion cannot be part of Islamic law if the end result is wrongdoing or nonsense; at their core they should be sensible. Western feminist history continues to remain suspiciously silent about the remarkable rights given to women in seventh-century Arabia. Musawah is a global movement that calls for equality and justice in the Muslim family by challenging dominant decontextualized interpretations of Islamic law.
