Women and Islam in Africa: towards an inclusivist theology of leadership

Abstract

Islam is one of the dominant faiths in Africa. Africa has a population of one billion and fifty-one million (1,051,000,000) (www.prb.org/publications/datasheets/2011). Muslims in Africa number five hundred and sixty-four million, four hundred and thirteen thousand (564,413,000). (www.pewforum.org/religion). Thus Muslims constitute fifty-four percent (54%) of the population in Africa. Thus harnessing all the potentials of leadership within Muslim communities in Africa will constitute a great contribution to filling the vacuum of leadership in Africa. Unfortunately, a great percentage of the Muslim population, (its women) have been left out of the leadership sphere within Muslim communities in Africa. The Qur’an states that good Muslims should aspire to leadership within the community of the righteous (Q: 25:74). Unfortunately the guardians of Islamic lore have determined that women can neither aspire to leadership, nor can they lead. In other words, leadership in Muslim communities is the exclusive preserve of men. They derive their authority from an alleged saying of the Prophet Muhammad, that people who are ruled by a woman will never be successful. This paper argues that it is not against the grain of Islam for women to play leadership roles. It argues for a re-thinking of the Islamic theories of leadership and a reformulation of a theology of leadership in African Islam that will include women. Key words: women, leadership, Islam, Africa.