Makna Qawwām dalam Kepemimpinan Perempuan di Rumah Tangga dan Politik

Studi Pemikiran Muhammad Syahrur

Abstract

The debate over the meaning of qawwām in Q.S. al-Nisā’ [4]: 34 has become an important issue in contemporary Islamic studies, as it concerns the position and leadership of women in both the household and politics. The majority of classical exegetes, such as al-Ṭabarī, Ibn Kathīr, and al-Qurṭubī, understand qawwām as a structural form of male leadership grounded in certain advantages possessed by men and in their responsibility to provide for the family. In contrast, Muhammad Syahrur offers a more contextual interpretation by framing qawwām as a functional responsibility that is not determined by gender. This study aims to analyze Muhammad Syahrur’s reconstruction of the meaning of qawwām, taking classical exegesis as its point of departure, and its relevance to the law governing women’s leadership in the household and politics. This is a normative study of a thinker’s thought, employing linguistic, exegetical, and socio-historical analysis. The primary data consist of Syahrur’s own works, namely Naḥwa Uṣūl Jadīdah li al-Fiqh al-Islāmī: Fiqh al-Mar’ah and al-Kitāb wa al-Qur’ān, while classical exegetical works, statutory regulations, and other literature serve as secondary data. The findings show that Syahrur shifts the meaning of qawwām from structural male leadership to a responsibility founded on capability, trustworthiness (amānah), and justice. This shift rests on his reading of the phrases ba‘ḍahum ‘alā ba‘ḍ and bimā anfaqū through the theory of limits (ḥudūd). Consequently, according to Muhammad Syahrur, women may assume leadership in both the household and politics, provided that they possess adequate capacity and competence.