In search of Islamic view of justice on women testimony

Abstract

The most current challenges faced by Moslem in terms of Islamic religious discourse are religious
interpretation on gender equality on position men and women. Among long crucial debate related to
the issue is position of men and women in testimony, when the place of two women witnesses which
are conceived equal to one man. It seems an ambivalent takes place regarding Islamic religious interpretation
when many verses mentioned in the Quran and some hadiths have declared explicitly the same
shared opportunity and capacity as well as mutual relation between men and women as vicegerents
(khalifah) of God on the earth, meanwhile in the practice which inherited over centuries demonstrated
inequality of men and women. This contrast, however, ultimately indicates a tension between Islam
that ethically egalitarian and historically determined. This article tries to seek an Islamic view of justice on
women testimony by arguing the importance of contextualizing interpretation by revitalizing appropriate
maxim of Quran exegetes and up grading maqasid studies in order to find a more equal and just
religious interpretation on women in Islam.