The woman’s involvement in politics and her participation in the process of decision-making, by assuming high positions in the state, was and is still controversial among the Muslim jurisprudents… Some jurisprudents consider that women are allowed and qualified enough to assume the position of head of state, while others consider that she is not qualified for such a position…
On this issue, His Eminence, the late Religious Authority, Sayyed Muhammad Hussein Fadlullah (ra), says: “Actually, this saying which states that the woman is not entitled to assume power is based on a tradition narrated by Al-Bukhari and other, but it is not narrated in the Shiite Imamate books. This tradition says that when the Messenger of Allah (p.) heard that the people of Persia appointed a woman as their leader, he said: "People who appoint a woman as their leader will never succeed." This Hadith came out to address a special circumstance and it is not backed by any other tradition to establish its authenticity. However, many jurisprudents based their opinions that women are not entitled to assume power on this tradition."
It must be noted that other jurisprudents expressed certain reservations on this issue for the said Hadith is confined to particular circumstances, especially that the form of rule in the past differs from that of our present time. In the past, the powers of the ruler were absolute; however, nowadays, the ruler is not in charge of everything and he is subjected to the law, let alone there are certain institutions that hold him accountable and might even bring him to justice. Thus, supposing that this prophetic tradition is authentic, and its content was true and its denotation was indisputable, we say that it addressed the nature of the government at the time; however, the nature of government nowadays is different…
[Extracted from the Book “The World of the Woman”, p: 119]
The woman’s involvement in politics and her participation in the process of decision-making, by assuming high positions in the state, was and is still controversial among the Muslim jurisprudents… Some jurisprudents consider that women are allowed and qualified enough to assume the position of head of state, while others consider that she is not qualified for such a position…
On this issue, His Eminence, the late Religious Authority, Sayyed Muhammad Hussein Fadlullah (ra), says: “Actually, this saying which states that the woman is not entitled to assume power is based on a tradition narrated by Al-Bukhari and other, but it is not narrated in the Shiite Imamate books. This tradition says that when the Messenger of Allah (p.) heard that the people of Persia appointed a woman as their leader, he said: "People who appoint a woman as their leader will never succeed." This Hadith came out to address a special circumstance and it is not backed by any other tradition to establish its authenticity. However, many jurisprudents based their opinions that women are not entitled to assume power on this tradition."
It must be noted that other jurisprudents expressed certain reservations on this issue for the said Hadith is confined to particular circumstances, especially that the form of rule in the past differs from that of our present time. In the past, the powers of the ruler were absolute; however, nowadays, the ruler is not in charge of everything and he is subjected to the law, let alone there are certain institutions that hold him accountable and might even bring him to justice. Thus, supposing that this prophetic tradition is authentic, and its content was true and its denotation was indisputable, we say that it addressed the nature of the government at the time; however, the nature of government nowadays is different…
[Extracted from the Book “The World of the Woman”, p: 119]