“Challenging the Authority of Religious Interpretation in Saudi Arabia: The Transformation of Suhaila Zain al-Abedin Hammad

Taking as its starting point that a male monopoly is a problem in the recognition of Islamic religious authority, especially in matters related to women, this chapter discusses the possibilities for challenging this monopoly. The author argues that it is necessary to create alternative sources of authority from within the realm of religious scholarship through women scholars laying direct claim to the interpretation of sacred texts. Al Fassi uses the works and experiences of the Saudi scholar, Suhaila Zain al-Abedin Hammad, as a specific example for this approach. Hammad, an accomplished religious scholar, has worked tirelessly through her writing, both in books and her weekly newspaper column, to address difficult issues in Islamic law, to rethink the use of weak hadiths, and to critique Saudi legal rulings. The chapter also considers the intense backlash against her work and her impact on Saudi public opinion. © 2020 selection and editorial matter, Dina El Omari, Juliane Hammer and Mouhanad Khorchide; individual chapters, the contributors.