Shahla Haeri analyzes how Muslim women have played significant roles as political leaders in both historical and contemporary contexts. The chapter highlights how this occurs despite selective use of a hadith to deny women political authority. Haeri presents a detailed reading of the Queen of Sheba in the Qur’an, arguing that Islam legitimizes women’s exercise of the highest levels of political authority.

Mahjabeen Dhala provides insight into how the wives of the Prophet Muhammad serve as role models for Muslim women. The chapter demonstrates how these women chose to live by the high moral standards expected of them and exercised agency not only within traditional roles but also in the socio-political life of the nascent Muslim community.

The introduction offers a comprehensive view of the central debates within the study of Women and Islam. It familiarizes the readers with the theoretical and methodological discussions across the main disciplinary fields involved in this research. Furthermore, it delineates the overarching framework for the volume and underscores how each chapter tackles a fundamental issue, linking it to broader discussions, and also suggests promising directions for future research.

D. Fairchild Ruggles reviews the role Muslim women have played as patrons of art, architecture, and the urban environment. The chapter presents case studies from various regions and time periods, highlighting the diverse motives and reasons behind these acts of patronage.

Karen Bauer offers a comprehensive review of the Islamic moral framework as outlined in the Qur’an, situating Islamic gender norms within this context. The chapter demonstrates how these norms support a hierarchical structure that also emphasizes fairness.

Liv Tønnessen documents trends in the study of women’s involvement in political Islam movements. The chapter draws on examples from various country contexts, followed by a case study of Sudan, to illustrate how women within these movements respect foundational rulings while adapting specific aspects of Islamic law to contemporary realities.

Zuzanna Olszewska explores the poetic and literary agency of Muslim women across time and genres. The chapter reviews both literary and anthropological studies that have deepened our understanding of the importance of written scholarship and oral poetry produced by Muslim women. It also presents a case study of Muslim female poets of Afghani origin now living in the diaspora.

Nelly van Doorn-Harder documents how Muslim women have historically played a crucial role in shaping society. Focusing on Muslim women’s social activism in Indonesia, the chapter highlights five distinct stages leading to the current peak, where women’s activism has shaped important policy outcomes and shifts in attitudes related to the protection of women’s rights and the promotion of human rights in society.

Nina Nurmila provides a review of key scholarly figures in the field of Islamic feminism and their methodological approaches. She emphasizes how, in Indonesia, their influence has permeated the wider Muslim community more effectively than in other contexts, thanks to local scholars disseminating their ideas through vernacular Islamic scholarship.

Maria Jaschok analyzes the opportunities and challenges faced by Muslim women living as a minority, particularly in contexts where religion is under pressure. The chapter highlights the dynamism exhibited by female imams (ahongs) in China, who have strategically leveraged the pressure on male authority imposed by the Chinese state to carve out a larger role for themselves. The chapter also shows how these women seek to connect with the global Muslim community, or ummah, while relating Islam to their everyday realities.

Vanessa Vroon-Najem reviews the growing scholarship on women’s conversion to Islam in the West. Drawing on years of ethnographic fieldwork with Dutch female converts to Islam, she demonstrates how initial conversions often stem from the appeal of classical Islamic reasoning on gender norms. Over time, these women learn to respect core values while making adjustments on secondary matters, enabling them to engage with a wider society that remains skeptical of their newly acquired Muslim identity.

Faraz A. Khan offers a classical perspective on the Prophet Muhammad’s engagement with women in his life, including his wives, daughters, and Muslim women from the wider community who sought his advice. The chapter illustrates why the Prophet is idealized as an exemplary figure in his treatment of women.

Katerina Nordin utilizes both specialized legal scholarship and vernacular Islamic literature to explore the nuanced debates surrounding veiling and restrictions on sexual freedom in Islam. The chapter discusses how many Muslim women adhere to these rulings by conscious choice, while also highlighting Islam’s encouragement of sexual pleasure for both genders within marriage and emphasizing that the extent of gender segregation remains negotiable.

Sohail Hanif provides a detailed examination of the complex legal debates surrounding women’s inheritance in Islam, particularly within the Hanafi school of law (madhhab). The chapter emphasizes how these debates are highly nuanced, requiring an understanding of how Islamic law balances financial responsibilities between genders, ensuring that what women might seemingly lose in inheritance is offset by their entitlement to maintenance.