Yaqeen Podcast What if it's Not a Gender War? | Real Talk ft. Dr. Tesneem Alkiek
Dec 11, 2025
Dr. Tesneem Alkiek, a scholar on Islamic tradition and gender, joins Qaanitah Hunter to challenge the notion that Islam is defined by men. They explore Aisha's significant role in Islamic history and how context alters our understanding of hadith. Tesneem emphasizes the importance of women's voices, critiques past interpretations rooted in bias, and advocates for women's active participation in scholarship. The discussion encourages a shift from a victimhood mentality to empowerment and collaboration in the pursuit of knowledge.
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Questioning The Loaded Framing
- The question "Is Islam all about men?" hides assumptions that skew interpretation of tradition.
- Tesneem Alkiek urges we first examine our biases before declaring the tradition misogynistic.
Aisha Corrects Assumptions
- Tesneem Alkiek shares Aishah's surprising quote restricting women from the masjid to challenge assumptions.
- She then shows male scholars rejected making that statement binding, flipping the expected narrative.
Context Changes Meaning
- Single hadiths read without context fuel the hermeneutic of suspicion and confirm biases.
- Tesneem Alkiek demonstrates that contextual reading can reveal counterexamples where men are called a greater fitna.