Traditions and Transformations: Marriage and Family Institutions Among Modern Indian Muslims

Year 2025, Issue: 37, 41 - 57, 15.10.2025

Yalçin Kayalı

https://doi.org/10.35415/sirnakifd.1707826

Abstract

This article examines the transformation of gender roles and marriage norms among Indian Muslim women within the framework of Islamic legal principles, modernity, and contemporary socio-political developments. Urbanization, inclusive education policies, and state-sponsored reforms have significantly enhanced the public visibility of Muslim women, particularly those from educated and socioeconomically advanced backgrounds. However, this transformation is not consistent; in communities shaped by traditionalism and religious orthodoxy, the pace of change remains slow and fragmented. The paper highlights how access to education and employment fosters economic independence and increased participation in family decision-making, while simultaneously giving rise to new syntheses between religious norms and modern aspirations. Core Islamic family law concepts such as nikāḥ (marriage contract), mahr (dower), nafaqah (maintenance), and polygyny are critically reinterpreted in light of evolving gender dynamics. The study critiques regressive practices like dowry demands and widow stigmatization as cultural deviations from Islamic ethics. It argues that Muslim women are not merely subjects of change but active agents who reconcile faith and autonomy in redefining their social roles. By bridging classical jurisprudence and contemporary realities, this article offers a holistic view of gender in Islam, foregrounding Muslim women’s agency in shaping family, marriage, and public life.

Keywords

Indology , Muslim women , Gender roles , India , Marriage , Family.

Gelenekler ve Dönüşümler: Modern Hint Müslümanlarında Evlilik ve Aile Kurumları

Abstract

Bu çalışmada, Hindistan’daki Müslüman kadınların toplumsal rollerinde ve evlilik normlarında yaşanan dönüşümü, İslam hukukunun temel ilkeleri, modernleşme süreçleri ve çağdaş sosyal-politik gelişmeler çerçevesinde incelemektedir. Eğitimde fırsat eşitliği, kentleşme, kadınlara yönelik kamu politikaları ve seküler hukuk reformları gibi faktörler, özellikle kentli ve eğitimli Müslüman kadınların kamusal alandaki görünürlüğünü artırmıştır. Ancak bu değişim homojen değildir; geleneksel değerlerin güçlü olduğu çevrelerde dönüşüm daha yavaş ve sınırlı gerçekleşmektedir. Makalede, kadınların eğitim ve istihdam yoluyla kazandığı ekonomik bağımsızlığın aile içindeki karar alma süreçlerini etkilediği, dini normlarla modern beklentiler arasında yeni sentezlerin oluştuğu vurgulanmaktadır. Ayrıca nikâh, mehir, nafaka ve çok eşlilik gibi İslam aile hukukuna dair kurumların çağdaş yorumları, kadınların özneleşme süreci bağlamında tartışılmaktadır. Bozulmuş geleneksel uygulamaların—özellikle çeyiz talebi ve dul kadınlara yönelik dışlayıcı pratiklerin—İslami ilkelerle çeliştiği belirtilerek, kadınların hem dini sadakati hem de toplumsal değişimi birlikte taşıyan aktörler haline geldiği savunulmaktadır. Çalışma, kadınların pasif değil, aktif dönüşüm öznesi olduğunu vurgulayarak İslam’da toplumsal cinsiyet anlayışına bütüncül bir bakış sunmaktadır.

Keywords

Hindoloji , Müslüman kadınlar , Cinsiyet rolleri , Hindistan , Evlilik , Aile.

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