Al-Ghazali is considered a great classical scholar of Islam, but some of his views on women were shockingly problematic.

Sofia Tsourlaki, PhD researcher and lecturer of Islamic studies, argues that the Persian scholar’s problematic views about women were shaped by unreliable & fabricated hadiths as well as misogynistic narrations from other traditions which held contempt for women. Here is an insightful video with references.

https://youtu.be/-RSnrc3ChU0?is=75e-pdbDykyK068P

Here is an article on the same topic: https://countercurrents.org/2024/07/the-patriarchal-mystique-al-ghazali-and-the-subordination-of-women/

Al-Ghazali’ made many disputable proclamations about women, endorsing beatings as punishment for defiance and portraying marriage as a form of acceptable servitude. He also insisted on the belief that women’s nature is mixed with that of the devil, that women’s minds aren’t suited for education, and he was quick to provide a rundown of intrinsic female imperfections. It is worth mentioning that in stark contrast, Ibn Rushd (Averroes) held women in high regard. He rejected the notion that women were intellectually inferior or inherently sinful. His writings advocated for women’s education, believing their minds were just as capable as men’s. He even challenged the idea that women were unfit for leadership roles, suggesting that a woman with the necessary qualifications could govern just as effectively as a man. This progressive stance on female potential and education placed Ibn Rushd firmly ahead of his time.

This example supports the argument that the “Muslim world” took a wrong turn in history, by rejecting the legacy and methodology of Ibn Rushd and by accepting the Ghazali-inspired Islamic orthodoxy.