伊斯蘭世界的性別研究在中東與伊斯蘭研究中佔有重要地位，穆斯林女性頭戴面紗的景像經常出現，且被西方世界視為伊斯蘭對女性壓迫之證明。然而，事實是否確實如此？一般人對伊斯蘭的認知與理解常有差異，而性別問題尤其如此。諸多研究者透過西方女性主義，確為兩性關係提供新的反省與思考方式，然亦為此付出代價，例如忽略其他族群之聲音等。性別研究的概念固然根源於西方文化的「人權」價值觀，然而「人權」概念僅是對父權體制（Patriarchy）的一種反省，大體而言，女性主義追求的是「平等」的社會結構與制度，強調相同起點的兩性觀，而伊斯蘭則表現的是「平權」觀點，主張兩性有各自應盡之職務，其地位不會因此差異而有高低之分。伊斯蘭的對外擴張促使接觸其他文化，加上殖民主義對伊斯蘭國家的統治與影響，更使其反省自身文化與宗教價值觀。本文即藉由檢視伊斯蘭現代主義與其他改革運動之興起與發展過程，試圖瞭解穆斯林女性在此一潮流中所扮演之角色，並且指出伊斯蘭與西方世界對穆斯林女性研究觀點的差異性，最後則提出伊斯蘭所面臨的問題及其可能的解決之道。

Over the past decades, woman study has become more important. Influenced by Western thinking on woman issues in Islam, researchers have been debating that Muslim women have hardly been treated in equality with their male counterparts in their communities. In travelers’ books, novels, and official surveys as well as reports, the scenarios of the veiled Muslim women are often observed and described. Hence, most common people have the stereotype of impression that Muslim women are always repressed. However, this may not reflect the truth of woman status prescribed in the Islamic scripture. Apparently, it requires more objective discussions and interpretations. The main argument of feminist thinking on human rights is based on the theories of liberalism. This makes these feminists reconsider and rediscover the fact of patriarchal systems embedded in modern human societies. The concept of “equality” in the liberal thoughts is not completely identical to that of “equity”. According to this, Islam presents the “equity” instead of equality to their believers, claiming that women and men shall accomplish what prescribed by God. Neither women nor men should be superior to the other. Another issue discussed in this essay is the encounter of Islamic culture with the others, especially the Western one. Their encounters stimulated the Islamic Modernism and Islamism. In this essay, the development of Islamic Modernism and some reform movements will be examined, and the role of women in those movements will also be explored. Apart from that, the differences between Islamic and western studies on Muslim women issues shall be discussed.