Analysing Women’s Rights in Islam through the Critical Perspectives of Javanese Kyai Moechtar BoecharI from 1919 to 1926

This article explores the intellectual contributions of Moechtar Boechari (1899–1926), an intellectual figure from Surakarta, Central Java, Indonesia. Despite his active role in advocating for women’s rights during the colonial era, Boechari’s work is notably absent from mainstream Indonesian historiography. As a founding member of the Muhammadiyah branch in Surakarta, Boechari was instrumental in advancing discourse on the rights of Muslim women. His ideas were propagated through the Muhammadiyah Surakarta’s tabligh (congregations) and various women-centric publications, including Woro Soesilo (teachings of morality), Isteri Soesila (ethical women), Moeslimin (the Muslims), Al-Islam (Islamic teachings), and Tjahaja Islam (light of Islam) between 1919 and 1926. In 1923, he authored a fictional novel, Moeslimah (the Muslim woman), further elucidating his perspectives. Through historical analysis, this article delineates Boechari as a local kyai or Islamic scholar who critically engaged with the evolving status of Indonesian Muslim women, particularly as they faced increasing marginalisation amidst the nation’s early 20th-century modernisation. Boechari’s two key areas of focus included the social dynamics of Muslim women within family settings and their broader societal interactions. His critical approach was shaped by interactions with notable contemporaries such as Haji Misbach, Kyai Dahlan, Hendrik Kraemer, and Annie Besant, resulting in a nuanced understanding of the intersection between Indonesian culture, Islam, and women’s rights.