The Gifts of Islam for Women – Hhugs Charity Masquerade Ball.
In this address Ustadha Fatima Barkatulla addresses an audience of sisters at the Hhugs (Helping Households Under Great Stress) Charity Masquerade Ball.
She highlights 5 of the many gifts that Islam gave to women and what we as women should do once we acknowledge those gifts.
Will brasier around the mod to the sunset in the game?
Salam ala rasulillah
assalamu aleikum wa rahmatullah wa barakato.
It's so nice to see all of you yesterday, and I'm sure most
shocking
person I know her. And so it reminded me of how
my sister, imagine that day, just imagine, when we see each other,
and we look at each other.
And we're going to be wearing, and we're going to be looking the best thing anyone could ever
imagine. So I think for me, days like this, remind me of that they need
to be united together.
In a gathering even better than this. So
another thing that I put on days like this, that we should think about is the blessings that Allah has given us. And so I'm going to remind us all of the greatest blessing that Allah gave us. And that is the blessing of the blessing of Islam, and the gifts that Islam has given us. So what are the gifts that Islam has given us?
I have distilled the gifts into five key gifts of Islam.
I'm going to go through them right now. Gift number one. And I really want you to appreciate these sometimes. And as Muslims, we, we forget that these are actions really, this is a really big deal. You know, and sometimes Sunday, when you talk to somebody who embraces Islam, that you realize,
that's a really amazing thing. That's a really beautiful gift, a beautiful blessing.
So first, a month gave us was
for Islam is a direct relationship with our Creator, a direct relationship with our Creator. We don't need any intermediary. You know, people are walking around loss. People don't know what the purpose of their life is.
People are buying books, the self help books, to help them to live a disciplined life. And that's something that Allah, Allah gave us really.
We have a direct relationship with a lot. That means that no matter who we are, and where we are, we could always call upon, you can always connect with him, no matter how much you have seen him, my sisters, you can always send a lot because this
is never closed. The second gift
that Islam gave to us as women is a healthy relationship with men a healthy relationship.
Because, you know,
I'm sitting, I went in with one of my friends.
And it was like, the first time she beats
and she's sitting there mumbling
at
and she said, No, it reminds me of when I'm not Muslim. And I used to go to parties with my ex husband.
And she said, and the only way I can describe what those environments are like, is toxic,
toxic environments, because there was alcohol.
You know, the men and women
each other. And I always had this feeling that my husband was
my husband, to make sure that no one's flirting
with men.
And she said, I never had a relationship with women like I do.
And sisterhood that I have
until I became a Muslim. So, healthy relationship, man. What else does that mean? It also means
We don't see men as the enemy. We don't see life as a competition between men and women. Right? We see each other as complementary to one another. We have a certain system that works that supports the family that helps families run well. And that's something that Islam gave us something that the wider society appreciates, or acknowledges
the third gift that Sam gave to us as women is the freedom to embrace our femininity.
And fully.
So again, because we're not in competition with men, because we know that what we are as women is as valuable as it is, you know, we don't need to prove ourselves by competing with them. It means that we get to appreciate being a woman, it's okay to be a woman. It's okay to not feel good.
It's okay. You don't have to be a superwoman. Because that's something that I gave you. And you're within your right to not feel up to doing certain things, for example, it's okay. When you have children, for you to focus and look after those children. Nobody is asking you to become the breadwinner.
Because Islam recognizes that your role is valuable in and of itself is it's it's difficult and valuable. And something that is some frees you from having to worry about.
The fourth gift that Sam gave us as women is a community designed to serve us from the cradle to the grave.
What do I mean by that?
I mean by that, that as
well your boy.
Allah Subhana, Allah tells the people in the Quran tells people
to honor girls and not to harm them as people asked us to. So Allah has placed that protection for us in the Quran. Furthermore,
the duty of your father to be a provider. And then when you get married, maybe the duty of your husband
to be the one who is responsible for you. And then in old age,
the duty of your children, especially the songs, assignments,
even if you don't have children, in Islamic system, the men of the community, it falls on them to have the responsibility to take care of the women.
And that's a gift
to us.
The fifth gift my son gave to us as women is a go global family and the sisterhood like no other
global family unassisted. Like
I mentioned, my friend, she said that she never experienced love and friendship between other women the way she did.
We have an amazing system, such that I found
to
have been with American families in Egypt, and all sorts of places I knew, as soon as I arrived in those places, if I could find a Muslim, I would find somewhere to stay and find somewhere to eat. And I'll find someone who wants the best for me.
And that's a blessing that most people in the world cannot say that they have automatically in the way that we do.
So why is it important for us to know, the gifts that Islam gave us? My sisters, it's important because if you don't know what you have, you can't give. If you don't know how precious it is, then how are we in this society and in the communities that we live in are going to be beacons of light,
who see ourselves as agents of change. We see ourselves as you know, positive because in the community if we don't recognize the blessing that we have, and that is exactly what our duty is. My sisters recognize the blessing that we have and then share it, share it with the people around you, your community.
It's important because there are people
who are trying to dissuade you and to demoralize you because they know how
How are my sisters, we know that women, we are the makers of culture. If you want to change society, you can influence the women in a certain way, then you influence and change the next generation. Because they're the ones who raised the next generation were the most influential people on the next generation.
That's why it's important. So what do you need to do my sisters, what do we need to do?
Once they recognize the gifts I saw him gave us, and I'm sure you can articulate many of events,
five major gifts.
What we need to do is to embrace Islam fully,
fully, stop sitting on the fence,
whatever it is, you find it difficult to realize that a lot is greater, alike and make easy for you. Whatever challenges May, Allah He makes it easy for you to overcome that.
But make an intention to enter into some free, don't be a halfway house.
Beware the narratives, that we as women are being encouraged to adults in society, the narratives of the battle of the sexes, right? constantly being at war with our own men.
The narratives of moderate versus so called extremists, the narrative all racial divisions, right racial divisions, we all we all want. We all want
the narratives of nationalism, even within our own communities.
My friends from India,
and my kids are watching TV, and they, they saw the news.
And this, and they seem to just stay away Indian service, we must be supporting each side, right. And I had to clarify to the know that, you know, we stand for justice. And we stand with our brothers and sisters, wherever they are, with the justice and we stand with our brothers and sisters, wherever they are.
We don't believe in nationalism.
What you also need to do my sisters is teach the next generation about those gifts, make sure that they can articulate the gifts that Islam gave to us as women. Because when they go out into the world, and when they hear certain things being said against Islam,
they're not gonna have the resilience to be able to resist that. Unless you
are teaching them the counter narrative or teaching them the gifts of the Navy.
Why do we need to do this? Because
we my sister wants to be told that
he uses for the sake of the online for the betterment of the world.
We did today? Yes, when
we're having fun, but the real reason why we had to basically he cared about our systems, we care about the children.
We care about them, because they're our sisters. We care about those children because they are our children.
We want to be told all the calls are used against
us because we are the ones who will pass the baton on to the next generation.
And we'll have the opportunity in doing that.
A little bit better than how we found it.
So,
round up, my sisters were five days I mentioned the gift of a direct relationship with our Creator. The gift of a healthy relationship with men to give the freedom to be women and to embrace our femininity. The gift of a community designed
to protect themselves from the cradle to the grave. And the gift of a global family and sister with like no other. My sisters Be proud. Don't
tell yourself in the mirror. But my mother is Arusha
who is a module of knowledge? My mother was Khadija was a pillar of support. My mother is 14
Who was an example of powerful patience and perseverance. My audience is a snap. A determined strong woman. Never forget my sisters and never forget the gifts they gave us. And with that, I will finish I hope you enjoy.
That was such a profound mistake. This is about us.
We are such great women and we have great role models.
Amazing.
I was born
I was born