Haifaa Younis – Builders of a Nation #28 – Fatima al Fihri

			Salam Alaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh Welcome back in our journey toward learning about special
woman with a special character and a special landmark in our history. Today, we are coming later on
to the ninth century. Were in the 800 year, a woman by the name of Fatima Sheree was born in
Tunisia, Hydra one. This woman grew up in privileged home. Her father was a merchant, Mohammed
Abdullah Abdullah, who in her lifetime when she was young, he decided to move to Morocco. With her
and her sister, something special about her we don't know a lot of details about her life. We don't
even know exactly when she died.
		

			Or what do we know about her? If you go too fast, there is a place and Trez that it is a landmark
everyone has to visit that place called Masjid Al Qaradawi, the Mosque of a Halloween and the
University of Karachi. What is the relationship between this and faulty my favorite
		

			140 was father died, she inherited a lot of money, she decided to do something different than
anybody else. Her vision was education, spread education, not only she learns, but mainly facilitate
learning for the others. She opted with the wealth she inherited to build a mosque in a university.
And rest assured that's what happened. She bought her land. And then she build the mosque and the
university by the name of an ROV, which is similar to the name of where she was born in Tunisia, of
Cairo one, this mosque became the first mosque, the largest mosque, and the largest university in
North Africa. And it attracted a lot of students from all over the world. This university is
		

			recognized by UNESCO and Guinness Book as the first degree granting university in the world. Again,
this was built by a woman thought geometrically, this university was not the only offering Islamic
sciences, it was offering sciences in different branches, Islamic Studies, astronomy, philosophy, it
graduated, one of the most famous Muslim scholars in a hall don't famous philosopher ignore rushed.
This university not only graduated, famous Muslim scholars actually graduated Christians pop
Sylvester the second, this Pope introduced Arabic numerals to Europe as we know it. These days, at
age 59. She actually enrolled herself in the university, and she graduated from the University,
		

			never too late to learn, never put any obstacle to learn. And her diploma is actually written on a
piece of food. And it's still there in the university, or Rowan University is regarded as the most
ancient university that's still operating. It preceded the University of Bologna by 100 years. The
mosque itself is one of the most ancient mosques, it's actually before the mosque in Timbuktu, the
library of the Koran University is one of the oldest libraries in the world. It contains more than
4000 manuscripts. So I was blessed to actually visit Fez and visit the mosque, and the university
piece of art, full of serenity,
		

			full of beauty. And as you walk around you absolutely see, history is written in that place. And you
really look around and wonder
		

			what was in the mind of this woman? When she thought of it, no one before her did that. And when she
had a plan, or actually had a vision, had the plan, she executed the plan. We don't know much about
the obstacles, but I am sure there were so many obstacles. It's a huge place, piece of art
beautiful, and anything beautiful. Usually we have to put a lot of efforts and usually we get
obstacles. And as I was walking around, I kept thinking of who was she and how dedicated this woman
was to education, not only to women education, education in
		

			General, she didn't feel that being a woman is an obstacle to build something as unique as an
ancient and now as a landmark in Guinness Book and UNESCO as an paroling. Do I wish I had met this
woman? Absolutely I do. In 2017 She was honored by a price and her name in Tunisia. And the price is
given to those who start initiatives to make it easy for people to encourage access to training and
professional responsibilities. Don't we all want to be faulty my fairy where we start something no
one else before or started. But the most important thing that what she started had helped 1000s of
people pleasing Allah subhanho wa Taala and left a landmark physical landmark that no one goes to
		

			fez without seeing it. Even if you don't want to see it. You'll have to see it. May Allah bless her
soul must pantalla give us what he gave her