Haifaa Younis – Women in Islamic Scholarship.

			Bismillah
		

			cinematic wahat Allahu wa barakato Bismillah Alhamdulillah wa Salatu was Salam ala rasulillah early
he or savvy woman wonder Allahumma alumna myinfo now one final vema alum tena innaka semiology
Buddha Lama now to become an enemy lanpher What can we learn Sha one FC letters about our UI in life
smart urban Allah to superluminova is a data will have been amulet on karma. In accountable hub. We
strap these surgeries solely on the workload of the terminally Sani of Capaldi European in Santa
Monica rahmatullah wa barakato. everyone welcome to our Tuesday night program. And may Allah reward
everyone who is joining us It will be real pleasure if we know where are you joining us from, you
		

			can write it on the side you can see where you can put your comments and also we will be taking
questions at the end. So if you can write it down in sha Allah who will look at and we will do our
best to take as much as Allah Santana will allow us the hamdulillahi Rabbil alameen gives me a great
pleasure today to have our chef Yasser paldi as our guest today for our program. hamdu Lillahi
Rabbil alameen as Islam is spreading everywhere, we are seeing more and more interest in learning
more Institute's willing to handle Mina but at the same time, some things have not changed a lot.
Meaning we see some disparity between the number of the Muslim woman who are scholars versus the
		

			man. However, if we go back in our history, we see something may be different. And this is going to
be our core discussion today. We'll go back in the history. We're going to see where things changed,
why things changed, why we are where we are today. How can we change it our goal, all of us,
inshallah is number one to please Allah subhana wa Tada. And number two is to come out with more
interest in learning and inshallah more plan on how we can at least make a change. Again, gives me a
great pleasure to have chef Victoria safavi as our guests May Allah reward him. He's joining us from
Epic Masjid in Dallas. And if any of you listening to us have not been in Dallas or have been in
		

			Dallas, but who have not visited epic or east Plano, I highly recommend you do so beautiful Masjid
huge, very welcoming to the woman amazing second floor. And last Panthera gave me the pleasure of
visiting it more than once. Last one just a few months before the COVID and amazing woman very
friendly to the woman push for the learning for the woman so I highly recommend anyone who Allah
take you to Dallas. Make sure you visit that Masjid Shakira, sir, absolutely. I don't have to
introduce him. Everyone knows Jeff so probably. To me, there is a couple of things in chef Yasser
which I found unique if you allow me chef here So number one, and this is the most important thing
		

			for me He is a carrier of the book of Allah happy one lucky tabula. And I always pray to anyone who
Allah give him this pleasure and this honor that or that the Koran will protect me or be me, not
only he or she memorized the Quran, he also unique he studied in both parts of the world. So he
studied in my dream university that I could not get into when I moved to Saudi is that Stanford
University of Medina, and he finished his master's there that our last pantalla brought him back and
gave him the opportunity to have a PhD at Yale in Islamic Studies theology. So you have the
combination and also has the combination of Islamic Studies versus secular studies. Originally, he's
		

			a chemical engineering which I just found out today. Yes, 100 later on behind me and Allah subhanho
wa Taala chose him as the way I look at it into our way more the evening. more pleasing European
chef so jazak Allahu Allah He wording the word you abundantly for joining us saramonic Morocco I
just fell for having me on your show. And May Allah forgive you for that. exaggerated praise of me I
am Abdullah for clarity miskeen the one who is always in need of Allah Rama and sitter and Mo Farah
and ask Allah subhana wa Taala that he writes both of our names amongst the elite and amongst the
people of Philips era. I want to appreciate all that you have been doing as well I've heard a lot
		

			about your efforts and your power and your online videos and ask Allah azza wa jal to bless you as
well and all that you're doing from the European desert, Zack Locke along with Danielle, the
amillennial Andrea, missing me. So here what I want to start your shift yesterday, we discussed this
before
		

			I want you to take us through the history and you are any one of your
		

			amazing points that I hear from everyone as you go You're very scientific and you go through history
as we all know Muslims woman as scholars was something very well known as early as one roswaal
assault or Saddam was there and the best example is say Dasha and as a few and we are actually
having a whole series inshallah it starting in September is covering the lives of the wife of
Roswell De Soto center, and we're going to focus on seda Ayesha, where anymore and her knowledge and
like no one of the Mama's jewelry said, if the knowledge of CDH or was all collected, it will have
been more than the knowledge of every woman. Where were from that give us more history about more
		

			and more women who carried the banner of Islamic knowledge became scholars taught spread the
knowledge.
		

			So as you correctly pointed out that Islam came with the very explicit commandment to teach both men
and women and we have a Hadeeth incident to be dealt with, and others that our Prophet sallallahu
alayhi wasallam saw a particular Muslim, a teacher that was teaching his wife hafsa about Rokia and
the Prophet system said to her, that teacher Kitab as well don't just teach her how to look there
properly, teach her to do Kitab as well reading and writing. And so this demonstrates very
explicitly from the Sunnah itself, that despite the fact that pre Islam, women were not considered
to be receptacles of knowledge. When Islam came explicitly the Prophet sallallahu Sallam commanded
		

			men and women to learn how to read and to learn to become basically scholars and alamat. As you
correctly pointed out, that I should have the law why not just show me Salah, and so many of the
other Sahaba yet they are narrators of Hadith and they're also felt the heart in which the head that
they would give fatwa as well. And this is something that is well known throughout early Islam
throughout the many centuries of our scholarship, you will hardly find an item of repute except that
there are shared hearts amongst the people who taught him and the list goes on and on. For example,
it is mentioned that in hottie bulbous Daddy, one of the greatest scholars above the dead, and who
		

			wrote over 40 volumes, about 30 helpers that one of his main teachers was thought * bent 10 who
here who died for 36 hedgerow and also remember that Hubby, he had one of the famous scholars Shea
hot as his teachers, as well. And he mentioned that this Sheikh Hasina the Sheikh Hasina even,
you're here in the center, she was the granddaughter of the center that she was an RB desde Haider
alima that people would come and recite to her a hadith and she would be giving ijazah he said till
the day that she died the day that she passed away she had had a carton that she was teaching and
also had been hijacked as Kalani. Can you believe one of even hedges teachers was the grand niece of
		

			shareholders Some even Tamia even Timmy? his niece was ha ha Her name was Xena, Binti Abdullah even
Abdel Halim even Tamia. And so from the Tamia family, one of the you know, great granddaughters of
that stay Mia obviously shave on December Tamia is going to be the uncle of this this person, and
how far they've been hedger has an ijazah from this shape. And again, we can go on and on. Even
Tamia himself had a number of female teachers that we find in his steps or in his ages that, as I
said, you would be hard pressed to find any famous alum except that amongst his teachers, you will
find in their ijazah to this day, they're preserved in their ages that you know, females a few weeks
		

			ago, I interviewed Dr. Akram nadwi. And Dr. alkanet, we, you should all be aware that he has
finished a large compilation that is said he told us it is over 40 volumes panel I don't know how is
going to be printed and published. But over 40 volumes of the more had the thought of the female
scholars of Hadith throughout all of the centuries, he has compiled an encyclopedia of every single
female narrator of Hadith that he found and he has over 40 volumes and he said himself as a column
is a hadith himself of the highest caliber and he is a great scholar, somebody who might consider to
be a mentor. And he told me himself that his own ijazah through so for sahadi the highest is not
		

			that he has in the one of the highest in the world he has his highest is not it goes through a
female as well. So Subhanallah when you look at the past, you do find women again to be honest here
and you know today's talk I mean, those who know me know I'm going to be very frank and honest here
because there's no point sugarcoating. There's no question that we had fame
		

			Are the match? To be fair to obviously it wasn't 5050 I mean, that was the point I was gonna say,
you know, maybe 510 percent but still much more than now there's no question about it right that you
had famous alamat who are narrating Hadith, teaching karate, and this was something that was well
known. You find in their hubbies study, if you find it even hedges, his his histories, you find
plenty of halaqaat in the main masajid of the city in the Jamia of Baghdad, in that of Damascus, you
find mention of women teaching. In fact, Dr. Akram told me something that I did not even know he
said that he found I forgot the era, he found in one of the books of history that even in the masjid
		

			of the Prophet salallahu alayhi wasallam for periods of time, there were more head d'etat female
scholars of Hadith teaching Now obviously, properly dressed, but teaching the men and this is
something that even I did not know of. And he found this in one of the books that he says that there
were famous scholars of Hadith, the only female scholars who became so famous and so well learned
that they will also be teaching the men as well. So the question does come, you know, Subhana Allah,
what exactly happened? And I guess we're going to get to this point, but to to answer your first
question, indeed, anybody who studies Islamic history, and anybody who studies the quantity of
		

			scholars and their biographies, you will know firsthand that there was a healthy percentage. And
again, like I said, it's not 5050 but still, every generation of early Islam medievalism every
generation, it had famous scholars, and those scholars, you will find them as the teachers the Shea
hot and had the thought, the mockery art of all of the famous dogma that whose names we are familiar
with.
		

			Yes, yes. So this will take me as I as I'm hearing listening to you, and there is much more than
when I was actually also reviewing what you were just sharing is like we reached to about the 10th
injury. And then things went differently.
		

			What happened? And this is always the question everyone asked what's happened? So I don't know if
it's only the 10th. I remember silty? Well, I guess. Yeah. 911 hedgerow, you know, I was silty as
well. And he he has female teachers. I remember reading about this as well. And I was reading his
biography. And we find this as well. I mean, by the way, even I have a female teacher Still, the
Shea who taught me what should I have multiple ages. So the Chicago that I recited, worst wishes a
female, and I got my, my ages and washed from her. So it's still here, but it's not to the way or to
the quantity that it used to be, you know, I'm going to be honest here because, again, that's my
		

			style. As you know, you're asking me for a cause for a reason why this change occurred? I asked Dr.
Akram the same thing? Because I don't know. And his answer is an opinion. I think it might be a
cause. But with my utmost love and respect, I don't think it is the only cause. Dr. arcanum said
that the main cause now this is very interesting. And it requires a little bit of unpacking the main
cause he said was the introduction of Greek philosophy into Muslim lands. Why? Because he said, The
ancient Greeks were the ones who did not consider women to be worthy of scholarship or education or
whatnot. And so that notion of women being trivialized did not emanate from Islam, it came from
		

			Hellenistic sources. Now that is his opinion.
		

			I find that to be a little bit too mono causal like you there must be other factors as well. It's
not just that one thing. And I I am not an expert in social history to give you an expert opinion.
However, my my instinct has been just by reading history and reading the the wire that we find that
especially in the last 200 years in particular, there has been this particularly
		

			very clear cut swerving away towards a very ultra conservative stance towards men and women and
towards their interaction. And I think and again I need to say very clearly before I move on that
obviously I have my views you have your views. Let no one read in that time saying more than what
I'm actually saying I'm actually in terms of the modern trends of feminism are what I have a more
nuanced position. I don't agree with a lot of third wave feminism I need to put that out there
before we move on.
		

			But of course first wave feminism, it's it's different where there's a lot of aspects that are
Islamic there. So please don't read in a doctor academic. The same disclaimer that as we're saying
here, we are arguing for Islamic femininity. we're arguing for the true status that Allah subhana wa
Taala has bestowed upon our sisters, our mothers, our daughters.
		

			I am arguing unabashedly and unashamedly that modern Muslims by and large have abandoned the rights
that Allah has given our sisters by arguing that I am not encouraging her the villa third wave
feminism so I need to be very clear in this regard some simple examples and again, excuse me for
being blunt here but it needs to be said if you look at any of the modern you know, traditionalist
movements whether they're you know, Salafism or the urban deism or any of these movements and you
look at how their their perceptions are of religiosity and gender, you find that even the Sahaba did
not have that understanding of gender and segregation as the modern you know, these movements do
		

			that the Sahaba were far more tolerant and college open minded far more understanding of you know,
like for example I remember when I was in in Serbia for example and I'm sure you live there as well
you know this that the the concept of men women segregation is so harsh or so market that even the
name of a lady is not supposed to be mentioned by her father, her husband, her brother, like your
you use it inventor cornea, and you're like you It's as if her existence is completely
unmentionable, right there's a psychological reality, of course in the time of the Sahaba that's not
the case at all. You know, in the famous Hadith, in in the in the in the student that somebody
		

			knocked on the door of the Prophet system, I shake him and say, do sudo Allah, Xena was at the door.
She didn't say only Fulani Zeynep is at the door. And our Prophet system said a US a nav. I know a
lot of Zeno's which Zeynep is at the door right? This notion of you know i mean if you read Hamlet a
vintage judge the Sahaba and how she would argue when she needed to get something in front of the
prophets of Allah Why don't you send them and no Sahabi you know said anything How dare you argue
your case? And of course the famous one of all of us know this is a it's an Irishman there that the
lady stood up when the pro when Omar was giving the hotbar and she intervened and said how can you
		

			deny Mahara? You know, when Allah azza wa jal has, has allowed, you know, unlimited Ma, she's
arguing for not modern feminism. She's arguing for Islamic femininity. She's arguing for the rights
that are lots of Hannah, which either has given and again, all you need to just look at the Sila
tabari Sunitha. Timothy, you find, for example, oma selama. And I mentioned this today, why many
times, Ole Miss sedima, asking a very, very blunt question. And I say, if any lady dared ask the
same question, in most of our religious gatherings, the men and the ruler ma would shun would
castigate would get angry at this lady, but only selama asked our Prophet salallahu idea he was sent
		

			him she said, the auto suta locked. Why does Allah only mentioned men and not women, even though we
also did the hedgerow and we also do this and that, and we also do good deeds, and we also now
Subhan Allah, this is not evil feminism. This is humanity. Like she's wondering, where am I in the
equation? How come I'm not mentioned? And I've done what other men have done. And because of this
question, the Prophet did not castigate her the Prophet system did not rebuke her. None of the
Sahaba said How dare you call for question Allah? She's asking a legitimate an innocent question.
And she is saying basically that Where is my mentioned, I want to know it as well. And because of
		

			her question, retail sale of property that a property says and this is integrity and others that
Allah revealed not one, not two, three verses in response to her legitimate question right? First
the Java hombre boom, and Neela will do Rama there are many men coming Zachary bow welcome min bout
falda? Deena harju Well, this is what she has. So we did hijra we were kicked out of our houses, we
did good deeds for Latina harju. What did you have in the area? Well over VCB what parts are located
in Africa? So the point being that, you know, we need to ask ourselves and I have been asking myself
this question as well for the longest time. And by the way, it's not just feminism and sorry, if
		

			feminism and gender roles, it's all for all modern Islamic Renaissance or modern Islamic revival. It
has certain characteristics that we do not find in early Islam 500 years ago, this obsession, for
example, with what I consider to be very minor 50 issues and again, well if you look at the brother
side, for example, it's the same mentality, always worried about how you look or the length of your
beard or something of this nature and not worried about your one year spirituality. So we find a
problem of the software of conceptualizing what is religiosity and we find that many people have an
understanding of religiosity, especially when it comes to gender roles, that is simply not in
		

			accordance with even how the Sahaba
		

			used to live their own lives. And this is something that one of the biggest problems that happens is
that when some of our more religious minded people go to one side, there is going to be a counter
reaction to the other side. And I and I clearly state and I have stated multiple times, if our oma
of today, if the men in charge today do not to give our sisters and our mothers and our daughters
the rights that Allah has legitimately given them, then don't be surprised when they reject your
interpretation. And they go and embrace interpretations that have nothing to do with our faith.
Because for every action, there's going to be a counter reaction. And if you're going to deprive our
		

			sisters of the book of Allah, Subhana, WA, tada, don't be surprised when many of them they latch on
to not even third wave, but fourth wave feminism, they latch on to understandings that really are
antithetical to our Sharia. So I think I over answered your question, but if you have any, I don't
know if please comment as well, the only doctor, I don't want to be the one way talk. No, actually,
I was looking at some studies yesterday, you know, like, I'm a physician. So we look for studies to
be scientific. 10% of the physicians in the United States are Muslims. And I was really looking to
see what percentage of these Muslim physicians are women, I couldn't find that. But I can give you
		

			any May Allah forgive me, I'm not very accurate from what I see, if I see 40% of these Muslim woman
in the United States, our physician. So it's not a matter of education. And I'm talking about the
West. So why this not 40% is the same applies when we come to the Muslim woman's color, is it and
I'll share with you a personal thing. And when I moved to Saudi to study, I'm already an OB GYN. And
I cannot tell you how many times I heard the following why you are doing this. One of my colleagues
said this to me, how much they will pay you more
		

			is that one of the reasons is not because men and women only is the way we look at Islamic Studies.
		

			And take it further. When a woman take the same degree as a man
		

			when she comes back.
		

			And I heard this again, who will hire her? Is that another reason? You think?
		

			Like, look at I'm sorry, look at the resident scholars in massage it what is the percentage of men
to woman?
		

			Is that another issue?
		

			I think you have a legitimate question to ask. And you are correct, that there are cultural
perceptions of what a woman should or should not do. And these are questions I mean, and again, I
mean, I myself have gone through my phases. 2530 years ago, I too was taught to this by my own, you
know, the cultures that we were exposed to. And that's what you are taught. And by the way, it's
easy to talk, I speak to the men here, it's very easy to talk when you're 18 1920, get married, and
then have daughters, and then see for yourself, the world through their eyes in particular, it will
open up it will sympathize now, not that it should you should be able to do this on your own. But I
		

			speak from my own experiences that, you know, obviously having daughters changes the situation
immensely as well, because you began to realize some of the stuff you were saying when you were 20.
Now you have daughters are like, Hey, hold on a sec, you know, does that really match up to my own
lived experience in reality? So, you know, you ask some very hard hitting questions. And I think
that these are very frank conversations. I don't have easy answers because here's the point and I
know you inshallah agree with Dr. heifers that we both know that, you know, spiritually speaking in
terms of humanity, many women are 100% equal in our show, do we know that both of them have equal
		

			opportunities to get to gender, we know that the insomnia is absolutely the same, that if Allah azza
wa jal chose a soul to enter the body of a woman or the body of a man, the soul worth is exactly the
same. We know this, at the same time, in terms of the gender roles, the default roles, the gender
obligations, right? There are differences that are complimentary, right? We agree to this. So now,
we're not going to solve this problem in one conversation, but what needs to happen is the open
mindedness of all sides of the equation to come together and have a frank conversation, how do we
navigate the gender roles and expectations from the Sharia, from our society and from my personal
		

			life because there are three separate things, you know, because the first is what is Allah subhanho
wa Taala. Requiring and recommending the two are separate things. There's a requirement and then
there's a recommendation and then the second what is society expecting and then the third
		

			Do I myself want as an individual society, period, his family as well. And these three need to work
in harmony, obviously the job of Allah is always, you know, effective throughout. But after this, we
need to work in harmony, we need to see, not every woman is able to do what other women are able to
not every man is able to do, every man is able to do the circumstances of woman are different than
the circumstances of a man. That doesn't mean it's right or wrong. It is simply factually correct. I
mean, you're talking about University of Medina, whether you are I like it or not, since its
inception, it has been a male institution, it is just a reality, I cannot change them.
		

			It is what it is like it's not something I requested or whatnot, it is what it is one of the most
prestigious one of the most academic, and I thank Allah zildjian, for having, you know, I've had the
opportunity to walk in this house for 10 years, that opportunity could theoretically be given to my
sons, but not to my daughters. Obviously, that has an impact on Islamic scholarship, that the same
applies for the majority of actual accredited seminaries and universities in the Muslim world, that
merely to study there itself is different if you're a man versus woman, right. And then you have the
logistical issues. So that's not the same as a young man to go abroad and leave your parents and
		

			families. Again, let's be realistic here, a 19 year old lady, it's not the same to leave your family
to leave your country and to go to another foreign land. So and I'm not saying it's right or wrong,
I'm simply describing it as it is there are expectations there are issues to do with the issues of
jobs, issues of marriage. And again, this is not, this is not a validation of status quo. It is that
we need to have an honest conversation and I don't have solutions. A 19 year old man goes to study
in Medina, there is no question in sha Allah that when he comes back, you'll be able to find a job,
you know, find a wife find a face start a family, no problem. Okay? A 19 year old lady, suppose you
		

			were to go to some Islamic University somewhere, right? Many people would say that's the prime of
her life to find a husband. Many people would say this, I'm not saying it's right or wrong. Many
people would say she's now going to limit her her choices. career wise, she's gonna limit your
choices husband wise. And these are there are perceptions out there. I don't I mean, again, this is
not a validation, I'm simply saying it like it is they're telling you like it is. So
		

			yeah.
		

			That's what really surprised me. When I have this conversation. If this 19 years old, wanted to go
to study medicine, it's okay. So I think this is how I look at it. And please correct me if I'm
wrong. I think number one, the way we look at Islamic study in general needs to be changed. This
came from you know, this, and the other side of the Atlantic, where people who studied religion, in
general is not they are not looked at the same as lawyer or physician or professionals. Am I
correct? It's you're absolutely correct. Exactly. And I think this is one part of the 19 year olds
who go and apply to medical school people will not say, well, you have to think of your marriage and
		

			everything. But if she wants to go and study, and I think this is one of the solutions, that's
Remember, we talked about what solutions number one, I think, is we as a Muslim oma parents
specifically and young needs to look at this, maybe I will not get much in dunya. And in these days,
100 reliable brand me even you will. But this we have to look at the market. Also, this woman is
even if she didn't study any way, she did not get hired anywhere, what effect she will have inside
her house. I think that part is absolutely forgotten. Because the children, this is their mother,
that's forgotten, and people will look at how much you will get paid or who will hire you. And
		

			number two, and this is exactly the opposite. Now you see, and that's where I need you to comment.
Now we see the opposite is like if there is any conference, we have to have a woman there.
		

			Can't find it. It makes me happy. But it shouldn't be based on gender. It should be based on
qualification is is this woman or that man qualified to stand up and speak? What do you say about
that thing that we are now also seeing? So obviously this is a very difficult question of
representation. It applies. This is a conversation that's happening across this country especially
in education universities hiring slot You know, there was a recent court cases Well, I think the
supreme court also ruled about this.
		

			Even the ivy League's are talking about this, that sometimes differentially treating certain
backgrounds or certain ethnicities versus others. And this is a very again, we're not going to solve
this. You hit the nail on the head, but at the same time, whatever anybody says you're
		

			I have critics on the other side, right? So, one part of me definitely sympathize with what you
said. And another part realized is that if I were to say the same thing, it would not be taken the
same way. So you're absolutely correct that these are very difficult conversations. And I don't have
an easy answer. But you know what, hamdulillah there are a number of you know, Mashallah female
alamat that have graduated from seminaries that have studied across the Muslim world, the number of
people I've studied from as a as her does have a female prism. So there are people here in American
hamdulillah. And there are traditionally trained so as we know, Islamic clergy or cleric, being a
		

			shareholder, Allah, you don't have to go through an accredited institution, an accredited
institution helps no doubt about that. But you can find it through the halaqaat through the, through
the circles here. And I would say that those you know, of our sisters that are interested interested
in that field, Subhan Allah, there has never been a time in our human history where knowledge is as
easily accessible, as in our times, the technologies that are available to all of us that you can
avail yourself to, you don't have to go to Timbuktu or sort of the Saudi or China to study you can
do so in your home. And you have Michelle, she has and she has across the globe, and you have the
		

			internet and you can phone call and you can do FaceTime and you can do one on one and you can absorb
and you can download PDFs, Where there is a will there is a way and so you know you're right there
having a lot of impediments. And I say our sisters are just as intellectually called qualified to be
on the mat for the heart of Azeroth or had the third mercury art as our brothers. Allah did not
create the intellectual capabilities differently. There is no difference. A lady can become a fuckin
Alabama so I say Bismillah Yella, the doors open for men and women compete with each other for
statistical hierarchies, you know, go ahead and get into this race. And you know what, there were
		

			excuses that could have been used 100 years ago. Now let's shut off those excuses. And now show us
insha Allah to either show us that indeed you have done the sciences you have memorized the Quran,
you have attained the ages that you have studied the books, you have done one course after another
and then through an aqueduct How is scholarship demonstrated is through halocarbons writings start
writing started preaching and teaching and your peers will recognize you, your peers are going to
see that talent and Mashallah to Batticaloa push you forward? of course do it for the sake of Well,
obviously, first and foremost, that must be the philosophy but I am saying you know what, any
		

			doctor? Absolutely right, there's some you know, they got to shorten the stick, but you know what
there were there's a welder's away, and I will be the first and I know many of my colleagues will be
the first to encourage and those of the sisters that have taken a motor with me back in the day,
they know we would say this all the time that we want our sisters when most of them started by the
way, you know, back in 2004 2005 One of the things that was a bit of an issue was that you're going
to have women in the same room as men in Islamic Studies. This was one of the back then it was still
unheard of like you're gonna have Yanni you know, men and women sitting together studying him. And
		

			we were like, of course that's how it used to be throughout Islamic history. They're sitting Of
course, one side we're not sitting literally next to each other, but that's the way it's supposed to
be. And hamdulillah we have graduated you know, so many hundreds of our students have from Monroe
Institute, of course now with the Islamic seminary of America, and we have female students over
there as well. My point is the sky's the limit Bismillah where there's a welder's away, most
important thing sincerity, and then put in the effort put in the effort, no one can stop you do your
sister and your brother, no one can stop you on this earth. If Allah has written for you that you
		

			will attain genuine scholarship you are able to do so from your own house from your own room, you're
able to do so. So Bismillah open up the books open up the book of Allah, start studying with
teachers and listening to lectures and start again benefiting and gaining from whatever resource
that you have and inshallah you will slowly but surely have an impact upon other people and show I
want to add may allottee word is beautifully said and shall not will have impact on people if I can
add from again, a personal experience. And this is because this is a Mullah. This is the knowledge
of Allah, there will be much more obstacles than one lokai compare when I studied medicine, you
		

			probably compare when you studies engineering versus when you study the enemy of Allah. Allah will
test you in every step. And the first thing he will test and I'm saying this to everyone who wants
to take this path, he will test your class your sincerity. Are you doing this for me? Me meaning
Allah, Montana, or are you doing it for junior year, Junior usuba. So the first thing is losses
Absolutely. And the world
		

			It gets, just be patient and continue don't give up. Well, Athena, Athena and Deanna homeschool
Anna, those who struggle for us a lot will, we will guide them struggle and I will make our path
easy for them. There's a question I got to share which I think I shared it with you. I found it
interesting. And it is actually the comments of the book of
		

			chef. Now do we about them or had the thought and the question came in and says, Why there is very
well known mahadi thought very well known and as you mentioned, the 40 volume of chef made up
However, there is no books written by a woman, although shaida Isha and I, when I was, again,
looking for this is even the Kibo Sahaba, they used to ask her, in fact, say Norma, when it comes to
fic, or the things related the personal matters inside the house of Rasul Allah, he sought to sound
he goes to her, where is it? Why we don't have it? So I, you know, that's a very good question that,
you know, where are these books that have bet that, you know, should have been written? And I think
		

			there is no easy response. But what can be said is that it's not just in our societies that women
would not write books, even in the Western world, even in Europe, when when men were writing books,
women, generally speaking, did not become authors. And if you look at famous women, authors of the
15th 16th 17th century, you basically find nobody whose name is known. That's why Jane Austen only
150 years ago, 160 years ago became famous because, you know, she was one of the first female union
writers, Emily, you know, Bronte and all of the Bronte sisters again, that's literally 150 years
ago, before that point in time. Society did not No, this is not it's just the way it was. I'm not
		

			saying it's right. Society did not, did not have that notion of women being authors. And so they
just the way they accepted it, and I guess the way they dealt with it, so that's why as I said,
when, you know, Jane Austen and others, when they did what they did initially, some of them even had
male pseudonyms, right? That didn't want didn't want to publish their their books under female
names, and their editors even would tell them it's not going to sell if this is in Europe 150 years
ago, then understandably as well, the world was a different place. So you're absolutely right, and
that there's no need to continue that though. And again, I say, that was the past. Okay, we can look
		

			at it and say that the way it was, it should not be an excuse for how we deal with the future. There
is nothing wrong with a female Jani Shay Halima 40, hameau fasciola writing and benefiting the
people just because no 40 headed in the past should not stop in the future. And in fact, dare I say
that she needs for the hearts that our chapters have filled some of them. In fact, you should not
even be the men should not even be in charge of it. I remember when I was first studying in Medina,
first year, and I studied with one of the big scholars over there on a show called The assignable
there. However, the major scholars he passed away very shortly after I came, but I got a few a few
		

			months with him. And we were doing I was a new student, we were doing the fifth of menstruation. And
we were studying all of the acquired and the lowest and the highest and the maximum and this and
that, and we were memorizing what each madhhab has a different opinion, what is the lowest and our
share, Kenny he goes, You know what? All of this is column of the men. We shouldn't have to listen
to it now. We have to go to the realm of prep and the women we have to go and find out what this is
what any What did the classical shaft for isn't humble isn't Hanbury and the Hanafi men think what
is the lowest number of men says the maximum number of men says what is the acculevel higher than a
		

			conductor and whatnot. There is no Quran and Sunnah about those numbers, as any student of knowledge
knows how to just basically said, Look, all of these numbers, we just have to get rid of them, and
now get to maternity get this knowledge from the specialists and from our sisters as well. And the
same goes for so many issues as well, that I think that our end, some of our chapters have fixed our
sisters have to take the lead. And in all of the chapters of filk our sisters can benefit us from
perspectives from you know, facts and whatnot that maybe you know, people on the other side of the
gender aisle are not going to be aware of. So definitely, again, I state whatever happened in the
		

			past happened. Let's not use that as an excuse for our future endeavors. It's very interesting what
he said yesterday, because Subhan Allah, Allah May Allah your Shahada, you have exactly happened to
meet but we were in a gathering with one of the real end scholars, the scholars and they went to ask
him about something about football and he said, Go and ask Dr. heifer if she tells you it's
menstruation that I can tell you the answer.
		

			And it's like Savannah, if I know this menstruation then I know I agree with you. But let's come to
the solution. 100 Allah, Allah Baraka in our time
		

			This is the impeachment I see it. And we covered some of it but number one, I want you as an pre any
man as handler Oh Blimey, may Allah preserve you and make your deeds Holly satyajeet Karim. And as a
man or woman, your biani as a person who is one of the leaders of Muslims in the Western world, what
message they want to hear from you today, the masajid that we have different I mean, I have somebody
who literally texted me and says they don't even allow us to go to the masjid. What do you say to
these people, and coming from you. Number I want to be as blunt as possible to the leaders of the
Muslim communities, the men that are on the boards of the Messiah, the people in charge of the
		

			centers of learning, especially in the Western world, being very frank here. If you are going to
deprive your own daughter's from the rights that Allah subhana wa tada has given them, if you're
going to deprive from them the right to go to the masjid, the right to be in the same types of
facilities, as the brothers are the right to attend the Holocaust and lose the right to feel a part
of a Muslim society, then don't be surprised when they reject religiosity when you have to be I have
met not one, not 10, dozens, maybe even hundreds of young ladies that have if not left the faith,
that they are following a version of the faith that is so alien to what I think is the correct
		

			version. And when you go and ask them why or what's going on. It is a counter reaction to how they
were treated within the massage and how they were treated by their own communities, when their own
communities will not give them even breathing space when their own communities demonize them when
their own communities, make them feel that there are less than human beings that are worthy of human
beings not to be seen not to be spoken to not to have a valid place, then don't be surprised. And
it's not right, but it is going to happen. Don't be surprised when they turn their backs. And that
is not right of them to do that. Because they should also raise the bar and put their trust in a
		

			law, not their communities. But still not everybody has that level of emotion. And that perception,
some of our brothers and sisters when you're not going to welcome them within the Islamic realm.
Don't be surprised when they reject your version of Islam, and then either out of will and leave the
fate which is what we are seeing or invent a version that is alien to the spirit of Islam. This is
what we are seeing in North America and across the western world, dare I say even the Muslim world
now let's be honest here. It's not as there's only in the Western world. And we have to navigate a
very difficult reality that we find ourselves in. We understand the world has changed. We understand
		

			that notions of gender, even gender itself is up for grabs. Now, right? We understand everything is
being redefined. We need to have very brave and frank conversations. What does the law require of
each gender? What is the ideal but not a requirement? What is recommended, but we're allowed to
renegotiate? And what is cultural and not even recommended? There are different levels I just
mentioned four or five of them here. We need to have very frank questions one by one go through and
see for ourselves, you know, what exactly is it that the Sharia is mandating? And what is the Sharia
encouraging? And what is the culture encouraging but not to Sharia? What do I myself want and not
		

			one. And all of these have to, you know, play a role in the individual decision. But if the boards
and if the Imams and if to show you some of the Michelle that hamdullah the next generation of
scholars is very different than the the previous model. But if they are going to maintain this level
of pseudo religiosity that even the Sahaba did not have, if they are going to import a notion of
gender segregation and gender roles that is alien to the spirit of Islam, then the counter reaction
is that our sisters as well are going to embrace a notion of gender roles that is alien to the
spirit of Islam, and that is exactly what we're seeing. So please, brothers, please, moms and dads,
		

			please for the sake of the future of this oma understand that we need to rethink through have a very
frank conversation without ever infringing on the explicit commandments of Allah and His messenger.
We firmly believe what they said that could occur. We firmly believe the region did not save well in
deciding to save, but we also believe in them and the South Chicago region, men are the twin hubs of
women. Women are the twin hubs of men. We believe in all of the new souls we don't cut an ace
between one and two. We believe that certain rulings are non negotiable, and other rulings we can
rethink through so that's what the conversation needs to take place. And I again, urge every person
		

			in charge to think long and hard and don't
		

			apiece just the 1015 people that are coming for federal salah and the ones that you think are going
to be the ones that are going to be the most angry. No, you have to save the Islam and Eman of those
not coming to the massage and not just those that are coming to the massage. The elders there. imana
hamdulillah has already confirmed they're the ones coming regularly. How about the children of those
elders? How about the grandchildren of those elders? You cannot just appease your base that is
donating to the masjid. You have to think long and hard. You have to think the next generation
without exaggerating the future of Islam. The preservation of Islam is how the social reality of how
		

			you construct your question of how welcoming it is of the type of gurus you give of the hotties that
you invite how your children are raised in domestic for many semi practicing families, the only time
they hear of Islam is in the masjid. So the experiences they get in the masjid, are literally going
to dictate whether the next generation remains in Islam, or does it remain in Islam. I appeal to the
boards and to the Imams. Think of those groups. Don't just think to your fan base that is going to
come to the fundraisers and coming to the budget set up and it's going to be irritated if a sister
comes in. And again, this is the reality. I know you didn't ask me this question. But I need to say
		

			this very, very bluntly that in the world that we live in, in North American context in particular,
we cannot impose strict regulations on women who come to our massages because their Eman is more
important to save than their headscarf. This is a blunt reality. Agreed there must be some levels of
modesty. We're not going to allow a lady to come in wearing or with a villa and a miniskirt or
something but still, if she's wearing a Panton shirt, if her hijab is a little bit loose, she's
coming in from college, you know rushing in for salah and then rushing out. We need to understand
Okay, we're not agreeing that this is ideal, but at the same time, she doesn't have to be in the
		

			masjid. She's driving away from wherever she is and she's wanting to connect to Allah subhana wa
Tada. We cannot come between her and that connection at that level. And if somebody does need to it
should be after a few times, it should be once she's comfortable, it should be with a friend and
then they'll see has given by the right person in the right time in the right manner. We have become
obsessed with the outer reality of the woman's garb. And we've forgotten that the hay jobs
commandments came down in the fourth or fifth year of the hijra years after the Salah years after
this gap years after the the fasting. It was one of the final obligations that came down. So why
		

			don't we start with those Imani yet those who haven't yet those four are healed, and then work our
way up onto the verse of hijab. And by the way, of course, hijab is obligatory but Subhanallah Did
you read the verse of hijab? I'm talking I know Dr. Henry, obviously, did you read the verses of
hijab? Which two names does allow us in the very verse of hijab, which two names is a lot conclude
the very verse of hijab it is and Rahim Why? Why a lot might you what you would have thought maybe
he should have said that the Aziz in a city or something of this nature, you know, or, but a lot of
food and a rhyme and I'm not allowed to Billa trivializing but you know, dear brothers that are
		

			speaking to the brothers here. Let's be honest here. You most of you have exaggerated the status of
hijab to be the indicator of piety, the sole indicator of piety, and how many ladies are there that
don't wear the hijab and their hearts are full of our with Ebola, evil position, and backbiting and
whatnot, and how many are ladies are struggling with the hijab, but their hearts are pure for their
fellow Muslims and that is the better this is not to say that obviously hijab is not an indication
it is an indication I'm not going to go the route of those that say we don't judge wearing the hijab
overall is better than not wearing the hijab, no question about it, but the hijab is not the
		

			ultimate PhD any you're not or the PhD the the pH level, I was gonna say peace of mind My Chemical
Engineering, my PhD came together. It's not the litmus test of one's EMA. The hijab is not the
ultimate litmus test. And it is one of the aspects that Allah has made obligatory, but it is not the
biggest obligation. So we need to especially brothers, unless she's your blood sister, unless she's
your own daughter or your wife, it's not your job to comment on another lady how she dresses or not,
you just be quiet. Let those that are involved with that particular sister do so even if you're on
the board of the masjid and a sister comes to pray that's between her and Allah and let the sisters
		

			deal with her within the sisters realm in a manner that is dignified and decent. Let the brothers Be
quiet because you will potentially turn her away not just from the hijab, but from religion and you
will have to answer to Allah subhana wa tada for that harshness deal.
		

			And I go I know I'm going on and on doctor here but you have really
		

			you've touched a wound in me because I've had to deal with this over the many years that I've been
here that I've seen this firsthand even in some of the massages that I was with long time ago. Not
not the current massage, but you see this all the time. Dear, dear brother, let me let me just
remind you one thing that I'll hand it back to Dr. Haifa Subhana. Allah, what is worse? A sister
wearing the loose hijab walking to the masjid or somebody urinating in the center of the masjid.
What is worse? Tell me. We all know it's worse urination. And why is it then that you don't
understand that our profit system was merciful to the Bedouin, who urinated in the center of the
		

			masjid? How How can you not connect the dots here that the Bedouin comes in, and he lifts up his
garment? And he urinates smack dab in the middle of the masjid right?
		

			You see what I'm heading with this? Our Prophet system understood. Look, okay, this isn't right. But
we need to get this person's heart We need to get his he man if we're harsh we might cause him to
lose his he man will law he our sister not wearing the perfect pitch app is a million times better
than the Bedouin urinating in the smack dab in the middle of the carpet of the masjid imagine right?
If our Prophet system can show kindness to somebody urinating then surely we can show all also
kindness to a sister who's in your perception because again, the issue comes in all likelihood she
is okay in her hijab, but your version of the hijab is not in accordance with with her understand
		

			Anyway, I hope I didn't go beyond the I apologize. But
		

			you know you addressed it beautifully to the brothers and in me as a woman. And I want to address my
beautiful sisters. In case you're faced with this and I agree with you share here sir. It's not
uncommon, unfortunately, judgmental, not welcoming. You hear it a lot. May Allah forgive us all. If
I was one day, that person, I want to say one thing to the sisters, you are coming to the house of
Allah, your movements, your steps, that's taking you to that house, you will be rewarded. When
someone prevented you from going in, a lot will still reward you because a lot of reward on your
intention. Don't let this be, as you mentioned a way where shaitan is going to come to you and push
		

			you away from Allah. On the contrary, keep turning to Allah and say Yo Allah, this door was closed,
open another door for me and you never know what will happen because that's sometimes extremely
important for the woman and that applies to the youth also. But this is not the subject of today
same thing for the youth,
		

			youth and ethnic minorities as well. It's like people backgrounds. Why?
		

			You come to the masjid don't look at who is the who's the Imam or who's the board look at this is
the house of Allah he decided he is he doesn't want you to come to him in his house. But that
doesn't mean he doesn't want you because he is as you said Allah Fuhrer Rahim Allah dude in the
lobby of curry buena Dude, look to him and say you're a law you're of law there is a reason you
didn't want me to get an open another door for me. You're ebme and this is extremely important for
the sisters because as you said, the core of this Deen and please correct me if I'm wrong, he or
she, the core of this deal is the connection with Allah spawn Tada. And unfortunately, the more the
		

			more we are living the more we see this is being I wouldn't say completely lost but it's not
focused. We focus on the external, but the relationship with Allah subhanho wa Taala so that's
number one. Number two, what advice you give as a person who traveled person who studied from the
man's point of view to the fathers who their daughter wants to study wants to park and go to as her
chicken or go to Medina and she was not going to be as lucky as I am because I worked and studied
that's how I was able to study what advice you give to them.
		

			We need female scholarship role models we need alamat for the heart mufa ziraat for my daughters and
your daughters for the entire Muslim oma we need our sisters our daughters to demonstrate for the
rest of not just the female community but also for the brothers as well collect because like I said,
I have no doubt that we are lacking us the brothers we are lacking certain aspects because we don't
have enough female representation to bring to us certain perspective certain Margo mud certain
tangent certain paradigms that is not a part of our the way that we think Allah created men
		

			Women slightly differently though and we complement one another so when we put together our
resources we will raise the bar of this oma so I speak as the father of two sons and two daughters.
I want role models for my children in all the fields I want them to find a Muslim man or a Muslim
lady in all the fields and especially in the Islamic fields and therefore if you have a daughter
that Mashallah wants to study Islam then you know take care of her help her you know go yourself if
you're worried and drop her off and make sure everything is fine and inshallah you know the the the
Islamic universities that do have female systems obviously you don't have that other very well Yanni
		

			you know, they have facilities that are at home that are very safe very I understand the father
might be worried in that regard. But generally speaking, go yourself see for yourself, but don't
come between your daughter and her aspirations to learn the religion of Allah subhana wa tada you
never know we are in such need we are in dire need in this generation in particular, of what it
means to have role models that demonstrates what it means to truly be a Muslim or Islamic femininity
is something that is a rare commodity again, you know, Dr. hyphema and myself and we
		

			we are against third wave feminism again, you know this we're not happy with that. But then what's
the alternative? We don't want to Danny not to be too drunk. We don't want the ultra fundamentalist
methodology as well. So what is that happy middle we need lots of fucking hot our demographers Sirat
that are demonstrating what it means to be a committed Muslim, obeying the laws of Allah subhana wa
tada mastering the books of Hadith and Sharia and film demonstrating what it means to be a modern
Muslim, a lady who is absorbed with her Jewish tradition, and Alhamdulillah exuding Islamic
femininity. You know, I have said this multiple times in public lectures to my Muslim sisters, that
		

			dear sisters in Islam, as a society as a culture, you are the last remnants of true femininity on
Earth, as a society. No other group no other nation is exuding what it means to be female. The honor
there is a being a female of why Jenna is under your feet and not under our feet. Show us and
demonstrate for us why that is the case. But in order for you to do that, dear fathers, you're going
to have to also allow your daughters to reach their potential do brothers, you're going to have to
support your sisters not just your blood sisters, your biologic your your gender sisters overall,
accommodate for them, allow them to do what they're doing, when they come back, facilitate for them
		

			as well positions, jobs roles. And also as we pointed out, having families careers, marriages, all
of this should go hand in hand. And of course, that's a whole different issue. But too many brothers
are intimidated by women who are more qualified than them. And this is a major problems panela It's
a major problem that I know that's not the topic. So let's just talk about that. But
		

			I just put the question, you cannot see it yourself. But we promised my allotting words everybody is
joining us where people from all over the world that we're going to take the questions and it is
already an hour so I have two for one promise and this
		

			and she says when the masjid was opened during the pandemic error, some people has discouraged women
from going to the masjid which is a true including ours.
		

			I went here I have I answered this question, but I needed to come from you.
		

			So you know, our Masjid the East plane or Masjid. We never we never stopped women from coming. It
was very clear for Joomla for eat for fudger. For Asia, we have a sister section and in fact, we
talked about this and I was adamant that we must allow women to come and at hamdulillah epic and the
board is very much on the same wavelength is this so there was never an issue. So we did not stop?
You are correct. There are a number of masajid across the country did this and I understand where
they're coming from. In the sense from their perspective, they were saying that Juma is obligatory
for the men and it's not really good for the women. And I understand that they are using a
		

			legitimate paradigm I'm not dismissing I'm not critical of that. I simply state that I would rather
that the masjids do multiple Dumas's and accommodate the brothers in that regard and still have
space for the sisters because times have changed. And for many of our sisters This is the only time
they get to feel a part of a community to hear the speech of Allah Subhana without a recited to get
some sense of religiosity times have changed and I think that we do need to look at here masala hen
Mufasa this regard. I'm not saying that we you know we split the most you the 5050 because at the
end of the day not every woman does come for Juma. I'm not saying that but give a healthy
		

			percentage, you know of the space to the women. And if you
		

			beads and have multiple, you know jumar is because again, Yanni, this is something that okay, it's a
bit of a sacrifice but pretty much almost every Masjid can have another hottie or the same Habib
can, you know, do this twice, I'd rather we give a shorter hoba and do three hobas in the same
messages and have our sisters pray then to ban them. And I understand that you know some of our
brethren when they did this, from their perspective, they're like this isn't anti women This is just
pandemic common sense. I understand that. I still say I don't agree with it with my respect to that.
In this in this in this era we need to save our sisters emotions by making them feel a part of our
		

			community and we need to understand that you know what, in the past Yes, women would rarely come for
drama it's true. And society was different back then. So this is one of those areas where I would
say this is not the shitty as mandate on us. Rather, this is culturally speaking Something happened
and the books are discussed with that paradigm. I don't think it is wise at all to shut off the
massages even in the time of the pandemic to our sisters as long as the brothers are also gonna yes
some massage it cannot do any gender we understand so they cannot cater to the situation. Any
mixture that can cater to 50 people okay 40 of them brothers at least 35 brothers and 10 sisters
		

			whatever any machine that has some space you're able to then cater some to the sisters and Allah
knows best. Does that come along? I would have loved to stay another hour. It's our motto here
already I'm sure it's smarter for you too. May Allah reward you deserve a lot here. I want you to
send my gratitude to your wife. Because there is always always honesty I say this when I when I talk
to the sisters when we do our retreats and the sister come and spend two or three days at the end I
say please get my regard and design Wahid for your husbands who send you because there is always
someone has to sacrifice for someone else to serve. So please give her my regard May Allah reward
		

			her mela give her more your ob me We would love to have you again this is very interesting topic
from the all the comments we are getting. And may Allah subhanaw taala use us all everyone, not you
and me only but everybody who's listening. You're Aloma. stamey Now let us have dinner your users
for your service the upcoming canta semi rally to Bollinger
		

			does not belong to me. The word you're looking for having me where yuck May Allah azza wa jal bless
you as well in your efforts, inshallah we can continue this conversation and have other
conversations with each other duck mobile can
		

			fly over cottages and lucky everyone for being with us to be me.