The Power of Knowledge for Women

Alhamdulillah not madam who witness de novo and us bofi to hoonah tuvo la one oh solly one a silly Marlena Vienna Mohammed wala early he was Safi Jemaine. First of all my dear sisters as salaam aleikum, wa rahmatullah. He will not care to whom I asked a lot of Tyler that you're all in the best of health and the best divvy, man, you're a banana mean. And I just want to say dessert quinoa. Hi, Ron, to my G sisters, you know, from the semuc online unit for inviting me here tonight to give this talk and ask a lot of Tyler that I asked a lot of a lot, a lot of time to open all of our hearts inshallah, to what I'm going to say. And I ask about Allah to bring us closer to him through these

words, even in their huhtala.

So my dear sisters, you know, when it comes to learning is semuc knowledge. One of the comments you sometimes we hear from sisters, is Who am I to seek knowledge, you know, as if learning knowledge is only for those who are special or you know, extra religious.

Now, a lot of sisters, you'll hear them say, or they might think it's about themselves, you know, I'm not good enough, you know, I'm not even practicing Islam properly.

And one of the main reasons for that is because, even though many sisters may have heard about all the rewards, you know, that are there for their promised for those who seek knowledge, but they don't realize the enormous blessings and transformational change, that also comes into your life in sha Allah, once you begin to take the path of knowledge. As long as Of course, you did that sincerely with a loss for a lot alone.

So that's why today, you know, as someone who's been traversing this path myself for Hamdulillah, more than 25 years, actually. And then going on to teach sisters, various *tiest sciences, I wanted to share with you some of the ways

that I found that, you know, knowledge has, you know, empowers you especially as a Muslim.

But before I get into that, what I wanted to share with you first is one of the main reasons that, you know, got me on this path in the first place, which was that basically, you know, I got sick of how vulnerable I felt due to my lack of knowledge.

As some of you may know, I was actually brought up in a practicing Christian household. In fact, both my father and grandfather, were lay preachers in the church.

And so after I reverted to Islam, what happened was that I found myself in a situation in which all three of the main environments that I was exposed to each day, were constantly challenging my beliefs as a new Muslim.

Because I was living at home with my non Muslim family, I was working full time in a company where, you know, most of my co workers had never met a Muslim before.

And I was also studying part time at uni, at a time when there were very few Muslims to be found on campus. And so in all three of those environments, I was constantly having, you know, colleagues or, you know, family members, throw questions at me, you know, that challenged my faith and you slam,

like, you know, Islam, why does this lamb allow for wives? Or, you know, why did the Prophet sort of law, it was stolen, Mary Ayesha, when she was so young.

And so I found myself in a situation where, you know, I was basically pushed to seek out the answers to those questions. And so that's why for me, especially initially, you know, seeking knowledge became a matter of survival.

And then over the years, as many of you would know, you know, you're constantly faced with so many different opinions or confusing issues.

And that's so and that's why, you know, I realized that the only way that I was going to get peace of mind, and not get confused with all those issues, was to focus on gaining as much knowledge as I could.

Because in reality, it's only through gaining solid knowledge of the dying, that a person can experience what's known as a mega pain, which is the, you know, certainty and faith that Allahu Allah gives you in sha Allah, when you sincerely seek His path of knowledge.

And to be honest, if it was just this benefit alone, that you get from knowledge, it would have been enough.

But what I wanted to share with you inshallah, today, you know, as some of the the other ways, which I found that, you know, knowledge empowers you as a Muslim or being a lawyer.

And, frankly, it's these things that I'm going to share with you today that, you know, have kept me motivated to stay stuck on this path. Despite the many, many obstacles that I have found have come in my way or, you know, slowed me down in achieving my goals over the years, you know, like 100 law, having five children and, you know, juggling between teaching and studying and family and

You're even facing various barriers as a woman to gaining knowledge. That's a story for another day inshallah. But what I want to just focus on today, like I said, is just, you know, sharing with you the main benefits that I have found been in there. And so from the first of those is that you know, when you make knowledge a priority in your life, it actually keeps you ephedra focused, I call elevator focus, you know, you focus on Al Qaeda all the time, or as much as possible not all the time but it really helps you be focused on alfetta right, so that weekly halaqa or Quran class that you attend each week, it might not seem much to you but you don't realize how each time you expose

yourself to those small drops of nor the small dots of light that is knowledge right that you up you know you don't realize how you're constantly nourishing your heart and you know directing your heart back to your true goal and direction in his life through that through that you know input of knowledge and that's why you see the prophets that a lot what he was saying. He says in one authentic hadith men Salah Calgary con el teny Sufi here in men, sal Allahu Allah will be he body on Illa Jana, that who ever takes a path seeking knowledge, then Allahu taala makes the path to Jannah easy for them.

And so, so panela what you find is that the longer you keep yourself patient on this path, the more you feel constantly motivated to strive for the hero

and you see how you know it begins to have a transformational effect on your life evening now

because you find over time you know you want to pray more for example, you want to do more you want to get more sadaqa you want to become for example a better daughter a better wife a better friend Why? Because what happens is that you find your eyes become so focused on Janabi evening that

and so you find everything that you do or say you know suddenly has purpose for it. And so and so that's what motivates you to want to improve yourself in every aspect of your life inshallah

as the panel I've taught so many sisters over the years and you know many of them they walked into the classroom just starting out in Islam, but over the years, you see how the knowledge they take slowly molds them and develops them and you know suddenly see how they transform Spanner law. So this is this is why you know a manager for you Rahim Allah He said laser bada at that at that you follow your laser by the at that Ferrari the shape a Follow me Follow the line right that is nothing after performing is nothing after are performing the Ferrari it like the fourth, you know, obligatory actions that Allah has made upon us, which is better than tolerable in luck. So after

doing your for it, the best thing you could do is seek knowledge if you want to get close to Allah subhanaw taala if you want to be strong in your deen, right? Because what you find is that, you know, while others are, you know, so ever focused

on the trivial things of this world, where it's all about, you know, who has more money? Or who is most, you know, who is more so called successful than whom, you know, that's what we find people worried about today, right? Or, you know, who's prettier than who or what did what did so and so do and or say, right, so you find that? Well, they're worried about all those trivial things, you find that's part of what knowledge does to you is it makes you worried about things like, you know, how much Quran can I learn before I die? You know, what, what kind of legacy Can I my thinking about to leave behind me to benefit others when I pass away? You know, how can I raise my children, you know,

to leave behind me a righteous progeny. So this is, we need to realize it, you know, there's a huge reason for why there's only one thing in this dunya that Allahu taala told the prophets that align the stem to make drop in order for it to be increased. And you all know that you all know that drop most likely from the Quran will call rock Bz near in math, y'all, you know, oh, Allah. Oh, Robbie, you know, my Rob zyk Naima increased me in knowledge. You know, why is it that it's only knowledge from all the things this dunya that Allah tala told the Messenger of Allah to make, you know, to a lot to increase it for him? Because it's only through knowledge that you find that this

transformational change in Charlotte will take place in your life. So that's the first of the things that I have found and then the second thing as well is that you know, it helps to strengthen and solidify your spiritual connection to the last pantalla.

So if you think about the number one thing so many Muslims at this time, complain about, what is it you know, the main thing you hear them complain about is they don't

feel connected to a law, right? Or they they lack that connection to almost pantalla. Or they feel some type of, you know, spiritual emptiness.

And one of the main reasons that you'll find for that, in a lot of cases is it's because they have very little input of knowledge in their lives.

Because now you'll find that, you know, what happens with a large percentage of people is the only knowledge they actually getting is from reading or watching other people's posts on Facebook or Instagram. You know, we've become a real social media generation. I mean, many people don't even pick up books anymore. Right? So we need to, you know, we to understand that, you know, if you really know about a loss of pantalla, if you haven't strengthen your heart adequately, you know, through, through learning about Tao, heat and learning about a lot of Tyler's Beautiful Names and attributes. And if you haven't studied the knowledge that you need, in order to do Tez, kiya have

your naps, you know, purifying your naps, so that you can you know, read your heart from those diseases that can, you know, prevent you from feeling that close spiritual connection to loss of pantalla then this is one of the main reasons why so many people end up feeling so spiritually void.

This is also the reason why so many people often you know, complain that when they pray, for example, it just feels robotic.

So, we need to realize that there is a big difference between the one who stands in front of Allahu taala. And they know who they're standing in front of, but they stand before a line they know, they're praying before Li Li, and are we in Aziz, you know, the most Thai, the most great, the most mighty, Allah for the most forgiving, right? And so, when they begin to pray, you know, when they begin to pray, you know, they don't even understand the words they're saying, and you know, why they're saying them, and they know, you know, for example, how to recite the Quran and how to do deadbolt off, you know, the, the verses, and how to achieve or shorten their prayer, you know, like,

they know how to focus on the verses and how to how to achieve that true submission in the prayer that we're supposed to try to achieve. So there's a big difference between this person and the one who hasn't learned any of that.

And this is why there's a huge difference between the benefit that we get from our prayers. If we compare our prayers to the to how much benefit you know, there's a harbor would you know how much they would benefit from their prayers, because when they would stand in front of a long to Allah, and even just recite Surah Fatiha, you know, they start off with an hamdu Lillahi Rabbil aalameen. And so they're praising Allah with all their heart rub bill and mean the Lord of the worlds the heart beats up in love to Allah Subhana Allah, and they say, oh, man are him you know, the Most Merciful and their hearts I lift up disrupting hope to Allah hoping for his forgiveness and mercy.

Right. Maliki Yo, me Dean. Now their hearts to feel full of fear, fear of Maliki Ahmed Dean, you know, the owner of your piano, we're going to face a loss of hands on him Akiyama. You know, iya cannot boo, do what ya can assign you alone, we worship and You alone, we ask for help. So you're turning to Allah with tawakkul. You're asking him for help to worship him perfectly. And

you know, and helping that and he now Scirocco mustafina, Guide us to the straight path with hope and with tawakkol, that Allah is going to keep you safe on the straight path, right? So there's a big difference between somebody who is going through the verses of the Quran. And then you know, the heart is moving towards a lot with each verse, you know, and they're pondering on those verses. And you can imagine that when someone's doing that, you know, that they reach, you know, a level of Sn.

And then you reach that level of sound where you're worshiping Allah as if you can see him. And even if you can't see him, you know, you know that he can see you. But then once you're once you keep reaching that in your prayer, then you when you leave your prayer, you find the effective is still lasting with us upon a life outside the prayer.

So this is how you know Subhan Allah when Allah tala blesses you with knowledge, you find that everything you do as a Muslim Ummah, it takes on a whole new meaning and color.

And that's why a lot of Tyler's actually nervous, he says, In ma yaksha, la hummy neighbor, the hinterland map, that Verily, the ones who have Harsha Avalon have their true reverence and fear of Allah from his servants are the ones who have knowledge. Why because of how much knowledge you know, awakens a awakens awakens your heart and you know, deepens your spiritual connection to a Lhasa pantalla inshallah.

Okay, now another another benefit also is, is how, you know, knowledge, it actually, you know, builds you both inwardly and outwardly.

One of the primary reasons why many people are having an identity crisis these days.

A struggling to practice Islam outwardly?

Is it something missing in a way they build themselves up inwardly.

So we need to realize that the only way to be truly strong outwardly is if is if you first you know, put in the work to strengthen yourself in with me.

And one of the main things that knowledge gives you

is it helps you to know your why.

Right, it helps you it helps you to know your why. And if you know your why, then you know what your ultimate purpose is in this world.

And you know who you are, right? And and what you need to do you know, what you need to do in order to be a winner in this life in Sharla. So that's why no matter what hardships or difficulties come your way, once you know your why nothing can stand in your way of, you know, ups, in standing strong upon your faith and identity as a Muslim inshallah. And this is why you see that throughout the first 13 years of Islam, the vast majority of the verses that Allahu taala was sending down or were about to heat. Okay, those verses were mainly about toe heat and having the man in the Day of Resurrection, you know, what, what's the reason for that in order to you know, a lot of times I want

to build up the hearts and and you know, and build up the pain in the hearts build up the certainty of faith in the hearts so that when the verses of you know when they can start to come down to Medina when the verses of action, the commands was sent down in Medina, the Muslims were ready to say semana. Well, Donna, you know, we hear and we obey.

So that's why sisters, if you can see that you have, you know, certain areas, where you find you're struggling in your outward practice.

It's important that you, you know, review the quality of knowledge that you're exposing yourself to, because as a man, I behati rationalizes ella ilmor Padilla only well, and that, you know, knowledge comes before words and actions. Right. So before you can have action, you first need to have the knowledge. So knowledge is what helps to generate the action and it's what corrects your actions. All right. Okay, so a fourth point, I want to mention

was how, you know, knowledge protects you from misguidance.

Now, at this time, when our Alma is being constantly exposed to so many different types of deviant lifestyles, and ways of thinking, No, none of us can afford to not be taking continual and active measures, in order to protect ourselves and our families.

In the past, you might have been able to get away with relying on the limited knowledge that you received from your parents or you know, the same school that you went to. But now we're in a time where you know, remaining ignorant, especially about the fundamentals of your deen, it's no longer a choice anymore.

And we need to realize that, you know, the stronger you find that negative push is against your faith, and against your morals and principles as a Muslim are, the more proactive you need to be in pushing back harder against all of that.

Now, one of the problems we're seeing these days with our youth in particular, is that, you know, they go into higher education with less than even basic levels of knowledge of their pain. And then suddenly, they find themselves exposed to all kinds of, you know, deviant ideologies like atheism, you know, liberalism, and some of the more extreme forms of feminism.

So unless someone has a proper foundation of Islamic knowledge, how are they going to be able to distinguish between what is half and what is boughten? You know, what is the truth? What is falsehood? What is the hell and what is the harm, you know, you know, how are they going to know, where do I Where do I need to draw the line with what I'm learning and when it when it begins to completely contradict Islam.

Right.

So what what that person is actually doing is you know, basically if you're entering into an environment where you're Akira is going to be challenged on a day to day basis and you don't have you know, the solid foundation to begin with. It's pretty much like throwing someone in the middle of the ocean before even teaching them how to swim.

And the prophets that a lot has said um, he warned us you know, time is gonna come where you're gonna see a lot of confusion and different so in one duration he says for interval may Yeah, I mean, come for sejarah if the length and kathira that one of you the one of you on one of the one of you who lives long then he's gone is whoever lives on for amongst you. He's going to see a lot of different

Okay, now, the different he was talking about.

It wasn't differences in football, okay, like, whether you pray is one of you praise like a hanafy or, you know, if I pray like 100 it's

Not those sort of differences were not to have the child differences. Right. The differing that he was speaking about was the differing differing about the fundamentals in the day. And this is what we're seeing right now, where people are beginning to even question things like, you know, is he job fault or not? Or, you know, what about the act of homosexuality? Is that how, you know? Or you know, for example, is the authentic Suna even an actual source of religion legislation. So we have people now who will actually say, you know, no, I think we should only follow the Quran.

So the prophet SAW Larson, he told us that when you see that, that's the time you need to cling tightly onto his Sona and the sooner of the whole affair rush again, the sooner the rightly guided color FAT file a combi suniti upon you is my sooner was sooner to hold affair. Urvashi Dean and Nadine, you know, and the sooner of before I felt I should do the right you know, upright and guided qualified. And then he says I'll do I lay had been awarded, you know, to the level he says hold on to that sooner so tight as if you're biting onto it with your molars.

So we need to realize that in order for you to be able to cling on to his Sunnah and to you know, save yourself and your family from misguidance you first need to have the knowledge of what that stone is.

Right, you first need to have the knowledge of what that center is. Otherwise the reality is you're basically leaving yourself like a vulnerable target for others to confuse and misguide you from a straight path.

Right so the last thing I want to speak about inshallah is that it's only through increasing our knowledge at both the individual level and also within our within our homes and communities. That we can raise the standards of the oma and move forward. Okay, so along the lines of Ronnie tells us cool hell yes, that will larina Yala mo now when leadin Allah Allah moon in America, Dr. O, qu l Pap, se are those who know like those who do not do not know this is how we remind those who you know reflect so so this is we need to realize that you know, an oma that's filled with women who have knowledge is not going to be like an Omar we're very few women have knowledge.

And when you think about many of the problems affecting women in the oma today, and you compare to the society of the prophets that along with them, what's the missing dynamic that you can see?

We look at the oma today

right? Where are the ashes in the oma Where are the elements? Where are the houses of Alabama? Right? So, you know, and we what we find you know, we hear a lot of women you know, they complain about the lack of female scholars for example, the lack of female role models in the oma but we need to also ask ourselves, what are we personally doing to change that narrative in the first place?

So sisters we need to realize you know, that we you know, we need to realize the power we have as women to you know, influence and bring about positive change in the oma sometimes we just think you know, we're leaving the devil for the men but this is this is not the right thing to do. We need to realize that we are a part of this oma too, and we have we have also power as women a great power supplies women, you know, to to influence and bring about positive change in the oma you know, to the level it's not an exaggeration to say that this Omar is not going to move forward until we as the woman obviously Omar stepped up and realize the wall we all have.

And we all need to you know play in taking this woman forward. Because as many scholars have said that women are the backbone of this oma and that's something we sometimes we just we don't we forget about that. Unfortunately, you know, we've forgotten our true role in the oma right. So we're gonna realize we have a special role most of us are play a very special role as you know, either teachers or nurturers you know, and we are like somehow women are considered to be if you look at women, the role that the majority of women play, either as teachers are nurturers, or like change makers, but we are the change makers of the oma from within.

So, you know, but you have to understand that the only way for us to be effective in that is we first need to have the knowledge.

Now, one thing we also hear a lot of sisters speaking about his female empowerment, but we need to realize that you know, if you want to be strong in your identity as a Muslim or if you want to feel, you know, confident in raising your voice against, you know, injustice or you know, oppression, then you know, having knowledge of your deen is one of the greatest forms of empowerment that you could be given.

If you look at Ayesha, what do you allow on her? What was it that gave her that leverage to be able to have the you know, the confidence to you know

Make Up For the truth and not worry about what other people thought about her.

And what her gave her the ability to even feel Asli, you know, correct statements said by some of the heads of Sahaba

It was her knowledge, right.

So in order for you to have the confidence as a woman, you know, to stand up for your rights, you need to know what your authentic rights and responsibilities are in the first place. Because this is if you don't know your rights, this is what I always tell sisters, if you don't know your rights, you also will not know your boundaries. Right? And if you if you

if you don't know where to draw the line, and when something is no longer actually your responsibility, and what you'll be questioned about, then, you know, that all comes back to not not really knowing your rights and responsibilities in Islam. Right. So this is one of the greatest reasons I find for why sorry, so many women today get taken advantage of what's the main reason because like, one of the main reasons I see is the lack of knowledge. Because sadly, the reality is that when you don't have the knowledge, it's so easy for anyone to you know, push you into accepting situations that you should never have to except for yourself.

And so this is why what we really need is to get back to the days when you know, a woman would have enough confidence to correct a mistake made by even likes of someone like Alma by the Allahu anhu. You know, one time when he was Khalifa, he stood on the minbar in the MSG, telling the Muslims that you know, he wants to restrict the amount of Maha amount the amount of dowry that can be given to a woman in marriage. And so look how that woman approached him after he got down from the minibar and said yeah, and you know what we mean only and you know, what we need, you know, have you prohibited people from from paying more than 400 Durham's in a dairy for for women? And he told her Yes. And so

she said, you know, haven't you heard what Allahu taala has said in the Quran? Where he said, Well, Tatum ish, there will nothing bara falletta, who don't mean who Shia, haven't you heard when a lot of dollars said, when you gave them we gave one of them?

Um, Arkansas, like a huge amount of money, huge amount of gold, then do not take anything from it. Right? She said enough. cantar is a very large amounts.

And so it's a panda law. In one report, it actually mentioned that when I heard that from her, he said, verily, a woman has arrived at the truth. Well, Omar has earned,

right subpoena law, but what I'm looking at here is, you know, the confidence that she had to to go and correct that, right. Go call that out. So, you know, in conclusion, dear sisters, I just want to end by you know, by saying that we need to change the importance that many of us are currently placing on seeking knowledge. You know, think about it for centuries, it's been so difficult for men in particular, to access knowledge, right? It wasn't easy in the past, like after the first generations, even for even for men, it was difficult to seek knowledge, there was a lot of barriers, you know, travel barriers, all kinds of things like that. So it was difficult for women over the

centuries to

access knowledge. But But now, you know, we have so many more opportunities, so Panama to to gain that knowledge. But yet how many of us are in reality, you know, making knowledge a priority in our lives? You know, and like I was saying before, especially this time that we're living in when none of us can afford to not be at least somewhere on this path.

You know, we have to ask ourselves, why is it that we have so much time for so many things that have absolutely no benefit whatsoever? Like, how long do we spend every free day and every week on you know, Facebook scrolling, or Instagram or Snapchat or maybe Tick Tock or wherever we are, right? But we can't find the time your whole week for gaining some type of knowledge. Right so so sisters, even if it's just you know, one class you attend a week, whether it's online or offline, but at least be somewhere on this path. I think that's the major message I want to bring, you know, bring everyone tonight you know.

And you notice this this I can't tell you how many times is come to my classes. And I'm telling you this is they regret the years they wasted not learning the Quran not learning their Deen. And the older you get, let me tell you, you will regret eventually if you don't start taking that path. So like what I would really want to say to everybody tonight is you know, just don't die with regrets. You know, don't wait till it's too late. Take that path as soon as possible. So I'll leave it there, my dear sisters.

I asked a lot of Agatha either to fill our hearts with the love for his knowledge. And I asked Allahu Allah to show us the straight path and to keep us on the straight path until we meet him subhanaw taala in the next life

I asked Allahu Allah to expose us only to the knowledge which benefits and to protect us from the knowledge which does not benefit which we are so surrounded in these in this day and age. A llama in narrowed will be kameena even when they're young far you're a law we ask you we seek protection with you from the knowledge which does not benefit. What I mean by that being yaksha and from the heart does does that does not fear you? I mean, Neff seen that dash back and from the naps that does not get satisfied. I mean da Tina use the jab hula and from the drop that does not get answered was panic Allahumma will be handy. Now shawanda ilaha illa and NuSTAR Fluker motobu Lake wa Salatu was

salam wa barik ala nabina Muhammad wa ala alihi wa sahbihi COVID-19 was Salam aleikum wa barakato My dear sisters