Can Muslim women become scholars of Islam? Should they become Islamic scholars?

Zainab bint Younus speaks to Anse Tamara Gray, a Muslim woman scholar, all about the role that women play in protecting the Islamic intellectual tradition and why it’s so important for Muslim women to study Islam at various levels and capacities. Anse Tamara shares her vision for Muslim women becoming leaders of the Ummah, and introduces Ribaat University as a way to pursue those goals.

Shaykha Tamara Gray is a traditionally trained scholar of the Islamic sciences, having spent twenty years studying in Damascus. She also holds a doctorate in leadership from the University of St. Thomas and a master’s degree in Curriculum Theory and Instruction from Temple University.

Dr. Tamara is the founder and CEO of Rabata, an organization for Muslim women, by Muslim women, dedicated to providing Islamic education in beautiful, creative ways. She also serves as a Senior Fellow at the Yaqeen Institute and is a member of the Fiqh Council of North America.

Related:

ShaykhaTalk: Female Scholarship Or Feminism?

[Podcast] From The Maldives To Malaysia: A Shaykha’s Story | Shaykha Aisha Hussain Rasheed

Podcast: Muslim Women’s Spirituality In Ramadan

The post [Podcast] Guardians of the Tradition: Muslim Women & Islamic Education | Anse Tamara Gray appeared first on MuslimMatters.org.

Discussions surrounding a wife’s obedience in marriage are often erroneous and misinformed. Certain scholarly articles online have wrongly attributed to the Hanafi madhhab (school of law) the claim that a wife must obey her husband in all permissible matters; whether something as significant as serving his parents or as trivial as replacing a shampoo cap. This article will explain why such claims are incorrect and will clarify the Hanafi school’s actual position using the most authoritative and widely relied upon books of the school.

When a well-seasoned ustadha—who has been serving and educating women for over two decades—approached me with questions about a wife’s obedience, I was dismayed to find that her understanding and research stemmed from the same online articles. This begs the question: If those who dedicate their lives to educating and supporting women still hold misconceptions about such a fundamental matter, how can we truly serve our sisters?

Fiqh, the Sunnah, and our Dīn are our greatest sources of empowerment; we must reclaim them through sound knowledge and take them from those grounded in authentic scholarship.

Important Points to Keep in Mind

Firstly, it was a challenge to write this article in a way that stays true to scholarly, fiqh-based discussions while considering sisters from all walks of life—especially those who have been wronged through misapplication of the fiqh. Additionally, as someone who teaches a six-month course dedicated to expounding these issues, it is of the utmost importance to me that they are given the attention they deserve—something this article alone cannot fully accomplish. Hence, it is important to acknowledge its limitations: this is merely a technical study on the topic of obedience, not a reflection of Islamic marriage as a whole.

Secondly, before discussing the details of obedience in marriage, it is essential to remember that all rulings in fiqh are subject to the broader maxims of the Sharīʿah (qawāʿid fiqhiyyah) and the principles of usūl al-fiqh. This means that rulings are not absolute in every situation but must be applied within the correct context.

For example:

• A wife does not need her husband’s permission to leave the house if staying poses a threat to her safety.
• She is not obligated to engage in intimacy if it would cause her harm.

These exceptions and others are explicitly mentioned in classical fiqh texts, and demonstrate that Islamic law always considers necessity (ḍarūrah) and harm (ḍarar) when applying rulings. Understanding these nuances ensures that we do not misapply legal rulings in ways that contradict the broader objectives of the Sharīʿah (maqāṣid al-Sharīʿah), which emphasize the preservation of essential interests—religion (dīn), life (nafs), intellect (ʿaql), lineage (nasl), and wealth (māl)—together with consideration of human capacity and the prevention of harm.¹

Lastly, as this article focuses solely on the issue of obedience, it does not address a wife’s rights in marriage. Women have rights parallel to and in addition to those of their husbands. Just as a husband has the right to intimacy, so does his wife. She also has the right to privacy and personal space, free from anyone who annoys or harms her. In practice, this means that a husband must ensure his wife’s comfort and consent before bringing guests into shared spaces within the home. These are a few examples, and a comprehensive treatment of a wife’s rights requires deeper exploration beyond the scope of this article.

With these points in mind, we begin the topic at hand: 

Our Beloved Prophet ﷺ said, “If a woman prays her five prayers, fasts her month, guards her chastity, and obeys her husband, she will be told: Enter Paradise from whichever of its gates you wish.”²

This and other narrations like it have been understood literally to mean a wife must obey her husband’s every request. However, fiqh is taken from fuqaha (the jurists/scholars of fiqh) and hadith from muhadithoon (scholars of hadith)³. So, what is the ruling of obeying one’s husband according to the jurists? 

When we go back to the books of fiqh (Islamic law), we find that obedience to the husband is very specific and can be summarized in two points: 

1. Intimacy and what it entails;
2. Permission to leave the house.

According to the Hanafi school, these are the only domains in which obedience is required. The following discussion presents the textual evidence from authoritative Hanafi works that establishes this position.

I. Intimacy

Zayn al-Din ibn Ibrahim ibn Nujaym al-Misri, a distinguished Hanafi jurist, outlines the limits of a wife’s obedience in his authoritative work Bahr al-Ra’iq (The Clear Sea)⁴. He says: 

“…a woman is not obligated to obey her husband in everything he commands. Rather, obedience is required only in matters of marriage (nikah) and its related aspects, especially if his command would cause her harm…”⁵

Obedience, therefore, is obligatory only in marriage-related issues. “Marriage” here—i.e., nikāḥ as used by the jurists—“is used literally for sexual relations.⁶” In other words, in the language of fiqh, the word nikāḥ refers to sexual relations, not merely to the contract or to marriage in general. This is further confirmed in Ibn ‘Abideen’s Hashiyah:

“[Sexual relations] is the meaning of [the word nikāḥ] in the Sharīʿah and in the language.⁷” 

This is demonstrated by the fiqh rulings. For example, it is imperative to seek the husband’s permission when he is home, and the wife wants to fast a nafl (optional) fast, as this may come in the way of his desire for intimacy. Also, if he asks her to take a ghusl (the obligatory purificatory bath) upon completion of her menstruation in order to be intimate, it would be obligatory upon her to do so, as this relates to his right to intimacy.

The aforementioned explicit text (nass) from the Bahr qualifies all general texts on a wife’s obedience in the Hanafi school. Accordingly, the Hanafis interpret all hadith narrations on a wife’s obedience as referring specifically to intimacy-related matters. 

Likewise, this is affirmed in other major Hanafi works. In Badāʾiʿ al-Ṣanāʾiʿ fī Tartīb al-Sharāʾiʿ (The Marvels of the Crafts in the Arrangement of the Legal Codes), Abū Bakr b. Masʿūd al-Kāsānī (d. 587 AH/1191 CE) says in the chapter on the legal consequences of the marriage contract: 

“Section: The obligation of a wife to obey her husband if he calls her to the bed.

(Section): Among [the legal rulings of marriage] is the wife’s duty to obey her husband if he calls her to the bed.⁸”

Al-Kāsānī is known for the meticulous detail of his legal analysis. By qualifying obedience specifically to the instance when a wife is called to the marital bed, he indicates that obedience is not intended to be absolute in all matters. Had he understood it as general, he would have simply stated, “Among the consequences of the marriage contract is the wife’s obedience to her husband,” without mentioning any such qualification.

A question may arise here: what about the many other texts that speak of obedience in general terms? Why set those aside in favor of this more specific understanding?

This approach precisely follows the guidelines for issuing fatwas (legal edicts). Muhammad Amin ibn ‘Umar ibn ‘Abideen (d. 1252 AH/1836 CE), known as the “Seal of the Scholarly Verifiers” (خاتم المحققين), outlined these principles in his work ‘Uqud Rasm al-Mufti (The Treatise on the Duties of the Muftī), stating explicitly: “… specifying something in textual transmission implies the negation of anything beyond it.⁹” 

This means that when an authoritative text qualifies, or places conditions on a general ruling, that qualified ruling becomes the main and definitive position of the madhhab (legal school). It must then be applied consistently, even to other texts that discuss the issue in broader or more general terms.

Hence, no one can argue here that these few texts may not specify the more general texts, as the Bahr al-Raa-iq is an authoritative text and the rules of issuing fatwa (i.e., a formal legal opinion) dictate that this understanding/qualification of obedience is therefore applied to all texts in the Hanafi school¹⁰.

II. Permission to Leave the House 

A wife’s obligation to remain in the home unless given permission by her husband to go out is closely connected to the obligation of intimacy, as it is regarded as a means of fulfilling that right.

Imam al-Haskafi says in his al-Durr al-Mukhtar: 

“There is no financial maintenance (nafaqah) for the woman who leaves [her husband’s] house without right…”¹¹

This ruling establishes that if a wife leaves the home without justification, she forfeits her financial rights as a wife, since marital maintenance (nafaqah) is provided in return for her physical presence in the marital home.

There are details to what is considered ‘justified’ in going out, as Imam Ibn ‘Abidīn highlights in his commentary on al-Haskafi’s Durr al-Mukhtar:

[Al-Haskafi’s] statement “so she must not go out, etc.”… meaning: “If she has received (the dowry), then she must not go out, etc.”…According to the apparent implication of the text, if she has received her dowry, she is not allowed to go out—even for necessity or to visit her family without his permission.

However, there are cases where she is permitted to go out, even without his permission¹², as mentioned by the commentator (shāriḥ). This is explicitly stated in his commentary on al-Multaqa (The Joining of the Two Seas), citing al-Ashbāh (Analogies and Similar Cases): “Similarly, she may go out if she wishes to perform the obligatory Hajj with a maḥram, or if her father is chronically ill and requires her service, for example…”¹³

There are also other exceptions to the rule requiring a wife to seek her husband’s permission before going out—such as when she is a midwife or a woman who washes the deceased—as noted by Ibn ʿĀbidīn. The detailed discussion of when a wife must seek permission and when she may go out without it warrants a separate article.

Clarification On Household Duties

Household duties are not from the husband’s rights but may be considered the wife’s responsibility based on customary practice (‘urf) and her socio-economic status.

This is mentioned explicitly by al-Haskafi in his commentary, al-Durr al-Mukhtar (The Chosen Pearl) on Tanweer al-Absaar (The Illumination of Insights):

If the woman refuses to grind flour and bake bread because she is not someone who serves [but is rather served, i.e., has servants], or if she has an illness, then he must provide her with prepared food.

However, if she is someone who normally serves herself and is capable of doing so, then he is not obligated to provide prepared food, and she is not permitted to take payment for it, as it is considered obligatory-religiously (diyānatan) upon her.¹⁴

Therefore, this duty is tied to a wife’s socio-economic background. If she comes from a wealthy family with servants and is not accustomed to cooking or performing household tasks, she is not obligated to do so in her marital home; rather, her husband must provide her with prepared food. Conversely, if she is accustomed to serving herself, then cooking becomes obligatory upon her. However, even in such a case, if she is ill or in a state in which she would customarily be cared for—such as during the postpartum period—her husband must provide her with prepared food.

The term “obligatory-religiously” (diyānatan) is used in contrast to “obligatory by law”  (qadaa-an), which is enforceable by the courts. When something is ‘obligatory-religiously’, it still means that she must fulfill it, and failing to do so would be sinful, but it is not enforced by a judge in a court of law. 

This is why household duties are not a “right” of the husband; rather, they fall under personal religious obligations, similar to a wife’s duty to nurse her child or pray witr (according to the Hanafis). These are matters between her and Allah , not something the husband can demand. A key implication of this is that the extent and manner in which she fulfills this obligation—how much she cooks and what she prepares—is her decision, as the duty rests upon her, and does not involve her husband.

Further proof that household duties are not the husband’s right is found in al-Kāsānī’s discussion on the legal consequences of marriage. When listing the obligations of the wife and the rights of the husband, he does not include household tasks such as cooking and cleaning.¹⁵

This omission is particularly significant given that al-Kāsānī is highly detailed in this chapter, addressing matters such as inheritance, in-law relations, and even the permission of the spouses to look at and touch one another—yet this so-called “right” is never mentioned.

Conclusion

Misunderstanding obedience in marriage has led to serious consequences. The expectation of absolute obedience places an immense burden on women, resulting in stress, resentment, and, at times, oppressive treatment. For example, some husbands demand that their wives serve their in-laws—visiting their homes to clean—while still maintaining their own homes; a combination that causes significant stress and anxiety. Many women from traditionally rigid fiqh backgrounds who follow this erroneous position find themselves overwhelmed by these supposed “duties.” Sadly, as this has been accepted as the status quo, it is no wonder women are struggling in their marriages, as these expectations are both unrealistic and unfeasible.

Additionally, husbands take their wives’ service for granted, viewing it as an entitlement rather than an act of kindness. Such an understanding can readily lead to an abuse of authority, where the husband’s demands are never-ending, and the wife can never fully satisfy them. This breeds resentment and undermines the very foundation of a healthy marriage.

In conclusion, we see that it is not obligatory to obey one’s husband in matters related to in-laws¹⁶, guests, or yes—even the shampoo bottle cap. The reality, as defined by the fuqaha (jurists), grants women far more autonomy than is commonly assumed. The correct understanding of obedience, rooted in legal texts, safeguards against the misuse of religious rulings to justify control, suppression, and injustice. 

As scholars have long emphasized, “rights are for the courts and the miserly,” whereas true companionship is grounded in the sublime Sunnah of our Beloved Prophet ﷺ and his Noble Family; sunnahs of mutual kindness and iḥsān (excellence). Just as a wife is expected to help fulfill not only her husband’s needs but also his preferences, he is equally expected to support hers, honoring her hopes and aspirations beyond mere needs. Ultimately, a marriage that focuses solely on rights and obligations—without regard for each other’s hopes and aspirations—may be doomed to failure or misery.

May Allah grant us the success and ability to follow the Sunnah in our marriages and bless them with love and mercy.

والحمد لله ربّ العالمين

Related:

– Podcast | Happily Ever After (Ep 2) – What Are The Limits Of Wifely Obedience?

– A Primer On Intimacy And Fulfillment Of A Wife’s Desires Based On The Writings Of Scholars Of The Past

The post The Limits Of Obedience In Marriage: A Hanafi Legal Perspective appeared first on MuslimMatters.org.

If you are a Muslim man reading this after having intentionally clicked on the article link, may Allah reward you. Even if you don’t have a wife, you definitely have a mother, and maybe even a sister or daughter. I promise you, this will be relevant. 

As a husband, part of being your wife’s qawwam (protector/maintainer) is being actively involved in helping her meet her spiritual, emotional, and physical health needs. This applies to fathers as well. If your own father did this, then alhamdulilah, you are so privileged to have such a Prophetic example. If not, then it’s up to you to break that cycle by educating yourself on what kind of support your wife needs during her midlife years and helping her through it.

Shifts in Midlife

There are funny social media reels about husbands being told their perimenopausal wives now detest the way they smell/breathe/sleep/chew. Beneath that humour is the very real issue that, as hormones shift during perimenopause, even the most solid of marriages can be tested. 

For example, a wife who has been happily homeschooling her three young children may now be far too exhausted by her hormonal changes and much more prone to anger. Midlife is a time for a mother to start looking inwards on how to nourish herself better, after nurturing her own children. Perimenopausal symptoms can start in some women as early as their mid-thirties, while most women start feeling symptoms of declining estrogen and progesterone in their forties until they reach menopause.

I actually asked my husband for tips on how to write this article, and he has plenty of gems to share. 

 – Make sure she eats well

With the gradual decline of bone density and muscle mass starting in her late thirties/early forties, protein is now absolutely necessary to help strengthen her bones and muscles. Stock up on protein, and – even better – prepare a protein-rich dish for her. It doesn’t have to be fancy, but knowing that she doesn’t need to hunt for more protein will help to ease some of her mental load.

Plant-based protein shakes are also helpful. Yogurt smoothies with nuts and fruit are another tasty and easily-prepared option. Offering her a slice of her favourite bread with high-protein peanut butter and jam can make a huge difference in her mood. 

 – Exercise together

Exercising together is a lot more conducive than nagging her to exercise. Ask me how I know. It helps to have a partner to go on walks with, and it’s even better to have a partner to spot you while you both lift heavy. In addition to building muscle and bone mass, exercise works wonders for improving mental health, blood circulation, and mobility.

“At the very least give your wife the gift of time to exercise regularly.” [PC: Elena Kloppenburg (unsplash)]

For those who aren’t, you can still support her by giving her the gift of time to exercise regularly. Consistency is difficult to maintain even in the best of times, so supporting your busy wife means committing to looking after your children or arranging for childcare, to give your wife the time and space to exercise. Renewing this beautiful intention to support your wife’s exercise journey is also a means of pleasing Allah .

 – Facilitate her good sleep

If your wife is struggling to sleep, then please know that this is part of perimenopause. If she is also neurodivergent, then getting sleep during perimenopause will be even trickier than usual! The irony is that nightly long stretches of uninterrupted sleep are exactly what will help to regulate your wife’s hormones, but falling asleep can be harder than ever. 

Ask her how you can help support her nighttime sleep routine. Mothers often sleep late at night because they crave that silence and uninterrupted time to themselves. To counter this, brainstorm ways to give her time to herself during the day. After a rough night, do her a favour and give her the chance to sleep in. 

Whenever possible, take charge of the morning school drop-off routine so she can rest a little while longer. Give her the opportunity to nap during the day by looking after your children, or arranging for a trusted babysitter or family member to do that.

 – Be understanding of her libido changes

Marital intimacy comes in stages – the excitement and discovery of the newlywed stage, the exhaustion after newborns, and the fluctuating state of perimenopause. Vaginal dryness can be a reality for many perimenopausal women, and this can definitely impact her decreasing libido. It’s important to investigate different types of lubrication that can help, as well as the possibility of dietary changes or supplements. Foreplay is even more important in this stage of marital intimacy. 

Jabir bin ‘Abdullah narrates saying, “The Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and give him peace) forbade intercourse before foreplay.” [Khatib, Tarikh Baghdad: the chain was deemed sound by Dhahabi]

Figure out a way to schedule regular marital intimacy instead of leaving it to chance. It’s natural for perimenopausal wives to feel anxious about intimacy, but avoidance only makes it worse. 

Supporting your wife throughout the day will endear you to her, making her much more receptive to marital intimacy at night. Keep in mind that, on top of hormonal changes that make your wife feel uncomfortable, her body shape has probably changed over the years, too. Telling her that you still find her beautiful  and attractive will help allay any anxieties she may feel. She is the mother of your children, and her body has gone through a tremendous change with every child she brings earthside. 

 – Keep lines of communication open

Every marriage has its own stresses, but coupled with perimenopause, it’s more important than ever to remember that you’re both on the same team. Make daily bids for connection by turning towards each other, rather than turning away. There are simple things you can both do to show your love and concern, e.g., preparing a favourite drink/snack, affectionate touches, and using terms of endearment. You can think of this as filling up each other’s love tank, so you can both function well together as a team, as opposed to sputtering on empty.

In addition to small daily gestures of kindness, make an effort to schedule at least weekly date nights and/or coffee dates together. It makes all the difference to have intentional conversations about meeting each other’s needs – especially during difficult stretches. It’s important for husbands to also express what kind of support they would like too. Plan for success to help both of you thrive. Supporting your wife does not mean obliterating your own needs – that will only create resentment.

 – Hormone Replacement Therapy 

By the time a woman has reached menopause, even the most supportive husband cannot replace the role of hormone replacement therapy (HRT). I’m at least ten years away from menopause, if not less, but I’m already reading about the benefits of HRT. All of the most common perimenopausal struggles listed above can be alleviated by the right dose of HRT.

In the words of Dr Vonda Wright, an orthopedic surgeon and expert on women’s aging and longevity:

“Estrogen, when started within 10 years of your last menstrual cycle, doesn’t just help with hot flashes or night sweats. It significantly reduces your risk of the top killers of women in midlife and beyond: heart disease and osteoporotic fractures. In fact, studies show it can reduce the risk of heart disease by 40–50%. That’s not a small perk—that’s a game-changer.”¹

Conclusion

By the time you have reached this point in your marriage, alhamdulilah, you have already graduated through the newlywed and newborn babies stage. Now is the time to continue to nurture your wife through her midlife years by ensuring she has enough protein to eat, exercises, and sleeps well. Understanding her shifting libido will help to keep your marital intimacy going, as well as supporting her decision to explore hormonal replacement therapy. It’s important for husbands and wives to keep having regular conversations around how you can both meet each other’s needs, as a team, with Allah’s Pleasure in mind.

InshaAllah, the love and care you give your wife during this critical stage will reap tremendous reward in both this life as well as the next. 

Related:

– The Muslim Woman And Menopause: Navigating The ‘Invisible’ Transition With Faith And Grace

– A Primer On Intimacy And Fulfillment Of A Wife’s Desires Based On The Writings Of Scholars Of The Past

The post Perimenopause For Husbands: What To Expect And How To Support Your Wife appeared first on MuslimMatters.org.

For Muslim women, this change can feel even more complex, entwined with cultural expectations, spiritual practices, and evolving family dynamics. While medical resources are rightly covered by our Muslim physician colleagues, this article explores the emotional and relational dimensions of peri- and post-menopause. It considers how these phases can shape marriage, parenting, and identity, and how Muslim women can navigate them with faith, support, and grace.

Understanding the Emotional Landscape

Menopause is not only a biological milestone. It is also an emotional terrain shifting under your feet. Hormonal fluctuations may bring:

• Mood swings and irritability. Sudden changes in serotonin levels can lead to emotional volatility.
• Anxiety or low-grade depression. Anxiety may arise from changes in the body or identity. Some women experience a quieter, deep sadness as menopause approaches.
• A sense of loss or dislocation. Fertility and youth are tied deeply to self-image and societal roles. The loss of natural cycles can stir grief or existential questions.
• Relief or liberation. No longer facing menstrual cycles or contraception concerns, some women describe a freeing sense of autonomy.

From an Islamic perspective, recognizing these emotions as valid, even while striving to maintain patience, can be healing. The Prophet ﷺ said:

“No fatigue, nor disease, nor sorrow, nor sadness, nor hurt, nor distress befalls a Muslim, even if it were the prick he receives from a thorn, but that Allah expiates some of his sins for that.” [Bukhari and Muslim]

Women may also draw comfort from the lives of those closest to the Prophet ﷺ. Sayyidah Khadījah , for example, was a mature woman whose wisdom and dignity were deeply honored. The Prophet ﷺ remembered her long after her passing, saying:

“She believed in me when the people disbelieved, she trusted me when the people belied me, she shared her wealth with me when the people deprived me, and Allah blessed me with children from her and not from any other wife.” [Musnad Ahmad]

Her life demonstrates that maturity is not a loss but a stage marked by depth, contribution, and honor in the sight of Allah and His Messenger ﷺ.

Impact on the Marital Relationship

Menopause can subtly or dramatically shift the marital dynamic. The following highlights some of the how:

Intimacy and Libido

Changing oestrogen levels may decrease vaginal lubrication and arousal. For some, libido diminishes. This can cause:

• Discomfort or pain during intercourse, leading to avoidance or withdrawal.
• Hurt feelings, if either spouse misinterprets distance as rejection.
• Renewed opportunities, if couples communicate openly and explore alternative forms of closeness, such as affection, cuddling, conversation, and supportive touch.

The Prophet ﷺ reminded husbands and wives of their responsibility to one another:

“The best of you are those who are best to their wives, and I am the best of you to my wives.” [Tirmidhi]

This ḥadīth points to compassion and attentiveness as the norm for marital life. Together with the Qur’ānic ethic “live with them in kindness” [Surah An-Nisa; 4:19] and “you are garments for one another” [Surah Al-Baqarah; 2:187], it frames intimacy as a place for mercy, not pressure. In practice, couples can:

Menopause can subtly or dramatically shift the marital dynamic.[PC: David Dvořáček (unsplash)]

• Talk early and kindly. Use “I” statements about sensations and emotions (“I feel soreness / I’m worried I’ll disappoint you”) and agree on a shared plan for closeness during this phase.
• Prioritise consent and avoid harm (lā ḍarar wa lā ḍirār). If penetration is painful, pause. Explore solutions rather than pushing through pain.
• Broaden the meaning of intimacy. Affectionate touch, cuddling, massage, shared baths, and non-penetrative pleasure can maintain connection when penetration is difficult. Many couples also benefit from longer warm-up/foreplay, comfortable positions, adequate privacy and time, and lubricants (checking ingredients if that matters to you).
• Time it wisely. Choose symptom-lighter times of day; fatigue, hot flushes, or joint pain often fluctuate.
• Address the physical. A clinical check-in for urogenital symptoms, pelvic floor physio, sleep support, or treatment for dryness can make intimacy easier, and caring for health supports marital rights.
• Hold the fiqh balance. Spousal intimacy is important in fiqh, yet scholars also emphasize kindness, mutual satisfaction, and the prohibition of harm. Temporary adjustments or even pauses are recognised where there is credible hardship or illness, especially by mutual agreement. Rights are not a licence to coerce; they are a call to iḥsān (beautiful conduct).
• Reassure and repair. If an attempt is difficult, offer comfort, make duʿāʾ together, and try again another time rather than letting shame or resentment grow.
• Seek wise support. A faith-literate counsellor can help couples negotiate expectations, communication, and practical adaptations.

Menopause aware intimacy honors both fiqh’s regard for spousal rights and the Prophetic standard of gentleness, protecting wellbeing while keeping connection alive.

Role Shifts

Menopause may coincide with children entering adulthood, career changes, or a newfound quiet in the household. This may lead to a re-evaluation of marital roles. Some women flourish with more time for personal projects, worship, or deepening the spousal bond. Others feel unmoored without the familiar structure of motherhood. Husbands and wives benefit from acknowledging this inward journey and renegotiating roles with love and respect, guided by the Prophetic ideal of mutual support and kindness.

Parenting Through the Transition

For many Muslim women, parenting is a core identity. As menopause unfolds, children may be grown or nearing independence. This stage can feel like:

• Empty nest syndrome, an ache for purpose or belonging.
• Emotional tug as the mother, wanting to remain central in children’s lives while they claim their own time, space, boundaries, and identity, choosing how they live, what they believe, where they make home, whom they befriend or marry, and how they prioritize work, faith, and family.
• Opportunity for mentorship, duʿā, and building deeper, more balanced relationships, based on guidance rather than caretaking: checking in regularly without hovering, asking permission before offering advice, listening more than directing, making duʿāʾ by name for their needs, sharing skills or experience when invited, celebrating their independent decisions, agreeing healthy boundaries and rhythms of contact, and being available for practical help when requested.

The Prophet ﷺ said:

“When a person dies, all his deeds come to an end except three: ongoing charity, beneficial knowledge, or a righteous child who prays for him.” [Muslim]

As the family evolves, women may take comfort that their nurturing role continues through du‘a and guidance, even when the daily intensity of parenting diminishes. The Qur’ān also reminds us of the honour due to mothers:

“And We have enjoined upon man [care] for his parents. His mother carried him, [increasing her] in weakness upon weakness, and his weaning is in two years. Be grateful to Me and to your parents; to Me is the [final] destination.” [Surah Luqman; 31:14]

Community, Sisterhood, and Spiritual Identity

Menopause can feel like an invisible transition, often silent and rarely acknowledged within many Muslim communities. Yet opening dialogue can be transformative:

Menopause can feel like an invisible transition, but having peer support circles can help overcome isolation. [PC: Vonecia Carswell (unsplash)]

• Peer support circles, whether informal or virtual, allow sharing experiences of sleep troubles, mood changes, gratitude for newfound calm, and laughter about hot flushes.
• Imams or women’s counsellors knowledgeable in fiqh and women’s health can foster safe spaces to ask, “Is it permissible to pray when I am drenched in sweat? How do I manage fasting with hot flushes at suhoor?”
• Spiritual leadership repurposes this life stage. Older women can shape younger generations with wisdom, du‘a, and steadiness.

The Qur’ān itself honors the voice and concerns of women. When Khawlah bint Tha‘labah brought her distress to the Prophet ﷺ about her husband, Allah revealed:

“Indeed Allah has heard the statement of she who argues with you [O Muhammad] concerning her husband and directs her complaint to Allah. And Allah hears your dialogue; indeed, Allah is Hearing and Seeing.” [Surah Al-Mujādilah; 58:1]

This verse is a powerful reminder that women’s lived realities matter deeply in the sight of Allah .

The Prophet ﷺ also said:

“The best among you are those who learn the Qur’ān and teach it.” [Bukhari]

This opens the door for mature women to embrace teaching, mentoring, and guiding, drawing on their life experience to benefit the next generation.

Practical Strategies for Muslim Women

Here are some tangible ways to navigate this stage with resilience:

1. Educate yourself. Learn about symptoms, treatments, and self-care strategies, including diet, hydration, exercise, and sleep hygiene.
2. Open dialogue with your spouse. Frame conversations around feelings, not blame. Small shifts in communication can yield deep compassion.
3. Connect with sisterhood. Sharing breaks isolation.
4. Prioritize self-care and spiritual rhythm. Ensure you can observe prayer comfortably, even through sleepless nights. Some women turn insomnia into time for tahajjud, drawing strength from night worship. The Prophet ﷺ said: “The most beloved prayer to Allah after the obligatory prayers is the night prayer.” [Muslim]
5. Seek Islamic-medical guidance. Engage professionals who understand both health and faith. There are a number of Muslimah womb health and/or perimenopause experts and advocates online, such as Honored Womb, Fit Muslimah, and Barakah’s Womb.
6. Reimagine purpose. Let menopause be the prologue to new journeys such as mentoring, studying Qur’ān, or serving the community.

When to Seek Help

While mood changes and emotional shifts are normal, professional help is important if you experience:

• Persistent sadness or hopelessness that doesn’t lift.
• Severe anxiety, panic attacks, or escalating worry.
• Rage flashes – sudden, intense anger or outbursts that feel out of control, lead to verbal or physical aggression, or create fear/ongoing harm at home.
• Relationship breakdowns that feel stuck or irresolvable.
• Physical symptoms (e.g., sleep disturbance, pain, hot flushes) that significantly impact daily life.

Seeking help, whether medical or therapeutic, is not a deviation from tawakkul (trust in Allah ). It is a sign of wisdom and self-compassion.

Menopause is more than biological. It is a spiritual, relational, and emotional terrain that beckons Muslim women toward new chapters. It may stir grief or liberation, distance or newfound intimacy. It challenges identity and nurtures wisdom.

Within a faith that honors the dignity of every phase, menopause becomes an opportunity. By drawing on sisterhood, honest dialogue, renewal practices, spirituality, and faith-affirmed support, Muslim women can move through this shift with grace, finding in themselves new light, new connection, and renewed purpose.

Related:

– Purification Of The Self: A Journey That Begins From The Outside-In

– The Fiqh Of Vaginal Discharge: Pure or Impure?

The post The Muslim Woman And Menopause: Navigating The ‘Invisible’ Transition With Faith And Grace appeared first on MuslimMatters.org.

They built it with marble and calligraphy, arched domes echoing the names of God. But somewhere between the minbar and the boardroom, the sacred was traded for the familiar.

The masjid, once a refuge for the broken, now feels like a lounge for the well-connected. Decisions made behind closed doors, while the women outside whisper their needs into the wind.

They say it’s about tradition. But tradition never silenced Maryam when she cried out in labor beneath the palm. It never turned away Khadijah’s wisdom, or Ali’s courage to speak truth to power.

No—this is not tradition. This is dunya dressed in thawbs and titles, where family ties outweigh community cries, and silence is the currency of comfort.

I wrote to them. Not to accuse, but to ask: Is there room for me here? They answered with nothing. And that nothing said everything.

Still, I believe in the masjid. Not the building, but the promise. The one etched in every sajdah, in every tear that falls unseen.

So I will keep knocking. Not because I need their permission— but because I refuse to let them turn God’s house into a gated estate.

They speak of unity from the pulpit, but practice division in the shadows. Their circles are tight, their ears closed to unfamiliar names, their hearts armored in comfort.

I’ve seen the way they greet their own— smiles wide, hands extended, as if Jannah were passed through bloodlines. And I’ve seen the way they glance past others, like we are footnotes in a story they’ve already written.

But I am not a footnote. I am the daughter of Hajar, the sister of Sumayyah, the echo of every woman who stood when the world told her to sit.

You may not answer my email. You may not open your doors. But I will not unwrite my truth to make you more comfortable.

Because the masjid does not belong to you. It belongs to the One who hears the whispers of the unseen, who counts every tear that falls when no one else is watching.

So I will keep walking— not toward your approval, but toward the light that never needed your permission to shine.

They say sabr, but only to the silenced. They say adab, but only to the unheard. They weaponize patience like a leash, hoping we’ll stay quiet, grateful just to be near the door. But I was not made to shrink for the comfort of men who confuse control with leadership.

They build platforms, but only for those who echo their comfort. They host panels on justice, while ignoring the injustice in their own prayer halls. They speak of the Prophet ﷺ, but forget how he stood for the orphan, the widow, the stranger— not just the familiar faces in the front row.

And still, they wonder why the hearts of women grow quiet, why the youth slip out the back door, why the call to prayer no longer feels like a call home.

And Still, I Believe

Because faith was never theirs to gatekeep. It lives in the breath of the unseen, in the footsteps of the overlooked, in the hands of those who build even when no one thanks them.

I will not wait for their invitation. I will write my own welcome, etch it in the sky with every prayer, and walk boldly into the sacred as if I belong— because I always did.

Related:

– Podcast: Revisiting Women-Only Tarawih | Ustadha Umm Sara

– Friday Sermon: Including Women in the Masjid

The post When The Masjid Mirrors The Marketplace: An Ode To Inclusion In Faith appeared first on MuslimMatters.org.

{You who believe, uphold justice and bear witness to God, even if it is against yourselves…} (4:135)

We, a network of Muslim women scholars, teachers, and da’iyas, are horrified by recent criminal allegations that have come to light against a prominent Qur’an teacher. We are appalled and angered by this allegation as well as the instances of abuse in our community’s recent history where the perpetrators have faced few consequences and little accountability.

We stand in solidarity with victims, survivors, and community members as they speak out, seek justice, and heal. There is much work to be done in addressing the cultures and behaviors that enable the abuse of vulnerable people. We pledge to our communities that we will stand firmly against all forms of abuse and participate in creating effective safeguards for all, especially women and children. We also promise to do our best to build communities of goodness and justice in order to resist and repair the effects of abuse in all its forms.

It is the responsibility of religious leaders to address and strongly condemn any and all abuse – spiritual, sexual, physical, emotional, and financial – especially when the perpetrator is in a position of power or influence. A reticence on the part of religious leaders to do so and an unacceptable societal tendency to blame victims of abuse have led to a sense of impunity among perpetrators, the serial retraumatizing of survivors, and feelings of abandonment and betrayal among women. This silence and enabling must end.

We will be issuing a formal statement along with a list of resources for victims and communities in the coming days insha’Allah.

Signed:

The Female Scholars Network

1. Ustadha Aamenah Patel, UK
2. Anse Afshan Malik, USA 
3. Ustadha Aisha Hussain Rasheed, Maldives / Malaysia 
4. Ustadha Alia Dada, USA
5. Ustadha Alima Ashfaq, UK
6. Ustadha Amal Abdifatah, USA
7. Ustadha Dr. Amina Darwish, USA
8. Ustadha Amina Mujela-Botic, Bosnia and Herzegovina 
9. Ustadha Arzoo Ahmed, UK
10. Ustadha Dur-e-Nayyab Khan, UK / Pakistan
11. Ustadha Faduma Warsame, USA
12. Ustadha Fadwa Silmi, USA
13. Anse Fadiyah Mian, USA
14. Ustadha Fatima Patel, UK
15. Dr. Hadia Mubarak, USA
16. Ustadha Hafsah Sayeed, UK
17. Sh. Dr. Haifaa Younis, USA
18. Ustadha Hosai Mojaddidi, USA
19. Dr. Huda Waraich, UK
20. Sh Ieasha Prime, USA
21. Ustadha Imaan Barday, UK
22. Dr. Ingrid Mattson, USA
23. Ustadha Dr. Jinan Yousef
24. Ustadha Kaltun Karani, USA
25. Dr Khadijah Elshayyal, UK 
26. Ust. Lobna Mulla, USA
27. Ustadha Louma Sebai, USA
28. Dr. Mariam Sheibani, USA
29. Ustadha Marjaan Ali, USA
30. Ustadha Maryam Amir, USA
31. Ustadha Maryam Bint Khalisadar, USA
32. Sh. Muslema Purmul, USA
33. Ustadha Najiyah Maxfield, USA
34. Muftiyyah Nasima Umm Hamza, UK
35. Ustadha Noura Shamma, USA
36. Ustadha Raidah Shah Idil, Singapore/Malaysia
37. Sh. Dr. Rania Awaad, USA
38. Ustadha Rashida Esakjee, UK
39. Ustadha Reem Shaikh, USA 
40. Ustadha Rehana Meer, UK
41. Ustadha Dr. Saadia Mian MD (USA)
42. Ustadha Sadia Abdul Sattar, USA
43. Ustadha Sophia Khan, USA
44. Ustadha Razia Hamidi, Canada
45. Ustadha Rumaysa Sidat, UK
46. Ustadha Romessa Mirza, USA
47. Ustadha Saira Master, UK
48. Ustadha Safiyya Dhorat, UK
49. Dr. Sameera Ahmed, USA
50. Ustadha Sarah Ahmed (USA)
51. Ustadha Sana Mohiuddin, USA
52. Ustadha Shazia Shamshad Ahmad (USA)
53. Ustadha Sheam Khan (UK)
54. Ustadha Sumaiyah Saleem, UK
55. Ustadha Suzane Derani, USA
56. Sh. Dr. Tamara Gray USA
57. Ustadha Taimiyyah Zubair, Canada
58. Umm Ayyoub, UK
59. Umm Hasan bint Salim, UK
60. Sh. Umm Jamaal ud-Din, AUS
61. Ustadha Umm Maryam, UK
62. Yusairah Batan, UK
63. Ustadha Zahida Suleman, UK
64. Dr. Zainab Alwani,  USA 
65. Zainab bint Younus, Canada
66. Ustadha Zaynab Ansari, USA
67. Sh. Zehra Hazratji, USA

With support from the following scholars:

1. Sh Abdullah Anik Misra (Islamic Society of Orange County, Southern California, USA)
2. Abdirahman Kariye (Imam of Dar Al-Farooq Center in Minnesota, USA)
3. Sh. Abd Alfatah Twakkal (Al-Ghazali Centre; London Council of Imams, Canada)
4. Imam Adam Jamal (Muslim Association of Puget Sound, WA, USA)
5. Imam Adeel J. Zeb, USA
6. Imam Adeyinka Mendes (Marhama Village, Houston, Texas)
7. Shaykh Alauddin Elbakri (Tawasaw Institute, USA)
8. Ustadha Afshan Syeda, USA
9. Imam Asad Patel (Islamic Society of Greater Charlotte, NC)
10. Ustadha Asiya Shaikh, USA
11. Imam Atif Chaudhry (Rahma Center of Charlotte, NC)
12. Imam Bilal Elsakka, USA
13. Ustadha Dana Nass, USA
14. Imam Daniel Hernandez (Muslim Association of Lehigh Valley)
15. Anse Eamaan Rabbat, USA
16. Anse Emmanuelle (Eman) Manigat, Canada
17. Anse Dr Farhana Yunus, USA
18. Ustadha Farheen Farooq, USA
19. Imam Fawad Kalsi (Calgary, Canada)
20. Shaykh Hammadur Rahman Fahim, UK
21. Ustadha Hazel Gomez, USA
22. Anse Heather Elsayed (USA0
23. Dr. Jamillah Karim, Dallas, TX
24. Dr. Jasser Auda
25. Ustazah Khadijah Monica Dingjan, The Netherlands / Malaysia
26. Anse Maha Gaafar, USA
27. Anse Marah Dahman, USA
28. Anse Marlene Poulin, USA
29. Dr. Michael Dann, Tayseer Seminary
30. Anse Michelle Sekusky, USA
31. Sh Mikaeel Ahmed Smith (Dallas, Texas) 
32. Mufti Moinul Abu Hamza, UK
33. Sh Mohammad Akram Nadwi, UK
34. Dr Norainee Kamaruddin, Malaysia
35. Dr. Ovamir Anjum, USA
36. Sh Rami Nsour, USA
37. Ustadha Roohi Tahir, USA 
38. Aalimah Sabah Memon, USA
39. Anse Samia Uddin, USA
40. Sh Samir Hussain (Fahm Education, Canada)
41. Ustadha Sakina Syeda, USA
42. Shaykha Saleha Bukhari, UK
43. Ustadha Shahidah Sharif, USA
44. Imam Shuaib Mansoori (Mississauga, Ontario, Canada)
45. Ustadha Sobia Ahmed, USA
46. Chaplain Sondos Kholaki, USA
47. Anse Soofia Ahmed, USA
48. Imam Suhaib Webb, USA
49. Sh Suhail Mulla, Khalil Center (Los Angeles)
50. Sh Umer Khan, Fiqh Council of North America
51. Shaykh Uthman Khan (Academic Dean, Critical Loyalty)
52. Ustadha Zeba Syeda, USA
53. Dr Zohair Abdul-Rahman, Faith Circle Academy, Brisbane AUS

Related:

MuslimMatters Official Statement On Wisam Sharieff

What Do I Do When I Find Out My Favorite Preacher Is Corrupt?

A Code of Conduct To Protect Against Spiritual Abuse

Who Can We Trust?

Blurred Lines: Women, “Celebrity” Shaykhs, and Spiritual Abuse

The post Statement Against Abuse: The Female Scholars Network appeared first on MuslimMatters.org.

Previous Parts: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4

After the tumultuous 2023-24 school year, where American students protesting against the Israeli genocide at Gaza were vilified and repressed across the country, MuslimMatters interviewed chaplains Omer Bajwa of Yale University and Abdul-Muhaymin Priester of Grinnell College for their thoughts on these momentous events. In this third part of a five-part interview, the imams discuss the relationship of these events on interfaith relations, the impact that an institutionally approved genocide has left on non-Muslim communities, and the apocalyptic motivations behind much American support for Israel.

Oppressed and Oppressors

Abdul-Muhaymin Priester:  From a personal standpoint, speaking as a Muslim outside of anything else right now, I think one of the main things that we have to remember is that despite all of the suffering that we’re witnessing, despite how much confusion and anger that people may be experiencing, or sadness or whatever emotions they’re going through – this is from the Qadr (predestination) of Allah. Qadr is Qadaa’ (decreed). This is Divine determination of what’s going to happen and this is Divine decision about the outcome of whatever intentions or choices that we may have.

This is one of the things that I kept trying to remind the students of in my khutbahs. Just to remind them that we have to get our minds out of that secular-religious paradigm that we were operating from, and we have to look at this strictly through the prism of, like I said earlier, this is Haqq, this is Batil. You’ve got Zalims (oppressors), you’ve got Mazloums (oppressed). These people are oppressing a particular people, and there’s nothing else to discuss about, anything else, period, for me.

And I think in seeing this we also have to remember that there is something that is very good that is coming out of this right now. We have seen an entire government, political, ideological structure get dismantled in front of our eyes in the last eight months. Allah has taken all of the money and time and everything that was invested into this idea called Israel, this apartheid state of Israel, and He’s turned it on its head.
Yes, they’re fighting to uphold it, but at the same time like we understand, the entire world outside of the United States and a few of their European allies, the opinion of the entire world has flipped on its head. And everyone has, in some aspect or other, it may not be in totality, but in one aspect or another, they have seen the reality of what this project is.

What Israel Was Always About

(Abdul-Muhaymin Priester continues:) This was never about making sure that they had a homeland. Now this is where the political aspect that we talked about earlier comes in. This was about making sure that they had a foothold in a region of the world that would allow them to continually make sure that they would disrupt any effort that Muslims could ever put forward into unifying themselves among one civilized form of leadership. That’s all this was ever about. It was about dismantling the Ottoman Empire and fracturing the Muslim world to the point where they didn’t have to worry about it as a polity any longer on the world stage.

And if you’re a student of political science or history [and] you think otherwise, you need to go back and take your degree back because it didn’t work for you. That’s all this ever was. That’s all it is right now…As Muslims we need to remember this is a situation of Haqq and Batil.

And this also should be an encouragement for us to get up and put in that work that we know we need to know. It doesn’t have to do anything with being belligerent, bellicose, none of that. This is about putting in the work in order for Haqq to triumph over Batil, end of discussion. Whatever manifestation that comes through, because like we talked about – yes there’s Muslims participating, there are voices that are being heard, but we should have been the ones leading the charge from day one. Anybody who came to participate in anything that had to do with this situation with our brothers and sisters should have been coming to join us, we shouldn’t have been going to join them. Because, end of the day, these are our brothers and sisters.

And yes, everybody [will] have their questioning on the day of Yaumul-Qiama, but as Muslims we’re the ones who hold a responsibility, and we’re going to get questioned about it in some form or another for some reason, whatever capacity that we were responsible for.

I Want the Students to Know We Care

Omer Bajwa: What I would say is definitely, as a chaplain, as a spiritual advisor and spiritual caregiver to our campus community, I want them, the students and the readers to know that we care so deeply and are so impressed with their activism, their civil disobedience – this is a great American tradition, right? First Amendment right to free assembly, to free speech, to civil disobedience? Our students, our communities are understanding that this is so effective and critical and essential to this conversation.

Then, (to know that) we care for them. As the imam said, at the end of the day, from our spiritual lens, this is about Haqq and Batil, Haqq versus Batil. There’s a great moral and ethical awakening that is happening in front of our eyes. They’re asking very deep, existential, and spiritual, and philosophical questions – they’re grappling with these issues in real time, they’re seeing this. There’s a great unveiling going on about power, and about hypocrisy, and about obfuscation, and about lies.

And this is, like – you’re getting a front row education in the way the world works, is what I would say. We’re seeing that especially on college campuses. And as chaplains who work alongside these communities, we’re walking with them through this.

End of Interview

Related:

A Tide Is Turning: The Capitol Consensus On Israel Is Crumbling

Debunking Beheaded Babies, Concert Rapes, And Human Shields: Hasbara Words That Work For Israeli War Crimes, Apartheid, And Genocide

The post University Chaplains’ Perspective On Campus Protests [Part V] – A Situation Of Haqq And Batil appeared first on MuslimMatters.org.

Previous Parts: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3

After the tumultuous 2023-24 school year, where American students protesting against the Israeli genocide at Gaza were vilified and repressed across the country, MuslimMatters interviewed chaplains Omer Bajwa of Yale University and Abdul-Muhaymin Priester of Grinnell College for their thoughts on these momentous events. In this third part of a five-part interview, the imams discuss the relationship of these events on interfaith relations, the impact that an institutionally approved genocide has left on non-Muslim communities, and the apocalyptic motivations behind much American support for Israel.

Ibrahim Moiz: You both lived through the whole post-September 2001 atmosphere. My impression was that the pressure on Muslims had been receding since the late 2010s [compared to] the sort of pressure there was in the late 2000s or even early 2010s. As chaplains, how have you seen official responses since October 2023, both with the Palestinian attack that was initially portrayed as a sort of antisemitic pogrom, and then the Israeli attack as well? Would you say that there has been any progress from the 2000s in terms of how institutional and official avenues have responded to Muslim grievances?

No Mention of Palestinian Suffering

Omer Bajwa: I’ll give you two or three quick data points, and I’ll work backward from what you were just talking about. Yale has been good, I want to say, generally across the board. Though that’s relative, right?  Now I’m going to make a general point about campuses across the country, they have been horrendous. The responses from college and university presidents or senior administrations, the messaging after 10-7, across the board has been one of – there’s a party line – “this was a horrific, tragic attack on Israeli existence” – you know the line, it’s all there.

The point that I want to make is, it’s almost like they have the same talking points. Every president is saying some version of the same thing.

No mention of Palestinian suffering, of Palestinian life…My point is, it is remarkable, or astonishing perhaps, how the blind spot was, no mention of Palestinian suffering or anything like that, or even worse, the blame, the victim was always Israel, and the blame was always on the Palestinians – collective punishment, collective suffering…I mean I saw statements from, you name it, Columbia, Harvard, [the University of] Chicago, UCLA…I don’t need to belabor the point. That is so disappointing, right?

Bush’s Message After 9-11

(Omer Bajwa continues): And so contrast that to after 9-11, because 9-11 is a physical and psychological attack on the American body and psyche, and there’s [just] collective trauma, well all Americans.

Look, I am anti-anti-anti-Bush, the Bush family – and they’re Yalians, right, literally they came from this place – but my point is this, credit where credit is due. Bush goes on, he has decent enough speechwriters, in the two days after 9-11, he’s in front of Congress, he’s in front of the cameras, he’s like, “We should not attack Muslims. We should not fall prey to Islamophobia. This was an attack by deranged extremists”…Even the Bush people had the aql, they had the intelligence and the good sense to be like, “We are not totalizing and making this broad collective statement against Muslims.”

Yes, there was horrific [violence] – my brother got attacked after 9-11, he got jumped in New York City, and in Boston – there was all sorts of things. Hindus are getting beat up, Mexicans are getting beat up. That’s like the American ignorance of any brown person, “You don’t belong here, go home”, etc. My point is that there was an attempt made, one could argue, after 9-11 to say, “Oh these are bad actors, extremists, that did this. Let’s not condemn all of Islam and Muslims, and the Muslim world.”

Everyone Is Drinking The Kool-Aid

(Omer Bajwa continues): What’s happened now, you’d think in twenty-plus years they would’ve kind of done better, but there was this total ignorance and blind spot – and by default, accusation – towards Palestinians and Arabs. And so there’s deep Arabphobia and anti-Palestinian sentiment in media and politics.

“They are all drinking the Kool Aid.”

The last thing I’ll say is that in some ways – you know, we knew the state went into these horrible things, surveillance, Guantanamo, extra[judicial] rendition, that’s the whole inauguration of the Global War on Terror, etc., I mean, literally entire volumes have been written on this.

What happens now in some ways is even creepier, and I’ll tell you why – because then, you had some people, like, “Okay, America’s fighting this shadow enemy war, we need to stand up for civil liberties”, etc.

Now what’s happening – it’s not just the government, it’s not just the state. Donors, megadonors, people on Wall Street, tech-bros, all these finance people, celebrities, the cultural elite, the political elite, the economic elite, the media elite – they’re all drinking the Kool-Aid. They’re the ones throwing Palestinians under the bus and Muslims under the bus. Which is actually more insidious. It shows you how deep this Zionist sympathy and Israeli narrative has seeped into the American consciousness.

Like Sidi [Abdul-Muhaymin] said, it’s because the average American, if they’re Christian evangelicals, they’re like, “Well, it’s promised in the Bible, it’s their [the Israelis’] land anyway, these people [the Palestinians] are cockroaches, they don’t even belong there.”

Falling In Line With The Narrative

Abdul-Muhaymin Priester: I’m coming from that generation that I come from, my family’s background…I was very interested in politics when I was young, [like] you can give me a scenario and I can pretty much sit down and tell you word for word what a newscast was going to say that evening. Terms and things of that nature, but just the context of what was going to be said, it’s the same across the board, generation to generation. And from what I saw in the responses was a lot of people…was everybody was just falling in line with the narrative.

And it goes back to this unfortunate statement that you even hear from Muslims, “Oh it’s a political situation.” It was never a political situation. It was never a political situation. When their line of reasoning [was that], “God gave us this land and it belongs to us”, it stopped being a political situation, despite the fact that the majority of the people who say that, they don’t believe in God anyway.

That’s the greater irony of the whole situation. “This is our land, God gave it to us, but I don’t believe in God.” That’s probably the most asinine statement a person can ever encounter in human history.

Responding Without Understanding

(Abdul-Muhaymin Priester continues):  Even most of the people who are responding… You don’t even really understand the history of what it is that you’re responding to. You’re just putting, again, you’re giving that stereotypical response that people expect you to say, “Oh, this is a tragedy, Israel has to never be afraid of defending themselves, you shouldn’t have done this.”

Despite the fact that just yesterday you blew a child’s brains out in the middle of the street in broad daylight in front of his mother. You went into this house with this family that’s been here for the last twelve hundred years, their family’s owned this land, and you kick them out, and you say, “This is my land.” How the hell is this your land? A grandmother[‘s family] has been staying here for the last twelve hundred years. How is this your land?

A Political Situation? No, It’s Haqq and Batil

(Abdul-Muhaymin Priester continues):  I don’t like to have that negative type of impression that I give people about the situation, but for me, like I said with some of the students when we were talking about this, and even a young Palestinian student that I had, that said that it’s a political situation. No. This is Haqq and Batil, end of discussion.

Yes, in the general sense, there’s some elements of it, you can see it as a political discussion that some groups of people are having, but this is a situation of Haqq and Batil. Because even as Muslims we can’t separate the reality of our din from the reality of the land. That bifurcation of secular and religious, again, that’s a tangent that I don’t want to draw into right there.

For me, I really have not expected any more than what I’ve seen, and I won’t say I’m surprised, but it’s interesting that they haven’t been as aggressive as they have been [in the past]. Because people think that they’ve been aggressive, with a lot of what we’ve seen, and they have been.

But in terms of the levels of aggression that could be carried against the young people that we’re seeing now…they’ve restrained themselves in a lot of ways in terms of how they dealt with it. Partially because they knew that oppression was coming and wanted to minimize the effects of it. But then again, I mean, I’ve seen them do much worse in the public square, seen much worse.

[Next in Part V: A Situation of Haqq and Batil]

Related:

6 Quranic Reflections On The Current Situation In Palestine

Centering The Children Of The Ummah – Artist Petrit Halilaj’s Work On Kosovo Resonates In The Moment Of Palestine

The post University Chaplains’ Perspective On Campus Protests [Part IV] – The Insidious Israeli Narrative appeared first on MuslimMatters.org.

Previous Parts: Part 1 | Part 2

After the tumultuous 2023-24 school year, where American students protesting against the Israeli genocide at Gaza were vilified and repressed across the country, MuslimMatters interviewed chaplains Omer Bajwa of Yale University and Abdul-Muhaymin Priester of Grinnell College for their thoughts on these momentous events. In this third part of a five-part interview, the imams discuss the relationship of these events on interfaith relations, the impact that an institutionally approved genocide has left on non-Muslim communities, and the apocalyptic motivations behind much American support for Israel.

zionists vs. palestine

Ibrahim Moiz: I think, politically but also societally or socially, the United States, probably at least [since] the 1990s, treats Palestine and Israel as maybe a communal issue where they’re not surprised if Arabs and Muslims speak in favor of Palestine…but it doesn’t stop them from generally favoring Israel and also saying that Jews care about Israel – it’s sort of a pseudo-balance of these two communities, even though in actual fact they’re favoring Israel.

I think even with the Palestinian Authority it’s a paper tiger, something to keep Arabs and Muslims quiet.

But what I’m getting at is, this time around, maybe because of social media, is that there are a lot of leftist groups or even Jewish groups and Christian groups that have been supporting Palestine. My impression is some of them are not anti-Israel per se but they oppose abuses, and some of them are [by contrast] questioning Israel’s overall foundation. So my question is, does the fact that you have so much more non-Muslim support coming, especially at major universities, does this sort of translate into any sort of cooperation between leaders, imams, and rabbis or imams and priests?

For Evangelicals, a Precursor to the Rapture

Abdul-Muhaymin Priester: I’m not sure if it has facilitated any type of cooperation. One thing I think a lot of people have not really taken into strong understanding and consideration is the whole situation of Zionists and the support that they get from people within American society primarily, is that most people in this country are evangelical Christians, who are in support of Zionists, who have this Christian background. For them, this is a step, this is a precursor for them witnessing the Rapture. For them, this is like a biblical prophecy being played out, and they’re doing everything they can to facilitate [matters] coming to a head.

A lot of people don’t really appreciate just how much the Rapture plays into evangelical Christian theology, it’s a very important keystone of their theology. Their entire life is delivered for the Rapture, which means the point in time when Christ is supposed to come back, alaihi-salatu wal-salam, and they’re supposed to have their own version of the Armageddon scenario that they are anxiously pushing to bring about. This was one of the reasons why Zionists were given the land of Filastin (by the Christians) in the first place, that [it] would facilitate the Rapture.

So that being said, I do not expect and have not expected, and I’m not sure if there is, I have not seen any evidence, seen anything that gives me any reasonable expectation to believe that Christians in a large number would do such a thing. Now a lot of the young people that you see that are engaging in these protests on these campuses, most of them don’t have religion, they don’t follow a faith tradition. So they’re not tied into any type of theological involvement that’s going to make them do this in that type of light. Even the Christians saying they stand with the Jews, it goes right back to the Rapture.

The Sense Is, “Interfaith Is Dead”

Omer Bajwa: Just on that note, Sidi [Abdul-Muhaymin], Biden is a very self-declared, practicing Catholic, but on this, he’s also a self-described Zionist – he’s literally said that publicly – and so you know where his sympathies lie. And the evangelicals are, like you said, one hundred percent, they’re by and large, all the data shows that every evangelical preacher across the country in the last seven months has been like, “We stand with Israel.” That’s to be expected.

Two quick thoughts, if I may: what I found is that a lot of people have said, and in fact I even kind of felt it early on – interfaith is a huge part of my job, I’ve done it for decades now, right, interfaith engagement, multifaith engagement, etcetera, however you want to define it, and you know, there’s high times and low times – but right now the sense was, after this, the sentiment was “Interfaith is dead”. Like how do you go back to a gathering with a Protestant, a Catholic, a Jewish rabbi, and a Muslim, and have an interfaith conversation – about what? What, we have a genocide taking place in front of our eyes…

Morally Defining Moment For Gen Z

(Omer Bajwa continues): The data shows that more and more young people, Gen Z, and then presumably Gen Alpha, which is next, are identifying with no religious community – they’re called the Nones…And we’re seeing this in front of our eyes on college campuses. But having said that, for this generation right now, a part of this generation, this issue has become the morally defining moment of their time. They’re twenty years old. Nothing in their twenty years up to this point, arguably, has been – BLM [Black Lives Matter] was huge, but now this almost eclipses BLM, because Zionism is then white supremacy at a national, nation-state, colonial state, settler colony, apartheid level. You’re seeing all the hypocrisy of the West, you’re seeing all the hypocrisy of the modern neoliberal order.

So for them, whether or not they have a religious or spiritual orientation, morally speaking or ethically speaking, they are like, “This is all on the line. Are you pro-genocide or anti-genocide?” That’s the framing of it.

And so, what I was going to say was people have said, “Oh, interfaith is dead.” You know, I even spoke at a rally about this and I said, “The pivot is not that interfaith is dead or not” – in fact when I look around the audience at so many of these encampments and protesters and rallies and marches is: there’s Jews for Ceasefire, right, there’s JVP – Jewish Voices for Peace – there are many, many Christians that are coming to these, progressive Christians and I think other types of Christians that are coming. They’re like, “We’re showing up, right? We’re here putting our body on the line, quite literally and figuratively, to stand in solidarity.” And that is interesting, that there is this movement or this solidarity alliance or allyship of different religious communities that have shown up.

You’re Here, But What Are You Saying From The Pulpit?

(Omer Bajwa continues): What I think is interesting though…I think that anecdotally I’ve seen a lot of people I know that are Christian clergy that have been showing up, they identify as Christian and are clergy members that show up. I haven’t had deep enough conversations to push them gently, being like, “You’re here and that is incredible, but what are you saying from the pulpit?” Right? And maybe that’s a thornier conversation, maybe their own congregational parish politics are such that they’re like, “Well, I can’t preach openly about this.”

But you know, they say people vote with their feet, right – these people show up, but maybe on the pulpit on Sunday, they can’t be like this – I mean, I think there’s a nuance that we have to acknowledge. And I do know, even my own Christian colleagues here that I work with in my community there, have preached about the last seven months and the moral-ethical crises and questions that are brought up, etcetera.

A Fracture Within The Jewish Community

(Omer Bajwa continues): Last thing I’ll say then is, clearly [the] Jewish community, from what I have been privy to and heard and seen, is that there’s (a) deep Jewish fracture on this. Hillels are notorious for being pro-Zionist, they send trips to Israel – and Hillels are the umbrella student Jewish life organizations on campuses. And there’s a vociferous debate taking place. Because you have people that – if the argument is Hillels are for all Jews, secular atheist Jews, and ultra-Orthodox Jews, and even the Jewish-identifying, “Come to Hillel, we’ll create a Jewish space for you” – that’s the theory, right? Well, they’re having super-intense dinner, family-type conversations, arguments, debates, right – on being like, “How can you believe and follow this religion and say that your theological moral compass is allowing you to be pro-genocide?”

And so internally there, it’s fascinating, it’s just incredibly intense. So many people are now just abandoning the Jewish life community or Hillels – particularly Jews for Ceasefire, JVP, progressive Jews – is that there’s a lot of pain there, right?

You know, you’ve seen the beautiful posters, “I’m here because of my Jewish identity, on the frontlines, protesting against that [genocide]”. So that’s really remarkable, we’re seeing that now. I want to give those kinds of layers to the interfaith conversation on campus.

[Next in Part IV: Israeli Propaganda Is Insidious]

Related:

Activism for Palestine in the West: Understanding the Agreement of Joe Biden and Jordan Peterson on Israel

Centering The Children Of The Ummah – Artist Petrit Halilaj’s Work On Kosovo Resonates In The Moment Of Palestine

The post University Chaplains’ Perspective On Campus Protests [Part III] – Why Zionists Were Given The Land Of Palestine appeared first on MuslimMatters.org.

From the Maldives to Malaysia, Shaykha Aisha Hussain Rasheed has traveled many miles in her pursuit of Islamic knowledge! In this episode, Shaykha Aisha shares what it’s like to have her qadr decreed in ways she never expected; insights on studying both Islamic and secular law; and spiritual pitfalls that students of knowledge should watch out for. She also delves into navigating da’wah as a career, especially a woman seeking to balance family obligations and work alike.

Shaykha Aisha Hussain Rasheed is a daughter of the Maldivian islands, currently acclimating to the tropical rainforests of Malaysia with her husband and son. She graduated from the International Islamic University of Malaysia, holds a BA in Islamic Law and Jurisprudence, and a shahadah alimiyyah from Al-Salam Institute, where she is now also a teacher. Pre-order her book, “Auntie Aisha Answers: The Muslim Tween’s Guide to Growing Up!”

Related:

– Quran Culture in Malaysia: Connecting Little Hearts To Islam

Podcast: Muslim Women’s Spirituality In Ramadan

The post [Podcast] From The Maldives To Malaysia: A Shaykha’s Story | Shaykha Aisha Hussain Rasheed appeared first on MuslimMatters.org.