Nafsiya Reflections: Women’s Empowerment in the Ummah

How does one define Dawah? Does it relate only to men due to the influence of eastern Mushrik culture where women are seen as slaves to men? How does Islam define Dawah?

Dawah is part of Islam. The West worked hard for centuries to distort this concept to break the Ummah into pieces. Yes, pieces like a puzzle. We are at a point trying to piece a puzzle together. Why do I say this? We are fighting with Muslims, so they can understand that the people of Ash-Sham are no different than Muslims from Asia, China, or Africa. We are one body unified under the banner of Islam. With this brief understanding how can one say that women are only to be housewives, parents, working women, etc. and not part of dawah. We encourage girls to study medicine, engineering, politics, education, etc. We become happy when a woman is in a political position. What’s the difference if she is in a political western government office or if she is calling for a unified Ummah under the banner of Islam?

The extent of some Muslims saying politics has nothing to do with Islam or the Deen is being polluted with political activity. These thoughts stem from ignorance, lack of Islamic knowledge all due to colonialism and conspiracy. The West’s mission was and is to distance Islam and its followers from political activity. When our beloved Prophet was working for the state was that political or did he only spend days and nights making Duaa in a masjid without any political work?

Sadly, some scholars started to misinterpret and so has the right of guardianship or Qawama. The Qur'anic verse: [وَقَرْنَ فِي بُيُوتِكُنَّ] "...remain at your homes..." [33:33] In many instances we see men objecting to women's participation in da'wah and thus preventing them from fulfilling their role toward their fellow Muslims and to the larger society in general. Spreading Islam has been made incumbent on all Muslims, men and women.

The engagement in politics means engaging in what benefits people and serves their interests that pleases their Lord. Islam is a way of life, which also means looking after people’s affairs. Politics is the practice and implementation of rules that govern people’s affairs. People need to constantly exhaust their efforts in order to fulfill their obligation. People’s concerns vary from one person to another. People can’t define what’s more important or more of a priority. This is the reason we go back to Shariah. We have to truly understand that Islam solves all human problems in the same way—by applying divine guidance through its legal system.

Now let’s take a look at the aspect of women in Dawah:

What shapes society? Who shapes society? When the West worked on destroying the family structure in Islam who did they go after? The west started to go after the women who are the main source of the family. She is the one raising kids, instilling morals, values, and ideas. Kids imitate what they see at home. We can think of this, “a full war against the woman” in order to uproot Islamic values and traditions from the new generation.

In Surah Eli-Imran Aya 110 it addresses men & women. All Muslims!

[كُنۡتُمۡ خَيۡرَ اُمَّةٍ اُخۡرِجَتۡ لِلنَّاسِ تَاۡمُرُوۡنَ بِالۡمَعۡرُوۡفِ وَتَنۡهَوۡنَ عَنِ الۡمُنۡكَرِ وَتُؤۡمِنُوۡنَ بِاللّٰهِؕ وَلَوۡ اٰمَنَ اَهۡلُ الۡكِتٰبِ لَڪَانَ خَيۡرًا لَّهُمۡؕ مِنۡهُمُ الۡمُؤۡمِنُوۡنَ وَاَكۡثَرُهُمُ الۡفٰسِقُوۡنَ]

You are now the best people brought forth for (the guidance and reform of) mankind. You enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong and believe in Allah. Had the People of the Book believed it were better for them. Some of them are believers but most of them are transgressors.

It is the believers referring to both male and female. Here the question now: how can one address Munkar (forbid what is wrong) by staying quiet? Doesn’t this person male or female, have to be part of society? Doesn’t it mean that if a believer including women see wrong they must give Naseeha, remind people, address people?

[وَالۡمُؤۡمِنُوۡنَ وَالۡمُؤۡمِنٰتُ بَعۡضُهُمۡ اَوۡلِيَآءُ بَعۡضٍۘ يَاۡمُرُوۡنَ بِالۡمَعۡرُوۡفِ وَيَنۡهَوۡنَ عَنِ الۡمُنۡكَرِ وَيُقِيۡمُوۡنَ الصَّلٰوةَ وَيُؤۡتُوۡنَ الزَّكٰوةَ وَيُطِيۡعُوۡنَ اللّٰهَ وَرَسُوۡلَهٗؕ اُولٰۤـئِكَ سَيَرۡحَمُهُمُ اللّٰهُؕ اِنَّ اللّٰهَ عَزِيۡزٌ حَكِيۡمٌ]

The believers, both men and women, are allies of one another. They enjoin good, forbid evil, establish Prayer, pay Zakah, and obey Allah and His Messenger.80 Surely Allah will show mercy to them. Allah is All-Mighty, All-Wise. [Surah 9: Aya 71]

Islam has honored women. It gave women status unlike how Western women had to fight to be heard or seen. We have the strongest form that addresses women which are the words of Allah (swt). So, all this being said, what more proof does it say that women should not be part of Dawah? Aisha (ra) was and is a perfect example of what Muslim women should be... After the Prophet's death she was the main source of knowledge. She was active in telling people about Islam, Fiqh, and giving knowledge. She was among the greatest scholars. Where then did we get that women are only for the role of the house while one of the greatest women that lived was among the best Dawah carriers. Again, to confirm it was through decades of colonization that degraded women.

Another woman was Nafisa bint Hasan. She played a role in Dawah. She taught hadith to Imam ash-Shafi, who is one of the greatest and most influential scholars. Khadija (ra) was the biggest supporter of the Prophet (saw) when the revelation was being revealed to him. When the Prophet used to be in the Cave of Hira she would climb up the cave to give him food.

Again, Women need to empower themselves with knowledge. Learn your Deen No one can do that. Read, study, share that knowledge with family and friends. Do family nights teach kids about Sahaba but tying it into daily lives. Building of the da'wah personality: Da'wah requires sacrifices and therefore women must be prepared to bear the burdens of calling to Islam. Mothers can be active in their children’s school – trying to influence the teacher and the curriculum, associations, da'wah groups, friends, families etc. Delivering lectures, seminars, sermons, should be able to persuade the listeners by addressing their minds through proofs and evidence.

Mothers with little kids often find it difficult to have a social life especially on the Dawah. We have come a long way with technology. Mothers can use social media. There is no doubt about the fact that contacting people represents the general aspect of carrying the da’wah. One could not be called a da’ee if they did not establish relationships with people and did not acquaint themselves with their current affairs. It would be inconceivable to enjoin the Ma’aruf and forbid the Munkar if we did not find people to enjoin and forbid, nor would it be conceivable that we would be able to explain and convey thoughts and rules of Islam if we were to remain in isolation from other people. The social media platform can be used for so many positive aspects and can go a long way. Social media is a great way for mothers to do Dawah. She can be vocal in groups, commenting on people’s posts from scholars, media outlets, etc. Groups that are open to the public have many followers and comments can be read to get certain concepts across.

Women have a crucial role that affects the future generation. They are the builders of personalities, strength, courage, resilience, and future Jihad. She and she can embed these qualities, the love of Islam, love of being one Ummah unified under the banner of Islam. Mothers often forget how much she can have an effect on her kids. She should read to them about the Sahab’een, Seerah of the Prophet (saw), love for the Akhira, and Tawwakul upon Allah (swt).

Women can either be a battle or support for her husband. How many times have we come across women who belittle their husband’s efforts, do not support the cause, etc all in front of the kids. This has detrimental effects on the children where none of them grow up believing or supporting the cause of a unified Ummah and working towards unifying the Ummah. When the children grow up some don’t even carry basic Islam concepts such as prayer, speaking against haram actions, etc. all because the mom used to belittle her husband’s efforts or even shame the group for their concepts.

How would we act if we lived during the Prophet’s time? Always remember our beloved Prophet’s wife, Khadija (ra) who was the biggest support to the Prophet. She was there for him when all of society mocked him, boycotted him, shamed him, but she never gave up on him. She was the biggest support for him, his coolness, and his comfort. She raised her kids with the utmost righteous upbringing, where her daughters saw that she was a woman of strength, resilience, bravery, and biggest support to her husband making her a righteous wife.

May we all be the women of bravery, resilience, strength, support, and the women of HIS (swt) heavens.

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