Al-Muhaddithat | The Female Scholars of Islam | Dr Mohammad Akram Nadwi | Cambridge Islamic College

Forgotten Heroines: Guardian of the Qur'an- The Salafi Feminist

 

 

Hafsah bint �Umar (radhiAllahu �anha) is one of the wives of RasulAllah (sallAllahu �alayhi wa sallam) who stands out at the forefront, along with her co-wives A�ishah, Umm Salamah, and Zaynab bint Jahsh.

Her name has two meanings: one being �young lioness,� and the other being a reference to a certain type of bird that was known for being beautiful, elegant, strong, and predatory. With Hafsah (radhiAllahu �anha), everyone around her testified to the fact that she indeed lived up to her name � a creature of power as well as beauty.  

Hafsah was amongst the eldest of �Umar ibn al-Khattab�s children, and of the early believers of Makkah. She was described as being �her father�s daughter� and indeed, she had a very close relationship with him. Although they used to have strong words with each other quite often, they also respected each other greatly and loved each other dearly.

�Umar would often go to his daughter in matters of both family dispute � for example, when he disapproved of something that one of his sons did � or politically, such as when he was the khalifah and Hafsah acted as an intermediary between him and various plaintiffs. He also referred to her for Islamic knowledge, drawing upon her understanding of legal rulings as well as an understanding of the society around her.

Hafsah�s first husband was Khunays ibn Hudhaafah, a believer who fought in the Battle of Badr and then fell ill in Madinah after the Hijrah. When he died and Hafsah was left a widow, �Umar (radhiAllahu �anhu) was determined to find a husband who would be suitable for his daughter. With a personality that so matched his own, he knew that not any man would be right for Hafsah � only a strong man could marry a woman like Hafsah.

With this in mind, �Umar approached both Abu Bakr and �Uthmaan (radhiAllahu �anhum), hoping that one of them would be as eager about the match as �Umar himself was. To his dismay, both of them refused. However, his disappointment was quickly alleviated when RasulAllah (sallAllahu �alayhi wa sallam) proposed to Hafsah.

As RasulAllah�s wife, Hafsah quickly established herself amongst her co-wives. She and A�ishah (radhiAllahu �anha) were similar in temperament and immediately hit it off; A�ishah laughingly described the two of them as being �one hand.� They spent time together both in camaraderie and friendly rivalry, forming their own little clique and backing each other up in conflicts with their other co-wives.

Hafsah was a woman of both strength and skills. As A�ishah (radhiAllahu �anha) said drily, �She was her father�s daughter� in temperament, and equal in intelligence. She was one of privileged few who were not only literate, but were able to write as well. She was eager to study and quick to learn, which RasulAllah (sallAllahu �alayhi wa sallam) recognized and encouraged, especially when he found Hafsah (radhiAllahu �anha) sitting with ash-Shifa bint �Abdullah, who was famous for her skills as a doctor. RasulAllah specifically instructed ash-Shifa to teach Hafsah medicine, thus adding to her skillset.

In addition to the �secular sciences,� however, Hafsah was unique in that she was one of the female Companions who memorized the Qur�an completely. She committed it firmly to memory and was well-versed in it, to the point that she would engage in debate with RasulAllah (sallAllahu �alayhi wa sallam) and quote ayaat of the Qur�an to bolster her points.

Jabir bin 'Abdullah Ansari narrates an incident which was related to him by Umm Mubasher. She, Hafsah and RasulAllah (sallAllahu �alayhi wa sallam) were sitting together and conversing. RasulAllah mentioned that all the people who had given the pledged of allegiance at Hudaybiyah under the tree would go to Paradise, and not to Hell. Intrigued, Hafsah asked how this was possible, and quoted the verse: {There is not one of you but will pass over it (Hell).} (Quran 19:71)

In answer, he replied with the verse immediately after it: {Then We shall save those who use to fear Allah and were dutiful to Him. And We shall leave the wrongdoers therein to their knees (in Hell).} (Noble Quran 19:72)[1]

Hafsah was not merely a passive caretaker of the mus�haf; she was a powerful guardian, who was also an active participant in the process of the preservation of the Qur�an.

During the lifetime of RasulAllah (sallAllahu �alayhi wa sallam), the Sahabah used to write down the ayaat of the Qur�an on various sheets of paper and leather. Those sheets of paper were not collected in the proper order of the Qur�an itself, but rather were left loose. This was not an issue at the time as RasulAllah was still alive, and there were many Sahabah who memorized the Qur�an and taught it to those around them.

However, during the khilaafah of Abu Bakr, there arose a problem � not only were there hundreds of thousands of individuals newly accepting Islam, but there were many military expeditions against political rebels. Due to the fact that those who memorized the Qur�an were those most keen to die in Jihad, huge numbers of qurraa� (recitors of the Qur�an) died in those battles. With their deaths came the risk of the Qur�an being lost.

Abu Bakr and �Umar (radhiAllahu �anhum) came to the conclusion that it was now necessary for Zayd ibn Thabit � the personal scribe of RasulAllah (sallAllahu �alayhi wa sallam) � to take part in collecting all the manuscripts of the Qur�anic verses. They did so, and Abu Bakr became the first custodian of those scrolls until his death, whereupon �Umar took them into his care, and after his death, it was Hafsah bint �Umar who became the guardian of the mus�haf. (Narrated in Bukhari)[2]

It is further interesting to note that when �Umar ibn al-Khattab (radhiAllahu �anhu) passed away, he not only bequeathed the ownership of the mus�haf to Hafsah, but also appointed her as the executor of his will and his estates.[3] Considering the fact that Hafsah had several brothers � including the famous Abdullah ibn �Umar � it is a significant matter that Hafsah was regarded so highly by her father, and respected by others.

Hafsah (radhiAllahu �anha) was extremely protective of the manuscripts in her care. She understood their importance and felt a personal bond with them � after all, she had been witness to the revelation of so many of those verses, and heard her husband, the Messenger of Allah (sallAllahu �alayhi wa sallam), recite them in front of her.

When �Uthmaan ibn �Affaan (radhiAllahu �anhu) became the khalifah and made it his mission to provide a standardized copy of the mus�haf in order to prevent confusion regarding the different qira�aat (modes of recitation), he first asked Hafsah�s permission to use the manuscripts in her possession. Only after he promised to return the scrolls to her when he was done, would Hafsah permit him access to the scriptures. 

 Nonetheless, during Hafsah�s lifetime, her ownership of the scrolls was undisputed and unchallenged � no one could take them from her or dictate how she used them. Truly, she guarded her treasure with all the ferocity and dedication of a lioness.

When we look at the lives of the Ummahaat al-Mu�mineen and indeed, at great women throughout Islamic history, we need to consider them with more than a passing glance. It�s not enough to mention them as being �righteous� and �pious� � which they indeed were � but we do need to focus on how they contributed meaningfully to our history and our faith.

Without Hafsah�s dedication to being a strong protector and guardian of the mus�haf, we would not have had the Qur�an�s impeccable preservation; since we know that Allah promised us that He would never allow the Qur�an to be corrupted, Hafsah�s role is highlighted further. In essence, she was a manifestation of the promise of Allah � and indeed: {No doubt - the promise of Allah is true.} (Qur�an 10:55)

In Hafsah, we have the example of a woman who spent her life dedicated to the Qur�an; to memorize it, to protect it, to preserve it, and to live according to it. Jibreel (�alayhissalaam) himself told RasulAllah (sallAllahu �alayhi wa sallam): �She is sawwaamah (constantly fasting),qawwaamah (constantly standing in prayer), and she will be your wife in Jannah.�

This devotion to Allah, to His Words and His Commands, is precisely what we need to revive amongst ourselves should we hope to see the rise of another generation of heroines of Islam. 

Source

How Morocco's Islamic Women Preachers Are Leading A Social Revolution

Girls are "like a timebomb ready to explode and ruin the family's reputation," the Moroccan jewelry trader tells his customer as she admires a display of necklaces.

The solution is to "get rid of this bomb" by marrying your daughters off as soon as you can, he explains.

His customer, Hannane, replies firmly that Islam does not advocate child marriage and that women can also play an important role outside the home.

Hannane is one of a new generation of female religious leaders, known as morchidat -- part of a quiet social revolution in the North African country.

Their groundbreaking work is the subject of a British film, "Casablanca Calling," which will be showcased on Tuesday night at an international conference on child marriage in Morocco's famous port city.

The morchidat were introduced in 2006, partly in an attempt to counter Islamist radicalism following suicide bombings that rocked Casablanca in 2003.

The hope is that these female spiritual leaders can both encourage a more tolerant Islam and improve the position of girls and women in Moroccan society.

"The morchidat are a rare experiment in the Muslim world," the film's Moroccan associate producer Merieme Addou told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

"It's the first time in a Muslim country that a religious role has been given to a woman."

The morchidat give guidance to women and young people in mosques, schools, orphanages, hospitals, prisons and rural villages.

But Addou says they have their work cut out as they try to overcome the many problems facing Moroccan society.

"So many cultural traditions -- from early marriage to women's education -- have become confused with religious teaching and it is challenge to separate them in people's minds," she adds.

Source

Women scholars in Egypt reflect on the intersection of Islam and feminism

 

 When Omaima Abu-Bakr was a teenager in Egypt, she wore miniskirts and high heels � in line with the fashion of the time. But she says the freedom in fashion didn�t translate to equity in education or work or family life.

Now a professor at Cairo University and co-founder of The Women and Memory Forum, a women's rights NGO, she dresses much more modestly, including wearing a headscarf. But she says women in Egypt actually have more rights now than they did when she was young. And she believes that with a bit of re-interpretation of classic texts, Islam and feminism can work hand-in-hand.

�We�re correcting [and] we�re reforming past, patriarchal interpretations of the religion,� she says.

Most of the conflicts between Islam and modern women's rights she attributes to culture, rather than the actual religion. She sees Islam as a dynamic religion, adaptable to the times.

In her research, she digs into the Quran and other sources of Sharia law, analyzing from what she calls a perspective of �equality and justice.�

�I still am, day in and day out, trying to deal with these conflicting orders or diversions to discourses. Trying to deal with them on a personal level because I have a personal stake,� she says. �This is part of my self-perception. I�m a practicing Muslim person and a feminist too,� she says.

Abu-Bakr represents one of several perspectives on how observant Muslim women can merge their religious beliefs with their feminist values.

Amna Nosseir is also exploring this path. She teaches Islamic philosophy and comparative religion in the women�s section at Al-Azhar University. She also served as the dean of the section for a decade before she "quasi-retired� to focus on teaching and advocating for a stronger role for women at the government-affiliated religious institution and in society in general.

Full article.

YES, I�M A MUSLIM AND A FEMINIST

 

Personally I think feminism is about people being able to make choices for themselves without getting judged. You want to wear the veil? Fine! You want to wear short skirts? That�s fine too! It�s not up to me to go up to people and tell them what is wrong and what is right. The only person I have to control is myself. Obviously feminism goes way further than just the way you dress. But the most important thing is that there are equal human rights for men and women. These aren�t crazy ideas right? Yet there are always people who judge others for being feminists. Some Muslim men think I�m just a little girl whining because I don�t want to do the dishes. Others think I am some kind of Ayaan Hirsi Ali supporter. But there are also some non-Muslim people who have these stereotypes that really bother me. Ideas such as having to free me from my beliefs because I am oppressed. Listen to me, we are far from oppressed. Islam was the first religion but also the first system to give women the right to have education, the right to vote, etc. �Yeah but the Quran says-..� Excuse me but have you actually read the Quran? Have you actually put everything in its context or are you just trying to make your point and make me look like I�m oppressed?

Being a Muslim and a feminist is possible and here I am to prove that. I don�t feel any connection towards Ayaan Hirsi Ali, who seems to only bash Islam and I don�t feel any connection to Femen either who seem to only want to �free� women by tearing their clothes off. I do feel a connection to women who stand up for each other, who support each other whatever their belief or background might be. That�s what I believe in.
What you�ve just read was about me and my experiences, but I didn�t want this to revolve around me only. There are some other people who wanted to share their ideas and experiences. These people are Muslims with different backgrounds, from different countries, who want to show you that being Muslim and a feminist is perfectly possible.

Full article

Female Scholars in Islam - Shaykh Mohammed Akram Nadwi

Islam and Feminism: through the lens of modesty

Another feminist argument is that Islam objectifies women by comparing them to flowers and pearls, as objects of beauty. This sort of analogy is often used by rape apologists to blame the victim. For example, in the recent documentary �India�s Daughter� about the gang rape of medical student Jyoti Singh, one of the defence lawyers argued that, �A female is just like a flower�if you put that flower in a gutter, it is spoilt; if you put that flower in a temple, it will be worshipped�.  However, the first part of the statement must be separated from the second part, which is an assumed logical conclusion according to the lawyer. Nowhere in Islam has it been said that a woman who does not dress modestly deserves to be raped, or that it is a natural consequence of her being dressed that way. The analogy to pearls and flowers in Islam is not a devaluation of women to mere beautiful objects; rather it is a statement of their intrinsic spiritual beauty and value in God�s eyes. Thus, any sort of victim blaming or shaming in rape is not an Islamic attitude, but a cultural attitude that can still be seen in some religious communities.

Modesty is a key value within Islam, and cannot be separated from its teachings. I have deliberately avoided using the word hijab for modesty, because it has become synonymous with the headscarf, and the head scarf has become much more about our identity as Muslim women rather than the value of modesty. Hijab is a philosophy of life that applies to both men and women, and without this understanding, the headscarf remains an accessory to complement an outfit, rather than an expression of modesty and devotion to God. When it is attacked as oppressive by secular feminists, we cannot just defend it as a matter of Muslim identity or a violation of civil liberties, but as a manifestation of this core value of Islam: modesty.

full article

Busting Muslim Myths About Female Sexuality

From the excellent:

http://thesalafifeminist.blogspot.co.uk/

When one sees Muslim leaders attempt to take on serious and relevant issues to the Muslim Ummah such as sexually dysfunctional marital relationships, one truly hopes for the best. Alas, well-meaning though they may be, there becomes glaringly obvious a lack of knowledge and understanding regarding female sexuality.

A few claims that are being made and circulated en masse (and dangerously so) are the following:

• Muslim women (especially from �conservative, practicing families�) do not really experience sexual arousal or any feelings of intense sexuality before marriage.

• Women�s fitrah is such that they are automatically less sexual than men.

• Muslim women are intimidated and scared by even discussions about sex prior to marriage; if a Muslim man wants to discuss it with his fianc�e, he shouldn�t lest she run in the opposite direction.

• Women don�t �need� to orgasm as much as men do; their sexual feelings are minimal and what they truly seek from sexual encounters is not necessary physical pleasure, but emotional connection.

Not only are all these claims inaccurate, but to perpetuate them on a massive public forum � and by an individual with significant influence over large numbers of Muslims � is extremely dangerous due to the fact that the Muslim community already suffers from a horrific lack of knowledge and awareness about sex and female sexuality.

Despite the fact that Islamic texts fully recognize women�s sexual needs and in fact protects them as a religious right, many male Muslim leaders perpetuate cultural stereotypes about the nature of female sexuality and falsely pass them off as Islamic guidance. Such ridiculous ideas include the belief that women have a lesser need and appreciation for the physical aspect of intimacy; that they do not experience intense sexual arousal prior to marriage; and that the very idea of sex is disturbing and unnatural to them, or that they are unable to comprehend the true nature of intercourse before marriage.

In all fairness, even Western cultures and scientific thought has long held faulty and inaccurate beliefs regarding female sexuality (most famously, the views of Sigmund Freud and the Victorian phenomenon of �hysteria�). However, it is also true that Western society has moved along with considerable speed with regards to knowledge of female sexuality than many Eastern (and Muslim) cultures have. It must still be kept in mind, though, that the amount of studies and research collected on female sexuality is dwarfed by those about men, and that there remains a great deal to be discovered about female sexuality in general.[1]

Going back to the claims being publicly taught, there is first of all a severely erroneous conflation between the reality of culturally ingrained attitudes about sex, and the actual innate physical desires and needs that women have for sex.

While it is absolutely true that many Muslim cultures teach women unhealthy negative attitudes about sex and equate female sexual desire with being dirty or impure, this in no way actually reflects the physiological need for sex that exists in the female gender as a whole.

No matter how much cultural brainwashing women receive regarding their sexuality, most women will still inevitably experience feelings of sexual arousal at some point in their lives � and for those who do, it will generally first happen before marriage.

Furthermore, the arousal a woman feels can and does reach strong levels of intensity, including orgasm; for example, in a wet dream. This was acknowledged even by RasulAllah (sallAllahu �alayhi wa sallam), who confirmed Umm Sulaym�s question regarding female wet dreams.[2] 

Even outside of wet dreams and masturbation however, women can and do feel intense sexual stimulation � anything from wearing a new pair of jeans or sitting on a massage chair. This is not to be crude, but simply realistic.[3] [4]

Nor are such experiences purely involuntary; many women are curious about their bodies and are actively aware of what stimulates them both physically and mentally (after all, the brain is the most powerful sex organ). Sexual curiosity exists in women just as it exists in men; since many girls mature physically and mentally faster than boys, they can be ahead of the game when it comes to being curious about sex.

Whether it�s reading romance novels (and anyone who thinks that girls read romance novels just for the emotional fluff is fooling themselves) or magazines like Cosmopolitan, girls crave information about both the romantic and the explicitly sexual.

Communication about sexual issues is another matter, one tied much more strongly to the aforementioned cultural brainwashing about intimacy than the idea that women have an inherent and instinctive fear or aversion to sex. Advising Muslim men to �just pray Istikhaarah, ya akhee� instead of respectfully discussing or asking questions related to sex with their fianc�es is harmful and, quite frankly, insulting to both the man and the woman. We should not be perpetuating attitudes of embarrassment, shame, and stigma about sexual issues but rather, encouraging men and women to approach the topic with respect, dignity, and honesty. It may be uncomfortable at first or awkward, but then, all positive growth and change is by necessity.

It is necessary to say here that a great deal of work needs to be done in training Muslim men and women on how to discuss matters related to sex and marriage in a respectful, dignified, and mature manner.

There is one final issue � the idea that women are innately �less sexual� than men. While there is no denying the biological differences between men and women, including sexually, there is a big difference between recognizing the difference, and claiming that women simply aren�t as sexual.[5] More accurate would be to state that what men and women find sexually appealing and arousing, how they react to such stimuli, and the levels at which they respond to such urges differ greatly � but do not take away from the inherent sexuality of women.

It is also a fallacy to say that the sole or primary benefit or reason that women engage in sex is for an emotional connection; rather, while some women do enjoy sex more because of the emotional connection, it is not a necessary component of their actual satisfaction or orgasm. In fact, the vagina � specifically the clitoris � has thousands more nerve endings than the penis, which means that its orgasm can be correspondingly much, much more intense than the male orgasm, and contradicts the belief of those men who are convinced that women don�t really �feel it.�[6] [7] (Not to mention that women are capable of different types of orgasm[8] [9] [10] [11] [12]and multiple orgasms.[13])

The claim that women have fewer or less intense desires, or a somehow less important need for orgasm, is in fact an unhealthy way of minimizing female sexuality and its priority in a relationship. This takes place both amongst Muslims and non-Muslims and is a sign of how misogyny permeates our attitudes such that we automatically do not consider women to be of equal footing even in bed (and God help any woman who shows any sign of initiating sexual interest or contact!).

While the argument may go on to rage over who is �more� sexual (keeping in mind that new studies continue to emerge on the topic, with sometimes paradoxical results), there is no benefit to be gained from pushing the view that women are simply less sexual beings.

In fact, it does the opposite, by telling men that they do not have to consider their wives� sexual needs to be as important or necessary (the caveat that �a woman�s right to sexual satisfaction is guaranteed in Islam� does nothing to change the final message). It is also implying to women that they should give up hope of true sexual satisfaction because it�s unrealistic and biologically unnecessary for them to experience it (but hey, all women reallywant are snuggles and warm fuzzy cuddles, right?).

It is high time that we begin to provide qualified individuals in the Muslim community who can discuss sex � and especially female sexuality � from a more nuanced and accurate perspective. Otherwise, Muslim leaders who take it upon themselves to talk about the subject are simply contributing to the already terrible state of Muslim intimacy, and the continued struggles of Muslim women seeking satisfaction and fulfillment in their own marriages.

What truly needs to be encouraged, emphasized, and taught is the importance of men and women alike to improve communication with their spouses about matters of intimacy. From there, it should become much easier for husbands and wives to become comfortable with their own and each others� bodies; and for husbands to understand the various factors affecting women that may be significantly responsible for obstacles to sexual fulfillment. Just as men have their own unique preferences, levels of libido, and so on, so too are the tastes and desires of women varied and vast.

To truly seek an improvement to the sex lives of married Muslims, the first step should not be to make sweeping generalizations of female sexuality that are based on androcentric perspectives. Rather, it must be recognized that championing outdated ideas causes a great deal of harm to both men and women. A more nuanced and accurate understanding of female sexuality must be collectively pursued in order to see significant positive change in Muslim marriages.

The Salafi Feminist is fed up of people passing off half-truths, cultural stereotypes, and utter nonsense about female sexuality as being the complete and unalterable truth. She impatiently awaits more Muslims to step up to the plate and become licensed sex therapists in order to combat this ridiculousness. In the meantime, she blogs athttp://www.TheSalafiFeminist.blogspot.com and posts Salafi feminist refutations of Ahlul Misogyny to her Facebook page (The Salafi Feminist). 

[1] http://queensjournal.ca/story/2009-02-09/features/arousing-questions-about-female-sexuality/

[2] Umm Salama (Allah be pleased with her) relates that Umm Sulaym (Allah be pleased with her) came to the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace) and said, �O Messenger of Allah, Surely, Allah is not shy of the truth. Is it necessary for a woman to take a ritual bath after she has a wet dream?� The Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace) replied: �Yes, if she notices a discharge.� Umm Salama covered her face and asked, �O Messenger of Allah! Does a woman have a discharge?� He replied: �Yes, let your right hand be in dust [an Arabic expression said light-heartedly to someone whose statement you contradict], how does the son resemble his mother?� (Sahih al-Bukhari 130)

[3] http://www.soc.ucsb.edu/sexinfo/article/sexual-response-cycle

[4] http://www.menshealth.com/sex-women/girl-boners

[5] http://www.theatlantic.com/sexes/archive/2013/06/turns-out-women-have-really-really-strong-sex-drives-can-men-handle-it/276598/

[6] http://www.valleyadvocate.com/2012/05/26/clit-chat-14-clitoral-factoids-to-know/

[7] http://www.science20.com/science_amp_supermodels/would_female_orgasms_kill_men

[8] http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/women-do-experience-two-different-types-of-orgasm-study-reveals-9191884.html

[9] http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/seriouslyscience/2014/03/12/really-two-kinds-female-orgasm-science-weighs/#.VPYF33zF84c

[10] https://monicasbox.wordpress.com/2012/07/15/11-different-types-of-orgasms/

[11] http://www.womenshealthmag.com/sex-and-relationships/types-of-female-orgasm

[12] http://www.buzzfeed.com/alisoncaporimo/different-types-of-orgasms

[13] http://www.everydayhealth.com/sexual-health/how-common-are-multiple-orgasms.aspx