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Quest to become 'UK's first female imam'
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?entralinks said:Mercenary have you come across that 'kissing fingers and then touching eyes' phenomena? Makes my day.
But to be honest I can't seem to see it unislamic but still it looks like not very islamic. I'm confused on this one, just for learning purposes tell me how would you argue with someone not to do it, apart from 'it's pointless'. I mean where would you or should one start?
Actually I used to do that myself (during adhan) because it's done by everyone in the mosque I go to.
However someone told me that it was done because we believe Muhammad is standing before us and watching us at the time. I dont know how true that is but I sort of stopped it after that as I couldnt find any real justification for doing it.
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Merc, I said God never Commanded the prophet by saying DIRECTLY "Ya Muhammad." If for example God were to tell the people "do not call him Muhammad," then ofcourse He has used teh name Muhammad, but the point is, He Himself used very gracious words to call upon the Prophet.
And realistically speaking, the Arabic of 1400 years ago and even the Arabic of today are very very dissimilar. To undersatnd the Quran you need to understand the adab of the Arab language. And you talk about looking directly into what the Quran says, but frankly speaking you have only given us english translation, which you have proven yourself using the Quran that it is not enough. The Quran was sent down i nlocal dialect so it could be understood. And all scholars and learned men of the Arab language say that the Quran is not just mere words, but certain leters emphasise emotions and feelings and the level of strictness etc. We have to UNDERSTAND the Quran, not just read it. Anyone can read the Quran and get the basics like you have, but to truly understand what God asks of us and the beauty of each Arabic letter of the Quran, we must understand Arabic. And frankly speaking, it is very difficult to learn the adab of Arabic unless you have heaps of time and have been going to Madarsahs since childhood. Therefore we go to Imams and scholars and Mufits who are learned and can help us grasp the Quran.
And you put in the ayat where God says, "We have made it a Qur'an in Arabic, that ye may be able to understand (and learn wisdom).", "Had We sent this as a Qur'an (in the language) other than Arabic, they would have said: "Why are not its verses explained in detail? What! (a Book) not in Arabic and (a Messenger an Arab?"" Well it seems like the "they" mentioned in those ayats is the Arab ppl themselves. Many a time in the Quran God has referred to the Arab people to resolve their problems, and for us in this time period, it acts as a for of history from which we can learn. So God is saying that had He sent down upon the Arabs the Quran in another language, they would have revolted.
And realistically speaking, the Arabic of 1400 years ago and even the Arabic of today are very very dissimilar. To undersatnd the Quran you need to understand the adab of the Arab language. And you talk about looking directly into what the Quran says, but frankly speaking you have only given us english translation, which you have proven yourself using the Quran that it is not enough. The Quran was sent down i nlocal dialect so it could be understood. And all scholars and learned men of the Arab language say that the Quran is not just mere words, but certain leters emphasise emotions and feelings and the level of strictness etc. We have to UNDERSTAND the Quran, not just read it. Anyone can read the Quran and get the basics like you have, but to truly understand what God asks of us and the beauty of each Arabic letter of the Quran, we must understand Arabic. And frankly speaking, it is very difficult to learn the adab of Arabic unless you have heaps of time and have been going to Madarsahs since childhood. Therefore we go to Imams and scholars and Mufits who are learned and can help us grasp the Quran.
And you put in the ayat where God says, "We have made it a Qur'an in Arabic, that ye may be able to understand (and learn wisdom).", "Had We sent this as a Qur'an (in the language) other than Arabic, they would have said: "Why are not its verses explained in detail? What! (a Book) not in Arabic and (a Messenger an Arab?"" Well it seems like the "they" mentioned in those ayats is the Arab ppl themselves. Many a time in the Quran God has referred to the Arab people to resolve their problems, and for us in this time period, it acts as a for of history from which we can learn. So God is saying that had He sent down upon the Arabs the Quran in another language, they would have revolted.
Geordie Ahmed said:Why should we avoid having an opinion - wouldnt that make us like sheep then???
Because despite designing and creating us Allah didnt bother to send us a 'message' which we can understand without referring to 'others' but the same God will punish us for not following a message that He sent to us knowing full well that we couldnt understand it without help and that the Message will be spintered into lots of different sects all interpreting it in a different way!! A lot of those sects will be wrong and many of us will follow the wrong sect because we follow the scholar rather than the Quran and Allah will punish us for following the wrong sect on the advice of a scholar when Allah Himself made the Quran too difficult for us to understand without referring to that scholar. Or so some would have us believe.
God Himself tells us something different. He repeats in the Quran that His Message is easy to understand. I know who I believe!!
Saeed Anwar-194
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Mercenary said:
Last edited:
tahaqureshi
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God made Quran easy for the people to follow during the time that it was revealed. Quranic Arabic is very difficult to understand today even for native Arab speakers.
Take Shakespeare for example. Even the peasant of 14th century UK could understand what the play was about, what the actors were saying and all the jokes and squabbles associated with the performance. Yet today, even english lovers need to spend time and try to understand the text. This is an obstacle of time which cannot be cleared, but God has preserved the meaning of the Quranic text by keeping safe scriptures which help to interpret the meaning of Quranic Arabic, and these scriptures remain to date. It is quite sad though that most of the research work done by great scholars after the death of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) was destroyed by the Mongols when they invaded Baghdad and burnt most of the libraries. Very sad indeed.
Take Shakespeare for example. Even the peasant of 14th century UK could understand what the play was about, what the actors were saying and all the jokes and squabbles associated with the performance. Yet today, even english lovers need to spend time and try to understand the text. This is an obstacle of time which cannot be cleared, but God has preserved the meaning of the Quranic text by keeping safe scriptures which help to interpret the meaning of Quranic Arabic, and these scriptures remain to date. It is quite sad though that most of the research work done by great scholars after the death of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) was destroyed by the Mongols when they invaded Baghdad and burnt most of the libraries. Very sad indeed.
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And yes Merc, I agree with the verse where God says the Quran is "easy to understand." But it is easy to understand when you know what God is saying. Its like telling an illiterate person that for you the Quran MUST be easy to understand because God said so. Well in effect, we are almost illiterate when it comes to undertanding Quranic Arabic of 1400 years ago. We need people who have searched through the realms of time to help us understand the LANGUAGE, not the content. But we often ask them what the content means as well, because after having dedicated their lives to understanding the text, they have great knowledge of it and save us time by directly telling us many things that God wants us or doesnt want us to do.
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Maybe this Insha'Allah will calrify few things.
Is it suitable to use abbreviations like “SAW” and “SWT”? Also, is the sunna to write out these laudatory expressions in written form, or does the sunna refer to using them when speaking about the prophets, scholars, etc.?
In the name of Allah, Most Compassionate, Most Merciful,
Imam al-Nawawi, the great muhaddith and Shafi’i faqih (Allah have mercy on him) states in his introduction to the commentary of Sahih Muslim:
“It is praiseworthy (mustahab) for a person writing Hadith that…..at the mentioning of the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace), he writes “Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam” in full and not merely using abbreviations, and neither sufficing on one of the two, i.e. Salat & Salam.” (Sharh Sahih Muslim, 1/39)
Thus, when one writes the name of the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace), one should avoid using abbreviations such as SAW or something similar. It is inappropriate and disrespectful to do so. The love for the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace) requires that one never tires, both verbally or in writing, from sending blessings and salutations upon him (Allah bless & and grant him eternal peace).
Qadhi Iyadh al-Maliki (Allah have mercy on him) mentions a Hadith wherein the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace) said: “Whosoever sends blessings upon me in a book, the angels seek forgiveness for him until my name remains in that book.” (Narrated by al-Tabrani in his al-Awsat, with a weak chain of transmission. See: al-Shifa’ by Qadhi Iyadh, P: 557)
Hence, although the requirement would be fulfilled if one verbally sent blessings and salutations upon the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & grant him peace), but when one writes the name of the beloved of Allah, one should also send blessings upon him in writing.
And Allah knows best
Muhammad ibn Adam
Darul Iftaa
Imam al-Nawawi, the great muhaddith and Shafi’i faqih (Allah have mercy on him) states in his introduction to the commentary of Sahih Muslim:
“It is praiseworthy (mustahab) for a person writing Hadith that…..at the mentioning of the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace), he writes “Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam” in full and not merely using abbreviations, and neither sufficing on one of the two, i.e. Salat & Salam.” (Sharh Sahih Muslim, 1/39)
Thus, when one writes the name of the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace), one should avoid using abbreviations such as SAW or something similar. It is inappropriate and disrespectful to do so. The love for the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace) requires that one never tires, both verbally or in writing, from sending blessings and salutations upon him (Allah bless & and grant him eternal peace).
Qadhi Iyadh al-Maliki (Allah have mercy on him) mentions a Hadith wherein the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace) said: “Whosoever sends blessings upon me in a book, the angels seek forgiveness for him until my name remains in that book.” (Narrated by al-Tabrani in his al-Awsat, with a weak chain of transmission. See: al-Shifa’ by Qadhi Iyadh, P: 557)
Hence, although the requirement would be fulfilled if one verbally sent blessings and salutations upon the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & grant him peace), but when one writes the name of the beloved of Allah, one should also send blessings upon him in writing.
And Allah knows best
Muhammad ibn Adam
Darul Iftaa
apparently you either havent read or understood what you've posted sa194.
The above 'robotic copy and pasting' isnt about the origin of adding those salutations which is what we were talking about. It just discusses whether you can or cannot use abbreviations for those salutations. The mufti has decided that you cant so from now on I assume you will always be writing 'The Prophet Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam' instead of 'The Prophet(saw)'
The above 'robotic copy and pasting' isnt about the origin of adding those salutations which is what we were talking about. It just discusses whether you can or cannot use abbreviations for those salutations. The mufti has decided that you cant so from now on I assume you will always be writing 'The Prophet Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam' instead of 'The Prophet(saw)'
tahaqureshi
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I believe as long as you have the intention of saying the full version "sallallahu alayhi wasallam" but instead write "saw" it should be alright.
God says that we get reward for just having the intention of doing a good deed even if we dont end up dong it for some reason. So for practical purposes, writing the whole form of "saw" would be very unfeasible. Therefore I think its alright to write saw.
God says that we get reward for just having the intention of doing a good deed even if we dont end up dong it for some reason. So for practical purposes, writing the whole form of "saw" would be very unfeasible. Therefore I think its alright to write saw.
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Born in 1974 to a Muslim Syrian father and Christian Finnish mother, Sherin Khankan, Denmark's first female imam, came into the world in a meeting of different cultures.
In 2016, along with a group of Muslim academics, she founded the Mariam Mosque in Copenhagen - one of the first in Europe to be led by women.
"Everything starts with a human voice," she told Al Jazeera. "The fact it was a Black slave who was the first to call Muslims to prayer, this is miraculous considering the treatment of Black people then - and now."
Reform, she says, is not new in Islam, but rather integral to it.
"[We] reread the Quran with a focus on gender equality. Religious institutions are patriarchal, so we try and challenge the structure from within."
The mosque has three central missions: Advocating for a woman's right to be an imam; promoting a right to interfaith marriage and supporting the right to divorce.
Since opening, of the 50 marriages that have been conducted at the mosque, more than half have been interfaith unions.
"We realised very quickly that one of the most acute dilemmas of our times among the Muslim youth is the question concerning interfaith marriages," said Khankan.
Before the coronavirus pandemic shuttered the mosque, an interfaith couple from Paris had a Muslim ceremony featuring speeches by the bride, groom and Khankan. In Muslim weddings, the imam usually gives a short speech on marriage.
The couple had had a civil ceremony three years earlier.
"The Mariam Mosque ideas fit the current globalisation trend in this world. People travel around the world and meet people from different backgrounds," said Khankan.
"We can't force these people to believe what we believe. Mariam Mosque, to a certain extent, facilitates this new generation of people including myself who want to continue believing and practicing Islam but [are] living in a non-Islamic country."
Four years after opening its doors, the mosque received a request for a same-sex marriage. Although the mosque leaders had no personal objections, they did not go ahead with officiating the ceremony.
"We all believe in love. But there's a difference between favouring something and conducting it … Right now, it's not happening, but I won't be able to say about the future."
If you want to create change, you have to do it wisely and carefully … you cannot burn all the bridges behind you.
When the mosque launched in 2016, Western media was transfixed on Khankan.
A year earlier, film director Marie Skovgaard had been shooting Khankan as part of a documentary, The Reformist.
While trying to pitch the film to broadcasters, Skovgaard said she faced rejection.
Khankan's appearance, Skovgaard says, did not match their expectations.
"The context of that was: 'Oh, she doesn't conform to our stereotype of what a Muslim woman should look like'."
Khankan said she is aware of the role race plays, and attempts to reflect the diversity of Islam at the mosque.
"We want to change that, and we already [have] started to change that," she said.
Two other females imams at the mosque are from Malaysian and Somali backgrounds, while some wear Hijab and others do not.
Unlike some headlines would suggest, the mosque takes a cautious, incremental approach to change.
"If you have too many battles on your shoulders, you won't gain any legitimacy or we would lose our unity," Khankan said.
"If you want to create change, you have to do it wisely and carefully … you cannot burn all the bridges behind you."
As with all religions, there are differences between how the world's almost two billion Muslims view worship.
Unlike priests in Christianity, who are ordained by the Church, the role of imam is not a licensed profession; imams can be appointed or organically rise to the role within a community.
British Imam Sabah Ahmedi told Al Jazeera: "Leading prayers is a responsibility given to men [for] various reasons.
"Women do not pray on certain days and periods which means they would not be able to fulfil the role [of imam]."
For Ahmedi, being an imam requires you to lead the five daily prayers within a mosque.
"Certain roles have been ascribed by Islam to each sex and we believe upholding these roles."
However, Islam has a long history of female empowerment, he said.
"It established rights for women at a time when they were seen as second-class citizens. Islam gave them the right to divorce, inheritance and established the crucial importance of women being educated.
"Islam is a perfected religion and it caters for all times."
But Khankan claims that examples of women's mosque can be found elsewhere in Muslim communities, for example, in China in the late 17th century.
Today, women have led prayers in countries including the United Kingdom, the United States, France, South Africa and India.
Looking ahead, Khankan said the mosque will continue "reflecting reality as it is".
https://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/f...imam-challenge-structure-200512081545549.html
In 2016, along with a group of Muslim academics, she founded the Mariam Mosque in Copenhagen - one of the first in Europe to be led by women.
"Everything starts with a human voice," she told Al Jazeera. "The fact it was a Black slave who was the first to call Muslims to prayer, this is miraculous considering the treatment of Black people then - and now."
Reform, she says, is not new in Islam, but rather integral to it.
"[We] reread the Quran with a focus on gender equality. Religious institutions are patriarchal, so we try and challenge the structure from within."
The mosque has three central missions: Advocating for a woman's right to be an imam; promoting a right to interfaith marriage and supporting the right to divorce.
Since opening, of the 50 marriages that have been conducted at the mosque, more than half have been interfaith unions.
"We realised very quickly that one of the most acute dilemmas of our times among the Muslim youth is the question concerning interfaith marriages," said Khankan.
Before the coronavirus pandemic shuttered the mosque, an interfaith couple from Paris had a Muslim ceremony featuring speeches by the bride, groom and Khankan. In Muslim weddings, the imam usually gives a short speech on marriage.
The couple had had a civil ceremony three years earlier.
"The Mariam Mosque ideas fit the current globalisation trend in this world. People travel around the world and meet people from different backgrounds," said Khankan.
"We can't force these people to believe what we believe. Mariam Mosque, to a certain extent, facilitates this new generation of people including myself who want to continue believing and practicing Islam but [are] living in a non-Islamic country."
Four years after opening its doors, the mosque received a request for a same-sex marriage. Although the mosque leaders had no personal objections, they did not go ahead with officiating the ceremony.
"We all believe in love. But there's a difference between favouring something and conducting it … Right now, it's not happening, but I won't be able to say about the future."
If you want to create change, you have to do it wisely and carefully … you cannot burn all the bridges behind you.
When the mosque launched in 2016, Western media was transfixed on Khankan.
A year earlier, film director Marie Skovgaard had been shooting Khankan as part of a documentary, The Reformist.
While trying to pitch the film to broadcasters, Skovgaard said she faced rejection.
Khankan's appearance, Skovgaard says, did not match their expectations.
"The context of that was: 'Oh, she doesn't conform to our stereotype of what a Muslim woman should look like'."
Khankan said she is aware of the role race plays, and attempts to reflect the diversity of Islam at the mosque.
"We want to change that, and we already [have] started to change that," she said.
Two other females imams at the mosque are from Malaysian and Somali backgrounds, while some wear Hijab and others do not.
Unlike some headlines would suggest, the mosque takes a cautious, incremental approach to change.
"If you have too many battles on your shoulders, you won't gain any legitimacy or we would lose our unity," Khankan said.
"If you want to create change, you have to do it wisely and carefully … you cannot burn all the bridges behind you."
As with all religions, there are differences between how the world's almost two billion Muslims view worship.
Unlike priests in Christianity, who are ordained by the Church, the role of imam is not a licensed profession; imams can be appointed or organically rise to the role within a community.
British Imam Sabah Ahmedi told Al Jazeera: "Leading prayers is a responsibility given to men [for] various reasons.
"Women do not pray on certain days and periods which means they would not be able to fulfil the role [of imam]."
For Ahmedi, being an imam requires you to lead the five daily prayers within a mosque.
"Certain roles have been ascribed by Islam to each sex and we believe upholding these roles."
However, Islam has a long history of female empowerment, he said.
"It established rights for women at a time when they were seen as second-class citizens. Islam gave them the right to divorce, inheritance and established the crucial importance of women being educated.
"Islam is a perfected religion and it caters for all times."
But Khankan claims that examples of women's mosque can be found elsewhere in Muslim communities, for example, in China in the late 17th century.
Today, women have led prayers in countries including the United Kingdom, the United States, France, South Africa and India.
Looking ahead, Khankan said the mosque will continue "reflecting reality as it is".
https://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/f...imam-challenge-structure-200512081545549.html
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