I’m giving a talk at the end of this month on the experiences of Black Muslim women in America. Insha’Allah, I plan on outlining the historical development of Islam in the Black American community and Black women’s roles in the American Muslim community. Much of my talk will draw heavily from two works: Carolyn Moxley Rouse’s Engaged Surrender and  Jamillah Karim’s American Muslim Women. I believe are great follow-ups to Sherman Jackson’s work, Islam and the Blackamerican. They are intriguing ethographic works offering insight into both the experiences of Black Muslim women, the challenges they face in gendered spaces that privilege men over women and in a society that often views them with pitiful contempt. They complicate notions that Muslim women are buying into their own oppression, by showing how becoming Muslim was an empowering act that challenged the racism, sexism, and classism in American soceity. I really liked how both studies shed  light on the ways in which Black Muslim women participate in  Quranic exegesis and interpret Islamic beliefs and practices.At the same time neither study glosses over the challenges many Black women face within the Muslim community and society at large. What is more important is that these studies provide so much  more insight into the actual workings of communities than a study from the top up. For anybody interested in the history and the current condition of Black American Muslims, you should really read these works. In fact, you should encourage more studies about Muslim women. I hope that there is somebody with the training and sensitivity of these authors to do an in depth study of the Black Muslim women within the Salafi movement. I do think that there should be work done on how masculinity is constructed in the American masajid.

One of the ironic things about working on women in Muslim communities, is that you can easily find yourself marginalized. Even creating a space for women in the masjid can be a double edged sword, as I discovered when I gave a recent talk. Many of the women wanted to have a women only event. As a result, my husband was excluded from coming. I attend many of his talks and sermons to support him. He felt it was unfortunate that he couldn’t support me. I knew of another couple where the husband had wanted to come hear my talk. It is likely that the wife decided to not attend because she would have been by herself. When I first learned that my talk on the Spirituality of Muslim women was women only, I became mortified. First, because the times I have attended masajid in Philadelphia I have often received an icy reception. There are no warm welcomes, or even a friendly curiosity over a new face in even a small community. Usually it is a polite ignore, which I find disconcerting, especially coming from California where I met most of my friends through random encounters at events. Second, the idea of women only talk reinforced the problem that I was just highlighting about the lack of women’s voices in Islamic scholarship. I noted that on campus topics focusing on women and family issues  were poorly attended by Muslim men. But a women only event meant that no man would know about Muslim women’s spirituality. Why should they care? Most have mothers, wives, sisters, daughters, and associates. Perhaps knowledge the can offer understanding or even inspire a bit more respect for our spiritual journey. I do believe that people are well intentioned, but I became flustered when somebody approached me as they were attempting to develop women only programming. Imam Anwar, on the other hand, is working to create an environment that both allows for women to carve out a space safe from the male gaze and a platform for women to be heard in their community. Just because I am a woman does not mean that I deal with women only topics and even if I do begin to write about Muslim women, I believe those issues should be of interest to the broader Muslim community.

Sometimes I am at a loss for words. There were times when I first began researching for my lecture that I was frustrated and even saddened by the condition of women’s scholarship I read those books relating to the struggles that each woman faced, personally moved when those scholars gave voice to the struggles I experienced. This is why I started blogging and why I was so relieved to find a community of Black Muslim bloggers to engage in these discussions with. Through this discourse I even found my soul mate.

I’m reading a lot of blogs by Muslim American women in general, and Black American Muslim women in particular to gain insight into life experiences that may reflect my own or differ in multiple ways.  In an effort to get a better sense of the issues that Black Muslim Women face in America, I am making a general call for input. I am developing a non-scientific survey to get a sense of what are our primary concerns. Is it discrimination in the broader society as Muslims, within the Black Muslim community as women, within the broader Muslim community as Black women? Are we concerned about marriage, raising children, economic disparities, losing our children to drugs and gang violence, lack of resources, access to Islamic education? In the meantime, feel free to comment and let me know your greatest concerns.  Believe me, my talk will also high light many of the rewards of being Muslim in America. If you don’t want to focus on the negative, please feel free to write what you want people to know about you.

Summer turned out to be rather lackluster, with a lot of rain, lots of overcast days, and an intense heat wave that rose up and gave us the smack down at the cusp of Ramadan. Just as September rolled in, the weather seemed to turn immediately into Autumn school day dreariness. After Fajr,  I had a cough that rattled in my chest and constantly interrupted my sleep for about an hour. After my post-Fajr nap I tried to take it easy and read. I closed most of the windows, finished reading the ethonographic book, American Muslim women.  When I took a break, I decided to watch a movie online. I decided to finish a film I began watching about childhood innocence. The only problem was that it was The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, a film that felt like it was either a tragic joke or a tragic train wreck ready to happen. My husband wasn’t interested in watching it the first time with me. Like me, he had misgivings about films like Valkyrie that try to show the “good German” who resisted Nazi hegemony in Germany. I began to wonder if this film was like Schindler’s List, which shows some of the horrors of the Holocaust, while at the same time absolving some Germans of the collective guilt. A Jewish friend of mine noted that in the 80s, that a number of times he had strange encounters from white Christians seeking to become absolved from guilt of letting it happen. I’ve that happen a few times myself from well meaning white co-workers. Put on the spot, I tried to come up with a thoughtful answer. But we joked, “What if I did say: ‘No, I don’t forgive you or your people!'” Some say that the election of Barack Obama helped a lot of White Americans feel absolved from their  collective guilt. So, I figured that this film was maybe an attempt to show the human side of Hitler youth to show that friendship can overcame race hatred and even mass genocide. We’re just people and that’s all that matters, right?

The well meaning book and film did its best to humanize a monstrous chapter in Western history. I was moved to tears during the gassing scene. Even though I was by myself, words slipped out of my mouth conveying my horror. The music and cinematography was supposed to emphasize the  German mother and sister’s anguish over the loss of their son. But there was nobody left to grieve for little Schmuel.  I feel kind of guilty that part of me  wished that it was based on true events. Can anybody absolve me of my guilt over having feelings of revenge and retribution over injustices?

I promised that today I’d post the notes from a Ramadan lecture for women that I gave yesterday at Quba Institute:

When I was asked to give this talk on a spiritual theme, I knew I was going to get myself in trouble. First for talking about tasawwuf and talking about women in Islam. Being from the Bay Area, California you have a lot of people talking about spirituality, being spiritual and not religious, a lot of New Age groups, including Muslims and those who claim to be Sufis but not Muslim and Muslims who claim to be Sufi, but do not follow Shariah. When I first became Muslim and put on hijab, a young woman of Middle Eastern background came up to me and told me that she was spiritual and focused on the inner aspects of the faith, while I was focusing on the outward. This is a false dichotomy. Even in the English language, there is no clear line that separates spiritual development and outward religious practices:

Main Entry: 1spir•i•tu•al
1 : of, relating to, consisting of, or affecting the spirit : incorporeal 
2 of or relating to sacred matters b : ecclesiastical rather than lay or temporal 
3 : concerned with religious values
4 : related or joined in spirit 
5 a : of or relating to supernatural beings or phenomena

Main Entry: mys•ti•cal
1 a : having a spiritual meaning or reality that is neither apparent to the senses nor obvious to the intelligence b : involving or having the nature of an individual’s direct subjective communion with God or ultimate reality 
2 : mysterious, unintelligible

Islamic spirituality or mysticism is often portrayed as something outside the bounds of Islam. Orientalists have often focused on mystical Islam, a term we often called Sufism, as something distinct from Sunni Islam. Muslim reformers have rightfully critiqued some practices of popular mysticism that entail practices of shirk (associating partners with Allah) and bida’ (innovation), which entails privileging practices or concepts over the sunnah with the assumption that one can outdo the Prophet (s.a.w.). Muslims have used the term Sufi to talk about those who practice tasawwuf, a science focused on purifying the heart. While there are practices popular Sufism that fall outside the bounds of Sunni Islam, the science itself is deeply embedded in our rich Islamic heritage. Imam Ghazali points us to the wholistic purpose of tasawwuf. In his work Ayuhal Walad, he says:

If you read or pursue knowledge, your knowledge should reform your heart and purify your soul; if you had one week to live you would of course not occupy yourself studying the science of jurisprudence ,… morality and scholastic theology and the like because these sciences would not help you. You would rather engage yourself in monitoring the state of your heart and in apprehending the characteristics of your soul, shunning attachment to the world, purifying your soul from the blameworthy characteristics, occupying yourself with the love and worship of Allah and adopting praiseworthy characteristics.

The second issue I had in preparing this lecture involved the lack of classical and historical sources about Muslim women scholars, in what Rkia Cornell calls, “The Veiled Tradition. This raises the question: Why aren’t there many women’s voices in Muslim scholarship? There are many possible answers to this question. Muslim women are less socially visible than Muslim men, as Rkia Cornell points out, and they run a greater risk of being overlooked in historical record. Medieval Muslim men did not hold women in high regard due to their patriarchal cultural values. The source could be from outside of Middle Eastern Cultures, classical Muslim scholarship inherited from the Greek tradition a disdain towards women. Some Greek thinkers even doubted that women had souls. And there could be some more positive reasons for why Women’s works are hard to come by. Women were busy doing, rather than engaging in polemics and public behavior. Finally, Muslim men were held to universal standard, male scholars did not enhance gender differences. So they saw no need to develop separate manuals for women. Now that we acknowledged a void, we do have to acknowledge the sources that we do have for gaining an understanding of Muslim women’s spirituality: the Quran, Hadith Literature, Preserved Poetry written by women, and Biographical Dictionaries (i.e Muhammad Ibn Sa’d (148/764-230/845); Abu ‘Abd Ar-Rahman As-Sulami (d. 1021); and ad-Din Abu Al-Faraj Ibn al-Jawzi Sifat Al Safwa (d. 597/1201)

While there is not distinction between Muslim men and women’s spiritual potential, Muslim women have developed distinct spiritual practices due to their role in their respective societies and communities. The agency of Muslim women in interpreting and applying the universal principles of the Quran and sunnah is often veiled because women were often focused more on embodying the Tradition rather than writing or engaging in public debate about it and the social institutions of seclusion that sought to keep women’s identity private in order to preserve their honor. I will first explore concepts of womanhood in the English and Arabic language and link those up with some important terminology on spiritual practices found with Sufi traditions. I will then explore the primary examples that we have for understanding the relationship women should have with their Lord. I then hope to tie these concepts and examples to begin to think about how we can inculcate these spiritual values.

Since this talk is about Muslim women, and the feminine perspective on spiritual practices, I think it is important to discuss how we are defining women and the feminine. I believe it is important to understand Womanhood and the Concept of Niswa in Islam.

Main Entry: 1fe•male
Function: adjective
1 a (1) : of, relating to, or being the sex that bears young or produces eggs (2) : pistillate b (1) : composed of members of the female sex (2) : characteristic of girls or women 2 : having some quality (as gentleness) associated with the female sex

Main Entry: 1fem•i•nine
Function: adjective
1 : female 1a(1)
2 : characteristic of or appropriate or unique to women 3 : of, relating to, or constituting the gender that ordinarily includes most words or grammatical forms referring to females

Main Entry: wom•an
1 a : an adult female person b : a woman belonging to a particular category (as by birth, residence, membership, or occupation) —usually used in combination 
2 : womankind 
3 : distinctively feminine nature : womanliness
4 : a woman who is a servant or personal attendant

Main Entry: wom•an•hood
1 a : the state of being a woman b : the distinguishing character or qualities of a woman or of womankind

The Arabic word corresponding to woman is Imra’ah Arabic Synonyms of Imrah/ the indefinite of al-Mar’ah. A few Arabic terms with corresponding masculine nouns will be important for this talk: Imra’ah/mara’ (woman/man) –>Muru’ (manliness) and Niswah/Fatuwwa (womanhood/young manliness)
Muru’:

“In abstinence from things unlawful or in chastity of manners, and having some art or trade; or in abstaining from doing secretly what one would be ashamed to do openly; or in the habit of doing what is approved; and shunning what is held base; in preserving the soul from filthy actions; and what disgraces in the estimation of men; or in good manners, and guarding the tongue, and shunning impudence; or in a quality of mind by preserving which a man is made to persevere in good manners and habits.”

The Toa of Islam, 266.

Jahili Arabs didn’t inculcate muru’a for transcendent values or for Allah, they did it to save face. This was transformed in Islam.

Futuwwa:
Means young manliness; It comes from the word fata, meaning young and encompasses the meaning of chivalrous young man.

• Servitude and constant remembrance of God
• Seeking company of good people (good fellowship) and hospitality
• Being introspective
• Focus on remembering one’s own defects
• Guarding one’s soul against all temptations

There are two sources for futuwwa in the Quran: Abraham (Willing to sacrifice his son and established hospitality) and the people of the Cave. Women can be practitioners of futuwwa, the term itself is gender neutralSulami uses the term niswa/niswan as the counterpart to fita/fityan. The later denoting groups of young men who practice futuwwa. Niswah is about perfecting the complete person, not just about perfecting essentialized feminine traits. Insan al-Kamil- perfect human is the highest spiritual state. The complete person manifest masculine traits: brave, courageous, chivalrous, detached and feminine traits: gentle, intimacy, merciful, devoted. Insan is not gender specific. Who are the examples of those who have come into full Niswan? We have, according ot our tradtions, four perfect women: Mariam, Asiya, Khadija, and Fatima. We can look to women mentioned in the Quran. We also have the examples set by the Mothers of the Believers and the righteous women throughout history who followed their examples.

The most important source for understanding the relationship women should have with Allah subhan wa ta’ala is the Quran. What most scholars agree upon is that the Quran holds women as spiritual equals to men.

“Whoever does wrong will be recompensed accordingly. And whoever does good, male or female, as long as they are believers, they will enter Gardens, provided for therein without stint.” [6] Al-Qur’an 40:40

“The believing men and women are supportive and protective friends unto each other. They enjoin the right, forbid the wrong, establish regular prayer, pay the poor due, and are dutifully obedient to God and His Messenger. They will receive the Mercy of God. Surely, God is Almighty, Wise.” Al-Qur’an 9:75

Women are also mentioned in the Quran. One example is the comparison between wicked women and righteous women, Nuh and Lot’s wives in comparison to Mariam and Asiya 66:10-12. I know I am so much like my mother, I think I am becoming more like a carbon copy each day. So as Muslim women, we need spiritual mothers to model ourselves after. And we have them, as outlined in Surat al- Ahzab 33:6

“The Prophet is closer to the believers than their own selves, and his wives are their mothers”

I looked at the biographies of the Mothers of the Believers and saw some common traits: charity, fasting, praying at night, sacrifice. These were the same virtues I  consistently found in account of the women in Sulami’s work on Sufi women and Aisha Bewley’s Biographical diction.

Khadijah bint Khuwailid

1. Was the first to believe
2. One of the four perfect women
3. “The best of women in the world are Mary and Khadeejah” (27)
4. traits: endured hardship, spent her wealth to help Muslims

Aisha bint Abu Bakr

1. Endured poverty, hunger, and hardships
2. Endured slander
3. Submitted her case to Allah
4. Allah’ answer in Surat Yusuf 12:18; Answer Surat An-Nur 24:11
5. Scholar of Islamic jurisprudence with knowledge of hadith
6. Science of jurisprudence, medicine, and poetry
7. Narrated 2210 Ahadith, 297 were reported Sahih

Sawdah bint Zam’ah

1. Known for her good humor
2. Spent all her money on the poor and needy
3. Fasted frequently, prayed at night, sincere belieer

Umm Habeebah bint Abu Sufyan

1. Became Muslim despite her father’s, Abu Sufyan, opposition
2. Migrated with her husband, when he apostasized, she left him
3. Accepted the Prophet’s (s.a.w.) proposal
4. Before her death, she sought forgiveness from her co-wife

Umm Salamah

1. An early convert, subjected to torment by leaders of the Quraish
2. Migrated with Abu Salama
3. Known for her God fearing nature, strict adherence to her religion, frequent worshipping
4. Eagerness to please her Lord and His Messenger

Juwairiya bint al-Harish

1. Her marriage to the Prophet freed a hundred people from Banu Al-Mustaliq; she was a blessing to her people, Aisha reported
2. She spent long hours worshipping Allah

Hafsah bint ‘Umar

1. Memorized the Quran by heart
2. Good friends with Aisha

Zainab bint Khazaimah

1. When her husband died in the Battle of Uhud, she did not give into depression, but continued to treat the injured and caring for them
2. Known as the Mother of the Needy

Safiyya bint Huyay

1. Captive on the day of Khaibar
2. Was loyal to Muhammad and became a sincere believer
3. Loyal to companions, helped Uthman when they held layed siege to his house

Zainab bint Jahsh

1. Aisha reported “I have never seen anyone better in religion, more God-fearing, more honest in speech, nor better in maintaining the ties of kinship, nor more generous in giving charity, nor more self sacrificing in the performance of charitable deeds and those deeds which bring one closer to Allah the Almighty, the All Powerful than Zainab.”
2. Worked with her hands and gave proceeds to charity

Maimoonah bint Harith

1. Known for her piety, purity, devotion to worship and abstemiousness
2. Standing in prayer at night and fasting
3. Narrated 46 Hadith
4. Muhammad testified to her and her sisters’ faith, “The sisters are believers: Maimoonah, Umm al-Fadl, and Asma’”

And let us not forget Fatimah (May Allah be pleased with her). She, like Khadijah, deserve their own lectures. One story is particularly touching and should provide us insight into how we should respond to hardships. When she complained to her father, the Messenger of Allah, of the fatigue she experienced through hard work, he said, “I will give you something better than that which you ask.” He told her to say 33 times each: alhumdulllah, Subhan Allah, Allahu Akbar. This to me is so profound. When faced with problems, we should find comfort in remembrance of our Lord.

The next part of my lecture involves historical women and the example they set for us in understanding women’s spiritual practices.

Sayidna Nafeesah
Nafisah bint al Hassan ibn Zaid, ibn al-Hassan ibn Abu Talib (145/762)
Her great grandfather was the Prophet’s (s.a.w.) grandson, Hassan. Nafisah was married to Ishaq Ibn Ja’far, a renowned scholar. Nafisah was a cholar in her own right, where many scholars read under her and attended her classes. Imam Shafi’ visited her, he sometimes prayed at her place and she prayed with him. She memorized Quran at an early age, studied Hadith. She spoke truth to power, chastising Ahmad Ibn Tulun for his injustice on behalf of the peple. Nafsiah spent long hours in night worship and fasted often.

Many of the examples that I have used are from Aisha Bewley’s biographical dictionary of Muslim women, but more importantly from Sulami’s biographical dictionary of Sufi women. Much of his work focuses on practical spiritual practices of the Sufis. One of the great things about this work is that Sulami shows how women on the spiritual path sometimes rebuked their male counterparts.  Rkia Cornell points out how often in this genre it is a woman is given the task of pointing out the overblown ego of Sufi masters for their spiritual pride. Most Sufi men responded to the criticism with humility. After reviewing the biographies of the Mothers of the Believers and biographical entries on spiritual women, I saw three themes: they frequently fasted in the day time, prayed at night, and gave in charity. They also had humility in their own spiritual practices and often thought of the hereafter and the Day of Reckoning.

Traits of the spiritual women mentioned in biographical dictionaries:
Spiritual states, love of Allah, praying during the day and fasting at night, Ecstatic states, devotion, acstecism, performed a lot of dhikr, attending dhikr circles, Gnostic, organizing dhikr circles, scrupulousness, strong himma, Hafiz al Quran, known for reflection, known for zuhd, taqwa and righteousness, did not leave the house for decades, they were mothers, daughters, wives, transmitted hadith, sayings, recited Awrad (pl. wird), in constant state of fear and taqwa, majnun with love for Allah, performed miracles as signs of Baraka or Karama

Rabi’ah al-‘Adiwiyya- many students of Sufism have read at least one of her poems.

Fatimah of Nishapur 143-144

Lalla Mimuna: a Black woman who asked the captain of a ship to teach her the prayer when she could not remember the words, she ran after him and walked on water.

Mumina bin Bahlul– Ahmad Ibn Abi l-Hawari reported, “There is something that my heart is preocupppied with.” He asked, “What is that?”She replied.“ I want to acknowledge the blessing of Allah in every glance , or to acknowledge my incapacity to be grateful for the blessing in every glance. Ahmad Ibn Abi l-Hawari told her “You desire what minds are not guided towards.”

Jahanara- eldest daughter of the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahall. She was a amember of the Qadiriyya tariqa and wrote a number of texts including a book of tasawwuf called Risala-i Sahibiyya and a biography of of Shaykh Chisti . She composed poetry and studied Quran. She was a patron for many poets and writers and completed a mosque under her patronage. (85)

Nana Asma’u- daughter of ‘Uthman Dan Fodio and Muhammad Bello’s sister. She was a scholar in her own right and created an education reform for women in her society.

Conclusion: Practical Spirituality for the Everyday woman
Within Traditional Islamic Literature, man is used normative. However, some scholars have argued that few people have the right to call themselves real men. But what does woman mean? Depends on who is defining it. Many of the classical Sufi treatises didn’t hold women in high esteem. Women were associated with the dunya. They were also considered deficient due to intellect or that aspects of their ibadat were interrupted do to their menses. But the reality is that women are one of the beloved things of our messenger (s.a.w):

“Three things of this world of yours were made lovable to me: women, perfume and the coolness of my eye was placed in the ritual prayer.”

There were four perfect women, meaning that this state is possible. We should all strive to overcome our shortcomings and perfect our character. How do we do that? By inculcating ‘Abudiyyah, the idea of servitude. Ta’abbud means making oneself a slave. Sulami considers this the essence of women’s Sufis. Sufi women are inspired by their servitude and their methods are distinguished from men. Ibn ‘Ata’  writes that “Ubudiyya is a combination of four traits: to be true to one’s covenants, to preserve moral rectitude, to be satisfied with whatever one finds, and to patiently bear what has been lost.” According to Imam Ghazali “‘Ubudiyya (becoming a servant of Allah)comprises three things: The first: the careful observance of the command of the sacred law; the second: satisfaction with decree, fate and the dispensation of Allah the Exalted; Third: forgoing pleasing yourself in order to seek the pleasure of Allah the Exalted. “Service (khidma) is also related to Adab (appropriate actions), related to service (khidma). Imam Ghazali says that “Whosever is steadfast and makes his manners and morals beautiful in dealing with people and treats them with forbearance is a Sufi.”

As wives, mothers, daughters, sisters, neighbors, friends we can think about service to others, we can give charity with our time and wealth. Let us not forget the important charity of smiling. Another important characterstic as Muslims is that we should develop hospitality:

Volume 8, Book 76, Number 482:
Narrated Abu Huraira: Allah’s Apostle said, “Whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day should talk what is good or keep quiet, and whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day should not hurt (or insult) his neighbor; and whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day, should entertain his guest generously.”

Developing our character we move closer to the state of complete personhood, complete womanhood, Insan al-Kamil. This is what Sulami calls Niswan. We can come into Niswan as a spiritual woman through reflecting on our Lord’s Bounty by being grateful and finding good in each day. We also have to work on purifying our intentions constant. We should avoid hypocritical showing off, Riya’. This is one of the spiritual benefits of being a woman and for our female scholars. Few women are rock star scholars, instead they are hidden gems bolstering our communities. Still, we can fall prey to Imam Ghazali says: “Riya is born of exalting mankind. Perceive people as subjected to the power of the Exalted and consider them as inanimate objects in their inability to attain contentment and misery.” We also should constantly perform Tawbah (seeking forgiveness), asking Allah to forgive us for our shortcomings and help us overcome them. As spiritual women, we should follow the examples of our spiritual mothers and focus on understanding True reality (al-Haqq), that Allah is Transcendent and the Ultimate Reality. We have to deeply reflect on Allah as the True Power and conider the imminence of the Day of our reckoning when we will be held accountable for our actions.

Insha’Allah we can continue the dialog as we give voice to our experiences as Spiritual women. Any good from this lecture comes from Allah and any faults are my own. I would like to thank Quba institute and the community for the warm welcome I received. It was a humbling experience and I hope that we provide a space for the many hidden gems in our community to shine. Please make du’a that Allah keeps us guided and purifies our intentions. Ameen.

…………….
Sources:
Abdul Ahad. The Honorable Wives of the Prophet. Darussalam, Houston, TX, 2004.

Bewley, Aisha. Muslim Women: A Biographical Dictionary. TaHa publishers, London 2004.

Boyd, Jean. The Caliph’s Sister. Frank Cass and Co. Ltd. London, 1989.

Al-Ghazali, Imam Abu Hamid. Dear Belovd Son. Translated by Kamal el-Helbawy. Awakening Publications. UK, 2000.

Ibn Sa’d, Abu ‘Abdullah Muhammad. The Women of Madina. Translated by Aisha Bewley.TaHa Publishers London 2006.

Ibn Mandhur. Lisan al-Arab.

Murata, Sachiko, The Tao of Islam : a sourcebook on gender relationships in Islamic thought. Albany, NY : State University of New York Press, c1992.

Parkinson, Dilworth. Using Arabic Synonyms. Cambridge University Press. New York, 2006

Sulami, Muhammad Ibn al-Husayn. Early Sufi Women: Dhikr an-niswa al-muta’abbidat as-Sufiyyat. Translated by
Rkia Cornell, Fons Vitae, 1999.

Wadud-Muhsin, Amina. Quran and Woman. Penerbit Fajar Bakti Sdn. BhD, Kuala Lumpur, 1994.

Wehr, Hans. The Dictionary of Modern Written Arabic. Ed. By J. Milton Cowan. Soken Language Service, Urana IL, 1994

It’s been difficult to begin writing with my head whirling with so many thoughts and ideas about American Muslim social etiquette, the place of Muslim women scholars, and perspectives on Muslim women spiritual practices. Some of my thoughts are reactionary, sparked by recent experiences in Muslim community life. Some were good and some frustrating. But one that really got me is how often we Muslims can make being around other Muslims extremely uncomfortable.

I know that Muslims do not hold the monopoly on polemics, but there is something about the ways in which Muslims engage in pointless debates that makes you want to stay in your house, avoid the masjid, and steer as far away from Muslims as you can. Battling on street corners quoting hadith makes debating seem like a democratic endeavor. But is knowledge truly equalizing, when some have a lot (including information that can serve to contextualize some knowledge) and others have a little. The funny thing is that Muslim men tend to debate at a much higher rate than Muslim women. Often these debates deal with matters that have little effect on daily life or practical affairs. Debating is not just a gendered male domain, there are plenty of women who get feisty in debates, myself included. The problem is, that I hate arguing. I have a fight or flight reaction once one sparks up. Debates are not about guiding someone to truth but rather they are a battle of egos. One can feel like a bully when defeating the flimsy argument of an intellectual midget. But is a clash of the titans between two intellectual giants any better?

Arguing is not constructive on an intellectual or social level. It doesn’t build bonds or help community life. Debating is not a way for us to get to know each other. And if you are going to engage in a discussion of difference, there is an etiquette about how you should go about that (I’m not going to get into that in this post). You shouldn’t drag someone into a fight, especially if they are waving a white flag and call for a truce. You don’t call somebody up and introduce yourself then go about arguing about somebody’s minhaj or deviant behavior. A Ramadan iftar is not the place where you should engage in a debate. As a guest, you should not try to demonstrate the force of your argument with a loud voice, pointing fingers, or jabbing your hand in the air in threatening moves. As a host or a guest, you should not try to embarrass anyone or put anyone on the spot. If you feel like there is some serious problems with the the company you are in, consider excusing yourself and bowing out gracefully.

My recent readings on Sufism and Muslim spiritual practices has touched upon the concept of futuwwa (Islamic chivalry). So much of Futuwwa, which comes from the word “young man” is a composite of the virtues of altruism, humility, loyalty, gentleness, generosity, hospitality, and chastity. Putting others before yourself, often entailing hospitality and not making others uncomfortable either as a guest or a host. Debate and arguing are the opposite of the virtues that comprise futuwwa. Character is shaped by environment, but it can also be a matter of education, reflection, internal inclinations, and personal choice. Although many Muslims still find value in lineage and social status (i.e. Shurfa’ or Sayyid), I see nobility as a reflection of character and ethical conduct.

Up until late Friday night when the new moon was finally visible, we kept asking in anticipation. Many people were happy in Philadelphia because everyone started Ramadan on Saturday. It is nice to have some unity. On another note, this Ramadan is a time for me to think of new traditions and make some major commitments to personal development. I’m not going to take up your time during Ramadan outlining my spiritual goals or daily struggles to incorporate more religious rigor during this Holy month. While making goals public may motivate me to follow through, I believe it puts me in danger of Riya (showing off and doing acts for the sake of others). Instead, I hope to post a few articles about practical spirituality, based on a lecture I’m giving at Quba on September 6. I’m also working on a review of Sherman Jackson’s Islam and the Problem of Black Suffering.

….of my true love’s hair. Nothing like Nina Simone to convey the feeling. I couldn’t post the original, but I found this remix:

The original is sublime…

A few days ago, my aunt called and informed me of the passing of my step-grandfather (may Allah have mercy on him and make it easy on my grandmother). Since she is not always known for her tact, she switched the subject and asked me about my thoughts on the case of the teen who feared for her life because her Muslim father wanted to kill her for converting to Christianity. You can read more about the story here. At that time, I hadn’t heard of the story and I was a bit shocked that my aunt would bring this case up. After an awkward pause, I became a bit flustered and said, “I’m not sure what does this have to do with me. You know Black Americans make up one of the largest groups of Muslims and you have never had a single honor killing occur amongst Black Americans.” I went on, “You have all these Black people with Muslims names running around who are no longer Muslim and their families aren’t trying to kill them. What does this have to do with me?” I wasn’t saying this because I didn’t want to engage in a discussion about freedom of choice. Rather, I felt annoyed that somehow, as a Muslim, I had to answer for every Muslim. Plus, the timing of the conversation was a bit off. I was still in shock over the death and slowly sinking into mourning. Now my head was spinning with the typical misunderstanding and interfaith conversation you have with classmates or co-workers. But it was family, so that made it different.

I think my point at the time is still valid. Islam doesn’t condone honor killings. I don’t want to sound like an apologist nor do I want to sound like a cultural bigot. But, really, let’s think about it. If there was a major link between Islam and honor killings, why aren’t there any cases to date involving convert families or Black American Muslims (and yes there are second and third generation Black American Muslim families). You’d think that the hard core who have adopted all sorts of cultural practices from the Middle East would have even more to lose in terms of their so called “Islamic authenticity.” I’ve seen some underage niqabis make out with underage boys on the trolley, high schooler muhajabats holding hands with their teenage boyfriends, imam’s daughters getting knocked up by non-Muslim to have their children raised by their grandparents, young Muslim girls going and getting tattoed up and piercings, coming home with hickies, and so on.You wold think that a case might arise in Philly, a city of Muslim contradictions.

Black Americans have a totally different notion of honor than that which arises from South Asian and Middle Eastern cultures. I’ve even noticed a certain level of tolerance for sexual improprieties, and personal choices that contradict Islamic norms, as a reality of our condition in this society. Perhaps this has more to do with our understanding of redemption and repentance. After all we live in a confessional society where secrets do not prevail. We accept the notion of freedom of choice knowing that we can’t impose conformity, let alone religious identity, upon our children. I think anthropologists and sociologists can write volumes of comparative studies on the reproduction of Islam in American families. The reality is that when you take into account indigenous American Muslims, and Black American Muslims in particular, a number of presumptions about what comes from Islam and what comes from culture will be laid to rest.

Today was hot, but not as hot as yesterday. Still, the air was stale and it doesn’t help that it is garbage day. Unlike my old neighborhoods in California where they use automated trucks that lift and empty the standard cans with hinged lids, Philadelphians put their plastic garbage bags out on the curb. On occasion, you will see the blue recycling receptacles, but hardly anyone in Philly recycles. The point is, garbage day smells in this city. Walking down 45th, there are three thrift shops: one for household items, one for clothes, and one for furniture. They are all owned by the same company. Sometimes I’m amazed that they are still open, considering their rather dismal inventory. I stopped in the household items store. A wiry thin Black man who was younger than he appeared due to the ravages of substance abuse walked in. As he strolled to the back of the store he began to say, “Let my people Go!” to the white woman at the counter who also looked as if she lived a hard life of partying and despair. He said “Let my people go!” again and she replied with her back turned, “I hear ya!” The man said it several times. Then with a slightly ironic voice, “Power to the people, fight the power!” After he left, I continued to stroll through the store with two hipster/anarchists who typically roam this West Philly neighborhood. Like a proper nonconformist, they too had tattoos on their forearms and calves. Both apparently found useful items. Before walking out disappointed, I overheard the woman at the counter talking to another woman. She said that the doctor told her that if the bumps weren’t from mosquito bites, they they may be from bed bugs or scabies. She said her friend had them and said you could only get them from lying in bed. I made my way out of that store, vowing not to buy anything from there. I strolled down 45th street, a little bit more unnerved by the grunge of this city. All the houses had set out their garbage and household junk. I noticed a woman picking through a pile of discarded blankets and comforters. I thought about the lady with bed bugs and shuddered. I stopped in CVS and wandered around for a bit looking for cleaning supplies and storage units. The woman who helped me at the counter was holding a conversation with her coworkers about paying back her girlfriend money. Although her weave wasn’t over the top, I did wonder why she felt the need to put on fake eyelashes. She, like nearly everybody else in this town, had arms covered in what looked like prison house tattoos. Black folks tattoos are never as fancy as the anarchists. On my way back, I kept smelling something terrible. I began to wonder if I stepped in something because no matter where I went that smell followed me. People love dogs in this city and very few people have backyards. So they have to walk their dogs and follow them with a bag to pick up their dog’s feces and drop it in one of the rare receptacles designated for that purpose. The immigrants in this neighborhood don’t have dogs, but the hipsters are more on point about picking up after their dogs than the Black folks who walk their dogs in Muhammad Park. Even as I walked the length of the parking lot, I kept smelling the terrible smell. After checking my shoes I realized it was just the smell of West Philadelphia on a hot summer day. I just got in, time to shower the Philadelphia grime off me.

Recently, my husband brought home Sherman Jackson’s book, Islam and the Problem of Black Suffering. This book is a follow up to Islam and the Black American : The Third Resurrection. Both books are about Black American Muslims. So why did the publishers choose this picture?


It is a beautiful picture of a West African outside a mosque with a traditional architectural style found in parts of Niger, Mali, and Northern Nigeria. But what the heck does this have to do with Black American Muslims? Is this picture saying that all phenotypically sub-Saharan African Muslims have a problem with suffering? Somehow, we are all some homogenous group struggling with slavery and racial inequality? Honestly, I don’t think the publishers thought that deep. I think they just liked the picture and thought that all Black people are pretty much the same. I guess they didn’t think that this would raise an eyebrow. Maybe this was because they assumed that the book was not necessarily geared towards an academic audience. Perhaps they thought that the general audience would not be offended by a publisher would that refused to distinguish between West Africans and Black Americans as a distinct ethnic and cultural groups. This reminds me of a recent controversy about a book with a black protagonist, but a noticeably whitewashed cover which was discussed over at Racilicious, Lying on the cover. In some ways this brings me back to a conversation I had nearly two years ago with a friend of West African descent. As she bemoaned the terrible plight of “our people,” of how we suffered through slavery, colonialism, racial indignities, and oppression, I began to interrogate her concept of collective suffering. I asked her whether ALL Africans suffered from slavery, for surely there were African slaveholders. I also said that there were African collaborators to colonialism and some African elites who became insanely wealthy. I also noted that not all Africans experienced racism and argued that in some places the power of the colonial state was rather thin. I wasn’t necessarily saying this to demolish her pan-African worldview, but to say that maybe things weren’t so bad for everyone who descended from or live below the Sahara. I guess that’s what bothers me about the cover. In some ways it touches upon something that kind of bothers me about Tommie Shelby’s arguments against a positive Black cultural identity in his book, We Who Are Dark: The Philosophical Foundations of Black Solidarity. He argues for Black solidarity based on the premise of fighting against racial inequality, basically what he calls pragmatic nationalism. I have problems with a negative Black identity (and collective action) based on anti-Black racism and social inequality. While race is a social construction, nations are social constructions too. But nobody would deny that Americans have a real culture and a unique history that sets it apart from let’s say Canada or Guatemala. The international banking system is a social construction, and while the value of the dollar may change and the market may bottom up, we still participate in it. These things may be even more imaginary than the physical differences that we use to distinguish lineage and social background. I do agree with Shelby that there are problems with an essentialized Black identity where we are a monolithic group without class, regional, and even cultural differences. This is why I think it is important to celebrate the distinct cultural heritages of people in the Diaspora and the continent. Unfortunately, the publishers chose a book cover that fails in that regard.

The past year has definitely been a whirlwind journey and so much has changed for me personally and professionally. These changes have clearly influenced my writing, or rather lack of writing over the past 5 months. I’ve spent a lot of time adjusting to a the culture of an East Coast city, for the most part making quiet observations about the benefits and downsides of living in a city where Islam is so normalized. I came out of an intellectual milieu in the Bay Area, as a graduate student and a product of a well organized community center. I also developed as a Muslim in the shadows of Zaytuna, especially considering that I have followed the Maliki school of law ever since I took a woman’s fiqh class taught by Hamza Yusuf in 1997. For a muslimah with my inclinations and leanings, Philadelphia proven to be especially barren in terms of intellectual and social opportunities. Being an outsider as I have been for a number of years makes me a bit more sensitive and more guarded.

After writing my scathing social commentary about expat communities in Kuwait, and my harsh critique about the few immigrant women who do not return salaams in Philadelphia, I decided to take a break from my social critiques. Many bloggers feel that they have said what they needed to say and that what issues that should have been brought to the fore has moved from backburner, others feel that we need to move away from solipsistic ramblings that we bloggers tend to indulge in. Just as my husband has noted that his blog is going in a new direction, I too have thought considerably about the future direction of my writings. Race, gender, and religion will still be important topics on my blog, however I am currently rethinking approaches that will be more beneficial for both my readers and myself. In the next couple months, I plan on doing a complete revamping of my blog. I can’t say that I’m not going anywhere, rather at this intersection of my life I’m going in some new directions. I hope you check in from time to time.

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