Women in Dawah

موضوع: Women in Dawah الأربعاء يونيو 10, 2009 6:01 pm

From
the very beginning, women have played vital roles in the propagation of
the fundamental truths of Islamic da'wah. From the sacrifices of
Sumayyah, to the collected Ahadeeth of Aisha, women have been
instrumental in the flourishing and spreading of this deen.
Unfortunately during these times, the Islamic revival suffers from
weaknesses in its properly qualified personnel, which limits its
spreading and restricts the da'wah work to an elitist group of
activists, with finite and limited efforts of da'wah and tarbiyah being
focused on women.

Da'wah amongst women deserves, and should
get, far more attention than it does. So far, except in a few
instances, women have been distanced from the field of da'wah work. If
we look at the reality, and the situation of Islamic da'wah work, and
the position of women in it today, we can easily find the following
problems:

1- Deficiency in da'wah capabilities among and by women.

2- The ill use of existing limited-resources in combination with a lack of personal initiative on the part of women.

3- A neglect or omission of women's issues in the planning of Islamic da'wah.

4-
Absence of strong tarbiyah and the lack of fundamental Islamic
knowledge in the da'iyat (female callers) in the field of da'wah. Only
a few of the wives and daughters of dou'at (male callers) have any
worthwhile Islamic knowledge.

5- Most women do not possess a
proper understanding the role of da'wah made incumbent on their
husbands. Because of this, they may not understand the importance of
time given to projects outside the home, which in turn may, become a
source of tension within the home.

6- The level of general Islamic knowledge among most women is low.

7- Women's da'wah programs, as well as overall da'wah programs and institutions are rare, and not well organized.

ROOTS of the PROBLEM

Many
obstacles and restraints have been the causes behind the weakness and
neglect of da'wah work amongst women. One they have been recognized and
analyzed, viable solutions can be sought and implemented.

One
major reason, is that many men are not convinced about the importance
of women's role and responsibilities in the field of da'wah. The
Qur'anic verse "...remain at your homes..." [33:33] has been
misinterpreted by many, and so has the right of stewardship or Qawama.
In many instances we see men objecting to women's participation in
da'wah and thus preventing them from fulfilling their role toward their
fellow Muslims and to the larger society in general. Spreading Islam
has been made incumbent on all Muslims, men and women.

"It is
vital that husbands encourage their wives to participate in da'wah
work," said Dr. Aisha Hamdan, Director of the Islamic Education
Foundation, based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She has a Ph. D. in
Clinical Psychology with a specialty in child and family issues. She
teaches at a private university in the Twin Cities. The IEF is a
two-year-old organization, with one of its goals being, to increase the
level of awareness and to provide training in giving da'wah, amongst
Muslim women and men. "They should encourage them to spread the message
of this deen, perhaps by taking them along when they go out, and by
instructing them on the proper ways of giving presentations about
Islam."

A more particular reason is the absence or confusion
of priorities in the minds of dou'at. Many of them have been
overwhelmed and distracted by the state of the Ummah, even to the
extent of ignoring to give proper attention to their homes and
families. Their energies having been exhausted in the work outside the
home, leaving them with nothing left for their families. This imbalance
hurts not only the families, but also the community as a whole.

The
level of women's education and awareness of their position and
responsibility plays an important role. As education and awareness
decline, women become disinterested, their level of giving and sense of
sacrifice weakens. "Unfortunately, not a lot of Muslim women feel that
they know enough about Islam to share it with others. They need to
realize that it is their responsibility to obtain that knowledge and
then share it with others. Many women also feel uncomfortable
presenting to groups of people due to various reasons." Dr. Hamdan
said. "This is why we are conducting training sessions here, about how
to conduct da'wah. We are committed to trying to arm women with the
necessary skills, that will give them the confidence to take up this
very important, and often neglected role in their lives as Muslims."

Indulgence
in luxuries, even if they are halal things, usually force women to
devote more time to them and less time to doing da'wah. This also
happens when they find it difficult to balance rights with duties.
Sometimes women lose perspective, forgetting that the work inside the
home is the core of their mission. By neglecting this role, or when
they fail to arrange their priorities, and get tied to a job that
distracts them, they ultimately fail at fulfilling their da'wah roles
both inside and outside the home. "For many women, their jobs as wife,
mother, cook, and teacher, inside their homes, are so time consuming,
that the main barrier to engaging in da'wah work is oftentimes, a lack
of time itself," said Dr. Hamdan. "This is why it is so important for
husbands to be supportive to their wives in fulfilling their
obligations both within and outside the home."

Another
unfortunate reality is that most da'wah organizations have failed to
absorb and utilize the energies of women, and have also failed to
adjust their plans and programs in a way that would incorporate women
as core assets in their da'wah work.

The media, and many other
elements of the promiscuous society we live in, have had major impacts
on the psyche of Muslim women. This psychic crippling has kept many
women away from their mission and distorted the image of Islam in the
minds of most of them.
yyy

موضوع: رد: Women in Dawah السبت أبريل 17, 2010 4:56 pm

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