This gentle, wise scholar and leader weighs in on the patriarchal script against women’s education:
“Now, let me say this, lest you think otherwise, there is no restriction against women learning or constructing meaning. On the contrary, in fact, the Prophet, upon whom be peace, has said, “seeking knowledge is (like) a religious duty, incumbent upon every Muslim male and Muslim female”. That’s right, he was specific, “Muslim wa Muslimah”: male and female. He also said, “seek knowledge even as far as China”, which in those days was like the furthest distance of the known world.”
When I was a little girl, I used to be afraid. I was afraid of the dark. I was afraid of thunderstorms. I remember once cowering on the floor in the back seat of the car waiting for my dad to come take us home. My dad, who was a Methodist Minister, was too busy talking about God to really notice my reaction to being there in the back seat of the car during that terrible storm. Instead, he just kept busy, talking about God to other grown ups—talking in a way I did not understand, or found incredibly boring and long winded, sometimes even just a little frightening.
But Thunderstorms filled in a gap I did not know I had. A gap between my tiny self and the awesome Reality I have since come to know in a very different way. So when I would hear thunder, I thought…
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