The Shahadah Sisterhood Group

ISLAMIC HORIZONS STAFF

According to Besheer Mohamed and Elizabeth Podrebarac Sciupac, writing for the Pew Research Center on Jan. 26, 2018, “In recent years, the number of American Muslims has been growing steadily, by around 100,000 annually” (https://www. pewresearch.org/search/leave+islam). This is rather surprising, considering Islam’s negative reputation in this land. Moreover, as the article’s title indicate, about the same number of born Muslims, and no doubt some converts, also leave Islam each year. Thus, when Islamic Horizons came across the Shahadah Sisterhood Group, we were very eager to learn and spoke to Sharria Abdul-Hakeem how its members deal with converts and keep them in Islam.

IH: Please tell us something about the Shahadah Sisterhood Group.

SAH: In the name of Allah (Subhana wa Ta‘ala). Al hamdu lillah. Indeed, all praise is due to Allah (Subhana wa Ta‘ala), whom we praise and whose help, forgiveness, refuge and guidance we seek. I bear witness that He alone is worthy of worship and that Prophet Muhammad (salla ‘alayhi wa sallam) is His servant and messenger.

The group was formed on July 9, 2016, to assist new Muslimas. It is a beautiful moment when a sister takes her shahada and is welcomed into Islam and receives warm hugs. However, after that moment she is often left standing alone, especially if she is an introvert. We saw the need for someone to grab the new sister’s hand as she begins to tread her new way of life. There are sisters taking their shahada daily and weekly, and not just in the DMV [Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia] metropolitan area, but across the country. We must be available to them, for Islam is not a deen of isolation. Therefore, our objective is to provide and build a bond among sisters.

IH: Is your group affiliated with a specific mosque?

SAH: No. All of us attend the various masjids in the region. We find that having an intimate group makes our new sisters feel more at ease when asking personal questions. Given that we are not scholars, we all study our deen with someone who is more knowledgeable than us. There are similar groups in the area; however, their priorities are different. Our priority is specifically to assist the sister in developing her foundation.

IH: How have you laid this foundation?

SAH: After establishing our group, we formed an Ansar–Muhajireen bond, just as Prophet Muhammad (salla ‘alayhi wa sallam) did after emigrating from Makka to Madina.

As mentors, we require each mentee to agree to our creed, which includes taking the time to understand and adapt to her new way of life. First, we require and help her learn how to pray. After that, she should communicate with her mentor concerning Islamic issues upon which she needs clarification, participate in conference calls and attend halaqas given by her mentors as often as possible.

We also ask our mentees to participate in activities within the community and try to keep them abreast of what is happening in the

DMV metropolitan area. As a group, we encourage them to volunteer with an organization each year and give their collective sadaqa to various organizations, al hamdu lillah.

IH: What are some of the Sisterhood’s other activities?

SAH: The Shahadah Sisterhood Group encourages sisters to find areas that they enjoy and give sadaqa, whether it is with her time or money. We make ourselves available to answer questions outside of group meetings. As you can see, both the mentor and mentee have a responsibility to fulfill. We emphasize Islam’s pillars and principles, as well as the Quran, Hadith literature and the sunna of Prophet Muhammad (salla ‘alayhi wa sallam).

The sisters are assigned one of our approximately five mentors to help them adjust as a Muslima. Sisters in other states join classes via Zoom or teleconference. Each year we consult one another about the books we will study for the coming year. Some of the books we’ve read in the past are “The Ideal Muslimah,” “Dua, the Weapon of the Believer,” and “Seerah of the Prophet.” In sha’Allah this year we will start with “The Magnificence of the Quran.” All these books help us in this deen and enable all of us to have beneficial conversation at our bi-monthly face-to-face halaqas, during which we discuss Islam’s pillars and principals. We like to call these events our socials. Our goal here is to offer all sisters the chance to enjoy and meet sisters from other groups.

IH: What kind of sisters join the Sisterhood?

SAH: Along with the new Muslimas, we have mentees who simply want to strengthen their knowledge and bond of sisterhood. Sisters are from all ages and ethnicities. Each mentor has a weekly halaqa with her mentees to provide them with personal support. Our strong mentor–mentee bond enables us to reach out to one another for assistance without feeling any hesitancy to do so.

Some of those who have entered the deen have been ostracized by their families. We remind them that Allah (Subhana wa Ta‘ala) commands us not to sever the ties of kinship while also helping them continue making progress on their new spiritual journey. There is always a continuous reminder to all of us that Allah (Subhana wa Ta‘ala) has told us that we will be tested.

In the interim, the Shahadah Sisterhood Group is here to guide our sisters in the deen. We make sure that everyone is bonded and being helped to adjust along the path of Islam.

IH: Do you consider conversion just another trend or something more permanent?

SAH: Many think or believe that Islam is a trend, or the “up and coming” religion. This is far from the truth. Islam is not a trend, but something very stable. For years sisters and brothers have flocked to it through da’ees or self-study. Many sisters revert because they’ve been searching for the true Creator; others come through the introduction of family and friends. Once a sister or anyone is serious about who her Creator is, she will naturally submit to her Lord, Al hamdu lillah.

The Shahadah Sisterhood Group is committed to helping the new sisters strengthen their iman. To this end, we expect our mentees and mentors to follow our creed. The mentors take on the responsibility of both welcoming and communicating with the new sisters. We answer their questions, provide material that helps them as Muslimas, advise them how to form a network within their communities and do our best to show them that Islam is not just a religion, but a way of life. As mentors we make ourselves available to answer any questions or concerns that may arise.

Al hamdu lillah, we are following the commandment of Allah, the Most High, and His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him). Islam is not a trend, but a perfection of one’s way of life that we are trying to exemplify in our own lives. We strive to keep our members engaged in the Muslim community. Many of us were calling to Islam before the Sisterhood was formally established. We ask Allah (Subhana wa Ta‘ala) to keep our intentions pure and bless everyone who participates in this effort.

For further information or to join us, please contact Sharria Abdul-Hakeem at Sharria.makeda@gmail.com. ih