ISNA MATTERS
The Personal Journey to Sacred Knowledge MYNA launches ISRAA to bridge the gap of access to Islamic knowledge and tarbiyya by female teachers for girls aged 12 to 18 BY MAHAM BAWANEY
I
SRAA seeks to bridge the gap of access to Islamic knowledge and tarbiyya by female teachers for girls aged 12 to 18. Unfortunately, many girls still have no possibility to intimately study with a female scholar, take part in Quran memorization programs, or study overseas. Given these negative realities, ISRAA was the outgrowth of a desire for ongoing classes in which girls can develop a deeper understanding of the deen in a comfortable setting and with teachers who understand their experiences. Today this dream is a reality. As an initiative of MYNA’s program department, ISRAA is planned and fully run by a youth committee of girls the same age as the students. Each eight-week course hopes to inspire both personal and spiritual growth while providing a platform for connection to fellow students and scholars. Some of the most recent course themes have included Aqeedah: Foundations of Faith, Women’s Fiqh Untangled, Purification of the Heart, Miraculous Moments: Tafseer of Surah Maryam and Secrets to Supplication. ISRAA has worked with a variety of knowledgeable female teachers, including Anse Tamara Gray, Dr. Rania Awaad and Sheikha Amina Darwish. These courses, which are offered on an interactive online learning platform, have been life-changing. ISRAA student Yasmeen Galle, who attended this year’s 2020 Women’s Fiqh Untangled course, stated that “ISRAA has expanded my Islamic knowledge tremendously and aided in empowering me as a young Muslim woman … I am grateful that I was able to gain useful information that I can implement in my daily life from such an outstanding and engaging teacher.” Other students have also shared reflections on specific lessons they have learned from ISRAA courses. Rida Hoque, a student in the Purification of the Heart course, said, “I [learned] how to detach myself from worldly items and instead focus on my relationship with Allah.” Life-changing is not an exaggeration when it comes to ISRAA. As this year’s chair of the course, I have seen students walk away with newfound Islamic knowledge, lifelong connections and a better understanding of their own spirituality. We work to make sure that every
girl who seeks a deeper understanding of Islam has access to ISRAA. Over 200 girls across the nation joined us in 2020 alone. But this is only the beginning. As we expand our base of students and connections to female scholars, we envision ISRAA continuing to reach new heights. Empowered women empower women! For more information on this initiative, visit https://www.myna.org/israa.
WE WORK TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERY GIRL WHO SEEKS A DEEPER UNDERSTANDING OF ISLAM HAS ACCESS TO ISRAA. OVER 200 GIRLS ACROSS THE NATION JOINED US IN 2020 ALONE. THE PERSONAL JOURNEY TO SACRED KNOWLEDGE
“Having a platform that’s for girls only made me feel incredibly comfortable to ask questions and to connect with the teacher. Israa gave me an opportunity to learn more about my deen and life in the time of the Prophet (PBUH)” — ASMAA ABDELDAIEM “ISRAA has expanded my Islamic knowledge tremendously and aided in empowering me as a young Muslim woman. I am grateful that I was able to gain useful information that I can implement in my daily life from such an outstanding and engaging teacher.” — YASMEEN GALLE
WHAT IS ISRAA?
While many boys in our communities are hufadh of Quran, have attended programs (some overseas) to study their deen, and are given numerous opportunities to learn and even teach about Islam, the same is not as common or as accessible to girls. With ISRAA, we embarked on a journey to bridge the gap of access to Islamic knowledge and female teachers for girls between ages 12 and 18. ISRAA was born out of that desire to have an ongoing program where girls are given the opportunity to learn more about their deen
8 ISLAMIC HORIZONS SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2020
in a setting that is accessible and comfortable from teachers who understand their experiences. Through ISRAA, we hope to provide a means for personal and spiritual growth, and for connection to peers and scholars. ISRAA strives to unlock a path to knowledge for young female students. This initiative allows students to ask questions freely, engage with the material, and interact with their teacher and fellow classmates. ISRAA is a unique opportunity for female youth across the country to connect to teachers who will set them on a path of learning grounded in traditional sources.
WHAT TOPICS DOES ISRAA COVER?
This initiative started in September of 2017. In the last terms, we studied the Seerah of the Prophet (S) under the guidance of Sr. Noura Shamma and partnered with Rabata and Anse Tamara Gray to discuss Aqidah, the foundations of faith. This year’s first course’s topic was Women’s Fiqh Untangled, taught by Sheikha Rania Awaad, M.D. The second course’s topic was Purification of the Heart, taught by Lameess Mehanna, Amal Abdifatah, and Maysa Elsheikh. The third course of the year will be Miraculous Moments: Tafsir of Surah Maryam. Students have the opportunity to learn about the relevant themes that are present in this beautiful surah from the holy Quran while exploring its background and translation. Interacting with a female scholar will allow students to ask questions comfortably, and each week’s course will cover a different disease and/ or factor of guidance towards purification.* *Live attendance is highly recommended for maximum benefit, but recordings of the sessions will be available for registered students.
ABOUT OUR TEACHER
Sheikha Amina Darwish “Imamina” is the Muslim Life Coordinator at Columbia University. On campus, she is passionate about building a diverse and inclusive Muslim community. She earned ijazas, traditional Islamic studies certifications, from the Qalam seminary in Dallas, Tex. and the Critical Loyalty seminary in Toronto, Ont. She has also studied individually under different scholars from all over the world. She earned a PhD in chemical engineering before switching careers to follow her true passion of community building. She worked as an adjunct faculty at the University of Cincinnati Clermont and Northern Kentucky University. She also served as the content development coordinator for MYNA. ih Maham Bawaney, a college freshman involved with MYNA since 2016, has worked within its program department, served as ISRAA chair and is MYNA’s executive committee program chair.
