On March 23 – 24, 2016, KARAMAH’s executive director Ms. Aisha Rahman spoke at the17th annual Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies (WGSX) Colloquium at St. Mary’s College of Maryland. The Colloquium this year focused on the topic of “Women as Agents of Political Change” and aimed to shed light on the multitude of spheres where women- locally, nationally, and globally- are affecting tremendous political change.
Ms. Rahman joined an interdisciplinary group of scholars and activists to discuss how women across experiences and disciplines are leading movements for social justice.
Ms. Rahman began her talk with a video of a group of schoolchildren singing “Tala al Badru Alayna.” The song was originally sung, she explained, by the women and children of Madinah who welcomed the Prophet Muhammad (s) to their city after his migration from Makkah.
In singing the song, Ms. Rahman explained, the women were pledging allegiance to a man who did not purport to be the leader of that community, but simply a messenger from God sent to spread the message of truth amongst mankind. He could and would not claim the role of a state leader without the consent of the people of Madinah. In singing the song, the Madinan women signaled their support of this man, she explained. They elected him by giving them their “bay’ah,” or oath of allegiance. This pledging of the baya’h was, Ms. Rahman explained, the closest comparison to voting within the Islamic context.
The story of Madinah is powerful because the opinions and approval of Muslim women within a political and spiritual realm were necessary 1400 years ago, when the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) first entered Madinah. Women did not wait to be “given” their right to vote, rather they harnessed their right and actively gave their allegiance to the Prophet(s). This, she explained, communicates the importance Islam gives to women. Today, within Muslim societies and elsewhere, a much different picture exists.
Ms. Rahman then shared a personal story- the story of her namesake. She was named by her mother after Aishah, the wife of the Prophet(s). Aishah was a scholar, a teacher, a military leader, and a woman who challenged the Prophet (PBUH) and was also romantic with him. She was full of life, had a steady marriage, and depended on him. She was, in every way, a complete human being, and notions of gender and female suppression did not determine the quality of her life.
Similar to Aisha came the stories of Shifa, a woman who was appointed to the position of comptroller within her society. The Prophet’s first wife Khadija, who was older than him, wealthier than him, employed him as a merchant for her business, and proposed to him. There were countless other stories, explained Ms. Rahman, which paint a very different picture about the “role” of women within society, than the ones modern society dictates.
KARAMAH is dedicated to education and social change from within the context of the faith. We draw strength and inspiration from the stories of powerful women in Islamic history and we aim at reclaiming rights and privileges afforded to Muslim women in the Qur’an and the Sunnah. Through our scholarship, advocacy, and various educational programs, and notably the Law and Leadership Summer Program, we train strong, educated, and empowered women leaders to strengthen their societies and elevate their voices.
EN 
AR