Women tend to be a hot subject all over the world, especially in the Muslim community. We're told to wear hijab, but get told to take it off if we wear it incorrectly. We’re told to stay home and pray even though it is our right to enter a masjid if we please. With all of these prejudgements and mixture of emotions applied to us, it is especially important to be true to ourselves and strive for excellence regardless of any barriers. This is why the role of Muslim women in community leadership is so crucial for female Muslims young and old. Maintaining female connections and leadership roles allows us to embrace not just ourselves, but our religious duty. Leadership roles allow us to protect and guide women just as the Prophet (PBUH) wanted; hence, guidance is protection. Women are allowed to be leaders while being mothers at the same time. We can be the CEO of a company while still staying in tune with our roles as a woman. From these two perspectives, it is clear that women can be leaders in any aspect of life, and yes, even while being Muslim. Therefore, we should stay connected with others in our community and be confident enough to meet other women, host halaqas, or even start girl clubs to stay in tune with the leader within us all. Here are just a few ways to commit to your role as a woman in community leadership…
There are plenty of events for muslim women to attend whether it's at the masjid or non profit groups. Sabaya Club, located in Southern California, is a great way to meet other muslims while doing fun workshops and listening to informative halaqas. I recently attended one about marriage and learned so much from it in just one hour while enjoying delicious food from their potluck.
Yes, staying home is relaxing and comfortable, but sometimes we need to step out of our bubble and meet other people to stay connected. Connecting with others is a form of networking and you never know the possibilities aligned for you just by knowing someone!
If we walk around with low self esteem or feeling ashamed about who we are, we won't be able to reach our fullest potential as the leader hidden within us. Hence, do what makes you happy, maintain integrity and wish for the best of others.
Most importantly, we must do everything with the intention for Allah swt and say alhamdulillah for everything given to us, whether its an opportunity or leadership role we commit to. Without Allah swt and prayer, we can't expect to go very far in anything – especially leadership. So do everything with caution while representing Islam correctly.
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