My father was Munther Hamdouna. He was a tailor. I am convinced he is watching us from afar and will always be a part of my journey.

PA spreads incoherent propaganda about armed resistance in the camps.

I had been forcibly displaced from Gaza by the Israeli genocide, but it seemed that life outside of Gaza carried on, with little thought for the boycott.

Our defiance, our survival, our resistance all speak to a deeper truth – that life, in all its pain and beauty, is worth defending.

A Jordanian psychiatrist is trying to relieve depression.

Decoloniality is a trendy term that trickled down from the ivory towers of academia and has made its way into Muslamic circles – but should Muslims really be jumping on that bandwagon?

Zainab bint Younus asks Muhammad Saad Yacoob about the difference between decoloniality and anti-coloniality, Islamic intellectual tradition around resistance and revolution, and what the average Muslim can do to change of the Ummah. (This episode also features plenty of fascinating side quests, including the history of gunpowder and Imam al-Ghazali and the depth of Greek influence on Muslim thought outside of philosophy!)

Tune into this episode for a deep discussion that unravels assumptions around Muslims and decoloniality.

M. Saad Yacoob is a student of knowledge, an aspiring writer, and poet. Saad has a Bachelor’s in English from George Mason University and a PhD Student in Arabic and Islamic Studies at Georgetown University.

Related:

The Tolling Bell Of Revolution – Why The World Needs Allamah Muhammad Iqbal Now More Than Ever

Then The Sea Split: Reflections On The Story Of Prophet Musa, Gaza, And Hope

The post Islam, Decoloniality, and Allamah Iqbal on Revolution appeared first on MuslimMatters.org.

Dublin hosts bonds that finance genocide.

Israeli soldiers demanded that a severely injured young woman stand up and walk.

Introduction

All praise is due to Allah, the Just, the all-Hearing, the Ever-Watchful, and peace and blessings be upon our beloved Messenger Muhammad ﷺ and his blessed family and companions.

The following is a paper formally written by the Female Scholars Network, a group of over 100 female Islamic scholars, teachers, and daa’iyyas across Canada, the United States of America, the United Kingdom, Australia, Malaysia and elsewhere around the world.

We condemn the ongoing issue of abuse within religious spaces, which has permeated all communities for far too long. We also stand firmly in support of victims of all forms of abuse in their quest for justice and truth, and in awe of their strength and courage as they go through the painful journey of healing and recovery.

As Muslims, we aspire to be grounded in a foundation of taqwa, knowing that Allah will hold us all to account for how we choose to behave in the face of this evil. We are also grounded in a foundation of justice against dhulm (oppression)1 2; which includes holding one another to account. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ reminded us that “A believer is the mirror of his brother. When he sees a fault in it, he should correct it.”3 

Most importantly, we are grounded in the knowledge that we must take account of ourselves before we are collectively held accountable on the Day of Judgement, and that those of us in positions of leadership will be questioned about our leadership.4

While abuse is a universal human problem not specific to any race, religion, or culture, as Muslims we have a religious obligation to look within our ummah and to “command the good and forbid evil.”5 As a Muslim community, it is our sacred duty to protect the vulnerable, offer support to the victims, and ensure that they receive care, compassion, and justice. The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said:

مَنْ رَأَى مِنْكُمْ مُنْكَرًا فَلْيُغَيِّرْهُ بِيَدِهِ فَإِنْ لَمْ يَسْتَطِعْ فَبِلِسَانِهِ فَإِنْ لَمْ يَسْتَطِعْ فَبِقَلْبِهِ وَذَلِكَ أَضْعَفُ الْإِيمَانِ

“Whoever among you sees an injustice, let him change it with his hand; if he is unable to do so, then with his tongue; if he is unable to do so, then with his heart; and that is the weakest level of faith“ [Sahih Muslim].

The principles and objectives of Islamic law (maqasid ash-shari’ah) guide us to speak out against harm and to prevent it where possible: 

• Maxim: La darara wa la diraar (No harm should be inflicted nor reciprocated).6
• Maxim: Dar’ al mafasid muqaddam ‘ala jalb al masalih (Prevention of harm is given precedence over pursuing benefit).7

Additionally, we wish to remind the community that addressing spiritual abuse is not a “women’s issue” or a way to attack men; rather, victims of abuse include boys and men, and perpetrators include women. In this matter, as in all matters, we remember Allah’s words: {The believing men and believing women are allies of one another. They enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong…} (Qur’an 9:71)

We must thus stand with those who have been wronged, provide them with a safe space for healing, and work together to prevent further harm. Our obligation goes beyond speaking out against abuse; we must provide resources and support to help navigate a path to healing, and work to prevent future abuse at a grassroots level.

It is in this spirit that we write this paper.

What Is Spiritual Abuse?

Spiritual abuse refers to the misuse of religious knowledge, authority, or position to control, manipulate, or harm individuals or groups.8 It involves exploiting religious influence to dominate others, often leading to emotional, psychological, physical, financial, or even sexual harm.9 Such abuse undermines the victim’s autonomy, manipulates their faith, and maintains control, either using religious beliefs or by simply exploiting the power dynamics within the relationship. Whether through emotional, financial, physical, or sexual exploitation, this form of abuse operates by eroding trust, distorting religious teachings, and isolating the victim from sources of support. Whilst we are aware that the term ‘spiritual abuse’ may be used with different intended meanings, the definition above is widely accepted by professionals in the field and will be our intended meaning when using the term henceforth. 

Spiritual abuse not only harms the well-being of individuals but can also severely impact a person’s relationship with Allah, their faith, and their future.10 The most significant and distinct harm created by spiritual abuse is that the perpetrator explicitly or implicitly places themselves in the position of Allahﷻ or as an intermediary to Him within the life of another person, thereby distorting the victim’s relationship with their faith altogether. Therefore, the heinousness of this crime cannot be overstated.

The consequences of spiritual abuse in our families, our communities, and our societies at large are simply too grave to ignore.11 Spiritual abuse is not a matter of one-off scandals we hear about within the larger Muslim community, but a chronic, festering disease that harms everyone. Criminal actions such as grooming, sexual assault of women, and child sexual abuse must be investigated to  identify factors that enable the abuse, with an eye toward building strategies for prevention.

The Fallibility of Scholars

The most important principle of our deen is that of tawheed. One of the main objectives of Islam was to eradicate intermediaries between people and God. The Makkans had several idols as intermediaries, while the Christians, through the practice of confession, turned to their priests and popes as intermediaries between them and God. They also held the belief that some figures were infallible. Islam eradicated this ideology of intermediaries to allow each individual to have a personal and individual relationship with Allah, with no need for any priest or idol to pray on their behalf. 

Scholars and righteous people are an integral part of our deen; many assist people on their journey to Allah, offering crucial insight and naseeha (advice). Respect for our scholars, righteous people, and elders is a part of our tradition, and having access to scholars to assist a person on their journey to Allah is a great blessing. This respect, however, is not without its limits, and there should be absolutely no adherence to the words of a scholar where he or she contradicts the guidelines given by Allah and His Messenger ﷺ. 

There have been many cases of spiritual abuse in the Muslim community involving those in clerical positions. Keeping in mind that we do not believe in the infallibility of scholars, we must emphasize that no scholar or pious person should be held equal to Allah. No scholar has special access to worshiping Allah in a way that other believers are excluded from, nor should they be positioning themselves in this manner.

Individuals who position themselves in this manner must be identified and held to account, whether by legal authorities and/or by the community (when applicable). Where individuals hold positions of responsibility towards communities and individuals, such vigilance becomes even more critical. Communities should ensure that there is no glorification of teachers as though they are sinless or somehow above reproach, as this paves the way for predatory people to gain an easy following. Time and time again, we have seen Muslims in positions of power completely destroy the lives of those they were meant to protect12.

Who Are the Abusers? 

Anyone can exploit a situation where they hold some power over another person. Abuse is not limited to a particular gender, age group, profession or level of knowledge. It is often a combination of personal and contextual circumstances that allow for abuse to occur in the first place and then continue unabated.

Abuse more likely occurs if the context facilitates opportunities for abuse. This usually means that the abuser has easy access to vulnerable individuals, that there are few accountability structures in place, and that the abuser’s harmful actions are overlooked by others. Abusers may also instill fear in the victim or manipulate them into thinking that the abuse is normal and that they should not speak out or that they have no avenue to seek help. 

Predators often engage in commonly identified grooming tactics with both adult and child victims such as giving gifts, the over-praising of physical attributes, claiming God will be pleased with them if they unreservedly listen to the person being abusive, and rewarding the victim for their compliance. These behaviors are red flags that parents and leaders need to be vigilant about. Abusers may also make direct threats to victims’ dunya and akhira, such as telling victims that God will be displeased with them if they refuse to comply or if they tell anyone, or that the abuser will tell people things that would make the victim feel ashamed if others were to know. 

Major red flags also include encouraging the victim to keep secrets and not tell anyone else what is happening, communicating with the victim in private in person or online or both, and hiding their actions from the general public. Very often victims are made to feel like they are making a mutual decision and complying with the abusers requests of their own volition. However, the reality is often more complex as they may not realize they have been groomed. They may have been led to believe that they have a ‘special relationship’ with the abuser.

Some signs of abuse can be very clear. These include cases where a perpetrator asks someone to carry out haram actions, sometimes justifying them within a religious context, or when they demand total obedience, promising that it will bring the victim closer to Allah, or when they control many of the victims’ everyday religious and personal decisions. Abuse itself is often hidden, which means that we should look out for misconduct and signs of abuse and use these to question behaviours13 for all staff and a strong safeguarding policy should be enforced with consequences for misconduct. Institutions should appoint a designated safeguarding lead to whom any unsafe behaviours and potential issues can be reported.

All safeguarding policies should include Islamic guidelines on khalwah, interactions with minors, private communications, and a blanket prohibition on communication outside of official platforms. 

Those in positions of leadership, whether as religious figures or masjid/institution board members, must demand that any organizations that they work for or with have safeguarding policies developed and enforced14.

In order to prevent offenders from moving from community to community wreaking havoc, masajid, institutions, and organisations, which all have a clear obligation to protect others from harm, must institute policies of refusing to hire anyone who has been involved in any form of abuse, anywhere, let alone those convicted of such offences.

There must be clear recruitment processes for larger institutions with the relevant safeguarding background checks15. Laws exist to prevent the employment of individuals with certain types of convictions on their records (e.g. child sexual abuse) if such employment puts them in a position to be working with vulnerable demographics. Religious organizations must consider themselves akin to social services organizations and comply with these laws, given that masajid and other religious spaces often serve as socio-spiritual resources. 

2. We call on imams, community leaders, teachers and Islamic institutes to hold predators publicly accountable through legal means. Community leaders must get professional training from accredited sources so that they can learn about mandatory reporting, signs of child abuse, and how to support victims. In turn, this knowledge should be shared with the public so that the entire community receives consistent messaging about how to deal with these matters in an Islamically ethical and appropriate manner. There must be due processes within institutions to receive and thoroughly investigate complaints and to hold predators accountable. Institutions must ensure that these processes for reporting and investigation are made well-known. To avoid corrupt or perfunctory investigations, these complaints should ideally be dealt with by a designated external body. We thus call upon community leaders to establish such a regulating body.

This work has already begun at some masajid and Islamic organizations; existing structures of accountability can be further researched and serve as sources of inspiration for building effective systems for use in the Muslim community. 

​​In addition to internal processes, institutions should not hesitate to contact relevant authorities such as the police when the law has potentially been broken and individuals have been harmed.

In order to recognize abuse and implement these policies, community leaders must get professional training from accredited sources so that they can learn about mandatory reporting, signs of child abuse, and how to support victims. In turn, this knowledge should be shared with the public so that the entire community receives consistent messaging about how to deal with these matters in an Islamically ethical and appropriate manner. 3. We call on imams, community leaders, teachers and Islamic institutes to prioritise discussions around spiritual abuse.

An educated community is a safer community. Discussions about healthy dynamics and signs of abuse need to happen often—and long before a crisis strikes. We need to build a culture of safety by discussing abuse in our communities and how to ensure it is prevented. Leaders need to run regular programs about spiritual abuse and talk about it in khutbahs and halaqas. 

Furthermore, when instances of abuse occur, these must be acknowledged and addressed publicly. Silence not only protects the abuser, but also fails to offer justice and support to the victim. We will be accountable if we are silent. Discussions should take place within institutions between all the concerned parties and must directly address the dhulm (oppression) and sinfulness of the crime. 

In addition to internal discussions, written communication to the community affected, together with communal addresses, needs to take place. The focus must remain on the incident, in order to create awareness and protect victims and potential victims, rather than shifting blame with distracting discussions on gender wars and feminism. 

Additionally, leaders should not ignore behaviors that do not fall under criminality, but are Islamically unlawful. These often involve exploitation of a position of power, such as secret marriages16, pressuring minors into marriage (in countries or states where there are no laws against minors marrying), taking advantage of convert women by not safeguarding their Islamic rights, and exploiting one’s position as spiritual leader/counselor to gain personal access to vulnerable women. 

4. We call on imams, community leaders, teachers, and Islamic institutes to establish structures that support victims and survivors.

Too many survivors of abuse are ashamed to seek help because of the pervasive culture of victim-blaming. This must change. Community leaders must model trust in and compassion for victims of abuse. In discussions of sexual abuse (especially child sexual abuse), suggestions of segregation or hijab17 as the solution to abuse must not be the sole focus. Instead, institutions must uphold the sunnah of holding perpetrators accountable. 

Victim blaming in this and other ways can give rise to microaggressions and painful ostracisms at community gatherings, such as community members distancing themselves from victims of abuse or spreading gossip about them. The fault always lies with the perpetrators and never with the victim. 

Demonstrating compassion for survivors includes constantly fighting against the culture of stigma and shame that surrounds abuse. Institutions should make explicitly clear that they prioritize safeguarding the community, and should ensure that the organization is a welcoming and safe space for all. Where funds are available, they should create supportive structures such as professional family counseling and support groups. Where institutions do not have the means, they should ensure that they have an internal safeguarding lead who can both support them and direct them to the relevant external support and help they need18.

Part of creating systems of support for vulnerable groups, particularly women, is ensuring that institutions employ women as resident scholars and teachers. Having women scholars as part of an institution’s framework demonstrates the community’s prioritization of women seeking knowledge in protected, safe spaces. 

However, women can at times be those who are the abusers or who perpetuate abuse. Therefore, there is a need for systems of accountability in all institutions, single-sex and otherwise, without exception. This cannot be understated.

We must also repudiate the role that some women have played in enabling the protection of abusers and perpetrating the silence of their crimes. These cycles of abuse must end, with all believers, men and women, playing active roles in supporting survivors of abuse and building preventative systems.

5. We call on imams, community leaders, teachers and Islamic institutes to provide education on building God-centered, healthy family dynamics.

With the advent of technology and social media, it is very easy to come across many different messages in relation to sex education and healthy relationships. It is therefore imperative that we teach our children and communities collectively what Allah ﷻ intended for gender dynamics and marital intimacy, with real examples of healthy relationships. This also includes education on boundaries, autonomy, and personal safety for young children and others. Such knowledge will empower individuals to better understand how to maintain personal safety from a holistic Islamic lens. This guidance is found within the Qur’an and the Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ), along with research from health professionals. 

Call to Action: The community’s role in protecting vulnerable individuals from predators: Congregation members and the wider Muslim community should make demands of their institutions and use their collective power for positive change. Engage with masajid and institutions that do have the correct procedures in place, and do not engage with, send your children to, or donate your funds to institutions that refuse to make the changes necessary to keep our communities safe. Where institutions have explicitly violated safeguarding procedures, such as concealing the abuse of a minor, it is both a legal requirement and an Islamic obligation to report these institutions to the authorities, as Muslims have an obligation to uphold the religious mandate of safety and security, according to the principle of the shari’ah:

When an obligation cannot be fulfilled without a means, then the means become obligatory.19

Whilst some are pressured not to report to authorities, we must emphasize that there is nothing wrong with doing so, and in fact, it can be obligatory to do so. No Islamic legal system exists without a government that establishes courts with the power to arrest, investigate, prosecute, and sentence those accused of crimes. Since, as minorities in many countries, Muslims do not have this, we have to depend on the governing jurisdiction to perform these functions20. Otherwise, we live in anarchy, which Islam opposes. 

As discussed above, the primary responsibility of preventing abuse falls on community leaders and institutions. However, it is important to remember that even if the precautionary measures are taken by institutions, there still may be predators who escape notice and are in a position to exploit people. For this reason, community members can take additional protective measures:

• Avoid glorifying teachers as though they are infallible, as this paves the way for predatory teachers to gain an easy following.
• Refuse private meetings or conversations. There should be no khalwah (seclusion) with teachers or students of the opposite gender, and online khalwah (private messaging) is not excluded from this. Private conversations with a scholar of the opposite gender are never acceptable, and community members must report scholars who insist on such privacy. 
• Prevent all young children from being in a state of khalwah with teachers.21 22
• Vet the environments that children are sent to, and do not assume that children will be safe just because a place is a Muslim institution.
• Remember that a scholar or religious leader should never ask you to do anything that is haram.
• Recognise red flags of abuse and bring them to the attention of leaders, authorities, and the community where necessary (see next section for more details on this).
• Look for green flags of safe Islamic leadership, such as:
  • Students being encouraged to use critical thinking skills, and to question with adab.
  • Teachers being able to say, “I don’t know” and being open to feedback and pushback
  • Leaders having good adab with everyone, especially their own families.
  • Institutions being transparent about finances, rules, and boundaries..
  • Teachers maintaining boundaries, especially in interactions with the opposite gender and with children.
  • Leaders being willing to listen to and learn from critique from community members without reacting angrily or defensively.
  • Leaders being clear about the structures of accountability that they are held to.

Too many of our elders have been secretly abused in the past, were unable to seek help, and have developed maladaptive coping mechanisms, including emotional suppression, denial, or moving away from religious practices. And hearing about recent cases of child abuse can open up old wounds23. It is never too late to get help for past instances of spiritual abuse. 

Abuse and the Misconception of Concealing the Faults of Others or Backbiting

Islam emphasizes the inherent dignity of human beings, particularly Muslims. This is why gossiping and backbiting are forbidden, and concealing people’s private sins that do not cause harm to others or the community at large is encouraged24. These are general guidelines and are not applicable to individuals committing harm against others, especially when concealing harm is going to encourage impunity and further perpetuate that harm. Rather, reporting and even publicizing may be encouraged and even mandatory, depending on the case25. 

Allah tells us in the Quran: {Allah does not like the public mention of evil except by one who has been wronged…} (4:148).

According to the mufassirin, this verse indicates that it is permissible for the one wronged to pray against the one who wronged him and report him publicly, as long as it does not entail lying26. Moreover, the wronged person is permitted to publicly speak of the harm and complain about the oppression, even saying to the people, “He is an oppressor.”27 Hence, whether one is obligated to conceal and advise privately on the one hand, or to report and/or speak about the sin or crime on the other, depends on the people harmed, the potential for future harm,  and the consequences of leaving that sin/crime unaddressed. Muslims are obligated to protect, preserve, and safeguard the religion, people’s rights, and the principle of justice.

Imam al-Nawawi stated that backbiting is permitted for a legitimate purpose, and one of these purposes is seeking counsel28. When one is seeking help in therapy and needs to talk about the abuse to heal, there is a clear benefit. The therapeutic setting is a private one between client and counselor, and comes with legal obligations, including confidentiality. A therapist cannot disclose anything a client says except in limited circumstances as required by law. A client’s purpose in engaging with a therapist is to seek healing, not to simply gossip aimlessly. Thus, it is not considered backbiting or slander for someone to discuss abuse or abusers in the context of therapy.

Similarly, seeking counsel from elders or friends would not constitute backbiting, as the intention is not to gossip but to help bring oneself out of a harmful situation. Wider conversations about abuse and how it can impact victims need to continue, as abuse grows in silence. Perpetrators use isolation as a method of control, and a victim often feels alone in what they are dealing with. This isolation, in addition to feelings of shame that may come with being a victim of abuse, makes it very difficult to recognize the abuse and seek help. The less that abuse is discussed, the easier it is for abusers to continue with their behaviors unchecked. Alongside abusers feeling emboldened by the silence, victims also self-blame in that kind of environment, believing that the abuse is their own fault, and people come to regard signs of abuse as none of their business. Speaking about abuse in community, in classes, and in families will allow more people to recognise signs of abuse and help to end the culture of shame and silence that allows it to continue harming individuals  and communities.

The Islamic Obligation to Report Abusers

{You who believe, uphold justice and bear witness to God, even if it is against yourselves, your parents, or your close relatives. Whether the person is rich or poor, God can best take care of both. Refrain from following your own desire, so that you can act justly—if you distort or neglect justice, God is fully aware of what you do.} (Qur’an 4:135)

Imam al-Nawawi recommends that cases of harm and corruption be brought to the authorities, “because concealing [the abuser] would encourage him to cause more harm and corruption, violate the prohibitions, and embolden others to do the same as him.”29 This highlights the imperative of reporting such behavior not only to restrict direct harm to victims, but also to restrict perpetrators’ access to and influence on vulnerable individuals. In some cases, making the abuser known to the community to protect people and to deter others is also crucial in preventing further harm.30 Whether the abuse should be made public knowledge depends on a range of factors and requires Muslim leadership to take this matter seriously in order to develop an understanding of when it is appropriate and necessary to divulge such information to the community.

It is an Islamic obligation for anyone who witnesses a criminal act or knows of a criminal act that took place (with evidence), to report it to the legal authorities of their region. Furthermore, it is NOT a sin for a Muslim to call the police on another Muslim if that person has committed crimes (including sexual abuse, domestic abuse, financial crimes, etc.). In non-Muslim countries, we already rely on the legal structures for every other aspect of our lives; we should not hold a double standard and only use these institutions when they benefit us personally, but rather, we must acknowledge and understand that in the absence of an Islamic legal authority, we are bound to turn to these institutions for any criminal matter, even if it is against other Muslims.

Call to Action:  We call on Muslim families to model healthy gender interactions and healthy families: 

It is imperative that we model healthy gender interactions to the next generation of young Muslim men and women, and the best example of that begins within the family home. This includes respectful interactions between spouses, between each spouse and all children, and between wider family members. Modeled behaviors should provide healthy examples of respect for each other’s views (even when not in agreement), conflict resolution skills, and healthy boundaries within families. 

For single parent homes or in the absence of a healthy father figure, there needs to be a collective effort from mahram men to act as role models to young people whenever possible. 

Where children may have been exposed to traumas, we need to consider what resources and assistance parents and caregivers may need to support that child, alongside professional consultation. Where children or adults experience mental health difficulties, rather than exclusion and ostracisation, there needs to be a collective effort to include them and provide safe spaces that are accessible, friendly and welcoming. By modelling these healthy behaviors within families, we can then extend them into our communities.

We call on Muslim men to inculcate and model futuwwa (chivalry) in the true Prophetic sense: 

The Prophet ﷺ was the best example of kind, respectful, and honorable interactions with men, women, and children. We know that there are many incredible Muslim men in our communities who seek to fulfill the Sunnah of RasulAllah in all ways. We understand that as qawwaamoon, Muslim men have an important leadership role in our communities. Brave and compassionate Muslim men who embody the characteristics of the Prophet ﷺ will hold themselves and other men accountable31. It takes a special courage to call out injustice, especially when it is family members, friends, or colleagues perpetrating the oppression.

Muslim men must also model healthy behavior for the upcoming generation of young men and women. Abuse does not happen in a vacuum, and is often repeated from generation to generation. Contrary to many assumptions however, men who were abused as children are not doomed to repeat the cycle. Both spiritual healing and external resources online and in-person are often successful at breaking these generational patterns32. We believe in the strength of Muslim men to do what is right for the Sake of Allah and to protect the Ummah, knowing that the leadership they have been entrusted with is a serious responsibility about which they will be asked on the Day of Judgement. 

We call on Muslim women to support vulnerable groups, particularly other women: 

We must acknowledge the role that women have also played in enabling the protection of abusers and perpetrating the silence of their crimes; indeed, we must recognize that even women can be abusers. This cycle must end, with Muslim women playing an active role in not just supporting survivors of abuse, but being actively involved in building preventative systems. Make space for survivors and help build them up instead of tearing them down. 

Muslim women should seek out female scholars, teachers, and students of knowledge to learn from. We need to build strong networks of Islamically educated mothers, aunties, sisters, daughters who can empower each other with sacred knowledge, as God intended through the example of the Mothers of The Believers (may Allah be pleased with them all). We must demonstrate the care and nurturing of the Ummahaat al-Mu’mineen by serving as  a source of safety and strength, empathy and resources for both our communities in general and for victims if abuse should occur.  

Conclusion

This paper is more than just a statement of condemnation; it is a call to action to community leaders and community members alike. Spiritual abuse in all its forms is a hidden disease in our Ummah—one that believing men and believing women alike have an obligation to root out. It is time for us to set up checks and balances in our community institutions, masajid, and schools to protect our most vulnerable community members. It is part and parcel of  our religious obligation to help one another by ending oppression and to enjoin good and forbid evil:

Allah’s Messenger ﷺ said, “Help your brother whether he is an oppressor or an oppressed,” A man said, “O Allah’s Messenger ﷺ! I will help him if he is oppressed, but if he is an oppressor, how shall I help him?” The Prophet ﷺ said, “By preventing him from oppressing (others), for that is how to help him.”33

It is with this spirit of standing determinedly against oppression that this paper has been issued. Standing against spiritual abuse in all its forms is a collective responsibility of both community leaders and community members alike. Part of fulfilling the Prophetic commandment of preventing an oppressor from oppressing others is an imperative to address risk factors that contribute to creating perpetrators in the first place. This is in order to protect them from sin, from harm, from their own violence, and crucially, the abuse of others.

After outlining our motivations for this paper, we started by laying out a well-accepted definition of spiritual abuse. Thereafter, we emphasized the fallibility of scholars, explaining that they are not immune to perpetuating abuse. We identified red flags associated with abusers and listed demographics vulnerable to abuse. Most importantly, we dedicated a large proportion of this paper to a call to action for all members of the Muslim community, first and foremost to its leaders, thereafter the wider community, families, men, and women. Within this section, we discussed misconceptions related to concealing sins and the Islamic obligation to report abusers. We detailed concrete steps for all members of the Muslim community to take in order to prevent abuse.

This paper is only the first step in raising awareness about the seriousness of spiritual abuse and what meaningful action our community needs to take in order to effectively deal with this disease. We pray that everyone, men and women, leaders and community members, understands the seriousness of the matter at hand and realizes that it is our communal responsibility to urgently address these issues.

May Allah make us amongst those who are sincere in our work, who seek His Pleasure above all else, who uphold the obligations of enjoining good and forbidding evil, and who are a source of benefit and safety to our brothers and sisters in this Ummah. May Allah forgive us for our shortcomings, purify us, and accept this from us, paving the way to removing abuse in our Ummah.

Download the PDF of this paper: Female Scholars Against Spiritual Abuse

Related:

Statement Against Abuse: The Female Scholars Network

Statement Against Domestic Violence: The Female Scholarship Network

1     {Indeed, Allah orders justice and good conduct and giving to relatives and forbids immorality and bad conduct and oppression. He admonishes you that perhaps you will be reminded.} (Qur’an 16:90)2    {O you who have believed, be persistently standing firm in justice, witnesses for Allah , even if it be against yourselves or parents and relatives…} (Qur’an 4:135)3    Abu Hurayra said, “A believer is the mirror of his brother. When he sees a fault in it, he should correct it.” [Al-Adab Al-Mufrad]4    Abdullah ibn Umar reported: The Messenger of Allah,ﷺ, said, “Every one of you is a shepherd and is responsible for his flock.” (Bukhari and Muslim)5    Quran 9:1126    “La darar wa la dirar” is an Islamic legal maxim that means “no harm shall be inflicted nor reciprocated”. The maxim is based on a hadith, and is close to the principle of “non-maleficence” in secular bioethics. Islam directs people to not be harmful or maleficent to others, and if one is harmed, Islam advises not to reciprocate harm. The term “darar” is a legal term that means harm, prejudice, or cruelty. For example, in marriage, darar may be grounds for divorce.7    Dar’ al-mafasid muqaddam ‘ala jalb al-masalih is an Islamic maxim that means “Prevention of harm is given precedence over pursuing benefit.” Under this maxim, warding off of evils is given preference. This maxim can be used to help resolve disputes in cases where there is a lack of direct evidence, but the risk of grave harm is present. 8    Defining Spiritual Abuse, and Why We Use The Term9    Processing Spiritual Abuse In Islam: A Comprehensive Guide For Individuals, Communities, And Organizations10    Insights into the Psychological Sequelae of Spiritual Abuse, Dr Rania Awad and Dr Tabish Riaz11    The Challenges of Leaving Spiritually Abusive Groups12    Blurred Lines: Women, “Celebrity” Shaykhs, and Spiritual Abuse13    Section 76 of the Serious Crime Act 2015 has a list of behaviours considered suspicious: Controlling or Coercive Behaviour in an Intimate or Family Relationship[/mfn]. 

Vulnerable Targets for Grooming and Exploitation: While anyone can be a target for grooming and exploitation, particular individuals are recognised as vulnerable groups at greater risk for abuse. These include: 

• Children and young adults
• Single mothers with weak or non-existent support networks
• Convert mothers, convert women in general, and new male converts
• Muslim women who are starting their journey to their deen
• Divorcees
• Women struggling to find a spouse
• Individuals who have been abused in the past
• Muslims who grew up without an understanding of religion and are reconnecting with Islam
• Those struggling with mental health challenges (diagnosed or otherwise)
• Those who are disabled and may be without strong support or protections

Children in particular are more susceptible to believing what adults tell them, especially if the adult holds a trustworthy position or is introduced to them by other trusted adults. Some may not be sure about what types of conduct are acceptable when coming from an adult, while others may not know how to seek help when an adult’s conduct toward them is obviously inappropriate. Even with guidance from parents or other adults about personal boundaries and having models of healthy relationships around them, children are especially vulnerable to being told that there are “exceptions.”

Once a person is trapped in an abusive situation, it becomes very difficult for them to find a way out. Abuse often begins as harmless affection, which may escalate very slowly and incrementally. This process is called grooming and causes the victim to let their guard down, while being manipulated to not realize that they are in fact victims.

People rely on the help and support of religious leaders, and they should be able to do so safely without the risk or fear of any exploitation. Mosques and Islamic organisations must be cognizant of the vulnerability of the above-mentioned groups and provide them with referrals to appropriate local support where necessary (such as Muhsen in the US and Solace in the UK). Even when such organizations do not exist specifically to address abuse, the built-in support systems that they do provide function as a protective measure.

A Call To Action: We call on imams, community leaders, teachers, and Islamic institutes to:

• Implement safeguarding measures to protect all staff, students, and community members

• Hold predators publicly accountable through legal means and internal policies

• Prioritise discussions around spiritual abuse

• Establish structures that support victims and survivors

1. Provide education on building God-centered healthy family dynamics

1. We call on imams, community leaders, teachers and Islamic institutes to actively safeguard staff, students, and the wider community.  We must take precautionary measures to prevent abuse and to set up a culture of safe leadership. There should be safeguarding training13. Such trainings are available through existing organizations, such as the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (UK), although there exists a need for further trainings to be developed in the context of religious leadership14    Ensuring The Safety Of Our Communities: A Call For Immediate Corrective Action From American Muslim Organizations15     In the UK, a DBS check could flag up such convictions, although this obviously does not account for potential perpetrators. In countries like Canada, a Criminal Record Check will flag prior convictions as well.16    On Secret Marriages | Dr Shaykh Mohammad Akram Nadwi17    Hijab and segregation have a place in larger discussions of societal well-being and protective measures, but can never be seen as the sole solution in cases of abuse.18    Guide to support options for abuse19    Maa laa yatimm al-waajib illa bihi fa huwa waajib20    We are aware that our legal and political institutions are compromised by racism and Islamophobia as well as other issues, but given the lack of an Islamic ruling body or any other avenues of legal authority, we must recognize that we still have to rely on them for cases of abuse, just as we rely on them for other legal matters.21     Imam an-Nawawi writes: Likewise, it is forbidden for a man to look at a beardless youth if he has a handsome appearance, whether he looks with passion or not, whether he is safe from temptation or he fears it. Sharḥ al-Nawawī ‘alá Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, 4:31 #33822    Preventing khalwah can include keeping classroom doors open, using security cameras, and other methods.23    Dear Resilient Soul… – A Message To Survivors Of Childhood Sexual Trauma24    The Prophet ﷺ said, “Whoever conceals the fault of a Muslim in this world, Allah will conceal his faults in this world and in the Hereafter. Allah will help a person so long as he is helping his brother.” (Muslim). The Prophet ﷺ also explained backbiting and slander for us, defining the former as, “Saying something about your brother that he dislikes.” It was said, “What if what I say about my brother is true?” He said, “If what you say is true then you have backbited about him, and if it is not true, then you have slandered him.” [Muslim]25    Shaykh Ibn Uthaymeen emphasized that, “Concealing the sin of a person may be an ordainment and praiseworthy, and it may be forbidden.” He further explained that, “What is meant by concealment is concealing the fault, but concealment cannot be praiseworthy unless it serves an interest and does not lead to any negative consequences. 26    Tafir al-Sa’di, and Tahir bin Ashur, al-Tahrir wal-Tanwir27    Tahir bin Ashur, al-Tahrir wal-Tanwir28    Imam al-Nawawi cites seeking an answer from a Mufti. See: Riyad al-Salihin; see also: “Discussing Intimate Details in Therapy Sessions” (Seekers Guidance)29    Imam al-Nawawi, Sharh Sahih Muslim30    The Maliki scholar Abu Abbas al-Qurtubi stated about such a person that it would be obligatory to report them, punish them, and “make it public so that others like him will be deterred” citing the fact that refraining from doing so, among other things, may violate people’s rights. 31    Narrated ‘Aisha: The Quraish people became very worried about the Makhzumiya lady who had committed theft. They said, “Nobody can speak (in favor of the lady) to Allah’s Apostle and nobody dares do that except Usama who is the favorite of Allah’s Apostle. ” When Usama spoke to Allah’s Apostle about that matter, Allah’s Apostle said, “Do you intercede (with me) to violate one of the legal punishments of Allah?” Then he got up and addressed the people, saying, “O people! The nations before you went astray because if a noble person committed theft, they used to leave him, but if a weak person among them committed theft, they used to inflict the legal punishment on him. By Allah, if Fatima, the daughter of Muhammad committed theft, Muhammad will cut off her hand!” (Sahih Bukhari, Volume 8, Book 81, Number 779)32    Khalil Center, Canadian Muslim Counseling, Ruh Care, and other Muslim mental health organizations are all examples of accessible resources. Please research for similar resources in your own locale.33    Sahih al-Bukhari

The post Addressing Abuse Amongst Muslims: A Community Call-In & Leadership Directives | The Female Scholars Network appeared first on MuslimMatters.org.

If you want advice – death is sufficient, says Muslim scholar Bediüzzaman Said Nursi. True. Every time I visit the gravesite of my sweet three-year-old Meryem, I am painfully awakened in new ways. Her love and light continue to sustain and strengthen me. She has turned into a spiritual guide of some sort and invites me into her new afterlife. Our reconfigured relationship prioritizes existential questions. More than ever, my thinking, writing, and teaching centers around marginalized topics like suffering, death and grief. To me, my dead daughter imparts the greatest lessons on life. For Muslims, the meditation on death should be ideally part and parcel of daily spiritual practice. A moderate amount of a healthy fear of death enhances the quality of life and becomes life-preserving. However, humans tend to forget as the Qur’an points out and we all can be prone to fall into a mode of avoidance or denial:

“And do not be like those who forget God, so He made them forget themselves. It is they who are truly rebellious.” [Surah Al-Hashr: 59;19]

“When trouble befalls the human being he cries out to Us, whether lying on his side, sitting, or standing, but as soon as We relieve him of his trouble he goes on his way as if he had never cried out to Us to remove his trouble. In this way the deeds of such heedless people are made attractive to them.” [Surah Yunus:10;12]

As for many, remembering death frequently has given me a greater clarity, sharper vision and more in-depth understanding of life. Death can strangely make you more alive and transform you into a better version of yourself. A reason why many thinkers concluded that life has no meaning without mortality. In that regard, three profound life-lessons in particular have stood out to me:  

1. We are all migrants

As humans we are fundamentally migratory beings. Change, mobility, movement and motion are essential to human development and flourishing. Without inner and physical activity we cease to thrive and exist. We age, reach our peak and gradually decline. Again, slowly migrating from one stage to another is intrinsic to the human experience. Death is an inescapable reality. None of us is bound to stay on this earth. The Qur’an mentions in Surah Al-‘Araf [7:172] about the primordial covenant and gathering of the souls. According to that we came from a celestial origin, “And when your Lord brought forth from the children of Adam, from their loins, their seed, and made them testify of themselves: “Am I not your Lord?” They said: “Yes, we testify.” We dwell on earth for a determined period and ultimately have to return to our final destination – our heavenly home. Yet, we pretend we can claim absolute ownership on our bodies, our loved ones, our wealth and property, and on God-given resources and territory. None of it belongs truly to us. The True Owner calls us to support and uplift one another on this universal journey, “They believe in God and the Last Day, and they enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong and hasten to good deeds. And those are among the righteous,” [Surah ‘Ali-Imran: 3;114]. Indeed we belong to God, and indeed to Him we will all return, declares the Qur’an. If I am only a guest, trustee and caretaker of this earth and all what it contains, I strive to make sure that I walk and act humbly on this planet and return everything in the best manner back to my Creator. If I am destined to leave and none of my attachments can come with me, then perhaps I should focus on leaving a spiritual imprint or moral legacy behind and use all what I have as a means to achieve this vision. 

2. Mindfulness – Life is now

The past is gone. Learn from its lessons. Tomorrow is non-existent – the future is not promised. Ruminating too much over the past, overthinking and excessive worry about the future is also wasted mental energy that we desperately need for the now. Therefore, do not cry before beaten, says Bediüzzaman again. Mortality makes us intensely aware that all what we have is this very moment. The present is truly a present – a blessing not taken for granted. Often, I go back to my last time with my daughter and I am grateful that all the important things that truly matter were said, felt and done. As I want to return in peace to my Creator, I try to be more kind to myself and others, more forgiving and ideally not to hold onto grudges. True human liberation comes with a sense of freeing oneself from destructive and harmful thoughts. The future while unknown holds also the possibility for goodness. To anticipate it with hope and good assumptions is a characteristic of a believer. To assume the best of God and trust in His Decree puts the heart at ease. Whatever He has written for you will be in your best interest.   

3. Gratitude – Focus on abundance over absence 

Meryem’s death called me to slow down, to pay more attention, to live more mindfully, to make every day count and to be more aware of my blessings. I aspire to live more consciously and more holistically by engaging all my inner and outer senses in a mode of gratitude: when I enjoy an apple or my coffee, I practice the art of noticing. I reflect on the creation, shape, smell, taste and origin of my blessing and find more wholesome delight by recognizing the love and care of my compassionate Creator. I try to respond to His Love by doing more of what He values and what really matters: cultivate deeper connection with God and the creation, maintain meaningful relationships and engage in more service to others. At the same time, I have given up on the illusion that my to-do tasks will ever be fully accomplished. The fate of the world is thankfully not on my shoulders. I do the best I can on a daily basis, but the work will not finish with me. It will continue. That perspective gives me comfort. I committed myself to a vision that focuses more on abundance and contentment instead of absence and complain.

Death is truly the greatest teacher. If we face our mortality with courage, it will enhance the quality of our lives. Whatever weighs us down or is detrimental therefore needs to go: Toxic relationships, unnecessary distractions, material clutter that overwhelms. Out Prophet Muhammad encouraged us therefore to be in this world like a traveler or a stranger. Life is a brief moment. We are bound to leave any time. This sustained remembrance of death forces us to examine what is truly essential on this journey and for our ultimate destination. 

 

Related:

– The Forgotten Sunnah Of Raising Stepchildren: Reflections On The Death Of My Stepson

– My Dearest Fetus: Enduring Unimaginable Loss

The post Death The Greatest Teacher: Three Life-Lessons From My Dead Daughter appeared first on MuslimMatters.org.

Network objected to the word "Palestine" in an internal document.

Teen murdered by PA forces was delivering food.

Minority Islamic sect associated with overthrown Assad regime waits to see how threats of revenge will play out

To prepare khubeiza, the leaves of the kale-like plant must be roughly chopped and sauteed with onions, garlic and a dash of salt. Folklore says that the recipe originated among the Alawite communities who lived in Syria’s mountainous coastline where the fibrous, wild-growing plant can be found in abundance. So poor were the Alawites during Ottoman times, the story goes, that the only food they could find to eat was khubeiza, which sprouts like a stubborn weed every spring.

When Hafez al-Assad, a member of the minority Islamic Alawite sect, seized the reins of power in 1971, he promised to lift the neglected community out of its poverty and end its hunger.

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NSW premier says vandalism aimed at particular religions is designed to incite hatred and ‘completely abhorrent’

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New South Wales police are investigating a potential hate crime after Islamophobic graffiti was painted on a busy underpass in Sydney’s west, with the premier labelling it “disgusting”.

The graffiti was spotted on Hector Street in Chester Hill overnight. Police cordoned off the road and launched an investigation on Sunday morning.

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Members of the White Helmets arrive in the Ummayad mosque in Damascus for Friday prayers

Last week the 53-year-old Assad dynasty in Syria was finally overthrown by one of the rebel militias which had broken out of Idlib, a city near the Turkish border in the north-west, two weeks or so before. This brings to an end a civil war which began at the time of the Arab Spring, 12 years ago, where mass popular demonstrations led to long-standing dictatorships in Egypt and Tunisia ending, though as we have seen since, only briefly. Bashar al-Assad and some of his close family have fled to Russia, though others have been captured and some already killed. The forces that now rule the country opened up all of Assad’s prisons when they liberated a city; the liberation of Damascus itself was accompanied by that of the infamous Sednaya prison north of the city, where people had been held in some cases for over 40 years, in one case for beating an Assad family member in an equestrian competition and in another for refusing to bomb civilians in Hama following the 1982 uprising, where some of the female prisoners had borne children after having been raped by guards and where some of the prisoners had been massacred as the rebels closed in. (The equally infamous Tadmor prison, in the desert east of Damascus, had been destroyed by ISIS in 2015.) While ordinary Syrians celebrate in the streets, overseas supporters of the Assad regime spout the usual conspiracy theories about the former rebel fighters being “al-Qa’ida”, backed by Israel or the US, or both, and accusing Muslim supporters of the revolution of being concerned only for “the supremacy of their sect” and discarding Palestine as soon as this was achieved.

Three things differentiate the fall of Assad from other recent regime changes that happened in the Arab world in the past 20 years or so. First, unlike most of the Arab Spring revolutions, Assad was defeated in a war. He did not beat a tactical political retreat, with the president resigning and allowing a free election or two while the old guard remained in positions of power, such as the top ranks of the military, the judiciary and in political parties that were allowed to contest elections. The forces that drove him out (after his former Iranian and Russian allies deserted him) are now in full control, albeit with Israel strengthening their occupation of the Golan region, and can set the conditions by which any future political parties operate. It is possible that some senior officials from the old regime that were unable to flee will be killed; given the enormity of some of their crimes, this is no bad thing. Second, unlike in Libya and, in the more distant past, Afghanistan and Somalia, it was one faction which secured the major cities in the west of the country (Kurdish factions already controlled most of the east), which makes it less likely that Syria will become a “failed state” warred over by the former rebel factions with no recognisable government. Third, the defeat of Assad was a Syrian-led affair; it was not made possible by a foreign invasion, unlike the removal of Saddam Hussain (and an invasion with no forward planning, at that).

The liberation of Syria comes in the midst of the ongoing Israeli genocide of Palestinian people in Gaza. 80% of Syrians and the vast majority of Gaza Palestinians are Muslims. In many western countries, a lot of the politicians and activists who appeared sympathetic to Muslims’ interests, and who were the most supportive of us when we were under attack here, were also sympathetic to the Assad regime because they regarded it as ‘socialist’, independent of western ‘imperialist’ domination, and anti-Zionist. (As we now know, the Syrian regime participated in the “extraordinary rendition” programme during the 2000s and tortured people on the Americans’ behalf.) Many of us joined coalitions to oppose the war on Iraq, most of us not out of sympathy for Saddam Hussain but because we did not want a Muslim country invaded by a country seeking to kill Muslims, any Muslims, in revenge for a terrorist attack in their country. We had also seen the invasion of Afghanistan which was still at war nearly two years on at that point. As time wore on, much of the “anti-war” contingent showed its true colours, openly showing its links to the Assad regime and, like Zionists now, slandering its opponents, calling them liars, terrorists or foreign agents, and denying well-documented atrocities such as massacres and chemical weapon attacks (even after Israel released some of Assad’s chemical weapons onto the streets of Damascus in a bombing raid). Many Muslims fell into the same trap, focussing on Palestine and attaching themselves to these activists who “talked the talk” about Palestine while defending other oppressive regimes in the Muslim world as long as the oppressors were Arabs and struck an “anti-western” pose, however empty. 

Others express fear that the new HTS government will turn into the Taliban. This is based only on stereotypes about Muslims and assumptions that we are all the same. Others unwittingly debunked that fear by posting footage they claimed to be of a girls’ school in Idlib where all the girls were wearing abayas and hijabs, and had their faces covered if they were older. Syria is not Afghanistan or even Pakistan; it has a high literacy rate and until the civil war produced large numbers of medics, engineers and other science/technology graduates every year, men and women, and the mothers and sisters of most of the HTS leadership would have received this education. (This is not to say there was nothing to criticise about Syrian state education; it was often militaristic and included a fair bit of propaganda, but produced a mostly literate population.) Last week in the Guardian Mona Eltahawy alleged that “the laws and lexicon of human rights do not recognise that intimate partner violence is a form of torture, because it is only what the state can do to men that is taken seriously – and what men do to women is just ‘domestic violence’”, just days after women had been released from those same prisons, some of them having given birth to children after being raped by guards, not knowing who the fathers of their children, who had been prisoners all their young lives and never seen daylight, were. Some women are sleeping in their own beds this week for the first time in years, not fearing the visit of a guard (or several), or have been reunited with husbands they had feared had been murdered, and probably starting to cook in their own kitchen again. It’s not the time for articles about women being pushed back into the kitchen after a revolution, at a time when these things are comforts, not a prison.

Because of what I knew about Assad’s regime, because I have friends who are Syrian or who are married to Syrians, I was always wary about sharing content from Assad supporters about the ongoing Gaza genocide. A lot of other Muslims are less so. Yes, they’re “good on Palestine” but often see the whole world through the prism of that one conflict; they profess to be against Islamophobia, but say nothing when Muslims are being oppressed in a Muslim country. Time and again they ask why neither HTS nor ISIS (Israeli Secret Intelligence Service, they called it) ever exchanged fire with Israel; the answer came last week, when HTS became Israel’s neighbour and the same would have been true if ISIS had ever taken Damascus. To see them mourning the overthrow of the Assad regime makes one wonder what their idea of a “free Palestine” consists of. It is not Syrians’ duty to suffer a stultifying oppressive regime in perpetuity to maintain the illusion of a “free Palestine”, or the illusion that their ruler cared about that at all, and to those who cry “free Palestine” while telling Syrians they should have carried on suffering, or denying their sufferings, I say this: a Palestine with enormous and brutal prisons like those of Assad’s Syria, with an economy geared towards enriching the ruling family and its cronies, and with state informants and thugs all over it like a rash would not be a free Palestine at all.

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Gaza resists as Syrian state collapses.