'UK's first female imam'

Sajid Iqbal

salaam
Salma Qureshi, a computer programmer and British Muslim, tells the BBC of her ambition to become one of the UK's first female imams.
see full article:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4290960.stm

share your views

wasalaam

Forum

judda — Thu, 29 Sep 2005 - 10:55

yea about bloody time :roll:

..... but I heard that women won't allowed to lead prayers tho :?

don't get me wrong its a great idea, and more women will attend mosque....

...that lady is not the first female imam in britian, my cousin is one. 8)

we is dead modern eenit man eenit 8)

Medarris — Thu, 29 Sep 2005 - 12:07

To ALLAH do we belong and to Him is our return.

Those who support Zaki Badawi and his people would do well to note that this woman studied a his 'Muslim College' where men and women sit next to each other.

I have no time to comment on such deviation and perversion.

Sajid Iqbal — Thu, 29 Sep 2005 - 12:34

salaam

A woman can be an imaam..but it depends what her role entails.
an imam doesnt just lead the prayer.
an imam does talks, lectures, classes, tarbiyyah, motivates the public, activates the people, highlights issues that concern the community and gives solutions, can give counselling, and so forthe.
A woman scholar/imam can do that for the sisters.
The only thing she cant do is lead the prayer.

wasalaam

Mujahidah — Thu, 29 Sep 2005 - 12:36

[quote="Med"]To ALLAH do we belong and to Him is our return.

Those who support Zaki Badawi and his people would do well to note that this woman studied a his 'Muslim College' where men and women sit next to each other.

I have no time to comment on such deviation and perversion.[/quote]

Wow!!! :shock:

First time ive heard of it....May Allah (swt) by the waseela of his beloved Rasul ﷺ guide us to the rite path n protect us all.AMEEN!"

Mujahidah — Thu, 29 Sep 2005 - 12:37

[quote="TheRevivalEditor"]
The only thing she cant do is lead the prayer.

wasalaam[/quote]

I Certainly agree 🙂

judda — Thu, 29 Sep 2005 - 12:47

ma cousin leads the prayers aswell 8)

any particular reason women can't lead the prayers?

Angel — Thu, 29 Sep 2005 - 13:13

Its just basically getin women more involved which is more than required, as long as she abides by islamic ruling and doesnt follow that woman in america by leadin prayer then i think it would be an excellant idea....the involvement of woman in mosques, the community etc is very much needed.

star — Thu, 29 Sep 2005 - 13:56

im pretty sure a women can lead prayers for women only...

but unlike the men the women who is doing imaamat, has to stand inline

with the other women

Dave — Thu, 29 Sep 2005 - 15:22

I noticed that when she asked the muslim college their response was "Yes of course you can come"

It would seem that the intellectual elite, then, appear to be fully supportive of women Imams

Like the article points out there is a lot of cultural junk that gets in the way - sort of like what lilsis was talking about a while back how people confuse their backward cultures for their religions.

laila — Thu, 29 Sep 2005 - 15:51

[quote="Constantine"]Like the article points out there is a lot of cultural junk that gets in the way - sort of like what lilsis was talking about a while back how people confuse their backward cultures for their religions.[/quote]

no constantine this is not the same here we have a religious point women do not lead prayers - cultural junk would be muslims only marry their cousins

neither must we lable religious points as 'cultural junk'

*DUST* — Thu, 29 Sep 2005 - 16:36

[quote="seema*"]no constantine this is not the same here we have a religious point women do not lead prayers - cultural junk would be muslims only marry their cousins

neither must we lable religious points as 'cultural junk'[/quote]
seems i dont think this woman (Salma) intends to lead prayers though (well those including men atleast).

the arabic word 'Imaam' literally means leader, but Sunnis commonly use it to refer to the leader of congregational prayer, since the fundamental duty of an Imaam is to lead prayers. Hence if we bring it down to semantics, i dont see how a woman could literally be called 'imaam' if she is not leading congregational prayers (i doubt she'd lead prayers for women alone [b]in a mosque[/b], as the women might aswell be part of the main congregation, behind the male imaam).

However, secondary duties of an Imaam are teaching, counselling, visiting the ill, generally looking out for the Muslim community. This could definitely be carried out by a female scholar, who would be an asset to the community if she were to educate her muslim sisters, be there to answer their questions, etc.

Beast — Thu, 29 Sep 2005 - 17:06

I doubt that this particular sister wants to lead mixed congregations in prayer. No matter how 'perverted' Med thinks Zaki Badawi is, Zaki Badawi's college is not that kind of college.

If a woman is allowed to lead other women in prayer, then I don't see what the fuss is about.

*DUST* — Thu, 29 Sep 2005 - 17:11

[quote="irfghan"]I doubt that this particular sister wants to lead mixed congregations in prayer. No matter how 'perverted' Med thinks Zaki Badawi is, Zaki Badawi's college is not that kind of college.

If a woman is allowed to lead other women in prayer, then I don't see what the fuss is about.[/quote]
i agree. but this woman is unlikely to lead women regularly in Salaah, hence this cannot be classed as a 'duty' she is performing for the community, and hence she is, semantically speaking, not an 'imaam'. :?

MuslimSisLilSis — Thu, 29 Sep 2005 - 17:22

first someone needs to define "Imam"

and i also think that other then lead prayer a woman can do everything

and if SOME backwards men never held women back in mosques in the first place-we wouldnt have come to this

Beast — Thu, 29 Sep 2005 - 17:29

[quote="yashmaki"]If the bbc article is suggesting this sister is going to be an imam and lead mixed prayers as male imams already do and have done so since the birth of islam, then i'm vehemently against it.

P.S i hate feminists they take the issue of womens rights to the extreme down with them! lol[/quote]

Where does the BBC article suggest this?

I'm sure it doesn't.

Beast — Thu, 29 Sep 2005 - 18:39

[quote="yashmaki"]Brother Irf I said "if". It definately suggests/implies it. The BBC pride themselves in being a professional organisation I'm sure they know what the word Imam means. The article was written to outrage and anger muslims who follow orthodox Islam, but you can't see that.

What's the purpose of the article to give muslims glad tidings of another new imam? We already have plenty of them. They're focussing on it like vultures do with a clear agenda![/quote]

I really don't see it like that.

I don't see how this article is an attack on orthodox Islam.

Anyone who is outraged by it prob doesn't understand the issue.

Criticism of the use of the word 'imam' is understandable. But then what is an 'imam'?

Questioning the slant of the article is not relavent here.

And please, it's brother Irfan. Not brother Irf.

Omrow — Thu, 29 Sep 2005 - 18:59

Salam

I don't mind women doing anything to me. Except, ofcourse, to drive me around.

Only mice accept this.

Omrow

You — Thu, 29 Sep 2005 - 19:22

[quote="Mujahidah"][quote="TheRevivalEditor"]
The only thing she cant do is lead the prayer.

wasalaam[/quote]

I Certainly agree :)[/quote]

Women canot lead a mixed congregation in prayer.

If it is only women, they can.

But if this was about that, it would not be here, as women have done that in the past without any controversy.

I take it she wants to lead a mixed congregation?

If it means as a religious teacher, no probs, as long as she goes along Islamic guidelines.

She has studied Islam, so i would not expect to break them if she is taking the role of teacher etc...

Beast — Thu, 29 Sep 2005 - 22:15

Pernickety. That's a nice word.

When prefixed by 'brother', I prefer 'Irfan'.

Otherwise Irf is fine.

Fred or granpa are not fine :evil: