The Leadership of a Muslimah

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ 

الرِّجَالُ قَوَّامُونَ عَلَى النِّسَاءِ بِمَا فَضَّلَ اللَّهُ بَعْضَهُمْ عَلَى بَعْضٍ وَبِمَا أَنْفَقُوا مِنْ أَمْوَالِهِمْ فَالصَّالِحَاتُ قَانِتَاتٌ حَافِظَاتٌ لِلْغَيْبِ بِمَا حَفِظَ اللَّهُ وَاللاتِي تَخَافُونَ نُشُوزَهُنَّ فَعِظُوهُنَّ وَاهْجُرُوهُنَّ فِي الْمَضَاجِعِ وَاضْرِبُوهُنَّ فَإِنْ أَطَعْنَكُمْ فَلا تَبْغُوا عَلَيْهِنَّ سَبِيلا إِنَّ اللَّهَ كَانَ عَلِيًّا كَبِيرًا (٣٤)

"Men are qawwamun [protectors] to women, according to what God has favoured some over others and according to what they spend from their wealth. Righteous women are qanitat, guarding the unseen according to what God has guarded. Those [women] whose nushuz you fear, admonish them, and abandon them in bed, and strike them. If they obey you, do not pursue a strategy against them. Indeed, God is Exalted, Great."
[Quran Kareem 4:34]

In the verse above, it depicts clearly that man has some form of authority over woman but in a manner that benefits woman. Women when accompanied with a man of the faith have a protector on their side in terms of finance and mental stability. They won't be worried much about what would happen to them; physical, mental or spiritual abuse. Hence, does it prohibit women to take up leadership posts? When Allah has said in general that anyone, man or woman is elected to become a leader of the very least him/herself:

وَإِذْ قَالَ رَبُّكَ لِلْمَلائِكَةِ إِنِّي جَاعِلٌ فِي الأرْضِ خَلِيفَةً قَالُوا أَتَجْعَلُ فِيهَا مَنْ يُفْسِدُ فِيهَا وَيَسْفِكُ الدِّمَاءَ وَنَحْنُ نُسَبِّحُ بِحَمْدِكَ وَنُقَدِّسُ لَكَ قَالَ إِنِّي أَعْلَمُ مَا لا تَعْلَمُونَ (٣٠)

Behold, Thy Lord said to the angels: "I will create a vicegerent on earth." They said: "Wilt Thou place therein one who will make mischief therein and shed blood?- whilst we do celebrate Thy praises and glorify Thy holy (name)?" He said: "I know what ye know not."

[Al-Baqarah 2:30]

It is true that the previous verse that I mentioned oversees an authority that man has over woman, but that doesn't mean that women cannot lead among themselves or partly any level below men. Men will always be the alpha male, but that doesn't mean that the women cannot be the deputy, an advisor and companion to the head honcho. The Muslimah can exhibit a form of leadership to other women and men under the supervision of the head Muslim. She'll never make the ultimatum but has a significant contribution in it.

This era of today needs the Muslimah to stand out of the crowd in a manner that she'll be a qudwah hasanah, or role model, to other Muslimah. The global world has become borderless in a way that exudes negative impact to the ummah of today. It's not that the West's fault that they have trends and fashion spreading worldwide but it's ours, the ummah of Islam for not filtering it in accordance of the Quran and the Sunnah, but it also doesn't mean that the Muslimah are constricted entirely to long veils and abayas but they are limited what covers their bodies loosely in a way that is not sexually appealing to men. Hence, they need an example, a model of how they should become in terms of clothing, akhlaq and posture that they need to gain to be the better Muslimah.

A fine example is from the Ummul Mu'minin Aishah RA. She was the youngest wife of the Rasulullah SAW and being the closest to him at such a young age taught her things that no other Muslim or Muslimah had access at the time. She then became the a scholar and was the one whom reported the most Ahadeeth of the Rasul SAW hence becoming a very important point of reference to the ummah of her time. Another is during the Battle of the Camel which was a civil war. She led the charge against Ali KRMW during the battle. These examples show that a Muslimah can be a leader to a Muslim ummah when she is fit and capable during times of need where there no eligible Muslim leaders competent enough for the job.

However today, particularly for ultra-conservertist Muslims, they tend to 'hide' their Muslimah of fear that they should not be in public whereas they deserve to receive an equal of opportunity to find and have an identity of their own after receiving education and opened to rights that they deserve in accordance to Islam. Each Muslimah has a unique identity as each person is unique but with reference to the same source; the akhlaq and words of the Messenger SAW. They will become a qudwah hasanah to the Muslimah that is strikingly individual but in the same spectrum of a proper, down-to-earth, polite and pious woman.

The sad thing is when these kind of role models emerge to become the saviour of the ummah, they, the ultra-conservatists, will come and whisper that they should suppress themselves and is improper for them to voice out and speak up what is right and wrong. If the those ultra-conservatist Muslims have done it and is listened to, then they have full right to say so but if not and it was time for the Muslimah to take the reigns for a short while then they should support the cause and not hinder it as both seek the same end-game; a better ummah.

What we need now is to support any form of leadership or effort that progresses the ummah to become better and more in line to what Allah has decreed. Have an open mind that is contemporary and in-tune to the modern world and its change of face. In history, nothing changes really, as history always repeats itself but in different faces. So what was then faced in the time of Rasulullah SAW is actually the same as in the time of today but with different situations. What was then the best marketing spot are the markets, now it's YouTube. What was then the best orators of Islam are those who are lingually proficient of poetry, now it's people who can knock logic into the heads of atheists.

My final words are to leaders of the Muslimah;
As weak as you are seen, as incapable as you are perceived, do not stop when the words of discouragement befall on you. They are your motivation because they are not strong as you are to be fighting in the front line for the same cause even as they possess greater strength and greater leadership. This is what makes a woman stronger than a man when she gains strength to do things that a man should be doing because the situation calls for it. Remember, it was a woman who gave birth to the leaders of man, and cared for him day and night for him to become the Khalifah of the Ummah. Individually men and women are unique, but both complete one another for the sake of the faith we all have in our hearts.