Becoming an Alimah
In the name of Allah, The Most Gracious and The Most Merciful
‘My Lord! Increase me in knowledge ’ [Holy Quran, 20: 114]
‘Allah will exalt in ranks those who believe and those who have been granted knowledge’ [Holy Quran, 58:11]
‘For whom Allah wishes good; He bestows upon him the understanding of Deen ’ [Bukhari and Muslim]
Honorable mothers, sisters, and daughters!
May Allah Bless you with a long life, noor of knowledge, good health, and happiness. The Muslim Ummah regards you as an obedient daughter, a respected sister, and a dignified woman! MashaAllah, an educated woman like yourself, in any age group, would seek more good deeds to get closure to Allah.
· [English] Advice to the Daughters
· [Urdu] Ideal Muslimah - the best in character and deeds!
Our intellect, emotions, loving hearts, creative minds, precious time, and skills are gifts from Allah, to seek the pleasure of Allah, and to become ideal human beings. That is why the best path for Muslim girls’ education is an Alimah program in addition to college and university studies.
Women are half of humanity and they make excellent contributions to society. It is obligatory on everyone to acquire the basic knowledge of Deen (religion). Educating a woman is like educating a generation. A woman with religious education helps build a noble family by protecting her own purity and dignity, respect and honor of her family, safeguarding its assets and values, and by training and raising children on healthy and positive lines.
The human heart has hidden treasures of extraordinary jewels. Becoming an Alimah sets a noble vision for your life and career, opens new doors and opportunities to do good, the ability to teach many sisters and daughters in the community, and to spread Deen to humanity. This creates a cradle of learning life-saving concepts such as happiness, time management, noble vision, purity of heart, sincerity, guiding principles for excellence in daily life, and serving humanity.
Imagine an ideal Muslimah who always remembers and seeks help from her Creator, praises Allah by her tongue, expresses gratitude for His bounties, is patient in hardships. She supplicates in all earnestness and always has good intentions. She follows the teachings of the beloved Prophet (Peace be upon him) in her outward appearance and in her manners, conduct and etiquette. Haya on her face and eyes, heart and mind filled with love and greatness of Allah, tongue busy in remembering Allah, while hands and feet are busy in helping others! She is getting rewards at every step.
The angels spread their wings under the feet of the person seeking knowledge of Deen. The animals in the jungle, the birds in the sky and the fish in the ocean pray for forgiveness for the person who goes out to learn the Deen of Allah.
When there is darkness (disobedience, sins, shamelessness) in the world, those believers who make effort to invite people to truth – inshaAllah there will be great reward for them. The blessed Prophets, pious elders and their families made so much effort so that everyone realizes the purpose of life, and gets an opportunity to make Taubah. The pious believers also made efforts on their families and neighbors to discover the sweetness of faith. In this effort, a believer is steadfast, forgiving, patient, trustworthy, kind and caring.
Here are few steps to start this beautiful journey:
Noble Vision
Motivational posters
· [Urdu] Blessed Life (Hayat e Tayyeba)
· [English] Convert Time into Gold
· [Urdu] Noble Character
Booklet [Urdu] on Blessed Life
Audio lessons
· [English] Purpose of Life and Knowledge
· [Urdu] Purpose of Life and Quran
With Istekhara, write a noble vision and devote time to achieve new dimensions of good deeds. Compile your own Duas, and increase time for Dua to get from the infinite treasures of Allah!
Preparing for Alimah studies
· Study this Short Course on Basics of Islam. Even if you are unable to study full-time, you may learn this material quickly and teach it to others.
· Learn Tajweed (pronunciation rules) and last Juz of Quran. Memorize a few Surahs of Quran. The Prophet (Sallallaho Alaihe Wasallam) said: ‘The best among you is he who learns the Quran and teaches it.’ (Bukhari)
· Observe complete Hijab - an important step to bring more Taqwa (piety) in your life. Haya is the true jewel of every sister, and the fabric and foundation of an Islamic society. A sister is regarded as a treasure, preserving her modesty and chastity. Learn the importance of Haya, protection of eyes, and protecting the honor and dignity of women.
· Read authentic basic books on Muslim daily life. It is very important to read books written by authentic scholars. Please consult a Shaykh, Imam, Alimah or scholar in your town for selection of books, and to ask questions about any doubts.
· Fulfill your faraidh and sunnahs, avoid committing sins, make Dua and recite "Rabbi zidni ilma" and "Rabbish-Rahli Sadri Wa Yassirli Amri wah lul Uqdatam-Mil-lisaani yafqahu qauli” as often as you can.
· Serve your family elders and teachers, make Dua for them and request their Duas. The Prophet (Sallallaho Alaihe Wasallam) made dua for Abdullah Ibne- Abbas (RA) ‘O Allah! Grant him the knowledge of the Book.’ (Bukhari) He became a great scholar of Quran.
· Organize your time to acquire knowledge. Clean up your schedule and remove useless activities from your daily life.
[Urdu] Making the best of your Time
[English] Time Management
Full-time Alimah studies
To become a full-time Alimah, enroll in a course in your locality, or online from a reputable institution. For advanced studies, refer to an Alimah course with Arabic grammar and intensive studies of Quran, Hadith and Fiqh.
Search for a good Darul-Uloom institution for Alimah studies program near your town. Request men in your home to find those from your masjid Imam.
Examples of online Alimah programs
FAQ about Alimah Studies
Why are we gaining this knowledge?
We are learning Deen to please Allah. It is obligatory on every male and female to acquire the basic knowledge of Deen. We should know what are Halaal and Haraam and must be able to distinguish between right and wrong.
Objectives
· To discover the purpose of life
· Find our way to Allah by constant remembrance, Dua, good intentions and Sunnah, manners, and etiquettes of daily life
· Convert time into gold! rush to do good deeds and earn millions of rewards in a short time, for Life Hereafter
· To learn the essentials of Deen in a short time
· How to become Auli’ya (friends) of Allah
· How to build an ideal human character
· How to avoid spiritual diseases of heart and bad manners, which drain our energy and lose good deeds
· Virtues of Tau’bah and Istighfar – how to avoid all types of sins
· How to resolve conflicts in daily life, with a pure heart, trustworthiness, soft manners and fulfilling everyone’s rights
Women issues involve Fiqh of Tahara (purity), Hijab, before and after-marriage situations, children, peace in family relationships, purity of heart, and preparing for life Hereafter. It is easier for women to ask questions and learn from an Alimah, who can better understand and advise on issues specific to women.
Will I get a job if I become an Alimah?
To help you decide, make a list of benefits of becoming an Alimah in this world and hereafter. Looking for job or earning is a trivial matter. Almighty Allah gives sustenance to every living creature on earth (humans, animals, fish, birds, and insects). For example, Allah gives sustenance to people who work with wood and stones - why won't Allah take care of the needs of a person studying the words of Allah? However, the intention of studying Deen should be for Allah’s pleasure only, and not for any worldly gains.
Put your trust in Allah Who has unlimited resources and Who sustains all creations. Study a few lectures (in English or Urdu)
Parents not agreeing on me studying an Alimah program?
Today, there are so many ways to study, especially online and with printed books. You may study online courses from home without traveling to an institution. Take the classes at a time without causing any inconvenience to family. When you begin study, make constant dua to Allah to soften the hearts of parents. Also, if you practice upon what you learn, they will see the benefit of it as well.
Can I just take an Arabic course and study books instead of an Alimah program?
Check to see if your institution’s Islamic studies/ Arabic course uses the traditional method of teaching and curriculum. If you took a proper Alimah course, you would be directly connected to the Prophet (Sallallaho Alaihe Wasallam) in a chain-of-narrations through your teachers, to get the sanad and nisbat to the Prophet (Sallallaho Alaihe Wasallam). InshaAllah, the noor of knowledge will increase in your heart, to gain the pleasure of Allah.
What are additional benefits of Alimah studies in middle-age or old-age ?
Authentic teachings from Quran and Sunnah refresh the heart and mind. It is one of the best uses of our time, wisdom and skills to learn and help others. It also brings happiness, love and healing for those who went through trials and difficulty in personal and family life.
Summary
Whatever Islamic knowledge we learn, we should be practical on it. Practicing what we know, will be the perfect invitation to our family members, who will watch us closely.
Loving hearts, happiness, guidance, and mercy, are all from Allah, the Eternal, All Powerful, Absolutely Just, Totally Merciful, All Loving, All Compassionate, All Gracious and All Forgiving. He is our Creator, He gives us blessings, and only He has the power to make our lives better. Ask Allah for every need - make this your habit in times of happiness or sorrow. After all, Allah is All-hearing, All-seeing.
May Allah Grant beneficial knowledge to you, steadfastness in Deen and happiness in life, the ability to convey the message of peace, the sacred and enlightened values of Islam, its rituals, and teachings for success in this life and the Hereafter, for the benefit of mankind. Ameen.
May Allah bless you with the highest vision and excellent achievements in life! Ameen.