Exclusive Interview of Imam Elahi

Imam Elahi is currently the Director of the Daral Hikma, or, Islamic House of Wisdom, where he continues the work which he began at the Islamic Center of America (ICA), Detroit, Michigan. In this interveiw, he discusses specifically the role of women in the Islamic resurgence and the relationship of the youth to their elders and leaders.

Q: It seems that the Islam's historical focus has been mostly on men, but after the Islamic revolution in Iran, and all over ummah, emphasis has also been placed on woman's role in society, not just in the home. How can the Muslim women play positive role in this insurgence?

Imam Elahi: We know that Islam was the first religion to bring emancipation and liberation to women, fourteen centuries before it happened in the West. When you compare the position of women now in the West with a century ago you see that everything is new: liberation, voting, work, speeches, activities. . . all are new. Until 1917 women had no right to vote in the America. In the century preceding, some scientists and psychologists had a totally misogynistic view of women.

Q: In fact, in Switzerland, women didn't have the vote until 1971.

E: Oh God! This shows liberation in the West is a new phenomenon. We don't know what's going to happen next: it was different one hundred years ago, and one hundred years from now it might again be different. Who knows, maybe they'll go back to a more traditional arrangement.

Q: Of course, the idea of liberation in the West is very different from that of Islam's. That is to say, it seems like women in the West want to have freedom to be enslaved by egotism and materialism. They want to be objectified and prostituted by a consumeristic society. But that's not case in Islam, is it? E: Not at all. Now in the West [women] want to be happy, and equal with men both inside and out of house. After the feminist movement and sexual revolution they got their "liberation" but the question is, 'Are they satisfied?' Or is there more stress, dissatisfaction and depression. Even now, there is no absolute equality in the West. We haven't seen a women in the White house.

Q: Yes, even Britain and the Philippines have had female prime ministers but people laugh at the idea of having a female president here in America.

E: In the government and with many key non-governmental jobs great inequalities exist between men and women here in America. So we can say that even here this "equality" has not been achieved. And practically it can't be achieved because if we consider the importance of family and the responsibilities involved in raising children, we must conclude that someone needs to care for them. And if both parents want to be involved in full-time demanding jobs, who will take care of the children? When it comes to choosing, you would chose the mother. So we see that absolute equality in numbers and responsibilities inside and outside the house cannot be achieved without endangering the welfare of the children, the family, and ultimately society, because families are the basis of society, and their children are its future.

In Islam as a matter of fact, there is real freedom for women: Take Seyyeda Fatima (A) and Seyyeda Zainab (A) for example: they used to speak in public, in that day and age. If you look in the Bible, it says that women are not suppose to speak in the Church [cf. I Corinthians, 14:34-35]. Fourteen centuries ago these two noble women would speak in public. They even participated in jihad. They had nursing responsibilities for the mujahedin (the strugglers in the way of Allah), and yet they did it with dignity and modesty-- with a sort of hejab.

Q: If they wanted to participate in public life, they strove to do so with modesty and discretion.

E: That's right. And this is where the question of hejab comes in.

Q: Exactly. Some people say that Islam is not able to face modernism and maintain its orthodoxy. One of the things which they point to is hejab. Do you see it as an outdated practice in Islam?

E: First of all, in both Judaism and Christianity as well as other traditional societies hejab is found [c.f. I Corinthians 11:4-6 and Timothy 2:9]. So we can say that it is not just an isolated religious injunction, it has a social role in many traditional societies. There are 5 verses in the Quran referring to hejab, and this is the commandment of Allah. Hejab simply is a command to modest clothing and behavior, not as a veiling or a form of subjugation. In Islam, we don't view hejab as an obstacle to the progress, work, or education of women.

As you mentioned, in the Islamic Republic of Iran, women are with hejab and hold many important positions: they are in the universities, the seminary, government ministries, hospitals, factories, mass media. . . they are everywhere and work very hard, and still they wear hejab. Yet it does not hold them back. When we look at it from an Islamic point of view, hejab is a symbol of an Islamic front [against corruption]. Women with hejab are showing that they are on the front, preserving their modesty. It also shows that they are guarding the well-being of their families and society and participating in the jihad al-akbar (greater jihad) against the base elements of the self. And we know that women have the stronger and better role to play in preserving society. They do it with hejab, and it is their shield.

This goes back to what we were saying earlier about the importance of the women in being the primary caregiver for the children. Islam is a simple religion, but it's not simplistic in its outlook. We neither say to women: You must stay in the house and not participate in society, nor, Go out and work and do everything that a man does and forget about your children and forget about your modesty. No, we say: Participate in society if you wish, but don't jeopardize the happiness and welfare of your family or your modesty. The priority, of course, is the family. And women's role is to civilize the society by civilizing and teaching the children. Actually, we are giving women a great responsibility and role. It is a great mistake to say to a women that if she is not working outside the home, then she is not working. So we see that in reality, Islam encourages and wants, and when we say Islam we really mean Allah, women to put the kids and caring for the family first. But if they have more time, and working outside the house does not contradict the interest of family, it is not a problem.

Q: What type of relationship can the Muslim youth, brothers and sisters, have with each other which is healthy and productive, if any?

E: Brothers and sisters need not be absolutely segregated in Islam. They can work together in a healthy, positive atmospheres like that of the mosque to achieve great things. They can work together to set up Islamic groups at their high schools and colleges and for the purpose of dawa (invitation to Islam). Of course we don't have dating among the youth in Islam. The atmosphere is key.

You had asked earlier about the role of the youth in the mosque. I really believe that we have to give the youth a chance to shine and show themselves and their worth. Of course, when we take about the youth, we should not forget that we are always in need of the consultation and wisdom of our elders. When the elders offer advice in the interest of the youth, they should accept it. The youth should be sincere in their relationship with their leader. When the leader has made a decision, they should accept it and follow it, because if they agree with the direction that their leaders are taking them, they should accept [a particular decision], even if it doesn't make sense to them at the moment.

The new movement which we have started here at the Islamic House of Wisdom is a good example of how not just the youth, but everyone can be involved. We have many dedicated people working here to bring the community world famous speakers like Dr. Sachedinna during Moharram services, summer classes for the youth about the Arabic language and Islam as well as many other programs. But we can't sit back and let someone else take care of all the responsibilities. We are open to everyone's input and suggestions, and we are particularly open to their participation.

Q: Many people say that they don't have enough time to help out at the mosque. What would you say to them?

E: We are not asking people to dedicate their lives to the center. All we are talking about is one hour a week. If even that is too much for some people, coming half an hour early or staying half an hour after a program to help set up or clean up helps. The mosque is truly the only place where your "paycheck", your hasana (good deeds) comes in this life and the hereafter. You work in the way of Allah, and you gain knowledge at the same time.

We have a sister's committee which is very committed and active. Women who are interested in being more active in their religion can be in contact with them and help out. We have a youth group which plans summer outings and arranges our Friday night seminars. And of course, there is Friday prayer and Du'a Komail on Thursday nights. . . there are really many ways that people can be involved. So you see that when we talk about the Islamic insurgence and the participation of all Muslims in strengthening Islam, it is not in the theoretical. It is really a practical issue.

Q: What if someone doesn't have the time or ability to contribute to the Islamic movement with their person? What can they do to help?

E: They can help strengthen our movements through financial contributions. This is also an important part of participating in the new Islamic movement. The stronger our financial base is, the more services we can provide for people, and the more we can reach out to those who are really in need. In the end, what ever people do, we ask that they pray to Allah, the Mighty, for the success of this movement, because our success is their success, which is ultimately the success of Islam throughout the world.

In closing, I would say that we should all work as one body. Everyone has some role to play, and in the end we come to a collective decision and we can accomplish our goal. Now we face big challenges in our community and we must tackle them with seriousness and responsibility and without playing politics or waiting for someone else to take responsibility. If we lose our focus and go to politics, we will all be the losers in the end and there will be no future [for us].

This interview was provided by Br. K.M. Hedayat

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