If you ask any new Muslim what she lacks most during her first years in Islam, 8 of 10 will definitely answer “communication and knowledge”. As well as mutual support and sisterhood. Because in most cases women embracing Islam become exiles in their usual social circle, and, unfortunately, not each and every of them can cope with the situation on their own.
For that reason, AUASO “Alraid” holds annual women’s cultural-educational seminars. New Muslims from all over Ukraine and also Belarus took part in such event this year.This seminar, held in one of the most picturesque places of Ukraine, which is Transcarpathia, became the real present for 20 girls and women who embraced Islam in different times and places. Besides recreation along with fellow Muslim sisters, the participants got an intense training in both theoretical and practical Islamic knowledge.
Thus, the new Muslims learned how to perform ablution and prayers; got an insight in Islamic ethics and code of conduct, including pre-marital relations: learned the basics of Islam and the principle of the golden mean.
“I’m not alone in that!”
According to Nina, one of the participants, not only the information was useful for her, but the communication was even more important: “I was glad to see the girls who are just like me, Muslims with whom I could discuss my topical problems and share my own emotions and simply have a great time together. I think such seminars are very useful, especially for those who reverted to islam recently, just like myself… I’d take part in an event like this once again. Great thanks to the facilitators!”
The atmosphere of those five days can be described as ”the spirit of sisterhood”/ The girls realised the practical meaning of the term “ummah”, based on mutual help in every issue, both religious and everyday.
“It’s always great to be surrounded by congenial people. I thank God for giving me an opportunity to be in a place like this with all my wonderful sisters in faith i gained at the seminar. They helped me find the answers for my questions, and now I can say I feel free,” — another participant, Maria, said.
Grope For Knowledge — Where To Seek?
The matter of groping for knowledge was one of the important topics discussed. Hava from Odessa, for instance, voiced the following problem: “I don’t know Arabic, and I wonder how I can know if the information I find is true or incorrect. Now I know one has always to demand proofs for some scholar’s opinion from the Holy Qur’an and Sunnah. I thank Lord and the lecturers for not only gaining useful knowledge, but also for settling my doubts.”
The seminar was useful for both the participants and the lecturers. According to Ms.Irina Grudanova, it was important for her to learn the needs of the new Muslims nowadays, what worries them the most. “Most questions, of course, were on fiqh of religious practice. The girls were not only active during the seminar, but also asked to guide them in the future. I took note on that, the need to support our sisters in faith in the regions. Visit them and give lectures, for instance — for those who can’t come to Kyiv every time. Because most participants noted that Muslim women are more organised in Kyiv that in any other place, and made a greater progress in knowledge than anyone else. For that reason. it’s our duty to share this knowledge with others for the sake of God.”
In general, both the facilitators and the participants recalled this event as “very successful”/ Females from different cities, of different age and occupation, found a common ground and made friends quite fast and easy, which confirmed the hadith by our Prophet Muhammad that the muslim community is an integral unit, no matter what.
Source: arraid.org
