Part 1: Some Benefits pointed out by Abu Khadeejah Regarding Imaam al-Albaanee on the Innovation of Women Callers Teaching in the Mosques

[Maher.ibn.Ahmad.Attiyeh]

Bismillaah Al-Hamdulillaah wa salatu wa salaamu 'ala rasulullaah
Amma-ba'd

As-salāmu 'alaikum wa rahmatullāhi wa barakātuh.


Below is an excellent yet brief discussion from the Hadeeth scholar of the era, al-Imaam Muhammad Naasirud-Deen al-Albaanee (rahimahullaah), regarding an aspect of the role of women in da'wah. I have discussed this issue many times over the years with my brothers in the da'wah and always inclined towards the position that women should attend the duroos of the Salafi mashayikh and tullaabul-'ilm and not insist on women establishing circles in the Masaajid, claiming that "they will attract an all-female audience!"



Indeed is it known that the Prophets and Messengers (alaihimus-salaatu was-salaam) were all male, and was not said by those who believed and followed them, "Why has Allaah not sent a female Messenger for the women?". The Prophets were sent by Allaah (subhaanahu wa ta'aala) and they came with Revelation for their particular nation, which would consist of males and females, they would judge between them by way of the Book that they were sent with, amongst the males and females - and our Lord oppresses no one. This continued until the sending of our Messenger Muhammad (salallaahu 'alaihi wassallam) - the finality and seal of the Prophets sent to the whole of mankind and jinn, male and female.



This of course does not exclude the women from teaching as is well-known in Islaam. Shaikh al-Albaanee (rahimahullaah) stated:


"So, if there is found amongst the women today, those who were given something from knowledge and sound understanding derived from the Book and Sunnah, then there is no problem that she has a private sitting in her house or in one of the homes of the sisters, this is better for them."(See below the full quote).

This is the woman who is firmly grounded in knowledge - affirmed by those who are known for knowledge themselves. Not merely a sister who sets herself up as a teacher (and starts teaching in her home) without being grounded in knowledge or is unknown to the Scholars and the students of knowledge. She should be known to the scholars and/or the students of knowledge who, in turn, are themselves well-known.

In this manner our Deen is protected, and vulnerable sisters are safeguarded from misguidance and ambiguities in Deen. Imaam Muslim mentions in the Muqaddimah of his Saheeh the statement of the Taabi'ee, the Imaam, Muhammad bin Sireen (rahimahullaah):

"Indeed this knowledge is Deen, so look (i.e. investigate) from whom you take your Deen".

Shaikh al-Fawzaan (hafidhahullaah) stated in a khutbah entitled "The Virtues of the 'Ulamaa who act upon Knowledge - and Encouragement upon Learning from them":

"And we see, with immense regret, in these times people, and especially amongst the youth, separating themselves from the trustworthy scholars of this land, and fleeing from them - they take to seeking knowledge from the ignorant people, who have not reached anything in knowledge. Or perhaps they take from people who are not known for trustworthiness and correctness in the 'aqeedah, or perhaps they are astray, and they take misguidance and bid'ah from them. And in this there is great danger to the Religion and upon society."

Note here that the Shaikh did not say that these people are "not trustworthy", rather he said they are "not known for trustworthiness" - note the difference - and that is an important principle for the Salafi to adhere to, i.e. that a person "must be known" and "must be trustworthy" before knowledge is taken from them - and they must be known for "correctness in the 'aqeedah" - and all this is to be done before one sits with them, or listens to their lectures online or reads their articles! How many a person has been led astray due to not establishing this mighty principle.

He continues to say:

"So it is waajib upon the teachers to keep strong ties with the trustworthy scholars, those well-known for knowledge and sound aqeedah, so they attain from them knowledge and Religion - so much so that a chain of narration is established with the Prophet (salallaahu 'alaihi wassallam) - so they attain from them pure and beneficial knowledge by means of these trustworthy Scholars - so that they are upon sure-sighted knowledge from their Religion, upon clarity from their Lord and a connection with their Prophet (salallaahu 'alaihi wassallam). And from these teachers there are those who limit themselves to taking from and reading books - and he claims that because of this this he is not in need of the Scholars, and this is a grave mistake!..."

So one should bear in mind that the one we sit with to attain knowledge should be known to the 'ulamah or the well-known students of knowledge (who in turn are known to the Scholars) - that their connection is not merely to books (or only books), as Shaikh al-Fawzaan states elsewhere in his sermon: That apart from the Book of Allaah and the Authentic Sunnah, there is not a book except that it will have within it that which is correct and that which is incorrect - so it is the trustworthy, well-known, well-grounded scholars who explain to us that which is correct from that which is mistaken. This applies just as much for sisters who teach as it does to brothers. How many Muslims have been led astray due to neglect of these tremendous guidelines. How many brothers and sisters have "innocently" surfed the net and Youtube in "search of knowledge", without establishing the soundness of the speaker, and thus been led astray.

Check for references. Check to see who knows this teacher from the Scholars and their Students, follow it up, make sure. Remember this knowledge is Deen!


Was-salāmu 'alaikum wa rahmatullāhi wa barakātuh.


Abu Khadeejah 'Abdul-Wāhid Alam
Salafi Publications, Birmingham, England.
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Women Callers Teaching in the Mosques
Imaam Muhammad Naasirud-Deen al-Albaanee (d.1420H)
Translation by Abu Suhayl Anwar Wright



Imaam Muhammad Naasirud-Deen al-Albaanee (d.1420H) - rahimahullaah - said whilst mentioning the benefits extracted from the hadeeth (no. 2680) in as-Saheehah (6/401),

“…in it is the permissibility of making promises (al-wa’d) and al-Bukhaaree (d.256H) inserted a chapter heading for this hadeeth with the name, “Should there be a day of learning made specifically for the women?”


I say (al-Albaanee): As for what has become widespread here in Damascus in recent times from the women going to and from the mosques at particular times to have lessons from one of them (i.e. the other women) who call themselves women callers (daa’iyaat) as they claim, then that is from the newly invented matters which were not present during the time of the Prophet (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam) or the time of the Salafus-Saalih. Rather, that which was known is that they must be taught by the righteous Scholars in a particular place just as it comes in this hadeeth, or they were taught in the lessons of the men, but separate from them in the mosque if possible. If the case is not like this, they will be overtaken by the men, and knowledge would not be able to be obtained or be asked about.