As-salaamu `Alaykum and Alhamdulillah! I am especially glad that the Dayemi Tariqat Women of The Prophets Bengali Circle (WOPs) could all come together and meet here tonight. I am also happy that three of our western sisters, from the American WOPs Circle, are here with us in Dhaka to share this occasion. I initiated the concept of the WOPs and MOPs Circles in America approximately 13 years ago. As a review, WOPs is an acronym that stands for “Women of The Prophets,” and of course, MOPs means “Men of the Prophets.” Among the many valid reasons that these groups were formed in the Dayemi Community was a response to the great cultural, social and political imbalance in the world between the roles of men and women. This imbalance is especially true within the mainstream of Islam, where there is an enormous conflict between “True Islam,” as a spiritual experience, and what has been culturally superimposed upon Islam as a major world religion. “True Islam,” as described in the Holy Qur`an, is a simple concept given its definition as the “submission of one’s whole self to Allah.” However, since traveling all over the world, I have seen just how every culture imposes its particular interpretation onto the Islamic experience. In and of itself, culture is not necessarily a problem, but a culture becomes dangerous in the area of religion when cultural interpretations claim exclusive ownership of the religious experience and proceed to influence, dominate and/or distort the teachings of spiritual truth in the name of religion. In the mainstream of Islam, one of the biggest areas where the “Truth of Islam” has been affected is in the relationship between men and women. Across the world, men have dominated Islam for 14 centuries and have dominated according to their culture, with an insistent belief that only their particular male, cultural interpretation of Islam is correct. Perhaps in South Asia you can see the gap between the Indian culture and the Islamic religion, just as clearly as you might see it anywhere in the world. The Qur`an Kariim generously affords the basic human rights to both men and women without discrimination. These human rights not only include physical or material rights, but also mental and emotional, economic, political, personal and spiritual rights as well. The Holy Qur`an states in a very lovely ayah (verse) that Allah has a beautiful reward awaiting both surrendered men and women, muslimina wa muslimat, both believing men and women, muminina wal muminat. The ayah goes on to say that this reward is given to both of those men and women, who perform their salaat, give their zakaat and treat each other with respect: Surely the men who surrender and the women who surrender, and the men who believe and the women who believe, and the men who obey and the women who obey, and the men who speak the truth and the women who speak the truth, and the men who are patiently steadfast and the women who are patiently steadfast, and the men who are humble and the women who are humble, and the men who give alms and the women who give alms, and the men who fast and the women who fast, and the men who guard their parts and the women who guard their parts, and the men who remember Allah often and the women who remember – Allah has prepared for them forgiveness and a vast reward. SURAH UL-‘AHZAB, 33:35 The Holy Qur`an also says in Surah an-Nisaa that both men and women were created from one single self: Oh people, take shelter in your Lord, Who has created you from one single self (nafs) and created from it, its mate, and spread from these two, men and women in abundance.SURAH UN-NISAA, 4:1 These are two beautiful examples of what the “Truth of Islam” holds equally for both men and women, but unfortunately, we do not often get to see the living Reality of these noble truths practiced in a practical way. Therefore, I thought it was important to bring men together with men, as well as women together with women, each within their own circles, so they could learn how to have proper relationships with themselves, between each other, and finally within the whole of the Community. The reasons why these circles were named “Men of The Prophets” and “Women of The Prophets” are three: 1. Islamic history regards that the first khaliifah (vicegerent or representative) of Allah on this earth was in the personages of both Adam and Haawaa’ (Eve) (as), as they collectively symbolize the advent of the first human beings. They are both accorded the Prophetic Mantel (position) and respectfully given the title of “First Khaliifah.” Islamic history teaches us that all human beings are the descendants of these original humans. You could say in this way, we are all the distant, descendant relatives of Adam and Haawaa’ (as). Therefore, we all (humanity) are connected by one primordial bloodline. The politics of history have separated the one bloodline into differing groups. Political systems give preference to some bloodlines over other bloodlines, but in reality, humanity shares one common bloodline – a Prophetic bloodline. The spiritual truth is that our common great-great-great-great-grandparents were the original human beings! The name of this bloodline is not “Sayyid”; it is not “Shariif”; it is not even “Bush” or any other artificially created thing. The name of our bloodline is the “Human Bloodline.” So, the first reason that we named these groups the “Men of The Prophets” and the “Women of The Prophets” is to recognize the miracle that all human beings are the common descendants from a Prophetic bloodline, and that every human being is a symbolic “grandchild” of the Prophets Adam and Eve (as). We actually are the Men of the Prophets and the Women of the Prophets! 2. If you study the lives of all the Anbiyaa’ (Prophets) you will see, in their character, the most noble of attributes. In their sunnah (example), you find that they are the living Truth, and that their message creates justice and causes no injustice for anyone. According to the Qur`an Shariif, the message that has been brought by all of the Prophets over time is one single message. This same message, although it appears at different times, in different languages, in different styles, and in different places, is still only ONE single message. That message is the message of Truth and Justice. Therefore, MOPs and WOPs are designed for us to practice living into the Truth of this timeless, Prophetic message. 3. Every Prophet who has come to earth has brought with them a particular wilayah (divinely appointed transmission, benediction). On this Sufiyaa Tariqat, we are the inheritors of that wilayah. The blessings of our Lord commenced with the Prophets Adam and Eve as they were conveyed the khaliifah at the dawn of humanity. The holy wilayah continued through the whole line of Prophetic transmission finding its blossom in the appearance of our Master Muhammad (saws). The Prophet Muhammad initiated his Ahlul Bayt (household) and Sahaaba (companions) into this unbroken spiritual transmission that has reached and initiated us as well through the silsila (chain) of our living Sheikh(s). As it has been taught in the hadith(s), the true Self resides in the heart of every human being. The “True Human Being” (al-Insaan al-Kaamil) is the expression of Allah on earth. This is why I said that we are the inheritors of the wilayat, because we are practicing becoming true human beings as the expressions of Allah on earth. To sum it up: First, we are all one common family; second, we are all bound together by one common message; and third, we are the current inheritors of Allah’s spiritual wilayah. Therefore, even though we are not the historical Prophets, we are Women of The Prophets and the Men of The Prophets. The whole country of Bangladesh is like one very big men’s club. The men are the ones who are able to move. The men have the most jobs and the highest paying ones as well. The men dominate the political system and are in all the decision-making positions. Men make all of the decisions here, from the most personal level, because they are the heads of the families, all the way up to the national and political level. Men make the decisions – they set the tone. The men are enjoying a lot of liberation and freedom. Maybe one could say in some symbolic, sarcastic way that the “Men of the Prophets” is already going strongly in Bangladesh. However, what is grossly lacking here in Bangladesh (as well as in the rest of the world) is liberation and freedom for women. This is why we started here first with the formation of the WOPs Circle, not the MOPs! For a long time, I have been promoting to the sisters in Bangladesh that they need to come together strongly in unity and solidarity in order to elevate the status of women. The Qur`an Kariim instructs us that women should not be restrained in their home. Islam teaches that women have all of the human rights. They have the right to decision-making, voting, receiving inheritance. Women have marriage rights, and they have divorce rights. Women are granted religious rights equally alongside men. And most of all, according to these rights, women should be able to choose their destiny. Women need to come together in solidarity and unity. Women must do this work. In the Holy Qur`an, we are reminded that Allah helps a people to change their condition who are willing to help themselves. For each (such person) there are (angels) in succession before and behind him: they guard him by command of Allah. Verily never will Allah change the condition of a people until they change it themselves (with their own souls). SURAH AR-RA`D 13:11 That is because Allah never changes the grace Allah has bestowed on any people until they first change that which is in their hearts, and (that is) because Allah is the Hearer, the Knower. SURAH ANFAL 8:53 To help yourselves, to change for the better, means to work `AMAL AS-SALIHAT (TRUTHFUL, RIGHTEOUS WORK) Those who believe and work righteousness no burden do We place on any soul but that which it can bear, they will be companions of the garden therein to dwell (forever). SURAH AL-`ARAF 7:42 Those who believe and work righteousness their Lord will guide them because of their faith: beneath them will flow rivers in Gardens of Bliss. SURAH YUNUS 10:9 All women have the right to work. Women need to do their work, and the men need to be supportive. Men cannot do the work for you, and the men must not stand in your way. Your unity and your education are your strongest forces. Therefore, I encourage the WOPs to be together, to learn together, to practice together and to take action together. Liberation is a process. Things do not automatically change overnight. When I first brought the idea of the WOPs to Bangladesh, there were only two or three women willing to attend. Now tonight, even though there are not so many women present, we are more than a dozen. Just think of how many women would have liked to be here to hear this message! If they could be here, we would fill the whole Dayera Sharif compound with eager women, but sadly the cultural conditions are an obstacle. Some women who promised us they would be here tonight have failed to come. Why? If we were to ask them later, “What is the reason that you could not make it to our meeting?” I am sure that in more than 90% of the cases, it will have been some problem with the culture, i.e., they did not have permission from their husband; they can’t move freely or alone outside in the street; they have no way to get back and forth; it’s not safe for them to come alone at night; they have too much work to do at home with the cooking, cleaning, taking care of the kids, etc.; they do not have time to come. All these reason are cultural affects. Nonetheless, we are very happy for the women who have made it here to start this historical work. What you must know is that, at this time, we need a mohiila viplava (Bengali meaning “women’s revolution”). When I say “viplava,” I do not mean violence, but I say we must have a change. Women need to realize and then exercise their basic human rights. Men also need to realize, exercise and protect the basic human rights for everybody. Tonight we enjoy being able to pray all together in the same manner that the Prophet’s family (upon all of them be peace) prayed together. However, only a few years back, when I brought both men and women together into the masjid, a legal application was filed against me in court. You see? There will be some obstacles. Even though we were praying in the same fashion as the Prophet (saws), even though we were praying in the same fashion as all of the Prophets’ families, even though we were gathered in community in the same way all the Prophets’ communities have ever gathered, we faced cultural, political and dogmatic opposition. I am very happy to see everyone here gathered together. This message is simple, but our road will be long. Somebody has to travel this road. We need to restore the proper rights for both men and women fairly and in the appropriate positions. Allah has created a place for all in this world – and the hereafter. There is a place for everybody. Rasuulullah (saws) could not have opened the Din al-Islam (Way of Islam) without the support of his blessed wife, Khadijah, may Allah be well pleased with her. Bibi Khadijah (ra) could not have realized her position as the “Mother of the Faithful” without the support of her husband. She was the first “believer,” and she was the first one to provide both zakaat and sadakka to the Prophet Muhammad’s holy mission. Without Umm Khadijah, there would have been no Islamic community! Therefore, we all are going to have to work side by side. Before Huzur Dayemullah died, he asked me to do a very difficult job. He said, “ . . . even though there are more than one billion so-called Muslims in the world,” he was sad to report there is “ . . . almost no Islam left.” He continued, “Please try to teach True Islam.” This is our collective niyyat (intention), both men and women, not to just study from Islam from books, but we must also capture the realization of “True Islam” in our hearts. May Allah bless us, that we can do our work and that we an realize the highest Truth. This is the trust that was promised to us in the Qur`an. Truly We offered the Trust to the heavens and the earth and the mountains, but they declined to bear it and feared it and human beings (undertook) it . . . SURAH UL-‘AHZAB, 33:72 For the next part of our meeting tonight, I am requesting that all of the men leave the room, so the women will be able to conduct their own meeting agenda with the sisters from America. I am hoping that the western sisters can share their understanding, materials and their advancements with you. |
