The Women's Mosque of America Women of America

Q&A Discussion Circle with the Imam -- Khateebah Hajjah Abrafi S. Sanyika, who also serves as a Griot/Djelli (preserver of African oral history), takes questions from the congregation and shares many books and resources showing us where we can go to learn more about Black and African history.

In this educational and uplifting khutbah, we get to hear from Khateebah Hajjah Abrafi S. Sanyika, who also serves as a Griot/Djelli (preserver of African oral history). Hajjah Abrafi enlightens us about the parallels between the celebration of Muslims fleeing oppression through their Hijrah (migration) to Abyssinia and of the enslaved Africans (1/3 of whom were Muslim) celebrating their newfound freedom in America through the holiday Juneteenth -- freedom always being a victory for Allah. She reminds us of the Islamic wisdom through which the pre-Islamic practice of slavery was phased out -- a way that did not backfire and lead to persistent racial hatred as it did with the abrupt abolition of slavery in the United States of America. Hajjah Abrafi highlights the many verses of the Qur'an that mandate not only the freeing of enslaved peoples but also of good treatment and reparations to those who were formerly enslaved. B I O Hajjah Abrafi S. Sanyika is a proud native of Chicago, which was founded on the shore of Lake Michigan by an African fur trader, Jean Baptiste Pointe DuSable. She marched with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and listened as a young child to the life-affirming teachings of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad. Even then she knew that there is only One God, because that is what her parents taught at home. She remembers being “thrown out” of Sunday school at age eleven, because she announced that Jesus (pbuh) was not the “son of God”, but a great prophet like all the other great prophets. She was exposed to many religious/spiritual traditions growing up and continues to honor the beauty in all of them. // Abrafi euphemistically describes her professional career as “eclectic”. She reflects that she is from that generation of women who chose either nursing, teaching, or secretarial work, because other professions were generally foreclosed to women. Originally an anthropology major, she redirected when she got a divorce and had to consider raising two small boys as a single parent. Instead, she obtained a B.A. and M.A. in education. Her M.A. thesis was a study of the cocoa industry of Ghana, West Africa. She first taught at the University of Chicago Lab School, then directed Ujima Family Center, an alternative school in Chicago. Moving to California, she attended UCLA Law School, worked for several attorneys, became a realtor, and eventually returned to professional education. // She is now retired and has published several position papers, including “An Open Letter to the Immigrant Muslim Community.” She co-wrote The Eternal Genetic Presence, an anthology of visual artist Nathaniel Bustion’s incredible talent; and is the author of Makeda, Queen of Sheba, a children’s book written in honor of her daughter, Makeda. She is the founder and director of The Egyptian Repertoire Company, a nonprofit educational foundation that researches, writes, and presents seminars and rituals based on African history and culture, and is currently writing two other books for publication.

Mu'adthinah and singer/writer Medina Tenour Whiteman graces us with a beautifully melodic adthan for The Women's Mosque of America's online jumma'a on Friday, June 25th, 2021. To experience more of Medina's art work, visit: cavemum.com

Q&A Discussion Circle with the Imam -- Khateebah Hala Mohammad answers questions from the congregation about how best to practice dhikr (remembrance) and how to communicate the concept of faith to children. In closing, she leads a live demonstration of how to practice Tasbih Fatima through a guided meditation on the phrases Alhamdulillah (all thanks and praises are to God), SubhanAllah (glory be to God), and Allahu Akbar (God is greater/the greatest).

In this unique khutbah, Khateebah Hala Mohammad does a deep dive into Tasbih Fatima, the Islamic remembrance practice (dhikr) that was given as a gift from the Prophet Muhammad (p) to his daughter Fatima (r) and that Muslims all over the world continue to practice today -- often on prayer beads called tasbih. Hala enlightens us about the many neurological and somatic healing benefits of doing dhikr, and she explains how we can nourish our souls through the practice of Tasbih Fatima, which consists of repeating the phrases Alhamdulillah (all thanks and praises are to God), SubhanAllah (glory be to God), Allahu Akbar (God is greater and the greatest). B I OHala Mohammad is a Pakistani-American who was born in Saudi Arabia and who has lived, worked, and studied in the U.S., Pakistan, France, Ireland, and the UAE. Growing up as a third culture kid, she is deeply empathetic to causes/spaces where multiple personal identities/perspectives intersect to challenge and evolve into a more vibrant and engaged community that colors the diverse social fabric of our society.As a child, Hala observed her mother & father’s creative streaks in reciting poetry, singing praise songs in the form of ‘qaseda,’ as well as going deep into Sufi meditation retreat after personal losses, and she was always inspired by their community engagement, love for poetry, and volunteering. When she was a newly minted “American Teenager,” she grappled with fortifying her Muslim identity in the aftermath of 9/11. This period led her to go deeper spiritually and see her religious identity beyond the daily ritual/monolith and put her on a path of interfaith and intra-community conflict resolution research and mediation training.Hala Mohammad is a Social/Cognitive Psychologist in training, and the founder of Taskeen Community Initiative — an organization that empowers individuals/families through facilitation, mindfulness training, personality strength awareness, & mentoring to tackle challenges during different seasons of life transitions.Hala did her bachelors in Sociology and Peace & Conflict Studies, and her M.Sc in Human Behavior from USC, with a social psychology research background and work experience in facilitating community wellness/holistic wellbeing programs, family-community mediations/peer counseling, university/k-12 teaching, and academic advising. Her award winning research looked at Muslim Women’s representation in the American media post 9/11 and how it follows a similar theme of exclusion and “othering” as other minoritized women in American history from African American/Native/Latina/Asian women experiences. Her current research focuses on self empowerment vis-a-vis intersectional solidarity of communities and individuals. Hala is passionate about social emotional learning and how it impacts mental health, personal healing, growth, and education.Before becoming a mother to two high-energy kids, Hala worked for Asian Pacific American Dispute resolution center as a community mediator, and managed district programs and taught at the Culver City Unified School District. She devotes her free time to volunteering with Asian American Advancing Justice, LAFLA, teaching at Islamic Sunday School, leading yoga classes, and sisters’ meditation circles. Her work has revolved around doing legal advocacy, community empowerment through soft skill training. She is also a certified Yoga/meditation facilitator and gives mindfulness/meditation workshops for burned-out moms/couples/families. She is a traditional Irish Music fan, and loves singing in a choir as an alto–and sometimes soprano while she can escape the spotlight.

First mu'adthinah Mona Abdulla calls in from the East Coast to deliver the adthan at The Women's Mosque of America's online jumma'a on Friday, May 28th, 2021.