Your safety matters. Due to COVID-19, this MasterClass will be conducted online on Google Meet.

Overview

Ummu ‘Umarah Al-Ansariyyah narrated that she went to The Prophet ﷺ and asked: “I don’t see anything except that it is about the men, I don’t see anything mentioned about the women.”
[Jami’ At-Tirmidhi, Kitab At-Tafsir Al-Quran]

The concept of gender has been put under the microscope in recent years, as the train of new-age post-modernism picks up speed, introducing innovative perspectives on ideas that have been largely uncontested over the course of history, at least according to traditionalist views. The discourse revolving around the idea of gender is now a matter that is populated with intense debates and arguments that usually fail to yield common conclusions that direct us towards a true conception of humanity and gender.

As the field of gender studies begins to expand and grow, the average Muslim is left disenchanted with the lack of clarity on this growing discourse that has the potential to change the essentials of the social dynamics of humanity. What does a Muslim need to know about gender? What does God say about issues of gender? And, what are the prophetic examples and directives on matters revolving around the concept of gender?

These questions are imperatives that require clarification, so that every Muslim is able to navigate through the gender discourse that seems to want to redefine society, in its most fundamental form of function.

Points Of Discussion Include:

• The Traditional Gender Discourse: Islam’s View on Gender
• Masculinity & Femininity in Islam: The Defining Attributes of The Male & The Female
• Islam & Gender Studies: The Prominence of Conversations on Gender Theories
• Rescuing Our Understanding of Gender: Seeking Clarity & Confidence

“Oh humanity, for certain, We created you, of male and female, and we made you of nations and communities, so that you get to know one another. Surely, the most noble of you, to Allah, is the one who is most God-conscious amongst you. Truly, Allah is All-Knowing, All-Aware.”
[Surah Al-Hujurat, Ayat 13]

We are in a phase in human history where gender identities are losing their definitions, and ideological boundaries are redrawn to illustrate a new narrative on gender that seems to be at odds with traditional understandings of the matter. Puzzled and fazed by these new developments that are spearheaded by trending ideological movements, we explore the nucleus of the understanding of gender, from the Muslim perspective.

The category of gender is more than just a label of identification, but rather, as men and women, we are key players in the system of society that enables us to better ourselves individually and collectively, to serve God and humanity. It only makes sense that we know who we are, and we know what we do.