In this newsletter
- Friday Talk 1 PM EST: Topic: Domestic Violence & 8 Qualities Of Successful Life
- How The Prophet Muhammad Fought Domestic Violence
- Domestic Violence In The Muslim Community - The Statistics
- Domestic Violence: A Guide For Imams
- Muslims And Domestic Violence In The Pandemic
Assalamu alaikum:
“Going through a divorce as a South Asian Woman feels like you failed at life sometimes. The way the community labels you, the lack of emotional support you receive, and the pressure to stay with someone because ‘what will people say’ is isolating. It makes it harder for women to leave [a] marriage that they shouldn’t have been in, to begin with.”
These were the words of Sania Khan on her TikTok account. Khan was murdered by her ex-husband last week in her home in Chicago.
In 2019, nine out of 10 murdered women were killed by men they knew, according to the Violence Policy Center (VPC). And in nearly two-thirds of those cases, the women were wives or other intimate partners of the men.
The first domestic violence case Sound Vision wrote about involved a Chicago Muslim woman who was burned alive by her husband. That was in 2000. Then, in 2009, it was the horrific murder of Asiya Zubair, also killed by her husband. Today, it is Sania Khan. In between are the countless, nameless, and faceless women suffering in silence. They are the ones Imams, therapists, Muslim counselors, and family members know about. You won’t find them in statistics - unless their ex-husbands decide to kill them.
Sania Khan’s death should be the last such tragedy we need to move beyond giving Khutbas on domestic violence. We need consistent, aggressive action, ranging from a support system for women who leave abusive husbands, breaking the stigma of DV and women divorcing abusers, as well as strong punishments for abusers.
Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, was not a coward who maintained silence in the face of domestic violence. He addressed it head on, not just through public forums like a Khutba. He repeatedly advised and admonished Muslim men who beat their wives; he called on God’s punishment in one case against a Muslim man who was abusing his wife; he also advised women against marrying those men he knew had a violent history.
He stood up for justice, as Allah orders all of us to (Quran 4:135). Speaking up is not enough. It never was. But as we raise our hands in Dua for Sania Khan, let her murder spur us to action to ensure not one more of our suffers.
Peace,
Sound Vision Team
How The Prophet Muhammad Fought Domestic Violence
The Prophet fought domestic violence, a scourge common to many civilizations at the time. He did this by affirming the inherent dignity of women as human beings responsible and accountable before God. He also did it by directly addressing a hitherto “private” matter between a husband and wife. Domestic violence was not a “women's issue” irrelevant to Muslim men. The Prophet understood that this abusive behavior could be changed, but it first had to be brought out into the open and addressed head on. The personal was definitely political.
Domestic Violence In The Muslim Community - The Statistics
With statistics as striking as these, the Muslim community must have a clear and fundamental paradigm shift based on the Holy Quran and the Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him. The sin of family violence is not just upon the abuser, but also upon those who would hide or explain away its reality.
Domestic Violence: A Guide For Imams
We need help from Imams in handling the curse of domestic violence. While there is no replacement for proper training in these crucial areas, all Imams must learn the basics of domestic violence and how to deal with it. With that in mind, we are providing the following tips.
Muslims And Domestic Violence In The Pandemic
Greater violence against women and girls during the COVID-19 pandemic has been noted as a worldwide phenomenon, including domestic violence. The United Nations has described it as the “shadow pandemic”: an unseen pandemic within the pandemic, and it is now trying to raise awareness about it. Muslims are no outliers to this phenomenon, as Kafeel, and other leaders, experts, and organizations have discovered.
Friday Talk with Imam Abdul Malik Mujahid
Imam Abdul Malik Mujahid has been consistently giving Khutbas every Friday since the lockdown due to COVID began. Although many Masjids have reopened, not everyone has access to the learning opportunity that Khutbas offer, which is why he has continued to offer them. This week’s topic will be
“Domestic Violence & 8 Qualities of Successful Life" Watch it here.
*** If your masjid is open for Juma with social distancing, that is where you want to be. However, if you cannot, then watch virtual Khutba and then offer with family Zuhr salat together. .
Click Here
For Friday Talks 1:00 PM EST/12:00 PM CST
