How many times in our lives have we heard this phrase? How many times have our parents, teachers, elders stated this same thing over and over again? This quote by Sir Francis Bacon emphasizes that when you have knowledge, you have authority. It alludes to the fact that there is something about acquiring knowledge that gives you a controlling influence. But more importantly, this is a non-Muslim phrase which has only been around since 1597. The teachings of religion of Islam came to us well over 1400 years ago. From the beginning of revelation, there was an emphasis on seeking and acquiring knowledge. I remind you that the first words of revelation were “Read!” “Recite in the name of your Lord who created.” (Qur'an, 96:1) In particular, Muslim women need to realize the importance of seeking knowledge of issues that are relevant to them in Islam. For example, a woman who does not understand the Fiqh of menstruation runs the risk of displeasing Allah by leaving something that is obligatory or performing something that is unlawful. This is the motivation behind Habibi Halaqas. Habibi Halaqas is the name of the project that conducts online seminars for Muslim sisters on various topics such as Islamic Knowledge, Life Skills specific to Muslim sisters, Social Psychology, Self Grooming and more! Since the sessions take place in the evenings (in the US), it is really convenient for sisters to attend these seminars from the comfort of their homes. This is what one of the sisters had to say about Habibi Halaqas: “I can honestly say Habibi Halaqas has helped me immensely grow in my Deen Alhamdulillah!” Habibi Halaqas' last seminar titled “She Walks in Beauty” was about grooming techniques for a stay at home woman – wife, mother etc. I shared many practical do-it-yourself makeup techniques in the webinar that comprised of an audience of close to 150 sisters, by the Grace of Allah. The upcoming webinar is about “Fiqh of Menstruation” on April 13, 2010 at 7:00 P.M. EST (11:30 P.M. GMT) Insha' Allah. I realize that there are many sisters who are unfamiliar with the Fiqh of menstruation, or confused by the different rulings relating to menstruation. Many sisters in our Ummah have unanswered questions about this sensitive topic. In this seminar, I look forward to talking about this issue that has long been a taboo in parts of the Muslim community even to this day. This seminar will help develop an understanding of the legal Islamic rulings on menstruation as they pertain to many aspects of a Muslim woman's daily life. It will also give a Muslimah the ability to recognize the issues and to deal with them. By the end of this course, she will be able to answer common questions such as: Can I touch the Qur'an during menstruation? Can I enter the Mosque? I want to perform the Haj and I'll use pills to delay my cycle as it's my only opportunity to go. I really can't take the risk of bleeding during Haj. Is this a right choice? I've missed two months of fasting due to post natal bleeding. What do I do? I've just had a coil placed inside, and it has changed my regular cycle of 7 days to 13 days. Is this my new cycle? I am bleeding but it's not red. Can I consider it as menstruation? The importance of “Fiqh of Menstruation” cannot be more emphasized as mature women spend approximately ¼ of their life in this state! – SG Kanika Aggarwal, an engineer by profession, a convert to Islam pursuing Bachelors in Islamic Sciences through Arees Institute is a keen student of knowledge and also the founder of this for sisters-by
