The Women's Mosque of America

Adthan by Connie Highberg (5/27/16)

Mu'adthinah Connie Highberg calls the 17th adthan for The Women's Mosque of America, just months after taking her Shahada (declaration of faith) and becoming a Muslim amongst her sisters at The Women's Mosque of America on May 27th, 2016.

"Self-Care During Ramadan" Khutbah by Kenyatta Bakeer (6/24/16)

Khateebah Kenyatta Bakeer delivers the 18th khutbah for The Women's Mosque of America on June 24th, 2016. In her khutbah, she reminds the women in the congregation about the importance of taking time out to care for themselves during the holy month of Ramadan, which can often be the most physically strenuous time of the year.

Bio:
Kenyatta Bakeer-Allgood was born and raised in Los Angeles. Over the past 45 years, her parents have been instrumental in building the foundation of Islam in Los Angeles, having both been educators who helped start and teach in Mohammad Schools and Sister Clara Muhammad Schools. Kenyatta holds a BA in Child Development and an MA in Early Childhood Education. She is in the initial stages of beginning her PhD in inter-religious studies at Bayan Claremont Institute. Kenyatta currently serves as a Child Development Professor for the Los Angeles Community College District and National University as well as a consultant for child care centers and programs. Kenyatta attributes her strong foundation in Islam to her attendance of a Muslim school and her parents’ instruction to seek knowledge from the cradle to the grave. Kenyatta’s parents encouraged her to study religions other than her own and to learn about all types of people, which sparked her interest in interfaith work. She and her husband Marcus are members of LA Voice, an interfaith organization that has over 55 congregations and has been instrumental in changing Los Angeles for the better, such as helping pass Proposition 47, which reduces 6 low level felonies to misdemeanors and gives people resources to help them in their overall life. Kenyatta currently serves as Secretary on The Women’s Mosque of America’s Board of Directors, and she serves as a member of the SoCal Muslim/Jewish Forum.

Adthan by Mahasin Shamsiddeen (6/24/16)

Mu'adthinah Mahasin Shamsiddeen calls the 18th adthan for The Women's Mosque of America on June 24th, 2016.

"Verse 49:13 - 'So That You May Know One Another'" Khutbah by Tasneem F. Noor (7/29/16)

Khateebah Tasneem Farrah Noor delivers the 19th khutbah for The Women's Mosque of America on July 29th, 2016. In her khutbah, she shares her reflections on Qur'an verse 49:13 "O humankind! Behold, We have created you all out of a male and a female, and have made you into nations and tribes, so that you might come to know one another..." and how this verse offers important insights on healing racial tension in America. This jumma'a marked the first of The Women's Mosque of America's 3-part post-jumma'a discussion circle series on #BlackLivesMatter and how Muslims can draw upon the example of the Prophet Muhammad (p) to use our hearts, tongues, and hands to stand for justice.

Bio:
Tasneem Farah Noor is a speaker, facilitator, Life coach, and the author of the book “The Faith Connection: Your Journey Starts with Knowing Yourself.” She has her Masters in Education from UCLA; and her coaching certification from the Life Mastery Institute. She has worked on university campuses like UCLA and Cal State LA. After a rewarding career in higher education for seven years, Tasneem transitioned to Life coaching and facilitating interfaith dialogue as her full-time career. She is the lead Muslim facilitator for NewGround: A Muslim Jewish Partnership for change, and sits on five different interfaith boards including the Interfaith Council at the Islamic Center of Southern California. Prior to moving to Los Angeles, CA in 2000, she lived in India, Pakistan, and Dubai.

"Returning to the Qur'an" Pre-Khutbah Bayan by Anse Susan Mouallem (7/29/16)

Syrian scholar Anse Susan Mouallem gave the pre-khutbah bayan (talk) at The Women's Mosque of America on July 29th, 2016. In her bayan, Anse Susan reminds the congregation of the importance of returning to the message of the Qur'an and interacting with its meaning on a daily basis, rather than treating the Qur'an as art to be passively admired on bookshelves or opened only at the time of funerals. This jumma'a marked the first of The Women's Mosque of America's 3-part post-jumma'a discussion circle series on #BlackLivesMatter and how Muslims can draw upon the example of the Prophet Muhammad (p) to use our hearts, tongues, and hands to stand for justice.

Bio:
Anse Susan Mouallem was born in Syria. Her father is from Damascus and her mother is from England. Susan grew up in the vibrant, diverse city of Damascus and studied pharmacy at the University of Damascus. Her passion however was for the scholarly learning of Islam. Since she was in high school, she took an interest in learning more about Islam. She studied Quaran, Tafseer, Hadeeth, Tajweed, and Fiqh, among other subjects, with a number of Damascus’s leading women scholars. She received a certificate of Tajweed (Ijazah) in reading the Qur’an from Al-Sheikh Muhedeen Kurdi. For 30 years, Susan has been studying and teaching Islamic studies in Damascus, England, and Saudi Arabia to young children, women, and converts. Susan’s main other passion is working with young children. She taught for 10 years at Damascus’s Dar Al-Farah (Home of Joy) School. She currently lives in Damascus, Syria, and visits her children and her grandchildren living in the UK and the US.

Adthan by Nandi Dauchan-Shakoor - age 11 (7/29/16)

Age 11, Nandi Dauchan-Shakoor was the youngest mu'adthinah at The Women's Mosque of America when she called the adthan for the 19th jumma'a on July 29th, 2016.

Q&A with Nayawiyyah Muhammad + #BlackLivesMatter Discussion - PART 2/3: Activating the TONGUE (8/26/16)

This was the first time time The Women's Mosque of America published its audio recording of the post-jumma'a Q&A Discussion Circle with the Imam, due to the importance of spreading awareness about the topics discussed. This jumma'a marked the second of The Women's Mosque of America's 3-part post-jumma'a discussion circle series on #BlackLivesMatter and how Muslims can draw upon the example of the Prophet Muhammad (p) to use our hearts, tongues, and hands to stand for justice:

“Whosoever of you sees an injustice, let them change it with their hand; and if they are not able to do so, then let them change it with their tongue; and if they are not able to do so, then with their heart — and that is the weakest of faith.” -Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him (Narrated by Muslim)

Adthan by Mahasin Shamsiddeen (8/26/16)

Mu'adthinah Mahasin Shamsiddeen calls the 20th adthan for The Women's Mosque of America on August 26th, 2016.

"History of Women in the Mosque & How to Nurture Our Souls" Khutbah by Nayawiyyah Muhammad (8/26/16)

Khateebah Nayawiyyah Muhammad delivers the 20th khutbah for The Women's Mosque of America on August 26th, 2017. In her khutbah, she educates the congregation on the history of women in the mosque and the importance for women to prioritize their own spiritual well-being.

Bio:
Sister Nayawiyyah Muhammad, mother of six, has spent her lifetime immersed in various aspects of Islamic knowledge and traditions. Having been raised in the Nation of Islam in the Los Angeles area, she was educated and is a graduate of its school system, the University of Islam, from its inception until its transformation into Sister Clara Muhammad School. As an educator, she was a constant participant in the Clara Muhammad School system as a teacher, administrator and director.

Sister Nayawiyyah holds a B.A. and M.A. in Religious Studies, with an emphasis on Ancient and Medieval Judaism, Christianity and Islam. She regularly speaks on college and university campuses on topics concerning Women in Islam, Muslims in America, her experience of growing up in the Nation of Islam (1960-1974), and her subsequent growth as a woman in traditional Islam. Currently, Sister.Nayawiyyah is a professor in the department of Religious Studies at California State University, Long Beach and a Ph. D. student in the Women’s Studies in Religion program at Claremont Graduate University. Her primary fields of research engages the intersection of core Islamic rituals and sacred space with gender and sexuality, focused upon her research topics in Islam and the Body; Feminism and Islam; Muslims in America; and Eco-feminist Theology. Sis. Nayawiyyah is part of an on-going team of scholars involved in a Digital Humanities project whose goal is the establishment of a virtual archive of hadith transmissions of the wives of Prophet Muhammad (S). This endeavor seeks to offer commentary, historical timelines, insight into kinship networks and Islamic rituals, thus providing significant applicability for anyone researching women in Islam in general, and the ‘Mothers of the Believers’ in particular.

"Taking Time to Witness the Beauty of God" Pre-Khutbah Bayan by Tuscany Bernier (12/16/16)

Tuscany Bernier delivers the pre-khutbah bayan (talk) for The Women's Mosque of America on December 16th, 2016. In her bayan, Tuscany shares her insights on the practical ways we as Muslims can take time out to strengthen our faith by appreciating God's beautiful attributes and creations.

Bio:
Tuscany Bernier is from Indiana where she lives with her husband and two cats. She was born in Indianapolis, Indiana, and raised in the rural town of Ladoga, Indiana. She converted/reverted to Islam in June of 2012 CE/1433 AH.

Tuscany is finishing up her associates degree in Islamic Studies from Mishkah University and is passionate about cultural diversity and women’s studies. In 2014, she published, “It’s That Time Again: An Islamic Guide to Menstruation.” She’s posted several articles all over the web; most of them were published anonymously, but a few were published under her real name on The Tempest.