UMM-Al-Azhar Egypt Highlights the Importance of Women's Leadership Roles

Author : Humas | Tuesday, February 11, 2025 09:10 WIB

UMM and Al-Azhar University, Egypt, collaborated to hold a public lecture exploring Muslim women's leadership, drawing lessons from the Sirah of the Prophet and Islamic history. (Photo: Nanan Humas)

Bilateral relations between Egypt and Indonesia have long been well established, given that both countries have the largest Muslim populations in the world. Against this backdrop, University of Muhammadiyah Malang (UMM) and Al-Azhar University, Egypt, collaborated to hold a public lecture featuring Nahla Shabry Elsiedy, an advisor to the Sheikh of Al-Azhar, on February 11. The event explored the role of Muslim women in leadership, drawing lessons from the Prophet Muhammad and Islamic history.

Nahla emphasized the importance of understanding Islamic teachings comprehensively to fully grasp the role of women. “The question is no longer whether women can be leaders, but rather how they can lead and serve,” she stated.

According to her, women in Islam naturally carry responsibilities. Today, leadership is no longer about power and control but rather about trust, optimizing potential, responsibility, and devotion. If women are given equal opportunities to lead, they have the potential to manage successfully. Moreover, taking responsibility is part of a woman's fitrah (natural disposition) granted by Allah.

Islamic history has recorded numerous exemplary stories of women's leadership. One such example is Khadijah bint Khuwailid, who played a crucial role in supporting the Prophet Muhammad at the beginning of his mission to spread Islam in Makkah. She not only provided encouragement but also comforted and reassured him when he received a great mandate from Allah. Moreover, Khadijah was known for her kindness, generosity, empathy, and exceptional wisdom—all of which reflected the strength of her aqidah (faith).

“There are also stories of other remarkable women, such as Aisha (RA), who narrated more than 2,000 hadiths and became a pillar of the ummah in the fields of fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence), hadith (Prophetic traditions), tafsir (Quranic exegesis), and education. Essentially, leadership is about serving the community, but it should not come at the expense of responsibilities toward the home, children, and husband. Women are not obstacles to progress; rather, they are stepping stones to civilization,” Nahla stated.

Regarding the White Campus, Nahla praised UMM for its strong vision and mission in managing its educational environment and for its exceptional quality of education. This includes its emphasis on teaching foreign languages such as English and Arabic. She expressed hope that UMM could collaborate with Al-Azhar in Arabic language instruction, especially given Al-Azhar's highly qualified educators in the field.

Meanwhile, UMM Vice Chancellor V, Prof. Tri Sulistyaningsih, stated that women's issues are a compelling subject of study, given the ongoing discussions about their roles in both domestic and public spheres. She emphasized UMM's commitment to producing outstanding graduates by consistently maintaining the highest quality of education. Tri also expressed hope that the collaboration with Al-Azhar would continue and expand into various fields in the future. (zaf/wil/mrh)

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