Women in Islam

In a world growing louder with debates over "women's rights," where accusations are thrown carelessly in all directions, Sayyed Ali Hashem steps in with his calm intellect and composed voice to reopen the discussion from a different perspective not from a place of defense, but from a position of clarity, rooted in Islam.
At a time when the term "feminism" has become a broad, often diluted slogan, Sayyed Ali engages the concept with thoughtful depth and conscious reflection. He draws a clear distinction between legitimate rights and calls that, under their surface, may carry a threat to the very structure of the human being even before that of society.
Sayyed Ali does not deliver populist speeches. Instead, he offers a vision grounded in scripture and in the life of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and his household (Ahlulbayt). He reveals how Islam did not marginalize women, but rather elevated them to positions of intellect, will, and dignity.
In this section, Sayyed Ali is not responding to an attack he is uncovering a truth: that in Islam, a woman is neither subordinate nor a victim, but a partner in the divine mission. And that it is justice not superficial equality which defines the true measure of values.

تصوير زينب فواز - من مقابلة السيد

When Sayyed Ali speaks about women, he does not begin with the contemporary moment — he returns to the roots. To a time before Islam, when women were buried alive and seen as a source of shame to be eliminated. But with the arrival of Islam, this unjust standard was overturned. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) came forth to declare: "Whoever has a daughter and treats her well, she will be a shield for him from the Fire." He prohibited infanticide and honored the mother, the wife, and the daughter. Sayyed Ali reminds us that the first martyr in Islam was a woman — Sumayyah bint Khayyat, who endured torture unto death in defense of her faith. He emphasizes that the very establishment of Islam was not the result of male effort alone, but was built upon two inseparable pillars: the wealth of Al-Sayyida Khadija and the sword of Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib (peace be upon him). Al-Sayyida Khadija was not only the Prophet’s most loyal wife, but the first to sponsor the divine mission. She embraced Islam in its earliest and most vulnerable moments, when others turned away, offering her wealth, her unwavering support, and standing at the forefront of faith.
Sayyed Ali continues by shedding light on the essential roles played by women in Islamic history: Al-Sayyida al-Zahraa (peace be upon her), who stood against injustice after the Prophet’s passing and voiced her position from the mosque pulpit. Al-Sayyida Zaynab (peace be upon her), who not only carried the revolution forward after Karbala, but awakened consciousness, confronted tyranny, and delivered a courageous sermon in the heart of Yazid’s court.
He also reflects on Umm al-Banin (peace be upon her), who gave her four sons in Karbala without hesitation. She became known as "The Mother of Martyrs," yet she was always first to ask about Imam Husayn before her own children.
These are not merely spiritual stories — they are historical evidence that women were at the heart of the Islamic mission, not on its margins. Islam did not exclude them from the field — it affirmed their role, as long as they moved within the divine vision and in accordance with what pleases Allah, the Most High.

interview with Al sayyid Ali

Sayyed Ali points out that the Zaynabi woman emerged clearly during and after the war — not only through her patience and sacrifice, but also through her presence in media and on the ground. It has become evident to all that the Muslim woman holds a vital role in the resistance, through her voice, her image, and her stance. Whether she is bidding farewell to a martyr, managing a center, or confronting with her words, she is continuing the path of Al-Sayyida Zaynab (peace be upon her) and embodying the presence of the faithful woman in the battle for dignity.
Sayyed Ali emphasizes that the primary role of the Zaynabi woman is to build society from its roots , and the clearest expression of this role is found in the mothers of the martyrs, who do not merely offer their sons, but raise heroes. From early childhood, they instill in them a love for faith, awareness, and the spirit of resistance.
He says: “Every martyr in this war or those before it ,was not simply a young man who decided to fight. He is the son of a path, the product of an upbringing, the child of a Zaynabi mother who raised him on the road to Karbala.”
And Sayyed Ali adds a decisive statement: “Let it be said clearly: No matter what a man does, he can never possess the essential role that a mother holds in planting the revolutionary spirit, noble character, and deep faith. She is the one who shapes a generation that does not tremble, and who sows Karbala within her child before he even learns the alphabet.”

مقابلة مع السيد علي

Sayyed Ali explains that in Islam, creation was not in vain, it was with wisdom and purpose: to worship Allah and strive for His Paradise. Everything we do in this life as men and women holds no true value unless it is on the path of Allah’s pleasure and leads us to the ultimate purpose for which we were created: Jannah (Paradise).
Therefore, when we discuss topics like feminism and the role of women today, they cannot be separated from this divine standard. He states:“Every discussion about a woman’s role, her freedom, or her status must be measured by the pleasure of Allah. Whatever aligns with it, we accept; and whatever contradicts it, no believing Muslim can accept no matter how appealing its slogans may seem.”
From this perspective, a woman’s liberation is not measured by breaking away from religion, but by remaining steadfast in it. Her strength is not measured by imitating men, but by mastering the role that Allah, in His wisdom, justice, and perfection, has designed for her.

interview with Al sayyid ali

Sayyed Ali affirms that Islam does not oppose women's aspirations, nor does it exclude them from the public sphere. On the contrary, if there is to be a meaning for “feminism” in our society, then let it be a feminism of dignity, strength, modesty, and chastity. These values are not rejected by Islam — in fact, Islam embraces and nurtures them.
However, the term as promoted in the West, he explains, is often rooted in the stripping away of modesty, the promotion of exposure, and the reduction of women to visual commodities. This model, he states, is completely and categorically rejected.
Sayyed Ali continues his critique of the Western narrative, saying:
“You call for women's freedom in the workplace — we do not object to that. I am a religious man, and I personally hope that I have a female gynecologist in my community, because I care about my family’s dignity. So where is the oppression in that?
The issue, he clarifies, is not with work itself, but with work that strips a woman of her dignity or places her in situations that compromise her modesty.
In Islam, a woman can be a professional, a doctor, a teacher, and a leader, as long as she remains true to her values, committed to her modesty, and steadfast in her principles.

interview with sayyid ali

Sayyed Ali critiques the concept of “abortion rights” as presented by Western feminism not only from a religious standpoint, but also from a human and ethical perspective.
He states:
“What logic accepts granting a person the freedom to kill a child who has not yet been born? Abortion, in this form, is an act of murder not a woman’s right.”
In Islam, life is considered to begin at the moment of conception, and no one man or woman has the right to end it, except in cases of legitimate and necessary circumstances as defined by Islamic law.

interview with sayyid ali

Sayyed Ali concludes his discourse with the highest example: Al-Sayyida Zaynab (peace be upon her) — known for her deep commitment to modesty and chastity. It was said that she would not even leave her home to visit her father's grave except under the cover of darkness, so no one could see her.
Yet when the moment demanded it, she did not merely defend the cause of divine authority (Wilayah); she embodied it. She stood firm, delivered speeches, confronted oppression, and upheld the message in its darkest hour.
Al-Sayyida Zaynab (peace be upon her) did not abandon her hijab to become strong she was strong because she remained faithful to her chastity and unwavering in her principles.

captured by Zeinab Fawaz - Sayyed Ali‘s room

Al sayed Ali Hashem