After all, her lecture had nothing to do with societal matters, more to do with perfecting oneself spiritually and taqwa (God consciousness), which is a subject of great importance in Islam and a core principle of the religion. I suddenly found myself asking whether it was completely inappropriate of me to pose such a question. I was shocked at her response, or lack of it, to say the least. What advice would you give to the Muslims living in the West to assist their brethren of the Middle East and elsewhere, such as Syria, Gaza and Burma? What can we do to help them or ease their hardship?” She replied: “I don’t comment on political matters.” I asked: “It is so painful for anybody to watch what is happening to Muslims in the Middle East. I was certain that she would have an interesting point of view on the matter, especially with her PhD in Islamic Studies and numerous qualifications on the deen. I began by asking her a question that I was sure many would want to know the answer to, not just for the sake of it but because of it being answered by an acclaimed scholar.
This intrigued me and made me excited for my interview with her. Women were rushing to meet her, some kissing her hand, others just smiling in awe.
It was clear that this alimah (female scholar) was a household name and loved by thousands. The mosque was swarming with women, young and old, who had come from all over the North West to hear the words of this inspirational woman, but journalist Louisa Butt was disappointed when she refused to answer a political question. Dr Farhat Hashmi is a prominent Islamic scholar from Pakistan who recently attended Makki Masjid in Longsight (Manchester) to give a talk.
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