Alima

Answer

Wa’alaykum as Salam wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu,

May Allah accept your intention and make it easy for you to become a pious Alimah.

The greatest act after fulfilling ones Faraaidh (compulsory actions) is to seek Islamic knowledge.

Allah Ta’ala states:

﴿قُلْ هَلْ يَسْتَوِى ٱلَّذِينَ يَعْلَمُونَ وَٱلَّذِينَ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ‌ إِنَّمَا يَتَذَكَّرُ أُوْلُواْ ٱلْأَلْبَــــٰـــبِ﴾

“Say: ‘Can those who have knowledge and those who do not be alike?’ So only the wise do receive the admonition.” [al-Zumar, 39:9.]

A famous Hadith which explains the virtues of going out to seek Islamic knowledge is as follows:

منْ سَلَكَ طَرِيقًا يَطْلُبُ فِيهِ عِلْمًا سَهل اللَّهُ بِهِ طَرِيقًا مِنْ طُرُقِ الْجَنَّةِ، وَإِنَّ الْمَلَائِكَةَ لَتَضَعُ أَجْنِحَتَهَا رِضًا لِطَالِبِ الْعِلْمِ، وَإِنَّ الْعَالِمَ لَيَسْتَغْفِرُ لَهُ مَنْ فِي السَّمَوَاتِ، وَمَنْ فِي الْأَرْضِ، وَالْحِيتَانُ فِي جَوْفِ الْمَاءِ، وَإِنَّ فَضْلَ الْعَالِمِ عَلَى الْعَابِدِ، كَفَضْلِ الْقَمَرِ لَيْلَةَ الْبَدْرِ عَلَى سَائِرِ الْكَوَاكِبِ، وَإِنَّ الْعُلَمَاءَ وَرَثَةُ الْأَنْبِيَاءِ، وَإِنَّ الْأَنْبِيَاءَ لَمْ يُوَرِّثُوا دِينَارًا، وَلَا دِرْهَمًا وَرَّثُوا الْعِلْمَ، فَمَنْ أَخَذَهُ أَخَذَ بِحَظٍّ وَافِر (أخرجه أبو داود في سننه – ج3 / ص317)

“Whosoever traverses a path of knowledge, Allah will ease his path to Jannah. And the angles happily spread their wings for the one seeking knowledge. And every creation in the skies and the earth seek forgiveness for the seeker of knowledge including the fishes in the ocean. The virtue of a scholar over a worshipper is like that of a full moon on the night of 14^th over the rest of the stars. And the scholars are the heirs of the Prophets. And the Prophets do not leave behind any wealth except for knowledge. Whosoever inherits from it has inherited a great portion. (Sunan Abi Dawood, 3 / 317)

In the history of Islam, from the noble wives of the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam), women always excelled in their intellectual abilities and their vast knowledge of Islam. As the first Madrassa is the lap of a mother, it becomes of even greater importance for a female to expand her Islamic knowledge. Similarly, there are numerous laws which are exclusive for females. Ladies find it easier to discuss with an Alimah.

We are living in a time when stress, depression and anxiety have reached alarming levels. There are many girls who need counselling, advises or just need to discuss with someone who can guide them. All these enhances the importance of having female scholars.

When seeking Islamic knowledge, it is of utmost importance to go to an institute which does not contravene any law of Shariah. There should be full Purdah and no intermingling or unnecessary discussions with male teachers. Also, please make sure that the institute is run by reliable Ulama with correct Aqidah.

Depending on the institute and curriculum, it should not be a problem if you have less knowledge. They will take an exam to see how much you know so that they can determine the best way forward for you. If they put you directly into the Alima course, you might have to work abit more, but it will be worth it for you.