**Watch recording of this retreat at https://mcceastbay.org/womanhood

Cultivate a life based on the four perfect archetypes for woman with a distinguished lineup of Thanksgiving weekend retreat speakers: Dr. Haifaa Younis, Ustadha Anse Sawsan, Dr. Rania Awaad, Dr. Amina Darwish, Ustadha Maryam Amir and Ustadha Hosai Mojaddidi.

Sunday, Nov. 28 | 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. PST | MCC Prayer Hall | Women only | $25/in-person (includes lunch) or $10/person (watch live online) | In-person registration closes at 10 p.m. on Sat., Nov. 27

Register at https://mcceastbay.org/womanhood

Girls ages 12+ welcome to register to attend the retreat.

In-person registration increased to 300 women (from 125). In-person registration closes at 10 p.m. on Sat., Nov. 27. Online option only offered thereafter. No babysitting provided. Lunch provided by Mirchi Cafe Dublin and Falfel Flame Dublin (both HFSAA certified).

The event will not be publicly live-streamed. Public release of the recordings will be at the discretion of every speaker. There’s no guarantee recordings will be released on the media channels for The Jannah Institute, The Rahmah Foundation or MCC East Bay. Please try to attend the program in person or live online. The event is taking place on Pacific Standard Time. The private live event link will be emailed one hour before registration begins.

Seminar guests at “Womanhood Defined: Cultivating A Life Based on The Four Perfect Women” speak on:

• Ustadha Hosai Mojaddidi on Lady Asiya (ra): “The Faithful, Forbearing and Fearless”
• Ustadha Maryam Amir on Maryam (as): “The Power of Submission”
• Dr. Rania Awaad on Lady Khadija (ra): “The Great Woman Behind the Greatest Man”
• Dr. Amina Darwish on Lady Fatima (ra): “Educator and Stateswoman”
• Ustadha Anse Sawsan on comprehensive summary of the role of women in Islam
• Dr. Haifaa Younis on contemporary role models: “The Muslim Woman: Who is She?”

We will conclude along with a final comments panel along with questions & answers with the six teachers before congregational Maghrib prayers. Congregational Zuhr, Asr & Maghrib prayers will be lead in the MCC Prayer Hall by a retreat teacher.

MCC has a standing policy that financial need should never hold a person back from attaining spiritual knowledge. For a financial-based scholarship discount code, please email scholarship@mcceastbay.org

Sponsored by the Jannah Institute, The Rahmah Foundation & MCC East Bay

Questions? events@mcceastbay.org

About the Speakers:
Dr. Haifaa Younis is an American Board Certified Obstetrician and Gynecologist with roots from Iraq. Her pursuit of Islamic knowledge initiated when she began to study with various Islamic scholars from across the United States while she simultaneously attended individual courses and lectures on subjects including Aqeeda, Fiqh, usual Fiqh, Hadeeth, and Tazkiyah (purification of the soul). From the United States, she moved to Saudi Arabia where she graduated from the Mecca Institute of Islamic Studies (Jeddah, Saudi Arabia) and Al-Huda Qur’an Memorization School (Jeddah, Saudi Arabia) where she completed the memorization of the Qur’an. She is the founder and Chairman of Jannah Institute and currently teaches seminars on the thematic commentary of various chapters of the Holy Qur’an and their practical relevance in our day-to-day living. Additionally, she offers retreats on key topics that inspire hearts, combining the inner essence of Islam with an outward expression of practice. Dr. Haifaa is passionate about spreading the word of Allah (SBW) and igniting the love of Islam and the Qur’an through her teachings. Learn more about her at https://www.jannahinstitute.com

Ustadha Dr. Rania Awaad, M.D. is a Clinical Associate Professor of Psychiatry at the Stanford University School of Medicine where she is the Director of the Muslim Mental Health Lab and Wellness Program and Director of the Diversity Clinic. She pursued her psychiatric residency training at Stanford where she also completed a postdoctoral clinical research fellowship with the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). Her research and clinical work are focused on the mental health needs of Muslims. Her courses at Stanford range from teaching a pioneering course on Islamic Psychology, instructing medical students and residents on implicit bias and integrating culture and religion into medical care to teaching undergraduate and graduate students the psychology of xenophobia. Her most recent academic publications include an edited volume on “Islamophobia and Psychiatry” (Springer, 2019), Islamic Psychology (Routledge, 2020) and an upcoming text on Muslim Mental Health. She has also produced a toolkit, fact sheet, CME course, and is now editing a clinical textbook on Muslim mental health for the American Psychiatric Association. Dr. Awaad is particularly passionate about uncovering the historical roots of mental health care in the Islamic intellectual heritage. Through her outreach work at Stanford, she is also the Clinical Director of the San Francisco Bay Area branches of the Khalil Center, a spiritual wellness center pioneering the application of traditional Islamic spiritual healing methods to modern clinical psychology. She has been the recipient of several awards and grants for her work. Prior to studying medicine, she pursued classical Islamic studies in Damascus, Syria and holds certifications (ijaza) in Qur’an, Islamic Law and other branches of the Islamic Sciences. Dr. Awaad has also served as the first female Professor of Islamic Law at Zaytuna College, a Muslim Liberal Arts College in Berkeley, CA where she taught courses on Shafi’i Fiqh and Women’s Fiqh and Qur’anic sciences for nearly a decade. In addition, she serves as the Director of The Rahmah Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to educating Muslim women and girls. At Rahmah, she oversees the Murbiyyah spiritual mentoring program for girls. Dr. Awaad is a nationally recognized speaker, award-winning teacher, researcher and author in both the Islamic and medical sciences. Follow her on I/T: Dr.RaniaAwaad

Amina Darwish “Imamina” started as the Associate Dean for Religious and Spiritual Life and Advisor for Muslim Life in February 2021. She previously served as the first full time Muslim Life Coordinator at Columbia University. Dr. Darwish has a decade of professional experience working with Muslim community. She also brings years of experience building and serving in nonprofit organizations. Dr. Darwish brings a unique blend of understanding the different cultures within the Muslim community while staying grounded in traditional Islamic scholarship.

She earned a Ph.D. in Chemical engineering before switching careers to follow her true passion for community building. She remains passionate about including ethics, meaning, and service into STEM disciplines. Dr. Darwish strives to always create a culture or openness and consistent kindness into the communities she serves. She earned ijazas, traditional Islamic studies certifications, from the Qalam and Critical Loyalty seminaries including an ijaza in the ten Qira’at. Dr. Darwish has studied individually under different scholars from different parts of the world and has taught college level coursework on Islam and Muslims.

Ustadha Maryam Amir received her master’s degree in Education from UCLA.  She holds a second bachelor’s degree in Islamic Studies through Al-Azhar University.  Maryam has studied in Egypt, memorized the Quran and has researched a variety of religious sciences, ranging from Quranic exegesis, Islamic jurisprudence, Prophetic narrations and commentary, women’s rights within Islamic law and more for the past 15 years.  She’s featured in a video series on faith produced by goodcast.net called The Maryam Amir Show. She actively hosts women who have memorized Quran from around the world to share their journeys through the #FOREMOTHERS campaign.  She is an instructor with SWISS and Hikmah Institutes and has served as a bonus lecturer with AlMaghrib, DiscoverU and more.  She has been interviewed for her work by major news outlets including BBC, NPR and CBS.  Maryam’s focus in the fields of spiritual connections, identity actualization, social justice and women’s studies have humbled her the opportunity to lecture throughout the United States and the world, including Jerusalem, Mecca, Medina, Stockholm, London, Toronto and more.  She holds a second degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do and speaks multiple languages.

Ustadha Hosai Mojaddidi is the co-founder of MH4M (www.mentalhealth4muslims.com), a site dedicated to providing mental health related content tailored for the Muslim community. She has served the American-Muslim community for over 20 years as a spiritual advisor, mental health advocate, writer/editor, mediator, interfaith organizer, and public speaker, covering a variety of topics including women’s issues, marriage/family, youth/teen issues, education, self development, interfaith bridge building, spirituality, etc. She currently offers monthly self-development and spiritual wellness classes with MCC East Bay Masjid and she offers regular educational workshops for students and teachers at local Islamic schools. She also offers periodic talks throughout California and nationally for the Muslim community at large on a variety of topics. In her spare time she enjoys reading, writing, blogging via social media, doing arts and crafts, visiting gourmet coffee shops, and exploring the countless beautiful beaches and state parks throughout California where she lives with her husband and two sons.

Learn more about her at http://hosaimojaddidi.com

Ustadha Anse Sawsan Imady learned traditional Islam from her female teachers over 40 years. She has a BA in English literature and a Masters in Education. During her career, she has been a teacher of English and other subjects; as well as an Academic Supervisor, writing curriculum, directing instruction, and training teachers. She was born to a Syrian father and an American mother, bridging those two worlds throughout her life. She has raised five children with her husband of 42 years. Learn more about her at http://www.peacespective.org