Fatima Al-Fihriyya Art Nouveau

Assalaamu alaikum [Peace be to you],


An Exceptional woman:
If you had been born into a prestigious family, would you have been content just to live the celebrity lifestyle?
Twelve hundred years ago, a young, wealthy and well educated woman named Fatima Al-Fihiyya (also known as Fatima Al-Fihri) inherited a big fortune from her businessman father. Her interest was neither in shoes or handbags, nor in any celebrity lifestyle, neither to woe a man for marriage, nor in any of the stereotypes that are usually associated with women.
Fatima had a vision that was cultivated and allowed to grow because of the Islamic society she lived in and encouraged her. Her vision did not remain a dream but was accomplished and the results can still be seen today. In 859 CE, Fatima Al-Fihriyya founded the oldest academic degree-granting university existing today, the University of Al-Qarawiyyin in Fes, Morocco.

Fatima and her family were among several families who moved from Tunisia to Morocco during the reign of the Moroccan King Idriss II.
After her husband and her brothers died, she and her sister Mariam inherited a large fortune. Both women wanted to devote their money to pious work that would benefit the community in order to receive the blessing of God. To this end, Fatima built the Al Qarawiyyin mosque, while Mariam built the Al-Andalus mosque.

The Oldest University in the World
The Al-Qarawiyyin Mosque is one of the largest mosques in Africa and the oldest true university in the world. Al-Qarawiyyin is the perfect example of how Islam combines the spiritual with education and that Islam is not separate from life's affairs. This is not only an example of how education and religion merge in this small corner of the globe, but it sheds light on the esteemed role that women played in the Islamic community - an aspect of Islam that is often misunderstood.
learn more about the Al-Qarawiyyin University in my other page here:


Sad present and mysterious future:
It saddens me to say that in the Muslim world today, such inspirational women, the likes of Fatima Al-Fihriyya became rare. Many Muslim Women are engulfed with problems of oppression and subjugation at different levels and hence not able to realise their true potential. This problem is a result of an oppressive, male-dominated society that went far from the true teachings of Islam, and governments that lack Islamic laws and systems and rulers that are more interested in the lining of their pockets then the real development and protection of its citizens. As a result many Muslim women have suffered and taken on the burden of being voiceless in society.

Fatima Al-Fihriyya is an example of the empowerment and encouragement Islam gives to women. she should encourage Muslim women today to take practical steps. She should make them reflect on how they should want more in this life as Muslim women. She should make them realise the rights Islamn gives them and fight in order to get them back.


References:
<sup>- Fatima al-Fihri [link]
- Meet Fatima Al-Fihri - An Inspiration [link]
- Fatima al-Fihri [link]


I hope this was beneficial for you

If you want to read more about Muslim Heritage, I recommend this website: muslimheritage.com [link]



THE DRAWING:
I wanted to do something in Art Nouveau for a long time. if you have any constructive critiques, please let me know.



If I am right, it's from Allah. if I am wrong, it's from myself.</sup>