Hanan Omran’s phone never stops ringing.
She finishes a call with one woman about a social or religious issue, only to receive another from a different woman, either asking for similar advice or inquiring about a completely different religious matter.
“This job is all-consuming, but I find unparalleled joy in helping people understand their religion and follow its teachings in managing their lives,” Hanan told The New Arab (TNA).
“I feel as though I am filling a void that had been growing over the years,” she added.
In her early thirties, Hanan is one of many female preachers appointed by Al-Azhar, the highest seat of Islamic learning in Egypt. A resident of the central province of Beni Sueif, she visits homes to help solve people’s problems, answer their questions, and clarify religious rules.
The female preachers appointed by Al-Azhar are equipped with the necessary religious knowledge and experience, predominantly being graduates of the institution, having passed rigorous tests in Islamic sciences and the interpretation of the Quran before being appointed.
Representing a shift where women are challenging long-standing norms, overcoming objections within the institution, and quickly gaining public trust while excelling in the male-dominated field, the primary goal of these female preachers is to reach the female members of their communities, explaining the correct teachings of Islam and addressing pressing religious and social issues.
In response to the rise of female preachers, Elham Shahin, assistant to the head of the Female Preachers’ Affairs Section at Al-Azhar, told TNA, “The female preachers are becoming increasingly important to their communities because they help people apply religious teachings to their daily lives.”
“However, I wouldn’t say the female preachers compete with their male counterparts; rather, they complement them,” she added.
Defying expectations
The rise of female preachers to prominence in their communities has not been without its challenges.
In addressing people, especially women, about their religion and religious rules, these female preachers challenge the stereotypes of traditional preachers — typically men dressed in the distinctive attire of Al-Azhar seminary, including the kaftan (a loose, ankle-length robe with long sleeves) and red headgear.
Dressed stylishly, often in bright, joyful colours and wearing the Islamic headscarf (hijab), female preachers have faced ridicule and even bullying — sometimes before anyone even approaches them with religious questions.
Amany Hassan, a 32-year-old preacher from Cairo, recalls being asked by people in her community why she didn’t wear the traditional Al-Azhar attire, while other preachers share similar experiences of male community members chiding them and urging them to stay at home, leaving religious preaching to men.
“Of course, these challenges affect us, but they never weaken our resolve,” Amany told TNA.
“People like me know that we have an important mission to accomplish in society,” she added.
Despite these challenges, the female preachers remain focused on their mission, targeting almost half of society — its female members, who are responsible for raising future generations of Egyptians.
Breaking barriers
Al-Azhar, over a millennium old, remains the guardian of Egypt’s predominantly Muslim population’s faith.
In addition to being a mosque, it is also a university where, apart from Egyptians, tens of thousands of Muslims from other countries study before returning home to spread its message of religious moderation.
Despite its historic significance, the institution faced criticism from reform advocates for being male-dominated throughout its history. The eventual appointment of female preachers was a response to these concerns, as well as calls for the renewal of religious discourse.
These calls became more urgent following a significant rise in extremism, evident in the emergence of violent groups like the Islamic State (IS), which claimed to be implementing Islamic rules in the territories they controlled.
As these groups expanded, they attracted a large number of recruits, including women who migrated to IS-controlled areas under the illusion of joining the so-called ‘Islamic caliphate‘.
Amid this growing threat, hundreds of Egyptians are believed to have joined IS in Syria and Iraq when the terrorist organisation was active there.
At the same time, Egypt had its own IS branch in Sinai, which was ultimately eliminated by the Egyptian army after nearly a decade of fighting, during which significant resources were invested, and many lives were lost.
Nevertheless, when female preachers finally began their work across Egypt, they found they had been greatly missed. Many women expressed feeling too ashamed to ask certain questions or raise specific issues in front of male preachers.
“Women often want to know the religious perspective on very personal issues, things they feel too shy to ask male preachers,” Hanan said.
“They also ask about their families and the upbringing of their children,” she added.
Whether on the phone, in person, or while preaching at the local mosque, Hanan and other female preachers are sometimes asked about social and religious issues that dominate daily debate in Egypt.
For example, some women tell the female preachers that their brothers refuse to grant them their inheritance rights, while others ask whether they must care for their mothers-in-law.
One young woman who met Hanan at the local mosque told her that her father had divorced her mother, married another woman, and never contacts her.
Similarly, another woman, a cancer patient, confided in Hanan that she was planning to stop taking her medication because she had lost hope.
“Some of the questions people ask me fill me with pain, but they also offer insights into the conditions of our society, the state of people’s faith, and how people think,” Hanan said.
Spreading social peace and stability
By overtaking the field of preaching, Egyptian women are adding a new dimension of excellence to their achievements over the years.
In the broader context, Egypt is not the worst case of misogyny in this part of the world — other regional states hold that position — although Egyptian women have still struggled in some fields to prove they are just as worthy as their male counterparts.
After all, Egyptian women have played a central role in Egypt’s economic and social life over the centuries, and in recent years, they have succeeded in occupying a larger space in almost all spheres.
The Ministry of Religious Endowments, which oversees the nation’s mosques, declared 2024 the year of women preachers. This recognition likely stems from the efforts these preachers make in explaining religious rules to people and helping them apply these rules to solve their social problems.
According to Elham, “These efforts, of course, contribute to spreading social peace and stability.”
Nevertheless, the female preachers’ most significant contribution seems to lie in addressing the problems Egypt has been mobilising substantial resources to overcome in recent years, including religious extremism and uncontrollable population growth.
The Egyptian president once described the country’s runaway population growth as the “most dangerous issue” facing Egypt.
These two issues — along with other important ones — take centre stage in the debates between the preachers and the women they meet every day.
Interpretations of religious texts by some religious scholars have left people questioning whether family planning and birth control, for example, are compatible with Islamic rules.
Other interpretations, meanwhile, open the door to radicalisation, turning the nation’s youth into easy prey for terrorist groups.
“Our job is to address misconceptions and support positive ideas,” Hassan said.
“We also work hard to show that Islam has nothing to do with extremism and opposes violence and the killing of innocent people,” she added.
Amr Emam is a Cairo-based journalist. He has contributed to the New York Times, San Francisco Chronicle and the UN news site IRIN
