Hakima Training Program
Become A Hakima / Chaplain: A Mercy For All People
The word chaplain means custodian of the cloak, or someone who inherits and preserves the sacred teaching of a spiritual tradition. In the Islamic tradition, Hakim is the closest word that describes the word chaplain.
In Arabic, Hakima means a "wise woman." Hakim was also used more generally to refer to polymath scholars who were knowledgeable in healing, theology, psychology, and philosophy such as Ibn Sina (Avicenna). Ibn Sina argued that spiritual wellness required a connection between the body and soul that was strong enough to ensure the soul's individuation but weak enough to allow for its immortality. According to Ibn Sina, this process of perception and abstraction of meanings is the nexus of the soul and body, for the material body may only perceive material objects, while the immaterial soul may only receive the immaterial.
Prophet Muhammad (sa) said: "Each of you is a caretaker and each of you should provide quality care for whom he/she cares for. The father is a caretaker of his household and he should provide quality care for his household. The mother is a caretaker for her children and she should provide quality care for her children. An employee is a caretaker of customers and he /she should provide quality care for his/her customers. A leader is a caretaker of people, and he/she should provide quality care for the people whom he/she leads,"
The quality of care that Prophet Muhammad described includes the physical, the mental, and the spiritual. Physicians care for the body. Psychologists care for the mind. Chaplains care for the soul and its sacred values.
Instructors
Amany Shalaby, M.A.
MWO's Hakima / Chaplain
Founder of Universal Chaplaincy
Member of The Association of Muslim Chaplains
Shadhiliyya Sufi Order's Hakima/Chaplain
Faculty Member at the Universty of Sufism
Amany graduated as an electric engineer from Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt. She obtained a Post Graduate Diploma in Islamic Studies from Islamic College of Advancing Studies, London and obtained a Masters degree in Comparative Philosophy at Islamic College of Advancing Studies, Middlesex University, London. Amany worked as a translator of Islamic books. Currently, she serves as the Hakima for the Muslim Women’s Organization. She is She also teaches Islamic studies at the University of Spiritual Healing and Sufism, and in various circles of the Shadhiliyya Sufi communities across the United States. She is a co-founder of Radiant Hands Inc., a non-profit organization that helps women in need in the Central Florida area. She is the author of “The Essence of Creation” and “The Emanation of Consciousness” and also has two published books for children: “Goha and His Donkey," and “Little Puffer Fish.” She is the mother of three children and lives in Montverde, Florida.
Why start a hakima training program?
After completing her training, Amany had learned so much and realized that the women in our communities - who were already providing support to their families, friends, and others in need - needed the opportunity to learn this information, as well. She recognized that in those moments, when others come to us for support, we may feel unsure of what to say or how to respond with compassion and mercy. She felt that developing these skills was especially important for Muslimas as it is our duty to care for our families and our community.
With this in mind, Amany developed the Hakima Training Program to help build these skills in Muslim Women. Our goal is to facilitate the training of wise women throughout our communities so that women in need always know they have support and can turn to someone who will help guide them through difficult moments in life. This is not a substitute for psychological or physiological help, Hakimas are trained so they can refer women who need specialized assistance to local experts and share resources to care for women's overall well-being.
Because they don’t know where to go, often times, women turn to our Imams when they are struggling. But our Imams already have the responsibility of leading the masajid and worship, dawah and a multitude of other initiatives. We wanted to make sure others in the masajid and community were available and ready to meet the needs and relieve some of the burdens that have fallen on the Imams.
PROGRAM INFORMATION
CURRICULUM
The Hakima training program incorporates elements of traditional Chaplain training incorporating, Islamic psychology, Islamic texts, Sufi spiritual principles, as well as pop culture and mainstream resources.
PROGRAM ELEMENTS
Case studies and role playing
Volunteer Hakima support sessions
Reflections on films and assigned readings
PROGRAM UNITS
SESSION INFORMATION
Sessions are 1 hours long and will be held once a week.
Each unit requires 16 weeks of instruction.
All sessions are held virtually, through Zoom.
Canvas is used for course content, communication, and assignment submissions.
PROGRAM COST
There is a cost of $500 associated with this program, and certification will be provided. The funds help pay for the instructor and support The MWO. However, we do not want it to prevent anyone from benefiting from the program and have scholarships and payment plans available upon request.
Registration
Registration is currently open for the Fall 2024 semester. This semester we will offer Unit 1: Refining Self-Awareness and Unit 3: Refining Our Expressions. Unit 1 is open to all Muslim women, but Unit 3 requires completion of Unit 1 before registration.
