All-Women Group Offers Bond of Serenity, Love in Rochester
Muslims seek pride in being “compassionate” and forming “glorious” friendships based on a mutual love of Allah and a desire to obey Him.
Moving from Somalia to Minnesota eight years ago, Subban Hassan found support in the sisterhood she formed with other Muslim women in the mosque.
“I didn’t have my parents with me,” Hassan said, describing her experience eight years ago, Post Bulletin reported.
“The first place that actually helped me was sisterhood at the mosque.
In a bid to provide support to next generation of young Muslims, Hassan formed the Suhba Sisterhood as an extension of those sisterly relationships.
Starting in 2022, board of eight women largely grew up in Rochester and ventured into college education and careers without the guidance of family members.
Supporting Next Generation
The group focuses on Islamic education, mental and physical health, and school and career mentorship, hoping to support the next generation of Muslim sisters.
“We didn’t have any guidance. We didn’t have any people that are going to tell us, ‘Hey, maybe look into this field, look into this classes that you can do ahead,’” Hassan, the executive director of the Suhba Sisterhood, said of many of the sisters’ college experiences.
She added, “we wanted to use our experience to guide younger sisters. We want to be there for everyone, whether they are struggling through education, whether it is mental health … and also with our physical health.”
The group now organizes sunset hikes on Sundays and bi-weekly Islamic circles on Fridays. They also plan to offer Umrah trips.
“A lot of the outdoorsy things, we do we do it as a group of girls, it just brings us all closer to each other, even though we don’t know each other that well outside of the circle. We’re just so close whenever we’re together,” said Nasra Arte, director of community outreach assistant.
SOURCE: https://aboutislam.net/muslim-issues/n-america/all-women-group-offers-bond-of-serenity-love-in-rochester/