Hagar Lives Through Us

We Are Hagar:

Ayisha Karim is a native of Atlanta, GA, where she lives with her two children and is surrounded by her loving extended family. She is a high school math teacher, working at one of Atlanta’s favorite private schools, and occasionally serves as a diversity practitioner. Ayisha is an active Muslim woman and primarily attends the Atlanta Masjid of Al-Islam of East Atlanta, where she grew up and attended W.D. Mohammed High. She studied at Duke University and Teachers College @ Columbia University.

She enjoys listening to music, painting, reading, traveling, and engaging in spiritually-heightening conversations.  

She is currently reading: Americanah, Born A Crime, and Reclaim Your Heart.

Jamillah Karim is a writer, scholar, activist. See her professional profile here. She has high hopes to be with God, to be in the company of the Prophet Muhammad and God's favored servants who act with beauty, such as Hagar, may Allah grant them peace and blessings, to maintain a healthy, loving family, to contribute to her community, and to write with God's grace with each stroke of the pen.

When Prophet Ibrahim brought Hajar to the desert and began to depart, she called out to him about the dire hardship that his actions would place upon her and their nursing child: “Where are you going leaving us alone in this valley where there are no inhabitants, food, or drink?” She asked this question several times with no response from her husband. Finally, she asked, “Did Allah command you to do this?” When he answered yes, she responded, “Allah will not neglect us.” The way in which Hajar’s distress in the face of an extremely difficult situation changed once she realized that the source of the difficulty was from Allah, not her husband, indicates her rida, or contentment with Allah.

Many of you know the rest of her story. If you do not, we will share in a later post. We are Hagar because we live her unique struggle, we strive to be among those satisfied and happy with Allah in all states, and we seek to leave behind a great legacy as did our mother Hagar, may God have peace on her forever.