Amir-ah

“… since you’re our Amirah now,” an inmate said to me.

I cannot tell you what a humbling and frightening thing it is for someone to regard ME as their Amirah. 

According to Wikipedia, the word “amir” or “emir” has numerous meanings.  The original meaning was used to mean ”commander” or ”leader”.  It is also used as a title for religious leaders, without political power.  ”The word Emir is also used less formally for leaders in certain contexts, for example the leader of a group of pilgrims to Mecca is called an emir hadji…” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amir.  

Amirah is also a female Arabic name, meaning princess or leader http://www.ummah.net/family/fem.html

As a female Muslim chaplain, I am the amirah of our Muslim community.  It is an awesome responsibility.  Some of what I do:

- New Shahadah class

- Lead Salat

- Teach standardized class about Islam developed by the Federal Bureau of Prisons imams.

- Tahleem/halaqa

- Visit Muslimahs who have restricted movement, i.e., are not in general population and therefore, cannot come to the prison chapel, i.e., those in the prison infirmary, prison mental health unit, disciplinary housing unit (“the hole”), special management unit, capital cases unit (“death row” yes, we have had Muslimahs on death row).

- Individual counseling

- Correct beliefs and practices, implementing the Noble Qur’an and the Prophet’s (saw) authentic Sunnah in accordance with the understanding and practice of the righteous salaf.

- Obtain Qur’ans, literature, etc.

- Advocate for Muslims and Islamic programs with prison administration, provide input into development of policy

- Coordinate religious activities, Ramadhan, Iftaar, Eid, etc.

- Develop positive relationships and act as resource for inmates with Islamic communities on the “outside”

That is my basic responsibility for the Muslim population.  Some of what I would like to do in the future, Insha Allah:

- Expand Muslim volunteer list

- Recruit a special volunteer to teach basic Arabic

- Develop a Pen Pal program for incarcerated Muslimahs to reach out and write to Muslimahs in the community, get support and encouragement, and have additional resource to the deen. 

- Invite inspirational speakers

However, I am more than an amirah. 

I am a Muslim chaplain.  What is a Muslim chaplain?  Insha Allah I will write about it in my next post.