Questions for Discussion

1. How did you experience reading THE LADY IMAM? Did you go in with any preconceived notions about amina wadud or Islam? Did you feel your expectations challenged when you read the book? If so, how? 

2. amina wadud embodies many identities, leading a life that at times feels “paradoxical” (page 156). How do these identities factor into the types of struggles she faces throughout the book?

3. THE LADY IMAM is structured into 16 Hijrahs. How does this structure impact your view of wadud’s story? 

4. The Hijrahs that wadud undertakes are not only physical, but mental, emotional and spiritual. What kind of Hijrahs have you taken in your own life, external or internal? What significance did they hold for you within the larger journey of your life? 

5. In THE LADY IMAM, wadud names Toni Morrison and the Sufi saint Rabia as women who influenced her worldview. Do you have figures like this in your life? How have they impacted your core values and philosophies? 

6. On page 191, the question is posed: “Who speaks for Islam? And what gives them that right?” How would you answer this question? 

7. On page 107, Power recounts that since amina’s youth, she has “sought to complicate the meaning of being American.” What do you think it means to be American? 

8. In Hijrah VI, amina confronts the idea of families being made up of two-parent households. Have you seen the idea of a family being reconceived in your own life or community? If so, how did you respond? 

9. amina challenges herself, others and the system to confront our beliefs and ways of thinking. Have you ever challenged a belief system before? Why or why not? What brought you to your conclusions? 

10. The Islamic calendar operates on a lunar system known as Hijri. This system is named for the first Hijrah of the Prophet Muhammad. At the end of the book, amina sits upon her “terrace every night, watching the moon rise.” What is the significance of this ending? 

11. In THE LADY IMAM, Power and wadud introduce the idea of Barzakh, a theological concept representing a liminal space or purgatory between this life and the eternal. Outside of the theological definition, amina embarks on her own “Barzakh years” (page 64) in Philadelphia. What do you think signifies the end of wadud’s Barzakh years? Have you experienced a Barzakh of your own? If so, how did it affect your worldview? 

12. wadud’s father, the Rev, was a dedicated Christian preacher. How do you think that wadud’s upbringing as the daughter of a man so dedicated to his Christian faith affects her worldview and relationship with religion today?